Although Luo Chen had said he would think it over, the moment he handed the Seven Fiend Swords to Han Zhan, his decision to head for the Sunken Sea was already set. He rarely wavered like this, but this time, the shift had come from changing circumstances.

At first, after years of seclusion and finally finishing his defensive treasure, his confidence had soared. With the lure of a rare spirit medicine, he had made the decision without much consideration. But after the trip to Withered Wood Ridge, where he faced Sage-level power head-on, he began to waver and started to value his own safety more. In the end, however, Ding Yi's information left him no room to retreat. If the Sunken Sea truly fell into the hands of the demons, then even when he reached Perfected Mastery of Golden Core, what difference would it make?

The Northern Sea was filled with Demon Emperors far stronger than Adepts. A place like the Sunken Sea would inevitably be guarded by such beings. By then, he would have no chance at all of obtaining the Five Elements Lotus Pod.

For years, he had searched for a Five Elements Lotus Pod without success. Ding Yi had told him very matter-of-factly: Such treasures almost never circulated on the open market and were only rarely traded among Sages. Han Zhan had confirmed this, and he had also added that even Sages would find it hard to find one. As it turned out, most of the Five Elements Lotuses were controlled by the Holy Lands of the Five Territories. Luo Chen did not know how Green Pill Valley had obtained theirs, but he knew one thing for certain: the Sunken Sea was his only chance.

What finally steeled his resolve, however, was Han Zhan's promise. The man had agreed to assist him at critical moments, just as he had during the incident on Coldlight Island when He Yuan had been possessed by Blood Nightmare. With a Sage backing him, and so long as he remained cautious, kept his greed in check, and withdrew the moment he obtained the lotus pod, the risks of the journey would be greatly reduced.

Of course, relying entirely on others was not his nature. Once he made up his mind, he began preparing earnestly for the expedition. His focus fell squarely on the problems he had identified earlier on Purple Spirit Island. If he could resolve those three issues, his strength would rise accordingly, and with greater strength would come more ways to preserve his life.

For this, he even had Heavenjade cancel the meeting with the Zhou family's Adept scheduled for the next day. Crafting a custom defensive enchanted treasure was no simple task; it took both time and effort. In his case, it was even more troublesome, as his crafting relied on the Primordial Unity Cauldron, which was tied to the technique he had been researching during this period.

***

"You're planning to do what that devil sect Adept did and work on a Pseudo-Domain?"

"Yes. You mentioned before that the technique wasn't particularly useful for me. But if I'm really going to the Sunken Sea, then mastering it might give me a few more ways to stay alive."

"Well, what can I say... You aren’t wrong, I suppose. But since you came to me, I assume you already have something in mind?"

On the isolated island in Surging Lake, Han Zhan studied Luo Chen with a hint of curiosity. Recently, Luo Chen had set aside his usual distance and begun visiting often, seeking Han Zhan’s help to refine his vision of a Pseudo-Domain. This time, Luo Chen held nothing back, laying out his thoughts and years of research piece by piece. Back then, Yan Zhixian had relied on a Ghost King with a fragment of his own soul at the core, as well as a powerful Myriad Soul Banner and a matching set of techniques. With these, he had managed to form a Pseudo-Domain capable of restraining his peers.

Luo Chen's approach was similar on the surface but fundamentally different in nature. He planned to use his Golden Core, the Primordial Unity Cauldron, and formations to achieve this restraining effect. He had even incorporated some principles from Liang Baizao's Big Dipper Seven Peaks Formation into it.

After hearing him out, Han Zhan fell silent, standing there in thought for a while. He then spoke up. "Using your life-bound treasure to amplify your mana, then releasing it outward to form a small-scale Domain... The logic is sound, but for anyone else, it would be insanely inefficient in terms of energy cost. An ordinary Adept wouldn't even dare consider it. Luckily, you're no ordinary Adept. You still have the five-element spirit roots, fundamentally speaking, so your mana reserve is plentiful. On top of that, you have pure fire-element mana, and it’s powerful enough to restrain other types of elemental mana. And your Primordial Unity Cauldron will be able to amplify your power severalfold ."

Luo Chen nodded. It was exactly as Han Zhan said: This was not something accessible to ordinary people. He had spent a ridiculous amount of time calculating and planning, and only then had he even dared to experiment on something like this. In particular, the Primordial Unity Cauldron gave him a much higher chance of pulling this off. Its abilities to restrain, confine, and bind were precisely the foundation of a Domain; what Luo Chen intended was to bring those qualities to their fullest by using formations.

He added, "Senior, don't forget I have a second core. When it comes to mana reserves, I doubt any Adept can match me."

Han Zhan's eyes lit up. He had nearly overlooked that detail. With the peak-third-tier Hidden Dust Sand and the support of a top-grade third-tier spirit land, Luo Chen's mana reserves had long since reached a staggering level. Following that line of thought, his Golden Core could serve as the core of the Pseudo-Domain, while the Nascent Core would supply mana for regular combat. The two could work in tandem, and neither would interfere with the other.

"I have to admit, your idea is interesting, and it might actually work. So, what do you need from me?"

Luo Chen's expression turned serious as he looked at the Nascent Soul figure. "I need you to use your Domain and let me experience it up close. I can’t possibly try to replicate something I’ve never experienced first hand."

Han Zhan paused, clearly taken aback. The Nascent Soul shivered, as though something had just occurred to him. He studied Luo Chen for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, why not. If you want to experience it, go ahead."

As he spoke, his Sage power began to spread outward. Heaven and earth seemed to respond in kind; vast amounts of ambiental spirit energy surged in from the eight hundred li Surging Lake. In the span of a breath—

Boom!

Within the confined space of the lonely island, it felt as though the sky itself had fallen. Luo Chen's body jolted as a formless yet titanic pressure crashed down, slamming him to the ground before he could react. He gritted his teeth; his bones creaked and his blood roared, yet he still forced himself to rise little by little. From a full prostration, he slowly pushed himself up onto one knee!

Watching this, Han Zhan could not help but draw in a sharp breath. Even with his mana restrained, the boy could still move! That physique of his was quite literally inhuman; in fact, it was beyond monstrous. It was hard to imagine what would happen if his Physique Refinement advanced even further; could he truly withstand the pressure of a Nascent Soul Domain without ever stepping into that realm?

The thought flashed through his mind, but Han Zhan showed nothing on his face. The tiny figure calmly said, "Do not resist. Quiet your mind and feel it. Only by understanding what a Domain truly is can you imitate it... or even oppose it."

Luo Chen drew in a deep breath and forced himself into a seated position. Though his bones still creaked under the strain, he still forced himself to extend his divine consciousness, carefully probing what was going on around him. Gradually, he began to grasp something. Then, without warning, the pressure suddenly dissipated.

Luo Chen looked up in confusion. Han Zhan smiled wryly. "I don't have a physical body anymore. I can't sustain a Domain for too long. If I do, my Nascent Soul might end up being assimilated by the natural spirit energy. Go back for now. Come see me once a month, and I'll let you experience what a true Domain feels like."

Luo Chen nodded and pushed himself to his feet, drenched in sweat. After bowing in thanks, he rose into the air and flew back toward Surging Island. On the way, he murmured to himself, "Assimilated..."

***

Inside the Starry Palace, Luo Chen sat cross-legged as his mana surged outward like a rising tide, trying to merge with the dense spirit energy around him. His thoughts churned without rest.

Crossing realms in battle had never been easy. The higher the person's cultivation, the more naturally they could overpower those beneath them. It was not just a matter of having more energy; crossing a major realm involved a transformation of the very root of a cultivator. This was why Initiates stood far above Qi Refinement cultivators. With their spirit consciousness extending beyond the body, they could control enchanted artifacts and even enchanted treasures with far greater precision, and their attacks could reach much farther.

By the time the cultivator reached the Golden Core Realm, the gap widened even further. An Adept could wipe out an Initiate with a mere flick of the finger. The difference between mana and spirit power gave rise to what was known as spirit pressure. Though both stemmed from the same source, one surpassed the other and could overwhelm it entirely.

As for the Nascent Soul... the distinction was even more profound. When a cultivator formed a Nascent Soul, their vital essence, qi, and spirit fused into one, giving rise to a new body capable of standing in direct opposition to the might of heaven and earth. In truth, it was the refinement of mana to its purest state that gave rise to a secondary body for the soul, one that existed beyond the sea of consciousness. And because mana was drawn from the natural spirit energy, the Nascent Soul body could, in turn, command that energy. This was the foundation of a Domain.

What Luo Chen had sensed earlier was no illusion. Within that stretch of space, all spirit energy was purely wood-element. Within it, Han Zhan's mana was like a general commanding an army of countless soldiers, while Luo Chen himself was nothing more than a lone figure, completely restrained from every direction.

Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes. The more he reflected on it, the more he felt that he was on the right path. Without a physical body, Han Zhan's Nascent Soul lacked the vital essence component of the Three Flowers. Without the barrier of flesh and blood, the Nascent Soul's manipulation of the ambiental spirit energy actually increased its attunement to heaven and earth to a dangerous level. After all, how could the influence of a single soul ever rival that of nature itself? That was why Han Zhan had used the word "assimilation"—he truly risked being absorbed into nature.

This meant that if Luo Chen wished to create a Domain of his own, he could not follow the model of a true Nascent Soul Domain, because he simply lacked the ability to control the ambiental spirit energy. Without first refining and purifying it, without imprinting it with his own will, he had no way to exert his influence over it.

"If I can't use it, then I'll just push it away. If the space around me is filled with nothing but my own mana, wouldn't that basically amount to a kind of Domain?"

The moment the realization clicked, Luo Chen's spirit lifted. Without a second thought, the Golden Core within him began to spin as torrents of mana surged forth, amplified through the Primordial Unity Cauldron. But this time, instead of trying to merge with the surrounding spirit energy, it pushed back against it with brute power, like a massive river flowing into the sea with such force that it created a freshwater basin.

In an instant, a wall of fire roared through the Starry Palace. If Luo Chen was the great river and the world an endless ocean, then the ambiental spirit energy would be the seawater. The river would eventually end up merging with the boundless sea, but when it surged forward, it still shoved aside the saltwater, creating a temporary freshwater pool. Meanwhile, what a Sage did was command a small stretch of the ocean; that was far, far away from creating an ocean of one’s own.

As he stood amid the surging flames, Luo Chen's eyes shone with clarity. "This time... I may have truly found the right path!"

Without a moment's hesitation, he drew in all his mana and headed straight for Han Zhan's residence.

***

The familiar spirit energy once again pressed down upon him, closing around Luo Chen like a prison. He glanced toward where Han Zhan stood, then acted on the idea he had just grasped and released a surge of mana. In an instant, two streams of light, one green and one crimson, flared to life within the residence. Within that dreamlike radiance, Luo Chen slowly stood up.

Han Zhan was visibly taken aback. "Your physique... No, wait... You actually formed a Pseudo-Domain!?"

As Luo Chen withdrew his mana, the light receded. He frowned and shook his head. "Not yet. This is just an experiment. Besides, you weren't really going all out just now, were you?"

Han Zhan nodded. "Yeah, just less than half."

But that was quite enough for Luo Chen; in his current state, there was no point to enduring the Domain’s full power. Deep in thought, he turned and walked outside. The idea in his mind was still full of flaws, and what he had manifested earlier was nothing more than a prototype. If he wanted it to truly stand against the might of a Nascent Soul Domain, there was still plenty of work to do. And the very first step would be to abandon the Big Dipper Seven Peaks Formation because it simply did not suit him.

Watching Luo Chen leave, Han Zhan could not help but feel a surge of amazement. This kid's talent in spellcraft is terrifying... To create with something that rivals a Nascent Soul Domain while still at the Golden Core Realm...

Yet, after the amazement came a chilling thought. If he truly becomes a Sage... will his comprehension of the Laws be just as effortless?

The Laws of heaven and earth were, plain and simple, the very principles that governed nature. Such mysteries were typically within the grasp of Ascendants; Adepts could not even dream about them, and even among Sages, those capable of comprehending them were exceedingly rare!

***

While Luo Chen devoted himself to cultivation, the outside world was anything but calm. The unusual movements of the demon clans along the borders of the Sunken Sea gradually drew the attention of the Myriad Immortal Society's top echelon, though most rogue cultivators paid it little heed.

At Blood Hermit's command, cultivators stationed along the Three Oceans Defensive Line began withdrawing from their posts, turning their efforts toward hunting down low-tier demonic beasts near the Sunken Sea. At the same time, high-tier missions related to the region grew more frequent. The generous rewards drew in many rogue Adepts, who began making their way toward the Sunken Sea.

During this time, Ding Yi also sought out Luo Chen to brief him on the situation. Naturally, the immediate hypothesis was that Blood Hermit had also set his sights on the Sunken Sea. As the celestial phenomena seemed to approach, Ding Yi grew increasingly anxious. Luo Chen, however, remained unhurried, merely telling him to keep watch while he himself remained focused on refining his Pseudo-Domain.

***

"My approach was wrong from the start... Thank heaven I managed to correct it in time."

On an uninhabited island in Surging Lake, Luo Chen stood alone. A surge of blazing mana burst from him, forcing the surrounding spirit energy aside. It continued to spread outward, aggressively and unrelentingly.

One li, two li, three li...

Within the space, Luo Chen moved as if a fish in water. He formed seals and cast spells, each one carrying far greater power than before.

A formation isn't necessarily better just because it's higher in tier; it has to suit the user. The Netherfire Control Formation from the mountain lord's storage ring may be only third-tier, but it fits me much better.

The Netherfire Control Formation was a third-tier formation. It offered neither any offensive nor defensive capabilities, nor did it possess any restraint or illusory effects. As its name implied, it was nothing more than a standard formation Liang Baizao had used to regulate earth fire. Under its control, the fire could be tempered down to burn slowly or intensified into a raging force capable of incinerating an entire city.

Luo Chen repeated his previous feat of inscribing a formation onto his own body. He used his own body as the foundation of the formation, the cauldron as the core, and his Golden Core as the source of power. In doing so, he shaped a Pseudo-Domain that belonged to him alone. He named it the Infinite Blaze Prison. However...

"The range is too wide, and the power just isn't concentrated enough."

With that, he drew his mana back in. What had once stretched ten li outward steadily contracted, shrinking until it formed a blazing prison barely a hundred zhang in radius. Within that confined space, it felt no different from an inferno. Under such conditions, his mana grew more vibrant, his spells flowed faster, and their power intensified. And if an enemy was caught inside...

He felt the urge to test it right away, and he already knew exactly who to use as a target. Without delay, he returned to Surging Island, gave Heavenjade a few brief instructions, and then left again, heading straight for the Demon Hunter Division.