"Can this satisfy the requirements for cultivating the Dragon-Phoenix Body technique?" Chen Xuan asked as the giant dragon carcass appeared in his hand.

A trace of surprise flashed across Honglan’s face. She could immediately tell that the corpse belonged to a Soul Formation demon.

Still, after recalling the Star Metal Essence, she quickly calmed herself down.

Compared to that treasure, the remains of a mere dragon were not shocking at all.

She carefully inspected the corpse for several moments before her expression gradually turned solemn.

"It can!" she replied with a nod.

"However, you must be cautious. There’s a remnant soul hidden within the corpse. If an ordinary cultivator attempts to absorb it, the dragon soul will seize their body."

"At worst, the dragon will be reborn within them. At worst, they will suffer mental damage and descend into madness." Honglan reminded in a solemn tone.

Chen Xuan withdrew the carcass, satisfied with her response.

After taking out the Nirvana Phoenix Feather and confirming that there was nothing wrong with it either, he finally exited the Dantian, leaving Honglan alone.

The moment he departed, Honglan’s expression became complicated.

She stared at the Star Metal Essence floating above her palm before shifting her gaze toward Chen Xuan’s Nascent Soul meditating at the center of the Dantian.

’This guy is getting more and more strange... How can he possess so many treasures?’

’Could it be that they were all left behind by that mysterious powerhouse?’

Recalling the phantom that had emerged when she had tried to play her little prank, Honglan instinctively shivered.

A trace of fear crossed her eyes.

No one understood that woman’s strength better than she did.

That existence had surely surpassed the Soul Transformation realm. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Thinking of this, Honglan relaxed.

’It makes sense. That woman must have a close relationship with this pervert. These treasures were probably given to him by her.’

A thoughtful, gossipy look gradually appeared on Honglan’s face.

’Could it be that this guy is her boytoy? I heard some powerful cultivators have rather unusual tastes.’

’That pervert is indeed handsome. If...’

The moment that thought surfaced, Honglan felt a shiver run down her spine.

She couldn’t help but look at Chen Xuan’s Nascent Soul with newfound pity, as if she were gazing at a poor gigolo who was desperately trying to survive.

For a moment, she even had the urge to step forward and try to comfort him.

But the cool sensation of the Star Metal Essence brushing against her hand immediately suppressed that impulse.

The exact opposite idea emerged.

’Actually... maybe I should encourage him to get closer to that woman. If he sells himself a few more times, I might even become a Holy Weapon.’

’If an accident occurs and he breaks during the process...’

"Hehehe~!"

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. A sinister chuckle escaped her lips, as though she were already planning how to sell Chen Xuan’s body in the future.

--

Naturally, Chen Xuan had no idea that thousands of years of isolation had driven Honglan insane, let alone that she was currently plotting to prostitute out her new owner.

As soon as he returned to reality, he retrieved a miniature tower from his spatial ring.

With a move of his divine sense, his figure vanished into it.

The space within the Seven Trials Tower remained unchanged.

Chen Xuan once again found himself standing in a vast stone arena.

As expected, a cold mechanical voice soon cut through the air.

"Challenger detected. Challenge Number #984..."

"Cultivation Level: Middle Stage of the Nascent Soul realm..."

"Adjusting difficulty parameters according to the protocol..."

"Objective: Defeat the nine puppets within ten minutes..."

"Trial begins in 3... 2... 1... Begin!"

The moment the countdown came to an end, nine familiar figures materialized across the arena.

With white hair and aloof expressions, they let out a shout and launched themselves at Chen Xuan without any hesitation.

Following his breakthrough, the power of Mu Xuanyin’s phantoms had increased accordingly.

In fact, the increase far exceeded what an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator would experience after advancing a minor realm.

Despite this, their cooperation remained seamless.

In the blink of an eye, countless spells and weapons descended upon Chen Xuan, striking at him from every direction.

Though he was already on guard, the attacks came too quickly for Chen Xuan to react.

An explosion echoed as the wave of attacks swallowed his figure, soon followed by the sound of flesh tearing apart.

It was only after the dust had settled that Chen Xuan reappeared in the arena.

Compared to just a moment ago, his condition was noticeably worse.

Flames attached to the edges of his robes, while several wounds riddled his body with fresh blood flowing out of them.

Still, despite his embarrassed appearance, a faint smile was plastered on his face.

’As expected!’ he thought, watching as his injuries rapidly healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

’The phantoms have indeed become stronger. If I had just broken through, all my previous efforts would’ve been wasted. I would’ve had to practice all my spells from the start and grow familiar with my strength. But now...’

’I have the Dragon-Phoenix Body,’ he thought, listening to the roars of the mythical creatures echoing faintly from within his body.

The power of these legendary creatures continuously surged through his flesh, repairing his injuries while strengthening his physique at the same time.

Unfortunately, he had no time to appreciate this feeling.

Seeing that the previous wave of attacks had failed to kill him, the phantoms displayed no emotion.

Like puppets whose only purpose was to slaughter living beings, they launched another barrage.

Chen Xuan was forced to snap back to reality.

Unwilling to test the true limits of his Dragon-Phoenix Body, he instantly activated the two Great Dao Origins under his control.

Countless spells flowed out of his hands. Some condensed into defensive barriers, others wrapped around the attacks and invalidated them, while there were even some that aimed at the phantoms.

Soon, the 984th battle within the Seven Trials Tower officially began.