The vortex did not weaken.

It continued to pour into Han Yu, feeding his transformation, pushing his cultivation toward its inevitable conclusion.

Within his Dantian…

The change began.

The Spirit Core, once stable and complete, began to crack. Lines formed across its surface, thin at first, then spreading rapidly as the accumulated energy reached a critical threshold.

The pressure built.

Contained.

Compressed.

Until—

It shattered.

KACHA!

Completely.

The fragments dissolved instantly, their essence merging into the surrounding Qi.

And from within that collapse…

Something new emerged.

A form.

Small.

Delicate.

A newborn infant.

The Nascent Soul.

It floated within the sea of Qi, its body glowing faintly as it took shape. Its features were soft, its expression peaceful, its existence radiating a quiet purity.

But…

There was something unusual.

If anyone had known Ju Fan as a child…

They would have noticed the difference.

This Nascent Soul did not resemble Ju Fan.

Instead it resembled Han Yu.

As he had been.

A truth hidden.

Unseen.

Unknown to all.

The infant's eyes remained closed, its tiny form drifting within the Dantian as the surrounding Qi continued to pour in, nourishing it, strengthening it, solidifying its existence.

A faint smile appeared on its lips.

And within Han Yu's Soul Space… The Eight Emotions Lotus stirred.

"Yi Ya!"

Its cry rang out, filled with joy.

Its petals trembled, vibrating with excitement as it sensed the birth of the Nascent Soul. A surge of Soul Qi erupted from it, flowing directly into the Dantian.

SHUA

It was not forced.

It was offered.

The first gift of a newborn.

The Soul Qi entered the Nascent Soul, wrapping around it, merging seamlessly with its form.

The effect was immediate.

The infant reacted.

"Kia!"

A soft, surprised cry escaped it as its body became more defined, more stable, more complete. The glow around it intensified, its presence growing stronger with each passing moment.

The connection between soul and body deepened.

Perfected.

Time continued to pass.

The vortex did not stop.

The energy continued to flow.

Forty minutes.

Fifty.

An hour.

The transformation progressed steadily, each moment refining Han Yu's existence further.

Then…

It happened.

On the forehead of the Nascent Soul…

A mark appeared.

Small.

Delicate.

A lotus.

Its shape identical to the Eight Emotions Lotus.

The mark pulsed faintly, its presence subtle yet profound, binding the soul and the Nascent Soul together in a way that defied conventional understanding.

The final surge of energy followed.

The vortex condensed.

Collapsed inward.

And vanished.

The sky cleared.

The pressure lifted.

The tribulation…

Ended.

Han Yu's body descended slowly back to the ground.

His eyes opened.

And in that instant…

Light burst forth.

Not ordinary light.

But something deeper.

Brighter.

Those who looked directly could not see it clearly.

But those with keen perception saw it.

Eight colors.

Intertwined.

Shifting.

Each representing an emotion.

Each reflecting something beyond mere cultivation.

High above, the Patriarch Hong Tianyue watched.

Beside him, the Supreme Elder observed as well.

Both felt it.

Both recognized that something unusual had occurred.

But neither could fully understand it.

They attributed it to the tribulation.

To the uniqueness of Ju Fan's breakthrough.

Yet…

A faint unease lingered.

Then Han Yu's aura erupted.

WOLONG GONG

Fully.

Completely.

It spread across the arena, expanding outward with a force that caused the air itself to tremble. The pressure it carried was immense, its presence overwhelming.

Nascent Soul Realm.

He had stepped into it.

But this was not a normal Nascent Soul aura.

It was heavier.

Sharper.

More oppressive.

Other Nascent Soul cultivators and above present felt it immediately.

Their expressions changed.

Their bodies stiffened.

And deep within them…

Their own Nascent Souls trembled.

A reaction they could not control.

A fear that rose from instinct.

From something deeper than thought.

"What… is this…"

"This pressure…"

"It's… suffocating…"

They were not weak.

They were experienced.

And yet…

They felt threatened.

Because what stood before them…

Was not merely equal.

Han Yu's Qi cultivation had reached the Infant Soul Stage.

But his Soul Cultivation…

Had surpassed it!

The Soul Expert Stage of the Harvester Realm.

A level that placed him on par with peak Nascent Soul cultivators. Perhaps even beyond when combined with his qi cultivation. And the disparity created something new. Something dangerous.

A presence that did not belong neatly within the established hierarchy.

Han Yu stood.

Calm.

Composed.

His gaze swept across the arena.

And for a brief moment…

Everyone felt it.

The weight of his existence.

The sharpness of his perception.

The quiet certainty of his power.

The breakthrough was complete.

And nothing would be the same again.

Silence reigned over the shattered arena.

It was not the silence of calm, nor the silence of uncertainty. It was something deeper, heavier. A silence born from disbelief. From awe. From the inability of hundreds of thousands of minds to process what they had just witnessed.

Han Yu stood at the center of the crater, his aura still settling, his presence dominating the space like an immovable pillar. The black frost had begun to recede, the heavens had calmed, and yet no one dared to speak.

Not a single disciple.

Not a single elder.

Even the wind seemed hesitant to move.

Then a voice was heard.

Deep and imposing.

It did not come from any direction. It did not echo. It simply existed, pressing into the minds of everyone present.

"You have done well."

Every head snapped up.

Eyes darted across the arena, searching, probing, trying to locate the source.

They found nothing.

And then he appeared.

Without warning.

Without movement.

One moment there was nothing.

The next, a figure stood before Han Yu.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Shock rippled through the crowd like a tidal wave. Disciples froze for a fraction of a second before instinct took over. One by one, then all at once, they dropped to their knees.

The sound of nearly a million kneeling echoed across the broken ground.

Even the elders bowed deeply.

Their voices rose in perfect unison.

"All beings prostrate before the Slaughtered Moon, may its Divine Blood grant them eternal mercy!"