It was a slow, mind-numbing work to unfold the myriads of layers in the Tao Seal, and even as damaged as it was, Lia could feel the smug superiority of the diagram, making her tire and exhaust herself for every tiny clue of insight.

Contempt. That was the exact emotion radiated from the Divine Diagram, almost like it disdained the host for her low cultivation and tiny Dao enlightenment.

'I am learning, mighty Tao Seal. Just remember, I was an old lady dying of old age in the Spirit Realm, not so long ago. Now, I am a new immortal being, with a Dark Heart of my own. And I still hold the Light!' Lia declared solemnly in her heart, hoping the diagram was listening.

'That boy.' the diagram answered, not quite in words. Still, it had reached the core of her memories and read through her life.

'Yes. He saved me then, and then raised me to Tier 7 with a Dian Pill. Now, he is my husband...' Lia explained, while opening her heart.

'That boy, is curious. The glove, dangerous. Silver Immortal allowed.' the diagram sent into her mind, while a new layer of insights poured into her soul.

Yin and Yang Dao, and altering the shapes to create elements, or move through space and time.

Lia rotated her cultivation, flowing through the Eight Element method, creating and destroying the eight elements at every turn. It took a billion rotations, but in the end, she did it!

Her consciousness expanded, and something cracked.

'Lotus seed useless and discarded. Use Ten Elements for Copper Realm' the diagram demanded in a slightly less disdainful voice, then fell silent.

A thundering silver bolt fell onto Lia, breaking the Time Acceleration Array laid down by the Taotie.

Grinning widely, the monster grabbed the victim in front of him, and threw him to intercept the next Tribulation bolt.

Wang yelled in panic or outrage, then he was struck by lightning and fell, body burned black and eyes exploded by the energy.

Badump!

His heart started once more, as the Tribulation forced him to Ascend or die. Even unconscious, Wang chose to live. The Taotie expected no less, after beating the young man a billion times into unconsciousness before. It was how his parents raised him, and it worked just fine!

Sitting beside the burned body of Wang, the Taotie watched the Tribulation continue over Lady Lia, only for the Heavenly Lightning getting drained into her dantian and vanishing. Something was recharging itself via the energy of the Tribulation, and the Taotie had slight feeling of envy at first.

Then he realized he could profit from this as well, selling the unexpected Ascension as his own work. That little monster would never know, but he will certainly be pleased.

The Taotie grinned wider.

Truly, the Tao Seals were just as amazing as he heard, able to retrieve souls from the Paths of Reincarnation with ease, or absorb Tribulations, and perhaps even control them. Probably not yet, for this Lia, as a Silver Realm wasn't durable enough. At least not yet. Maybe in her next Realm.

Thinking for a moment, he willed two of his claws to fall off, then began shaping them into human-sized Artifacts.

A thin but elegant sword for the woman, and a brutal Great Sword for the young man.

A small golden cloud began to form over Wang, as the man returned from the other side as a new Golden Immortal. Frail and easily bendable, like gold, yet still an immortal. The shinny golden glow used to signify juicy prey in the Higher Heavens, but here the young man would be reasonably safe.

Only a Silver Immortal would be able to kill Wang now, and those will be in scarce supply soon. Even only his true disciple would be sufficient to eliminate most prey in the multiverse, not to mention the girl's husband. Soon enough, the Legion would rule this multiverse and then thousands more all-around.

'Grandpa, there is this man here, Pef's father. He wants a claw sword, to fight Dragons. I guess he counts as family, right?' Yue sent him via a mind message to his ring-self.

The Taotie smiled wider, if that was even possible. Only good things today.

'Ask around in that Legion council. One more sword or ten, it matters not. But, I want the Dragon bodies.' the Taotie demanded shamelessly.

If he couldn't go out to hunt, and the prey wouldn't come inside either, then he could only send his claws out to hunt for him.

As the golden bolts began to fall onto Wang's healing body, the Taotie lazily collected them into energy balls then ate them, absorbing the last scraps of Heavenly energy he could. Wang didn't need those anyway, as he took on a higher realm Tribulation and still lived.

No wonder Pef chose the man as his disciple. Wang had the right cloth to Ascend again, and even reach Copper Realm one day.

A hidden genius, for this low level realm.

As for the real monster, the Taotie shivered for a second. Not even the Mirror of Samsara could read that boy's destiny clearly.

Maybe even a Steel Immortal? Probably so.

The broken seed of the World Tree would not cling to that blonde boy otherwise.

In front of him, Lady Lia opened her eyes, and showed two swirling diagrams rotating slowly in her iris.

"It worked, as you said, Lord Taotie. Now, I need my husband to construct a Ten Element method." the woman said respectfully and bowed.

The Taotie nodded, and took out her new sword. "If you plan to follow your husband in the Dragon Realm, you will need this weapon, Lady Lia. As for that Tier 11 Diagram, visit the Silent Monk. Regular Tribulations will not help the Tao recharge much." the old beast said with a toothy grin, then pointed at the Violet portal to the side.

Lia nodded as she took the sword, then glanced at the shape of Wang, still unconscious yet healing. "You threw him into my own Tribulation?" she asked a bit unsettled.

"Just like your husband did for Rejin. The pain will focus his heart now. He will Ascend again, for the price has been paid already." the Taotie revealed with a shrug.

Lia just sighed and stepped into the Violet portal without more words.

The portal winked away before the cursing started.

The Taotie grinned to himself. She did ask to be sent to her husband, wasn't his fault the little monster was submerged deep into the Unreal river.

Not that Lia could even die anymore, with that Tao Seal on her. Even if she did, the Tao Seal will return her to life.

Who even swam the Unreal voluntarily? There was training and then there was insanity. And that boy was truly too far gone.

The Taotie shivered again. Damn monster!