"This canât be possible, right?"
The man in gray hesitated, voicing his doubts.
Li Xun was strongâat most, a late Spirit Meridian level cultivatorâbut his strength, though notable, was far below their own.
And, with the current distance to Luoye City being over 8,000 miles, how could Li Xun possibly make it here?
"Iâm just suggesting it. Weâll see for ourselves once weâre inside."
Guardian Jiang began walking forward, cautioning as he went, "Since this hidden realm has already opened, it means someone must be inside. We should be cautious."
"Got it," the other two nodded simultaneously.
Before long, the three entered the hidden realm.
Immediately, they spotted a solitary mountain peak not far ahead.
After all, aside from this lone peak, there wasnât much else in this realm worth paying attention to.
The three cautiously moved forward, taking a full quarter-hour to reach the base of the peak.
Once there, they spread out their spiritual senses, probing toward the summit.
In that instant, their expressions shifted.
Under their spiritual senses, they clearly saw a young girl in white sitting in meditation in front of the palace, completely unaware of their arrival, immersed in cultivation.
"Qin Xueyi!" the man in gray spoke first.
Though Qin Xueyi rarely showed herself, the three Guardians had seen her portrait. Otherwise, they wouldnât have come to pursue her and Li Xun in the first place.
"Li Xun should be inside the palace. The two have separatedâperfect for us," Jiang gestured to a thin, elderly companion with a knowing look.
The old man immediately understood.
He extended his hand, conjuring a glow, and when it faded, a black rope appeared, emanating an intense, dark aura.
It was the Dragon-Binding Rope; once entangled, even a Profound Elixir cultivator would have no choice but to submit.
Inside the hall, Li Xun slowly opened his eyes, his gaze bright and sharp.
He glanced at the stone basin in which he sat.
By now, he had completely refined the Heavenly Heart Essence within it, causing his physical strength to surge tremendously.
Already possessing the Innate Divine Strength, Li Xunâs strength had now broken the million-pound threshold, a feat almost unheard of, even among ancient divine beasts in their youth.
"The Golden Body Technique has reached Total Completion. Purely in terms of strength, I fear even some of the most gifted body refining cultivators would struggle to match me now," Li Xun said, standing tall. His long hair flowed, and his radiant body gleamed like a flawless jade.
Crack!
He clenched his fist.
The once-indestructible stone basin crumbled under his grip as if it were nothing more than a piece of tofu.
"Heavenly Heart Essence truly lives up to its reputation. My strength has even reached the Peak of the Spirit Meridian level," Li Xun marveled.
Though the primary effect of Heavenly Heart Essence was to strengthen the physical body, it still provided some increase in spiritual energy.
"At this rate, Iâll be ready to attempt a breakthrough to the Profound Elixir stage soon," Li Xun mused, stepping out of the stone basin and donning his robes.
Just as he was about to check on Qin Xueyi, his gaze sharpened, turning toward the hallâs entrance.
His spiritual sense detected three figures at the mountainâs base, one of whom had already activated a rope, attempting to silently bind Qin Xueyi.
"Courting death!" Li Xun muttered coldly, instantly summoning a long spear.
Radiating blinding light, the spear caused the entire hall to tremble as wind and thunder roared.
Buzz!
The spear shot forth like a dragon, filling the air with thunderous roars and boundless radiance.
"Wait!"
Just as the black rope was about to ensnare Qin Xueyi, a devastating energy suddenly burst from within the hall.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed in the sky as a silver spear collided with the black rope, flooding the area with blinding light.
Amidst the dazzling glow, the spear shot down like a dragon piercing through clouds, emitting a shrill whistle.
"Saveâ!"
The Guardian whoâd cast the rope only managed a shout before being abruptly silenced.
Thud!
The spear pierced straight through him, the force carrying his body several hundred meters back until he was pinned to the ground.
Blood pooled beneath him, the spear still tremblingâa hauntingly grim scene that made the remaining two tremble.
A moment ago, the Guardian had been alive, yet now he lay dead, impaled.
And he wasnât just any Guardian; he was a Profound Elixir cultivator.
Though his death was partly due to his own carelessness, it also hinted at their opponentâs terrifying strength.
"A member of the Chen Family?"
An icy voice echoed.
In front of the two remaining elders, a tall figure appeared as if heâd always been there, chilling them to their cores.
Neither had seen how he arrived, his ghostly speed unlike anything they had witnessed before.
"Y-Young Master Li..."
Guardian Jiang managed a stiff smile, cupping his hands in a forced greeting, "Thereâs been a misunderstanding. We entered this place by accident, without intent to be enemies with you."
"Please, Young Master Li, show us mercy."
Inwardly, Guardian Jiang cursed the Qin family informant whoâd supplied this intelligence.
Wasnât he supposed to be only able to defeat a Profound Elixir opponent?
He clearly can instantly kill them!
There was a world of difference between defeating someone and instantly killing them.
"If Iâm right, youâre with the Chen Family."
Without waiting for a response, Li Xun turned away, his tone indifferent, "Then leave your lives here."
With that, a suffocating killing intent surged forth, flooding the entire area.
"Run!" Guardian Jiang shouted and turned to flee.
"You wonât escape!" Li Xunâs figure blurred as he appeared behind him, punching forward with crushing force.
The impact, like a mountain crashing down, sent Guardian Jiang flying, blood spilling from his mouth as his lifeless body crumpled to the ground.
Then, with a wave, Li Xun summoned his Cloud Piercing Spear, hurling it toward the last elder.
Whirr!
Squelch!
The spear pierced through the gray-robed man, ending his life instantly.
All three lay dead.
"Had you not run, you might have stood a chance. But from the moment you chose to flee, survival was no longer an option." Retrieving his spear, Li Xun glanced at their bodies before returning to the peak.
By now, Qin Xueyi had awakened from her meditation.
She stood at the edge of the steps, her eyes bright with gratitude.
"Young Master Li, youâve saved my life once again today."
"They couldnât have harmed you," Li Xun replied, glancing at the residual formation where Qin Xueyi had been cultivating.
Qin Xueyi smiled but said nothing, instead looking toward the hall as she spoke again, "Young Master Li, youâve advanced once moreâcongratulations. Iâve lingered here long enough; itâs time I took my leave."
"Youâre not returning to Luoye City?" Li Xun raised an eyebrow.
Qin Xueyi shook her head. "I still have unfinished business."
Part of her reason for coming here was to obtain the Profound Golden Principle Pill, the other was to repay Li Xun for the Purple Cloud Pill.
Now that her debt was settled, it was time for her to follow her own path.
"Then, until we meet again," Li Xun replied, knowing she had secrets of her own. Since she wasnât inclined to share, he wouldnât pry.
Turning, he left without another word.
Behind him, Qin Xueyi bit her lip, a hint of struggle flashing across her face as memories of the past few days flooded her mind.
Finally, unable to hold back, she called out,
"Young Master Li, beware the Inner Sect Trial of Profound Sun Sect in the coming days!"
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