Walking all the way along the mountain path, Ye Lin could already hear bursts of laughter and chatter from the mountaintop.
Hearing those sounds meant they were getting closer to the summit.
Moreover, along both sides of the path, they would find a sword every li or so—a sword carved from stone, yet emanating faint, almost imperceptible Sword Qi.
This was the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Even its signature decorations were swords.
"When we first arrived, we also heard plenty of rumors. The Hidden Sword Pavilion has an expert at the seventh level of Golden Immortal. Is the seventh level of Golden Immortal really that strong?"
As they walked, Dugu Feng tilted his head and looked at Li Xiaoyao.
Li Xiaoyao stroked his chin in thought for a moment, then spoke with a grave expression.
"Golden Immortals have nine steps, each step a layer of heaven. With my current cultivation, if I encountered such an expert, there would only be one road before me—death."
"So yes, they're strong. Extremely strong."
"Of the nine steps of Golden Immortal, the lower three are Walkers, the middle three are Venerables, and the upper three are Saints."
"They are respectively Golden Immortal Walkers, Golden Immortal Venerables, and Golden Immortal Saints."
"At the seventh level of Golden Immortal, one has already entered the Golden Immortal Saint Realm. Anyone who sees such a person must respectfully address them as Saint."
"And right now, I'm merely an ordinary Walker. I'm simply no match for a Saint."
"Within the Walker Realm, I can still exchange a few moves."
Li Xiaoyao honestly explained it all to them. He had heard these things from those old fellows in the Mist Map Star Region.
It was precisely because the Mist Map Star Region had a Saint standing guard that it had become