After explaining the matters, Han Xuanji went straight to the cave abode that the Soul Household had arranged for him years ago.
Although it was considered a high-class cave abode at the time, it was quite shabby compared to the Listening to Swords Residence of the Nine Mysteries Palace and the Eternal Sword Pavilion.
However, Han Xuanji didn't care about these things. He wasn't in a hurry to break through his cultivation level, so the quality of the environment didn't matter, as long as it was habitable.
Han Xuanji sat cross-legged on the futon and focused his mind on the System Space, first receiving the two secret techniques.
" The Undying True Spirit " and " The Imperishable True Spirit " were integrated into the sea of consciousness one after the other. The former focuses on repair, and the True Spirit can heal quickly when injured. If it is really impossible to repair, it can give up everything and use the rules of reincarnation to wash away the damage, which is equivalent to having an extra life.
The latter focuses on another aspect: to condense the true spirit into something indestructible and impervious to all evil.
In the simulation, Chu Qi relied on these two secret techniques and his already solid foundation to withstand a blow that surpassed the Absolute Peak Saint King for a short while.
It was also a top-tier Secret Method created by the two of them together in the simulation. Although it may not be as good as the inheritance of those Absolute Peak Saint King, its potential is even greater.
Han Xuanji reviewed the cultivation methods of the two secret techniques in his mind. They were not difficult to master, and he felt much more at ease.
With these two secret techniques as a foundation, even if one encounters a powerful enemy in the future, as long as they are not an unparalleled expert, it will not be difficult to save one's life.
Next was the damaged Saint King's True Spirit.
Han Xuanji was most curious about this thing. A thought struck him, and he silently recited:
"Claim your reward."
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint halo of light silently disappeared into the space between his eyebrows.
The moment the halo entered his body, scattered fragments of memories flooded into his mind.
Those memories are incomplete, like tape worn away by time; many parts are blurred, but the core remains unaffected.
He saw many fragments of Chu Qi in the simulation.
There are scenes of Chu Qi following him to the Primordial Sea battlefield and fighting against powerful beings from other worlds, as well as scenes of Chu Qi cultivating...
In those scenes, Chu Qi was no longer the timid boy he once was, but a powerful Saint King. Yet, in his presence, Chu Qi still addressed him as "Master" with utmost respect, occasionally revealing a hint of his former silly and obedient demeanor.
Besides memories, there is also the power of the Saint King's origin.
That power was extremely pure, containing no impurities. After surging into Han Xuanji's body, it directly merged into his flesh and blood and sea of consciousness.
He felt a warm sensation all over his body, as if he were soaking in a hot spring, with every inch of his bones greedily absorbing that primal energy.
After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes and sighed with mixed feelings.
The Eternal Holy Lord Third Layer.
Almost effortlessly, the breakthrough in his cultivation level came easily.
If the other Eternal Holy Lord knew this, they would be green with envy.
"This is a huge help."
Han Xuanji naturally knew that this reward was left behind by Chu Qi in the simulation.
He left the essence of his life's insights and the last wisp of his primordial power to his most revered master.
Although their relationship wasn't actually that deep in reality, he had only taken Chu Qi as his disciple a thousand years ago, and spent most of his time in seclusion, only teaching her Cultivation Method a few times and giving her some small Law Treasure as rewards.
However, in the simulation, Chu Qi and Han Xuanji had an extremely close relationship.
After obtaining the Saint King, Chu Qi was the only one among the many disciples who could truly fight alongside Han Xuanji.
That camaraderie of fighting side by side, that trust, is all condensed in this gift.
This gift not only saved him countless years, but also gave him a deeper understanding of the Dao of Body Refinement.
In the simulation, Chu Qi and Han Xuanji studied the three supreme inheritances of body refinement. Although Chu Qi had only just entered the Saint King, his combat power was by no means to be underestimated.
Otherwise, the Otherworld Alliance wouldn't have been so troubled by them, ultimately resorting to revealing their trump cards to eliminate the master and disciple.
The insights Chu Qi gained from the three great inheritances contained in this gift will greatly enhance his abilities.
"With my current strength, without using any external aids, I'd estimate I'm not far behind even the top-tier Holy Lord."
Han Xuanji pondered silently.
He gained a great deal from this retreat.
The physical body is the foundation of a cultivator. At his level, he can use force to break through all laws and sweep away anything below the level of Saint King.
This is the terrifying aspect of this gift: while the increase in cultivation level may not seem exaggerated, the actual boost to strength is enormous.
He stretched his muscles and felt full of boundless energy, so he stopped thinking about it and turned his attention to the task at hand.
"The beast tide should be coming soon."
Han Xuanji's mind stirred, and his eyes suddenly turned a deep blue.
This is Secret Method eye technique recorded in the " Hundred-Turn Immeasurable Instruction," called Wuliang Eye.
Combined with his Immeasurable Saint Soul Physique, this Secret Method would be no less effective in his hands than that of Immeasurable Saint Emperor of the same realm.
He mastered this technique in the Time Domain, but has not used it since.
At this moment, when he used it for the first time, he felt as if the world before his eyes had suddenly changed.
The thick city walls of Thousand Souls City, the densely packed buildings within the city, the patrolling cultivators, and the pedestrians coming and going in the streets and alleys—everything became transparent and clear in his eyes.
Those defensive restrictions that were once complex and difficult to understand in his eyes have now become extremely simple, and the direction and nodes of each array pattern are clear at a glance.
He saw countless cultivators in the city, and from his observation, many of the weaker cultivators had no secrets whatsoever.
He could see through these people's bodies and discern their cultivation systems, special talents, and even their souls.
This eye technique is terrifying.
Han Xuanji sighed inwardly; this was the terrifying aspect of the Immeasurable Saint Emperor.
In front of a powerhouse of this caliber, even Holy Lord like him probably has no secrets.
Of course, with the system helping to cover it up, there's nothing to fear.
Suddenly, his gaze stopped on two figures in the city.
The souls of those two were completely different from those of cultivators from all races.
The souls of ordinary cultivators are related to the path they cultivate and also to their race. However, the souls of these two were shrouded in a blurry light. One of them had a milky white light with a touch of holiness, while the other had a blood-red light, making it look somewhat eerie.
Han Xuanji didn't want to alert the enemy, so he first used the system to investigate.
Sure enough, they were two Eternal Deity.
One of them was a trusted confidant sent by Zi to investigate the true strength of Thousand Souls City; the other was an old acquaintance of his, a musician he had met once at the Shallow Dream Pavilion.
Upon seeing the latter, Han Xuanji was slightly taken aback.
Qin Xin, the Shallow Dream Pavilion.
He had previously used the system to investigate her background and knew that her true form was an ancient and Eternal Deity.
At the time, he felt there was something fishy about this woman's hiding place in Thousand Souls City, but now it seems that she has nothing to do with the beast tide, or rather, she was affected by it.
Han Xuanji saw through her Wuliang Eye that the confidant sent by Zi was walking towards the Shallow Dream Pavilion, seemingly about to make a move.
He frowned slightly and extended his senses in that direction.
Inside the Shallow Dream Pavilion, Qin Xin sat in her music room, her fingers resting on the strings, but she did not play.
A figure dressed in a black robe stood before her, his aura heavy and imposing, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.
"My fellow countryman, you seem to be a bit careless lately."
The figure in black robes spoke calmly, his tone carrying a hint of warning:
"Lord Zi's plan cannot afford any mishaps. I advise you to leave Thousand Souls City immediately and not get in the way here."
Despite the threat, Qin Xin remained unmoved and said coldly:
"Aren't you afraid that powerful cultivators will intervene if you act this way? That would implicate the entire Eternal Clan."
Among the Eternal Deity, they generally refer to themselves as the Eternal Clan, meaning the offspring of the Eternal Divine Tree, eternal and Imperishable beings.
The figure in black robes snorted coldly, unconcerned:
"This is the will of the Great One. I advise you to obey, or don't blame me for taking action."
After a period of testing, he discovered that although the woman in front of him was powerful in her true form, this avatar was only at the Sage level, while his true form was at the Peak Sage, so killing this avatar would not be difficult.
The only concern is that the fight might be too loud and attract the attention of cultivators.
Seeing the other party's resolute attitude, Qin Xin sighed inwardly.
She had stayed in Thousand Souls City for a long time and had developed feelings for the city.
After dealing with the figure in black robes, she obtained a lot of information from him. This beast tide would be dozens of times more terrifying than before, and she couldn't stop it.
During this time, she secretly sent messages to the cultivators, but they didn't seem to respond, which disappointed her.
However, she still managed to persuade some people to leave and seek refuge in Nine Mysteries City.
This action naturally aroused even more dissatisfaction from the figure in black robes.
In his view, this was nothing short of an act of betrayal.
The atmosphere between the two was gradually becoming tense.
Han Xuanji withdrew his gaze, having already made up his mind.