"Shrinking the Earth to an Inch truly is an immortal's art. Mastering this top-tier Movement Method places extremely high demands on a cultivator's comprehension."
Ordinary cultivators could not actually gain access to a top-tier Cultivation Method like this.
It was one of the sect's supreme inheritances, available only to its heavenly geniuses.
Even many geniuses with extraordinary comprehension found it difficult to comprehend such a profound Cultivation Method.
"I have to master it to perfection."
Han Xuanji silently made up his mind.
With the system, he felt he couldn't afford to get carried away.
But if he did provoke a powerful enemy, he needed a way to save his life at the very least.
Before long.
News of the Heavenly Devil Cult's First Protector's death quickly spread.
Forces throughout Yong Province were discussing who had struck.
Some rejoiced, and naturally, others worried.
Venerable Qingming's death would not stop the Heavenly Devil Cult's expansion.
On the contrary, the devil cult might well send someone even stronger.
Many of the Divine Profound Sect's upper echelon were beaming, eager to hold a banquet to celebrate.
The reason was simple: Venerable Qingming had once been a heavenly genius of the Divine Profound Sect. Many had even thought he would become its sect master, only for him to defect to the Heavenly Devil Cult, giving the elders a resounding slap in the face.
Han Xuanji knew nothing of that history.
In truth, he had only been testing his opponent and hadn't expected him to be so fragile.
He had no interest in learning the background of someone who had died beneath his blade.
He would rather spend that time cultivating.
One day.
Lu Fan came to visit.
As the Son of Fortune personally chosen by Han Xuanji, he had fully displayed his talent. After entering the Golden Core Realm, he had first become an inner disciple, then distinguished himself in the inner sect competition. Many noticed that his talent surpassed what it had once been and that his prospects were boundless.
To keep another peak from taking him, Ye Chen, Peak Master of Spirit Elegance Peak, had personally stepped in to take him as a disciple.
Lu Fan had soared to the heavens in a single leap, transforming from an ordinary inner disciple into the Peak Master's personal disciple.
Lu Fan had recently been cultivating in seclusion in a secret realm and knew nothing of what had happened in Yong Province.
When he emerged, his cultivation had advanced greatly. At first, he had been rather pleased to receive the flattery of the elders and his junior brothers.
But learning that something so momentous had happened outside dampened his spirits somewhat.
After all, even a Late Spirit Transformation expert had died so easily. What did a mere Golden Core cultivator like him amount to?
Lu Fan spoke of what was on his mind.
"Being a Golden Core cultivator is just too hard..."
Han Xuanji listened attentively, though he felt this guy was showing off in front of him:
"Look at me. I'm only in the Foundation Establishment Realm. Am I worried?"
"Actually, you've already made breakthroughs very quickly. Which of those Spirit Transformation experts wasn't a genius who cultivated for hundreds or even thousands of years? Given time, you'll grow just as strong sooner or later. You'll surely become a pillar of the sect, and the Divine Profound Sect will have to rely on you to restore its glory!"
Hearing this, Lu Fan nodded, feeling that Han Xuanji had spoken right to his heart.
In truth, he was quite satisfied with his cultivation and merely needed to vent. He didn't want to diminish his master's impression of him, nor did he want to lose face as a True Disciple before his fellow disciples. Only with this "bosom" friend could he speak his mind.
Lu Fan could tell that Han Xuanji had not grown distant because of his status as a True Disciple. He treated him just as he always had, which made talking to him very comfortable.
After becoming the Peak Master's personal disciple, he had gotten a taste of how the world worked.
Those who had bullied him in the past had offered him all kinds of gifts to make amends when they learned of his success. Some had even come in person to kneel and apologize.
Strangely enough, when he had been powerless, he had wanted revenge on them. Yet when he finally saw them, he found that his hatred was gone.
For he had not cultivated all this time to wash away his humiliation, nor to take revenge, but simply for himself.
Lu Fan understood that strength was everything. As the Peak Master's personal disciple, wasn't he still relying on his master's prestige?
If he threw his weight around every day on the strength of that status, who knew what would become of him in the future?
Just then, the Devil Venerable's voice suddenly rang out in Lu Fan's mind:
"Perhaps it's my imagination, but I feel there may be something secret about this junior brother of yours."
"Is that so?"
Lu Fan thought little of it.
In fact, he too sometimes felt that Han Xuanji was out of the ordinary. With his looks and bearing, he was nothing like an ordinary disciple.
He had carefully examined Han Xuanji's cultivation and found no flaws.
The Devil Venerable had secretly observed him as well, and likewise found nothing unusual.
Moreover, Han Xuanji had a clean background and was even younger than Lu Fan. No matter how he looked at him, he didn't seem like a bad person, and when he had helped Lu Fan back then, he couldn't possibly have foreseen his rise.
As they chatted, Lu Fan suddenly said in a mysterious tone:
"I hear the Heavenly Devil Cult's Third Elder has entered Eastern Cang Province with many of the devil cult's elites. He's in Qing Province, just beyond Yong Province, and quite a few sects there have already thrown in their lot with the Heavenly Devil Cult..."
"An elder of the Heavenly Devil Cult?"
Han Xuanji was startled.
Each of the Heavenly Devil Cult's ten great elders was a Void Return Realm mighty figure who could shake a whole region with a stamp of his foot. Someone like that appearing meant that the Heavenly Devil Cult was truly getting serious.
"Is that really true?"
"I heard it from my master, so of course it's true. You should hear the rumors yourself before long."
Lu Fan looked utterly serious.
Han Xuanji took the opportunity to press him further:
"Then do you know who the expert who killed Protector Qingming was?"
Lu Fan shook his head and said:
"I'm not sure. Some in the sect suspect it was the Devil-Slaying Sword Venerable."
"But many others disagree. After all, the Devil-Slaying Sword Venerable supposedly only broke through to Spirit Transformation recently. He couldn't possibly have killed a Spirit Transformation Peak expert so easily... I think whoever did it has a blood feud with the Heavenly Devil Cult, but hid his identity because he feared the cult would take its anger out on his friends and family."
As the Peak Master's personal disciple, he naturally knew that the person who had struck was not an expert from the Divine Profound Sect.
Han Xuanji wore a strange expression. He had no idea what sort of story this guy had made up about him in his head.
Probably some background steeped in bitterness and hatred.
"Void Return Realm?"
Han Xuanji fell into thought.
A Void Return Realm expert had appeared. Before long, when the Heavenly Devil Cult attacked the sect, should he run or not?
Even if he ran, he needed enough strength to avoid being caught.
At that thought, Han Xuanji's gaze grew resolute, and he no longer felt like chatting.
"Senior Brother Lu, we have to cultivate harder. Otherwise, when the Heavenly Devil Cult attacks, how can any eggs remain intact beneath an overturned nest?"
"You're right, Junior Brother."
Hearing this, Lu Fan couldn't help feeling ashamed.
Junior Brother Han worked so hard. What right did he have not to?
If the devil cult really did attack, he would need strength to protect the people around him.
At the very least, he had to keep Junior Brother Han safe.
After leaving Han Xuanji's cave abode, Lu Fan silently spoke to the Devil Venerable:
"Senior Devil Venerable, I need your guidance... I want to reach the Nascent Soul Realm as soon as possible."
"Good. Cultivate diligently. When the time comes, I may have to rely on you to help me take revenge."
The Devil Venerable was quite gratified by Lu Fan's reaction.
Elsewhere.
North of Central Province lay Northern Nether Province, a world ruled by the devil path and a paradise for Devil Cultivators.
The Heavenly Devil Cult was located there, the most powerful Devil Cultivator force of all.
At this moment, in the Heavenly Devil Hall.
A group had gathered inside the hall. Every one of them had an immensely powerful presence. The weakest were Spirit Transformation Realm cultivators, and Void Return Realm mighty figures were not uncommon among them.
"Third Elder, I hear Holy Son Chen Sheng is dead. It seems not just anyone can be Holy Son after all."
A small, wiry old man spoke in a mocking tone.
His own disciple had failed to become Holy Son, and he had been quite pleased to hear of Chen Sheng's death.
Hearing this, the Third Elder was immediately consumed by rage:
"Someone stronger bullied someone weaker. They showed no martial virtue."
"Hmph."
At that moment, the purple-robed man seated at the head of the hall spoke:
"He simply wasn't skilled enough. If the Divine Profound Sect were so easy to deal with, it wouldn't have stood in Eastern Cang Province for so many years."
"Fourth Elder, has there been any progress on the matter I entrusted to you?"
The wiry old man thought for a moment and said:
"Reporting to the Cult Master, the people we planted there haven't uncovered any useful information, nor have they found anyone who obtained the Heavenly Night Devil Venerable's inheritance."
"Mm."
The purple-robed man nodded and paid it no mind. Instead, he asked:
"Have you found out who killed Protector Qingming?"
The Fourth Elder hesitated for a moment, then said, "No. According to our spies in the Divine Profound Sect, the sect hasn't figured out who struck either, though they suspect it was the Devil-Slaying Sword Venerable."
At those words, the hall grew much quieter.
After a long while, someone said, "Didn't that Devil-Slaying Sword Venerable only just break through to Spirit Transformation?"
Protector Qingming had been a great cultivator at Spirit Transformation Peak. Unless a Void Return Realm expert had struck, he shouldn't have died outright without even being able to escape.
The implication went without saying.
None of them could believe the one who had struck was the Devil-Slaying Sword Venerable, a divine dragon whose tail was never seen.
It had to be one of the Divine Profound Sect's old ancestors who had returned.
At that moment, the Hall Master of the Formless Hall, who had remained silent for a long time, finally spoke:
"This boy's strength is by no means what it appears to be. I suspect he is a powerful figure of the Divine Profound Sect reborn, or else he has some great secret."
"Why make this Devil-Slaying Sword Venerable sound so mysterious? Most likely, the Divine Profound Sect broke the rules."
"After all, everyone knows Venerable Qingming's origins. There's no way the Divine Profound Sect would have let him go."
The Third Elder said coldly:
"In that case, let me go oversee matters in Eastern Cang Province. I'd like to see just what sort of divine being this is."
"Very well. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish, Third Elder."
The purple-robed man smiled faintly, and his figure vanished.
Everyone present was startled. None of them had seen how he left.
Someone couldn't help exclaiming:
"Even one of the Cult Master's incarnations has such strength. His true body should soon reach the Tribulation Transcendence Realm. Let's see what the Divine Profound Sect does then."
If the Heavenly Devil Cult gained a Tribulation Transcendence Realm Devil Cultivator, it could certainly become a hegemonic force outside Central Province.
The Devil Cultivators were also calculating how they could secure benefits for themselves when the time came.