The horrifying sight left everyone there silent as crows and sparrows, in a deathly hush.
Only moments earlier, they had sworn that the bronze-armored wooden man could not be overcome by force, that no one at the same cultivation level could possibly defeat it.
Invincible?
Then what was this scene unfolding before their eyes?
Su Lianxin had proven one thing to them through her actions.
The bronze-armored wooden man was not invincible.
They had only thought it invincible because they were too weak.
Prince Jinyang's expression was now unsightly in the extreme. The Great Jin Empire cultivators who had consoled him earlier were even more embarrassed, wishing they could find a hole to crawl into.
The young woman's strength had turned Prince Jinyang, who had suffered a crushing defeat at the bronze-armored wooden man's hands, into an utter joke.
"Not bad, but remember this: a swordsman must press forward courageously, for a single stroke can shatter mountains and rivers. Even the slightest hesitation is taboo." A voice broke the silence. The speaker was none other than Lin Xuan.
To everyone else, the young woman's defeat of the bronze-armored wooden man in two strikes was flawless.
But to Lin Xuan, there were still flaws. She had the strength to defeat the wooden man in one strike, yet had ultimately used two.
Lin Xuan's assessment grated on everyone's ears.
They already thought it outrageously impressive that she had defeated the bronze-armored wooden man in two strikes, yet Lin Xuan was saying there were still flaws?
Was he deliberately finding fault?
Who did he think he was, offering criticism here?
Before they could voice their ridicule, the white-robed young woman's next words forced them to swallow everything on the tips of their tongues...
"Your instruction is correct, Master."
The white-robed young woman bowed slightly to Lin Xuan, looking duly instructed, leaving those who had been inwardly mocking him... dumbfounded.
"M-Master?"
"This young man is her master?!" Someone's eyes widened.
"Let's go. There are no more fortuitous opportunities for us here." With that, Lin Xuan turned and led Su Lianxin away.
Only after they had gone some distance did Su Lianxin respectfully offer Lin Xuan the reward she had received for defeating the bronze-armored wooden man: an illustrated volume.
She had no way to repay Lin Xuan's immense kindness. All this time, her master had been the one giving her treasures. Now that she finally had a chance to repay him, she naturally held nothing back.
After giving Su Lianxin a long look, Lin Xuan smiled and accepted the illustrated volume from her hands without refusing.
Upon examining it, Lin Xuan discovered that it differed from the sword array diagram he had received for defeating the bronze-armored wooden man.
It seemed that everyone who defeated the bronze-armored wooden man received a different reward.
The illustrated volume Su Lianxin had obtained contained Earth Venerable Heaven-Burning's own understanding of the Sword Dao. From this, it was not hard to see that Earth Venerable Heaven-Burning was likely a sword cultivator himself.
After committing the volume's contents to memory, Lin Xuan returned it to Su Lianxin and also bestowed upon her the sword array diagram he had received for defeating the bronze-armored wooden man.
Lin Xuan had already firmly memorized the sword array diagram's contents, so keeping it served no purpose. He might as well give it to Su Lianxin and see what return he could receive.
After all, in a certain sense, the stronger his disciples became, the stronger Lin Xuan became.
"Ding-invested the Star Sea Sword Array Diagram. Return: Saint Grade cultivation method, 'Immortal-Slaying Sword Array'-!"
Immortal-Slaying Sword Array?
Lin Xuan's heart stirred. A Saint Grade cultivation method dared claim it could slay immortals?
Lin Xuan did not know whether mastering it to perfection would allow him to slay immortals, but he knew this was... a Saint Grade cultivation method!
A... complete Saint Grade cultivation method!
After all, although the Azure Emperor Scripture Lin Xuan had previously obtained was also Saint Grade, it was an incomplete Saint Grade cultivation method!
"Master, what's wrong?"
Even Su Lianxin had vaguely sensed Lin Xuan's emotional fluctuations, prompting her question.
Lin Xuan composed himself and shook his head.
Over the following days, apart from continuing to explore the mystic realm with Su Lianxin, Lin Xuan spent all his time comprehending the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array.
Once the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array was deployed, Lin Xuan, standing within it, could transform his spiritual power into hundreds of millions of Immortal-Slaying Swords! They would slaughter every invading enemy!
Although Lin Xuan could not yet accomplish this, it gave his imagination boundless room to roam.
The strength of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array depended on the grade of sword Lin Xuan used as its foundation.
For instance, the highest-grade sword Lin Xuan currently possessed was only a fifth-grade sword. Years earlier, he had spent a fortune buying materials and commissioning a renowned swordsmith in the Tangqing Empire to forge it.
With this sword as the foundation, Lin Xuan could summon only a little over a hundred Immortal-Slaying Swords.
If he replaced it with a sixth-grade sword, however, Lin Xuan would be able to control a thousand or even several thousand Immortal-Slaying Swords at once-and more powerful ones, at that-to fight his enemies!
Lin Xuan gave a bitter laugh. In the end, he was still poor...
A fifth-grade sword had barely sufficed for Lin Xuan before, but now that he had broken through to the King Realm, it had become somewhat beneath his level.
But sixth-grade swords, particularly good ones, often fetched... astonishing prices.
Regardless, obtaining the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array had greatly increased his current strength once again.
Now, Lin Xuan found it even harder to estimate what level his strength would reach if he went all out.
As yet, Lin Xuan had not encountered an opponent who could force him to use his full strength.
Just as Lin Xuan and Su Lianxin were planning to continue exploring, they felt a powerful suction force. Lin Xuan knew this was a sign that the mystic realm was about to close.
Sure enough, after just an incense stick's worth of time, their vision went dark, and then... they were out of the mystic realm.
People were being teleported out one after another at the entrance to the Heaven-Burning Mystic Realm, and Lin Xuan and Su Lianxin were no exception. After emerging, Lin Xuan swept the area with his Divine Sense and found Wang Yan among them.
The three had entered together and had emerged almost simultaneously as well.
Only, his expression was rather grim now.
When he saw Lin Xuan and Su Lianxin approaching, he immediately grew flustered, his gaze evasive.
Lin Xuan raised his brows slightly and asked, "What's wrong?"
Wang Yan stammered, "Master, I... I... I think I've caused trouble?"
Lin Xuan said nothing, motioning for him to continue.
"I found a high-grade spirit herb in the mystic realm. Just as I was about to pick it, someone else arrived. Without a word, he attacked to snatch it. Naturally, I refused, and we came to blows. Blades have no eyes. I never expected him to be so weak that he couldn't withstand even one strike from me..." At this, Lin Xuan found it somewhat amusing. Was it possible that the other man was not too weak, but that Wang Yan was too strong?
Although Wang Yan was not as strong as his junior sister Su Lianxin, he cultivated the Azure Emperor Scripture and had already comprehended Sword Intent. Despite being only at the ninth layer of Qi Gathering, he was far stronger than ordinary cultivators at the second or third layer of Earth Mysterious!
His voice somewhat heavy, Wang Yan continued, "Only afterward did I learn that the man I killed... came from the Dawn Empire and belonged to one of its major powers. His status was extraordinarily exalted..."
"Master, I've brought great trouble upon our lineage and upon you. Please punish me!"
With that, Wang Yan dropped to his knees, begging Lin Xuan's forgiveness.
"And here I thought it was something serious. Punish you? Who said I was going to punish you?" With a wave of his hand, a tremendous force lifted Wang Yan to his feet.
"Putting aside the fact that you weren't at fault to begin with, since he dared attack you, he should have been prepared to be killed. Had he been far stronger than you, you would have been the one who died."
"So what wrong have you done?"
"Huh?" Wang Yan stared at Lin Xuan in shock. In his heart, he had only felt that he had brought great disaster upon the sect and his master, killing someone he should not and could not afford to kill. Yet he had not expected to hear not a single word of blame from Lin Xuan.
Beyond his shock and bewilderment, he was deeply moved.
"Rest assured. If the sky falls, your master will hold it up. Don't worry about this. Cultivate diligently, and above all, don't let this matter delay your cultivation." Lin Xuan patted Wang Yan's shoulder.
Several days later, Lin Xuan returned to the Azure Yang Sword Sect with his two disciples.
The others from the sect also returned one after another.
Some rejoiced, while others grieved.
Some had reaped plentiful rewards from their journey into the mystic realm.
Others had gained not a single grain and returned disappointed.
Yet Lin Xuan still found no sign of Qu Youmeng on Starfall Peak.
"Could she have died in the mystic realm?"
Unlike with Su Lianxin and Wang Yan, there was no bond of master and disciple between Lin Xuan and Qu Youmeng, only the nominal relationship. Lin Xuan had accepted her as a disciple solely because he valued the cultivation speed she could provide him.
However, when Lin Xuan checked the system's disciple column, Qu Youmeng's name was still there, proving she had not perished. She simply had not returned.
Following on the heels of the Heaven-Burning Mystic Realm came the Azure Yang Sword Sect's grand competition.
The rivalry between Holy Maiden Li Fufeng and Holy Son Lu Tianxing also made this year's Azure Yang Sword Sect competition rather extraordinary.
Amid countless people's anticipation, the sect competition arrived as scheduled.
Su Lianxin and Wang Yan both broke through in succession before the competition began.
First was Su Lianxin, who advanced from the Earth Profound Third Layer to the Earth Mysterious Fifth Layer!
Wang Yan also successfully broke through from the ninth layer of Qi Gathering to the Earth Profound Realm!
Such terrifying progress left both of them marveling.
In the plaza before the sect's main hall, arenas constructed of metal and stone rose from the ground.
Dense crowds of Sword Sect disciples filled the space around the arenas. They rubbed their fists and flexed their palms, eagerly awaiting the start, fighting spirit gleaming in their eyes. Their years of cultivation had all been for this moment!
On the elevated platform, the Peak Masters and the sect's senior figures took their seats. Lin Xuan was among them, though his seat was relatively far back.
There was no helping it. Seating was determined by each peak's ranking, and Starfall Peak ranked at the bottom of the thirty-six peaks... Naturally, its seat could not be near the front.
As a streak of seven-colored radiance shot across the sky and landed on the elevated platform, the countless disciples below fell silent. Almost simultaneously, every gaze turned toward the newcomer.
He was an elegant middle-aged man in magnificent robes. Merely standing there, he carried an inherent air of authority!
His arrival prompted all the Peak Masters and senior figures in the viewing seats to rise and salute with clasped hands.
For the Peak Masters and senior sect figures to treat him this way, the richly dressed middle-aged man's identity was all but apparent.
Indeed, he was none other than Xuanyang, the Sect Master of the Azure Yang Sword Sect!
With Ancestor Xuanjian remaining out of sight, he was the Azure Yang Sword Sect's strongest figure in the public eye.
It was said that his cultivation had already reached the King Realm Fourth Layer! He had entered the middle stage of the King Realm...
"Let the Azure Yang Sword Sect's grand competition begin!"
After Sect Master Xuanyang arrived, the elder presiding over the competition delayed no further and directly announced its commencement!
As for the rules, enough had already been said about them.
The first round of the competition used a drawing of lots. Every disciple had a numbered token, and whoever was drawn would take the arena.
"Number 136 versus number 225."
When the elder responsible for drawing lots called out the two numbers from the elevated platform, Su Lianxin froze in the crowd.
She was number 225. She simply had not expected to fight in the very first match.
From among the disciples of the fifth peak, Mysterious Spirit Peak, a figure leaped up and landed in the arena.
Naturally unwilling to be outdone, Su Lianxin lightly tapped the ground with her foot and appeared in the arena as well.
"Isn't that Yang Jin? Tsk, tsk..."
"This young lady from Starfall Peak really has terrible luck."
The disciples of the various peaks knew little about Su Lianxin, but they were very familiar with Yang Jin, the genius from the fifth peak, Mysterious Spirit Peak. His strength placed him among the top five of all Mysterious Spirit Peak disciples!
"I say, why not just surrender outright? Save your strength for later. If you draw a few weaker opponents, or ones evenly matched with you, advancing wouldn't be impossible."
While some lamented Su Lianxin's poor luck, others began offering her strategies.
Almost everyone believed Su Lianxin stood no chance of winning. They did not know Su Lianxin, but they knew Yang Jin.
One came from Starfall Peak, the lowest-ranked of the Azure Yang Sword Sect's thirty-six peaks. As disciples of the Sword Sect, how could they not know Starfall Peak's circumstances over the years? It barely had any disciples, let alone geniuses. The other was a genius ranked among the top five on the fifth peak.
Who was stronger and who was weaker was obvious at a glance.
But Yang Jin, the genius from the fifth peak standing opposite Su Lianxin, did not think so...
When he had entered the arena, he had been extremely confident, determined to open the competition with a victory.
But when he saw that the person taking the arena was Su Lianxin, his heart turned half cold...
His scalp prickled!
Why was it her?
Indeed, Yang Jin knew Su Lianxin, and his impression of her could not have been deeper!
Back in the Heaven-Burning Mystic Realm, he had personally witnessed Su Lianxin fighting five people over a treasure. With just one sword strike, she had grievously injured and defeated all five!
Even now, the splendor of that strike would flash through Yang Jin's mind from time to time.
After all, any one of those five people attacking Su Lianxin had been far stronger than him...
At the time, he had been extremely curious. Who exactly was this young sword cultivator?
She wore the Azure Yang Sword Sect's robes, yet he had no recollection of her whatsoever.
Since when had the Azure Yang Sword Sect produced such an unparalleled genius?
Could she be a supreme elder's final disciple?
And now, Yang Jin had never imagined that he would encounter her in his very first match of the sect competition...
His luck was truly in a league of its own.
Especially as he listened to all the praise elevating him from the surrounding crowd, Yang Jin could not help the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Jin seemed to reach a decision.
"I surrender."