An eight-mark spirit pill!
"Hiss..."
Even Heavenly Venerable Yunli, who considered herself widely experienced, could not help drawing in a sharp breath, her eyes filled with shock.
Eight pill markings!
Were her eyes really not playing tricks on her?
Was this something that should appear in the Profound Domain?
No wonder. No wonder the fluctuations of spiritual power this pill gave off felt stronger than those of some eighth-grade pills. This was an eight-mark spirit pill!
What did that mean?
Even at her peak back then, she had never seen one.
A seventh-grade pill meant little to her, but eight pill markings...
With enough proficiency in refining low-grade pills, several pill markings could appear. But the higher a pill's grade, the harder it was to refine, and the harder it was for pill markings to appear.
Otherwise, would the single pill marking on the Azure Yang Sword Sect's sixth-grade Mysterious Dragon Pill have astonished so many people?
And this pill was upper seventh-grade, with eight pill markings...
Could it have been personally refined by a Pill Thearch?
No!
The instant that thought appeared in her mind, Heavenly Venerable Yunli dismissed it herself.
Even a Pill Thearch personally refining it might not be able to produce a seventh-grade pill with eight pill markings, right?
She had thought she was already overestimating Lin Xuan, yet she had still underestimated him.
Just who was he?
A Thearch-tier cultivation method, an eight-mark seventh-grade pill...
These were absolutely not things an ordinary Peak Master could possess.
Heavenly Venerable Yunli was shocked speechless, but Lin Xuan merely smiled, paying little heed to the pill in his hand.
"I can give you this pill."
Watching the fire of hope ignite in her eyes, Lin Xuan slowly finished what he had left unsaid.
"However... the terms need to change. A hundred years is too short. Make it five hundred years of protecting my path."
"That isn't asking too much, is it?"
Lin Xuan had his considerations in making this demand.
Five hundred years was not exactly short for someone in the Heavenly Venerable Realm, since an ordinary Heavenly Venerable only lived for a few thousand years. But for Heavenly Venerable Yunli, this demand was absolutely more than worth it.
This was no minor favor, but a fortuitous opportunity to return from death and reconstruct her physical body!
If she had to find a way herself and prepare all the materials needed to reconstruct her body, setting aside when she could gather all those spiritual treasures of heaven and earth, how could it be easy to secure the aid of a Thearch Realm expert?
Thearch Realm experts had long since transcended.
They were always mysterious, devoted to pursuing the Great Dao, their whereabouts elusive. Without some bond or karmic connection, they were difficult to find, let alone persuade to help reconstruct someone's body and shoulder that karma. That was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Yet Lin Xuan had smoothed away every one of those difficulties, replacing them with a single round pill placed before Heavenly Venerable Yunli.
This seventh-grade, eight-mark spirit pill possessed so many pill markings. As long as its effects truly matched Lin Xuan's words, it would surely help her reconstruct a perfect physical body...
Heavenly Venerable Yunli could not stop her imagination from wandering.
If she succeeded in reconstructing her body, she would absolutely be stronger than she had been at her peak while alive!
Even her future path along the Great Dao would become considerably smoother. She might even find a sliver of possibility of becoming a Thearch someday.
All of that could be obtained simply by swallowing one pill.
If she gathered those heavenly materials and earthly treasures herself, even if she was fortunate enough to enlist a Thearch Realm expert and successfully reconstruct her body, it would only be an ordinary body, comparable to a mortal's.
Not only would she have to start cultivating from scratch, she would also have to find ways to harmonize it and improve her aptitude. Even if she could cultivate back to her former peak, who knew how many years that would take?
Without Lin Xuan, Heavenly Venerable Yunli would never have considered so much.
Returning from death and reconstructing a physical body defied heaven to begin with. Any number of hardships would have been normal.
But with a road reaching straight to heaven before her, why should she take a muddy, miserable little path instead?
After only a brief moment, Heavenly Venerable Yunli nodded decisively without much deliberation.
"Very well. Five hundred years of protecting your path. I agree. For five hundred years after reconstructing my body, I will remain at your side to protect you. Let heaven and earth bear witness, and let my inner demons bind this oath!"
Five hundred years was no short span, but compared with reconstructing her body, it was all worth it.
At this moment, Heavenly Venerable Yunli was still pondering whether those five hundred years were too long. She could never have imagined that, in the near future, not only would she no longer think five hundred years long, she would even feel that those five hundred years... were too short.
Never mind five hundred years... she would probably regret not having made an agreement for a thousand years, or even ten thousand.
Heavenly Venerable Yunli swore upon her inner demons, and Lin Xuan was equally straightforward, immediately giving her the Source Reformation Spirit Pill she so desperately desired.
Looking at the pill in her hand, which radiated powerful fluctuations of spiritual power, Heavenly Venerable Yunli felt undercurrents surge through her heart.
Waves of hope crashed against her heart.
It was a yearning called revenge!
She dared not forget the hatred of betrayal for even a moment.
Having lost her body and been forced to flee in disgrace to the Profound Domain, Heavenly Venerable Yunli had never forgotten who had reduced her to this state!
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lin!"
Heavenly Venerable Yunli expressed her heartfelt gratitude, the corners of her lips lifting as she gazed at the spirit pill in her hand.
She had said long ago that one day, she would personally deal with that treacherous disciple.
That treacherous disciple had probably already become Palace Master of the Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace... deceiving those above and below, harboring grand ambitions. Hah!
With that treacherous disciple's methods, the people of the Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace probably believed she had died in an accident. She simply wondered what expression that disciple would wear upon seeing her alive in the future!
With emotions surging in her heart, Heavenly Venerable Yunli's gaze toward Lin Xuan became even more sincere.
Lin Xuan, meanwhile, looked at Qu Youmeng beside her.
Qu Youmeng was a little embarrassed, but Heavenly Venerable Yunli had obtained the opportunity to reconstruct her body. The master who had pulled her out of the dust could finally truly live again. Her heart eased, and her gaze toward Lin Xuan held a little more warmth.
"Master!"
That address rang clear and pleasing, making Lin Xuan nod slightly as he teased her.
"That sounded much sweeter than before. Not bad."
He chuckled, not blaming Qu Youmeng.
She already possessed outstanding aptitude and had never received any protection from Starfall Peak. As for Heavenly Venerable Yunli and her, just their occasional interactions made it clear that Heavenly Venerable Yunli genuinely cherished Qu Youmeng and held nothing back in teaching her.
If Qu Youmeng had simply switched sides and abandoned Heavenly Venerable Yunli, Lin Xuan would instead have refused to accept her.
A disciple who knew no gratitude, no matter how talented, was destined only to become a second Nangong Yaoyue.
Starfall Peak had no need for those with wolves' hearts and dogs' lungs.
He wanted them even less.
Lin Xuan's teasing made Qu Youmeng's face turn red. Puffing out her cheeks with a look of bashful indignation, she turned toward Heavenly Venerable Yunli beside her, revealing a rare girlish manner.
She had called him Master with complete sincerity, and with Heavenly Venerable Yunli's permission...
No, not permission.
Encouragement.
In Heavenly Venerable Yunli's view, what harm was there in having two masters?
Qu Youmeng possessed outstanding talent, comparable to the Profound Domain's top geniuses, and was now her only beloved disciple. She did not want her to miss such an opportunity.
Lin Xuan was so mysterious that she could not uncover his true origins at all. If they let him slip past, not only Qu Youmeng, but even she would surely regret it for the rest of her life!
It was merely five hundred years.
For the grace of saving her life, five hundred years was worth it.
After briefly reassuring her beloved disciple, Heavenly Venerable Yunli looked at Lin Xuan and took the initiative to bid farewell.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, the matter of protecting your path should be put into motion as soon as possible. I will return with Youmeng and enter seclusion to absorb the medicinal power. The day I succeed, I will immediately come to protect you, without another word."
"Very well."
Lin Xuan nodded slightly and watched the master and disciple leave.
Reconstructing a physical body required time. Given Heavenly Venerable Yunli's realm, it would not be particularly short, so naturally, the sooner she began, the better.
After the two left, Lin Xuan idly fiddled with his Storage Bag, a thoughtful look flashing through his eyes.
At present, he still had over ten million Spirit Stones. It was not too much, but not little either. At the very least, it was enough to purchase a sixth-tier king-grade spirit sword.
A fifth-tier spirit sword was somewhat weak for him now.
Lin Xuan urgently wanted a sixth-tier spirit sword to serve as the foundation for his Immortal-Slaying Sword Array!
When that happened, the power of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array would undergo a qualitative transformation!
Then, even an emperor might not be beyond slaying!
Just as Lin Xuan was looking into auction dates, before he had settled on one, Su Lianxin hurried over, wrapped in the intent of wind.
"What is it?"
Inside the hall, Su Lianxin had requested an audience of her own accord, yet she looked hesitant and stumbled over her words. Several breaths passed without her managing a complete sentence.
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly, offering nothing but reassurance and comfort to the disciple he held in the highest regard.
"What happened? If there's something, just say it. There's no need to hesitate."
After hesitating for another moment, Su Lianxin finally parted her red lips apprehensively.
"Master..."
"I... I heard some news. Would you like to hear it?"
"It's news about Nangong Yaoyue..."
Nangong Yaoyue...
That name could almost be called something from the distant past.
Lin Xuan's expression did not change. He raised his hand slightly and asked as usual, "What about her?"
He had long since let go of that bond between master and disciple. Hearing news of Nangong Yaoyue now stirred no emotion in him, much less made him fret over her. That was impossible.
Su Lianxin watched Lin Xuan's expression, and only sighed in relief when she saw that he did not care at all.
She cleared her throat and said directly, "A few days ago, Nangong Yaoyue defeated several geniuses on the Hidden Dragon Ranking in succession, forcing her way into the top ten and single-handedly forging a legend of invincibility."
"This has caused an uproar throughout the Profound Domain. Many people have even set up betting arenas to wager on how far Nangong Yaoyue can go."
"Really? That is interesting."
After listening, Lin Xuan merely smiled and let it pass, as though he had truly heard something entirely inconsequential.
He genuinely did not care, either.
However formidable Nangong Yaoyue became, she was not his disciple. Besides, Lin Xuan did not believe his own disciples would be inferior!
Looking at her master's calm expression, Su Lianxin closed her mouth and said no more.
But she silently took note of it, making a quiet vow in her heart.
It's only the Hidden Dragon Ranking!
Master, don't worry. I will trample Nangong Yaoyue beneath my feet and make her regret betraying our Starfall Peak! And make her regret betraying you even more!
Hidden flames flickered in Su Lianxin's eyes, almost fierce enough to burn through the skies of the Profound Domain.
She knew Lin Xuan no longer cared about Nangong Yaoyue's betrayal, but her master's magnanimity was no reason to let a traitor off so lightly.
Over these years, she had witnessed her master's decline and engraved it in her heart. Everyone who dared hurt her master was her enemy.
Her master did not hold grudges, but she did!
She would make Nangong Yaoyue regret it for the rest of her life and personally apologize before her master!
Although the news Su Lianxin brought of Nangong Yaoyue did not disturb Lin Xuan's state of mind, it did make him temporarily set aside his plans to select an auction.
Before he could pick them up again, he received an urgent summons from Sect Master Xuanyang.
An urgent summons was not issued without a major matter. Once used, it meant something was desperately urgent. Although it need not involve a threat to the sect, it was still rarely used.
Lin Xuan frowned upon receiving the urgent summons.
Sect Master Xuanyang had not merely asked him to come, but also told him to bring Wang Yan. The brief message said little, but one glance made it clear that something seemed to have happened.
Bring Wang Yan...
Deep in thought, Lin Xuan finally rose, took Wang Yan with him, and headed toward the main hall.
Upon reaching the main hall, before he even stepped inside, Lin Xuan sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat heavy, unusually solemn.
When he entered, he saw the sect's senior members, the Peak Masters, Sect Master Xuanyang, and even an elderly man with crane-white hair whose presence rippled with formidable strength.
This elder was none other than the strongest person in the Azure Yang Sword Sect, Ancestor Xuanjian!
Ordinarily, Ancestor Xuanjian was like a divine dragon whose head appeared but whose tail remained unseen. Yet today, even he was here...
It was easy to imagine that whatever had happened was no small matter.
Everyone wore grave expressions. The instant Lin Xuan entered the main hall with Wang Yan, they drew everyone's attention.
The gazes directed at them held different emotions.
Blame, questioning, disgust, hatred, mockery, derision...
The range of complicated emotions was plain to see.
Unlike the mentally composed Lin Xuan, Wang Yan turned pale before his mind could even react to such a gathering. Then, belatedly swallowing, he vaguely began to form a guess.
Without giving the master and disciple time to speak, a furious shout exploded beside Wang Yan's ears.
"Wang Yan! Do you admit your wrongdoing?"
"Let me ask you, did you kill the Spirit Jade Sect's young sect master? Your audacity knows no bounds! What punishment do you deserve?"
Right from the outset, the words were an interrogation.
Wang Yan's face was deathly pale, his eyes panicked. Even without him speaking, much could already be seen.
Ancestor Xuanjian's expression instantly darkened, like black clouds pressing down before a storm struck a city.
He and Xuanyang had originally known nothing of this, especially him.
Ancestor Xuanjian had long since stopped managing affairs, concentrating on cultivation in pursuit of the Dao and ascension to immortality. But not long ago, he had suddenly received a message from an old friend.
The message was brief, containing only two sentences.
"My friend, the Spirit Jade Sect's experts are charging toward your sect's mountain gates and will arrive shortly."
"I hear a disciple of the Azure Yang Sword Sect killed the Spirit Jade Sect's young sect master. True or false? Regardless, the Spirit Jade Sect is utterly enraged. I hope you prepare early."
A disciple of his sect had killed the Spirit Jade Sect's young sect master?!
Once Ancestor Xuanjian grasped what had happened, he was filled with fury!
Who was it? Who had such heaven-defying audacity? Who had actually dared to kill even the Spirit Jade Sect's young master?
Although the Spirit Jade Sect was not one of the Dawn Empire's ten great sects, it was still a first-rate sect, renowned far and wide.
And what about the Azure Yang Sword Sect?
Although it bore the title of one of the Tangqing Empire's ten great sects...
How could the two even compare?
The Dawn Empire stood at the head of the Seven Moon-Reflecting Kingdoms!
The Tangqing Empire ranked dead last among the seven...
One was a phoenix's tail, the other a chicken's head.
Was there any comparison?
Even though the Spirit Jade Sect did not rank among the Dawn Empire's top ten, while the Azure Yang Sword Sect was one of the Tangqing Empire's ten great sects, the gap between them was precisely that between a chicken's head and a phoenix's tail.
Among the Dawn Empire's ten great sects, even the lowest-ranked had a King Realm Seventh Level expert presiding over it.
As a first-rate sect in the Dawn Empire, the Spirit Jade Sect had no King Realm Seventh Level expert, but it did have an ancestor at King Realm Fifth Level Perfection!
As for the Azure Yang Sword Sect...
Its strongest expert was merely him.
Ancestor Xuanjian was at the King Realm Fourth Layer. Although his Sword Intent allowed him to overwhelm the vast majority of experts at the same level, when facing a King Realm Fifth Level existence...
He was no match at all.
Most importantly, this was a calamity out of nowhere. He did not even know what had happened!
Wang Yan's face was deathly pale. He dared not look Ancestor Xuanjian in the eye, but he struggled to open his mouth to explain himself.
But before he could speak, Lin Xuan spoke first, saying calmly, "My disciple Wang Yan was not at fault for that young sect master's death. It was he who..."
"Enough!"
Before Lin Xuan could even finish, Ancestor Xuanjian cut him off roughly.
Ancestor Xuanjian's gaze bore down on him, his tone brooking no argument as he spoke each word distinctly.
"Things have come to this. Right and wrong no longer matter. What matters is that the Spirit Jade Sect's young sect master is dead, and he died at the hands of a disciple of our Azure Yang Sword Sect! The Spirit Jade Sect's experts are enraged and will soon arrive at our Azure Yang Sword Sect."
"When that happens, the consequences will be unthinkable!"
He slowly exhaled, quelling the anger in his heart. Without so much as glancing at Wang Yan, he looked around.
"Today, all you elders and Peak Masters have gathered here. How do you think we should handle this?"
Fight? Or accept responsibility?
Was it worth fighting?
If they accepted responsibility... how were they to do so and appease the Spirit Jade Sect's wrath?
"What is so difficult about this?"
A voice abruptly cut in, carrying a faint sneer. Its ringing words drew everyone's attention.
"A man should answer for his own deeds. Since Wang Yan killed the Spirit Jade Sect's young sect master, he is at fault."
"Regardless of whether he knew the other party was the Spirit Jade Sect's young master before killing him, killing him is killing him."
"That being the case, we need only have Wang Yan personally go to the Spirit Jade Sect to beg forgiveness."
Lin Xuan looked toward the voice and saw Lu Tianxing, his scars now healed, chuckling without concealing the malice and arrogance in his eyes.
Seeing Lin Xuan look over, the smile on Lu Tianxing's lips gradually widened.
"How can the entire sect be put on the line for one person's mistake?"
"Surely Peak Master Lin does not expect all of us to cover this up for you!"