The burning gazes of everyone in the sect converged on Lu Tianxing's hands.
These were seventh-grade pills! Moreover, each bore a pill vein-even a Sovereign would be tempted by such treasures.
Ancestor Xuanjian had obtained such treasures, and two of them at that. His luck could hardly be called poor.
At that moment, the other Peak Masters arrived at the same thought as Lu Tianxing.
How much would the Holy Maiden regret it if she found out?
Ancestor Xuanjian swept his imposing gaze across the hall. When it settled on Lu Tianxing, a ripple appeared in his indifferent eyes.
"Originally, these two pills were meant for you and Fufeng..."
He did not finish, but everyone understood what Ancestor Xuanjian had left unsaid. If anyone was to blame, it was Li Fufeng herself for lacking the fortune.
The Jade Moon Peak Master's expression grew even uglier. Filled with regret, he silently resented himself for not saying more to persuade Li Fufeng to stay.
Ancestor Xuanjian paid no heed to the Peak Masters' thoughts. He looked calmly into Lu Tianxing's eyes, his hawklike gaze as still as an ancient well or deep pool, seeming to pierce into the depths of a person's heart.
"These two pills will be enough to transform your aptitude. The future of our Azure Yang Sword Sect will rest on you."
Those words filled Lu Tianxing with irrepressible joy.
"Yes!"
He could barely contain his delight.
Li Fufeng, Wang Yan, and the others had left. Not only would his talent multiply, but Ancestor Xuanjian's words were tantamount to personally confirming him as the next sect master!
From now on, no one could shake his position. How could he not be excited?
"But... I have one condition!" Ancestor Xuanjian's tone shifted, a sharp gleam entering his eyes as he fixed them on Lu Tianxing.
"In the upcoming Moon-Reflecting Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition, I want you to place in the top hundred! The rewards for this Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition are extraordinary, and those for the top hundred are even more generous. As the Holy Son of our Azure Yang Sword Sect, you ought to distinguish yourself and secure a ranking. Can you do it?"
The Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition!
His words sent the entire hall into an uproar.
Placing in the top hundred of the Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Since its founding, the Azure Yang Sword Sect had participated in every Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition, yet it had never produced a genius who made the top hundred. Its best placement had only been somewhere in the two hundreds.
Had he not been exceptionally lucky this time and obtained two Dragon Soul Pills in the Heaven-Burning Mystic Realm, Ancestor Xuanjian would never have dared dream of the top hundred.
Even the imperial family of the Tangqing Empire and the chief disciples of its three leading sects would not dare assert that they could secure a place in the top hundred of the Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition.
Those hundred places had always been monopolized by the prodigies of the leading empires, such as the Dawn Empire and the Holy Sun Empire.
For the lower-ranked empires, including the Tangqing Empire, trying to claim a share from them meant braving countless obstacles. Securing even a single place was extremely difficult!
But if the Azure Yang Sword Sect could place in the top hundred of the Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition and emerge as a dark horse, it was destined to shine brilliantly and make its name known far and wide!
That would neatly make up for the loss of Li Fufeng and the other geniuses.
Moreover, Li Fufeng's departure might not be a bad thing. Instead, it benefited Lu Tianxing, who no longer had to split the Dragon Soul Pills with her. With both Dragon Soul Pills to himself and his already exceptional aptitude, he would certainly surpass Wang Yan, Su Lianxin, and the others!
At that thought, the faint regret in Ancestor Xuanjian's heart faded considerably.
Only recently had he broken open the battered storage ring he had obtained in the Heaven-Burning Mystic Realm and retrieved the two seventh-grade Dragon Soul Pills. Because of that, he had missed the sect competition and heard only a little about it from Sect Master Xuanyang.
Originally, he had also planned to focus on nurturing Wang Yan. Who could have foreseen such a turn of events?
Hearing Ancestor Xuanjian's instructions, Lu Tianxing bowed without the slightest hesitation.
"Please rest assured, Ancestor. I will neither disappoint you nor let these two Dragon Soul Pills go to waste. The top hundred will by no means be my limit!"
Before, he might have lacked confidence, but from this day forward, he would be an entirely different person!
Seeing Lu Tianxing brimming with ambition and confidence, Ancestor Xuanjian nodded, anticipation rising in his heart.
The top hundred of the Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition... This time, his Azure Yang Sword Sect would rise above all the sects of the Tangqing Empire!
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan had already returned to Starfall Peak, with an apprehensive, uneasy Wang Yan following closely behind him.
The moment Su Lianxin saw Lin Xuan, she came forward to greet him. Qu Youmeng happened to be beside her. Both were drenched in fragrant sweat, lingering battle intent still clinging to them. Evidently, they had been sparring before Lin Xuan returned.
"Master!"
"Master, you're back."
Looking at his three disciples, Lin Xuan considered for a moment before saying, "As of today, I will be leaving the Azure Yang Sword Sect."
Before he could finish speaking, Su Lianxin hurriedly interjected.
"Wherever you go, Master, I'll go!"
Qu Youmeng was the same.
"Master, I came to the Azure Yang Sword Sect with ulterior motives to begin with. I have no attachment to it whatsoever. Wherever you go, Master Yunli and I will naturally follow."
Lin Xuan did not explain why, and they neither asked nor cared.
Once they had left the Azure Yang Sword Sect's territory, Lin Xuan adjusted his steps slightly and spoke slowly:
"Although we've left the Azure Yang Sword Sect, we still need to participate in the Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition. My goal for you in this competition is to sweep the top three places."
It was only the top three. He had faith in his disciples.
Ice Phoenix True Blood, the Nether Water Profound Physique, the Nine Netherworlds Nether Flame Physique, and the Azure Emperor Scripture he had bestowed upon them-if they could not even claim the top three in these mere seven kingdoms, how could they speak of competing with the prodigies of the Profound Domain?
"We will not disappoint you, Master!"
All three agreed.
Lin Xuan also had no intention of hiding anything and briefly explained why he had left the Azure Yang Sword Sect.
He did not embellish anything, calmly explaining his reasons for leaving the Azure Yang Sword Sect. Even so, it still provoked Su Lianxin and Qu Youmeng's anger.
They were ashamed to associate with such people.
"Master, where are we going next?"
To participate in the Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition, they needed a sect, and one with competition slots at that. Rogue cultivators could not enter the competition.
That was precisely the problem Lin Xuan was considering.
They currently belonged to no sect or school and naturally had no slots. But if they casually joined another sect, there was no guarantee it would not become a second Azure Yang Sword Sect. Relying on others was ultimately inferior to relying on oneself.
Why not... establish a sect myself?
Why must I join someone else's sect? Why not create my own?
But establishing a sect was not so easy, either.
"Fellow Daoist, are you looking for a place to settle?"
Just then, Heavenly Venerable Yunli floated out of Qu Youmeng's body. Her gaze remained serene, but compared to her earlier impatience, there was now a trace of a smile on her lips.
The problem of reconstructing her physical body, which had plagued her for so long, had been resolved. All she needed now was a safe place to absorb the medicinal power, and she could once again have a body of her own. The shadow in Heavenly Venerable Yunli's heart had been swept away, and she no longer concealed herself.
Over this period, she had become familiar with all of Lin Xuan's disciples and even personally instructed them from time to time. Thus, Su Lianxin and Wang Yan were not surprised by the soul form's sudden appearance.
After appearing, Heavenly Venerable Yunli went straight to the point.
"If you have nowhere to go for now, fellow Daoist, why not go to the Heron Empire? I once established a faction there, though I don't know whether it still exists after all these years. You could settle there briefly before deciding your next step."
Heavenly Venerable Yunli's suggestion was indeed a good one, and Lin Xuan nodded slightly.
He really had nowhere else to go anyway, and he did need a few slots to enter the Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition.
With that in mind, Lin Xuan told his disciples what he intended.
"I plan to establish my own faction, called the Sword Pavilion. But the Sword Pavilion will not accept disciples lightly. Only those with monstrous talent may enter."
It was not arrogance. When Lin Xuan voiced this idea, he already had a clear plan in mind.
He would make the first three levels of the Azure Emperor Scripture the Sword Pavilion's primary cultivation method, available for its disciples to study and cultivate.
If he had the fortune to obtain a more profound and powerful cultivation method in the future, Lin Xuan could consider adding the cultivation methods for the fourth and fifth levels of the Azure Emperor Scripture.
After all, the fourth and fifth levels of the Azure Emperor Scripture were already at the Saint Grade...
If anyone else learned of Lin Xuan's intentions, they would probably find them unbelievable, their eyes nearly popping out in shock.
The Azure Emperor Scripture-even if it was only the first three levels, using a Thearch Grade cultivation method as the primary cultivation method? That was truly extravagant!
Even some of the titans of the Profound Domain probably would not dare imagine it. Never mind whether they had such boldness; it was not even certain they possessed a Thearch Grade cultivation method themselves...
Lin Xuan's thinking was simple. Since he was going to establish a sect, it naturally would not be an ordinary one.
He would forge the Sword Pavilion into a transcendent power.
He did not seek to have disciples spread throughout the world, but he would make the mere mention of the Sword Pavilion strike terror into people's hearts and leave them as silent as cicadas in winter!
The sect did not need many disciples, but every one of them had to be a peerless monster capable of standing alone and dominating a region!
However...
Recalling Heavenly Venerable Yunli's words, Lin Xuan grew thoughtful.
The Seven Moon-Reflecting Kingdoms were the Dawn Empire, the Holy Sun Empire, the Great Jin Empire, the Spirit True Empire, the Silver Frost Empire, the Tangqing Empire, and the Heron Empire.
The faction she had once founded was in the Heron Empire. That was rather unexpected. Among the seven kingdoms, the Heron Empire was even weaker than the Tangqing Empire and ranked dead last.
"Then we'll go to the Heron Empire."
He turned to his disciples and instructed, "Go to the Heron Empire first and wait for me. I'm going to the Dawn Empire... to handle a few matters."
Hearing that Lin Xuan intended to go to the Dawn Empire in person, Wang Yan's heart stirred, and he hurriedly asked, "Master, you're going to the Dawn Empire to..."
For a moment, he actually did not dare continue.
Lin Xuan nodded slightly. The smile on his lips was icy, and a cold gleam shone in his eyes.
"Isn't the Spirit Jade Sect looking for us? Why go to all that trouble? I'll deliver myself to their door."
Though he said it with a smile, anyone could hear the chill and deeper meaning in his words.
"I'll be back shortly. Go with Heavenly Venerable Yunli for now. We'll meet again in Heron."
"Yes!"
Watching Lin Xuan leave, Wang Yan and the others were deeply shaken. Wang Yan, especially, was filled with gratitude. His master... was personally going to the Spirit Jade Sect for his sake!
They also believed that since Lin Xuan dared to go, he must have absolute confidence. Naturally, they had complete faith in their master, with no need for doubt.
Then... they would meet again in Heron!
Several days later.
The Dawn Empire, at the gates of the Spirit Jade Sect.
The Spirit Jade Sect stood amid a mountain range and had long been renowned for possessing a high-grade spirit vein. Eight small floating peaks clustered around the main peak. The Spiritual Qi suffusing heaven and earth had almost become tangible, white mist swirled, and countless spiritual flowers and herbs grew everywhere.
Making use of the terrain, overlapping layers of formations locked the Spiritual Qi within the sect to prevent it from leaking out while protecting the gates and countless peaks. Densely packed restrictions kept outsiders from prying.
Compared to the Spirit Jade Sect, the Azure Yang Sword Sect was ground straight into the dust. Set side by side, the drab Azure Yang Sword Sect lost on appearances alone, to say nothing of the caliber of experts within.
Even a cursory probe here revealed the presences of at least twenty King Realm experts stretching across the sect and sheltering the mountains, while the Azure Yang Sword Sect had only half as many... No wonder the Azure Yang Sword Sect's first thought when facing the threat from the Spirit Jade Sect had been to back down.
Although the Spirit Jade Sect was not a top-tier sect and did not even rank among the Dawn Empire's top ten, it was who knew how many times stronger than the Azure Yang Sword Sect.
Countless disciples and elders came and went, taking sect missions and returning from them. Some brought slain spirit beasts, while others were covered in wounds, yet all received swift, appropriate attention and treatment. Even the disciples guarding the gates were full of vigor, but...
The peace and tranquility outside the sect could not reach the sect master in the Spirit Jade Sect's main hall.
Over all these years, the Spirit Jade Sect's sect master had only had one son, so he had spoiled him rather excessively. He had assumed others would fear the Spirit Jade Sect's name, and even if they clashed with his only son, the sect would be there to back him up, keeping him from any great danger. Who could have imagined that after just one outing... his only son would never return!
How could he not be furious?
How could he restrain himself?
The Spirit Jade Sect's sect master raged uncontrollably, Spiritual Qi surging wildly around him, his face brimming with killing intent.
"Please quell your anger, Sect Master! Elder Li and the others have already gone to the Azure Yang Sword Sect to seize the culprit. Once they return, we will make that little bastard beg for death and be denied even that!"
The sect's higher-ups had all gathered in the hall to soothe the Spirit Jade Sect's sect master. The elder who spoke wore an expression of anguish. He had personally watched the young sect master grow up, only for him to die just like that. How could he possibly let it go?
The Spirit Jade Sect's sect master's eyes were icy as he forced the words through clenched teeth. "For daring to kill my son, I will slice that little bastard into a thousand pieces, cast him into a snake pit, and refine him into a medicinal thrall to guard my son's tomb and console his spirit in heaven!"
Before the echoes of his words had faded, his expression suddenly changed.
A terrifying presence descended with extreme suddenness, its imposing might sweeping across the Spirit Jade Sect's entire mountain range, brazen and unrestrained, making no attempt to hide its hostile intentions.
Countless disciples were pressed so hard they could barely breathe. Gritting their teeth, they looked up into the sky, with no idea what had happened.
At that moment, the Spirit Jade Sect's sect master's fury seemed to find an outlet. He darted straight out of the hall and arrived at the main hall's entrance, looking up into the sky. There stood a lone white-robed sword cultivator, hands behind his back, high above the sect-protecting formation, gazing down over the entire Spirit Jade Sect like a deity.
At the sight, the Spirit Jade Sect's sect master's anger surged, and he bellowed.
"What scoundrel dares trespass upon the gates of my Spirit Jade Sect?!"
The white-robed sword cultivator high in the air was none other than Lin Xuan!
He glanced indifferently at the enraged Spirit Jade Sect's sect master and ignored him, merely gathering spiritual power in his throat to carry his voice throughout the Spirit Jade Sect's territory.
"Ordinary disciples have one incense stick's time to leave the Spirit Jade Sect."
"After one incense stick, anyone who remains will die."
"Today, I will raze the Spirit Jade Sect!"