The Heron Empire, at the frontier.
After several days of travel, Lin Xuan finally reached his destination.
This was a frontier city named Zhencang City. Since it bordered the Silver Frost Empire, and relations between the Heron Empire and the Silver Frost Empire had deteriorated in recent years, heavy troops had been stationed here.
This city was also where he had agreed to reunite with Heavenly Venerable Yunli and his disciples.
The moment Lin Xuan appeared, Su Lianxin sensed him from an inn within the city. She came out to welcome him and hurriedly ushered her master into the inn where they were temporarily staying.
Seeing with their own eyes that their master was safe and sound, the disciples immediately stood up. As they breathed sighs of relief, their hearts finally settled.
Although they had confidence in Lin Xuan, they did not know their master's true strength, after all, so worry was inevitable.
Their master had gone to the Dawn Empire alone, with only his sword.
And no matter how one looked at it, the Spirit Jade Sect was ultimately more powerful than the Azure Yang Sword Sect.
"Master..." Wang Yan stood up and asked somewhat apprehensively, "The Spirit Jade Sect..."
"Destroyed."
As Lin Xuan spoke, that single, casually uttered word sent shock waves through his disciples' hearts.
Wang Yan and Su Lianxin exchanged a glance, each seeing profound shock in the other's eyes.
The simple word from their master's lips sounded as though he were discussing something trivial, but how could the destruction of a sect be trivial?
Moreover, that was no minor faction.
It was... a sect even stronger than the Azure Yang Sword Sect, and their master had simply... destroyed it?
Too terrifying...
At that moment, all three disciples found themselves pondering the same question.
Just how strong was their master?
Not only was the Spirit Jade Sect stronger overall than the Azure Yang Sword Sect, it also had a king realm fifth level ancestor guarding it, someone even more powerful than the Azure Yang Sword Sect's Ancestor Xuanjian...
In the entire Tangqing Empire, only the Tangqing Imperial Family and the top three sects possessed king realm fifth level experts...
While the disciples indulged in wild speculation, the one most shaken was Heavenly Venerable Yunli, who had yet to successfully reconstruct her physical body.
She was still inside Qu Youmeng. She had remained awake over the past few days and had heard their conversation. Unlike these juniors, however, Heavenly Venerable Yunli had been in the Heavenly Venerable Realm when she was alive.
As a mighty Heavenly Venerable Realm cultivator, she had seen no shortage of heavenly geniuses, and her breadth of experience was far beyond what these youngsters could compare with.
Every one of those monstrous geniuses would have swept through their generation if placed in the Profound Domain. Compared to them, even those at the very top of the Profound Domain's Mystic Ranking fell considerably short.
Yet even with standards as high as hers, she had never seen such a monstrous existence.
With cultivation at the king realm second layer, he could destroy a sect guarded by a king realm fifth level ancestor?
Was this a monstrous genius the Profound Domain could produce?
That was a first-rate great sect! Even in the Dawn Empire, foremost among the seven empires, it was a top-tier faction.
Logically, even a king realm sixth layer expert might not have been able to destroy the Spirit Jade Sect. Though their highest combat strength could be overwhelmed, one must not forget that a sect was not made up of a mere two or three stray cats.
Aside from its king realm fifth level ancestor, the Spirit Jade Sect also had its sect master and elders at the king realm fourth and third layers guarding it. The total number of King Realm experts in the sect was certainly no fewer than twenty. Otherwise, the Spirit Jade Sect could never have firmly held its position as a first-rate faction in the Dawn Empire, foremost among the seven empires.
On top of that, there was its sect-protecting formation...
Which made the Spirit Jade Sect as impregnable as a city of metal with a moat of boiling water.
Yet such a powerful Spirit Jade Sect had simply been destroyed.
How much time had Lin Xuan spent on the trip?
Only a single day.
Even with Heavenly Venerable Yunli's extensive experience, she could not help drawing a deep breath.
It was not as though she had never seen geniuses, but before Lin Xuan, even she had never heard of anyone this monstrous, much less seen one.
Was this truly a heavenly genius the Profound Domain could produce?
Even the successors of those supreme imperial palaces and great holy lands were probably nowhere near this monstrous, were they?
Thoughts surged through her mind. Heavenly Venerable Yunli barely suppressed the clamor of her thoughts and took the initiative to manifest outside.
She bowed gracefully to Lin Xuan and began discussing the matter at hand.
"Congratulations on your safe return, fellow Daoist. Regarding the matter we discussed before, I have uncovered a few leads in recent days."
They sat around the table and listened as Heavenly Venerable Yunli spoke slowly, a trace of reminiscence and wistfulness on her face.
"The sect I casually founded back then was named the Jade Balance Sword Palace. I suppose it has been fortunate, for it still exists today. Not only that, after years of development, the Jade Balance Sword Palace has risen to become one of the Heron Empire's seven great sects."
"There are three King Realm cultivators guarding the sect. The strongest is the deputy palace master, Han Yue, whose cultivation is at the king realm second layer..."
Wang Yan scratched his head, immediately puzzled. "If the deputy palace master is the strongest, what about the palace master?"
Normally, the strongest person in a sect would be its sect master, a supreme elder, or an ancestor. Yet in the Jade Balance Sword Palace, the deputy palace master was the strongest? She had the highest cultivation?
Qu Youmeng glanced at him, speechless.
"Idiot."
"The palace master is naturally far beyond the horizon, yet right before your eyes."
Heavenly Venerable Yunli curved her lips helplessly and lowered her eyes, a trace of warmth flitting through them.
According to the information she had gathered, the person in charge of the Jade Balance Sword Palace was Deputy Palace Master Han Yue. Ever since the sect's founding, Han Yue had always called herself the deputy palace master. No one had ever seen the palace master, nor did anyone know whether the palace master even existed. It was not that no one had questioned it, but Han Yue had suppressed all such doubts.
Others might not know, but how could Heavenly Venerable Yunli not know why Han Yue called herself the deputy palace master?
"That little girl who would cry and make a fuss at the slightest thing can now hold her own..."
Threads of fond attachment slipped from her lips, filled with longing and sentiment for an old acquaintance.
From the moment she learned that the Jade Balance Sword Palace had only one deputy palace master, Han Yue, she knew that despite the passing years and changing times, that girl had never stopped missing her.
Really...
Heavenly Venerable Yunli shook her head, a faint smile lingering on her face, and stood up. "Let's go. Now that Fellow Daoist Lin has arrived, we should set out for the Jade Balance Sword Palace."
She rather wanted to see that little girl as soon as possible.
After so many years apart, what expression would she wear upon seeing her?
Heavenly Venerable Yunli was quite looking forward to it.
At the mention of the Jade Balance Sword Palace, warmth suffused Heavenly Venerable Yunli's eyes. As though having made up her mind, she said, "The journey should take some time. With Fellow Daoist Lin beside me, I can take the pill and reconstruct my physical body. I will have to trouble you with the rest of the journey, Fellow Daoist Lin."
Naturally, Lin Xuan readily agreed.
The Heron Empire, near Mystic Moon Forest.
"Stop your pointless struggling, Chen Xiong. Your time to die has come-!"
"You can't escape, Chen Xiong!"
Figures flickered as a group raced one after another through the quiet forest, darting amid the overlapping mountains and ridges.
At the front was a burly, curly-bearded man with knotted muscles and bronze skin. His enchanted robes were torn, and rivulets of blood trickled crookedly down his beard. He panted heavily, yet endured the pain and kept accelerating.
Judging from his fluctuating presence, his cultivation was roughly at the king realm first layer. He could be considered a powerful figure in the Heron Empire and should not, by rights, have been in such a wretched state.
Unfortunately, the two pursuing him were both king realm second layer experts.
Though the burly man named Chen Xiong fled for his life, the distance between them continued to shrink. Before long, they would catch him.
When Lin Xuan sensed the fluctuations ahead, he swept his divine sense over the area and took everything in. His expression remained indifferent, however, and he had no intention of intervening.
He had never liked meddling in other people's business.
Whoosh-!
In mere moments, a bedraggled figure suddenly burst from the forest. He hurriedly glanced at Lin Xuan and the others beside the path and was about to ignore them and keep fleeing when he keenly sensed the presence emanating from Lin Xuan, who stood at the front.
King Realm!
He was also in the King Realm!
Overjoyed, Chen Xiong hurriedly called out, "Fellow Daoist!"
"Fellow Daoist, save me! Could you lend me a hand and help me escape my enemies? Afterward, I will offer you everything I own. I would be endlessly grateful for your great kindness!"
As he spoke, two burly men emerged close behind him, both with King Realm cultivation.
They, too, noticed the unexpected presence of Lin Xuan. Upon sensing that his cultivation was also in the King Realm, they immediately frowned and gave him cautious, warning looks.
But Lin Xuan did not spare them another glance. He turned a deaf ear to the cries for help, never pausing in the slightest.
Lin Xuan was not afraid of trouble, but neither could he be bothered to invite it.
Besides, the possessions of a king realm first layer cultivator were beneath his notice.
Lin Xuan did not slow down at all. Seeing this, a look of gloom and despair immediately flashed across Chen Xiong's face.
He could not help feeling overwhelmed by grief and indignation.
His internal injuries were worsening, and his spiritual power was nearly exhausted. Before long, only death would await him on the road ahead.
Was Heaven determined to destroy him today?
Why must it come to this!
Seeing Lin Xuan being so "sensible," the two King Realm experts immediately relaxed and closed in on Chen Xiong with cold sneers.
"Chen Xiong, stop struggling. You are certain to die this time!"
"Before you die, I might as well tell you. It's no secret anyway. Aside from our Illusory Feather Sect, the ones moving against your Jade Balance Sword Palace this time include... the Spirit Firmament Sect! Haven't you been wondering who this person beside me is? Hmph..."
"Today, I'll at least let you die knowing the truth! This is Han Guang of the Spirit Firmament Sect, Elder Han!"
"The Spirit Firmament Sect? Elder Han?"
Chen Xiong's expression shook, then a desolate look appeared in his eyes.
The Illusory Feather Sect was actually about equal in strength to the Jade Balance Sword Palace. If it were only the Illusory Feather Sect, he would not have been this desperate. But with the Spirit Firmament Sect added to the mix...
That was one of the Heron Empire's top three great sects, guarded by a king realm fourth layer expert. Compared to the Jade Balance Sword Palace, which had only just risen into the ranks of the seven great sects, it was a colossus on an entirely different level!
He had not expected the person beside the Illusory Feather Sect elder to be a King Realm cultivator from the Spirit Firmament Sect.
He had originally guessed that the man was from Thundercloud Pavilion...
"No wonder..."
Chen Xiong's expression was bitter, and he could barely hold the longsword in his hand. Deep despair and oppression all but drowned him.
How could he escape now?
What path to survival did he have left?
Yet at that very moment, Lin Xuan, who had been about to leave, suddenly stopped and looked back at Chen Xiong with a puzzled expression.
"You... are from the Jade Balance Sword Palace?"