It was exactly the same as the Sect Master of the Spirit Firmament Sect's earlier reaction.
The elders' eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
Instantly killing an expert at King Realm Second Layer Perfection with one sword strike? Even their Spirit Firmament Sect's ancestor couldn't do that, could he?
What kind of strength was this?
Most importantly...
Some sharp-eyed elders had noticed that the dead man was the master of the Illusory Feather Sect, while the person who had killed him seemed to be nothing more than a projected clone...
At that moment, Elder Zhou spoke. "It should indeed be a clone. An elder of the Jade Balance Sword Palace summoned it using a strange stone."
Those words once again delivered an indescribable shock to the sect's senior members.
If a mere clone already possessed such strength, how powerful must the original be?
Just thinking about it made their scalps prickle.
One elder immediately stood up. "Sect Master, I'll give the orders right away to prepare ten million Spirit Stones and head to... the Jade Balance Sword Palace."
They weren't fools, nor would they doubt the truth of that dark figure's words.
If they didn't bring ten million Spirit Stones to his door to apologize, once that dark figure descended upon the Spirit Firmament Sect...
The Sect Master of the Spirit Firmament Sect did not stop him. Looking somewhat weary, he waved a hand and dismissed the small council.
He sat alone in the hall, recalling the face of that black-robed young man. His gaze was unreadable as he slowly exhaled.
"He had no sect insignia on him, and his face was unfamiliar. His swordsmanship... was utterly unheard of."
"He probably isn't from our Heron Empire."
"But how did an expert like that get involved with the Jade Balance Sword Palace?"
He did not understand, much less comprehend it.
Meanwhile, in the Tangqing Empire.
The Azure Yang Sword Sect.
For every day the Spirit Jade Sect's elder failed to arrive, they spent another day unable to rest easy.
In their hearts, they grew increasingly resentful of Lin Xuan and his disciples. They had brought such enormous trouble upon the Azure Yang Sword Sect for no reason, yet they had simply dusted off their backsides and left. They could not understand why the sect master and ancestor had allowed Lin Xuan, his disciples, and the others to leave.
As far as they were concerned, they should have captured them and handed them over when the Spirit Jade Sect's people arrived, appeasing their anger so they would not vent it on the Azure Yang Sword Sect.
Now, they could only pray that after learning Lin Xuan and the others had left the Azure Yang Sword Sect, the Spirit Jade Sect's people would not vent their anger on the sect.
Ancestor Xuanjian had also lost all desire to remain in seclusion. He stayed in the sect, awaiting the crisis that might come.
"Ancestor!! Sect Master! Something terrible has happened!"
A disciple dispatched by the Azure Yang Sword Sect to gather intelligence hurried over. Upon seeing Ancestor Xuanjian and Sect Master Xuanyang, he drew a great, gasping breath, his expression carrying an inexplicable excitement amid his panic.
Sect Master Xuanyang frowned slightly and rebuked him mildly. "What happened? Why are you so flustered? Where is your decorum?"
The intelligence disciple hurriedly took several deep breaths. Before he could even catch his breath, he rushed to report.
"Reporting to the Sect Master and Ancestor... something has happened. The Spirit Jade Sect, the Spirit Jade Sect..."
"Has been wiped out!"
"What?" Ancestor Xuanjian's expression changed abruptly. In one step, he reached the reporting disciple and fixed his eyes on him.
"Is what you said true?"
"It's true!" the intelligence disciple hurriedly explained.
"They say it was wiped out some time ago. The entire sect has been reduced to ruins, and its members are either dead or have fled. The Tangqing Empire is far away, so news travels slowly, and we only just learned of it! The Spirit Jade Sect elder who intended to come to our sword sect to seize them turned back halfway here. Now, no one even knows where he's gone."
"They say an unrivaled sword cultivator, alone with a single sword, flattened the Spirit Jade Sect and slaughtered nearly all its senior members! Including the Spirit Jade Sect's ancestor. Dead, all of them dead!"
What!?
Ancestor Xuanjian and Sect Master Xuanyang paled at the news, their hearts filled with shock.
The Spirit Jade Sect's ancestor was an existence at the King Realm Fifth Level. Supposedly, he was only one step away from the sixth level.
And he had just... died like that? Without even a chance to escape!
"Whew..." Drawing a deep breath, Ancestor Xuanjian felt as though a massive stone weighed upon his heart.
How fickle the world was. How fickle indeed!
Even the Spirit Jade Sect, which was considerably stronger than the Azure Yang Sword Sect, had been wiped out overnight. The Azure Yang Sword Sect...
At that moment, Ancestor Xuanjian felt more and more that his original choice had been right.
This world was far too dangerous. One careless move, and they would meet the same miserable end as the Spirit Jade Sect.
Choice mattered more than anything.
He simply did not know how the Spirit Jade Sect had provoked such an unrivaled sword cultivator.
"In that case... Lin Xuan and his disciples have managed to keep their lives." After dismissing the disciple who had brought the intelligence, Sect Master Xuanyang suddenly sighed.
He had always felt that the sect should not have abandoned Lin Xuan and his disciple Wang Yan. Yet although he was the sect master, major sect affairs had never been his to decide. That authority belonged to Ancestor Xuanjian.
News of the Spirit Jade Sect's destruction soon spread throughout the Tangqing Empire, and Lu Tianxing also heard it.
At the time, he was refining the remaining medicinal potency of the pills. Upon hearing the news, he abruptly opened his eyes, a trace of gloom flashing across his brow.
"They really stumbled into dogshit luck. Heh..."
"Calm your mind."
The Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak approached from the side and gently shook his head at Lu Tianxing.
"They're merely a few homeless dogs. They aren't worth dwelling on. Right now, what matters most is the Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition."
Lu Tianxing nodded obediently and gently exhaled, settling himself and calming his mind. Still, he could not resist a mocking remark.
"Rest assured, Peak Master. I have no intention of bothering with them."
"But if I'm fortunate enough to run into them again someday..."
"I want them dead!" As he spoke, a cold glint flashed through Lu Tianxing's eyes. He still harbored some hatred over Lin Xuan's three disciples defeating him and making him lose all face at the sect competition.
"It's good that you have that resolve. Also, make sure you remember the ancestor's guidance during this time. Don't disappoint him. The ancestor has placed great hopes in you. Steady your mind and fully refine and absorb the Dragon Soul Pills' medicinal potency, leaving nothing behind."
Two one-pattern Dragon Soul Pills-Ancestor Xuanjian had truly spared no expense. He was determined to shine brilliantly at the Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition and spread the Azure Yang Sword Sect's name throughout the seven kingdoms!
Lu Tianxing nodded slightly, closing his eyes once more to absorb the medicinal potency. The corners of his mouth shifted, curling upward with confidence.
Although this enormous improvement had not come from his own talent, so what?
He saw nothing shameful in it. In fact, he felt an indescribable pleasure. This was fate!
Wang Yan and Su Lianxin were highly talented, but so what?
Hadn't he still left them far behind now?
"I understand. As I am now, if I fought the likes of Wang Yan and Su Lianxin again, I could defeat them with a casual move. At the Seven Kingdoms Grand Competition, I will represent the Azure Yang Sword Sect and secure a place in the top hundred... or even higher!"
"As for them... they'll never have another chance to compete on the same stage as me in this lifetime."