Lu Xuan murmured softly, his voice laced with undisguised astonishment.
“So this is the power wielded by a martial artist at Divine Mansion Perfected—the strength of a Primordial Spirit True Man?”
Immediately, with a subtle shift of his will, the scene within his Divine Mansion unfurled before his mind’s eye like a dreamlike tapestry.
He saw that the scale of his Divine Mansion had expanded nearly tenfold compared to when it was merely at the Minor Accomplishment stage!
Within that vast, boundless vortex of the Divine Mansion, the violet divine-thought avatar seated at its core had been completely reborn—transformed into something entirely new.
Where there had once been ethereal violet currents swirling around the avatar, it had now fully condensed into a liquid form.
At the same time, shimmering violet light flowed ceaselessly around the avatar, as if resonating with the invisible laws of heaven and earth.
All of these changes stemmed from that single strand of profound law-force from the Black Spirit Wood.
Ever since Lu Xuan had broken through to the Divine Mansion Perfected stage, he sensed that his control over the forces of heaven and earth had grown far beyond what it was before.
By his own estimation, his overall strength had increased by at least tenfold.
With his current cultivation at the Divine Mansion Perfected stage, combined with the power of the fifth level of the Burning Heaven Saber Technique—
Even against a martial artist at the Divine Mansion Great Perfection level, Lu Xuan was confident of securing a sure victory.
At this point, unless he encountered someone who had surpassed the Divine Mansion Great Perfection realm—
There was no one in the world that Lu Xuan truly needed to fear.
Host: Lu Xuan
Realm: Divine Mansion True Man (Perfected)
Cultivation Methods:
- Burning Heaven Saber Technique – 5/9
- Instant Horizon – 2/9
- Immortal Undying – 4/9
Points: 47,660
The Burning Heaven Saber Technique had finally reached the fifth level—pushing it to that stage had cost Lu Xuan a full 110,000 system points.
As for advancing Instant Horizon to the second level, that had consumed another 40,000 system points.
Together, these two martial arts techniques had drained a total of 150,000 system points from Lu Xuan’s reserves.
That left him with only 47,660 points out of the original 197,660 he had once possessed.
This breakthrough was far less dramatic than his previous ones—nowhere near as earth-shattering.
That was because Lu Xuan had prepared well in advance, setting up his divine-thought power to isolate this space from the outside world.
Although the spiritual energy within the room churned and surged violently, Lu Xuan’s control over the forces of heaven and earth kept it firmly locked inside—there was no chance of any leakage.
Lu Xuan made a rough estimate—he had been in secluded cultivation here for about ten days or so.
In just a little over ten days, he had broken through to the Divine Mansion Perfected stage and become a Primordial Spirit True Man.
If word of this terrifying cultivation speed ever got out, it would shake the entire cultivation world to its core, stirring up a storm of shock and disbelief.
After all, for an ordinary martial artist at the Divine Mansion realm, condensing their divine-thought avatar into a solidified Primordial Spirit would normally take several years at the very least.
Even for some of the most breathtaking prodigies in martial history, it would still take several months at minimum.
But for Lu Xuan, under the effect of the system panel’s technique deduction—he had encountered virtually no bottlenecks whatsoever.
Quietly circulating the Primordial Spirit power within him, Lu Xuan felt the surging energy flowing through his Divine Mansion, and he mused to himself.
Good. With my current strength—as long as I stay cautious and combine it with a peerless movement technique like Instant Horizon—
I can travel freely throughout this Great Xia Dynasty, and no one will be able to stop me easily.
However, the very next moment, Lu Xuan suddenly recalled certain powerful and mysterious entities.
His expression turned grave, and a flicker of wariness passed through his eyes.
“Still… if I ever have to face those things, I’ll need to be extremely careful. Not a single moment of carelessness.”
“One misstep, and I could easily capsize in a shallow ditch—falling into an abyss from which there is no return.”
In this vast Great Xia Dynasty, there were very few things that could stir caution in the heart of a Primordial Spirit True Man like Lu Xuan.
And one of them was the exceedingly mysterious Ten-Pattern Sun-Grade Sacrificial Artifacts.
Ever since Lu Xuan had stepped into the world, he had heard whispers of their fearsome reputation.
In those rumors—some true, some false—it was said that these artifacts contained power capable of annihilating heaven and earth.
With a mere gesture, a Ten-Pattern Sun-Grade Artifact could shatter mountains and rivers and eclipse the very sun and moon.
Yet Lu Xuan had never once laid eyes on a Ten-Pattern Sun-Grade Artifact with his own eyes.
Now, here in the Heavenly Capital—
Only the Great Xia Imperial Palace, the unfathomable Eight Great Clans, and those five transcendent powers possessed such artifacts.
These colossal forces, backed by the deterrent might of their Ten-Pattern Sun-Grade Artifacts—
Held an absolutely pivotal position within the overall power structure of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Even the Great Xia Royal Family had to tread carefully because of those artifacts.
As long as these major powers did not harm the dynasty’s fundamental interests—
Even the Great Xia Emperor himself would turn a blind eye and grant them some measure of face.
“A Ten-Pattern Sun-Grade Artifact… If I ever get the chance, I’d love to see one for myself—to find out if they’re truly as terrifying as the legends say.”
Lu Xuan murmured softly, a gleam of curiosity flashing in his eyes.
At any rate, he had already experienced the power of artifacts ranked below the Ten-Pattern Sun-Grade.
Lu Xuan raised his right arm slightly, reaching slowly into his robe—the fabric rustling faintly with the motion.
Before long, he withdrew a palm-sized black cube.
Its surface appeared deep and dark, as if it could swallow all light that fell upon it.
This black cube was the Floating Void Realm bestowed upon him by the Empress, Xia Mingyue!
The space within the Floating Void Realm was about five times larger than the room Lu Xuan was currently in.
Such a spacious domain was more than enough for his needs.
And the method for using the Floating Void Realm was not complicated—similar to the way one bonded with a sacrificial artifact.
All he needed to do was inject a trace of his own power into it, leaving behind his unique imprint, and he could control it at will.
With a single thought from his divine consciousness, it connected instantly with the Floating Void Realm—and the world within became crystal clear before his eyes.
There, suspended silently within that space, was a great black saber, about half Lu Xuan’s height.
Along its blade were carved many naturally formed patterns, and from time to time, the weapon would emit a profound, deep glow—
Sometimes eerily cold, sometimes scorching hot—like raging fire burning in the abyss of hell, radiating a bone-chilling aura.
“The Netherflame Dark Saber!”
“A Seven-Pattern Moon-Grade Artifact!”
In a daze, no one could say exactly when, but that saber—originally stored deep within the Floating Void Realm—had quietly vanished from that space.
Now it was hovering gently before Lu Xuan. As the Netherflame Dark Saber hung in midair, the surrounding air rippled with a visible chill.
Lu Xuan raised his right hand slowly, unhurriedly, and gently brushed his fingertips along the blade.
Through his fingertips, he could feel the terrifying power slumbering within the Netherflame Dark Saber.
After a moment, his hand slid downward, his five fingers curling slightly—and he firmly grasped the hilt.
In that instant, his divine-thought power surged wildly into the Netherflame Dark Saber.
Immediately after, a powerful yet familiar force rushed up through his right arm, spreading throughout his entire body.
“Such pure primal force of heaven and earth!”
This overwhelming primal force made Lu Xuan exclaim softly.
The moment he gripped the Netherflame Dark Saber, a vast torrent of heaven-and-earth primal force came crashing toward him like the mighty waves of an ocean.
This primal force was unfathomably deep and boundless—like an endless, infinite sea.
The Windfire Saber he had used before—the primal force contained within it had once seemed quite extraordinary to him.
But compared to the Netherflame Dark Saber now, it was like heaven and earth—utterly beneath mention.
If the primal force in the Windfire Saber were compared to a tranquil lake—
Then the primal force in the Netherflame Dark Saber was like a mighty, surging river—vast, unceasing, and magnificently grand.
The gap between the two could not be more clear.
“Enough. I still have plenty of time right now.”
“Let me first stabilize my Primordial Spirit.”
Lu Xuan slowly reined in his surging emotions, and the aura around him gradually dissipated as well.
Meanwhile, the Netherflame Dark Saber in his hand seemed to be enveloped by some invisible force.
The next moment, it transformed into a streak of deep, ethereal light—carrying with it a mingling of hot and cold—and swiftly vanished back into the Floating Void Realm.
In the blink of an eye, that enormous dark saber had disappeared completely from under Lu Xuan’s very nose—without a trace.
Then, Lu Xuan raised his gaze, fixing it on the spot where the saber had vanished.
His raised right hand snapped its five fingers together in midair, as if gripping something intangible.
The next instant, his divine-thought burst forth violently—he grasped at the void.
The Floating Void Realm, suspended in midair, trembled slightly under the pull of this powerful suction.
Then it shot toward his right palm at high speed and landed steadily in his grasp.
After doing all this, Lu Xuan gave a light flick of his right hand.
The violet heaven-and-earth force that had shrouded the room like a dome instantly dissipated.
Keeping this space sealed off had been no easy task for Lu Xuan.
Over the course of those long ten-plus days, he had constantly maintained a steady output of divine-thought power to sustain that barrier separating this space from the outside world.
The sheer amount of divine-thought power he had consumed could only be described as immense.
Even though Lu Xuan’s Divine Mansion was as vast as an abyss and his divine-thought power seemingly inexhaustible—even he was beginning to feel a trace of fatigue and pressure at this moment.
After the dense violet heaven-and-earth force outside the room dispersed, Lu Xuan closed his eyes once more.
To stabilize the Primordial Spirit within his Divine Mansion, Lu Xuan estimated, would take about a day or so.
While Lu Xuan was stabilizing his Primordial Spirit, several courtyards away—
Inside the Mysterious Bird Guard Main Affairs Hall, the atmosphere was solemn yet calm.
Li Chengxing sat upright on a chair to the side of the hall, his posture straight and his expression focused and grave.
At that moment, he was quietly discussing some confidential matters with two Earth-Grade Mysterious Bird Guards.
As the three of them conversed, they would occasionally furrow their brows, or slowly nod in agreement—every gesture exuding composure and capability.
The two Earth-Grade Mysterious Bird Guards sitting across from Li Chengxing exuded a dense, murderous aura from head to toe.
“You two are to secretly head to the Western Extreme—the Western Wasteland Prefecture—and conduct a discreet investigation.”
“Keep this matter low-key. Be careful out there—that Garrison General of the West is a Divine Mansion True Man.”
“Once you’ve uncovered some leads, contact me immediately—or contact Chief Lu!”
As Li Chengxing’s words fell, a surge of dense, profound Gang-Yuan power burst forth from within him.
Under the weight of that formidable Gang-Yuan energy, the air itself shimmered with visible ripples.
After a breath’s time, a streak of crimson light shot out from Li Chengxing’s robe—
It moved like a flash of lightning. Upon closer look, it turned out to be a crimson crystal token.
Then, under the control of Li Chengxing’s powerful Gang-Yuan force, this crimson crystal token hovered steadily before the two men.
The token trembled faintly in midair, its surface etched with mysterious patterns that constantly flickered with a faint red glow.
Among the two Earth-Grade Mysterious Bird Guards, one was an elderly man with an honest face and a calm, steady demeanor.
“Chief Li… this is…?”
The old man raised his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the crimson crystal token suspended in midair, his tone full of doubt and curiosity.
Finally, he slowly reached out and took the token firmly into his hand.
As soon as the crimson token touched his palm, he felt its weight settle in his hand—along with a warm yet profoundly mysterious power transmitting through his fingertips.
He couldn’t help but gently rub the token’s surface, studying the intricate and exquisite patterns on it—the curiosity in his eyes growing ever deeper.
“Chief Li, what exactly is this thing?”
The other elderly Earth-Grade Mysterious Bird Guard also fixed his gaze on the crimson token.
His eyes were full of suspicion and contemplation as he slowly spoke, “I have a feeling it resembles your…”
Wasn’t this the identity token of the Mysterious Bird Guard’s Deputy Commander?
The Deputy Commander’s token was forged from Spiritual Crimson Crystal—an extraordinary material found only in the Spirit Ruins.
Spiritual Crimson Crystal could project images across a thousand miles, and transmit sound across ten thousand miles.
Seeing the confusion on the two Earth-Grade Mysterious Bird Guards’ faces, Li Chengxing finally answered unhurriedly.
“This is indeed Spiritual Crimson Crystal—but it’s not my token.”
“This token contains the ability to directly transmit sound to Chief Lu.”
“If you encounter an emergency while heading to the Western Wasteland Prefecture, you can immediately contact Chief Lu.”
When the two Earth-Grade Mysterious Bird Guards heard that this token could directly reach Lu Xuan, a hint of joy appeared on their weathered faces, and they replied in unison.
“Yes, sir!”
Throughout the Great Xia Dynasty, Chief Lu’s name was practically thunderous.
Everyone knew it—everyone had heard of it!
He was a martial artist who truly stood at the very peak of the Great Xia Dynasty—a being comparable to a Primordial Spirit True Man.
Not long after the two Earth-Grade Mysterious Bird Guards had left, Li Chengxing sat in the quiet main hall, lost in thought.
Suddenly, a clear, cold voice rang abruptly by his ear—sharp and distinct, without the slightest warning.
“Chief Li!”
“After Chief Lu emerges from seclusion, have him come find me at the Mysterious Bird Guard Main Hall!”
Li Chengxing froze for a moment, instinctively straightening his back as his gaze swept quickly around him.
That voice!
It’s the Commander—he’s back!
