“Ah, I forgot that there was that as well.” Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was stunned for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Indeed. He could simply check with those two to see if Liu Yang was either one of those two in disguise.
In consideration of their relations, especially during such a critical period, Han Jianqiu and Qin Yuan would not maliciously lie to him.
With such thoughts in mind, he took out the special Ethereal Token that was exclusive to the top echelons of the Forsaken Continent and immersed his consciousness into it.
Within the Ethereal Hall, he shook the bell at the very center of the area. A moment later, the summoned Han Jianqiu and Qin Yuan appeared before him.
“Pavilion Master Kui, do you need anything from us?” Qin Yuan asked with a wave of his hand.
“May I know if the two of you recognize this person?”
With a tap of his finger, a silhouette appeared in the air. It was the image of Zhang Xuan in his current disguise.
“I don’t recognize that person.”
One after another, Han Jianqiu and Qin Yuan shook their heads.
Pavilion Master Kui Xiao heaved a sigh of relief before turning his gaze to Han Jianqiu. “Brother Han, may I ask if Sect Leader Zhang Xuan is currently in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion?”
“Our sect leader is currently practicing the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Formula, and he should be able to achieve a breakthrough very soon. Naturally, he’s in our sect at the moment. Where else could he possibly be?” Han Jianqiu frowned. “Pavilion Master Kui, may I ask why you are asking this question?”
Naturally, there was no way he could compromise Zhang Xuan’s safety by revealing that the latter was not in the sect.
He could not allow any more mishaps to occur before the Azure Bridge descended.
“It was just a casual question,” Pavilion Master Kui replied after receiving a firm response from Han Jianqiu. Following which, he turned to Qin Yuan and asked, “Then, Brother Qin, may I ask if Hall Master Qin Yuan is in the Myriad Beasts Hall at the moment?”
“Of course!” Qing Yuan’s eyebrows shot up. “Our hall master has just tamed the Serpentine Dragon and a few other immortal beasts, so naturally, he has to work on their coordination in preparation for the duel in a few days. Do you suspect that I’m lying to the group, Pavilion Master Kui?”
“No, that’s not what I mean.” Pavilion Master Kui shook his head. “I was just asking due to some doubts I have in my mind. Your answers have clarified my doubts, and for that, I thank you. Apologies for calling you two here on such short notice, but that’s all I wanted to ask. I still have some other business to attend to at the moment, so I’ll be taking my leave.”
Knowing that those two were still cultivating in their respective sects, Pavilion Master Kui left the Ethereal Hall as a relieved man.
Returning to the central hall, he told the two elders staring at him intently, “Sect Leader Zhang Xuan and Hall Master Zheng Yang are currently in their sects. I think that there’s a really good chance that Liu Yang is an unaffiliated cultivator.”
The First Elder nodded. “It’s hard to believe that someone who has comprehended the Gods’ Sword Intent or is so capable in beast taming would possess such extraordinary means as to learn battle techniques with just a single glance as well.”
There were many geniuses in the world, but none of them were talented in everything.
It was hard to believe that a person could be so proficient in so many arts at once.
If there was really such a person, their name would have long spread far and wide across the Forsaken Continent!
“Since that’s the case, we should spare no resources in grooming Liu Yang,” Pavilion Master Kui declared with a hearty laugh.
Previously, when he heard the news that someone in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had comprehended the Gods’ Sword Intent, he had felt deeply envious.
But it seemed like the heavens were kind to their Sevenstar Pavilion as well. At this crucial moment, a genius possessing such extraordinary capabilities appeared right before them!
Considering how this young man was able to master the twenty-three top-notch battle techniques of the Sevenstar Pavilion, once he successfully achieved a breakthrough, there was no one in the world who would be able to stop him!
Even the famed Sect Leader Zhang Xuan who had comprehended the Gods’ Sword Intent might not necessarily be a match for him!
…
Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply before walking out of the library.
Even though browsing through the library of the Sevenstar Pavilion did not induce any growth in his cultivation, he had gained a deeper understanding of battle techniques, thus furthering his fighting prowess.
This was especially so for the twenty-three battle techniques that he had just learned. They were lacking compared to his Gods’ Sword Intent, but if he mastered them, they would surely prove to be formidable weapons at critical moments.
Barely after leaving the room, the First Elder walked over and said, “Elder Liu, Pavilion Master Kui wishes to meet you.”
Zhang Xuan quickly followed the First Elder to the Celestial Dipper Palace.
…
“Elder Liu, you have browsed through an entire night’s worth of books. May I know if you have had any breakthroughs? If there’s any help that we can provide that would aid you in achieving a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm, feel free to tell us,” Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said with a smile.
“My zhenqi cultivation and physical body are already up to par, but my soul is still a little too weak at the moment to achieve a breakthrough,” Zhang Xuan said.
If he could raise his soul cultivation to the True Immortal realm, even without the High Immortal realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he should still be able to achieve a breakthrough using the Breakthrough Pill.
It was just a pity that even though he had collected quite a few soul cultivation techniques in the Sevenstar Pavilion, there still was not enough.
“Your soul is still slightly weak at the moment?” Pavilion Master Kui Xiao widened his eyes in realization.
It was no wonder the young man did not consume the Breakthrough Pill right away to push for a breakthrough. In the end, it was because he felt that his soul was still not up to par.
“It’s not too easy to cultivate one’s soul. However, you are in luck. One of the treasures of our Sevenstar Pavilion, the Sevenstar Immortal Grass, happens to be exceptionally nourishing to the soul. Shall I take you over to give it a try?”
“Sevenstar Immortal Grass?” Zhang Xuan repeated the unfamiliar term in confusion.
He had browsed through many books ever since he arrived in the Azure, but he had no recollection of this medicinal herb at all.
“Yes. It’s no exaggeration when I say that it’s the foundation that has allowed us to stand as one of the Six Sects for the past several thousand years. It’s the crux that has sealed our luck, allowing us to groom generation after generation of capable disciples,” Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said.
The Sevenstar Immortal Grass was a medicinal herb that had absorbed the energies that had gathered from the seven celestial stars above through the sect’s formation. It emanated a calming aura that relieved any disturbances in one’s mind. For this reason, despite the Sevenstar Pavilion being located in the midst of a bustling city, those in its premises would feel as if they were standing in the midst of serene nature.
Such an environment allowed the disciples of the Sevenstar Pavilion to focus their attention on cultivating without being disturbed by mortal distractions. It was through this that they were able to stand alongside the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and the other sects.
“I’ll be troubling Pavilion Master Kui then.” Zhang Xuan bowed deeply.
He was not accepting favors from them blindly. He had noticed that they were peeping on him earlier, and in order to repay the favor, he had intentionally executed their improved battle techniques at a speed slow enough for them to follow.
In a sense, it was equivalent to him imparting those moves to them.
“It’s no trouble. As an elder of the Sevenstar Pavilion, this is one of the privileges that you are entitled to,” Pavilion Master Kui Xiao replied before leading the way forward.
Soon, they arrived in the area that corresponded to the Polaris of the Sevenstar Pavilion.
It was a vast courtyard.
Pavilion Master Kui Xiao released the seal around the courtyard, and a seven-colored immortal grass came into appearance.
It had seven leaves, and every single one of them glistened with a different color. They swayed under the tug of the light breeze, and slight ripples could be vaguely seen in the surroundings.
Astonishingly, this single feeble-looking plant had reached Heavenly High Immortal-tier!
Zhang Xuan walked up to the immortal grass to take a closer look, and his eyes could not help but light up. “It’s indeed extremely nourishing to the soul.”
In just a few moments after entering the courtyard, his soul, which had been stuck at the Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm for some time, was on the verge of achieving a breakthrough.
As expected of the treasure of the Sevenstar Pavilion, it was indeed an invaluable resource!
“This is the Sevenstar Immortal Grass. Most of the elders who have reached the Heavenly True Immortal realm choose to achieve a breakthrough here. Under the protection of the immortal grass, they are unperturbed by inner demons, thus making their soul more wholesome,” Pavilion Master Kui Xiao explained.
Zhang Xuan nodded in response.
The Sevenstar Immortal Grass was rather similar to the Bodhi Tree that he had planted in his Myriad Anthive Nest back on the Master Teacher Continent. It was extremely effective in nourishing one’s soul. If he cultivated near it, even without a True Immortal realm soul cultivation technique, it should not be too difficult for him to achieve a breakthrough in his soul cultivation!
“There are still two more hours before dawn, so you can use this time to cultivate here. We’ll be heading off to the Ocean of Exiled Stars at daybreak,” Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said before leaving the area.
After his departure, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out several formation flags.
Weng!
With a light flick, the formation flags flew all around the courtyard and got into position. Right after, a brilliant semispherical light shone in the surroundings, isolating his aura entirely.
Naturally, he had obtained these formation flags from Elder Liao back at the Myriad Beasts Hall. The latter was skilled in setting up formations, so he had plenty of such equipment.
After finishing his preparatory work, Zhang Xuan sat down on the floor cross-legged and began drawing his soul out from his glabella.
Gugugugu!
As he began driving his soul cultivation technique, he could feel the energy from the immortal grass surging into his soul.
But a moment later, a frown emerged between his brows.
The energy in the surroundings was extremely plentiful, similar to the Lake Eyes back at Huanyu Empire. Under normal circumstances, even if he just immersed his soul in such an environment, his soul would gradually be nourished.
But for some reason, even though he was already driving his soul cultivation technique, he found that he was suddenly unable to assimilate the energy that he had absorbed.
Thus, he turned his gaze to the immortal grass, only to see the latter swaying nonstop. The next instant, the energy in the surroundings that was nourishing his soul suddenly vanished without a trace.
“What’s going on here?” Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.
The situation was very clear. The Sevenstar Immortal Grass was the reason behind this anomaly.
Hu!
Zhang Xuan brought his soul back to his body and walked closer to the immortal grass, wanting to see what was going on.
However, barely after he took a step, the spiritual energy in the surroundings jolted a little. That familiar calming energy that was nourishing to souls had returned.
With narrowed eyes, Zhang Xuan drew out his soul through his glabella once more, but just as he was about to absorb the energy, it suddenly vanished again.
When Zhang Xuan brought his soul back to his body, everything reverted to how it had been.
“This fellow is really trying to play with me…” Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure.
He did not have any True Immortal realm soul cultivation techniques with him, so if he wished to make a breakthrough, he would need to have plenty of energy to nourish and cleanse his soul so as to make it purer. Only then would he be able to overcome his current bottleneck.
He had thought that he should be able to achieve a breakthrough easily given the massive amount of energy the immortal grass was emanating, but who would have thought that the latter would play hide-and-seek with him?
If he cultivated while his soul was within his body, not only would his rate of cultivation be much slower, it might also affect the level of his breakthrough.
It seems like Pavilion Master Kui hasn’t been completely honest with me. This Sevenstar Immortal Grass isn’t just an ordinary herb that nourishes one’s soul, Zhang Xuan thought.
Putting aside his cultivation for the time being, he walked over to the immortal grass.
Bending his knees, he reached out to touch the immortal grass, hoping to use the Library of Heaven’s Path to confirm the latter’s attributes and properties. However, with a light sway, the immortal grass suddenly vanished right before his eyes. Before he knew it, it suddenly appeared several dozen meters away.
“What?” Zhang Xuan was stunned.
He had never thought that the immortal grass would actually be able to run away on its own. Thus, he walked over once more and reached out to touch it.
Hu!
The immortal grass bolted off to the opposite end of the courtyard. It was as if his touch was poisonous, so it was desperately trying to avoid him.
“So, you want to play? Interesting,” Zhang Xuan murmured with a smile.
Of course, it could not possibly be that easy to deal with a Heavenly High Immortal-tier medicinal herb. He would have to win it over first.
“Let’s see where you can escape to!”
Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan made his move. He rushed over to grab it, but all of a sudden, blurry shadows flashed across his eyes.
The seven-colored leaves abruptly extended through the ground and rose from beneath his feet, wrapping thick vines around his wrists and ankles.
Hula!
Caught off guard, Zhang Xuan was raised upside down into the air.
This morning’s chapter!
