"Master! It's such a shame you didn't see it with your own eyes!"
Lu Fan, being the most impatient, scurried a few steps closer and began gesticulating wildly,
"Sword Venerable Tiancan was so arrogant at first! His Sword Intent was so overbearing, it seemed like he was going to poke a hole in the sky!"
"Immortal Reverence Yuxuan was evenly matched, and in the end, was just a step behind."
He smacked his lips and deliberately said,
"But for some unknown reason, that old man Tian Can suddenly looked like he'd seen a ghost, his face deathly pale, muttering something about 'knowing his mistake,' and then he actually just admitted defeat and ran away!
Master, don't you think it's strange?"
Han Xuanji was somewhat disinclined to humor him, but seeing the expectant gazes of the others, he thought for a moment and humored him,
"Indeed, it is strange."
Nangong Wenjian, with his meticulous mind, slowly said,
"There were no other powerful auras revealed at the scene, yet Sword Venerable Tiancan seemed to have suffered damage to his Divine Soul. This Disciple speculates that perhaps a Senior expert used a supreme Divine Ability to punish him from afar."
As he spoke, his gaze subtly fell upon Han Xuanji's unperturbed face.
Su Ming also added,
"I saw that even the Elders weren't clear about what happened, so it's most likely a very deeply hidden strong individual."
Facing the chatter and implicitly expectant gazes of the crowd, Han Xuanji said solemnly,
"All Myriad Phenomena in the world have what is manifest and what is hidden. Look at that dragon blood profound yellow tree; its lush branches and leaves are its manifest aspect, while its deep-rooted system drawing nutrients is its hidden aspect."
"Lingxu Heavenly Palace has stood for a million years; it's hardly surprising that it possesses some hidden foundations, is it?"
Han Xuanji naturally wouldn't admit that he was the one who acted.
His action this time was just a sudden whim; on one hand, Lingxu Heavenly Palace had treated him well, and Sword Venerable Tiancan had made him somewhat displeased. On the other hand, it was also to see how strong his Sword Dao cultivation truly was.
The result was obvious: the Sword Dao he had comprehended was still very powerful.
And the opponent was also sensible enough to admit his mistake, so he wouldn't kill him over such a small matter; that would only escalate the situation and be more trouble than it was worth.
"As for who acted, that is even less important."
Han Xuanji said indifferently, as if he hadn't taken it to heart at all, and showed no unusual expression.
This demeanor made it impossible for the others to make a judgment, so they had to drop the matter.
Nangong Wenjian seemed to gain some insight, murmuring, "This Disciple understands. Master said in his early years that while being too sharp is effective, it is also easily broken. Deeply hidden, like the Void Realm, is the long-lasting Dao."
"It seems this Senior also deeply understands this Dao."
Han Xuanji was noncommittal, his gaze sweeping across the Void Realm, leading the conversation to the Sword Dao itself, and said calmly,
"Have any of you gained any insights from the Sword Dao of these two?"
At these words, everyone lowered their heads.
Nangong Wenjian pondered the longest, now looking up, his eyes holding a trace of confusion and thought:
"This Disciple perceived Senior Tian Can's Sword Dao as 'incomplete,' seeking ultimate lethality within imperfection, as if believing that heaven and earth are inherently flawed, and thus the sword also does not pursue completeness."
"And Senior Martial Uncle Yuxuan's Supreme Heaven Sword Dao emphasizes sharpness; no matter how many changes you make, one sword can break them."
"It's just... this Disciple is dull. Although I can sense its grandeur, it is difficult to grasp the profound mysteries of its operation, and even more, I don't know how to integrate it into my own Sword Dao."
His tone carried both a yearning for a higher Realm and a hint of unreachable frustration.
Li Changsheng nodded from the side, expressing deep agreement; that level of confrontation was still too profound for him.
Han Xuanji took this opportunity to impart his own experience to them.
Seeing this, the crowd no longer had any thoughts of probing Han Xuanji and diligently listened to his lecture.
A month later, everyone successively awoke from their enlightenment, feeling that they had gained much. After respectfully bowing to Han Xuanji, they each returned to their Immortal Caves, eager to digest what they had gained.
The Myriad Phenomena Garden returned to tranquility.
Han Xuanji meditated under the dragon blood profound yellow tree, his aura gradually merging with the Void Realm.
He immersed his mind in the even more profound and unfathomable Law of space-time.
The Dao of space-time, its mysteries surpassed even ordinary great Daos.
With the [Space-Time Dao Body], he had pushed this Dao to the Taiyi Golden Immortal level, but there was still a considerable gap from the Great Luo Heaven Realm.
"Only by initially extracting one's own imprint from the River of Space-Time can one truly be called free and unfettered, and glimpse the Dao of transcendence..."
Han Xuanji's thoughts flowed, and in his Sea of Consciousness, countless fragments of time seemed to dance, and spatial dimensions unfolded in layers. He began to diligently deduce, wishing to knock open the door to the Great Luo Heaven of Space-Time... Ten years later.
The Sect finally contacted Han Xuanji, asking him to go to Lingxu Palace, where Immortal Reverence Yuxuan would meet him.
Han Xuanji gathered everyone and briefly explained his departure.
Everyone was somewhat curious, what kind of place was that Great Luo Heaven?
Han Xuanji had already investigated, and explained,
"It is a place beyond the heavens, a retreat for many Human Race powerful individuals, gathering countless strong individuals."
Hearing this, Lu Fan said,
"Is Master going there to preach the Dao?"
"..."
Han Xuanji said exasperatedly,
"You think highly of your Master; your Master is merely going to listen to the Dao."
"I think Master has a lot of potential for that."
Lu Fan said seriously.
He had discovered that instead of working hard himself, it was better to hope his Master would become a Dragon.
Seeing Lu Fan's serious demeanor, Han Xuanji also smiled.
He could actually go and preach the Dao, but there was no need.
Han Xuanji didn't explain much, only instructed them to cultivate diligently and that he would test their progress upon his return. Those who fell behind would be punished.
Hearing this, everyone immediately lost their playful mood and hurried off to cultivate, not daring to slack off... Lingxu Palace, the plaza in front of the main hall.
The plaza, paved with white jade, was vast and boundless, surrounded by swirling clouds and mists, with clear cries of immortal cranes.
Today, however, the atmosphere of the plaza was different from its usual solitude, imbued with a sense of solemnity.
When Han Xuanji, riding a ray of light, gracefully landed at the edge of the plaza, he saw several figures already standing in wait.
These figures all possessed profound auras and restrained divine radiance, clearly they were the elites of Lingxu Heavenly Palace, true Prodigies.
His arrival did not cause much of a stir; only a few gazes calmly swept over him, carrying scrutiny and a hint of imperceptible curiosity.
Han Xuanji's expression was as usual; he found a slightly secluded spot and stood there, waiting quietly as well.
His aura was restrained, making him appear to be only at the Profound Immortal Middle Stage cultivation, which seemed ordinary among this group of Prodigies.
A moment later, a few more streams of light descended.
One of them was Su Ming, with his tall and straight posture and resolute brows.
Seeing Han Xuanji, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he quickly walked over:
"Senior Brother."
Han Xuanji nodded slightly.
Su Ming's arrival indeed drew the gazes of several Prodigies present.
Evidently, Su Ming's reputation was considerable, attracting some attention from the crowd.
After about another stick of incense's time, ten figures finally gathered.
Besides Han Xuanji and Su Ming, the other eight were four men and four women.
Some carried ancient swords, their Sword Qi contained and not revealed; others had nimble eyes, with formation patterns subtly appearing on their fingertips... Many of them seemed quite familiar with each other, conversing in low voices, their gazes occasionally sweeping over Han Xuanji with a hint of scrutiny.
Just then, the space in the center of the plaza subtly rippled.
The next moment, Immortal Reverence Yuxuan, clad in a dark Daoist robe with a stern countenance, stood with his hands behind his back before everyone.
"Greetings, Chief!"
Including Han Xuanji, all ten bowed in unison.
Even though he had lost to Sword Venerable Tiancan earlier, it had not affected him in the slightest. On the contrary, after that duel, Immortal Reverence Yuxuan's Sword Dao cultivation had advanced even further.
This made Han Xuanji secretly nod in approval.
Fairly speaking, Immortal Reverence Yuxuan had treated him well; otherwise, he wouldn't have acted that day.