"Commander Li, shall we head back first, or will you wait here for us?"
Although Qiu Jiuqian was also excited, he was far more composed than Gong Hanfeng. After collecting himself, he asked.
Li Xuan pondered for a moment before replying, "I don't know how long I'll need to stay here. It wouldn't be right for you two to wait indefinitely."
"Besides, the team needs someone to oversee it. If the three of us are away for too long, trouble might arise. My suggestion is for Brother Gong and Brother Qiu to return first. I'll catch up once I'm done here."
Gong Hanfeng and Qiu Jiuqian nodded. After all, they were the strongest in the group. If there was no one in charge, unforeseen issues might occur.
It was clear that Wan Feng was keeping Li Xuan for a specific reason. If they were meant to stay, Wan Feng would have asked them to do so earlier.
"Commander Li, when we return, people will surely ask about the mission. We can handle others, but what should we tell Elder Geng Tian if he asks?" Qiu Jiuqian pondered for a moment.
Li Xuan thought about it and said, "Let's discuss this when I return. If Elder Geng Tian asks, tell him he'll have his answer when I'm back. Don't say anything else for now."
"Understood. Then, Commander Li, we'll be taking our leave." Qiu Jiuqian nodded. He then bowed to Li Xuan with Gong Hanfeng, and they turned to walk out of the Wan Feng Lin Ku.
"All settled? Come and sit." After Qiu Jiuqian and Gong Hanfeng left, Li Xuan arrived at the mountain peak where Wan Feng resided. He saw Wan Feng brewing spiritual tea at a stone table.
As Wan Feng spoke, Li Xuan quickened his pace. He approached the stone table and sat down.
"To Senior, they have indeed returned," Li Xuan said after sitting.
Wan Feng nodded slightly. "As I said before, if you could collect the Wan Feng Ling Mu, I would teach you a divine ability."
"You've managed to collect the Wan Feng Ling Mu in less than an hour, which far exceeded my expectations. Naturally, I must honor my promise."
"However, even a single divine ability will likely take you over a month, perhaps several months, to comprehend given your current realm. That's why I didn't keep your two friends."
"I understand, Senior," Li Xuan replied, nodding.
"Good, drink this cup of tea, and we shall begin." Wan Feng nodded and pushed the teacup towards Li Xuan with a smile.
Seeing Wan Feng's mysterious demeanor, Li Xuan finally picked up the teacup and drank it down in one gulp.
*Boom!*
As the tea went down, a dull thud echoed within Li Xuan's body. The next instant, Li Xuan felt his soul being cleansed, an indescribable sense of comfort washing over him.
It was as if his soul had been elevated. His entire being—spirit, energy, and mind—became incredibly pure. His internal organs and even his blood felt a profound sense of joy.
A minute passed, and Li Xuan slowly opened his eyes. His gaze towards Wan Feng was now filled with gratitude. In just this short moment, Li Xuan felt changes within his soul, body, and even his divine mansion.
"This tea is called Purification. It can wash away impurities from the body and enhance the soul. Now is a good time for you to learn from me," Wan Feng said with a slight smile, noticing Li Xuan's curious gaze. As he spoke, Wan Feng stood up.
"This technique is called 'Yi Shu Zhen Tian' (One Technique Suppresses Heaven)."
"Heaven is vast, the earth is wide, with no end in sight. Yet, a grain of sand holds a world, and a single object reveals myriad things. With this technique, I can illuminate the sun and moon. The divine mansion is the core, the greatest in the world. Battling through the heavens, one technique suppresses the sky!"
Wan Feng's voice resounded as his figure appeared in mid-air.
"I will only demonstrate it once. How much you can recall depends entirely on your own destiny!" Wan Feng finished speaking and formed a complex hand seal.
Though performed slowly, it was incredibly obscure and difficult for Li Xuan to grasp. As Wan Feng's hand gestures changed, Li Xuan clearly felt the flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth shifting.
The next instant, a terrifying aura emanated from Wan Feng's body. Then, with a single finger, a heart-pounding energy cascaded downwards.
In an instant, heaven and earth seemed to change color.
Light streams, like raindrops, fell rapidly. Heaven and earth appeared to crack open. Wan Feng's hunched figure stood incredibly straight at this moment, like an emperor, unapproachable.
With a single finger, all things were annihilated.
"What a powerful divine technique!" Li Xuan's eyes were wide open, not daring to slacken in the slightest. He was stunned by Wan Feng's demonstration, exclaiming in amazement.
He then slowly closed his eyes, and his hands immediately began to form the seals.
However, his movements were noticeably slow, and he struggled to proceed even after several attempts. But Li Xuan persisted, his hand gestures gradually becoming faster as he refined them.
Watching Li Xuan's movements, Wan Feng's figure shifted, landing on the stone table. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and waited.
Time passed gradually. For a full ten days, Li Xuan stood in the same posture beside the stone table, his hand gestures constantly changing.
However, compared to ten days prior, the speed of his hand gestures had clearly multiplied. Wan Feng, watching Li Xuan's movements, sipped his tea, a look of admiration in his eyes, and nodded.
Another ten days passed. Li Xuan's hand gestures were faster than before, and the entire process was seamless. This time, he managed to complete all the hand gestures.
Witnessing Li Xuan's progress, a hint of surprise appeared in Wan Feng's eyes. Li Xuan's advancement had clearly astounded him.
"I wonder how many Star Spirit Pearls he had when he first entered the quantitative change realm. His foundation is quite solid," Wan Feng mused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he picked up his teacup again.
Meanwhile, Li Xuan, immersed in his own world, continued to deduce the hand gestures. This process was not merely about mechanically copying and memorizing the movements.
During this deduction, each change in hand gesture would trigger the rotation of the Star Spirit Pearls within his divine mansion. Furthermore, his soul was being refined under these movements.
It could be said that every hand gesture consumed Li Xuan's spiritual power and soul force. However, the process was slow, and his recovery speed could offset the expenditure.
Moreover, since Li Xuan had only just begun to fully form the complete seals, he wouldn't be completely depleted instantaneously.
Time continued to pass. Five days later, after performing three consecutive sets of hand gestures, Li Xuan's entire being, spirit, energy, and mind, became utterly depleted.
Concurrently, Li Xuan's eyes, which had been closed, now opened.
Despite his extremely pale complexion, the joy in Li Xuan's eyes was undeniable.
Through days of deduction, Li Xuan could now perform the hand gestures with practiced ease.
With his current number of Star Spirit Pearls, he could only perform it three times at full strength.
This meant Li Xuan could unleash this divine technique thrice!