"Lord City Master, do you require me to bring them back discreetly?" A dark figure emerged from beneath a stone pillar and bowed.
Xu Shaoyang waved his hand. "A chosen one, not an ordinary person. With your strength, you likely cannot capture them silently. If I were to act, the other two old fellows might notice. This matter requires further discussion."
"Yes!" The dark figure bowed in response, then vanished back into the stone pillar.
"Little master, you must be careful. I have a feeling that old man has ill intentions," the Heavenly Dao Brush's voice echoed in Li Xuan's mind.
Li Xuan nodded slightly. "This Skyrend City is a mix of all sorts; I will be cautious."
Li Xuan stood up, paid for the drinks, and left. He checked into an inn.
In his room, Li Xuan calmed his mind and carefully reviewed recent events. He realized there were many things he didn't understand. Furthermore, he had many tasks yet to complete.
First, how did the heavenly and earthly restrictions exist? It was a mere coincidence that Ling Zu's little white was able to save him.
Second, the wooden sword carved by Ximen Linfeng, with the enhancement of little white, had become a divine sword. Although little white was a Ling Zu, this transformation from decay to magic was too coincidental.
Third, if little white was a Ling Zu, why hadn't it evolved after following Ximen Linfeng for so many years? It only began to evolve upon meeting Li Xuan.
Fourth, since the third layer's seal had been resolved, why hadn't the entrance to the fourth layer appeared?
Li Xuan sighed. There were many significant issues here. Moreover, Li Xuan had a feeling that everything was being subtly orchestrated. This feeling made him deeply uncomfortable.
However, for now, Li Xuan saw no need to delve deeper into these matters. With a thought, he entered the Prison Suppressing Pagoda.
"Little master," the Heavenly Dao Brush, Cang Ling Tower, and Good Sword, along with Azure Dragon, all appeared before Li Xuan.
Li Xuan nodded slightly. After glancing at the still-sleeping little white, he looked at Cang Ling Tower and Good Sword. "Have you improved?"
Cang Ling Tower nodded happily. "Master, I am now a divine artifact. And I feel I can still improve."
Good Sword also spoke. "Master, I feel I am complete. Even without finding the Evil Sword, I can exert my full former strength."
Li Xuan nodded. Little white's status as a Ling Zu truly benefited Li Xuan greatly. Now that even the spiritual weapons around him had improved, it signified an overall increase in Li Xuan's strength.
The existence of Primordial Violet Qi was already heaven-defying. This was evident from how little white could upgrade a wooden sword into a divine sword. The changes in Cang Ling Tower and Good Sword were not very surprising to Li Xuan.
Li Xuan pondered, then looked at Cang Ling Tower. "Little Tower, do you have any other abilities now?"
Cang Ling Tower pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Within my tower body, I can now autonomously purify the essence of heavenly and earthly spiritual energy. However, a better function is that after the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy passes through my conversion, it can emit a hundredfold amount of spiritual energy."
Li Xuan looked at Cang Ling Tower's main body with some surprise. Such a function was indeed very powerful. As long as he was within the Prison Suppressing Pagoda, Cang Ling Tower could continuously replenish spiritual energy. In time, Li Xuan would not need to absorb heavenly and earthly spiritual energy from the outside world.
"The heavenly and earthly spiritual energy within the Prison Suppressing Pagoda will rely on you for its evolution," Li Xuan stated, then shifted his gaze to Good Sword.
Good Sword let out a sword cry and floated into the air, then swung downwards with a single strike.
*Clang!*
A beam of sword energy shot out, shattering everything in its path. If not for the Prison Spirit's swift action to repair it, it seemed capable of destroying the third layer of the Prison Suppressing Pagoda.
"This is the power of a sacred sword, as expected, it is very strong," Li Xuan nodded gently.
Li Xuan came back to his senses and looked upwards. The Heavenly Dao Brush floated over.
"Little master, why hasn't the entrance to the fourth layer appeared this time?" the Heavenly Dao Brush asked.
Li Xuan let out a bitter smile. "I wish I knew. Never mind, perhaps it's not time yet."
The Prison Spirit then spoke. "Master, the entrance to the fourth layer actually appeared long ago. You were just too busy during this period and did not notice."
Li Xuan looked at the Prison Spirit with some surprise, then took a deep breath and closed his eyes. In the next moment, Li Xuan's spiritual consciousness spread out in all directions.
A minute later, Li Xuan slowly opened his eyes.
"Little master, did you find it?" the Heavenly Dao Brush asked.
Li Xuan nodded slightly. He never expected the entrance to the fourth layer to be on the interlayer of the third layer. If he hadn't used his spiritual sense to check, Li Xuan truly wouldn't have discovered it. However, the Prison Spirit never mentioning this matter made Li Xuan feel a bit displeased. After all, he was now the master of the Prison Suppressing Pagoda.
"Wait here for a moment." Li Xuan said, then with a thought, he shot towards the entrance located above the interlayer. In the next moment, Li Xuan entered the fourth layer.
It was a vast expanse of gray, as if beneath the starry sky. Li Xuan frowned. This fourth layer was completely different from the previous three.
"Prison Spirit." Li Xuan spoke softly, and the Prison Spirit immediately appeared before him.
"Tell me, why didn't you inform me?" Li Xuan turned to the Prison Spirit and said.
A hint of unnaturalness flickered across the Prison Spirit's face. "Master, it was my unauthorized decision."
"Why?" Li Xuan asked calmly.
The Prison Spirit sighed. "Master, there is a problem you have always overlooked. Your progress is very rapid, and your sealing of the Prison Suppressing Pagoda has been timely. However, many times, Master, you haven't relied on yourself. I fear that if this continues, Master, you will become overly dependent on these things."
"Furthermore, Master, you are a sword cultivator. Sword cultivators are renowned for their own strength. One person, one sword, traversing the heavens and earth at will. But Master, you have too many external aids. Not to mention the Heavenly Dao Brush, nor the Cang Ling Tower, even this Prison Suppressing Pagoda has benefited you greatly. Has your sword heart remained the same as it was originally?"
Li Xuan fell silent. Li Xuan himself had considered everything the Prison Spirit said. If a sword cultivator relied on external aids, they could no longer be considered a pure sword cultivator. Moreover, his sword heart seemed to be somewhat different from before.
"I understand everything you have said. But you must remember one thing: I am the master, and you are mine. I do not wish for such matters to happen again in the future. Do not forget your identity, and do not overstep your bounds and act without authorization." Li Xuan stated.
"I understand," the Prison Spirit nodded.
Li Xuan nodded slightly, then looked at the starry sky. "Tell me, why is this fourth layer like this?"
The Prison Spirit looked up. "This fourth layer was created by the previous master by capturing a piece of the starry sky. Here, Master, you can absorb the power of the stars."
The power of the stars.
Li Xuan fell silent upon hearing this. Why did his master know he would cultivate the Stellar Body?