A quarter of an hour later, Yi Qin returned to the Prison of Souls. Li Xuan stood in place, lost in thought for a moment, then sighed and walked forward.
After his conversation with Yi Qin, Li Xuan finally understood that as long as Yi Qin left the stone coffin, he could freely enter and exit the Prison of Souls Ring. It seemed all beings within the Prison of Souls Ring were the same; once the golden sword's spiritual energy dissipated, they could emerge.
Another point was that the entrance to the second level had appeared. This was also the reason Yi Qin had left the Prison of Souls after discovering it.
Although Li Xuan wanted to see what the second level was like, he ultimately chose to give up. Currently, only two out of the five powerhouses on the first level were known, and Li Xuan dared not venture to the second level. If he accidentally released something from the second level, he wouldn't even know how he died.
After composing himself, Li Xuan sped towards Baihua City. The closest sect to Baihua City, Lihuo Sect, had already been annihilated, so he had to go to another sect, Qiyao Sect.
Qiyao Sect was two thousand li away from Baihua City. Traveling by sword would take five days and nights to reach. However, Li Xuan didn't want to be so weary; wouldn't traveling by cloud ship be better?
There was no other reason than: he had money!
As Li Xuan traveled towards Qiyao Sect on a cloud ship, the entire Central Domain was in an uproar.
The emergence of the Sacred Sect ruins had already attracted countless gazes, and the spirit masters who entered the ruins came from all directions. When these spirit masters returned, the conflict between Li Xuan and Tianlei Sect was also publicized.
Lihuo Sect Annihilated!
Tianlei Sect Backed Down!
A Sword Dao Grandmaster Under Twenty Years Old!
A Single Word Scared Away the Heavenly Punishment Divine Thunder!
Any one of these events was enough to shake the Central Domain, and when these events happened together, it was more than just shocking.
Reverence!
Countless sects issued strict warnings to their disciples, emphasizing the need for humility when venturing out. Some even had portraits of Li Xuan copied and distributed to their disciples, reiterating the importance of avoiding any conflict with him. Of course, if a conflict did arise, the sect would not intervene.
What a joke. The Lihuo Sect, one of the Twelve Sects, was destroyed by a single sword. Could these first and second-rate powers withstand such a strike?
Myriad Sword Sect.
"Sword Maniac, have you truly made up your mind?" In the grand hall, the sect leader Jian Zhiyi spoke solemnly after a long silence, looking at Jian Chi kneeling below.
"My mind is made up," Jian Chi replied with a calm expression.
"With your potential, why must you do this?" Jian Zhiyi sighed. He knew he couldn't keep a disciple who was determined to leave. However, Jian Chi's choice left him somewhat helpless.
Jian Chi remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "At least through him, I can feel the path of the sword."
"So be it. Since you are determined to leave, I respect your decision. Go, and I hope your choice is the right one." Jian Zhiyi nodded in the end, granting Jian Chi's request.
"Sect Leader, esteemed elders, take care."
Jian Chi rose, bowed to everyone, and then turned to leave directly.
"Sect Leader, Jian Chi is the hope of our Myriad Sword Sect. If we let him leave like this, what will happen if the disciples below follow suit?" Elder Jian Yangshu, standing beside Jian Zhiyi, frowned.
Jian Zhiyi sighed, "In fact, he is not wrong. Our Myriad Sword Sect has indeed strayed from the path of the sword. That young man, facing a much stronger opponent without fear or retreat, could you and I have maintained that resolve?"
Jian Yangshu fell silent. As someone who had witnessed it firsthand, Jian Yangshu had a deeper understanding of Li Xuan's steadfastness in the sword. If he were to grow, he would undoubtedly become a major figure!
But if he were in Li Xuan's shoes, facing Lei Kuang and Huo Yun, would he choose to draw his sword?
No.
Jian Yangshu sighed, realizing he was mistaken.
If they had listened to Jian Chi from the beginning and chosen to act, they would have undoubtedly gained Li Xuan's favor. And the Myriad Sword Sect would naturally have established a connection with the powerful figure behind Li Xuan. A being capable of destroying the Lihuo Sect with a single sword! Such an opportunity was missed in vain.
"Don't worry. Although Jian Chi has left the Myriad Sword Sect, he is still a disciple of our sect. As long as Jian Chi gains the recognition of that young man, it can be said that our Myriad Sword Sect has indeed forged a connection with him," Jian Zhiyi said, patting Jian Yangshu's shoulder, and then turned to leave.
Qiyao City.
After leaving the cloud ship, Li Xuan went directly to Qiyao Sect. When Li Xuan arrived at the sect's gates, some sharp-eyed disciples recognized him immediately.
Soon, the sect leader of Qiyao Sect, Yuan Hao, arrived at the mountain gate with a group of elders. Although Li Xuan was alone, Yuan Hao approached him with clasped fists as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Young Master Li Xuan, our sect has not had any strong individuals travel to the Southern Domain in nearly a century. Our three female powerhouses are all present here." After hearing Li Xuan's intentions, Yuan Hao breathed a sigh of relief and then spoke.
Li Xuan glanced at the three powerhouses, who were now aged scholars, and then bowed with clasped fists, "Sect Leader Yuan Hao, I apologize for the intrusion."
Li Xuan turned to leave. Yuan Hao and the others exchanged glances, smiling wryly and shaking their heads. Once upon a time, their Qiyao Sect had not been so subservient. But thinking of the example of Lihuo Sect, Yuan Hao and the others felt much more at ease.
"Huh, it's you!" As Li Xuan left the Qiyao Sect's mountain gate, his heart suddenly stirred as he saw a figure approaching. Upon recognizing who it was, Li Xuan was somewhat surprised.
The approaching figure was Jian Chi. Seeing Li Xuan, his expression relaxed.
"You want to follow me?" After hearing Jian Chi's intentions, Li Xuan was stunned. Jian Chi was the top disciple among the younger generation of the Myriad Sword Sect, and he was abandoning his sect to follow Li Xuan! Li Xuan looked at Jian Chi with a strange expression, and seeing Jian Chi's determined gaze, he fell into thought.
"Very well. Since this is the path of the sword you wish to take, I agree." After much deliberation, Li Xuan finally chose to accept Jian Chi. It wasn't about gaining a subordinate, but about the pursuit of the sword. Since Jian Chi was willing to follow him for the sake of the sword, why should Li Xuan not fulfill his wish?
"Alright, judging by your demeanor, you're not the type for excessive pleasantries. Next, come with me to Shenfeng Sect." Seeing Jian Chi's excited state, unable to speak clearly, Li Xuan smiled, patted Jian Chi's shoulder, and headed towards Qiyao City.
Over the next two months, Li Xuan visited Shenfeng Sect, Canglang Sect, Xianmen Sect, Qiyao Sect, Wuliang Sect, and Zhan Sect in succession.
Without exception, he found no trace of Li Yao.
As for Myriad Sword Sect, Li Xuan did not go. After all, Jian Chi, who was by his side, was the senior disciple of Myriad Sword Sect, and if Li Yao were there, she would have already informed Li Xuan. And Baihua Sect, he had already inquired with Hua Guqian at Luoyan Mountain, so there was no need to visit again.
As for Lihuo Sect, Yi Qin, as if sensing Li Xuan's worry, had directly told him that she had not sensed Li Yao's aura at that time before taking action.
Standing on the deck of the cloud ship, Li Xuan looked at the fleeting scenery around him, his expression considerably dejected.
"Next, only Ghost Sect remains."