"This young fellow, who taught him to be such a monstrous genius!" Qi Baiyan sighed with a complex expression. A Sword Dao Grandmaster was one thing, but to possess a pure sword heart as well! Even among a hundred Sword Dao Grandmasters, not one in ten might achieve a pure sword heart.
A pure sword heart, impervious to all evil and all forms of attack!
A sword cultivator with such a state of mind would be like a fish in water, their power amplified. Such a sword cultivator possessed an exceptionally clear goal in their pursuit of the Sword Dao. For this goal, they would not flinch even at the cost of their life.
And here, within the illusion, Li Xuan already had a very clear goal.
In this life, he would only protect his younger sister, Li Yao.
As Li Xuan's eyes opened, the illusion before him vanished. Li Xuan glanced around before turning and walking out.
"He's the first one out, Li Xuan! What was that sword cry just now?" someone in the crowd asked.
"Perhaps Li Xuan had some realization. After all, none of us know what this second trial truly entails," another replied.
"..."
After Li Xuan emerged, he saw Qi Baiyan and immediately bowed. For the first two trials, Li Xuan had not only comprehended sword intent but had also elevated his sword heart clarity to purity. This was worthy of a bow to Saint Sect Master Qi Baiyan.
Qi Baiyan accepted Li Xuan's bow with grace and then smiled slightly, "Young friend, your talent is exceptional, and your sword dao will is as unshakeable as a rock. Your future path is incredibly broad."
Though Li Xuan was very young, Qi Baiyan felt no generational gap. Li Xuan's talent and potential were enough for Qi Baiyan to regard him as an equal. Qi Baiyan knew that in the future, Li Xuan would likely be someone he could only look up to, even if he were still alive.
"Elder Qi flatters me," Li Xuan said with a slight smile. His gaze then shifted to the barrier, where Liu Jiaqi was just emerging.
"My grandfather once said that there are always people better than you and heavens beyond heavens. After seeing you, I believe it," Liu Jiaqi said with a helpless shake of her head, having expected to be the first one out.
"I'm grateful for your kind words, Miss. I was merely a step ahead," Li Xuan replied with a smile, though a hint of curiosity about Liu Jiaqi's background arose in his mind. After all, what Liu Jiaqi had displayed was not much inferior to his own.
As Li Xuan finished speaking, another figure walked out. Li Xuan recognized him as Sword Obsessed.
Upon seeing Li Xuan and Liu Jiaqi waiting, Sword Obsessed seemed to have anticipated it. He nodded to them before moving to the side to sit and close his eyes.
Soon, five minutes later, more figures emerged. Several wore expressions of joy, clearly having passed the second trial. However, where there was joy, there was also sorrow. A man in blue robes emerged, bowed to Qi Baiyan, and then turned to descend.
"This is Xing Wenhua from the Seven Luminaries Sect. It's a shame he failed," Sword Obsessed said, his eyes now open as he watched Xing Wenhua depart.
Aside from Li Xuan and Liu Jiaqi, everyone present was a disciple of the Twelve Sects, meaning their status and strength were roughly equal. With one being eliminated, a sense of shared apprehension settled among them. Who could guarantee success in the upcoming third trial?
"Well done. Only one was eliminated in this second trial. Congratulations to you all," Qi Baiyan said with satisfaction as the last person emerged. He said nothing further about Li Xuan's pure sword heart, understanding the principle that a tree that stands out in the forest will be felled by the wind.
"Everyone, rest for ten minutes. The third trial will begin in ten minutes," Qi Baiyan announced before his figure began to fade.
"Look, Bu Jinglei and Kun Peng are leading their disciples away!"
At that moment, a man in white robes with a feathered crown suddenly pointed downwards. The others looked and saw over forty individuals from the two sects heading towards the entrance, clearly having abandoned the exploration of this ruin.
Perhaps sensing their gazes, Bu Jinglei and Kun Peng stopped and turned to look at Li Xuan on the stone steps.
"You are very powerful. We cannot deny that. But even the most extraordinary prodigy is only a prodigy if they are alive. We will meet again soon."
Bu Jinglei turned and left. Kun Peng, without a word, waved his hand and led his group away.
"You need to be careful. The Grand Elders of the Heavenly Thunder Sect and the Blazing Fire Sect are both outside. Their departure now clearly indicates their intention to have their respective sects take action," Liu Jiaqi said.
Although Li Xuan's displayed talent was formidable, Bu Jinglei was right. A living prodigy is a prodigy; a dead one is just dead. With Li Xuan's current strength, surviving against two peak Martial Emperor realm experts would be nearly impossible.
"It's fine. We'll deal with threats as they come. But I appreciate your concern, Miss Jiaqi," Li Xuan replied with a smile. If Bu Jinglei and Kun Peng's sect elders were planning to attack, surely he could still escape even if he couldn't win.
Even with two realms separating them, if truly pushed, couldn't he break through?
Li Xuan smiled at the thought. If he weren't determined to thoroughly understand and master each level, he could have already broken through to the advanced Martial Emperor realm.
"It seems I worried for nothing. Since you have such confidence, I shall wait and see," Liu Jiaqi said, pouting slightly.
Within the outer ruins, Kun Peng stepped forward and asked Bu Jinglei, "Brother Jinglei, can you tell me why you deliberately exposed Li Xuan's identity earlier?"
"He carries the aura of a Sacred Medicine. Is that reason enough?" Bu Jinglei replied after a moment of silence, under Kun Peng's gaze.
"Sacred Medicine?! Brother Jinglei, are you sure?" Kun Peng's breathing quickened. After taking a deep breath, he urgently confirmed.
Sacred Medicine—only pills of rank eight or higher deserved the title "Sacred." That Li Xuan possessed the aura of a Sacred Medicine was why Bu Jinglei had deliberately exposed him. The goal was naturally to put Li Xuan in a disadvantageous position. Although he felt somewhat manipulated by Bu Jinglei, he admitted he would have done the same.
Sacred Medicine—no one would take it lightly.
"I have consumed a seventh-rank Spirit Pill before and can absolutely sense correctly. Seventh-rank Spirit Pills are known as pseudo-sacred pills because they possess a hint of the divine essence of Sacred Pills. You should know this, Brother Kun Peng. The divine essence on Li Xuan is faint, very faint, but it's not something a seventh-rank pseudo-sacred pill could emit." Bu Jinglei explained.
"If it were an eighth-rank Sacred Pill, its value... But Brother Jinglei, do you think you and I together could defeat Li Xuan?" Kun Peng frowned.
Bu Jinglei's lips curled into a slight smile. "If it were a one-on-one fight, neither of us would win. Even if we joined forces, the outcome would be uncertain. But you've overlooked something. He's clearly a sword cultivator, yet why did that single strike only heavily wound us? If it had been an inch deeper, we would have perished. This person fears the sects behind us."
"Brother Jinglei speaks wisely!" Kun Peng's eyes lit up, but then he frowned. "Brother Jinglei, do you mean to pass this information to the Grand Elder?"
"At this point, I no longer care about that Sacred Pill. Li Xuan insulted both of us and caused us to lose the opportunity for inheritance. If we don't avenge this, how can we regain our prestige?" Bu Jinglei's gaze was exceptionally cold. "If Li Xuan lives, we will never be able to hold our heads up in front of those few again. Li Xuan must die!"
"Very well. An eighth-rank Sacred Pill. I believe the Grand Elder will be very interested. Then, we can share some of the spoils," Kun Peng said, his expression turning cold as he nodded.
As Bu Jinglei had said, if Li Xuan lived, everyone would remember today's events. Was he going to live under the shadow of others forever? No! Moreover, by pleasing the Grand Elder, would he need to worry about cultivation resources in the future? Therefore, as long as Li Xuan could be killed, it was a profitable transaction no matter how you looked at it.
On the stone steps of the Saint Sect ruins, Qi Baiyan's figure slowly reappeared.
"Time is up."
"The third trial, begins!"