For a time, the Sacred Institute was filled with such rumors. Lin Xuan’s reputation suffered a severe blow, and the name of the Supreme Hall was dragged through the mud along with it. Many new students who had originally intended to join the Supreme Hall now dismissed the idea, and Zi Su and Zhang Shaochu were fuming with rage.
They jumped out to explain, "What do you all know! It wasn’t us who helped Lin Xuan, it was Lin Xuan who helped us! Without him, we would have been eliminated long ago!"
"That’s right! It was Lin Xuan who single-handedly swept through the Demon Sect. We were just lucky enough to be with him and benefit from his power."
"Lin Xuan’s strength is immense! He really can kill a Late-Stage Three-Star Grandmaster!"
However, no one believed them.
"Alright, stop hyping up this kid. He doesn’t have that kind of strength."
"Exactly! If he’s so amazing, why doesn’t he dare to come out and accept the challenge?"
"He’s just an empty name, not worth mentioning!"
"Damn it! Why won’t anyone believe us when we’re telling the truth?" Zi Su stomped her foot in anger. Zhang Shaochu was also dejected, and the other disciples of the Supreme Hall were equally indignant. But no matter how much they tried to explain, their words fell on deaf ears.
"Just as expected," Xu Qing and Qin Feng sneered upon seeing the situation. They had long been convinced that Lin Xuan lacked the strength to contend with a Late-Stage Three-Star Grandmaster.
「On the other side,」
Shen Tang was absolutely ecstatic. Previously, Lin Xuan’s widespread fame had made her mad with jealousy. Now that his name was infamous, she gloated over his misfortune. But she still wasn’t satisfied. She didn’t just want to ruin Lin Xuan’s reputation; she wanted to grind him completely into the dust.
She ordered Luo Mountain, "Continue to provoke him. You must force that Lin Xuan to show himself!"
Afterward, she used the power of the Star Alliance to suppress the Supreme Hall, and for a time, all of its disciples were ostracized and marginalized. Yet, Lin Xuan never appeared, leaving the crowd of onlookers greatly disappointed. Everyone began to think that Lin Xuan was truly a coward.
Zi Su, Zhang Shaochu, and the others discussed the matter and decided to endure it for now. They would wait for the Hall Master to return, who could then resolve everything. The other members of the Supreme Hall all nodded in agreement. They knew the true extent of Lin Xuan’s power and firmly believed that the truth would come to light upon his return.
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan was completely unaware of the events unfolding at the Sacred Institute. After leaving, he flew swiftly and finally arrived at Sword Valley.
Tucked away in a mountain range was a valley so vast and boundless that it stretched beyond the horizon. Inside, the vegetation was lush, creating a serene and mysterious atmosphere. Lin Xuan descended from the sky, landing just outside the valley. Taking a deep breath, he began walking toward it with large strides. The closer he got, the more he could feel a sharp, piercing aura saturating the air. It was as if the entire valley concealed countless Treasure Swords, ready to be unsheathed and annihilate all things.
What a terrifying power of the sword! Lin Xuan marveled. This place is indeed the perfect spot to practice Swordsmanship!
With this thought, he quickened his pace. A radiant light enveloped his body as he activated the Ten Thousand Dragon Physique to resist the Sword Qi in the air. Lin Xuan’s physique was formidable. Though the aura in Sword Valley was strong, it couldn’t harm him in the slightest, and he soon entered the valley.
The moment he stepped inside, he felt the Sword Qi in the air intensify manifold, slashing toward him like sharp blades. Lin Xuan snorted coldly. His body trembled as the power of the Ten Thousand Dragon Physique erupted, clashing defiantly with the incoming Sword Qi. A deep rumbling sound echoed out as Lin Xuan stood as firm as a mountain, repelling every last strand of Sword Qi. Soon, he adapted to the aura inside the valley and curiously glanced around.
The forest within the valley was dense, with shadows flickering between the towering ancient trees. In the distance, he could hear the clang of swords and the roars of Demon Beasts. Clearly, powerful Demon Beasts and Sword Cultivators inhabited this place; the sound of swords clashing must be from cultivators practicing their techniques. After a brief inspection, Lin Xuan withdrew his gaze and continued forward into the forest. He encountered a few Demon Beasts along the way, all of which he dispatched with ease.
As Lin Xuan ventured deeper, the big black dog spoke up, "Kid, you should probably raise your cultivation level first. There might be danger ahead."
Lin Xuan nodded. He found a large tree, carved out a hollow, and crawled inside to sit cross-legged. With a wave of his hand, he took out a Pill Bottle and poured out several Elixirs. These were the unique Elixirs of the Sacred Institute that he had exchanged for at the Celestial Treasure Pavilion. Their effects were extraordinary, but since he didn’t have the Pill Recipe, he was unable to refine them himself and could only acquire them through exchange. Taking a deep breath, Lin Xuan consumed the Elixirs, began to absorb their Medicinal Power, and started his cultivation.
「In the blink of an eye, three days passed.」
Lin Xuan had consumed all nine Elixirs from the Pill Bottle, successfully breaking through his cultivation. He had ascended from a Five-Star Grandmaster to a Six-Star Grandmaster.
No wonder these Elixirs are worth ten thousand points each. They allowed me to break through in just three days. What incredible treasures! Lin Xuan was filled with emotion. With this improvement in his cultivation, his strength had increased dramatically.
Previously, his strength was equivalent to a Three-Star Grandmaster, but with his various techniques, he could slay a Late-Stage Three-Star Grandmaster, making him practically invincible in that tier. Now that he had broken through to the Six-Star realm, his power far surpassed the Three-Star level and had reached that of a Four-Star Grandmaster. He could now instantly kill any Three-Star Grandmaster; even a Late-Stage one couldn’t withstand a single move from him. He could even contend with a Four-Star Grandmaster.
After his strength increased, Lin Xuan stepped out of the tree hollow and continued onward. The oppressive aura grew stronger the further he went, but thanks to his breakthrough, the pressure he felt was significantly lighter than before.
A day later, Lin Xuan halted his steps as a Demon Beast ahead began to eye him. This creature resembled a lizard but possessed a much stronger aura. Sword Qi flickered around its body, making it look as sharp and bizarre as a demon sword.
Could this be the Sword Soul Beast that Saint Heaven Elder mentioned?
As Lin Xuan was pondering, the Demon Beast roared and charged. It shot through the air like a sharp sword, slicing through the void and reaching him in an instant. Lin Xuan snorted and struck out with his palm. The two attacks collided with a deafening BOOM, causing the surrounding forest to tremble violently.
It can actually block my attack? Lin Xuan was astonished. In the next moment, Dragon Scales covered his palm as he unleashed the Cyan Dragon Sky Hunting Hand. Its power surged, and the Demon Beast was slammed to the ground in an instant.
The Demon Beast struggled frantically, but it couldn’t escape his grasp. Lin Xuan observed it with curiosity. At that moment, the big black dog’s voice rang out, "Kid, this must be a Sword Soul Beast! If you kill it, its Sword Soul will emerge."
Hearing this, Lin Xuan struck down with force, instantly turning the Demon Beast into a mist of blood. Within the mist, an illusory phantom of the beast appeared. It looked identical to the creature from before, but the Sword Qi it radiated was even more terrifying.
So this is the Sword Soul? Lin Xuan stared at it, only to see that the phantom beast didn’t attack. Instead, it lay prostrate at his feet. This stunned Lin Xuan. Killing the beast subdues its soul?
Next, Lin Xuan began to practice his Swordsmanship. He had long ago committed the cultivation method for the Green Lotus Swordsmanship to memory. With a wave of his hand, he summoned the Spirit Dragon Nine Heavens Sword and began to practice his forms. As he did, the Sword Soul Beast beside him began to shimmer with a faint light, which formed an Energy Shield that enveloped him. Instantly, Lin Xuan felt a sense of sudden enlightenment. His comprehension of the Green Lotus Swordsmanship far surpassed what it had been before, and the sword in his hand moved with greater nimbleness.
It really does increase cultivation speed! Lin Xuan was overjoyed. Practicing for half a day here was as effective as practicing for half a month in the outside world. This made him ecstatic. This Sword Soul Beast is truly amazing!
The big black dog then said, "Kid, stop practicing your sword for now."
"You should try to collect as many Sword Soul Beasts as you can. Their power stacks. The more you collect, the faster you’ll be able to practice your Swordsmanship. After all, the Green Lotus Swordsmanship is an Earth-level technique. It’s normally extremely difficult to cultivate and would take several years. If you want to master it in a few months, you must gather a sufficient number of Sword Soul Beasts."
Lin Xuan nodded in understanding. Earth-level Swordsmanship was indeed difficult to master. He had only learned the Black Dragon Wave so quickly because he had obtained the precious Six-Hole Celestial Sound Stone. If he wanted to master the Green Lotus Swordsmanship just as rapidly, collecting Sword Soul Beasts was the key.
With that, Lin Xuan stored away the Sword Soul Beast and continued onward, now specifically searching for more of them. Although the Sword Soul Beasts were strong, Lin Xuan had a powerful trump card: the sixth-grade Two Instrument Sword Array. It was more than enough to let him sweep through a whole group of them.
「Three days later,」
Lin Xuan was in the middle of a battle with five Sword Soul Beasts at once. The Sword Cultivators practicing nearby were astonished by the sight.
"Who is that young man? How could he be so reckless? To be targeted by five Sword Soul Beasts at once... he’s likely doomed!" a young man sighed, shaking his head. His name was Luo Rong, a Four-Star Grandmaster. Even he couldn’t handle five Sword Soul Beasts, let alone this stranger.
The other onlookers also shook their heads and sighed. As far as they were concerned, Lin Xuan was already a dead man.