In an instant, the woman in white advanced a hundred li, arriving before Wu Yuan on the arena platform.
At this moment, tens of thousands of eyes watched the two figures intently.
“Senior Sister Bei Hua, it has been too long,” Wu Yuan gracefully rose to his feet and greeted her with a smile.
Inwardly, he was a little startled.
He had expected Senior Sister Bei Hua to decline the challenge, just as he himself had in the past. Normally, one wouldn’t willingly accept a challenge with no chance of victory. Furthermore, it was completely optional.
“Junior Brother Li Xia,” Bei Hua addressed him, looking at Wu Yuan with a complicated gaze.
Bei Hua couldn’t help but recall Wu Yuan’s words during their first encounter – “A sword immortal must forge ahead, cutting down the injustices that weigh upon the heart with every strike, yet it is not a path paved with recklessness.”
“Junior Brother, you have your own sword path and Dao Heart,” Bei Hua spoke softly, each word carefully chosen. “But my Dao Heart remains unshaken.”
“My heart is firm. My sword will forge the path ahead. No matter where my heart may lead me, I will never have regrets, not even in death!” Bei Hua’s determined voice resounded throughout the arena.
With each word, her voice grew calmer. By the time she uttered the last word, Bei Hua’s aura and gaze had returned to a state of tranquility, devoid of any complexities.
A flicker of surprise flashed through Wu Yuan’s eyes as he sincerely commended, “You indeed exemplify the essence of a sword cultivator, and a true hereditary disciple of the Dragon Star Immortal Sect.”
While Bei Hua might not be Wu Yuan’s match in sheer strength, her Dao Heart was no less firm than his.
“Good! Sister Bei Hua, as a show of respect for your dedication to the sword path, I shall unleash my full strength.” Wu Yuan said solemnly.
What began as a way to garner recognition had transformed into genuine respect for his opponent from the bottom of Wu Yuan’s heart.
In competitions between disciples, one’s life was never truly at stake.
With that, the battle erupted.
While all eyes were on the combatants, the actual clash was over in a mere moment.
After assembling the Star Ruins Sword Array, Wu Yuan trapped Bei Hua within a gravitational field. Then, the array assembled into the form of a star, smashing into her.
After just one exchange, Wu Yuan emerged victorious!
Although the battle was swift, the sword array displayed by Wu Yuan was so powerful that it left all spectators deeply shocked.
Assembling a thousand Swords Array composed of fourth-grade spirit flying swords, with a mana level fixed at the first-stage Golden Core phase in the voidrealm, was a feat that seemed unbelievable to most sect disciples.
His Dao comprehension and soul strength must have reached frightening levels.
Even though the disciples did not have access to the battle recording of Wu Yuan conquering the Seven Star Luminaries Tower, they could perceive his overwhelming dominance and power from this one exchange.
A hereditary disciple with a hundred years of experience in the sect couldn’t withstand a single blow from Wu Yuan.
And this was just the beginning.
One after another, the hereditary disciples Wu Yuan challenged stepped up, only to be swept away without being able to put up the slightest resistance. Even the strongest among them could only endure two strikes from his sword array.
Fourteen victories in a row!
Soon, all combatants left the arena, but this short series of battles had left tens of thousands of spectators breathless. All of them understood that they were witnessing the rise of a powerful genius within the sect.
As for Bei Hua, Gong Ling, and the hereditary disciples who knew defeat was inevitable but still faced it valiantly, Wu Yuan was deeply moved by them.
To go where the heart leads, one will never have regrets, not even in death.
Being able to stand out among millions of disciples to become hereditary disciples of the sect, their Dao Hearts are indeed extraordinary. Wu Yuan thought.
Yet, despite his admiration for them, Wu Yuan remained steadfast on his own path and goals. He wouldn’t hesitate to strike down any who dared obstruct him.
…
First, he shattered the existing record for the one-star tower of the Seven Star Luminaries Tower, setting a new one five levels higher in one go.
Then, in the True Dragon Arena, he fought fourteen consecutive battles, defeating fourteen Golden Core hereditary disciples. Tens of thousands of disciples who watched the matches rapidly spread the news.
“Genius!”
“A peerless genius.”
“Haha, despite cultivating in this sect for more than a thousand years, I have never witnessed such brilliance. Truly remarkable!”
“In sword cultivation, one strike shatters all laws. He cut up those hereditary disciples as effortlessly as dicing fruits and vegetables.”
“It is said that Li Xia is still quite young, only eight years have gone by since his entry into the sect. As long as his life isn’t cut short, his future accomplishments are bound to be extraordinary.”
Li Xia’s name swiftly spread among the disciples of the Dragon Star Immortal Sect. And soon, the countless disciples recognized him as the indisputable top genius of the current generation within the Dragon Star Immortal Sect.
…
In the Dragon Star Immortal Sect headquarters, within Wu Yuan’s world residence.
I have given it my best shot. Wu Yuan sat cross-legged on a jade platform within the meditation chamber.
Despite stirring up this huge storm, his heart remained serene.
Everything had unfolded as he had planned. Given the reports from Lu Zhu and the others, the results exceeded his expectations!
The reason for this was clear.
Over these eight years, my strength has grown even more than I had anticipated. Wu Yuan contemplated.
Take, for example, his Dao comprehension progress. One had to remember that his body refiner self had evolved into a Terranean Body. It was considered a top-notch body for comprehending the Land’s profundities.
How else could Wu Yuan complete level forty of the one-star tower on his very first attempt, despite the lack of guidance?
His qi refiner self also received guidance from the Celestial Body Law Codex. And with the pointers from the mysterious senior, his soul grew ever stronger.
In just eight brief years, Wu Yuan made huge strides forward.
With two true selves comprehending the Dao in unison, I am progressing at a staggering pace. Wu Yuan reflected.
He could see why so many immortal cultivators aspired to cultivate two true selves.
“Whether building my reputation or showcasing my talents, I have done everything I could.” Wu Yuan murmured quietly. “If Sword Immortal Dong Yang is still unwilling to accept me as his disciple, then there is nothing more I can do.”
Throughout these eight years, both his qi refiner and body refiner selves had cultivated diligently, never slacking off.
Wu Yuan had no regrets.
The guardians of the tower employed either the Dark Earth Sword Array or the Star Ruins Sword Array. There is much I can learn from them. Wu Yuan pushed aside all extraneous thoughts and settled into a calm state.
While clearing level after level without pause, Wu Yuan gained numerous insights, yet time constraints prevented him from assimilating them properly.
In the aftermath of a battle, reflection was crucial.
After digesting these combat insights, I will head to the Redmoon Immortal Realm to undergo a True Intent perception experience. Wu Yuan decided.
With that, Wu Yuan shut off his six senses and instructed Lu Zhu not to disturb him.
As per usual, he allowed no external distractions to break his focus, unless it was a matter of utmost importance.
The influx of messages he received via the Redmoon Immortal Realm and the Dragon Star Immortal Realm went unanswered. Wu Yuan couldn’t be bothered with them.