Half an hour later, around a hundred disciples gradually emerged from the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm.
Out of the three hundred or so who had entered, only about half returned. Nearly every sect suffered some losses, with few exceptions like Spirit Sword Valley, which lost only two disciples.
A sect like the Profound Sun Sect, which emerged unscathed, was a rare anomaly.
The reason was simple—Li Xun's overwhelming presence.
The sheer pressure he exerted caused disciples from other sects to avoid any confrontation with members of the Profound Sun Sect. They feared offending them, knowing full well that if Li Xun personally sought them out, it would be too late for regrets.
Boom!
A deafening roar echoed through the valley as the portal embedded in the cliff wall began to close, its edges gradually sealing shut.
Finally, the portal vanished entirely.
"Northern King, please wait!"
Elder Mo of the Beast Taming Sect, unable to maintain his composure, shouted anxiously toward the sky, "Our Beast Taming Sect disciples haven't come out yet!"
Initially, he assumed his disciple, Ning Cheng, would be among the last to emerge.
But after half an hour passed, not only had Ning Cheng failed to appear, but not a single disciple from the Beast Taming Sect had come out. This realization began to fill him with panic.
His voice echoed through the air, yet there was no response from the heavens.
It seemed the Northern King had already departed.
At this moment, a disciple from an unknown sect murmured softly, "Ning Cheng and the others... are already dead."
"What?"
Elder Mo spun around abruptly, glaring in the direction of the voice. There, he saw a group of disciples from seven or eight sects standing together.
For a moment, it was impossible to discern who had spoken.
His gaze swept over each of their faces. Every disciple he looked at avoided his eyes, unwilling to meet his gaze directly.
Their expressions were peculiar, as though tinged with... pity.
Seeing this, a terrible premonition began to consume Elder Mo's heart.
They know something!
Ever since Li Xun emerged from the secret realm, the openly inquisitive elders had stopped asking questions outright, resorting instead to secret voice transmissions.
Aside from the Beast Taming Sect, every other sect had at least one disciple return.
At this moment, the Beast Taming Sect stood alone, with none of its disciples in sight—leaving Elder Mo completely in the dark.
"What happened inside the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm? Can anyone tell me?"
Elder Mo's expression turned icy, his voice cold as frost.
His eyes burned with an intense killing intent as he surveyed the crowd. His gaze eventually landed on Li Xun, brimming with suspicion.
His instincts told him that the absence of the Beast Taming Sect disciples had something to do with Li Xun.
Unfortunately, no one provided an answer.
The atmosphere in the valley dropped to freezing.
A suffocating silence filled the air, so heavy it was hard to breathe.
Beside Elder Xie, Li Xun stood calmly in his purple robes. His aura was steady, his black hair flowed freely, and his eyes were like the stars in the heavens—brilliant and unfathomable.
Although his expression was tranquil, without a hint of hostility, his presence alone was enough to instill fear.
The truth of what happened in the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm was known to almost everyone present—except Elder Mo.
But the clearer they understood what had transpired, the more they feared Li Xun. His potential was immense, and his strength, even among peers, was unmatched. Facing an assault by ten prodigies, he not only held his ground but easily triumphed—a feat so legendary it bordered on myth.
It was certain that before long, Li Xun would rise to unprecedented heights.
When that time came, not only would the Beast Taming Sect be insignificant, but there would be few across the entire Great Zhou Empire who could rival him.
At this moment, revealing the truth to Elder Mo might win the goodwill of the Beast Taming Sect. However, it would also risk offending Li Xun.
To alienate a rising peerless genius for the sake of a declining sect like the Beast Taming Sect was, no matter how one looked at it, a losing trade.
Anyone with half a mind would avoid such a thankless decision.
"The truth will come to light one day!" Elder Mo's voice was hoarse as he glared at everyone with hatred before turning and leaving.
After he left, Elder Xie also waved his sleeve, summoning a flying spiritual treasure. Leading the Profound Sun Sect disciples, he departed swiftly.
"Phew—"
With the departure of the Beast Taming Sect and Profound Sun Sect, the suffocating tension in the valley finally eased.
Someone exhaled heavily, watching the Profound Sun Sect members vanish into the distance, and murmured, "That Li Xun of the Profound Sun Sect has stepped into the Divine Power Realm. From this point onward, his rise will likely be unstoppable."
"Indeed," an elder nodded in agreement.
If Li Xun were still in the Spirit Meridian or Profound Elixir Realm, some sects might entertain sinister thoughts. But the Divine Power Realm was a different matter entirely—it marked the backbone of a sect. To deal with Li Xun now would require someone in the Life and Death Realm.
Yet the question remained: with Li Xun's unparalleled talent, could one or two Life and Death Realm experts truly kill him?
Moreover, who could guarantee that Li Xun didn't have powerful Profound Sun Sect guardians protecting him from the shadows?
"The dragon has already taken flight. For the Great Zhou Empire, Li Xun will use it merely as a stepping stone. The next thousand years, or even ten thousand, will belong to him," an elder sighed and shook his head before leading his disciples away.
<+>
Over the next three days, Li Xun was occupied with banquets.
First, he was invited by the Crown Prince and Third Princess of the Great Zhou Royal Family. Then, others like Yao Feng hosted banquets to express their gratitude for him saving their lives.
One feast after another left Li Xun with little reprieve.
Finally, after three days, the Profound Sun Sect members began their journey home.
The trip to Zhen Tian City had taken nearly a month, and the return journey was similarly lengthy.
Surprisingly, the journey was smooth and uneventful.
Contrary to Li Xun's initial expectations, no one from the Beast Taming Sect tried to intercept them.
After some thought, he realized his concerns had been unwarranted. The Profound Sun Sect was far from Zhen Tian City, and the Beast Taming Sect was equally distant.
Even if Elder Mo was certain that Li Xun had killed Ning Cheng, summoning Beast Taming Sect experts in time would be impossible. Alone, Elder Mo couldn't even handle Elder Xie, let alone ambush the group.
Upon returning to the Profound Sun Sect, Li Xun parted ways with Elder Xie and headed not to his small courtyard but to the Scripture Pavilion.
He spent an entire hour in the pavilion, investing in a few junior disciples before selecting a lower-grade Earth spear technique. Satisfied, he finally returned to his courtyard.
"The Raging Waves and Thousand Peaks Technique looks quite promising. In terms of power, it's almost on par with mid-grade Earth level techniques," Li Xun thought as he perused the contents with a strand of his spiritual sense, feeling quite pleased.
As he approached the gate of his courtyard, ready to push it open, an outer sect disciple hurriedly approached him, taking two steps at a time.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Li Xun!" the disciple said respectfully.
"What is it?" Li Xun withdrew his hand and turned to face the disciple.
"Ten days ago, a representative from the Li Family of Tianyuan City delivered a jade token. They specifically instructed me to ensure that it was handed to you personally, Senior Brother," the outer sect disciple said, presenting the jade token with both hands.
<+>
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