Chapter 612

Through the Immortal Washing Pool, Xili had gained a preliminary understanding of the Taixuan Realm.

But this was not enough to support her in finding the answers she sought.

Joining a major sect to learn more was the best choice.

Moreover, her foundational roots, aside from the mysterious [Kill] Dao vein inheritance she had acquired initially, all came from the Elder.

Switching to another sect…

Was truly inappropriate; perhaps the Elder himself wouldn’t care, but she could not pass her own inner barrier.

Therefore, emotionally and rationally, joining the Sword Sect was most suitable.

She just didn’t know how difficult the Sword Sect’s entrance trial would be—whether her current cultivation base could pass it…

Xili felt the dense, heavy laws of the surrounding realm stir within her, and for once, she felt a rare flicker of tension.

Meanwhile, Du Ruoheng, who was watching Xili, also very much wanted to simply agree.

After all, a Return-to-Spirit cultivator like Xili, forged through countless brutal wars and whose combat skills had reached perfection, was exceedingly rare in this era.

Not to mention she was a transcendent certified by the Ascension Platform, with perfected cultivation and impeccable character—no concerns there.

But…

“Given your abilities and character, joining the Sword Sect is certainly no issue,” Du Ruoheng said, his tone still gentle.

“However, since you’ve just arrived in the Taixuan Realm, there’s no need to decide so quickly. Why not wander a bit first? Once you understand the Taixuan Realm better, then make your choice.”

At once, Cheng Jun, Qin Wei, and Li Wanwan all looked at Du Ruoheng in surprise.

Du Ruoheng, however, felt helpless.

He had no choice—if he could, he would absolutely want Xili to join the Sword Sect first.

He could always give her leave later, and not assign her any tasks!

But whose orders were these? The Ancestor’s.

According to the Ancestor’s words:

At the moment of transcendence, a transcendent knows nothing of the world; this confusion toward the unknown leads them to make choices contrary to their true heart.

Therefore, they must be given ample time to understand, to see the world clearly, before making a correct choice aligned with their true heart.

The other True Immortals held the same view.

Since the human traitor Yin Zhihe infiltrated the Central Continent and was captured by the “Net of Disaster and Karma,” revealing her abnormal mental state, Xu Xing and the other True Immortals decided to strengthen “character cultivation.”

The Immortal Sect’s special recruitment changed from the “Three Heart Trials” to the “Five Heart Trials,” and granting transcendent candidates more time to choose are part of this initiative.

As for why only Xu Xing spoke up:

Obviously!

From the start, the other True Immortals never believed a sword cultivator guided by the Sword Ancestor would join any sect other than the Sword Sect!

Upon hearing this, Xili paused, startled—she hadn’t expected such an answer.

“The Sword Sect’s gates will always remain open to you,” Du Ruoheng added.

“… ” After a moment of silence, Xili bowed respectfully once more. “Thank you, Elder Du.”

…

…

Not long after.

Xili walked out of the Ascension Hall.

In her hand, she held a token forged from an unknown material, its center bearing a powerful, ancient character she had never seen before—but knew instantly:

SWORD!

It had just been passed to her by Du Ruoheng.

With this token, she could freely enter and exit the Transmission Tower and use certain Sword Sect facilities to learn what she wished.

She also received a storage ring—like the Sword Token, it had been entrusted to Du Ruoheng by Xu Xing.

Xili pursed her lips, clasped her hands, and tucked away the Sword Token, then walked outward.

After rounding a corner, the outer sect grounds of the Sword Sect finally lay before her.

A range of rolling hills, each peak neither too high nor steep, dotted with classical buildings, where occasional beams of light darted in and out.

Four peaks stood slightly taller than the rest, each crowned with distinctive structures housing unique statues:

A long sword, a chain-wrapped shackle, a bamboo scroll, and an ancient, simple cauldron.

Streams of light frequently passed between the peaks, while massive mystic mirrors floated above the mountains, broadcasting news.

Sword beams crisscrossed the sky; some radiated such overwhelming might that she felt needles pricking her back, her third eye throbbing with pain.

Return-to-Spirit!

Even among just the sword beams visible now, there were no fewer than thirty Return-to-Spirit cultivators—and none were weak!

And this was only the outer sect of the Sword Sect!

After a long while, Xili tore her gaze away from the endless sword beams crisscrossing the heavens, turning instead to the inner sect, hidden among the high clouds, its true form visible only in fleeting gaps between drifting mists.

Though she could see only a fraction, she clearly sensed its towering, weighty presence—as if countless stars had been fused into one, capable of crushing the heavens with a single tremor!

In a flash, she seemed to perceive two eternal, radiant wills hanging high in the sky, piercing through all time, purifying all realms!

It made her recall the Dawn Dao essence she had once witnessed in the Transmitter’s Sacred Ground.

Yet even in its complete form, the Dawn Dao essence fell far short—by a hundred million billion times—of these two wills.

Are those the Elder and the Sword Venerable…?

A flicker of daze passed through Xili’s eyes.

In the next instant, all strange visions vanished from her perception; her gaze cleared once more.

“… ”

She gazed deeply at the seven descending Divine Aura lists—more precisely, at the list representing Return-to-Spirit.

One name sat at the very top, shining brilliantly.

Soon, she withdrew her gaze, transformed into a sword beam, and soared upward toward the Transmission Tower.

The gap between us must be vast—but I will strive to catch up.

If I lack even the courage to try, what right do I have to call myself a sword cultivator?

…

…

In the following period, Xili spent most of her time poring over materials in the Transmission Tower.

In rare moments of leisure, she merely wandered the outer sect grounds.

Only after learning of the “Void Immortal Realm” did she use her Sword Token’s permissions to enter and test herself.

She also attempted sparring with several Sword Sect Return-to-Spirit cultivators.

Result: six wins, one loss.

The sole defeat came against the Sword Sect’s current Return-to-Spirit rank 63.

Though her adaptability, judgment, and timing in combat surpassed his, her sword technique, divine powers, and magic power strength lagged significantly.

She was not discouraged; she continued sparring with the Sword Sect’s Return-to-Spirit cultivators in the Void Immortal Realm.

Wins and losses came alternately, but victories outnumbered defeats; repeated battles finally allowed her to gauge her current level.

Roughly, the level of someone barely on the list, yet constantly at risk of being pushed off.

With this daily routine of three points and one line, she grew increasingly familiar with the Taixuan Realm and gradually adapted to life here.

Until the night before the fourth transcendent, the Xuanling Daoist, arrived, a self-proclaimed second transcendent suddenly contacted her via the Spirit Net.

Through conversation with the second transcendent, she learned the status of the first two transcendent arrivals.

The first transcendent was named Li Ming; he joined the Taishang Dao Sect and has now entered seclusion to pursue Dao Union.

The second transcendent who contacted her was named Chen Yan; he is still traveling through the starry void.

Since he is a body cultivator, he plans to join the Dragon-Elephant Qingtian Sect after his stellar journey ends…

Xili briefly explained her own situation.

Then, with a simple “May we meet again by fate,” they ended the conversation—without even adding each other as friends.

Though both were transcendent arrivals, their pursuits differed.

Moreover, the Taixuan Realm itself is not a world where they must band together merely to survive—why force unity over a single identity?