Chapter 670: Xuantian Sect (4600+ words)

Three years later.

Inside the Cave Abode.

Aaron withdrew from his meditative state and opened his eyes: "Cultivating the Golden Core Stage technique is truly difficult... Judging purely by the feeling of a Golden Core Cultivator, in these three years, my Dharma Power does not seem to have improved at all..."

However, he glanced at his Attribute Panel and knew this was just an illusion:

【Technique: Mingyu Art 14th Layer (100/10000)】

"The technique is still progressing, just so minutely that I can barely feel it... But this also means that even if I cultivate on a Spirit Vein of this rank in Qianyang City, it will likely take me three hundred years to complete the 14th layer. And with my Three Spirit Roots aptitude, encountering a bottleneck during Golden Core cultivation is a very normal thing... It would be strange if I didn't."

"Even for those with Heavenly Spirit Roots, cultivation after reaching the Golden Core is extremely difficult. The fact that the Far West hasn't produced a single Nascent Soul cultivator in so many years is proof enough..."

"If I don't have heaven-defying Spirit Pills and opportunities, even if I reached the Golden Core at two hundred years old, the path of this 'Shen Fei' would still be bleak..."

Seeing Aaron's blank expression, she explained: "Junior Brother comes from the Far West, so perhaps you are unaware. This 'Xuantian Sect' was the premier sect of the Great Gan tens of thousands of years ago... At that time, Sword Cultivators had not even risen to prominence. Xuantian Sect cultivators were adept at combat spells, and the sect even had several Spirit Severing cultivators presiding over it. They were the true overlords who ruled the Great Qian Cultivation World!"

Baifeng Xianzi asked with a smile that was not quite a smile: "To be honest, I have also invited several fellow sect members and Guest Elders..."

'Has it finally come? Treasure hunting? My choice, of course, is... to refuse it!'

Aaron showed a look of being tempted, then immediately shook his head: "My strength is low, and I fear I would drag you and the other Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters down. It is better to forget it. To be honest... after reaching the Golden Core, I still want to cultivate for a while longer and accumulate merit to exchange for sect Secret techniques... I wonder if Senior Sister has any recommendations?"

"Shen Qingmei pays her respects to the Martial Uncle. Before my grandfather passed away, he repeatedly urged me to remember the kindness of the Dharma Sword you gifted me previously." Shen Qingmei bowed again.

Aaron put on the air of a shrinking turtle who just wanted to enjoy life.

"To think it was like that..." Aaron sighed: "How did such a massive sect perish?"

The largest bookstore in Qianyang City.

"It seems it must have an extraordinary origin." Aaron stroked his chin and sat down on the couch.

Indeed, many cultivators, after reaching the Golden Core and knowing their path was hopeless, would indulge in debauchery, seek enjoyment, or strive to make a name for themselves and establish their own sects... such cases were everywhere.

Inside the Array at the entrance of the Cave Abode, there was a white Transmission Talisman.

Baifeng Xianzi was sitting cross-legged, with only a table in front of her, on which sat a three-legged incense burner with curling blue smoke.

Baifeng Xianzi's expression was incomparably heavy.

Suddenly, Baifeng Xianzi raised her sword-like eyebrows and opened the Cave Abode's Forbidden Technique.

"The Xuantian Sect ruins, and a very complete site at that. I am somewhat tempted, would Junior Brother be willing to explore it together?"

"Please, Martial Uncle!"

A flash of disappointment crossed Baifeng Xianzi's eyes: "I had originally thought... that Junior Brother's Dao heart was unyielding and forged straight ahead..."

'A whirlpool! A great whirlpool!'

A female cultivator with a round, slightly chubby face and a very kind smile led Aaron into the Shangong Hall.

The next day, Aaron walked out of Qianyang City, transformed into a low-profile streak of light, and headed toward Qianjian Mountain.

"But since I am immortal, three hundred years is completely worth waiting for... Then it's fine."

'Is this... preferring to go be a laborer just to avoid this whirlpool?'

"Exactly... that ruin is actually the legacy of the Ancient sect—the Xuantian Sect!"

The round-faced female cultivator looked despondent: "My grandfather has already passed away..."

He reached out to take it, listened to the contents, left the Cave Abode, transformed into a black streak of light, and arrived at Baifeng Xianzi's Cave Abode—the 'Fengming Pavilion'.

'So the combat power has already reached the Nascent Soul level? That's good, there's nothing for me to do then...'

Shushan Sword Pavilion, Shangong Hall.

Inside a pavilion by the water.

'With such a ruin appearing... even the ten great sects of the Great Gan would be deeply tempted.'

Aaron browsed the missions casually and asked a question in passing.

"For a cultivator, reaching the Golden Core is no different from a rebirth, so some changes are normal."

Aaron showed a look of confusion.

After all, old Nascent Soul monsters can live for at least a thousand years, so they wouldn't fight to the death over a little profit—that's a matter for the people below!

"Then I wonder, Senior Sister, why did you ask me to come?"

But this time, it seemed somewhat different.

"Why isn't Junior Nephew Shen receiving me?"

Aaron's expression relaxed slightly.

Aaron walked in leisurely and bowed slightly: "Senior Sister invited me here, is it for the matter of the Ten Thousand Demon Lake ruins?"

Aaron found the Jade Slip of the *Ancient Sect Examination*, browsed it carefully, and only then realized that what Baifeng Xianzi had said was actually an understatement.

"So you are that granddaughter of Fellow Daoist Shen?" Aaron looked at the female cultivator in realization, sensing that her Dharma Power was raw; she had likely just reached Foundation Establishment. To be able to reach Foundation Establishment at such a young age, while related to the good resources of the Shushan Sword Pavilion, meant her Spirit Root aptitude was also quite good.

Aaron acted with courtesy and propriety, then took his leave.

This muddy water was too terrifying; he couldn't afford to provoke it, so he could only hide.

He had originally thought that the craze triggered by this massive ruin would, like those in the past, dissipate after a few years.

Baifeng Xianzi waved her hand.

Three days later.

"We have nothing to talk about, you may go."

A sense of vigilance rose in his heart. Generally, when encountering such things, the cultivation world is about to be in chaos again. Could this be an attempt to use him as cannon fodder?

'I never expected... that in the Ancient era, this Xuantian Sect was not some overlord of the cultivation world, but the Emperor! The true number one in the cultivation world! One sect suppressed ten thousand factions, dominating the Ancient era!'

"As expected, bitter cultivation alone is a dead end... How sad..."

"I do not know... but the legacy of this sect is something even my Shushan Sword Pavilion cannot ignore... This news has already spread and cannot be covered up... In fact, half a month ago, the Nascent Soul cultivators of my Sword Pavilion arrived at Ten Thousand Demon Lake, and even fought several battles against Fourth-Rank Beasts from the Ten Thousand Mountains and Nascent Soul Demon heads from the Black Demon Sect..."

Baifeng Xianzi, however, did not give him the chance: "……Afterward, several parties reached an agreement that Nascent Soul cultivators must not take action, leaving it to cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage to go and explore that ruin."

Wiping away non-existent tears, Aaron rose leisurely and walked out of the seclusion chamber.

"Junior Brother takes his leave!"

'I am not wading into this muddy water, time to slip away……'

Baifeng Xianzi's expression was unexpectedly grave, as it had never been before: "That is precisely the case…… The Array Formation on the periphery of that ruin is extremely vicious; the first few batches of exploring cultivators were completely wiped out…… It was not until three months ago that several Array masters joined forces to break the restrictions, only then barely breaching a portion of the Array Formation…… Although it was only a small part of the outermost perimeter, those cultivators still gained a bountiful harvest, and most importantly, they figured out who the ruin belonged to……"

'This is paving the way and building connections for her descendants……'

Aaron sighed in his heart and calmly accepted her bow.

(End of this chapter)