Upon returning to their courtyard, Gong Hanfeng and others sat in the hall, chatting.
"I didn't expect Commander Li to be at the cusp of a breakthrough. No wonder he didn't come out with Venerable Yun and the others. But has Commander Li broken through to the peak of the Transformation Realm or the Divine Transformation Realm?" Wen Qing immediately asked upon hearing this, "If it's the Divine Transformation Realm, isn't that a bit too high?"
"Although Commander Li's talent is extraordinary, breaking through to the Divine Transformation Realm in these ten years is indeed quite unbelievable. I think he should have reached the Transformation Realm," Bo Xinghan agreed.
"You guys, stop worrying about Commander Li's level. Although Commander Li hasn't come out yet, it should be in these few days. When he does, you'll know," someone said.
"It's better to prepare for the banquet tonight. I heard there will be many spirit herbs and wondrous elixirs that can greatly improve physique and increase spiritual power," Qiu Jiuqian said with a wry smile, shaking his head. He then waved to stop everyone's speculation.
"Brother Qiu, is that true? Such good things!" Gong Hanfeng's eyes lit up, and he asked.
"This is the Pavilion Master Selection Competition held once every hundred years. All the forces affiliated with our Tianyi Pavilion have arrived, so we naturally have to bleed once. Alright, everyone, go and prepare," Qiu Jiuqian nodded with a smile.
Suxian Peak, stone pavilion.
"Sister Lin Yun, how is that Li Xuan now?" Mo Ningxiang asked as soon as Lin Yun Venerable sat down.
Lin Yun Venerable smiled slightly, "Sister, when did you become so impatient? Don't worry, when that Li Xuan comes out, Sister will know."
"You, actually playing coy with us. Alright, alright, judging by your demeanor, it seems there's no problem. But there's one more thing we might need to investigate secretly. There are many disciples participating this time, and according to the intelligence received, there seem to be people from the Eternal Domain among them," Mo Ningxiang said with a slight glare, then spoke with a grave expression.
"People from the Eternal Domain?" Bai Suxin Venerable frowned, then said, "When selecting these disciples, we investigated the background of their ancestors. Could it be that the Great Venerable of Eternity had already planned in secret a thousand years ago?"
Generally speaking, all disciples from various forces would be secretly investigated by Tianyi Pavilion when they registered for the Tianyi Pavilion disciple recruitment.
It could be said that every disciple of Tianyi Pavilion could trace their family history back over a thousand years. If such information existed now, it clearly indicated that the Great Venerable of Eternity had been planning in secret for at least a thousand years. Such meticulous planning was truly terrifying.
"The Eternal Great Venerable's covetousness for my Tianyi Domain has long been obvious. It's not difficult to understand that he has been plotting in secret for over a thousand years. It's just that for this Pavilion Master Selection Competition, Li Xuan might be the only person we can trust."
"Furthermore, Venerable Chenyu previously sent news that there have been signs of probing at the borders of Tianyi Domain recently. This is likely also the work of the Eternal Great Venerable," Mo Ningxiang nodded slightly.
Lin Yun Venerable frowned slightly, "Have the traitors within the Pavilion been identified yet?"
Mo Ningxiang and Bai Suxin Venerable exchanged glances and shook their heads, "This person is hidden too deeply and hasn't revealed any flaws. Currently, the only ones we can trust are Venerable Chenyu and Venerable Mulanxin."
"After all, both of them have received great kindness from Brother Yi. And Brother Yi also said that they are trustworthy."
"If Brother Yi could entrust the defense of Tianyi Domain's borders to Venerable Chenyu, it means he trusts him immensely. And as for Venerable Mulanxin, if Brother Yi hadn't intervened back then, she would have perished long ago. These two are naturally trustworthy."
"So, besides these two, the other three are suspects," Lin Yun Venerable said after a moment of thought.
"Venerable Jingguangshuo has behaved normally all these years, and no one can find fault with him. Venerable Chen Peng has a gentle personality and rarely interferes in the affairs of the Pavilion," Mo Ningxiang sighed, "Venerable Zhang Chao, although he occasionally punishes his disciples too harshly due to his hot temper, has no other faults. If the traitor is among these three, then this person is simply too good at hiding."
"For now, we can only take things one step at a time. Since that person has been hiding for so many years, he will eventually reveal clues. The priority now is to stabilize the current Pavilion Master Selection Competition," Bai Suxin Venerable pondered for a moment and said.
"Mm." Mo Ningxiang nodded, then looked into the distance, "I hope that kid won't disappoint us."
Time flowed by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye. As the Pavilion Master Selection Competition approached, the atmosphere within Tianyi Pavilion became more and more lively. According to the registered disciples, the favored candidates were being discussed in various pavilions.
"Madam Great Venerable, will the rules for this Pavilion Master Selection Competition still be the same as before?" Venerable Jingguangshuo asked in the Hall of Deliberation.
Mo Ningxiang nodded, "The rules for the Pavilion Master Selection Competition have never changed. This time, we will still follow the previous rules. Also, if I remember correctly, it is Venerable Zhang Chao's turn to preside over this Pavilion Master Selection Competition, right?"
Venerable Zhang Chao nodded, "If it's according to the previous rules, I have no problem."
"In that case, everything will proceed as usual," Mo Ningxiang announced with a nod.
Furnace of Creation, heart of the furnace.
While the outside world was bustling with preparations for the Pavilion Master Selection Competition, Li Xuan, who was sitting cross-legged in the heart of the furnace, suddenly opened his eyes.
Stretching as if unaccustomed, Li Xuan stood up directly.
In the next moment, a scorching sun suddenly appeared above Li Xuan's head. The sun's spiritual light flickered, and an awe-inspiring aura instantly spread out in all directions.
If anyone were present, they would recognize this as the unique mark of the Divine Transformation Realm. The sun above the head signifies divinity.
"Divine Transformation Realm, I've finally arrived," Li Xuan retracted his thoughts, his eyes gradually becoming clearer. After a low murmur, Li Xuan formed hand seals again.
Above his head, another sun appeared.
However, Li Xuan's hand seals did not stop. After a brief few breaths, a third sun condensed again.
Divine Transformation Realm, Three Suns Ascending!
At the same time, on Suxian Peak, Lin Yun Venerable's heart stirred, and her gaze shifted towards the void.
"This kid, he's finally broken through!" Lin Yun Venerable let out a sigh of relief, then spoke directly. Mo Ningxiang and Bai Suxin Venerable, who were beside her, stood up, their gazes all fixed on Lin Yun Venerable.
"Let's go, I'll take the two elder sisters in to see," Lin Yun Venerable smiled and waved her hand. With a flash of rosy light, the three women disappeared.
"Three Suns Ascending?!"
As soon as Mo Ningxiang appeared, she saw the three suns suspended above Li Xuan's head. Even as the Great Venerable Madam of Tianyi Domain, her face was filled with shock.
One sun could enhance one's Star Spiritual Pearls by thirty percent. Three suns could enhance one's Star Spiritual Pearls by a full ninety percent!
For example, if Li Xuan had 100 million Star Spiritual Pearls in his divine mansion, with the enhancement of these three suns, he could exert the strength of 190 million Star Spiritual Pearls in combat. Such a terrifying amplification was truly heaven-defying!
"Disciple greets Venerable Yun, Madam Great Venerable, and Venerable Bai." As Lin Yun Venerable and the other two appeared, Li Xuan also retracted the three suns and bowed to the three women, "Greetings."
"No need for formalities. Tell us, how many Star Spiritual Pearls do you have now?" Lin Yun Venerable waved her hand and asked with some curiosity.
The number of Star Spiritual Pearls in the divine mansion of each Spiritual Master in the Divine Transformation Realm was different, so Lin Yun Venerable was curious about Li Xuan's number.
Li Xuan closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then scratched his head under the gaze of the three women. "Reporting to Venerable Yun, this disciple's divine mansion currently contains 11.29 million Star Spiritual Pearls."
"11.29 million... With the enhancement of the suns, that's already over 20 million. You kid, I really didn't misjudge you," even someone like Lin Yun Venerable couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
He had just broken through to the Divine Transformation Realm, and he had already made such a terrifying improvement. And what was most terrifying was the amplification of the three suns; just thinking about it was heaven-defying.
"If that's the case, we have some confidence in this Pavilion Master Selection Competition. Li Xuan, the situation is a bit dire now. You must win the position of Mu Pavilion Master."
"And in the next two years, I hope you can continue to cultivate diligently and improve yourself. In the selection of the Grand Pavilion Master, you can win. This way, we will have some chance to turn the tide," Mo Ningxiang said with a smile.
Li Xuan nodded and said seriously, "This disciple will do his best!"
"Commander Li, you're back!"
In the courtyard, as Bai Xinghan was about to return to his room, he saw Li Xuan walking slowly. His expression immediately lit up, and he shouted loudly.
As Bai Xinghan's voice fell, the team members in their respective rooms instantly appeared in the courtyard.
"It's really Commander Li!"
"Commander Li is really back!"
"We, greet Commander Li!"
Figures appeared one after another, and they all bowed to Li Xuan and shouted.
"Everyone, rise," Li Xuan smiled and waved his hand.
After chatting in the Furnace of Creation, Lin Yun Venerable directly took Li Xuan away from the furnace. Upon exiting, Li Xuan realized that there was only one day left until the Pavilion Master Selection Competition.
Fortunately, Lin Yun Venerable and the other two had already registered for Li Xuan, otherwise, with the current time, Li Xuan wouldn't have made it.
"I didn't expect that everyone's cultivation hasn't fallen behind during this time," Li Xuan glanced around at everyone, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
Qiu Jiuqian and Gong Hanfeng were both in the early stage of the Divine Transformation Realm.
Wen Qing was in the mid-extreme stage of the Transformation Realm.
Bai Xinghan, Sun Hu, Li Rongyue, and nine other team members were all in the early stage of the Transformation Realm.
The remaining seven team members had all reached the peak of the Boundless Realm. This improvement was far greater than when Li Xuan had left. It was evident that everyone's cultivation had not been neglected, and Li Xuan nodded with great satisfaction.
"Commander Li, everyone has been cultivating diligently for the past ten years. Brother Qiu reached the Divine Transformation Realm six months ago. With Brother Qiu's guidance, I also successfully reached the Divine Transformation Realm a month ago."
"Of course, everyone's strength has also improved a lot with Brother Qiu's help. So, the Taiyuan Fruit prize pool you left behind, I gave three pieces to Brother Qiu," Gong Hanfeng said with a smile.
"Brother Gong, you're too kind. Although Brother Qiu has helped us a lot, you've also guided us quite a bit. So, you deserve credit too," Wen Qing and others chuckled.
Seeing the harmonious scene among the team members, Li Xuan's face also showed a smile, and he waved his hand, "Everyone's efforts are evident. As a commander, I am naturally very happy to see such progress. Brother Gong, if I remember correctly, there were only six Taiyuan Fruits back then."
Gong Hanfeng nodded, "After Wen Qing reached the mid-level of the Transformation Realm, I also decided to reward him with one. Currently, I have two left."
"Keep those two for yourself as a reward. After all, you are the second person in our team to reach the Divine Transformation Realm," Li Xuan smiled and waved his hand, sending a spatial ring in front of Gong Hanfeng. "There are over three hundred Taiyuan Fruits here. Consider this the prize pool. Hmm, given that everyone has improved their strength, I will distribute one more to each person later."
"Over three hundred?" Gong Hanfeng and Qiu Jiuqian were both stunned. Such a quantity of Taiyuan Fruits, and Li Xuan gave them away so casually. Looking at his expression, he didn't seem to care at all.
"Uh, Commander Li, did you rob some powerful expert?" Bai Xinghan asked curiously.
"Hmm, this is a reward given by Venerable Yun for coincidentally refining the spiritual formations of the Furnace of Creation while I was inside," Li Xuan explained.
"Venerable Yun is indeed generous. Right, Commander Li, your current cultivation realm is?" Gong Hanfeng murmured in surprise, then his eyes lit up as if he had thought of something, and he quickly looked at Li Xuan.
Seeing everyone's eager gazes, Li Xuan smiled and nodded slowly, "By chance, I have broken through. Divine Transformation Realm."