Li Xuan walked alone, encountering many spirit masters from various regions. These spirit masters clearly recognized Li Xuan, nodding slightly in greeting before turning away.
Along the way, Li Xuan saw too many remnants and bones. Some spirit masters' bodies were no longer intact, and many profound beasts competed to devour them. Li Xuan had intended to intervene and drive them away, but ultimately chose to give up.
If humans could kill and eat profound beasts, why couldn't profound beasts eat humans? The laws of this world required balance. Was it right or wrong to destroy one party for the sake of protecting another?
Perhaps many would say humans possessed spirits, thus ranking at the top of the food chain. But did profound beasts deserve to be hunted and consumed by humans? Li Xuan didn't quite think so. All things possessed spirits; they were all living beings. No one had the right to decide another's fate.
As Li Xuan walked and contemplated, he was completely unaware that his aura was becoming increasingly condensed. The sword intent, previously two zhang and a half, had now reached three zhang. Wherever he passed, profound beasts retreated.
Li Xuan stopped before a river, gazing at the babbling water with a hint of realization in his eyes. He then sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.
He remained seated for five days.
As the first ray of sunlight on the sixth morning shone into Li Xuan's eyes, his slightly closed eyelids slowly opened.
"All beings are equal and have the right to decide their own destiny. The strong should not oppress the weak to display their power. To protect the weak from oppression, that is true strength!"
Li Xuan murmured, and a surge of sword intent shot straight into the sky.
"This path is difficult, but someone must tread it. As long as I live, this resolve will remain!"
Li Xuan's eyes shone brighter and brighter. The next moment, Qing Xiao within his body let out a sword cry that echoed through the heavens.
"Sword Heart Clarity!"
In the Wendǐng Plaza, Xuan Ye and the others stood up simultaneously. Every face was etched with extreme solemnity. Even the six Sacred Land powerhouses, who had remained silent from the beginning, now opened their eyes and looked at the light screen, a glint of light flashing in their eyes.
"Nan Haotian, your Southern Region has produced a remarkable individual," Xuan Ye said with emotion after a moment, looking at Nan Haotian.
A Sword Heart Clarity sword dao master, Xuan Ye found the thought terrifying. Especially knowing that Li Xuan was only seventeen years old, his future achievements were unimaginable.
Lai Zhu and the others now also looked at Nan Haotian with complex expressions. For hundreds of years, the Southern Region had been at the bottom among the five regions. But this time, things might be different.
They had to admit that Li Xuan was truly a prodigy.
Although a prodigy who grew up was a true prodigy, Li Xuan had someone backing him. And that someone was a super expert who had annihilated a sect with a single sword strike. It would take blindness to actively seek them out and court death.
"I actually didn't expect it. I can only say he's too much of a prodigy," Nan Haotian said, his mood also somewhat complicated. He had originally intended to recruit Li Xuan into the Nantian Sect after the Five Regions Heavenly Pride Ranking competition, but it seemed impossible now. The Nantian Sect was not qualified.
Boom!
As a beam of sword light shot out, the river in front of Li Xuan split into two. The river, which had been flowing horizontally, was now diverted and flowed backward.
Li Xuan pondered for a moment, then got up, retracted his sword energy, and turned to leave.
Xuan Ye and the others in Wendǐng Plaza were stunned by the direction Li Xuan was heading. They exchanged glances, for that direction led deep into the profound beast world.
Along the way, Li Xuan did not attack profound beasts weaker than himself. Even when profound beasts advanced, Li Xuan merely forced them back before continuing. When he encountered powerful profound beasts, Li Xuan engaged them with great seriousness. For each profound beast, Li Xuan did not use Jīng Hún. Pure physical strength, through this continuous combat, grew increasingly powerful.
"This fellow is treating this competition as a trial," Xuan Ye said with a wry smile after watching for three days.
Everyone else also found it both amusing and exasperating. The other spirit masters, after encountering the beast tide, had chosen to hide and wait for it to pass. Only Li Xuan had actively emerged. However, they also knew that Li Xuan's current strength likely had few rivals.
Of course, this excluded the kings among the profound beasts.
Soon, half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Some spirit masters, after hiding for so long and confirming the absence of danger, emerged to search for their respective sect teams. Within the profound beast world, the figures of spirit masters became active again.
"Who is that, covered in blood?" In a forest, several figures watched a man walk by slowly and asked curiously.
"Shush, don't you see his face? That's Li Xuan. Even Liu Wenyào, the Saint Son from the Liúlí Sacred Land, was defeated by Li Xuan with a single sword strike," someone in the group quickly said upon hearing them.
"He defeated a Saint Son from one of the Six Great Sacred Lands with a single sword strike? But if Li Xuan's strength is so great, why is he covered in blood?" the former asked in confusion.
"Look, the direction Li Xuan is heading seems to be towards the territory of an eighth-rank Ice Soul Profound Tiger." Someone suddenly spoke up, observing Li Xuan's path. At this moment, Li Xuan's figure had completely vanished.
Roar!
The next instant, a tiger's roar echoed. Even from several li away, the group felt a sense of dread. But soon, a pained howl was heard. The group exchanged glances, then swiftly moved towards the direction Li Xuan had disappeared.
"This... this is the blood of the Ice Soul Profound Tiger?" Looking at a pool of blood on the ground, they exchanged bewildered glances.
"My goodness, the blood on Li Xuan was from those profound beasts!"
At this moment, everyone finally understood. In everyone's eyes, there was a look of awe.
Simultaneously, deep within the profound beast world, a man stood with countless powerful profound beasts behind him. However, these profound beasts looked at the man with clear reverence in their eyes.
"Reporting to the Beast King, those humans crush their spirit talismans and teleport away once they are outmatched. Our kin are unable to kill them. Instead, in the past few days, our kin have suffered many casualties," a profound beast spoke human words.
"Beast King, a human is approaching us. This person is extremely powerful, and ordinary eighth-rank kin are no match for him. Just now, one of our kin also fell to this person," an Ice Soul Profound Tiger stated.
"The human race has trapped us here for thousands of years, sending their disciples in to train every fifty years. Each time, our beast race suffers immense casualties. This time, I will make the human race feel true despair!" the man said slowly, then turned to face the beasts and continued, "I have united with two others to seal off the entire profound beast world. Their spirit talismans can no longer be used. Issue the decree: all kin of seventh-rank and above shall mobilize!"
"Yes!" The beasts rejoiced upon hearing this and then turned to leave.
As the beasts departed, the man's gaze fell upon a massive three-tailed bird. "Tian Jiu, go and kill that human. And bring back his head. I want to see what kind of prodigy he is."
"Yes!" The three-tailed bird spoke human words, then its figure moved, flying into the sky. In just a moment, it disappeared.