The news of Yu Yao Sect's crushing defeat and the demise of two Returning Void Old Ancestors swept through the entire Yong Province like a hurricane at an unimaginable speed, subsequently shaking the Great Xia Cultivation World!
A mysterious Cultivator, outside the Tianyou Mountain Range, effortlessly slew Yu Yao Sect's two Great Returning Void Old Ancestors!
For a time, the name White Tiger Devil Head became widely circulated.
Meanwhile, Han Xuanji, far away in Shenxuan Sect, was leisurely beginning his daily sign-in routine.
To prevent Little White Tiger from being exposed, he specifically cast the Heaven-Shading Art, disguising Little White Tiger as a harmless Spiritual Pet, and also placed some restrictions on it to prevent it from causing trouble.
Little White Tiger was currently counting its spoils of war, feeling quite pleased with itself.
Because Han Xuanji didn't care for the assets of these Returning Void and Soul Transformation Cultivators, it all went to Little White Tiger.
"Hoo hoo hoo, I'm rich, I'm rich."
Little White Tiger's eyes gleamed.
However, when he saw Han Xuanji return to the Sect and disguise himself as an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple, he was extremely puzzled.
"Master, you're so powerful, why are you only an Outer Sect Disciple?"
"I feel like we could totally start our own Sect, establish the White Tiger Sect, and then dominate the Nine Provinces!"
"Easier said than done."
Han Xuanji said exasperatedly:
"With your capabilities, you want to take Disciples?"
"If you're exposed, then you'll be waiting to become tiger meat hotpot."
Although Little White Tiger didn't know what a hotpot was, it understood that it absolutely could not expose its identity.
On this day.
Lu Fan sent a message:
"Junior Brother, let me tell you, a major event happened in Yong Province a few days ago."
Han Xuanji swallowed a ling sha fruit and calmly replied to the message:
"What happened?"
"It is said that a few days ago, Yu Yao Sect sent many Advanced experts to capture a tiger demon with an extraordinary Bloodline, but unexpectedly, that tiger demon had a master, who was also a powerful Returning Void Cultivator. As a result, two Old Ancestors of Yu Yao Sect perished, and many Cultivators were killed.
The major forces in Yong Province quickly annexed Yu Yao Sect, only to discover that Yu Yao Sect had already secretly colluded with Heavenly Demon Sect, planning to use this Opportunity to eliminate other forces in Yong Province and completely dominate it.
You tell me, is this White Tiger Devil Head a bad person?"
Upon hearing this, Han Xuanji hadn't expected that by a strange twist of fate, he had also eliminated a minion of the Heavenly Demon Sect, and he felt quite pleased.
Turns out he didn't kill the wrong person.
Han Xuanji thought for a moment and replied:
"I'm not sure, but since Yu Yao Sect brought it upon themselves, maybe the other party was just retaliating?"
"That's true, fortunately, this White Tiger Devil Head took action, otherwise, Heavenly Demon Sect would have gained another powerful ally."
"Yes, White Tiger Devil Head did a good job."
Then, Lu Fan also spoke of many recent happenings within the Sect. Overall, many Genius individuals have emerged in these years, and the Heavenly Spiritual Root, once a rare sight, now appears in multiple instances at once.
Lu Fan complained that if he continued to Cultivate diligently within the Sect, he would eventually fall behind.
In the days that followed, Han Xuanji continued to Cultivate in seclusion within the Sect.
The arrival of Little White Tiger, however, added a bit of liveliness to the usual quiet.
This fellow was actually quite young mentally and completely ignorant of many Human Race matters. He would often sneak out to wander around. Fortunately, Han Xuanji's concealment Spell was powerful, and no one suspected that this harmless little cat was actually a Returning Void Demon King.
However, Little White Tiger's Bloodline was Heaven-Defying, so even if it didn't Cultivate diligently every day, its cultivation still soared. Han Xuanji simply let it be.
.....
On this day.
Inside Han Xuanji's Immortal Cave.
The space, originally as still as solidified mercury, suddenly rippled with an extremely subtle tremor.
Han Xuanji, who was sitting cross-legged on a futon, slowly opened his eyes.
Returning to Void Realm Fifth Level!
It was a natural progression, without any ripples.
Even Han Xuanji himself felt a touch of surprise.
He hadn't deliberately sought to Break Through the Bottleneck; he was merely sorting out the accumulations of these past years, and he had quietly crossed that threshold.
"Hmm?"
Han Xuanji's mind stirred slightly, and the Heavenly Vision Art silently operated.
In an instant, the vertical eye deep within his Primordial Spirit reflected the subtle changes in the outside world.
"The concentration of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi has increased, and the Laws have loosened a lot."
Once Cultivators reach the Returning to Void Realm, absorbing Qi and Cultivating is merely the most basic foundation; what's more important is enlightenment.
Laws are endless, and the world is filled with Laws, extremely profound. Normally, it's very difficult for ordinary people to comprehend, which is why so few people can Cultivate Divine Abilities.
And if the Heaven and Earth Laws before were like precise, intricately nested copper walls and iron barriers, requiring Cultivators to expend much mental effort to comprehend and 'pry open'.
Then now, these walls seem to have more 'cracks', and the 'textures' of the Laws have become clearer and more discernible.
For high-Realm Cultivators, this means that the difficulty of comprehending Laws is significantly reduced, and the resistance to Breaking Through Bottlenecks is greatly weakened.
And for low-Realm Cultivators, this 'loosening' brings about the activity of Spiritual Qi, making it easier for them to have sudden flashes of insight during Cultivation, or even to prematurely touch upon a trace of the 'Dao'.
"Is it because of the coming of a Great Era?"
Han Xuanji murmured thoughtfully.
"Master, I know!"
Little White Tiger, who was lying on a warm jade, playing with a Spiritual Pearl with its paw, suddenly looked up, its amber vertical pupils shimmering with intelligent light.
"Oh? What do you know?"
Han Xuanji looked at him.
Little White Tiger wagged its fluffy tail and said with certainty:
"Great changes in Heaven and Earth. In my Bloodline memory, I remember this situation has occurred many times, and each time, many people Ascend."
It paused, seemingly trying to organize its words:
"The Bloodline memory says this is Heaven and Earth's own protective instinct. The Spirit Realm we are in is itself an Advanced world.
It can sense a great crisis, or it needs stronger power to maintain balance.
So it will spontaneously foster more powerhouses, hoping to Cultivate sufficiently powerful saviors to deal with future calamities."
"Saviors, huh?"
Han Xuanji nodded slightly, his gaze calm and unwavering, not overly concerned.
The will of Heaven and Earth, the torrent of the Great Trend, was not something he could change, nor something he wished to force.
He would not actively take up the banner of salvation, but if a Devil Head truly dared to jump before him, wreaking havoc on the common people and endangering the people or things he cared about, he would not sit idly by.
On the path to longevity, what one seeks is carefree freedom, not complete cold indifference.
Time flowed slowly.
Ten years passed in a hurry.
White Tiger Devil Head and Demon-Slaying Sword Master seemed to have faded from people's sight. Except for a few who witnessed them, most people were troubled by current trivial matters and had no mind to think too much.
Because of the Returning to Void Realm Devil Cultivator's presence, the Devil Cultivators' actions became even more rampant.
Many Loose Cultivators were complaining bitterly, and Shenxuan Sect was somewhat overwhelmed, as the enemy was hidden, and sneak attacks were impossible to guard against.
As far as Han Xuanji knew, more and more Disciples began to emerge from seclusion to slay demons.
This included True Disciples like Lu Fan, as well as many inner Sect Prodigies. Some of them were even Cultivators of the same generation as Han Xuanji when he first joined the Sect, and these individuals were already close to Golden Core cultivation.
Meanwhile, Han Xuanji quietly Cultivated, his cultivation silently reaching Returning Void Ninth Level.
His Cultivation became increasingly effortless; at the Returning to Void Realm, his Cultivation speed was even faster than in the Soul Transformation Realm.
And in these ten years, the advent of the Great Era had become a topic of conversation for many.
Within Shenxuan Sect, many Geniuses emerged, and the Realms of some powerhouses also began to loosen.
"Master... your speed is too demoralizing for a tiger."
Little White Tiger had already Broken Through to Returning Void Third Level. It felt it was incredibly powerful.
But looking at Han Xuanji's seemingly unhindered progression, it couldn't help but cover its face with its paw.
Its speed was entirely due to the various Heaven And Earth Treasures and the precious drop of White Tiger essence blood that Han Xuanji fed it daily.
"Soon."
Han Xuanji's gaze pierced beyond the quiet room, as if passing through layers of palaces and mountains.
"Next, it's time to prepare for... Body Integration Realm."
...
On the other side.
The tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease.
Yong Province, Demon Sealing Mountain Range.
Inside a grotto.
Lin Potian was on the verge of tears, looking at the hateful gazes of many Human Race Cultivators, he explained:
"I'm really not a Human traitor."
Ever since he received guidance from Han Xuanji, he had diligently Cultivated every day, but unfortunately, his talent was too ordinary, and his cultivation hadn't changed much.
He was unwilling to remain mediocre his entire life, so he thought of going out to gain experience, hoping to obtain some Opportunity.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived in Yong Province, he was captured by a Demon King, who inexplicably took him as his adopted son.