The high-ranking members of these factions were naturally enraged, never expecting that the "underestimated genius" trope would actually unfold!
They had dispatched Nascent Soul and even Void Returning stage powerhouses to hunt him down more than once. To their frustration, every time they made a move, He Guangxin seemed to have foreseen it and vanished.
Six years had passed since the Five Elements Immortal Sect was annihilated.
During these six years, he had appeared throughout the entire Eastern Mo Prefecture. While he never publicized his intentions, everyone knew his purpose was revenge.
Just three days prior, the three major factions dispatched a large number of experts to encircle and annihilate He Guangxin.
However, he had survived because he never showed up.
At this moment, He Guangxin, compared to six years ago, had grown a beard, sported several scars on his face, and looked much more weathered.
He was sitting in a mysterious inn.
The reason he was able to turn misfortune into fortune and evade the pursuit of these powerful enemies every time was that this inn was actually a stronghold of the most powerful and top-tier intelligence organization on the continent – the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.
"Brother He, have you considered what I proposed? If you joined our Heavenly Secret Pavilion, you wouldn't be in such a sorry state. Although we are mandated to maintain absolute neutrality, with our identity and access to our intelligence network, dealing with those insignificant sects would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it?"
A gentle and refined young man poured He Guangxin a cup of wine.
He was Mo Wuji, the true Dao Child of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. One day, he happened to witness He Guangxin fighting disciples of the Five Elements Immortal Sect. This man, fighting one against five against cultivators of higher realms, held his own completely.
Ultimately, all five disciples were slain by He Guangxin, who then collapsed from excessive blood loss.
Mo Wuji greatly admired He Guangxin. This man, though young, possessed immense willpower.
While Sword Cultivators were known for their strong will, He Guangxin's willpower surpassed that of most Sword Cultivators. The intensity of a Sword Cultivator's sword intent was largely linked to their willpower.
Moreover, He Guangxin's cultivation level was quite outstanding, not only in the Eastern Mo Prefecture but throughout the entire Gathered Immortals Divine Continent. He belonged to the level just below the top-tier geniuses.
Thus, Mo Wuji wanted to recruit He Guangxin into the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. However, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion had a rule: they were a neutral force and could not directly participate in the struggles of any faction.
Mo Wuji, however, harbored greater ambitions. He hoped that when he became the Pavilion Master, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion would transform and forcefully become the number one power on the continent.
To realize this ambition, he needed the help of some individuals, preferably geniuses with no background, who could grow alongside him and help him reach the pinnacle.
He Guangxin was not foolish; he knew the other party wanted to use him. However, he also needed the terrifying foresight capabilities of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion for his own battles against his hostile factions.
"Brother Mo, you know, I cannot let go of the hatred for the annihilation of my sect. If I left with you like this, my Dao Heart would not accept it!"
Mo Wuji said helplessly, "Didn't I tell you? You can be my subordinate. When I inherit the position of Pavilion Master, that will be the time to break the rules. This is merely for you to endure, not to abandon your hatred. Furthermore, I must say, with your current strength, trying to overthrow these three sects is like a fool's dream!"
He Guangxin remained silent for a moment, then said, "Give me ten more years."
Mo Wuji pinched his brow. "Brother He, aren't you making things difficult for me? Another ten years, and you still won't reach the Soul Transformation realm!"
"I don't need to reach Soul Transformation. My sword is a sword of revenge. These ten years are for me to temper my sword!"
"Hiss, Brother He, to possess such a Dao Heart is truly admirable!"
"Also, I can pledge my service to you, but you'd best not let my strength surpass yours. I don't have a habit of serving those weaker than me."
Mo Wuji, however, laughed heartily and patted He Guangxin on the shoulder, his gaze sharp.
"Brother He, while I admire you greatly, I actually don't have a habit of having geniuses more talented than me serve me either!"
Their gazes met, and then they both smiled.
"A drink?"
"Sure!"
This signaled their agreement: for the next ten years, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion would not act directly but would secretly subsidize He Guangxin.
However, Mo Wuji was unaware that the reason he mentioned ten years was that after ten years, he would be returning!
Although he was currently avenging his master, he had never forgotten his mission, sparing no effort to acquire more resources to enhance his strength.
He didn't know what level he could reach in twenty years, but at least he wouldn't disappoint his "Immortal Brother."
Yet, some of his words weren't entirely untrue; his battles over the years were for revenge and to temper his sword.
The more pain he inflicted on his enemies, the more he relished it.
However, he hadn't received any news from his other brothers for a long time.
They had never reunited since being scattered six years ago.
This was because they had all left the Eastern Mo Prefecture. But he knew that even after leaving this region, his brothers were still being hunted.
A crucial reason why he so violently killed disciples of these hostile sects was to attract hatred to draw attention away from his brothers.
Twenty years was a long time, as in this world, life was threatened daily.
Twenty years was also a short time, as he couldn't grow strong enough to avenge his master.
...
After a seven-day buffer period, it was finally time to enter the Deep Sea Dragon Palace again.
The Deep Sea Dragon Palace was the palace of the Sea Dragon clan. Unlike other dragon clans, the Sea Dragon clan could even be considered human.
This was because, aside from having a demon core within their bodies, their cultivation was no different from that of humans.
Unlike other demonic beasts that needed to reach the seventh stage to transform into human form, they had two forms from birth: the Sea Dragon form and the human form.
Therefore, within this palace, all resources were no different from those of human sects.
As for whether there would be dangers, it was unknown.
It might be similar to the Blazing Fire Palace, with a hidden boss and hidden opportunities.
The secret technique "Blazing Fire Nine Revolutions" still provided benefits even at the Nascent Soul stage.
Chu Yang told them, "You are all still quite at ease now. This is because some people are paving the way for you in the true cultivation world. Three hundred people have gone, and more than fifty have already died."
Everyone exchanged glances. The true cultivation world? They had never heard of it.
"My requirements for you remain the same: do your utmost to improve your strength, whether it be cultivation, spells, or combat techniques. Every bit of additional strength will increase your chances of survival later. Specifics will be discussed when you return."
"Also, you can compete, but do not kill each other, because the ultimate goal of improving your strength is to deal with our common enemies. And those who stand together now will be teammates fighting side-by-side, understand?"
As he said this, Chu Yang's gaze fell upon Chen Xiaohan. He wasn't worried about others, but he was concerned about this girl being too venomous.
However, Chen Xiaohan merely offered Chu Yang a well-behaved smile...