Li Xuan sat with his eyes slightly closed before a mountain cliff. After reviewing the experience of his battle with Xu Shaoyang, Li Xuan found many areas for improvement. The fight had been quite beneficial.
In truth, Li Xuan felt some gratitude towards Xu Shaoyang. If Xu Shaoyang hadn't been so arrogant, wanting to kill Li Xuan with his sword and seize his destiny, Li Xuan might not have been able to directly skip the intermediate stage of the Karma Realm.
Even with the Hongmeng Dao Body constantly absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth, there were limits. Xu Shaoyang's sword strike, however, was condensed from spiritual energy. For Li Xuan, it was a great tonic.
"It's time to improve my cultivation realm," Li Xuan opened his eyes after an hour had passed.
His understanding of swordsmanship and his state of mind were now close to perfection. Coupled with the Hongmeng Dao Body, Li Xuan had a particularly deep comprehension of the world's forces. Having already made a bitter enemy of Xu Shaoyang, Li Xuan had to accelerate his progress.
With this thought, Li Xuan moved his mind and directly entered the Town Prison.
Of course, Li Xuan first met with Tuoba Yan, then went to the third level to check on Xiao Bai, who was still sleeping. After giving instructions to the prison spirit, Li Xuan sat down to cultivate.
With twenty immortal swords surrounding his body, Li Xuan took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to absorb.
Tianqian City, the City Lord's Mansion.
"City Lord Xu, a mere boy in the Karma Realm actually destroyed your physical body? You claim you acted for your adopted son, but that excuse doesn't hold water. If I recall correctly, you were right there at the time," Guan Zeyang said with a slight smile, looking at Xu Shaoyang.
Fan Libai, standing beside them, also turned his gaze to Xu Shaoyang and said, "City Lord Xu, you should know that the relationship between the three factions outside is not exactly friendly. Since you have something to discuss, I think it would be best for City Lord Xu to be more candid."
Xu Shaoyang remained silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "This matter, ultimately, is because I was somewhat careless. However, that boy possesses a Azure Dragon spirit beast of the Sovereign Realm, and he also wields a Holy Sword."
Xu Shaoyang paused, then continued, "Since I have found you both, I will no longer hide anything. That boy possesses great fortune. If we can strip him of that fortune, our realms will undoubtedly advance further!"
Guan Zeyang and Fan Libai exchanged a glance, then nodded slightly. It was clear that they had accepted Xu Shaoyang's reasoning. Furthermore, if Xu Shaoyang hadn't been careless, he would have likely succeeded. At that point, Xu Shaoyang would have been the sole ruler of Tianqian City.
They, being the first to be targeted, would undoubtedly become prisoners, and even their lives would be in danger. Neither of them was easy to deal with, and their decision was made with a mere exchange of glances.
"So, City Lord Xu, you intend to join forces with the two of us to capture that boy, and then obtain that so-called great fortune from him?" Fan Libai asked Xu Shaoyang.
Xu Shaoyang nodded slightly and replied, "My lifespan is less than fifty years. If I can advance further, my lifespan will naturally increase. This is the fundamental reason why I must seek your alliance. Upon success, the great fortune will be divided into three parts. Of course, if you are unwilling to act, I can lead my subordinates myself."
An old fox!
If he could lead his subordinates to capture the boy, why would he bother contacting them?
Fan Libai and Guan Zeyang sneered inwardly, but did not expose his pretense. While they had believed his previous reason by seventy to eighty percent, his current claim about his lifespan was something they now fully believed.
Both of them were cultivators of the Sovereign Realm and could see that Xu Shaoyang indeed had less than fifty years left to live. Everyone acts for their own benefit, and the higher one's cultivation, the more they fear death. Even Fan Libai and Guan Zeyang would likely act the same way in their final years.
"I agree to this matter. However, I happen to be in need of a mount, and that Azure Dragon would be perfect," Guan Zeyang said.
"I recently acquired a divine sword technique, so that Holy Sword will be mine," Fan Libai also agreed.
Xu Shaoyang cursed inwardly upon hearing this, but he knew that without tangible benefits, the two would not agree to help him. It was even possible that when Xu Shaoyang led his subordinates out, they would interfere and seize the opportunity for themselves.
"Very well." For the sake of his own lifespan, Xu Shaoyang agreed with a grim expression.
"When do we depart? And that boy, he must have run far by now, hasn't he?" Fan Libai asked, seeing this.
Xu Shaoyang smiled with some smugness and replied, "That boy bears a mark I left on him. As long as he hasn't entered the central region, I can track him. However, there is no time to delay. The three of us acting together are more than enough to capture that boy!"
This old fellow certainly had a backup plan!
Guan Zeyang and Fan Libai exchanged glances, but then nodded. Xu Shaoyang's expression slightly relaxed. They had finally reached an agreement. However, Xu Shaoyang was inwardly sneering.
The art of stripping great fortune was not something everyone knew. Even Xu Shaoyang had only chanced upon a fragmented remnant. Coincidentally, this fragment contained a method for stripping and transferring fortune. When they divided the fortune, Xu Shaoyang would have the final say.
Soon, three figures left the City Lord's Mansion and headed directly southwest.
Before a mountain cliff, the three figures of Xu Shaoyang appeared simultaneously.
"Strange, the mark clearly disappeared here, yet the boy is not present!" Xu Shaoyang closed his eyes, sensed for a moment, then opened them with a frown.
Fan Libai and Guan Zeyang both closed their eyes, then opened them, and exchanged a troubled glance. "There are no living beings within a hundred miles of this area. If your mark is not mistaken, City Lord Xu, has the boy somehow vanished into thin air?"
Xu Shaoyang pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "My mark can only be detected by beings of equal strength to myself. With that boy's power, he is certainly incapable of doing so. But now, the mark has disappeared, and the boy is nowhere to be found. There is only one possibility!"
"What possibility?" Guan Zeyang asked.
Xu Shaoyang took a deep breath and slowly said, "That boy possesses a treasure that conceals his aura!"
A glint of greed flickered in the eyes of Guan Zeyang and Fan Libai. A treasure that could make all three of them unable to find any trace of its owner was undoubtedly of extraordinary level.
"What do we do next?" Fan Libai asked.
Xu Shaoyang chuckled lightly and replied, "The boy must still be in the vicinity. I suggest we wait here!"
"Agreed!" Fan Libai and Guan Zeyang exchanged glances, then nodded in unison.
A Sovereign Realm spirit beast, a Holy Sword, a treasure that conceals one's aura, and that legendary great fortune.
This journey was indeed worthwhile.