Time passed in a flash, and a month had already gone by since Li Xuan had been drinking with Xiu Zhu and the others.
Li Xuan had intended to seek guidance from Elder Dan Wushuang the day after their drinking session, but found that Elder Dan Wushuang had actually left the Sacred Origin Sect. It wasn't until a month later that Elder Dan Wushuang reappeared.
Seeing this, Li Xuan immediately went to the main hall of Sacred Origin Peak. After learning the reason for Li Xuan's visit, Elder Dan Wushuang nodded slightly, signaling Li Xuan to ask his questions.
"Speak, what is it that you cannot comprehend?"
"Elder Dan, are the soul, spirit, and divine sense all the same? How are these three distinguished? Is the spirit unique to a spiritual master?" Li Xuan pondered for a moment before voicing the doubts in his heart.
"The soul, everyone possesses it. Even mortals do. Among mortals, some individuals are born with strong senses. For example, some people have an extremely keen sixth sense, even an instinct for danger. This unusual ability is actually the sensing of the spirit."
"Of course, for mortals, it can only be called intuition. The spirit is an upgraded version of a spiritual master's soul. The spirit is a collective term for a soul after it has undergone transformation. As for divine sense, it is the perception derived from the spirit."
"Similarly, although mortals can sense one or two things, they cannot truly see them. Divine sense, however, clarifies everything. The stronger the spirit, the wider the divine sense. To have a strong spirit depends on the thickness of one's soul and subsequent cultivation. Do you understand?"
After a moment of contemplation, Elder Dan Wushuang explained in simple terms.
"Elder Dan, does a stronger spirit also allow one to kill without a trace?" Li Xuan nodded slightly upon hearing this and then asked again.
Elder Dan Wushuang nodded. "A powerful spirit can indeed kill without a trace. The soul gives birth to intellect, and intellect governs a person's will and thoughts."
"Those with a strong spirit possess a thicker soul. Once they unleash spirit abilities, they can instantly shatter another's soul and take their life."
"However, we generally cannot detect the spirit unless someone actively uses it. Furthermore, the stronger the existence, the more potent their spirit will be."
"Therefore, without absolute certainty, one must not casually employ spirit attacks. After all, a slight mistake could lead to one being controlled and losing their life."
"Moreover, among us spiritual masters, there are also levels of spirits. The power of spirits is far greater than we currently perceive. The saying 'the spirit roams the vast void, thoughts travel in all directions' refers to such supreme spirits."
"Perhaps with a single thought, one could alter the heavens and earth, control life and death. However, such existences are rare, and they might also be subject to certain influences. For now, it is sufficient for you to understand the importance of the spirit."
"This disciple understands." Li Xuan nodded slightly. The kind of spirit Elder Dan Wushuang spoke of was naturally not something Li Xuan could achieve at present.
Elder Dan Wushuang nodded. "The path of cultivation is profound and mysterious, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is like a frog in a well looking at the sky. Perhaps only when we climb to the edge of the well will we discover that there are skies beyond skies and people beyond people."
"With your current strength, your divine sense should already be extraordinary. I shall now impart the Dragon Light Soul Severing Art to you. While it is not a grand divine ability, it is always useful to have more skills. Now, go back and comprehend it diligently."
As he finished speaking, Elder Dan Wushuang waved his hand, and Li Xuan felt a surge of information enter his mind.
"Thank you, Elder Dan." Sensing this, Li Xuan rose and bowed.
"Go," Elder Dan Wushuang said with a smile, waving his hand.
"Yes." Li Xuan bowed and then turned to leave.
On Mount Fuyao, in a courtyard.
Li Xuan sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes. With a thought, the Dragon Light Soul Severing Art, imparted by Elder Dan Wushuang, materialized. A scene appeared, and Elder Dan Wushuang’s figure slowly materialized within it.
"Dragon Light Soul Severing!" Elder Dan Wushuang moved, and a shout echoed. An invisible aura exploded forth. Then, a radiant light flashed, accompanied by a faint dragon's roar within the light, which shot towards the mountain range before him.
*Hum.*
A few moments later, a muffled sound reverberated. The entire mountain range trembled, and was then leveled to the ground. The scene then abruptly ended.
"So powerful!" Li Xuan slowly opened his eyes, a profound shock reflected within them.
"This spirit ability, though powerful, is likely due to Elder Dan's execution. After all, Elder Dan's strength is not something that can be easily matched. If I could grasp even a tenth of it, it would likely be sufficient."
Li Xuan pondered for a moment, then reviewed the scene several more times before beginning to cultivate according to Elder Dan Wushuang's incantations.
Half a month passed. Li Xuan had not reappeared since returning to his courtyard. One day, a strange halo emanated from the courtyard and quickly spread in all directions.
Elder Dan Wushuang, on Sacred Origin Peak, suddenly paused his teacup, glanced at Mount Fuyao, and then smiled, continuing to drink.
"So this is the effect of a powerful spirit." Feeling the minute details transmitted by his divine sense, Li Xuan experienced a new realization.
After cultivating the Dragon Light Soul Severing Art, Li Xuan suddenly had an idea to extend his divine sense to envelop the entire Mount Fuyao. Under the perception of his divine sense, every blade of grass and every tree on Mount Fuyao was within his awareness.
The frail wild grass revealed an astonishing vitality.
Each dewdrop that fell seemed to do so with a force greater than any wind.
From these minute details, Li Xuan's understanding of the creation of heaven and earth deepened once more.
*Ding!*
At that moment, a crisp, breaking sound echoed in Li Xuan's mind.
"It's that dream!" Seeing this, Li Xuan immediately closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them. His eyes were filled with intense joy.
As inspiration struck, Li Xuan unexpectedly recalled the dreams he had experienced while unconscious. As he watched the scenes unfold, Li Xuan felt as if he had personally lived through them.
A moment later, a hint of enlightenment appeared in Li Xuan's eyes: "The myriad forms of dreams are like life. So, this is the second level of the Dream Tribe's Dream Entry Art."
Li Xuan took a deep breath and slowly placed his left hand on his forehead. "Enter dream."
*Hum.*
With a humming sound, ripples like water waves appeared around Li Xuan's body. Droplets of water materialized, resembling a celestial sphere.
If one observed closely, they would find a miniature reflection within each droplet. xxs1
"One leaf, one Bodhi; one flower, one world. This second level of the Dream Tribe's Dream Entry Art is indeed extraordinary." After delving into these droplets with his consciousness, Li Xuan couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
However, a smile then spread across Li Xuan's face. Despite the significant consumption of spirit energy required for this comprehension, the second stage of the Dream Tribe's Dream Entry Art was undeniably more formidable.
As long as the opponent's strength was less than Li Xuan's, or even not exceeding Li Xuan by a full realm, Li Xuan could trap them within the dream space.
And once trapped in the dream space, their life and death would be at Li Xuan's command. Compared to life and death, the spirit energy Li Xuan consumed was negligible.
Li Xuan calculated that with his current spirit energy realm, he could perform the Dream Tribe's Dream Entry Art twice. Beyond that, his spirit energy would not be able to bear the strain.
However, even these two instances were enough for Li Xuan to gain absolute control. Feeling this, Li Xuan became even more aware of the benefits of a powerful spirit.
"Little Junior Brother, aren't you tired? Still in seclusion?" Just as Li Xuan was about to continue reviewing his spirit energy, Wang Kun's voice suddenly sounded from outside the room.
Upon hearing this, Li Xuan chuckled and said, "Sixth Senior Brother, please come in."
"It seems I've arrived at just the right time." As Li Xuan finished speaking, Wang Kun's figure appeared inside the room. Wang Kun looked at Li Xuan and then said with a smile.
"Sixth Senior Brother, are you looking for me for something?" Li Xuan asked with a smile, rising from his seat.
"Yes, the Treasure Pavilion is about to hold an auction. I came specifically to invite you to go together. We were supposed to leave three days ago, but you didn't respond when I sent you a message, so I guessed you were in seclusion. If I hadn't heard from you today, I wouldn't have been able to wait for you."
Wang Kun nodded.
"Treasure Pavilion? Sixth Senior Brother, do you need to auction something?" Li Xuan, having prior experience with auction houses, asked Wang Kun curiously.
"Not at all. However, the Treasure Pavilion is the largest auction house on our Eternal Continent. Auctions held there will undoubtedly feature rare and exotic treasures. If you see something you like, you can simply bid for it. Besides, wouldn't this be an opportunity for you to meet your little girlfriend?"
Wang Kun said with a smile.
"Will the Moon Tribe also be attending?" Li Xuan asked Wang Kun, showing a flicker of interest.
"At such a grand auction, the five great families will naturally be present. And the Treasure Pavilion doesn't hold auctions casually; it's been twenty years since the last one. The five great families will certainly not miss this one," Wang Kun stated.
"What about Senior Brother and the others? Are they going too?" Li Xuan nodded slightly and asked after a moment of thought.
Wang Kun nodded. "They left three days ago. I specifically stayed behind to wait for you. What do you say, Little Junior Brother, aren't you very touched?"
"Could it be that Senior Brother and the others asked you to stay behind?" Li Xuan said with a smile.
"Uh, Little Junior Brother, what's seen cannot be unseen. We're still good friends. Haha, Little Junior Brother, what do you say? Will you participate in the Treasure Pavilion's auction?" Wang Kun chuckled and asked Li Xuan.
"Since Senior Brother and Sisters are going, and Sixth Senior Brother waited for me for three days, how could I not go? It's also a good opportunity to see if there's anything suitable for me." Li Xuan nodded.
"Aren't you interested in seeing your little girlfriend?" Wang Kun chuckled.
"Sixth Senior Brother, didn't you just say what's seen cannot be unseen? Your face seems a bit swollen," Li Xuan quipped with a smile.
"Hahaha, Little Junior Brother, let's depart then." Wang Kun burst into laughter. As Li Xuan nodded, they both vanished.
Eternal Continent, Linglong Mountain Range, the location of the Treasure Pavilion.
On this day, as a flying dragon couch approached, two figures instantly appeared on its front deck. These two were Li Xuan and Wang Kun.
"Sixth Senior Brother, is this the location of the Treasure Pavilion?" Li Xuan asked Wang Kun curiously, looking at the endless mountain range before him.
From Li Xuan's memory, auction houses were typically located in large cities. However, the scene before them resembled a deep mountain forest. The mountains below lay like a coiled dragon stretching for thousands of miles. It was difficult to imagine that a Treasure Pavilion that Wang Kun and the others valued so highly would be situated here.
"I mentioned it to you earlier, the Treasure Pavilion is the largest auction house on our Eternal Continent. Compared to other auction houses, the Treasure Pavilion is indeed unusual. However, every auction held by the Treasure Pavilion sets new price records, and all items auctioned are of the highest quality."
"Also, do not underestimate the Treasure Pavilion. The surrounding tens of thousands of miles are all within the Treasure Pavilion's sphere of influence. What we see now is merely the tip of the iceberg of the Treasure Pavilion," Wang Kun said, nodding.
"Moreover, Elder Dan seems to attach great importance to this Treasure Pavilion. It feels to me that the Treasure Pavilion carries far more weight in Elder Dan's heart than the five great families do," Wang Kun said with a solemn expression as he stopped the flying dragon couch.
"It seems there must be someone with extraordinary influence behind the Treasure Pavilion," Li Xuan's eyes widened slightly. If that were the case, the Treasure Pavilion's influence would be even greater than that of the five great families? If so, the power dynamics on the Eternal Continent would be truly terrifying.
"Alright, there's no need to dwell on these things. Little Junior Brother, you just need to remember one thing: on the Eternal Continent, no first-rate power is easy to deal with. Each power might have the shadow of other powers behind it."
"What we must do is 'if people do not offend me, I shall not offend them.' But if someone deliberately seeks trouble, we strike back hard. We disciples of the Sacred Origin Sect are not afraid of trouble."
Wang Kun said with a slight smile, his tone exuding great confidence.
"Good." Li Xuan nodded, and then he and Wang Kun moved together, rapidly descending.
*Hum!*
With a humming sound, Li Xuan and Wang Kun actually disappeared into thin air.
"This is the true appearance of the Treasure Pavilion!" As the scene changed, a colossal palace occupying an area of a thousand li suddenly appeared.
Li Xuan's eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting that there was an illusion array and barrier at the outer edge of the Linglong Mountain Range.
"Let's go, the auction is about to begin. We need to find Senior Brother and the others," Wang Kun said, patting Li Xuan's shoulder as if it were commonplace.
Li Xuan nodded slightly. "Alright."