In the spiritual pool, Li Xuan gazed at the spiritual water that stretched endlessly in every direction, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He had sensed a ripple of energy here earlier.
However, by the time Li Xuan arrived, that energy fluctuation had vanished without a trace.
Furthermore, Li Xuan noticed that although the spiritual pool hadn't appeared large before he entered, he could now see no end to it. Even his divine sense couldn't detect any spiritual energy fluctuations within a hundred miles.
After creating a spiritual energy barrier around himself, Li Xuan closed his eyes again. As his divine sense expanded, every inch of the area centered on him was captured in his mind. Yet, the sensations that entered his perception were no longer the same as before.
"This foundation stone is quite intriguing. Even divine sense can't track its movements. Other participants probably won't be able to find it either," Li Xuan mused, opening his eyes and shaking his head with a wry smile.
If even his own divine sense couldn't locate the foundation stone, other participants would likely struggle as well.
However, since the Buddhist sect had arranged it this way, there must be a method to obtain the foundation stone. Moreover, as time passed, the gravity of the surrounding spiritual water was also increasing. This alone would be enough to make many participants unable to persevere.
With a thought, Li Xuan's figure vanished into the void.
As Li Xuan disappeared, the surroundings returned to their original state. An endless expanse of water, as clear as a mirror.
Time ticked by. After a full hour, about six or seven meters to the right of where Li Xuan had been standing, a patch of transparent liquid suddenly began to move. The seemingly transparent liquid shifted for a moment before rapidly fleeing into the distance.
"I've waited so long for you, and you've finally appeared!"
At that moment, Li Xuan's voice echoed abruptly. Accompanied by a sonic wave, Li Xuan's figure shot towards the path of the transparent liquid.
As if sensing danger, the transparent liquid instantly accelerated its escape, moving with a speed that even Li Xuan found difficult to match.
"Suppress!"
Li Xuan rapidly formed hand seals, and a spiritual seal rose from his palm. In an instant, the surrounding spiritual water parted. A spiritual energy barrier sprang up around the patch of transparent liquid, sealing off all escape routes almost simultaneously.
Feeling its retreat blocked, the transparent liquid finally revealed its form. It pulsed with a dark light and was now frantically crashing against the surrounding spiritual energy barrier.
"So this is the foundation stone. It is indeed extraordinary." Li Xuan's eyes flickered with surprise as he gazed at the black stone violently colliding within the spiritual energy barrier.
The spiritual energy barrier Li Xuan had erected was difficult for even a skilled cultivator at the Harmony Realm to break. Yet, under the impacts of this foundation stone, it showed signs of cracking. Fortunately, Li Xuan had integrated his sword domain, which stabilized it.
Hmm?
Just as Li Xuan was about to make a move to claim the foundation stone, a sense of crisis suddenly surged through him. With a thought, Li Xuan quickly moved to his right.
Li Xuan then looked up towards the spot where he had been standing. A man in green robes was now looking at Li Xuan with a surprised expression.
Seemingly dissatisfied with his failed ambush, the green-robed man clicked his tongue and spoke to Li Xuan, "To be able to find the foundation stone and trap it is proof enough of your strength. However, this foundation stone is mine, Shi Rongguang."
Li Xuan chuckled at this. When he had made his move earlier, he had indeed sensed a ripple of spiritual energy. However, his focus had been entirely on the foundation stone, and he hadn't paid it much attention.
He had mistakenly assumed it was just another participant passing by. He hadn't expected this person to have also sensed the foundation stone and chosen to lie in wait. Then, at the crucial moment when Li Xuan was suppressing it, he had launched a surprise attack. Had Li Xuan not been so perceptive, he might have fallen victim to his scheme.
"Peak of the God-Infusion Realm. I hope you won't disappoint me," Li Xuan smiled faintly, but his expression instantly turned cold. With a swift movement, he shot towards Shi Rongguang.
Seeing that Li Xuan had chosen to attack directly, a flicker of surprise crossed Shi Rongguang's face. However, in an instant, he regained his composure. How could any participant who had made it into the top thousand Buddhist disciples be ordinary?
After glancing at the foundation stone trapped by Li Xuan, Shi Rongguang also moved, launching a punch at the approaching Li Xuan.
Boom!
Li Xuan and Shi Rongguang's fists collided squarely. The immense shockwave caused the surrounding spiritual water to churn. The two separated instantly, their figures retreating. In their exchanged glances, a hint of surprise was evident.
"Look, Shi family's eldest son, Shi Rongguang, has clashed with that Li Xuan!"
"Judging by their actions, it seems to be over the foundation stone. I wonder whose luck it is to have found it so quickly."
"It's hard to say whose foundation stone it is at this point. If these two don't settle their differences, determining the ownership of the foundation stone will be difficult. Moreover, their fight will undoubtedly attract the attention of other participants. As time goes on, the outcome will likely be even more unpredictable."
"..."
Outside the spiritual mountain, as the battle between Li Xuan and Shi Rongguang began, the round mirror projected a light screen. The scene of their fight was instantly revealed. Upon seeing this, everyone began to discuss animatedly.
Jiang Shang and He Shuming, seated in their pavilion, also turned their attention.
"Pavilion Master Jiang, what is the strength of this Shi Rongguang's Shi family?" After a moment, He Shuming, watching Shi Rongguang still evenly matched with Li Xuan on the screen, asked Jiang Shang.
Jiang Shang replied, "The Shi family is not a founded power. They are a family with a lineage on the Bliss Continent. These families have historically never accepted outsiders; they rely on their own descendants to develop. The Shi family is such a case."
"It is rumored that the ancestor of the Shi family was an existence in the God-Slaying Realm. The cultivation techniques they passed down are also extremely powerful. The Shi family has relied on the protection of their ancestor to develop to its current state. In terms of strength, even if they are not as powerful as the thirty-six top powers, they are among the foremost in the first-tier forces."
"As for Shi Rongguang, he is one of the outstanding disciples of the Shi family. His strength has already broken through to the peak of the God-Infusion Realm. There is a saying within the Shi family that whether they can return to their peak rests on Shi Rongguang."
He Shuming nodded slightly. Although the Shi family had a strong background, He Shuming undoubtedly leaned more towards Li Xuan. Putting aside Li Xuan's abundant spiritual energy, his physical strength alone was enough to be proud of among his peers.
More importantly, He Shuming knew that Li Xuan was also a sword cultivator.
He Shuming recalled the shocked expression of his senior brother after watching Li Xuan's battle footage, an expression that lingered for a long time.
In the spiritual pool.
Li Xuan and Shi Rongguang, after exchanging over a dozen blows, stopped again. Their initial probes had evolved into serious engagement, and the strength they displayed had gradually increased.
However, after five minutes, both Li Xuan and Shi Rongguang were forced to cease fighting.
This was because they could now feel each other's strength, and simultaneously, three immense auras were rapidly approaching.
"Fine, I won't contest this foundation stone. However, whether you can keep it, let alone successfully activate it, will depend on whether you have the ability," Shi Rongguang's expression finally showed a hint of panic as he looked at Li Xuan, who remained unmoving.
Among the three approaching auras, one was clearly much more powerful. Considering that he couldn't even suppress Li Xuan, Shi Rongguang had no choice but to withdraw.
As soon as Shi Rongguang finished speaking, he rapidly shot backward. Clearly, facing the three incoming contestants and Li Xuan, Shi Rongguang had lost the will to fight.
Li Xuan paid no heed to Shi Rongguang's departure, his expression carrying a hint of solemnity. He glanced up in the direction from which the three auras were coming. With a thought, Li Xuan summoned a divine sword into his hand.
During his fight with Shi Rongguang, Li Xuan had not revealed his identity as a sword cultivator. Now, with a powerful cultivator at the God-Breaking Realm among the newcomers, relying solely on his physical body might not suffice.
"Hmm, Shi Rongguang actually retreated? It looks like another powerful individual has sensed the foundation stone and is rushing over."
"Shi Rongguang has retreated, yet this Li Xuan remains in place? He seems to intend to continue vying for this foundation stone."
"Could it be that Li Xuan believes he can handle the situation alone? Anyone who can make Shi Rongguang retreat must have a strength of at least the God-Breaking Realm."
"..."
The leaders of various factions outside the spiritual mountain, watching the projection, began to discuss again. Their words carried a degree of doubt, clearly not entirely convinced of Li Xuan's strength.
"It seems someone has left first. But why are you still here? Do you think you alone can block the three of us?"
Three streams of spiritual light flashed, and three figures instantly appeared before Li Xuan. The purple-robed man leading them, after glancing in the direction Shi Rongguang had retreated, slowly fixed his gaze on Li Xuan.
"Are you also here to snatch my foundation stone?" Li Xuan paid no attention to the purple-robed man's words. He calmly glanced at the three and said unhurriedly, "My foundation stone?"
The purple-robed man chuckled softly, "Yours? We three came here and didn't see the foundation stone in your hands. And even if it were, what would you do if we wanted to take it?"
Li Xuan smiled back, "Since that's the case, do you intend to attack together or one by one? However, I think it would be better for you to attack together. That way, you'll save a lot of time."
Silence!
As Li Xuan's words fell, the purple-robed man and the other two were stunned for a moment. The surrounding air seemed to freeze.
"How arrogant. Brother Bai Song, how about you handle this? Of course, according to our agreement, this foundation stone will also be yours." The purple-robed man let out a cold laugh and then directly looked at the black-robed man on his left, saying.
The black-robed man nodded slightly, "Then, as agreed, I will handle him. He speaks so boastfully, I'd like to see how much confidence he has!"
As Bai Song spoke, his figure became like a black gust of wind, instantly disappearing from his original position and charging directly at Li Xuan's face. Seeing this, Li Xuan curled his lips slightly and casually raised his left hand, unleashing a sword strike.
Clang!
With a sword's cry, Bai Song fell to the ground, his death gruesome.
To the astonishment of the purple-robed man and the other man in green robes, Li Xuan's voice slowly resounded again.
"I told you to attack together. Are you satisfied now?"