Inside the illusionary space.
"Who is this person? He actually dodged my five attacks in a row. Looking at him, he doesn't seem to be from our Extreme Joy Continent."
Seeing Li Xuan easily evade his palm strike once more, Lu Le's brows furrowed slightly.
His effortless display clearly didn't match his revealed strength of a mid-level Realm Creation realm cultivator.
However, as a grand elder of a first-rank force, Lu Le was not one to be trifled with. Moreover, since this person could be matched with him, it proved his combat power was definitely comparable to a high-level Realm Creation realm cultivator.
"I mustn't be careless, or I might capsize in the gutter," Lu Le warned himself internally. He stopped holding back, and his aura as a high-level Realm Creation realm cultivator erupted instantly.
Clearly, Lu Le intended to end the fight quickly.
"Finally impatient? I thought I could spar a bit. Since that's the case, let's end it." Seeing Lu Le's actions, Li Xuan curled his lips and shook his head helplessly.
"Du Xin Luo Suo!"
Lu Le moved, and a spiritual light flashed on his hands. Under the condensation of golden light, a golden chain as thick as an arm shot towards Li Xuan.
At both ends of the chain, a massive golden lock descended like a cage. The chain itself faintly shimmered with a dark luster, emitting a black light.
Li Xuan had a feeling that if he were caught by this golden lock, he would have a hard time escaping.
"This is quite interesting." Li Xuan nodded slightly. Lu Le's attack was indeed different from his previous opponents. Especially this Du Xin Luo Suo, which appeared to seal space but actually locked onto a person's figure.
The dark luster on it had the same effect on spiritual power. At that point, he would only be at the mercy of others.
As the chain and lock were about to fall upon Li Xuan, Lu Le's face showed a hint of excitement. Ever since he cultivated this Du Xin Luo Suo, no one caught by it had ever escaped.
This Du Xin Luo Suo not only locked the spiritual master's figure and spiritual power but also had the effect of restraining their soul.
As long as the devouring formation hidden within it was activated, it could even absorb the opponent's spiritual power for its own use, making it an unstoppable technique.
"Ba Quan Wu Shuang!"
As Lu Le's expression grew more excited, Li Xuan's calm eyes finally shifted to Lu Le. Then, he clenched his left fist and directly smashed it onto the descending chain and lock.
Boom!
A tremendous roar vibrated as the fist print collided with the golden lock. Moments later, Lu Le's previously joyous face turned pale. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
"You... you're not a mid-level Realm Creation realm cultivator!"
Shock filled Lu Le's face. As his body flew backward, a golden light rapidly enveloped him and he disappeared from the illusionary space.
Watching Lu Le disappear, Li Xuan's lips curved upwards as he slowly said, "I suddenly feel like assigning me to the Realm Creation realm segment might have been a bit hasty?"
As Li Xuan's words fell, the words "Li Xuan" formed by golden light appeared above the illusionary space he occupied. Then, a golden light also enveloped Li Xuan, and he vanished.
"This... it's over already?" Seeing Li Xuan disappear into the light screen, Jiang Shang was slightly stunned, seemingly unable to react.
"How is that possible! That Lu Le must have accidentally fallen into this brat's trap, otherwise how could he have been defeated so quickly!" Just as Jiang Shang finished speaking, He Shuming, who had already recovered his breath, exclaimed in disbelief.
But Jiang Shang no longer paid attention to the latter. His gaze shifted to Li Xuan, who was slowly walking over.
"Congratulations, Young Friend Li, for being the first to secure victory in the preliminaries!" Jiang Shang dared not show any disrespect, especially since Li Xuan had successfully advanced to the next round. As Li Xuan approached, Jiang Shang quickly stood up and cupped his fists in congratulation.
Fortunately, as Li Xuan appeared, many other victors also emerged in the air. Jiang Shang and Li Xuan didn't attract much attention.
"Senior Jiang is too kind. The preliminaries have ended. When will the next round be?" Li Xuan cupped his fists in return and asked.
Jiang Shang replied, "After all participants have completed their matches, the victors will draw lots to determine the matchups for the next round. Young Friend Li will have to wait a moment longer. Once all participants have finished their matches and the next round's matchups are confirmed, the next battles will commence in three days."
Li Xuan nodded. The spiritual energy here on Dongxu Mountain was potent, making it a good place for cultivation. He then glanced at the figures gradually appearing around them and walked to the side to sit down.
"Pavilion Master Jiang, I'm surprised that the two you recommended have brought good news so quickly. And I presume the other one will also live up to expectations?"
Just as Li Xuan sat down, Luo Jia Ye, standing on a terrace in Tingyu Tower of Luojia City, not far from Leiyin Pavilion, turned his head slightly to look at Jiang Shang and said.
Jiang Shang bowed in response, "Thank you for your kind words, City Lord."
Luo Jia Ye nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Li Xuan for a moment before he shifted his attention back to the light screen on the table.
Hum.
With a hum, hundreds of figures once again flickered in the air.
"Haha, that was exhilarating! Pavilion Master Jiang, I've already won my preliminary match. I wonder about the one you recommended, is she...?" He Shuqian, upon appearing, looked at Jiang Shang with a triumphant expression and said.
Before he could finish, his gaze fell upon Li Xuan, who was sitting quietly beside Jiang Shang. A clear look of surprise flashed across his face.
"You... why are you out so early? Don't tell me you were eliminated without even taking a single move? You have the strength of a mid-level Realm Creation realm cultivator, how could you be eliminated so quickly?"
He Shuqian said to Li Xuan, completely oblivious to the growing embarrassment on He Shuming's face.
"Heh heh, congratulations, Young Friend Shuqian, on your victory. Also, Young Friend Li has successfully passed the preliminary round."
Of the three present, Li Xuan naturally ignored He Shuqian. He Shuming, however, found it difficult to speak, as if a fly were stuck in his throat. It was thus Jiang Shang who stepped forward to speak.
"He won too? Hmm, not bad. Otherwise, it would have been a waste of Pavilion Master Jiang's recommendation spot. However, the upcoming contestants are all formidable. Take advantage of these three days to cultivate well, and perhaps you might increase your chances of winning."
He Shuqian was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered. He glanced at Li Xuan, who was still meditating, and spoke again.
Jiang Shang's eyes held a wry smile. He Shuqian, a disciple of a top force from Zhenyin Continent, was naturally arrogant. However, such a temperament meant he hadn't truly experienced the world yet.
It was fortunate that Li Xuan paid him no mind, which indirectly elevated Li Xuan's status. With this thought, Jiang Shang's gaze inadvertently shifted to Li Xuan.
As Li Xuan remained silent, He Shuqian seemed to grow bored and sat down to wait. He Shuming beside him hesitated several times but ultimately said nothing.
Time gradually passed. After a quarter of an hour, the golden wheel above Dongxu Mountain suddenly opened its eyes.
"The preliminary round of the Buddhist Son Selection Competition has concluded. The names of all victors have been recorded. The battle list for three days from now is as follows."
As the golden wheel's voice fell, a massive light screen lit up in the air. Names rapidly materialized on the screen, with tens of thousands of names appearing in an instant.
At this moment, Li Xuan also opened his eyes as the golden wheel spoke. With a slight movement of his gaze, he began to observe.
"Li Liqing? This person doesn't seem to be a spiritual master from our Extreme Joy Continent," Jiang Shang said, having found Li Xuan's name first. He furrowed his brows upon seeing Li Xuan's opponent.
"Yang Feng, three days from now, you will know my strength!" As Jiang Shang finished speaking, He Shuqian also found his opponent and declared confidently.
"Let's go." After confirming his opponent, Li Xuan immediately stood up and said.
"Young Friend Li, Young Friend Shuqian, you two, follow me." Seeing this, Jiang Shang promptly stood up and, with his words, shot towards a passage that had appeared below Dongxu Mountain. Li Xuan and the other two followed.
"What! You're saying that kid named Li Xuan defeated a participant of the high-level Realm Creation realm?" He Shuqian exclaimed, jumping to his feet after hearing He Shuming's account, within the residence assigned to Leiyin Pavilion.
He Shuming swallowed hard and nodded slightly, "Moreover, that participant named Lu Le, although he initially fought Li Xuan to a draw. But I could tell that Li Xuan was only defending passively. If we consider a real fight, Lu Le was defeated in just one move."
He Shuqian was stunned again. Although He Shuqian was arrogant, he was not foolish. Especially after hearing He Shuming say that Li Xuan had defeated a high-level Realm Creation realm participant with a single move, He Shuqian's face felt a little hot.
Recalling his past taunts and sarcastic remarks, He Shuqian finally sighed, perhaps he had been too conceited.
At the same time, He Shuqian inwardly felt fortunate. If Li Xuan had a bad temper, he would have likely been dealt with long ago.