Half an hour later, Li Xuan, Xi Chuyun, and Shi Hongyi, a group of three, traversed the fringe and infiltrated the central area of the Great Sage Mountain Range.
With the Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone exhibiting unusual activity, the Xuan Sect naturally had to investigate. However, after deliberation among Xuan Yi Xian and others, Li Xuan and his two companions were dispatched as a surprise force to infiltrate first.
After all, the Sacred Sect was already aware of Li Xuan's existence, and if he were to join the main force, he would inevitably be restrained. Sending Li Xuan and his two companions to sneak in would undoubtedly be far more advantageous.
Furthermore, with Li Xuan's current strength, he possessed the ability to fight even against Saint Tai Xu. As for their safety, Xuan Yi Xian and the others were considerably more at ease.
As they continued to venture deeper, that inexplicable sense of oppression resurfaced in Li Xuan's heart. Clearly, even though the barrier of the Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone had loosened, the threat it posed remained significant.
Moreover, as Li Xuan and his companions pressed on, numerous forces were observed to have set up encampments in the fringe areas. Judging by their appearance, they had also sensed the instability within the Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone and were awaiting their opportunity.
"Brother Li, look!" Ten minutes after Li Xuan and his companions had advanced further, Xi Chuyun suddenly whispered and called out to Li Xuan.
Upon hearing this, Li Xuan immediately stopped and followed the direction pointed out by Xi Chuyun. A trace of astonishment flickered in his eyes.
On a plain ahead, a considerable number of individuals were patrolling. Judging by their attire, they clearly belonged to different factions.
"This must be where the top forces from various factions have stationed themselves. Judging by their posture, they haven't yet moved to enter the Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone. I can sense at least fifteen existences at the peak of the Dao Integration realm here," Li Xuan murmured, sensing the area.
"These people appear to be from the Ask Sword Sect and the Soul Sect. Besides them, there are also many first-rate forces camped here. Senior Brother Li Xuan, the Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone lies just beyond this plain. Do we need to cross it?" Shi Hongyi asked Li Xuan after glancing at the crowd ahead.
Li Xuan shook his head and replied in a low voice, "Our mission requires us to enter secretly. If we are detected by them, it will undoubtedly lead to complications. How about we take a detour and enter under the cover of night?"
Xi Chuyun and Shi Hongyi nodded in unison. Then, with a shift in their figures, they lowered their profiles and retreated the way they came. After walking for several miles, the trio finally stopped.
Li Xuan surveyed the terrain, nodded to Xi Chuyun and Shi Hongyi, and then shot towards a mountain peak.
"Let's wait here for now. Once night falls, we will proceed," Li Xuan said, observing their surroundings.
Shi Hongyi and Xi Chuyun nodded. Having traveled for so long, this was a good opportunity to recuperate.
Time gradually passed, and as dusk began to settle, the three who had been meditating opened their eyes simultaneously.
Li Xuan glanced at Xi Chuyun and Shi Hongyi and said, "Let's go!"
The Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone was located in the central part of the Great Sage Mountain Range.
Despite the late hour, the barrier glowed brightly, illuminating the land like a beacon.
During their journey thus far, Li Xuan and his companions had endured no less than a hundred tremors. This was ample evidence that what Zhou Wenlun had said was true.
The barrier of the Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone was indeed beginning to weaken.
At the same time, Li Xuan felt a sense of relief. If not for that resonant bell chime with its potent ability to forcibly awaken disciples in seclusion, he would likely still be in his cultivation.
"Brother Li, the barrier is still present. How do we enter? Or should we wait a while longer for the barrier to weaken before we act?" Xi Chuyun asked Li Xuan, his gaze fixed on the barrier before them.
Li Xuan shook his head and chuckled, "After five years of secluded cultivation, I've gained some understanding of formations. While I cannot break this barrier, I can tear open a rift wide enough for the three of us to enter."
Shi Hongyi and Xi Chuyun's eyes lit up at his words. Previously, Li Xuan had demonstrated his mastery of formations within the Purgatory Hall.
Noticing the spark in their eyes, Li Xuan smiled faintly and then, with a thought, a surge of formation energy erupted from his hand, rapidly attaching itself to the barrier.
Instantly, the formation energy seeped into the barrier. Witnessing this, Li Xuan slowly closed his eyes. His brow furrowed slightly, as if opening even a small rift was proving to be no easy feat.
As time passed, Li Xuan's furrowed brow grew tighter. Fine beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead. Seeing this, Xi Chuyun's eyes betrayed a hint of concern.
*Hum!*
With a resonant hum, Li Xuan let out a soft sigh and then abruptly opened his eyes. Forming hand seals, he pressed one hand against the barrier.
The next moment, a radiant light spread from the barrier.
"Go!" Without bothering to wipe the sweat from his forehead, Li Xuan let out a low command and then darted into the barrier. Shi Hongyi and Xi Chuyun followed closely behind.
Ten breaths later, the rift in the barrier instantly sealed itself.
"The aura within here is so strange!" Shi Hongyi said, frowning slightly as he glanced back at the barrier.
Even Xi Chuyun was frowning and scanning his surroundings with a wary expression, as if danger could erupt at any moment.
*Hoo!*
Li Xuan exhaled a breath of stale air and slowly opened his eyes. He surveyed the surroundings, a hint of solemnity in his gaze, and said, "The aura within here is likely due to sword intent. Besides that, there seem to be a few other distinct forces present."
"A few other forces? Brother Li, can you sense what kind of forces they are? Can the three of us withstand them?" Xi Chuyun immediately asked upon hearing this.
Li Xuan shook his head and replied, "They appear to be forces of some kind of rule. Although my divine soul is not weak, I cannot pry into these forces. Just a moment ago, when I attempted to sense them, my divine soul felt like it was burning, with an extremely strong backlash. However, as long as we proceed with caution, there should be no problem."
"If that's the case, then let's move. Once daylight breaks, the teams from the Sacred Sect and the Xuan Sect will likely arrive," Xi Chuyun said, a sense of relief washing over him.
According to Li Xuan, there must be other things within the Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone besides sword intent.
If the barrier were to disappear, the teams from the Xuan Sect, Sacred Sect, Myriad Flower Palace, and Ghost Prison Gate might also arrive.
To obtain that spiritual sword in front of these factions would undoubtedly be extremely difficult. The sooner they acted, the safer their approach would be.
"Little Brush, based on the sword intent emanating from here, can you determine the grade of this spiritual sword?" Li Xuan asked silently in his mind.
"This sword intent is at least of the Dao Sword level. However, due to the suppression of the cosmic order, it might be even higher," the Heavenly Dao Brush replied.
Li Xuan's heart stirred. The reason he had come to the Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone was because he had heard of the extremely potent sword intent emanating from within. Hearing the Heavenly Dao Brush's words now, Li Xuan's anticipation to see this spiritual sword grew even stronger.
Li Xuan had not forgotten that there were still three levels of seals within the Prison Suppressing Ring.
"Let's go. According to my senses, the spiritual sword's aura is coming from the southeast. However, for safety's sake, we should activate our spiritual energy barrier to prevent any unforeseen circumstances," Li Xuan said, nodding and looking towards the southeast before advancing.
Xi Chuyun and Shi Hongyi, seeing this, immediately activated their spiritual energy barrier and followed closely behind Li Xuan.
Time passed gradually, and the night deepened. Li Xuan and his companions drew ever closer to the depths of the Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone.
However, the pervasive pressure made their progress increasingly arduous.
"I originally thought of entering the depths of the Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone with you all. Now it seems I'm holding you back." After another half hour passed, Shi Hongyi's face had turned extremely pale.
Even Xi Chuyun's complexion was not much better. Within the Xuan Feng Forbidden Zone, besides the sharp sword intent, those few indescribable forces were constantly suppressing the trio.
Of course, for Li Xuan, these suppressions had almost no effect. After all, his Unyielding Bloodline inherently feared no such pressure, and its strength had been further enhanced by Hao Xuan's tempering.
"Brother Hongyi, we are not far from the spiritual sword's location now. Why don't you and Brother Chu Yun stay behind, and I'll go alone?" Li Xuan said after a moment's deliberation, hearing Shi Hongyi's words.
Xi Chuyun nodded slightly. Even he was finding it difficult to resist the pressure now. If they continued, it was likely they would only slow Li Xuan down.
Moreover, with Shi Hongyi unable to proceed, he would have to stay behind to look after him, otherwise, Li Xuan would not be able to advance with peace of mind.
"This spirit talisman was given to us by the sect leader. If you encounter danger, crush it," Li Xuan said, taking a spirit talisman given by Xuan Yi Xian from the Prison Suppressing Ring and handing it to them.
Xi Chuyun accepted it with a smile and then said to Li Xuan, "Brother Li, please go ahead. I will escort Brother Hongyi back ten miles. Rest assured, Brother Li, we will await your good news."
"Thank you for your trouble." Li Xuan clasped his fists in a respectful salute to Xi Chuyun, then glanced at Shi Hongyi before turning and walking towards the depths.
"Brother Hongyi, let's go. The pressure here is too much for us to withstand for long in our current state," Xi Chuyun said to Shi Hongyi after watching Li Xuan depart.
Shi Hongyi nodded, took one last look at Li Xuan's receding figure, and then turned to walk outwards.