As dawn broke the next day, Fang Xian rose early.
His eyes shone with anticipation; today, he would challenge—a Saint.
Beside him, Li Muwan, Luo Hongxia, Elder Tianqiong, Elder Tianlan, Liu Yunyan, and Fairy Mengli also awoke, their eyes filled with concern and trust as they looked at Fang Xian.
"You must be careful."
Li Muwan stepped forward and gently took Fang Xian's hand, her voice tinged with worry.
Fang Xian smiled and nodded, patting Li Muwan's hand lightly to reassure her.
The group headed together towards the sect where the sage resided.
From afar, the sect resembled a towering behemoth, standing majestically between heaven and earth.
The massive mountain gate was carved from a single piece of spirit stone, covered with ancient and mysterious runes, each radiating powerful spiritual energy.
On either side of the mountain gate stood two enormous guardian beast statues, their claws bared, their imposing presence sending chills down one's spine.
Upon arriving at the gate, Fang Xian stepped forward and bowed to the guards, saying,
"Please announce our arrival; we request an audience with the Sect Master."
The guards sized them up, a flicker of surprise in their eyes, but they quickly turned and hurried into the sect.
A short while later, one guard returned hastily, respectfully saying,
"The Sect Master has been waiting for some time. Please follow me."
The group followed the guards into the sect, proceeding along a wide spiritual path.
On both sides of the path, exotic flowers and rare herbs bloomed in profusion, emitting a captivating fragrance.
These flowers and herbs were all rare varieties imbued with rich spiritual energy; a gentle breath allowed one to feel the spiritual energy flowing joyfully within their bodies.
Along the way, they could see many disciples of the Lingxiao Sect cultivating, their faces radiating focus and piety, their bodies surrounded by spiritual energy, blending seamlessly with their surroundings.
After walking for a long time, they finally arrived before a magnificent palace.
The palace doors were tightly shut. A guard stepped forward and gently knocked.
With a creak, the doors slowly opened, releasing a powerful and mysterious aura.
The group entered the palace and saw a man in a golden robe sitting regally on a massive jade throne.
His face was majestic, his eyes deep, and he radiated a light that was impossible to look directly at.
This man was the Sage—Dao Keming.
"Welcome, everyone, from afar."
Dao Keming's voice was deep and resonant, as if it came from the heavens, echoing within the palace.
Fang Xian bowed respectfully and said,
"I have long admired your esteemed reputation, Sage, and have come today to pay my respects. I hope to exchange skills with you to improve my cultivation."
Dao Keming smiled slightly and said,
"I have been waiting for you for a long time. I knew you came from the Great Thousand World, and to have achieved so much at such a young age is truly remarkable."
"I observe that you possess extraordinary talent. If you were to join my world, you would surely reach a higher realm of cultivation, abandoning the disturbances of the Great Thousand World. What do you say?"
Fang Xian's expression hardened upon hearing this.
"Thank you for your kindness, Sage, but I was born and raised in the Great Thousand World. My family and friends are there, and I cannot and will not abandon it."
"I only wish to protect the Great Thousand World and continue on my own path."
Dao Keming's eyes flashed with admiration, and he nodded slightly.
"Everyone has their own path, and the path follows nature. Every path has its unique aspects, and all are viable. Your perseverance is admirable."
With that, Dao Keming stood up, his aura suddenly surging.
The once tranquil palace was now filled with surging spiritual energy, the immense pressure making it difficult for everyone to breathe.
"Since that's the case, then let me see just how powerful the experts of this Great Thousand World truly are."
Fang Xian was equally unyielding, his body surging with chaotic power, dancing wildly like black flames.
The Limitless Twin Swords appeared in his hands, their blades swirling with mysterious runes, chaotic power winding its way up the edges, radiating a chilling aura.
The two vanished from their spot in an instant, appearing in the sky a moment later.
The surrounding air seemed to be torn apart, emitting a sharp whistling sound.
Dao Keming made the first move, a golden staff appearing in his hand, its tip inlaid with a huge gem that emitted a dazzling light.
He swung the staff, and a golden beam of light shot towards Fang Xian like lightning, ripples spreading through the space where it touched.
Fang Xian's eyes sharpened. He wielded his Wuji Twin Swords, unleashing a black sword aura to meet the golden light.
With a deafening boom, the two collided violently, erupting in a dazzling light. The powerful impact scattered the surrounding clouds.
Seeing this, Dao Keming chanted an incantation, and a colossal phantom of spiritual energy appeared behind him.
This phantom was tens of feet tall, with a majestic face, wielding a massive spiritual spear, exuding a terrifying aura.
The phantom swung the spear, thrusting it towards Fang Xian. Wherever the spear struck, black cracks were torn in space, from which black energy turbulence surged.
Fang Xian's figure flashed, weaving through the spear's attacks like a ghost.
His Limitless Twin Swords danced rapidly, clashing repeatedly with the spear, producing deafening sounds.
Each collision was accompanied by powerful fluctuations of spiritual energy, distorting and warping the surrounding space.
As the battle continued, both sides gradually entered a white-hot phase.
A solemn expression appeared on Dao Keming's face. He could sense that Fang Xian's strength was even greater than he had imagined.
His attacks, though fierce, could not penetrate Fang Xian's defenses.
Fang Xian, on the other hand, grew increasingly fierce, his eyes gleaming with excitement, as if he were savoring every moment of the battle.
The Limitless Twin Swords in his hands, empowered by the power of chaos, grew ever more powerful, each attack putting immense pressure on Dao Keming.
"Hah!"
Dao Keming suddenly roared, concentrating all his spiritual energy into his staff, which instantly erupted with dazzling light.
He swung his staff fiercely, unleashing a massive sword aura of spiritual energy towards Fang Xian.
This sword aura was several meters long and more than a meter wide, tearing a huge rift in space wherever it struck.
Fang Xian's eyes narrowed upon seeing this; he knew this was Dao Keming's strongest attack.
He dared not be careless in the slightest. He channeled his chaotic power to its limit, the Wuji Twin Swords spinning rapidly in his hands, forming a massive chaotic vortex.
The vortex spun rapidly, engulfing everything around it, including the incoming spiritual energy sword energy.
To everyone's astonishment, the chaotic vortex and the spiritual energy sword energy collided violently, erupting in a dazzling light.
The light illuminated the entire sky, blinding everyone.
With a deafening roar, the entire space shook violently, as if it might collapse at any moment.
A powerful shockwave spread outwards from the point of impact, leveling the surrounding mountains.
As the light gradually faded, everyone looked closely and saw Fang Xian and Dao Keming suspended in the air.
They exchanged a glance, a hint of admiration flashing in their eyes.
"Again!"
Fang Xian shouted, charging towards Dao Keming once more.
Dao Keming was not to be outdone, gripping his staff tightly and meeting the attack head-on.
The two engaged in fierce combat again, this time with even more frenzied and reckless attacks.