A branch of conversation emerged, centered around Xuan Huang's phrase "to know one's mind". Xuan Huang, however, didn't take it seriously:

"Oh, you mean the 'Flying Immortal Sword Scripture'? Naturally, I uphold the principle of 'Words Weigh as Much as Nine Tripods'... But let me be clear, whether you have the fortune to accept it, I won't interfere."

"Understood, understood."

Yu Ci responded with a beaming smile. He simply brought up the topic, swiftly steering it back to the main point: "You're saying this object doesn't originate from Guixu (usually referring to a bottomless valley in the sea)?"

"At least I've never seen it. It's mostly from outside."

"Outside? Who could bring such a thing in?"

Despite the current state of Guixu, riddled with Void Rifts, resembling a sieve, the power of Qu Thunderbolt-Free was formidable. His sword could cleave through three thousand worlds. Unless he encountered the "Eternal Abyss", all he opened were one-way passages. That is, one could only exit from the Secret Domain, while external entities were absolutely unable to enter.

Yu Ci adopted a posture of careful observation. Indeed, he was observing. But apart from his own eyes, he had Xuan Huang scrutinize it several times, and then he received a positive response: "It's definitely not from within the Secret Domain..."

"What's really going on?" Hua Xifeng, who was speaking, was not questioning the Hundred Ghosts Iron Box in Yu Ci's hand, but rather the whole story of Guixu.

In the tomb of the Eastern Marquis, due to the urgency of time, Yu Ci had only given a brief introduction. Now, it was time for a clear explanation. Just as Yu Ci was about to speak, Xuan Huang kicked up a fuss in the Inner Void of the Heart: "Kid, don't go blabbering everywhere!"

Xuan Huang was indeed somewhat apprehensive: "Cleaving through three thousand worlds, one misstep could lead to the collapse of the void, the destruction of millions of miles of Heaven and Earth. In the Cultivation World, it's considered a Forbidden Technique, no one brings it to the table. Also, if news of Thunderbolt-Free Great Immortals still being alive spreads, who knows what trouble it will stir up..."

"Ah, really?"

Yu Ci still respected Xuan Huang's wishes, recalling the information he had previously revealed, it should not have touched on this area. Furthermore, due to the difficulty in explaining, some more precise information was still withheld, such as the fact that Qu Thunderbolt-Free had not metamorphosed as the rumors suggested.

The so-called "a miss is as good as a mile", Yu Ci couldn't be sure what the current state of the Sword Immortal's Secret Domain looked like to Hua Xifeng and the others. Perhaps he would have to find another way to explain, but where was a foolproof plan to be found at such short notice? Just as he was worrying, Xuan Huang pointed him in the right direction.

Yu Ci couldn't think of a better solution at the moment, so he followed Xuan Huang's guidance and began: "This starts with my Sunken Sword Cave... Huh, what is that?"

Hua Xifeng and Wang Jiu didn't expect Yu Ci to divert their attention. Their hearts tightened slightly, and following Yu Ci's pointing finger, they turned their heads in unison. In the shadow of a fragment of a broken wall, there was a faint circle of light, something that definitely hadn't been there before.

Several people observed closely, discovering that the place was actually a semi-collapsed portal. Originally buried, it was likely exposed due to the impact of the previous Sword Energy, revealing the illuminating light within.

Hua Xifeng and Wang Jiu exchanged glances, the former saying, "The malevolent spirits have been active around here."

Yu Ci had known the answer a step earlier. According to Xuanhuang, this place should be the 'Lockless Hall' on the periphery of Guixu (typically refers to a bottomless valley in the sea), storing some leftover materials from when Qu Thunderbolt-Free crafted the Secret Domain, as well as some war trophies from earlier years. Put simply, it was a storeroom.

"Shall we go in?" Wang Jiu asked.

On the whole, Hua Xifeng and Wang Jiu regarded Guixu as a secret dwelling place akin to a cave in the sky. They may have had other thoughts before entering, but upon seeing the void's broken state, they didn't care much. Hua Xifeng said:

"No hurry. This place is fraught with danger, and with the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave lurking nearby, we should first meet up with our junior brothers Xiao and Li... Not bad, they are together."

Hua Xifeng understood priorities. In Guixu, the resonance between Heaven and Earth was greatly restricted, but the distance between them was relatively short, so he could still confirm the positions of the two.

Yu Ci grunted in acknowledgement. During this time, he had finally sorted out a rough explanation regarding the Secret Domain. It was sufficient to temporarily fob off any questions, and the goal had been achieved, so naturally, he had no objections.

The three turned around and headed in the direction of Xiao Lu and Li Hong.

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After walking seven or eight steps, the three abruptly froze in unison.

Behind them... something seemed amiss?

If it were others, they would probably instinctively turn around to see what was happening. But Yu Ci and his companions were all seasoned individuals. Upon detecting a problem, they first protected their bodies. Yu Ci used the flawless Sword Circle, while Hua Xifeng and Wang Jiu activated their body protectors. In terms of robustness, theirs were even superior to Yu Ci's. At the same time, the three dashed forward to create a safe distance.

Only when they were about ten zhang away, at the end of this ruin, did they turn their heads. As far as the eye could see, Hua and Wang were unsure, but Yu Ci felt a heavy throb in his heart.

At the entrance of the newly discovered Lockless Hall, a person was standing, clad in armor. The exquisite sky-blue Armor added a splash of color to the desolate void. However, due to the bronze mask and the five fin-like blades surrounding it, the impression was more menacing.

But all of this was nothing compared to the pressure brought by the hollow, void-like eyes behind the mask.

The figure stood at the entrance for a while, then slowly walked forward. The metal boots stepping on the bluestone ground made a loud sound, exceptionally clear to the ear. Judging by its approach, it didn't seem too friendly.

"What sort of person!"

Wang Jiu uttered a deep growl, his sword aura spontaneously activated. At this time, Yu Ci's warning had just left his lips, "Be careful..."

Before he could finish speaking, his vision blurred. The armored figure, ten feet away, seemed to cross space directly, suddenly appearing within arm's reach. The armor brought with it a chilling aura, enveloping the three of them. Yu Ci had no time to say anything else. He activated the Nine Luminaries Dragon Abyss Sword Talisman, but halfway through the sword stroke, Wang Jiu fell down like a log.

A jolt went through Yu Ci's heart. Just moments ago, his sword had been as fierce as a blizzard, invincible. Had he fallen so suddenly? Yu Ci would never think that Wang Jiu was a bully who was afraid of hardship. After all, this was a man who had slain Golden Elixir cultivators as easily as picking up a bag - Yu Ci had seen it with his own eyes!

But then again, the monster he faced had also killed twelve Golden Elixir cultivators and nearly thirty Nature-Connecting Cultivators in an instant, including two high-ranking Golden Elixir masters. That "Ten Directions Hell Shaking Ghost God" was something that Yu Ci had already cracked, but the thought of it still made him shudder.

These complex thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Yu Ci suddenly became alert, realizing that his state of mind had been shaken again. The Life Death Talisman immediately flipped rapidly, clearing away all distractions, driving his Sword Technique, and slashing at the terrifying Armored Cultivator in front of him.

Once the sword was drawn, it sought the opportunity for life and death. This was Yu Ci's habit. He indeed found an opportunity, but halfway through the sword stroke, he found that although the gap existed, if he truly wanted to flip life and death from there, his power was not enough - could he overturn a mountain?

In the blink of an eye, his power reached its limit, and the Nine Luminaries Dragon Abyss Sword Talisman's endurance also reached its limit. With a "crack" sound, the Sword Talisman shattered, and a great force pierced his chest, threatening to break his internal organs, sternum, and spine. But at the brink of life and death, he locked eyes with the man and heard a very low voice:

"It's you..."

The force suddenly changed. Yu Ci's mind buzzed with a loud noise, feeling a violent shake throughout his body. All his strength dissipated in this one shock, and he lost even the strength to stand, collapsing weakly.

Almost at the same time, he faintly heard a muffled hum from Hua Xifeng, followed by complete silence. A profound chill surged up, piercing his heart and mind. Amidst the shivering cold, Yu Ci became even more alert.

It was the leader of the Heavy Weapon Sect! This inscrutable monster, who had been missing since his battle with the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave on the second layer of the Talisman Seal, unexpectedly appeared in Guixu. But Yu Ci didn't understand. The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave had to use the Pan Emperor's Three Swords and the Heavenly Calculation Bead, secretly calculating thousands of cultivators, before taking a shortcut to enter this place. How did this man get here?

And then... he roared in the Inner Void of the Heart: "Xuan Huang, what is going on?"

"What?"

"Didn't you say under the combined effect of the Three-layer Talisman Seal, the strength of all beings would be suppressed to the Golden Elixir Stage, and at most, wouldn't exceed the Vacuum Walking Standard... what is this?"

Xuan Huang was silent for a long while before saying, "When did this person use power beyond the Golden Elixir Stage?"

Yu Ci was taken aback. He wasn't particularly sensitive to the distinction between Golden Elixir and Vacuum Walking, but he trusted Xuan Huang's judgement. His mind was a bit scrambled, but he wasn't one to blame others for his misfortunes. He quickly put everything behind him, gritting his teeth and gathering his strength, trying to get up again. As long as he wasn't dead, he still had a chance!

A voice came from above, "Are you from the Lichen Sect?"

The long-silent Hua Xifeng, who had also survived, finally caught his breath. His cultivation was the most profound. He struggled to sit up, maintaining his dignity, "Hua Xifeng of the Lichen Sect, I admit defeat graciously. May I ask your name?"

Even when Wang Jiu struggled to sit up from the ground, the leader of the Heavy Weapon Sect did not respond. He just swept his vacant gaze over the three faces, and then...

He turned and left.

Yu Ci and the others were stunned, watching the Armored Cultivator step into the void and disappear in a blink of an eye. Only the three defeated men were left on the ruined platform.

With a "thud", Wang Jiu pounded the ground with his fist, his disheveled hair hanging down, obscuring his expression. Hua Xifeng took another breath, his expression still relatively calm. Yu Ci, just recovering from the shock, turned to Hua Xifeng, "Senior Brother Xifeng, I've seen him before."

Hua Xifeng and Wang Jiu both fixed their eyes on him. Yu Ci spoke softly, "He should be the Clan Leader of the North Wilderness Heavy Weapon Sect. He came into the sword garden with nine Golden Elixir cultivators from his sect. Along the way, he slaughtered over forty disciples of the Eastern Orthodox Sect, including Ji Long and Lian Chang, two upper-level Golden Elixir... Xiao Fuyun was the only one to escape."

Now even Xiao Fuyun was finished, largely due to this man.

After hearing Yu Ci's description, Hua Xifeng and Wang Jiu were both stunned. After a while, Hua Xifeng tried to speak, but another voice rang out:

"Come give me a hand."

As soon as the words fell, Yu Ci's vision went black. Then there was a rush of wind, the sound of wind whistling in his ears, and the angry shouts of Hua Xifeng and Wang Jiu quickly faded away.

There will be another chapter around eight o'clock tonight, please look forward to it. Uh, it's been two weeks since I asked for votes, how about giving me a hand today, brothers and sisters?

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