Chapter 060: The Abyssal Enigma

"You... you've finally awakened."
The appearance of the remnant soul from his previous life filled Xu Xuan with immense delight.
Ever since returning from the bandit suppression, Xu Xuan had been waiting for this moment.
Now, having reached the seventh level of Body Refinement, the gateway of cultivation was already open to him, and the choices that lay ahead would determine the fate of his entire life.
Not until he mastered the eighth transformation of the Dragon-Serpent did the remnant soul finally appear.
"Not bad. You have reached the eighth level of Body Refinement. Most cultivation paths in this world are now open to you," the remnant soul murmured, its voice extremely weak, the glow of its form dim and fading.
Evidently, during the battle with the bandits, the remnant soul had paid a heavy price to awaken Xu Xuan ahead of time.
"I was just hoping to seek your advice," Xu Xuan said, excitement shining in his eyes. The thought that he might soon join the ranks of the immortals made it difficult for him to contain his exhilaration.
Yet the remnant soul’s silhouette was like a candle flickering in the wind, growing ever more faint, on the verge of vanishing once more.
"Wait!" Xu Xuan cried out anxiously. This was a matter that concerned his destiny—how could he let the remnant soul fade away so easily?
"True cultivators... Solid Body, Ninth Level..."
The remnant soul had just managed to utter these fragmented words when its form merged into the sea of memories and disappeared without a trace.
Xu Xuan, within his sea of memories, was left nearly breathless with frustration. He carefully pondered the words left behind.
True cultivators? Solid Body, Ninth Level?
On the surface, this meant that to become a true powerhouse, one needed the foundation of the ninth level of Body Refinement.
Although in the cultivation world, reaching the seventh level was already enough for ordinary mortals to qualify for the ranks of the immortal practitioners, the higher one’s realm in the Body Refinement stage, the deeper and steadier the foundation laid.
Few mortals, however, were willing to linger in these fundamental stages.
Only the rare, peerless geniuses nurtured by great families or major sects could boast a foundation above the eighth level.
"So be it. Since the remnant soul said as much, there must be a reason. The deeper the foundation, the further one may travel on the path of cultivation. Besides, I have cultivated the ‘Nine Transformations of the Dragon-Serpent’ for so long—it would be a true regret not to complete the final transformation," Xu Xuan sighed softly. Though the remnant soul had not provided a precise path, it had resolved his current doubts.
If he wished to become a true cultivator, a true supreme being, he must surpass others even at the foundational stage.
Just like in his previous life, when his achievement of the ninth level foundation had astonished his mentors, allowing him to cultivate both the immortal and martial paths—what an unparalleled and formidable existence that was!
If so in his past life, then in this life, Xu Xuan would not lose to his former self.
With this matter settled, Xu Xuan sat cross-legged in his sea of memories, absorbing more knowledge.
With each advancement in cultivation, the area of bright starlight belonging to him in the sea of memories would expand accordingly.

Now at the eighth level of Body Refinement, that luminous region extended to a radius of twenty miles. Though this was but a drop in the ocean compared to the entire sea of memories, it was a significant improvement over the initial speck.
Xu Xuan absorbed more knowledge from his past life, gaining deeper insights into methods of immortal and martial cultivation, as well as various secrets of the cultivation world.
He especially sifted through knowledge on formation arrays, intending to prepare this for his younger sister, Huilan.
Even as he trained in the immortal sect, he never forgot his family in the village, who placed so much hope in him.
His parents, being advanced in years, had missed the best window for cultivation and would likely achieve little in that regard. Xu Xuan planned to guide his sister into the world of cultivation, hoping she could become a formation master of distinguished status.
The next morning, Xu Xuan dared not lightly practice the "Howl" technique again—its power was truly astonishing, especially the final thunderous howl, which was beyond extraordinary.
Indeed, not long after he arose, he noticed several immortal sect disciples investigating near North Cliff.
At midday, a mighty spiritual pressure radiated down from above.
Looking up, Xu Xuan saw, hovering over his small pavilion on North Cliff, three Immortal Masters of the Spirit Refinement stage, each standing atop a flying artifact, their bodies wreathed in shimmering light.
Among them, Xu Xuan recognized Elder Lu and Lady He, while the man in the center—clad in a spacious robe of azure jade, handsome and keen-eyed—radiated an aura that surpassed the others.
Watching the three Immortal Masters through his window from afar, Xu Xuan’s heart pounded rapidly. The spiritual pressure alone made it hard to breathe, as if the very air and all living things nearby were weighed down and silenced.
"Why have such high-ranking figures from the sect gathered near the ‘Abyss of Limitlessness’? Could it be because of last night’s events?"
Xu Xuan was secretly alarmed. Even if he was not the direct cause, he sensed he was at least involved.
He wondered at the identity of the man in the azure robe—by far the strongest presence Xu Xuan had encountered in this life. Compared to him, the mightiest bandit chief would be as insignificant as an ant.
At that moment, a graceful and refined young man arrived, alighting before the trio on a ripple of clear light. Addressing the central figure, he said, "Reporting to Grandmaster, after a full day’s search, we found nothing suspicious near North Cliff."
The newcomer was none other than Lefeng, who had recently become a true disciple.
Grandmaster!
At those words, Xu Xuan’s heart trembled. He stole another glance at the central, dignified man standing atop a white feather, exuding both authority and transcendent poise.
Could the anomalies caused by his cultivation last night have startled even the sect’s Grandmaster?
"Who resides in that little pavilion below?"
Grandmaster Feng Yu’s gaze was as sharp as a sword, seeming to pierce all barriers straight to where Xu Xuan watched in secret.
"Reporting, Master, that is Xu Xuan, a new outer disciple who distinguished himself during the recent bandit suppression and received your commendation," Lefeng replied with a smile, adding, "Xu Xuan is not yet sixteen, has just entered the sect, and has not reached the Qi Refining stage. He certainly could not be involved in this matter."
"Oh, Xu Xuan?"
Grandmaster Feng Yu nodded and withdrew his gaze.
Immediately, Feng Yu, Lady Heyue, and Elder Lu exchanged glances, their lips moving in silent conversation, the words inaudible.
Xu Xuan guessed they were using some secret Divine Sense Transmission technique, letting them communicate thoughts quietly and securely.
After a while, Elder Lu smiled and said, "Allow me to go down and take a look."

With that, he mounted a white spirit crane and flew toward the Abyss of Limitlessness below.
A long wait followed.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar burst from the abyss, shaking heaven and earth.
In an instant, thunder rolled across half of Xingyu Mountain, dark clouds gathered, and a strange, powerful aura blanketed a ten-mile area—though it lasted only a moment.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A white and a purple light shot up from the abyss—the white spirit crane and Elder Lu, both showing panic and fear.
"What happened?"
Grandmaster Feng Yu and Lady Heyue were visibly moved.
What kind of presence could leave a Spirit Refinement Immortal Master so disheveled?
Elder Lu’s face was a mix of worry and joy. His lips moved as he used Divine Sense Transmission: "The seal beneath the abyss has loosened greatly. Strange spiritual energy is faintly leaking out. Centuries ago, the glorious Xingyu Sect must indeed have possessed..."
Grandmaster Feng Yu and Lady Heyue’s eyes lit up at his words, and they communicated rapidly through Divine Sense Transmission.
Suddenly—
A sharp light shot from the direction of the Falling Star Sword Sect across the abyss.
That dazzling, sword-like glow pulsed with flames and starlight, radiating an even more terrifying aura.
The three Xingyu Sect Immortal Masters' expressions all changed: "The Starfire Sword King!"
The newcomer was a thin elder in grey robes, his face long and his eyes dark and turbid. He stood atop a flying sword wreathed in streaming firelight, his entire body emanating a chilling sword aura and spiritual pressure.
"Three centuries ago, my Falling Star Sword Sect was also part of the renowned Xingyu Sect. Today’s disturbance beneath the ‘Abyss of Limitlessness’ signals the rise of our two sects on Xingyu Mountain."
The grey-robed elder’s voice was calm, yet the pressure it exuded forced the three Xingyu Immortal Masters to stand on their guard.
The connection between the Xingyu Sect and the Falling Star Sword Sect, both once part of the old Xingyu Sect, was no secret.
"The Starfire Sword King... That’s the Grandmaster of the Falling Star Sword Sect, and the master of Nie Han," thought Lefeng, suspended in midair, along with the many disciples near the abyss, none daring to make a sound.
At this moment, the spiritual pressures gathering by the Abyss of Limitlessness were like towering mountains; any one of these figures could shake Pinghua Town with a mere stomp of the foot.
Xu Xuan could not guess what they were discussing, but he had a vague premonition that something significant was about to occur in the immortal sect, which had been peaceful for so long.