Suddenly, a bloodstained sword pierced through the unmoving body of the Golden Leopard King lying on the ground!
Following that, the sword forcefully ripped through the Golden Leopard King's skin.
And then, a figure—drenched in blood—slowly crawled out from inside the Golden Leopard King's torn flesh. The man's clothing was barely recognizable, but it was clear that he wore the outer sect disciple uniform of the Xuantian Sect.
This scene caused everyone watching to feel a mix of shock and disbelief!
However, compared to the earlier horrors of watching their fellow disciples being devoured by the Golden Leopard King and its underlings, this bloody sight was met with relief and satisfaction from everyone present.
What no one noticed, though, was that the blood covering the sword quickly vanished, as if absorbed, within just a few short breaths.
At that moment, all eyes widened in disbelief, staring at the figure that had just crawled out of the Golden Leopard King's body.
"This little one is quite interesting!"
Zou Changlao, an elder of the Xuantian Sect's Law Enforcement Hall, dressed in his daoist robes, smiled as he looked down at Lin Li, who had just emerged from the Golden Leopard King's body. With a faint smile, he remarked, "Not only did he avoid being crushed to death by the Golden Leopard King, but he also managed to catch it off guard, gutting it from the inside. Quite the brave and cunning youngster, fearless of death!"
Qinglian Fairy nodded in agreement.
Although she looked as young and delicate as a girl in her prime, cultivation required years of effort and slow, steady progress.
Just reaching the peak of the Qi Refinement stage could take decades for many. As for reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, that required not only great talent but also an extraordinary amount of fortune and insight. Even with exceptional talent, one still needed to acquire a Foundation Establishment Pill, refined from numerous rare materials by a powerful alchemist, to have a small chance of succeeding.
After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, a cultivator's lifespan could extend to over 200 years, but even then, it might take more than a century to reach the peak of Foundation Establishment—if one were especially gifted.
In reality, most cultivators couldn't even obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill. Even those who did were not guaranteed to succeed in the breakthrough. Furthermore, even after breaking through, progression was painfully slow, and only a fraction of those who made it would ever reach the peak of Foundation Establishment.
Reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment would offer a glimpse into the mysteries of the Core Formation stage, but even achieving that was a rare feat.
Thus, every Core Formation cultivator was considered immensely powerful and rare, with a lifespan of several hundred years, often having cultivated for over a century.
As for Qinglian Fairy herself, she was nearly 300 years old.
However, women valued their beauty, and she had expended much spiritual energy to maintain her youthful appearance. Despite her near 300-year age, she still appeared as though she were in the prime of her life.
Given her age, it was natural for Qinglian Fairy to refer to Lin Li as "little one."
"What? Don't tell me you've taken a liking to him?" Qinglian Fairy teased Zou Changlao with a smile.
Zou Changlao was an elder in the Law Enforcement Hall, a branch of the sect known for striking fear into the hearts of many. The Hall was responsible for enforcing the sect's rules and disciplining those who violated them.
Everyone avoided drawing the attention of the Law Enforcement Hall.
However, there were always exceptions.
For any disciple fortunate enough to be noticed by the Law Enforcement Hall, their future would be bright. Even the most junior disciple of the Hall would be feared and respected throughout the sect.
And should someone be accepted as a disciple of an elder like Zou Changlao, who was in the late stage of Core Formation...
That would be like a carp leaping over the dragon's gate—transforming instantly into a phoenix, an elevation beyond compare for any Foundation Establishment disciple.
However, for a mere outer disciple at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement to be noticed by an elder of the Law Enforcement Hall—that was something that had never happened in the thousand-year history of the Xuantian Sect.
Zou Changlao chuckled and shook his head, "The path of cultivation is one that defies the heavens. It is an arduous journey, one that seeks to alter one's fate. For outer disciples in the Qi Refinement stage, their lifespan is only a few decades. By the time they reach the end of their life, it might only be two or three closed-door meditations for someone like me."
"Though he shows courage, he's still far from being someone I would take as a disciple. I wouldn't consider taking someone who, after just a few meditation sessions, would already be on the verge of old age and death."
"Tsk~"
Since they were in the sky, Qinglian Fairy's attitude toward Zou Changlao, her "senior brother," was much more relaxed. Unlike the stern, unapproachable demeanor she showed to other disciples, here she teased him playfully, "Don't think I don't know what's going on in that head of yours! You may be saying that now, but deep down, you've already taken a liking to him!"
"After all, your swordsmanship emphasizes one's temperament. You're nearly 500 years old now. Although you still have centuries left in your lifespan, you've never found someone with a temperament that matches your own."
"It's been over a hundred years since you've met anyone who could inherit your techniques. Are you really going to tell me you're not the least bit interested? Hehe!"
"Sigh, Qinglian, I can't win against you," Zou Changlao smiled and shook his head, "But it's still too early to discuss such things."
"Let's see how this little one fares when he reaches the peak of Qi Refinement."
"You're right, senior brother," Qinglian Fairy nodded.
Down below, Luo Zhiyuan, who had been gravely injured by the Golden Leopard King after battling it for so long, was completely shocked when he saw Lin Li crawl out from inside the beast.
His eyes widened as his mouth gaped open in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just happened. "How is this possible?!"
"Lin Li?! A mere outer disciple at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement?! How could he possibly have killed the Golden Leopard King?!"
He recalled how his own attack, even after expending a great deal of spiritual energy, couldn't break through the Golden Leopard King's defenses.
Now, seeing Lin Li emerge from the beast's body, having slain the very creature that had gravely wounded him, Luo Zhiyuan's emotions were in turmoil!
Shock, doubt, confusion, and even...
Self-doubt.
Jealousy.
All these emotions filled his heart, making it impossible for him to calm his mind and tend to his injuries.
Meanwhile, the six remaining Xuantian Sect outer disciples who had survived continued to watch in stunned silence.