Chapter 192: Beaten Into Seclusion, Arrival at the Primordial Sect
But no one noticed the complicated expression on Cheng Shijian's face.
Only he could sense that Xu Long's final strike had possessed the power to kill him.
It was just that Xu Long had pulled back at the critical moment — likely to spare him the humiliation of losing in front of so many people.
"Thank you. Consider today's matter a favor I owe you."
After all, the one who had proposed the sparring match in the first place was himself. If he had lost, the embarrassment would have been tremendous.
But Xu Long simply shook his head.
"It's fine. If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."
"Of course. Fellow Daoist Xu, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come find me."
After exchanging a round of pleasantries, Xu Long departed from the Immortal Refining Pavilion.
Once Xu Long was gone, Cheng Shijian's expression turned grave.
He hadn't expected that Xu Long, having only just broken through to Early Immortal Monarch, already possessed the power to kill him.
Moreover, he had faintly sensed that Xu Long didn't seem to have used his full strength earlier.
But... that had to be his imagination.
If Xu Long was already this terrifying without going all out, then just how powerful would he be at full strength?
Even a Mid Immortal Monarch wouldn't be his match, would they?
"Someone, go to the Immortal Formation Alliance and request a formation master to come repair the grand formation."
Without dwelling on it further, Cheng Shijian waved his hand and dispatched one of the Immortal Refining Pavilion's elders to the Immortal Formation Alliance.
But before long, a figure arrived at the Immortal Refining Pavilion.
"Fellow Daoist Gu, what brings you here?"
Seeing Gu Qingyuan's arrival, Cheng Shijian was puzzled.
But upon sensing Gu Qingyuan's aura, his expression shifted slightly with surprise.
He hadn't expected that even Fellow Daoist Gu had broken through to the Immortal Monarch Realm.
Gu Qingyuan, however, immediately latched onto a keyword in Cheng Shijian's greeting.
"Who else came?"
"Fellow Daoist Xu Long, that's who. He's also broken through to Immortal Monarch and came to spar with me."
Cheng Shijian spread his hands, his tone laced with exasperation.
Then, as if something occurred to him, he cast a probing glance at Gu Qingyuan.
"Don't tell me you've also come to spar with me?"
"Ahem, you've got a sharp eye, Fellow Daoist Cheng."
Gu Qingyuan showed no embarrassment whatsoever, merely clearing his throat.
Like Xu Long, after switching to a new cultivation art, his strength had grown considerably, and he wanted to test his current abilities.
Hearing this, Cheng Shijian's face was a picture of exasperation.
"As much as I'd love to have a round with you, Fellow Daoist Gu..."
"Unfortunately, I just finished fighting Fellow Daoist Xu, and my body's in rough shape."
"On top of that, my Immortal Refining Pavilion's defensive grand formation is on the verge of collapse. At the very least, we'll need to wait until the Immortal Formation Alliance's formation master finishes the repairs before I can spar with you."
Gu Qingyuan's face fell with disappointment, but he didn't push the matter, sighing instead.
"Fine, I can wait for a while. Please contact me when you're ready, Fellow Daoist Cheng."
"Of course. I'll definitely reach out to you then."
After seeing Gu Qingyuan off, Cheng Shijian finally let out a sigh of relief.
Powerful as he was, his fight with Xu Long had taken a considerable toll.
If he had to go another round with Gu Qingyuan, he would almost certainly be beaten beyond any hope of recovery.
"No, I need to go into Seclusion and not come out until I've broken through to Mid Immortal Monarch."
Suddenly, Cheng Shijian shot to his feet, the thought burning fiercely in his mind.
And he followed through immediately, entering Seclusion on the spot and tossing his promise to Gu Qingyuan completely out of his mind.
Shortly after leaving the Immortal Refining Pavilion, Xu Long returned to the Primordial Sect.
But just then, he noticed something that made him frown.
A group of people stood before the Primordial Sect's entrance. That alone wasn't the issue — the real problem was that among them was a Qilin.
And that Qilin was being used as a mount.
"This is bad."
Xu Long muttered the words at the sight.
Every force in the Immortal Realm knew that the Qilin Race valued their dignity above all else. If they learned of this, the Primordial Sect would face punishment regardless of whether they were involved.
With that in mind, Xu Long felt it was imperative that he intervene.
"This is the Primordial Sect. Master, shall we go straight in?"
Zhao Xiaoyi stood before Lu Xunxian, her tone respectful as she inquired.
Under Lu Xunxian's guidance, Zhao Xiaoyi's cultivation had improved dramatically, and she had already reached the Peak of the Saint Emperor Realm.
"Isn't that obvious? Just walk right in."
Beside her, Zhu Qingyan snorted coldly, showing not an ounce of regard for the Primordial Sect.
"Oh? This happens to be the sect Xiaoyao belongs to. If you barge in so rudely, you'll be disgracing Master's reputation."
The moment Zhu Qingyan finished speaking, Luo Qianxue shot her a cutting glare, her voice dripping with disdain.
"You..." Zhu Qingyan wanted to flare up, but ultimately held her tongue out of wariness toward Luo Qianxue's status, unwilling to let her own standing in Lu Xunxian's heart drop any lower.
"Enough. Contact Xiaoyao and have him come out to greet us."
Lu Xunxian waved his hand, settling the matter.
But before they could contact Lu Xiaoyao, a figure appeared and blocked their path.
"Everyone, please stay as far from our Primordial Sect as possible."
Xu Long looked at Lu Xunxian's group, keeping his tone as gentle as he could manage.
After all, he had discerned Lu Lin's realm — Early Immortal King.
To have tamed an Early Immortal King Qilin was proof enough that Lu Xunxian and his companions were at least at the Immortal Monarch level.
Even so, Xu Long didn't believe Lu Xunxian's group had the strength to make enemies of the Qilin Race. The Immortal Venerable who had been slain by the Qilin Race in the past still served as a deterrent to countless forces across the Immortal Realm.
But Lu Xunxian paid no heed to Xu Long's words, instead fixing him with an amused expression.
"You must be Xu Long. Allow me to introduce myself — my name is Lu Xunxian."
"What does Lu Xunxian matter to... wait, you're — Senior Lu!"
Xu Long's brow furrowed, and he was about to say something, but then it hit him. Disbelief washed over his face as he stared at Lu Xunxian.
The name Lu Xunxian was far from unfamiliar to him.
So when he heard Lu Xunxian reveal his identity, his attitude did a complete one-eighty.
"Ahem, Senior Lu, my apologies — I didn't recognize you. Please forgive my rudeness."
If it had been anyone else, Xu Long would have naturally questioned their strength.
But the man before him was Lu Xunxian — someone who commanded absolute reverence from the Vermilion Bird Race's Clan Chief, and who could casually produce something surpassing the Heavenly Emperor Scripture.
Lu Xunxian was probably the only person who could face the Qilin Race without the slightest fear.
"It's nothing, just a small matter."
"Since you're here, why don't you escort us into the Primordial Sect."
Lu Xunxian was unconcerned. He wasn't some arrogant bully — when he could be reasonable, he preferred to be reasonable.
If reasoning fell on deaf ears, well, he also happened to know a thing or two about using his fists.
Hearing that Lu Xunxian intended to visit the Primordial Sect, Xu Long's eyes immediately lit up, his entire being buzzing with excitement.
If he served Lu Xunxian well, even a tiny bit that leaked through Lu Xunxian's fingers would be enough for their entire Primordial Sect to soar to new heights.
After all, he had heard from Ye Wushuang's own mouth that Lu Xunxian had casually gifted someone a Peak Immortal Venerable inheritance.