After clearing the level, the fairies were reborn!

After a year apart, this man looked much better, the worry between his brows had dissipated considerably, and his originally gray hair was even showing signs of turning black again. Clearly, his inner turmoil had been resolved, and his cultivation had also improved.

"Thanks to your help, the snake clan is now thriving."

"I have always had a special connection with the demon race, so this is what I should do."

After exchanging pleasantries and taking their seats, Xu Changqing got straight to the point, "I heard you're going to Beiju Luzhou?"

“That’s right,” Xu Ze nodded, not mentioning that he was going to see his teacher, but only saying that he was going to find a suitable sword embryo.

"The Northern Continent is dangerous; you must be careful."

Xu Changqing's expression turned serious. "Unlike the Southern Continent, where there are countless powerful figures and complex power dynamics, even the demon race there are formidable and difficult to deal with."

He took out a jade slip from his chest and handed it to the young man in front of him: "This is entrusted to me by the Dharma Protector to be given to you. You can use this token to accept missions and redeem rewards at the Northern Continent branch, and you will enjoy discounts."

"The branch there is nothing like ours in the Southern Continent; it's quite impressive."

Xu Ze reached out and took it, feeling even more grateful to Zhou Yan, the protector of the Demon-Slaying Alliance.

These strong individuals dedicated to maintaining the relationship between humans and transvestites are all decent people; after all, what bad intentions could a Fu Rui control group possibly have?

The following morning, Xu Ze took his leave.

Spawn point at the summit of the snow-capped mountain.

The biting wind and swirling snowflakes here contrast sharply with the warm and humid climate of the Southern Continent.

The state of Beiju Luzhou is also different from that of Nanzhou. There are no mortals here. Even the merchants that can be seen everywhere have Qi Refining cultivation.

Even young Foundation Establishment cultivators are quite common.

He randomly chose a direction and flew to the nearest city.

On the magnificent city gate, three large characters were carved in a flowing, elegant style—

Donghua City.

This city wall is a hundred feet high and is made entirely of huge bluish-gray stones. The stones fit together perfectly, indicating that they have been carefully polished.

The surface of the city wall was covered with complex array runes, which shone faintly in the sunlight and emitted powerful spiritual energy fluctuations.

Xu Ze estimated that even a Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to shake the city's protective formation with a full-force attack.

The city gate was bustling with people, and cultivators came and went in an endless stream, with several of them possessing the aura of Golden Core cultivators.

"Compared to the capital city of Nanzhou, it is many times more magnificent."

Seeing this spectacular scene, Xu Ze couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

This is the true world of cultivation.

"Ten miles outside the city, cultivators walk!"

Before he could even fly into the territory of Donghua City, a voice transmission entered his mind first.

The voice was authoritative, carrying an unquestionable tone. At the same time, Xu Ze felt a surge of array power sweep over his entire body, seemingly probing his cultivation level and identity.

After detecting his Golden Core stage cultivation level, the other party did not make things difficult for him, but instead told him that he could not continue flying forward.

This seems to be an unwritten rule in the upper-class cultivation world: unless one has a special status or outstanding strength, one should walk around large cities as a sign of respect.

Xu Ze followed suit and disappeared into the crowd of people entering the city.

After paying the entrance fee of a low-grade spirit stone, the sight inside the city caught his eye.

The streets are wide and clean, lined with shops on both sides, each with a unique signboard that is dazzling to the eye.

There's "Wanjuan Pavilion" that sells cultivation manuals, "Baicao Hall" that specializes in elixirs and spiritual plants, workshops that refine magical artifacts, and "Lingshan Residence" that offers cave dwelling rentals...

The pedestrians on the street were dressed in various styles, some in fine clothes, some in simple Taoist robes, and some even in animal skin outfits, clearly from different regions and factions.

Xu Ze strolled around the city and found the largest restaurant to sit down.

Drunken Flower Pavilion.

This building is located in the eastern part of the city. It is four stories high, with flying eaves and brackets, carved beams and painted rafters. The two stone lions in front of the door are lifelike and very impressive.

"Sir, what would you like to order?"

Xu Ze went up to the third floor and found a private seat by the window. Immediately, a waiter came forward to serve him respectfully.

His current strength is at the early stage of the Golden Core realm. At such a young age, coupled with his handsome appearance, it is easy to imagine that he has an extraordinary background.

"A pot of Drunken Immortal Wine, and a few snacks to go with it."

Xu Ze didn't look at the menu much.

His attention was focused on the conversations around him.

The restaurant was bustling with activity, a good place to gather information. The cultivators gathered in twos and threes, discussing various topics.

His newly awakened talent, [Sword Spirit Root], granted him perception far exceeding that of his peers, allowing him to hear the hushed conversations like a stream flowing into his ears.

"Okay~"

The waiter was very attentive and eagerly went to serve Xu Ze the dishes.

After an afternoon of inquiries, Xu Ze had gained a preliminary understanding of Beiju Luzhou.

The Northern Continent is home to four major immortal sects and five major families.

Here, even Golden Core cultivators are considered juniors.

Only those at the Nascent Soul stage are generally considered to have some strength. Of course, this doesn't refer to older Nascent Soul cultivators, but rather to those under a hundred years old who are considered prodigies.

Reaching the Nascent Soul Realm is what truly signifies a powerful individual who has stepped into the core realm. At this level, one can establish their own sect or become an elder or guest advisor of a major power, whose every word and action can influence the landscape of a region.

Among the four major immortal sects and five major families, there are clearly also experts at the Nascent Soul stage and above, and at the Void Refinement stage, who are in charge.

There might even be more than one.

That's true strength; it doesn't show off usually, but once it's unleashed, it's earth-shattering.

"Looking across the Southern Continent, even those who have reached the Qi Refining stage are called immortals, and those at the Golden Core stage are already patriarchs who can establish sects and illustrious feudal lords... Are they not allowed to fly here?"

Xu Ze sat at the table, took a sip of wine, and shook his head with a smile.

Even Wan Yi, the pseudo-god-level expert who commands respect in the Southern Continent, would probably not have the right to speak here.

In this world of cultivation, the differences between different continents are truly enormous.

For example, the wine I'm drinking right now is smooth and lingering on the palate, clearly not an ordinary wine.

This small pot is worth two low-grade spirit stones.

However, the taste is really good; it can be described as a fine wine.

No wonder sword cultivators all like to drink.

"Hey buddy, have you heard?"

Just then, a conversation downstairs caught his attention.

"This Gathering of Prodigies is being hosted by Song Yubai, the second young master of the Song family. He recently formed his core and is not even eighteen years old yet."

In the hall, a Foundation Establishment stage body cultivator was pouring wine for a man dressed as a constable in front of him. Clearly, the man was older and more experienced.

The bodybuilder had bulging muscles and wore a short jacket, with a tiger tattoo on his exposed arm. The constable, on the other hand, was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit with a sword at his waist. His aura was steady, indicating he was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Then he certainly has the qualifications to preside over the ceremony. To be able to form his core before adulthood, his talent is probably no less than his older brother's." The constable picked up his wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, and exhaled.

These wines are imbued with spiritual energy; they are truly fine wines.

The body cultivator laughed and said, "Song Xunzhen, the eldest son of the Song family, formed his core at the age of seventeen and broke through to become an infant at the age of thirty-five. He is hailed as the number one genius in Donghua City for the past hundred years. If this second young master can catch up with his elder brother, the Song family will prosper again for the next hundred years."

"This time, the young people hit it off immediately and decided to explore the ancient secret realm left behind by the Xuanling Sect together in three days."

"An ancient sect, the Mysterious Spirit Realm?" The constable tilted his head. "Wasn't the core inheritance inside taken away by that female sword immortal from the Ding family twenty years ago?"

The Ding family? A female sword immortal?

Xu Ze's heart skipped a beat, and his hand holding the wine glass paused slightly.

The body cultivator opposite him exclaimed, "Hey, brother, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse! No matter what, the Xuanling Sect was a top sect that dominated a region in ancient times."

"Moreover, if this secret realm hadn't already been explored many years ago, and most of the dangers and restrictions within hadn't been triggered... how could these powerful families dare to let their precious scions take such a risk?"

Upon hearing this, the constable nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"It seems that this Gathering of Prodigies is mainly just a formality. It's a way to let these prodigies go into a relatively safe secret realm to train and hone their skills, while also seeing if there are any remaining opportunities."

The two were not soundproofing their conversation.

After all, they weren't the only two people in the restaurant discussing this.

Many people are talking about the recent Tianjiao Conference.

A small number of people were also talking about things like the Divine Mechanism Sect and the Heavenly Palace...

Upstairs, Xu Ze pricked up his ears.

What I just heard is quite important information!

Without a doubt, the female swordswoman from the Ding family must be his teacher, Ding Wan.

As for the Heavenly Pride Tournament, and the Xuanling Sect's secret realm...

Isn't this obviously part of your main quest?

"Wait, the Xuanling Sect?"

The name of this sect suddenly reminded Xu Ze of something.

Chapter 67 Little Female Demon

"The two cultivation techniques I'm currently practicing both seem to be related to the Xuanling Sect!"

The thought exploded in Xu Ze's mind like a thunderbolt, causing his hand holding the wine glass to tremble slightly, and the wine to ripple in the glass.

His cultivation technique during the Qi Refining stage is called the Profound Spirit Forging Meridian Technique.

The cultivation method for Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages is called the Profound Spirit Sword Technique.

These were all second-grade cultivation techniques taught to him by Ding Wan.

The names of these two cultivation techniques clearly indicate a connection to this ancient sect called "Xuanling Sect"!