Chapter 1701: Entering the Seal

"What... what happened?" The two Sword Saints were utterly bewildered to see the Spirit race members, who had previously given them so much trouble, all lying motionless on the ground.

"They were all killed by Zhang Xuan..." Luo Ruoxi stood up.

"Killed by him? How is that possible? Unless he's an Ancient Sage... otherwise, how could so many powerful experts be killed at once?" Sword Saint Xing couldn't believe his ears. It wasn't that he doubted his son, but the idea of one person single-handedly slaying over ten thousand experts, including many at the Great Sage level and above Saint 3-dan, seemed utterly unbelievable.

"He harnessed the power of lightning punishment," Luo Ruoxi explained, nodding. "These individuals were struck by lightning while completely unprepared, paralyzing them before they were cut down. Of course, a significant number were instantly killed by the lightning itself!"

"Lightning?" Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng exchanged glances. They immediately examined the corpses on the ground, and sure enough, discovered burn marks consistent with lightning strikes. Their son apparently could summon lightning tribulations... The thought of him single-handedly decimating an army of over ten thousand people, even after seeing the evidence, left them feeling as if they were in a dream.

"Since everyone is dead... where is Xuan'er?" Sword Saint Meng anxiously soared into the air, searching everywhere. Even with his many abilities, killing so many people must have taken a toll. She desperately wanted to find him and see if he was injured.

"He must have gone to the seal..." Luo Ruoxi stood up and moved forward. It was easy to deduce that with the Spirit race members gone, he would naturally proceed to repair the seal.

The three flew swiftly and soon reached the seal. It was now completely intact, pulsating with intense energy, clearly indicating it had just been fully repaired.

"It's Xuan'er's true energy, but... where is he?" After a careful inspection, Sword Saint Meng recognized that Zhang Xuan's true energy had been used for the repair. The fact that he could fix it suggested he was fine, yet... where had he gone? She had extended her spiritual sense throughout their journey; if he were still around, she would have sensed him long ago.

"He must have passed through the seal to the Spirit race's territory!" Luo Ruoxi's brows furrowed.

"He went there? How could that child be so reckless?" Startled, Sword Saint Meng nearly fainted. "No, I must go rescue him..." Sword Saint Meng was widely renowned on the continent for her usual prudence, but when her son was involved, all caution went out the window.

"I should go instead," Luo Ruoxi calmly interjected. "If you two enter, you might find yourselves in danger before even locating him." While Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng were indeed powerful, the Spirit race territory was saturated with a dense, murderous aura. Not only would their strength be suppressed upon entry, but their inability to alter their aura would make them stand out like lighthouses in the dark, easily discovered. If they truly went in, they might be surrounded and killed by the Spirit race before ever finding Zhang Xuan.

"You?" Sword Saint Meng frowned. "It's too dangerous inside the seal, and your strength..." It wasn't that she distrusted Luo Ruoxi, but she had never actually witnessed the girl fight. Back at the Luo Clan, it was Luo Ruoxi's subordinate, Wuchen, who handled all the battles. She didn't know Luo Ruoxi's exact cultivation level, only that it was certainly not weak.

"Don't worry!" Luo Ruoxi smiled gently, understanding their concern. "You two should return to the city first and inform everyone of this news. Tell them to come and deal with these Spirit race corpses and guard the seal..."

With a gentle wave of her hand, Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng suddenly felt their vision blur. Before they could even react, the space before them twisted, and in the next instant, they found themselves standing in the castle's main hall.

"This..." They exchanged looks of utter shock. A mere wave of her hand had transported them back to the main hall, even placing them precisely in their seats. What level of spatial mastery did this represent? Surely, even Master Yang couldn't achieve such a feat!

"Could it be... an Ancient Sage?" Sword Saint Meng's face paled in disbelief. She had always known the girl her son admired possessed extraordinary strength, likely surpassing theirs. Yet, she never fathomed such immense power! Together, she and Sword Saint Xing could even contend with an Immortal Realm expert, but this woman had simply flicked her sleeve and transported them without them even comprehending what had occurred. It was truly beyond imagination.

"An Ancient Sage? How could there be an Ancient Sage so young on the continent?" Sword Saint Xing shook his head. After pondering for a moment, unable to grasp the true extent of her power, he simply conceded, "Alright, let's not dwell on it. With her strength, finding Xuan'er will certainly be far easier for her than for us!" With that, he shimmered and appeared high above the castle.

"All Zhang Clan disciples, hear my command! Immediately sally forth and collect the spoils of war!" "Collect spoils?" The elders guarding outside the city looked at each other in confusion, as their clan head, who had just been ahead, now mysteriously reappeared behind them.

"Clan Head Zhang Xuan just infiltrated the Spirit race territory and has single-handedly slain all ten thousand-plus Spirit race members who were engaging us," Sword Saint Xing explained with a smile, seeing their bewildered expressions. "The crisis at Dragon-Tiger Mountain Grotto has been resolved!"

"The Clan Head single-handedly killed over ten thousand Spirit race members?""The Spirit race army, which we struggled against repeatedly without success, was wiped out by the Clan Head alone?""This... did I hear that correctly?"In an instant, all the Zhang Clan members stood frozen, completely dumbfounded. They had heard tales of a warrior beheading an enemy general amidst a vast army, or one person bravely fighting a hundred. But one individual annihilating an entire army? What on earth had transpired?

Paying no mind to how the Zhang Clan would deal with the Spirit race corpses, Zhang Xuan was now flying rapidly through the world contained within the seal.

It was a vast continent, seemingly as boundless as the Master Teacher Continent, with no end in sight. There was no sun in the sky, only a blood-red moon suspended in the firmament, casting a chilling, desolate aura. The moon itself emanated a dense murderous energy, seemingly the source of the Spirit race's unique true qi.

"This is truly an Asura's hell," he thought, raising an eyebrow. "No wonder the Spirit race desires to conquer the Master Teacher Continent..." Although his Heaven's Path true energy allowed him to mimic the Spirit race's murderous aura, prolonged exposure here would inevitably make his spirit violent, inciting an irresistible urge to kill. This place was clearly not suitable for long-term human habitation. If he were a Spirit race member, he would undoubtedly have charged forth long ago.

"Without a map, it's hard to get my bearings," he mused. "If I can't find my way, I'll just head back for now and return once the formidable one wakes up..." He had only crossed the seal out of curiosity, with no intention of slaying many Spirit race members. Having now seen the blood moon and understood the environment, he decided it would be better to return for now. Otherwise, getting lost without a sense of direction would be more trouble than it was worth."Move faster!"Just as he was about to turn back, he heard a sudden whooshing sound, followed by the urgent voice of a Spirit race expert. Zhang Xuan's body flickered. Using his Spatial True Understanding to conceal his presence, he swiftly flew toward the source of the sound.