Chapter 1432: Sword Pavilion

"It's truly a familiar feeling," Xu Yang mused. "To have traveled so far on this cultivation path, only to return to the starting point one day. Yet, this place has changed so much; the land has transformed, and the past traces are surely gone."

Xu Yang's heartfelt sigh came unexpectedly. Though he could now freely control the laws of space and time, transcending both, and his life had long become eternal, the emotions that surged within him upon seeing the old capital where he once cultivated and fought were something others could never comprehend.

With a gentle touch to his brow, Xu Yang's mind immediately conjured an image of the former map of the Qi State Continent. Comparing it to the current Qi State Realm, Xu Yang quickly realized that the area had undergone monumental changes. Apart from a handful of unchanged foundations, most of the terrain and structures had been altered to such an extent that ordinary people would find no trace of their former appearance. The only thing proving this was still the Qi State Continent was Xu Yang finding the iconic building from back then—the very place where he had found Ling Yao.

Thinking of this, Xu Yang suddenly flicked his finger, drawing Ling Yao and the other two's gaze to the southwest, towards a towering pagoda that pierced the clouds. Although its general outline had changed considerably, Ling Yao still recognized it instantly as the former site of the Qi State Sword Sect.

"Boss, do you mean that place is the relic of the old Sword Sect?"

Xu Yang smiled and nodded gently. "It seems your memory isn't as clear as it once was, lass. No matter, let's go back there and examine it closely. We're sure to help you recover some of your past memories."

After speaking, Xu Yang transformed into a streak of light, sweeping up Xiao Hua, Long Kun, and Ling Yao, and they departed from their spot. As for Sword Immortal Yun Wangji, he had directly sealed his physical body within the Ice Emperor Pagoda, essentially entrusting it to Xu Yang's body. He could still observe changes in the external world through Xu Yang's eyes, but he would not manifest himself unless Xu Yang summoned him.

However, to Xu Yang and the others' surprise, as their presence reached the foot of the towering pagoda, a divine aura appeared out of nowhere, halting their advance. This misty divine energy halo clearly sealed the entire pagoda from bottom to top.

"Heh, does such a weak halo think it can stop us?" Long Kun adopted an arrogant stance, raising his hand to shatter the energy blockade before them, but Xu Yang gently waved his hand, stopping him.

"Don't act recklessly. We haven't figured out which era or age the current Great World is in yet. We know nothing about its power system. Our first priority now is to understand the situation, not to rush into making enemies."

It had to be admitted that Xu Yang's composure and strategic foresight were far beyond Long Kun's current level. Xu Yang did not rely on his unparalleled strength to simply overpower everything. Instead, upon returning to the Great World system, he desired to integrate into its new civilized state immediately. At the very least, in terms of cultivation realm, Xu Yang was already several levels ahead of Long Kun and the others.

Naturally, Long Kun dared not act presumptuously in front of Xu Yang. Upon hearing Xu Yang's thoughts, he immediately took a respectful step back. Xu Yang, with a calm expression, gazed at the divine halo before him, and very quickly, he thoroughly deciphered this divine power.

"So that's how it is," Xu Yang murmured. "This halo isn't as strong as we might have imagined, but it reflects very important information to us. It seems that the entire Great World's environmental system is now dominated by divine power. This divine halo originates from a special divine source. If my judgment is correct, then in the current Great World, every living being is imbued with a certain intensity of divine source. However, those who qualify as cultivators possess a divine source concentration far exceeding that of ordinary people. Only when the concentration and quality of the divine source reach a certain level can one wield powerful cultivation techniques for their own use. This must be the fundamental threshold between cultivators and ordinary people."

Upon hearing Xu Yang's explanation, Xiao Hua immediately gained further insights and understanding, slowly beginning to speak. "If your judgment is correct, Boss, then by my deduction, the current continent must be divided into countless sections. Each region would be governed and guided by a unified deity and a unified form of divine source."

Xu Yang nodded gently. "You're right, that's highly probable. Next, we need to quickly figure out the specifics regarding the era. Hopefully, this pagoda can provide us with some enlightenment."

After saying this, Xu Yang merely extended a finger and lightly poked the surface of the divine source light before them. In an instant, like a serene ancient well whose calm surface was suddenly disturbed, a stable force broke the barrier. The spreading energy ripples instantly melted the divine halo before them. Such an understated gesture completely shattered the divine energy halo guarding the entire pagoda. There was no doubt that Xu Yang's cultivation realm and power were simply beyond what this level of divine source could resist.

After dissolving the divine energy halo, Xu Yang and the three others slowly ascended the steps, gradually climbing towards the summit of the tall pagoda before them. Although reaching the top of the pagoda would be effortless for Xu Yang and his companions, they still desired to experience the deeper changes of this world as much as possible through the process of climbing.

Suddenly, upon reaching half the height of the pagoda, a soul silhouette appeared without warning. Xu Yang found this silhouette particularly unfamiliar, but he could clearly discern that this spiritual outline was not a manifestation of a human soul. Its deep green halo and distinct silhouette allowed Long Kun to immediately recognize it as the soul of a Profound Tortoise beast. After all, in the Great World of the past, Long Kun, with Xu Yang's help and guidance, had cultivated the Xuanwu Heavenly Art, which possessed formidable defensive capabilities. Therefore, he was no stranger to the bloodline aura of the Profound Tortoise lineage and recognized its identity at a glance.

"Hahaha, as expected! I finally waited for this day. Esteemed Xu Yang, you must have forgotten who I am. I am the Profound Tortoise who was ordered to guard the Sword Pavilion back then, and also the origin of Esteemed Long Kun's Xuanwu Heavenly Art. I once returned to the Sword Pavilion as his guardian beast. Little did I know that my master would follow Esteemed Xu Yang and depart, and in the blink of an eye, 300,000 years have passed."