As soon as he entered the Sword Array, Luo Xiu felt a stinging pain all over his body.

With his Divine Sense, he could feel countless minuscule electric currents stimulating every cell in his body.

Compared to the previous two times, he found it much easier. After all, he had been enduring the assault of sword intent outside the Sword Array for days, so his body was now fully adapted to the Yin Thunder Qi. Using the Yin Thunder Qi to temper his body no longer caused any negative effects.

Master Ping said, "Next, you don't have to do anything. Just absorb the Yin Thunder Qi as if you were absorbing Spiritual Power."

"When you no longer feel anything at all... that means you've succeeded."

Luo Xiu nodded and sat down cross-legged on the spot.

Seeing Luo Xiu simply sit down, everyone outside the Sword Array was taken aback.

Pig Dragon looked completely confused. "What's wrong with Big Bro? Why isn't he trying to break the array? Why did he just sit down?"

Suddenly, a look of realization dawned on his face. "Could it be that Big Bro knows he can't break the array, so he decided to just give up?"

"Sigh! My Big Bro... It seems he still hasn't broadened his perspective!"

Seeing Luo Xiu give up, Pig Dragon couldn't help but sigh in frustration.

"Dammit... a right roundhouse kick!"

Xiao Luanzi leaped up and kicked Pig Dragon square on the backside.

"Will you shut up?"

Pig Dragon clutched his rear, fuming but not daring to talk back. The Tiger King of Kunlun Mountain was not someone he could afford to provoke.

「」

In the mountains, one loses all sense of time, especially during cultivation. In what felt like the blink of an eye, another month had passed.

Luo Qingxian had spent the entire month finally reaching the eighth layer of the Azure Dragon Sword Array. Dou Dou and Yang Zhilu had also advanced to the third layer ten days prior. The geniuses from the Upper Realm had also made steady progress over the month; by now, the most advanced among them had broken into the seventh layer.

As for Luo Xiu, he had remained on the first layer of the Sword Array the entire time, never moving, as if he were petrified. This made Mu Xueyan and the others waiting outside the Sword Array sick with worry.

Furthermore, during this month, other cultivators had arrived at the Dragon Grotto. These newcomers had initially intended to challenge the Sword Array for a chance at some fortuitous opportunities, but upon seeing Luo Qingxian was present, they abandoned the idea. Instead, they settled for watching the spectacle from outside the array.

「」

That day, Pig Dragon was outside the Sword Array gnawing on a roasted demon beast leg, running his mouth again.

"Sigh, that's Big Bro for you. You might not care about your reputation, but we do! Just loafing around on the first layer like this, what kind of damn embarrassment is that?"

"It just goes to show, Big Bro's perspective still hasn't broadened!"

Hearing this, Xiao Luanzi jumped up and kicked him in the butt again. This time it wasn't a right roundhouse kick, but a left front kick.

"Dammit, shut your trap, you stupid gator! Let me tell you, the more incompetent someone is, the more they care about 'face'!"

Yao Ritian also slapped Pig Dragon. "Since when does my Supreme King need you yapping about his business?"

Pig Dragon looked indignant. "Hey, hey! A gentleman uses words, not fists! I'll shut up, alright?"

Yao Ritian licked his tiger paw. "In that case, I'll use my mouth to chew you up!"

Terrified, Pig Dragon scrambled to hide behind Mu Xueyan. "Sister-in-law Xueyan, look! They're bullying your adorable little gator again!"

A chill went down Mu Xueyan's spine; she had the strongest urge to send the stinking alligator flying with a single slap.

"All of you, stop arguing. I'm sure Luo Xiu has his reasons for doing this."

Xiao Luanzi immediately fell silent. "Listen to Sister-in-law! No more arguing."

Being called "Sister-in-law" repeatedly made Mu Xueyan's cheeks flush red.

BANG!

Suddenly, a massive explosion echoed from deep within the Sword Array. At the same time, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled through the strange fog that blanketed the ground, creating a terrifying display.

Two figures, one large and one small, materialized out of thin air outside the Sword Array, crashing to the ground with pained cries.

Mu Xueyan and the others looked toward the sound and saw it was Kuang Pi and Yan Daoling.

At that moment, the man and the demon were both visibly exhausted. Their bodies were covered in sword wounds, and they looked utterly battered. However, Kuang Pi's back was now bare. All the swords previously embedded in it had been removed, making him look strangely unfamiliar at first glance.

Mu Xueyan asked, "Senior, what's the situation?"

Yan Daoling sighed, sitting down cross-legged to regulate his breathing. A moment later, he spoke. "After the Azure Dragon Sword Array was fully restored, it proved to be even more troublesome than I anticipated."

"The big bear and I have been trying to break through the tenth layer, but that True Dragon Sword Intent... it's just unbelievably powerful!"

Kuang Pi sighed heavily as well, then suddenly asked, "Right, where's Xiao Luo?"

Mu Xueyan pointed toward the Sword Array ahead.

Yan Daoling and Kuang Pi looked over and were stunned.

"My disciple... is he meditating inside the Sword Array?"

Kuang Pi chuckled. "That's Xiao Luo for you. This Sword Array is fraught with peril, with Sword Intent striking at every moment. For him to be able to enter a state of meditation in such an environment... that's not something an ordinary person can do."

Just then, shouts of surprise erupted from another group of people nearby.

"Look! Zhu Yu has reached the eighth layer! He's caught up with the Plateau Saintess!"

"That kid is truly worthy of being a top-five genius in the Upper Realm."

"It looks like he and the Plateau Saintess will break through the ninth layer soon!"

"I still think the Plateau Saintess will be a little faster, though. After all, she's the only genius in history to ever break through the Fire Phoenix Sword Array."

"True. It's likely she'll be the one to conquer this Azure Dragon Sword Array in the end."

"She is truly worthy of being the Holy Maiden personally chosen by the Azure Emperor!"

"..."

The ones speaking were several elders from the Upper Realm.

Yan Daoling glanced over and saw they were old acquaintances.

"Yo, so you're here too!"

Hearing his voice, the elders immediately turned to look at him.

"Brother Yan, it's been a while."

"Haha, long time no see, Brother Yan! I never expected to see you at the Spirit Tomb!"

Yan Daoling stood up and walked over. "Since you're all here," he asked curiously, "why aren't you trying to break the array?"

One of the elders in gray robes shook his head with a smile. "These old bones of ours can't handle such a trial. We'll sit this one out. We just brought our disciples here to broaden their horizons."

Hearing this, Yan Daoling paused. He certainly recognized the gray-robed elder's disciple: Zhu Yu. Although Zhu Yu came from a common background, he was a genius on the same level as the Plateau Saintess.

An elder in black robes chuckled. "By the way, Brother Yan, when we arrived, we heard from some of the juniors that you've also taken a disciple. To have caught your eye, he must be an exceptional talent, right?"

Yan Daoling bristled, sensing the mockery in the black-robed elder's tone. These guys have been here for days, and Luo Xiu has been sitting on the first layer for just as long. They must have heard from the younger cultivators from the Upper Realm that Luo Xiu is my disciple! They're just feigning ignorance to mock me!

But Yan Daoling didn't let it bother him. He gestured grandly toward Luo Xiu, who was still on the first layer of the Sword Array.

"That's right. That is my disciple."

Hearing this, the elders all feigned expressions of shock.

"This... It can't be, Brother Yan. You would take a native of the Lower Realm... as your disciple?"

Yan Daoling snorted proudly. "He's my disciple, and I like him. There's no need to compare him to anyone else's disciples, and there's no need to ask about his origins!"

"Besides, the environment for cultivation in the Lower Realm is simply different from the Upper Realm's. That doesn't mean people from the Lower Realm are inferior to those from the Upper Realm!"

"And I know what you're doing. Your roundabout questions are just a way for you to feel superior, an indirect way to boast about how outstanding your own disciples are!"

"Hehe..."

The gray-robed elder laughed. "Since Brother Yan has laid it all out, I'll be blunt as well. Your disciple hasn't been able to clear the first layer in a month. That shows he's a total mediocrity."

"Now look at my disciple, Zhu Yu. He arrived much later and has already caught up to Luo Qingxian."

"Some people... are simply beyond comparison."

Yan Daoling clenched his jaw and said no more.

Just then, Luo Xiu, who had been sitting cross-legged on the first layer of the Sword Array, stood up. He stretched languidly, beginning to limber up. As he moved, flickers of electricity crackled and sparked across his entire body.

"Finally, I'm done. Time to head to the tenth layer for the good stuff."

"..."

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