"Do not--"
A voice filled with extreme fear screamed hysterically from Qi Yang's mouth.
But he only managed to utter the first two words before being struck by the sword qi!
Qi Yang was killed in a single attack.
Su Zhan remained calm in his heart.
Qi Yang was extremely dangerous, and Su Zhan had no intention of letting him live from the start.
However...
Glancing at the shattered Xuan-level armor on Qi Yang's body, caused by the sword qi from the Starfire Flowing Light Sword Technique, Su Zhan shook his head. "The power of the Starfire Flowing Light Sword Technique is still too weak. It couldn't even kill Qi Yang in one attack. It seems I need to train diligently and strive to reach the Minor Achievement level as soon as possible!"
After hearing Su Zhan's words, the elders chuckled expressionlessly.
They had been surprised too many times today and had become numb.
Even if Su Zhan suddenly claimed to be the reincarnation of a heavenly swordsman, no one would question it.
In fact, such a statement would make these strange things seem more plausible!
With Qi Yang's death, Su Zhan walked towards the foot of the mountain.
The sea of thousands of inner disciples immediately parted, creating a wide path for Su Zhan.
As Su Zhan passed by, the people even held their breath, afraid to cause any disturbance that would displease him.
Only when Su Zhan descended from the main peak and his figure disappeared did the disciples finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Su Zhan, no! Senior Brother Su, he's too strong!"
"To be honest, even now, I feel like I'm dreaming. Defeating Qi Yang with just one attack... so powerful!"
"What is Qi Yang? I bet that even when Senior Brother Su stabilizes his territory and nurtures his Natal Sword for some time, not even a mid-stage Core Yuan cultivator would necessarily be his match!"
"Senior Brother Su not only has great strength but also looks handsome. It's a pity I can't stay at Baiyun Peak, otherwise..."
"Chen Ling'er, wake up! When Senior Brother Su walked past me earlier, he didn't even glance at me. How could he notice you?"
"It's normal for him not to notice you, but I'm different from you!"
...
In the square, thousands of inner disciples were filled with endless emotions after Su Zhan's departure.
Some female disciples had already started fighting with each other over who qualified to be Su Zhan's partner.
Chaos ensued.
In the following days, Su Zhan continued to develop the Starfire Flowing Light Sword Technique and several other martial arts techniques at Baiyun Peak, while also stabilizing his cultivation and nurturing the Great Sun Star Sword.
Half a month later, Qin Jincheng suddenly sent him a message through the identity token.
"Su Zhan, come to the main hall of the main peak immediately. There is an important matter!"
An important matter?
Su Zhan was somewhat surprised. After thinking for a moment, he didn't know what important matter could involve him.
Unable to figure it out, he decided not to bother thinking about it and went straight to the main peak.
It didn't take long for him to arrive at the main hall.
Inside the hall, Chen Changfeng and Qin Jincheng had been waiting for a long time.
"Elder Chen, Sect Master."
Su Zhan clasped his hands towards the two of them.
"Su Zhan, we called you here today to discuss the matter of the Dark Star Forest."
"The Dark Star Forest?"
Qin Jincheng explained, "The Dark Star Forest is not a place in our spiritual world, but a secret realm completely disconnected from this world.
In our Tiannan region, there happens to be an entrance to this secret realm. This entrance opens once every ten years, and the next opening is about to come.
The Dark Star Forest contains many special minerals and spiritual herbs that are not found in the Tiannan region. When the entrance first appeared, it attracted the attention of powerful experts in the God Transformation Realm in the Tiannan region. However, the space within the secret realm is extremely fragile. The first expert who attempted to enter only approached the passage and caused it to tremble violently, nearly collapsing!
After that, the fifteen countries in the Tiannan region reached an agreement to share this secret realm, but with certain restrictions. Only those under the age of thirty are allowed to enter. In reality, the Dark Star Forest has become a battlefield for true geniuses from the fifteen countries!"
"There are many treasures in the Dark Star Forest, and the most famous one is a spiritual fruit called the Star Element Fruit. It contains star energy and can enhance the physique, talent, and cultivation base of a cultivator. Of course, there are also many dangers. Elder Chen and I intend to send you there to compete for opportunities. However, if you don't want to, we will respect your decision!"
Qin Jincheng finished explaining the matter of the Dark Star Forest in one breath and smiled at Su Zhan.
"Should I be the only one from our Yuntian Sword Sect to go?"
After listening, Su Zhan asked with curiosity.
"Su Zhan, it's not that we only want to send you, but our Yuntian Sword Sect only has one entry quota!"
Chen Changfeng said, "The secret realm is located very far from our Xia nation, on the border of the Tiannan region. Moreover, our Xia Kingdom is not too strong among the fifteen countries in the Tiannan region. That's why we were only allocated two quotas—one for the Yuntian Sword Sect and one for the royal family of the Xia nation.
It's not just our Xia Nation; most of the other countries are in the same situation, with only two spots allocated. Only the larger countries and the Chen Kingdom, where this secret realm is located, have more entry quotas, although not too many.
Although the Dark Star Forest is vast, the Star Element Fruit trees are extremely rare. Due to the limited time available, it's impossible to explore too many areas. Having more people wouldn't be of much use. On the contrary, it might attract the attention of special wild beasts in the depths of the Dark Star Forest."
"So that's it."
Su Zhan pondered for a moment, nodded, and agreed.
Coincidentally, he had a deep feeling in his heart that if he could obtain more treasures containing star energy, it might lead to an unexpected transformation in his body.
Furthermore, he had already mastered the Shadow Movement Technique, Fire Burst Fist, and the Yangyan Scripture to the Major Achievement level. And the Starfire Flowing Light Sword Technique is also nearing to the Minor Achievement level. Even in the Dark Star Forest, where there were so many true geniuses, Su Zhan believed he had the strength to protect himself.
If he could obtain the Star Element Fruit, he might be able to elevate the Starfire Flowing Light Sword Technique to the Major Achievement level!
With this thought in mind, Su Zhan asked several more questions about the Dark Star Forest and then left, heading straight to the treasure vault of the Yuntian Sword Sect.
When cultivating within the sect, there was no need to worry about these things. But now he would be going out to engage in battle with others, and considering he had reached the Barrier Master Realm and could use Xuan-level artifacts, it was only reasonable for him to choose some suitable treasures.
Seeing Su Zhan leave, Chen Changfeng turned to Qin Jincheng with a hint of concern, "Sect Master, Su Zhan is an unprecedented genius in our Yuntian Sword Sect. I still worry about sending him to a place like the Dark Star Forest."
"The edge of the sword is forged through grinding. Since he has chosen the path of sword cultivation, he can't rely solely on diligent cultivation."
Qin Jincheng shook his head, "Besides, Su Zhan is someone blessed with great luck. This journey might bring unexpected benefits to him! Moreover, with Su Zhan's strength, who among the geniuses from the fifteen countries in the Tiannan region can match him?"
"It's hard to say. The rules are under thirty years old, and Su Zhan is only sixteen. He is truly at a disadvantage!"
Chen Changfeng pondered for a moment and continued, "Among the geniuses under thirty from the fifteen countries, some have already reached the Core Yuan Realm. Su Zhan's combat strength at the moment might be slightly stronger than a cultivator in the early stage of the Core Yuan Realm. If he can unleash his Sun God Divine Body, he might be able to contend against a cultivator in the mid-stage of the Core Yuan Realm. Such strength is indeed remarkable within the Dark Star Forest, but it doesn't mean he is invincible!"
"Enough, Junior Brother Chen. I know you see Su Zhan as your junior to a certain extent, but there's no need to worry too much."
Qin Jincheng smiled.
"Just think about what Su Zhan has achieved since joining the sect. Do you think someone as peculiar as him needs us two old men to worry?"