Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

"Consider yourself lucky, you old devil. I'll let you off this time."

Xia Jin sneered, and then the void behind him distorted, and he disappeared from the spot.

On the northern horizon, a faint spiritual sense also swept across the location where Xia Jin had just been at the same time.

A sharp divine thought also swept across this area from the southwest.

The two divine thoughts met in the air for a moment. They both sensed each other's presence, but they tacitly avoided any collision.

After all, their target was never each other.

"Gone?"

A hint of doubt emanated from the Northern Spiritual Sense, and only after confirming several times that Xia Jin had indeed left did it slowly withdraw.

......

"Cough cough cough!"

Within the Guiyi Sect, at the foot of a mountain that had been reduced to ruins, a violent coughing sound came from the pile of rubble.

Ning He supported himself on the ground with one hand, half-kneeling.

His silver eyes were now bloodshot, and his face had lost its previous indifference and arrogance.

"Damn it, what was that move just now? It seemed like sword intent, but it wasn't quite like it."

Ning He's voice carried a hint of lingering fear.

He looked down at his chest, where a thin, hair-like sword wound was clearly visible.

The sword mark wasn't deep, merely slicing through the skin, but that wisp of pink sword energy almost severed his soul.

"So close, so close to killing me on the spot!" Ning He took a deep breath, a deep sense of fear flashing in his eyes.

With that final sword strike, at the last moment, he exerted all his strength to mobilize the power of the Saint Realm threshold he had barely touched during his seclusion, forcibly protecting his soul.

If he had been even half a breath slower, his soul would have been completely annihilated.

"Cough cough cough!"

Another violent coughing fit ensued, and Ning He felt a sweet taste in his throat as a warm liquid welled up inside him.

He forced it down, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Who exactly is that guy wearing the bronze mask?"

Ning He's brows were furrowed tightly at this moment.

He searched through all the powerful figures in his memory, but none of them matched the one he had just met.

In the Mirage Realm, which of those old monsters who have reached the ninth level of the Great Power Realm is not a renowned and peerless expert? Which one does not have a illustrious reputation?

"I belong to the Guiyi Sect, where exactly did I offend this person?" Ning He was increasingly puzzled, a hint of frustration flashing in his eyes.

"I almost... I almost had my entire Guiyi Sect wiped out!"

Thinking of this, Ning He felt a surge of fear and an inexplicable anger rising within him.

In his anger, Ning He's expression suddenly changed.

He suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot silver eyes looking towards the north and southwest, a cold glint flashing in them.

"Were those two old geezers just watching the show? They were both hoping I'd die soon so they could swallow up my Guiyi Sect's territory? Hmph! As long as I'm alive, you'll only be dreaming!!"

Ning He gritted his teeth and cursed angrily.

However, he quickly remembered something and shivered.

He is now severely injured. Although he can still stand on the surface, his fighting strength is actually less than one-tenth of what it used to be. If those two families knew his true condition, the Guiyi Sect would be in grave danger!

He knew all too well how those old folks operated.

"No, we absolutely can't let those two old geezers find out!"

Ning He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and forcibly suppressed his surging blood pressure.

The spiritual energy within his body began to circulate. Although each circulation was accompanied by excruciating pain, he persevered and managed to reactivate that silver aura.

A silver light shone from his body, enveloping him entirely.

His pale face was concealed by the silver light, revealing no flaw whatsoever.

Ning He's figure soared into the sky from the pile of rubble and reappeared above the Guiyi Sect!

"asshole!!!"

A sound like thunder resounded throughout the Guiyi Sect.

"Don't run away if you dare! Fight me another three hundred rounds!! Once I break through to the Saint Realm, I will find you and tear you to pieces!!"

His voice was full of energy and aggressive, showing no sign of injury whatsoever.

Those silver eyes coldly scanned the surroundings, as if they were truly furious about the mysterious person's escape.

After shouting this, Ning He snorted coldly, his figure transforming into a streak of silver light as he flew directly towards the main peak.

As soon as his figure disappeared into the highest mountain peak, the two probing auras also completely dissipated.

"It's the sect leader!"

"The sect leader won! That masked bastard was driven away by the sect leader!"

Inside the Guiyi Sect, the disciples who had been hiding in various corners peeked out, their faces showing the ecstatic joy of surviving a calamity.

That battle just now was truly terrifying.

First, the terrifying "sun" directly destroyed most of the Guiyi Sect's buildings, and even one-fifth of the disciples were completely reduced to ashes under its terrifying flames.

When the strange rain fell later, many of the surviving disciples were even directly trapped in an illusion, unable to extricate themselves from their own memories and emotions.

That feeling was more terrifying than death.

"I knew it! The Sect Master is a powerful expert at the ninth level of the Great Power Realm, how could he possibly lose?"

"That's right! No matter how powerful that guy who hid his face was, he could never be a match for the sect leader!"

"Sect Leader, you are mighty!"

"Long live the Guiyi Sect!"

The surviving disciples cheered and jumped for joy, some even weeping with happiness.

But no one noticed that after the silver light fell into the main peak, it was completely silent.

In a secret chamber deep within the main peak.

As soon as Ning He landed and closed the stone door, he staggered and almost fell to the ground.

......

Meanwhile, the Hehuan Sword Sect.

In Zhou Suxin's residence, Zhou Suxin sat upright in the main seat, a faint smile on her face.

Sitting opposite her was Jiang Ling, the sect leader of the Hehuan Sword Sect.

"Su Xin, your cultivation level..."

Jiang Ling's gaze fell on Zhou Suxin, her eyes filled with disbelief.

In just a few days, Zhou Suxin's transformation was nothing short of miraculous.

Not only her appearance, but she also looked much younger. Her face, which was originally in her thirties, now looked like that of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl. Her skin was fair, delicate, and smooth, as beautiful as a peach blossom.

Moreover, her cultivation level had actually reached the half-step Great Power realm.

What surprised Jiang Ling the most was Zhou Suxin's expression.

In the past, Zhou Suxin, although an elder of the Hehuan Sword Sect, always had a hint of indescribable weariness between her brows.

But now, that fatigue has completely disappeared, replaced by a confidence and charm that emanates from within.

Jiang Ling sighed with a hint of envy, "Su Xin, you actually stepped into the half-step Great Power Realm?"

As the sect leader of the Hehuan Sword Sect, she was well aware of the difficulty of breaking through from the ninth level of the Dragon Transformation Realm to the Half-Step Great Power Realm. Zhou Suxin actually made it to the Half-Step Great Power Realm in just a few days!

This is simply unbelievable!

"Yes, Senior Sister Zong..." Zhou Suxin smiled slightly, a hint of gentleness flashing in her eyes.

"Thanks to my husband, without his help, I'm afraid I would have no hope of making any breakthroughs within the next ten years."

"Xia Jin?"

Jiang Ling paused for a moment, then looked at Zhou Suxin with a strange expression.

"Suxin, it seems your good fortune has arrived!"

Jiang Ling said sincerely, but a hint of emotion flashed in her eyes.

"If I could meet such an outstanding man, I wouldn't have to struggle alone to support the Hehuan Sword Sect, and I wouldn't be left without anyone to help me when I'm in trouble..."

Just then, a subtle distortion appeared in the void in one corner of the reception room.

Zhou Suxin's eyes lit up, and a joyful smile appeared on her face.

She stood up, her gaze fixed on the distorted void.

Jiang Ling also stood up. Her expression was much calmer than Zhou Suxin's, but she was eager to know something else.

A tall, slender figure emerged from the void.

Wearing a black robe and with long purple hair, it was Xia Jin.

"My husband!"

Zhou Suxin rushed over immediately, her face full of joy.

Upon seeing Zhou Suxin, Xia Jin immediately reached out, wrapped her arms around Zhou Suxin's waist, and pulled her into his embrace.

"What, you miss me that much already after such a short time?"

Xia Jin's teasing voice made Zhou Suxin's face flush red instantly. She subconsciously tried to break free, but Xia Jin's arms were like iron hoops, locking her firmly in his embrace.

"Husband... let me go, the sect leader is still here..." Zhou Suxin said softly, her voice barely audible.

She stole a glance at Jiang Ling, and a blush unconsciously rose to her face.

Xia Jin showed no intention of letting go, and instead sat down in the spot where Zhou Suxin had just been, still holding her.

He turned to look at Jiang Ling and said with a smile, "Sect Leader Jiang shouldn't mind, right?"

Jiang Ling: "..."

As she watched this scene, her eye twitched involuntarily. This guy, he's really bold!

But Jiang Ling was, after all, the leader of a sect, and her mental cultivation was far beyond that of ordinary people.

She showed no sign of anything amiss, instead offering a slight smile as if she hadn't seen anything.

"Fellow Daoist Xia is joking. Su Xin is your Daoist partner, and I naturally do not mind the intimacy between you two."

She paused, then changed the subject.

"However, could Fellow Daoist Xia tell us about the matter concerning the Guiyi Sect?"

Xia Jin pinched Zhou Suxin's cheek, then raised her head and said with a smile, "Sect Leader Jiang, don't worry, I just dumped the corpses of those elders from Guiyi Sect in front of Guiyi Sect's mountain gate."

Jiang Ling's hand trembled slightly, causing a few drops of tea to spill from the teacup in her hand.

Seemingly noticing the other person's shock, Xia Jin waved her hand, "No need to worry, no one will suspect the Hehuan Sword Sect."

"This... when you do this, don't their people react at all?" Jiang Ling frowned and couldn't help but ask.

"A reaction? There was definitely one," Xia Jin chuckled. "I also destroyed half of their mountain gate, and later fought a battle with the sect leader of the Guiyi Sect. I must say, that old ghost does have some skill!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Suxin, who had been somewhat shy, suddenly raised her head, and she panicked.

His hands kept groping Xia Jin's body, his eyes filled with worry.

"Husband, are you injured? I heard that the sect leader of Guiyi Sect is a powerful expert at the ninth level of the Great Power Realm. Tell me quickly, where are you injured?"

Zhou Suxin's movements in his arms made Xia Jin somewhat reconsider his actions, but seeing that Jiang Ling, the sect leader of the Hehuan Sword Sect, was still there, he shook his head and cleared his mind of distractions.

He took Zhou Suxin's hand and gently patted her back. "Stop!! I'm not hurt. Your husband is so powerful, that old ghost can't do anything to me."

After confirming that Xia Jin was indeed unharmed, Zhou Suxin breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back into his arms.

But Jiang Ling, who was standing to the side, was different.

Her expression had completely changed.

That's a ninth-level Great Power Realm cultivator! That person is a ninth-level Great Power Realm cultivator!

In the entire Mirage Realm, there are at most no more than twenty powerful individuals who have reached the ninth level of the Great Power Realm.

Ning He, the sect leader of Guiyi Sect, is one of the best among these twenty people, and he is already trying to break through to the Saint Realm!

But this man not only escaped from the Guiyi Sect unscathed, but also "fought" with that person?

Jiang Ling took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, but her eyes were fixed on Xia Jin, as if trying to read something from his face. "Young Master Xia, how did your battle with Ning He go?"

Xia Jin glanced at her and said calmly.

He lost.