Chapter 20

Chen Dazheng was puzzled, not knowing why Elder Fang had come in person.

"Could there be a problem with the treasure?" Chen Dazheng thought, "That shouldn't be the case. If there really was a problem, his tone wouldn't have been like that."

He quickly ran towards the outer disciples' living area, thinking that only by finding Lin Xuan could he understand what was going on.

However, what made him even more frustrated was that Lin Xuan wasn't in his room. Chen Dazheng asked the surrounding disciples, but no one knew where Lin Xuan had gone.

With no choice, he could only return and report to Elder Fang.

After listening, Elder Fang stroked his beard and said, "Wait for him to return and have him come see me immediately."

"Yes," Chen Dazheng replied respectfully.

After Elder Fang left, Chen Dazheng suddenly slapped his forehead, "Oh, I forgot I still have a precious sword that Lin Xuan just repaired!"

"Well, I'll wait for Lin Xuan to come back and then give it to him," he thought. He didn't dare go find Elder Fang now and could only hope that Lin Xuan would return soon.

At the same time, a storm was brewing in the outer sect of Xuantian Sect.

The disciples of the Divine Might Group mobilized all their forces to search for the people Zhang Bin had contacted before his death. One disciple with a square face revealed a shocking piece of information.

He had been injured in a fight, and Zhang Bin saw his signal and came to his aid. Later, Zhang Bin and others tracked the person to the depths of the forest, where they ultimately died.

Finally, the disciples of the Divine Might Group drew a portrait of Lin Xuan, and a manhunt for Lin Xuan began in the outer sect. After extensive investigation, they finally learned the details about Lin Xuan.

"A sword slave, just joined the outer sect?" A young man with a scar on his face heard this and became furious, "Do you think he could kill a Fourth Rank Spirit Scholar and two Third Rank Spirit Scholars!"

This young man was one of the outer sect leaders of the Divine Might Group, named Yan Kong, whose cultivation had reached the Sixth Rank of the Meridian Formation Realm. He was enraged upon hearing the news about Lin Xuan.

"Brother Kong," the square-faced disciple stammered, "When I fought with Lin Xuan, I found that although he was a Third Rank Spirit Scholar, his strength far exceeded that of a Third Rank."

"Brother Kong, this is the only lead we have. Whether it's him or not, we should capture him first. Otherwise, we won't be able to explain to Zhang Rui when he returns," said a disciple beside Yan Kong.

"Let's go, let's check it out!" Yan Kong waved his hand and led a group of people towards Lin Xuan's residence.

...

In the living area of the outer disciples, a group of Divine Might Group disciples suddenly appeared, quickly surrounding a small house. One of the disciples kicked the door open.

The disciples living nearby came out, looking at the aggressive Divine Might Group disciples with puzzled expressions.

"Brother Kong, that guy isn't here!" someone who had gone in to investigate came out and said.

"Not here? Could he have run away?" Yan Kong frowned, "Quickly send people to search the area around the sect. Leave some people here to wait. I don't believe he can fly away!"

With a command, the outer disciples of the Divine Might Group began to act swiftly. The surrounding disciples gradually understood their actions, and Lin Xuan's name was recognized by everyone for the first time.

When they learned that Lin Xuan was just a new disciple in the outer sect with no background or support, they felt a sense of dizziness. Indeed, ignorance is fearless; a small disciple dared to challenge a behemoth like the Divine Might Group.

Tang Yu, upon hearing the news, hurried to find Lin Xuan. She never expected that Lin Xuan would cause such a big mess, not only getting into trouble with the Divine Might Group but also killing someone!

She rushed to Lin Xuan's residence, fearing that he had already been taken away by the Divine Might Group. Fortunately, she only saw a group of Divine Might Group disciples and no sign of Lin Xuan.

"Little brat, you know how to run, hmpf!" Tang Yu cursed Lin Xuan in her heart.

After searching around and finding no trace of Lin Xuan, she stomped her foot in frustration and left angrily.

A group of onlookers exchanged information, "I heard Lin Xuan used to be Tang Yu's sword slave?"

"Yeah, didn't Tang Yu just leave?"

"Oh, this must be a secret arrangement by the Combat Group, right?"

...

In just half a day, the murder case had escalated into a conflict between the Divine Might Group and the Combat Group, and the news spread throughout the outer sect.

Soon, the news also reached the inner sect, but the higher-ups of the Combat Group personally clarified that the incident had nothing to do with them, quelling the rumors.

The Divine Might Group guarded the area for a whole day without seeing Lin Xuan, becoming even more convinced that he was the culprit and had fled.

Meanwhile, Lin Xuan was standing in front of a large rock, carving words.

After several days of training, he had already gained initial control over his inner spiritual energy. His fingers moved, and rows of evenly deep characters appeared on the rock.

"Very good, faster than expected!" Old Drunkard grunted.

"Then, can I start practicing with the sword?" Lin Xuan asked excitedly.

"You're young, and you don't believe it, but this is just the first step," Old Drunkard scolded. "The second step is to carve words on a leaf without piercing it."

Lin Xuan knew that this required even stricter control over his strength, but he wasn't afraid.

Picking up a leaf from the ground, Lin Xuan activated his spiritual energy and was about to start.

"Hey, what are you doing!" Old Drunkard suddenly shouted loudly.

Lin Xuan looked puzzled, "You said to carve words!"

Old Drunkard looked helpless and kicked the large tree behind him.

"Oh." Lin Xuan turned and kicked the tree trunk.

Although he didn't use much force, the tree still swayed three times, and the leaves danced in the wind, scattering in the air.

"Now you can start," Old Drunkard said.

"Ah!" Lin Xuan looked at the leaves in the air and his face fell.

...

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.

In the forest, a figure danced, the black iron longsword in his hand flashing like lightning, each strike carving a "wu" character on the dancing leaves.

The sword touched the leaves without piercing them, the force precise and astonishing.

This figure was Lin Xuan. After half a month of training, he could now accurately carve words on leaves without piercing them.

"Old Drunkard, I've completed this training. What's next?" Lin Xuan asked with a smile.

Old Drunkard nodded in satisfaction, "You can start practicing the sword. Begin with the first level."

The first level of the Thundering Sword Technique consists of thirteen strikes, each as swift as thunder and unstoppable. The technique's force is unique, using only seven parts of strength and reserving three parts for the next attack, like lightning in the clouds, continuously accumulating power.

Old Drunkard suggested, "Practice in the water, using the resistance to improve your sword technique."

The resistance in the water is significant, testing one's control over strength. Lin Xuan didn't hesitate; he remembered a waterfall not far ahead.

After tidying up, Lin Xuan went to the waterfall to practice his sword technique.