Chapter 60

In the early morning, with misty fog, many people in Tanggu City were still fast asleep.

Creak!

A window facing the street suddenly opened, and Lin Xi poked his head out.

"About time, let's go and scout the path first."

Lin Xi's body leaped, light as a cat, and immediately jumped out of the window.

There was still some time before the Immortal Path World would start recruiting disciples. Lin Xi planned to go and take a look at the location of the Shenxiao Sect first.

For this mission, Lin Xi had already instructed Li Qingling and Zhao Ren to stay at the inn. He would go alone, unencumbered, and it would be more convenient for his actions.

"Let's go!"

Lin Xi's body leaped, and with a thud, he rose from the ground, instantly turning into a black dot and disappearing into the sky, then heading towards the outskirts of the city.

The guards of Tanggu City could deal with ordinary martial artists and bandits. But for a peak martial artist, it was virtually defenseless. No matter how high the city walls were, they couldn't stop such a strong person from leaping over them.

Lin Xi didn't even need to go around the city gate; he leaped directly over the city wall and headed northeast.

According to the world map in "The Great World of the Immortal Path," the Shenxiao Sect was located northeast of Tanggu City.

Leaving Tanggu City, the terrain became rugged and the area increasingly remote, making the roads harder to travel. But for Lin Xi, it was still a matter of crossing mountains and rivers as if walking on flat ground.

After about two hours, Lin Xi arrived at the place marked on the map where the Shenxiao Sect was located.

The place was desolate and remote, surrounded by a vast wasteland.

"Is this Shenxiao Mountain?"

Lin Xi was taken aback as he looked at the scene before him.

Before him, a mountain peak stretched across the land. This mountain was not small, but it was also not large, and it certainly wasn't grand or magnificent.

It was just an ordinary mountain.

There were no buildings visible on the mountain, and there was no sign of the grand and majestic aura of an Immortal Path sect.

Thud!

Lin Xi leaped high into the air, drawing an arc in the sky, and landed directly on the mountain. Standing on the mountain, he could see everything around him, but there was nothing particularly remarkable.

Behind the mountain peak, not far away, was a vast, boundless swamp. This swamp could hide nothing and showed no signs of any Immortal Path sect.

"What's going on?"

Lin Xi was stunned. If it weren't for the clear indication on "The Great World of the Immortal Path," Lin Xi would have thought he had come to the wrong place.

However, when Lin Xi's gaze swept over the swamp, it suddenly focused.

"Hmm? Someone?"

Far away from Lin Xi, a figure was searching the swamp. If not for careful observation, it would be hard to notice.

The other person's perception was clearly very strong. When Lin Xi looked at him, the other person also sensed it and turned to look at Lin Xi.

"An expert!"

Lin Xi's eyelids twitched. The person gave Lin Xi a very strong feeling, not just a peak Dragon Force expert, but a Thunder Roar expert. His strength was at least 150,000 pounds, and it was unknown if he was hiding more.

Lin Xi's impression of the other person was the same.

Both felt a mutual sense of caution in each other's eyes.

"Good grief, I've encountered a Thunder Roar expert just by chance here."

Lin Xi was inwardly shaken.

Tenth-stage martial artists were people who could establish sects and become sect leaders or abbots, and they rarely showed themselves. But here, he had encountered one so easily.

Rustle!

A faint sound came from behind. Lin Xi's ears twitched, and he immediately looked back.

At the end of Lin Xi's gaze, a man in a green robe slowed his steps, looking at Lin Xi with caution. He was still far from the foot of the mountain, but Lin Xi could immediately sense him. This made the man in the green robe immediately feel cautious!

When martial arts reached the ninth or tenth stage, not only were their hearing and vision superior to ordinary people, but they also had a subtle sense when they were too close to each other.

"Another person!"

Lin Xi's eyelids twitched, and he looked in another direction.

This time, it wasn't behind him but in another direction of the swamp. The person had clearly come over mountains and through valleys and had not stopped in the city.

Lin Xi, the expert in the swamp, and the third person behind the mountain peak all looked at the man in black robes at almost the same time. He wore a hood, and his face was obscured.

The man in black robes initially stopped, but soon sneered and continued walking forward, seemingly not taking Lin Xi and the others seriously.

"What a defiant guy!"

Lin Xi frowned slightly.

He was now completely sure that this was the right place, the location of the Shenxiao Sect.

It wasn't strange for one Thunder Roar expert to appear here, but two, three, four, five... it was definitely not a coincidence.

"It seems that those who received the recruitment order and 'The Great World of the Immortal Path' are not just me."

Lin Xi's mind raced, and he immediately descended the mountain.

From his vantage point on the mountain, he could see far. In just a short while, Lin Xi saw more people appearing in the distance, heading this way.

Standing high up was too conspicuous and not a good thing.

Lin Xi didn't care about one Thunder Roar expert, but if a group of them attacked, even with his magic sword, he would have to flee.

Lin Xi now understood that he had woken up at dawn and rushed here, taking advantage of the time and location. He had clearly arrived relatively early.

And there were others with the same idea, wanting to "scout the area" and check the location.

Those who had stood out among countless experts and obtained the recruitment order were clearly not simple people.

Lin Xi descended the mountain and stopped at the edge of the swamp.

More and more people were coming from all directions. This originally desolate and remote place had, in a short time, gathered a large number of top martial artists.

The people who came were varied, including sect leaders, lone travelers, and even princes in imperial robes, as well as many beautiful women and people in exotic attire.

Regardless of their appearance, they all shared one common trait—they were all experts!

"This place is getting dangerous."

Lin Xi thought to himself.

The surroundings were calm, but Lin Xi could sense a strong sense of danger in the air. No one who appeared here was a simple person.

But whether they were truly smart or just pretending to be foolish, they all acted as if they had arrived here by chance. Everyone temporarily maintained restraint but was also alert, sizing each other up.

Lin Xi could already feel more than a dozen hostile gazes passing over him.

The atmosphere was very strange; even a fool could tell that most of the people here had the Immortal Path recruitment order. Just the mention of these words was enough to spark intense killing intent.

"I'm leaving first."

A Dragon Force expert couldn't withstand the intense pressure and left first.

"Heh heh."

As he left, a black-robed martial artist sneered and followed him.

"Ah!—"

In just a short time, a shrill scream echoed from the distance. The sound abruptly stopped, and soon, the black-robed man returned, reappearing around the swamp.

"What a pity!"

Lin Xi sighed inwardly.

The situation had become very complex. Many of the people here clearly had the Immortal Path recruitment order, but some definitely did not.

Whether for their own safety or to eliminate future competitors and reduce the pressure of entering the Immortal Path sect, eliminating the weak was the only choice.

Whoever showed fear first, whoever left first, would be mercilessly killed!

It was much easier to snatch the order from a weak person than from a strong one.

Lin Xi carefully observed the people around him, examining each one. He wasn't worried about being targeted; instead, this was a good opportunity to gather information on his competitors.

The Immortal Path sect was not a farm or a welfare center. It wouldn't accept everyone who came. "Selecting the best" was a universal principle.

Even a small sect like the Five Thunder Sect never accepted everyone. They had a fixed number of recruits each year, and once that number was reached, they stopped accepting more.

If even the Five Thunder Sect was like this, how much more so for a sect like the Shenxiao Sect?

"This prince is incredibly strong!"

Lin Xi's gaze swept over the handsome prince in the imperial robe, and his eyelids twitched. This prince gave him a much stronger feeling than the Chilian Sect did.

To have such strength at the Thunder Roar stage was simply unbelievable.

In addition to this prince, a few others caught Lin Xi's attention. The fourth black-robed man, a few middle-aged men with cold expressions, and a tall woman holding a whip with a proud and cold demeanor.

These people clearly weren't good sorts, and almost no one dared to provoke them, not even daring to look at them.

The earth was silent, and no one knew how long it had been, but everyone had roughly gauged each other's strength. The prince in the imperial robe was the first to leave.

"Let's go!"

Without any hesitation, the prince left first. His confidence and skill made him fearless of others' covetous eyes.

With someone leading the way, others quickly followed.

"About time. I can return now."

Lin Xi also turned and left.

Although he hadn't seen the Shenxiao Sect, Lin Xi was now certain that this was the right place. He had also roughly gauged the strength of the people here.

Thud!

Lin Xi leaped high into the air, instantly turning into a black dot and leaving the swamp.

Not long after leaving, Lin Xi immediately sensed a cold presence following him, watching him.

"Hmph! You're actually targeting me."

Lin Xi stopped, his eyes flashing with a cold light, revealing a hint of killing intent.

Although he was still at the ninth stage of Dragon Force and hadn't reached the Thunder Roar stage, his strength was no less than any Thunder Roar expert. If the other person thought he was weak and wanted to target him, they were making a big mistake.