Wang Xuan looked at him strangely and said, "Didn't you sense the changes in the world?"
Upon hearing this, Taishi Ci was taken aback and said with some puzzlement, "After I got this information from the Kunlun Saintess, I came to find you immediately and have been staying here ever since. I don't know much about the changes in the outside world."
"It seems that the spiritual energy in this world is more concentrated, the space is more stable, and the suppression of my cultivation is not as severe."
Wang Xuan rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Now that the Xuan Tian World and the Liaozhai World have merged into one, the world level has been upgraded to a high-level martial arts world, which can accommodate experts at the Celestial Realm. Naturally, they will relax the suppression on your cultivation."
"Two worlds merging? How is that possible?!" Taishi Ci was so shocked he couldn't close his mouth, but after looking at Wang Xuan, he couldn't help but believe it a little.
Wang Xuan is capable of traversing worlds and manipulating the will of heaven. Now that he has the means to merge two worlds, it seems not impossible.
"The world of Liaozhai and the world of Xuantian have merged, and the world coordinates have changed as a result. Even if the invaders from other worlds reappear, they will appear in the same place as the Liaozhai world before, and they will absolutely not be able to descend into the Liaozhai world now." Wang Xuan explained it clearly, which completely put Taishi Ci's worries at ease.
Wang Xuan told Taishi Ci to adapt to the changes in the world on his own. He did not stay there for long, but flew towards Kunlun Cave Heaven.
Kunlun Cave Heaven is located at the top of Kunlun Mountain. With the fusion of the Liaozhai world and the Xuantian world, the Kunlun Mountains of the two worlds also merged into one, serving as the center of the fusion of the two worlds.
Compared to before, Mount Kunlun is now twice as high, directly dividing the Xuantian World in two. The left side is the original Xuantian World, while the right side is the original Liaozhai World.
Wang Xuan moved with incredible speed and soon arrived at the top of Kunlun Mountain. Just as he was about to enter the Kunlun Cave Heaven, he inadvertently saw a white fox climbing on the cliff below.
Chapter 149 A Fox Demon in My Home Awaits to Be Raised
"Huh? Where did this little fox come from?" Wang Xuan looked down at the little fox with some surprise, and a feeling inexplicably arose in his heart.
As the closest place to Kunlun Grotto-heaven, the summit of Kunlun Mountain was also protected by some restrictions set up by Wang Xuan using the power of Xuan Tian's will, making it impossible for ordinary people to approach.
Although any cultivator with sufficient power can ignore the effects of the restrictions here, this does not apply to the little fox.
Although the little fox had a faint demonic aura, it did not take human form, and its physical strength was not much stronger than that of an ordinary person.
It must have gone through countless hardships to climb all the way to this place, and it may have even almost lost its life in the process.
"Fine, since you want to come up, I'll give you a hand." Wang Xuan chuckled and reached out, releasing an invisible force that pulled the little fox up.
The little fox looked around in confusion, and after a while, it finally understood the situation. Its gaze then fixed on Wang Xuan. It actually knelt down and kowtowed several times to Wang Xuan.
"I didn't expect your little fox to have such a firm will to pursue the Dao. This is something that most human cultivators can't match." Wang Xuan reached out and hugged the little fox, then looked down at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, his eyes seemingly able to see through the void.
There, an old woman was gazing at the mountaintop. Although she looked no different from an ordinary woman, she was actually a fox demon with hundreds of years of cultivation.
Wang Xuan, being so cunning and shrewd, could naturally guess the whole story. It was clear that the old fox demon had somehow learned that Wang Xuan lived on the top of Kunlun Mountain, so he brought this little fox over, hoping that the little fox would become Wang Xuan's disciple.
Although the old fox's intentions were impure, this little fox was indeed quite good. Its heart was set on the path of enlightenment, and it climbed to the top of Kunlun Mountain step by step without relying on the old fox's strength in the slightest.
More importantly, the little fox is adorable, and adopting it as a pet would be a great idea, and it would also be a form of entertainment during breaks from cultivation.
Wang Xuan withdrew his gaze, not giving the old fox at the foot of the mountain another glance. He took a step forward, and his body instantly merged into the void, disappearing from the spot.
The next second, Wang Xuan entered the Kunlun Cave Heaven. Although Wang Xuan had lived here for five years, the place still seemed somewhat desolate. Apart from Miss Cai Yan and a dozen or so girls who followed Cai Yan to learn, there were only those flower fairies from before.
"Zhaoji, I'm back!" Wang Xuan called out. Cai Yan turned around and said, "Give me back my Confucian classics!"
Since inheriting the Six Classics of Confucianism, Cai Yan has always regarded this magical treasure as her lifeblood. Even when Wang Xuan wanted to borrow it, it took several days of earnest persuasion before she agreed.
Wang Xuan smiled wryly, patted his forehead, and six ancient books flew out from his sea of consciousness. They circled above Cai Yan's head once before Cai Yan put them away.
Cai Yan carefully examined the magical artifact and only felt relieved after confirming that it was undamaged.
"Zhaoji, look what I brought back for you!" Wang Xuan took the little fox out of his arms. He had deliberately covered the little fox with his sleeve, so Cai Yan hadn't noticed.
"A little fox?" Cai Yan reached out and took the adorable little creature, released a wisp of her divine sense to examine it, and said with some surprise, "So it's a fox demon that has gained sentience. This little guy has excellent innate talent. If it is properly nurtured, it has the potential to grow into a demon king in the future."
Miss Cai Yan immediately decided to adopt the little fox to keep her unicorn, Snowball, company.
This little fox demon is indeed extraordinary, with excellent natural talent and great spirituality.
Wang Xuan even used his Xuan Tian Will to investigate its origins and learned that the little fox's surname was Xin and it was the fourteenth child in its family.
That's right, this is Xin Shisi Niang, the fox spirit listed among the immortals in the book Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio!
In the original story, Xin Shisi Niang was able to be listed among the immortals and cultivate to the level of a rogue immortal comparable to the mortal transformation of martial arts. Now, with Wang Xuan's guidance, it will not be difficult for her to reach the realm of celestial beings in the future.
After entrusting the little fox demon to Cai Yan's care, Wang Xuan stayed in Kunlun Cave Heaven for another month before planning to return to the main world.
He only planned to bring Taishi Ci back with him this time; as for the others, he left them in the Xuan Tian World.
The martial prowess level in the main world is simply too high. Even someone at the early stage of the Transcendent Realm can only be considered a second-rate martial general. Others who go with him won't be of much use, and might even expose Wang Xuan's secret of being able to travel between worlds.
Taishi Ci, carrying his halberd, followed behind Wang Xuan with great pride and high spirits. However, Wang Xuan clearly sensed that his fierce general's eyes were somewhat evasive, as if he had done something wrong.
Wang Xuan couldn't help but be curious, and before leaving, he made a special inquiry. Nothing that happened in the Xuan Tian World could be hidden from him; as long as he communicated with the Xuan Tian Will, he could find out anything.
After this investigation, Wang Xuan couldn't help but reveal a strange smile. It turned out that Taishi Ci's mother was eager to have a grandson, and through some maneuvering, the Kunlun Saintess, who had previously been captured by Taishi Ci, became his wife…
"Don't look so guilty, kid. As the saying goes, 'Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders.' You captured the Kunlun Saintess, so you can have her as your wife." Wang Xuan couldn't help but tease, making Taishi Ci's face turn red and unable to utter a single word.
Wang Xuan shook his head, refraining from further teasing, and reached out to grab Taishi Ci's shoulder, while simultaneously activating the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth with his mind.
The Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth unleashed boundless divine power, directly tearing through space and time, piercing the world's membrane. Wang Xuan and Taishi Ci felt a disorientation in space and time before them, making them dizzy and disoriented. The next moment, they appeared in the main world.
Wang Xuan has been in the Xuan Tian World for more than five years, but because of the different time flow between worlds of different levels, only a few months have passed in the main world.
"My lord, where are we going?" Taishi Ci asked in a muffled voice.
“Judging by the time, it has been more than a year since I left Luoyang, and the great battle at Hulao Pass is almost over.” After thinking for a moment, Wang Xuan made a decision: “Let’s go to Hulao Pass and fight our way back to Luoyang with the allied forces of the feudal lords.”
Taishi Ci obeyed Wang Xuan's orders without question, and naturally he would not object if Wang Xuan wanted to go to Hulao Pass.
Both of them had reached the early stage of the Celestial Realm. Martial artists at the Transcendent Realm can traverse the void with their physical bodies. Celestial Realm experts fly even faster, and in just half a day, they flew from Donglai County to Hulao Pass.
Before even entering the military camp, Wang Xuan sensed the overwhelming power of blood and qi ahead, and even the space itself was inscribed with runes and formations.
This array was created by scholars who cultivate the primordial spirit. This array pattern can suppress the power of martial artists. Even though Wang Xuan's cultivation has broken through to the early stage of the Celestial Realm, his power was instantly suppressed by about 50%, which is truly astonishing.
"The experts among the allied forces are indeed numerous. Those who can inscribe such runes and formations in the void must be celestial-level experts in the Immortal Martial Arts!" Wang Xuan thought with awe, not daring to underestimate them in the slightest.
Chapter 150 Arrogance
"Who dares to spy on the allied forces' camp? Could they be some traitor from Xiliang?!" Just as Wang Xuan and Taishi Ci approached the allied forces' camp, a furious roar came from below.
The roar was filled with an incomparably domineering martial will. If it were a martial artist at the Transcendent Realm, they would immediately lose their mind and fall from mid-air.
"Such a powerful martial will! This must be a master at the Celestial Realm, and his cultivation should be at the mid-stage of the Celestial Realm!" Wang Xuan quickly guarded his mind and resisted the impact of that martial will.
Both he and Taishi Ci possessed the cultivation level of the early stage of the Celestial Realm, only one minor realm lower than the unseen expert. They could withstand the opponent's roar without any problem.
There was immediate commotion in the allied forces' camp, with more than a dozen figures flying out and rushing towards Wang Xuan and his group.
These dozen or so people all traversed the void with their physical bodies, and each of them had the cultivation level of the Transcendent Realm. The burly man in the lead had even reached the Celestial Realm, and the roar just now was most likely made by this man.
Fearing misunderstanding, Wang Xuan quickly revealed his identity, saying, "I am Wang Xuan, son of Wang Yun, the Minister of Works. I am an old acquaintance of Cao Mengde, Liu Bei, and other lords in the allied forces!"
"Please trouble the general to inform them that I, Wang Xuan, have come to join the army and fight against the traitor Dong Zhuo with the allied forces of the lords!"
Although Wang Xuan revealed his identity, the group of experts surrounded them and remained on high alert. They couldn't possibly lower their guard just because of Wang Xuan's words.
A general wanted to return to the military camp to report, but was stopped by the leader, a celestial expert.
"These two are suspicious; they must be spies sent by that traitor Dong Zhuo. Take them down first!" The other party sneered at Wang Xuan and arrogantly ordered his generals to take action.
Wang Xuan's expression changed, and he questioned, "I am the son of the Grand Minister of the current dynasty. You attacked me without even confirming the facts. Who gave you the audacity!"
The others hesitated upon hearing this and did not act immediately.
Upon seeing this, the mid-stage Celestial Realm expert sneered, "You claim to be the son of Wang Situ, but Wang Situ's son is merely a weak scholar who has only been practicing martial arts for two years. Yet you are able to traverse the void with your physical body, which at least indicates you have reached the Transcendent Realm."
"To reach the Transcendent Realm in just two years is simply impossible. You must be impersonating Wang Situ's son!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding generals all agreed that it made sense and, without further ado, prepared to seize Wang Xuan and Taishi Ci.
Before Wang Xuan could make a move, Taishi Ci became enraged. With a swing of his halberd, he knocked down two experts at the Transcendent Realm.
Of course, Taishi Ci did not kill with his halberd; otherwise, if someone had died, a major battle would have been inevitable, regardless of whether he was right or wrong.
"Not good! This is a master of the Celestial Realm!" The generals stopped in their tracks once again and turned their gazes toward the leading general.
Although their dozen or so Transcendent Realm experts, when formed into an array, were enough to contend with Celestial Realm experts, there were already Celestial Realm experts present, so they could simply have their leader defeat the enemy.
"To think he's a fierce general at the early stage of the Celestial Realm. I've been a bit negligent." The Celestial Realm expert who had previously made things difficult for Taishi Ci smiled and said, "I am Yan Liang, a general under Prefect Yuan of Bohai Commandery. Brave warrior, are you willing to abandon the darkness and embrace the light, and follow my lord, Yuan Benchu?"
It turns out that this person was Yan Liang, a general under Yuan Shao. Yan Liang directly labeled Wang Xuan as a villain and even tried to poach Taishi Ci in front of Wang Xuan, making him "abandon darkness and turn to light".
Yan Liang clearly didn't take Wang Xuan seriously, thinking that Wang Xuan was just a Transcendent Realm martial artist who could be easily manipulated by him.
Although Wang Xuan was angry, he wasn't blinded by anger. Now that he knew Yan Liang's identity, he naturally guessed the other party's motive for making things difficult for him.
Now, the warlords of the land have gathered outside Hulao Pass and have been confronting Dong Zhuo's army for more than two years. With more than a dozen warlords staying together for so long, some friction is inevitable.
Yuan Shao considered himself the leader of the coalition of warlords, but Cao Cao, the initiator of the alliance, held a position that was somewhat extraordinary and subtly threatened Yuan Shao's position.
When Wang Xuan introduced himself, he mentioned that he was an old acquaintance of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, which naturally aroused Yan Liang's hostility.
If Wang Xuan's identity is genuine, then he's Cao Cao's accomplice; eliminating them first would be the right thing to do. If Wang Xuan's identity is fake, then he's impersonating the son of Minister Wang Yun, attempting to infiltrate the allied forces' camp; killing them would be perfectly reasonable.
Regardless of whether Wang Xuan's words were true or false, Yan Liang had every reason to kill Wang Xuan.
Having thought all this through, Wang Xuan naturally stopped being polite to the other party and said to Taishi Ci in a calm tone, "Taishi Ci, this person is Yan Liang, a general under Yuan Shao. His cultivation has reached the mid-stage of the Celestial Realm. Why don't you go up and exchange a few blows with him?"
Although Taishi Ci's cultivation level was only at the early stage of the Celestial Realm, it was at the very peak of the early stage, only half a step away from the middle stage. Now that Yan Liang, a master not much stronger than him, was here, he could serve as a whetstone for Taishi Ci, to see if he could gain some insights and break through to the middle stage of the Celestial Realm in one fell swoop.
What if Taishi Ci is no match for Yan Liang?
Wang Xuan wasn't worried about that, since he was right there to keep watch. If Taishi Ci's life was in danger, Wang Xuan would immediately summon the Kunlun Mirror without hesitation, enough to ensure Taishi Ci's safety.
Taishi Ci, who had previously ignored Yan Liang, suddenly became fiercely protective upon hearing Wang Xuan's order, and swung his halberd at Yan Liang.
Yan Liang, somewhat enraged, cursed, "Do you really think that just because your cultivation has reached the early stage of the Celestial Realm, you can act recklessly? I just tried to recruit you on behalf of my lord, but you refused. Now you're my enemy! Die!"
Yan Liang reached out and grasped, and a large sword appeared in his hand. He swung the sword diagonally and blocked Taishi Ci's attack.
"boom!"
The intense energy aftershocks raged outwards, but were immediately smoothed out by the rune array in the void, without affecting the military camp in front.
In just one exchange, Taishi Ci was forced back more than ten steps, clearly weaker than Yan Liang. But Taishi Ci was not discouraged at all, and raised his halberd to fight again.
The two Celestial Realm experts clashed, their figures turning into two afterimages. Their speed was so fast that it was dazzling. Without the cultivation of the Transcendent Realm, it was impossible to even see their figures clearly.
A moment later, Taishi Ci was knocked away, staggering. Several knife marks were left on his body, and even his protective armor was shattered.