157: The Sword Domain startled the Nascent Soul cultivator; the Star Chart pointed the way forward.

The black-robed elder was thin and gaunt with deep-set eyes, but his gaze was as sharp as a hawk's. The unique Spiritual Pressure of an Early Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator permeated his body, surging toward Lin Xuan and his group like an invisible tide, attempting to overwhelm them with sheer force.

The group of Cultivators behind him also had unfriendly gazes and fierce auras; they were clearly seasoned veterans of many battles.

The surrounding Cultivators, who had originally intended to leave, stopped in their tracks upon seeing this and watched from afar. Many wore expressions of schadenfreude or sympathy. Being targeted by a Nascent Soul expert—these young people were likely doomed.

"Hand over what you obtained in Starfall Valley, especially the treasures from the Star Palace, and I might consider sparing your lives." The black-robed elder's voice was hoarse and carried an unquestionable dominance. His gaze lingered especially on Lin Xuan, as he vaguely sensed that this young man's aura was the most obscure and dangerous.

Su Wanqing's icy eyes held a murderous intent, the frost silence sword hummed, and her cold Sword Intent locked onto the elder. Qu Feiyan narrowed her alluring eyes, a phantom of a blood lotus appearing behind her. Although the yaoguang immortal sound zither had not yet played, her fingertips had already quietly touched the strings. Gongsun Yu and Yun Shang stood nervously behind Lin Xuan, fully circulating their Qi to resist the Nascent Soul Spiritual Pressure.

Facing the pressure that would make an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator tremble, Lin Xuan remained calm. He gently patted the back of Su Wanqing's hand to signal her to stay calm, then stepped forward to face the black-robed elder alone.

"Senior, that is incorrect." Lin Xuan's tone was neither humble nor arrogant. "The Opportunities in Starfall Valley are obtained based on one's own ability. How is your conduct any different from a bandit's?"

A cold light flashed in the black-robed elder's eyes, and he sneered, "Sharp-tongued brat! In this cultivation world, strength is the truth! Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, don't blame this old man for being ruthless!"

He stopped wasting words and thrust his withered palm out. His five fingers curled into a claw, instantly enlarging into a massive bone claw wreathed in sinister ghost Qi. With a shrill whistle that tore through the air, it struck down at Lin Xuan! It was the Netherworld Ghost Claw! He used a lethal move right from the start, clearly intending to finish the fight quickly and leave no future trouble!

How terrifying was the strike of an enraged Nascent Soul Cultivator! Where the claw wind passed, the air exploded, and deep ravines were plowed into the ground below!

"Lin Xuan!" "Junior Brother!" Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan exclaimed simultaneously, preparing to intervene.

However, Lin Xuan waved his hand. Instead of fear, a glimmer of eagerness flashed in his eyes. He had just broken through and needed a whetstone of sufficient weight to test the power of the Taichu Sword Domain!

Facing the sky-covering Netherworld Ghost Claw, Lin Xuan neither dodged nor retreated. With a thought, "Hum—!"

An invisible yet profoundly mysterious force field suddenly expanded, centered on him, instantly covering a five-zhang radius around him! Inside the force field, the scene twisted as if it were a small world of its own. Phantoms of earth, fire, water, and wind flowed endlessly, creating life while also containing destruction. The once solid and terrifying Netherworld Ghost Claw slowed down the moment it entered this force field. The sinister ghost Qi wreathed around it seemed to encounter its nemesis, being constantly eroded and decomposed by the phantoms of the Law circulating within the force field. Its power weakened visibly!

It was the initially perfected—Taichu Sword Domain!

"What?! This is... a Sword Domain?!" The sneer on the black-robed elder's face froze instantly, replaced by unparalleled shock! He had lived for several hundred years and seen countless Geniuses, but to comprehend and display such a stable Sword Domain that contained the implications of the evolution of the Law while still at the Golden Core Stage was unheard of!

What kind of monster is this brat?!

Just as his mind was shaken, Lin Xuan moved! Within the Sword Domain, he seemed to be the sole Dominator of this small world! The sin-severing sword had not even been drawn; he simply pressed his fingers together like a sword and made a gentle swipe at the Netherworld Ghost Claw, which had been greatly weakened by the Sword Domain!

A gray Sword Gang, condensed to the extreme and seemingly composed of Chaos Qi, erupted from his fingertips and slashed silently into the center of the ghost claw!

"Sss—!" There was no earth-shattering explosion. The massive Netherworld Ghost Claw, like ice thrown into a raging fire, began to melt and collapse from the point where it was struck by the Sword Gang. It turned into pure Yin Qi, which was then completely annihilated by the Law circulating within the Taichu Sword Domain!

One sword strike, breaking a Nascent Soul Divine Ability!

The entire scene was dead silent! All the spectating Cultivators widened their eyes and gaped, as if they had seen the most incredible thing in the world! A Golden Core Cultivator had actually broken a Nascent Soul expert's lethal move so nonchalantly?!

The black-robed elder was even more like a man struck by lightning; his body shook violently, and he retreated several steps, his gaze toward Lin Xuan filled with disbelief and a trace of fear. He could clearly feel that the opponent's bizarre Sword Domain had not only weakened his attack but also faintly suppressed his Nascent Soul Spiritual Sense! This child could absolutely not be judged by common sense!

"You... who exactly are you?" The black-robed elder's voice was dry; the arrogant aura from before was gone.

Lin Xuan dispersed the Sword Domain and stood with his hands behind his back, his aura steady, as if he had just done a trivial thing. He looked at the black-robed elder with calm eyes and said indifferently, "Who I am is not important. What is important is, Senior, do you still intend to block our path?"

The black-robed elder's face turned from green to white. Feeling the surrounding gazes, which had originally been fearful, now become strange, he was filled with both shame and anger. But he also knew deep down that with this Sword Domain, he probably couldn't take down the opponent in a short time, and if he were careless, he might even capsize in the gutter. Moreover, there were two Late Golden Core Stage female Cultivators by the opponent's side, watching like tigers eyeing their prey.

Weighing the pros and cons, the black-robed elder finally suppressed his anger and greed, and snorted coldly, "Brat, the mountains don't turn but the waters do; we shall meet again!"

After saying this, he left without any hesitation, taking his subordinates and slinking away quickly, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

A potential crisis had been resolved in such a dramatic way.

The surrounding area was in an uproar; all gazes directed at Lin Xuan were filled with awe and curiosity. While a Golden Core slaying a Nascent Soul was a legend, being able to force back a Nascent Soul expert so calmly meant this child's future achievements were simply limitless!

Su Wanqing looked at Lin Xuan's back, her icy eyes shimmering with a strange brilliance, and the corners of her cold lips curled into a moving arc. Qu Feiyan's alluring eyes were like silk, making no effort to hide her admiration and pride; if the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, she would have likely already pressed herself against him. Gongsun Yu and Yun Shang had stars in their eyes, their adoration overflowing.

"Let's go." Lin Xuan did not wish to become the center of attention and called out. The five of them turned into escape lights again and quickly left this place of trouble.

During the flight, Lin Xuan took out the complete star path compass and sank his Divine Sense into it. Compared to the previous broken compass, the information recorded in this item was more than ten times as vast. Countless star coordinates, ancient star paths, and even information about some lost Secret Realms flowed through his mind.

Eventually, his attention locked onto an exceptionally clear path pointing toward the depths of the endless starry sky. At the end of the path was the phantom of a magnificent and ancient palace, shrouded by thousands of star rings—the Hall of All Stars!

【star path compass analysis complete. The approximate location of the 'Hall of All Stars' has been determined, situated deep within the 'Eternal Ice Plains' of the far North Region. It requires crossing the 'Void Realm Turbulence Zone' to reach. It is recommended that the Host raise their cultivation to the Nascent Soul Stage before proceeding.】 The System's prompt and the compass information corroborated each other.

"Eternal Ice Plains... Void Realm turbulence..." Lin Xuan's gaze was deep. That was a dead zone, even more dangerous and desolate than the Myriad Laws Abyss or Starfall Valley. With their current strength, they were indeed not yet capable of crossing it.

"Where are we going next?" Su Wanqing asked softly. She could see that Lin Xuan seemed to be planning the next step.

Lin Xuan put away the compass, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "Strength is still the foundation. Before heading to the Eternal Ice Plains, we need to improve further. I remember Senior Sister Gu mentioning that the East Region's 'Myriad Elixirs Grand Gathering' is about to be held. It gathers all the Spirit Pills and medicines under heaven and is a place where various factions and alchemy Grandmasters congregate. We might be able to find the main ingredient for the 'nirvana phoenix blood pill' to completely resolve the hidden dangers in your Cultivation Technique, and also collect resources to prepare for the Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage."

"Myriad Elixirs Grand Gathering?" Qu Feiyan's eyes lit up. She was naturally very concerned about any Medicinal Pill that could resolve her own hidden dangers.

Su Wanqing also nodded slightly. If Lin Xuan could form his Nascent Soul, his strength would undergo a qualitative leap, and he would be more confident in dealing with future crises.

"Good, then we go to the East Region!" Lin Xuan made his decision.

The new goal was now clear. The five of them adjusted their direction, turning into five streaks of light, and broke through the air toward the distant East Region. The road of cultivation was long, and the path ahead remained full of challenges, but their steps were becoming ever more resolute.