"To give is to get, and to get there must be giving."
Elder Hong Tian saw his hesitation and advised, "If you are unwilling to give up anything, you will likely bear a greater price."
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's heart tightened, and he immediately committed the words to memory.
Despite his reservations, it was indeed time to make a choice.
Otherwise, by the time his cultivation broke through to the mid-stage, the time and effort required to make a decision would undoubtedly be even greater.
Just as he was pondering how to make his choice.
Suddenly, a jade slip appeared before him.
"This is my cultivation experience recorded when I condensed the three flowers on my head in my prime," Elder Hong Tian said casually.
It was as if what he was offering was not a precious cultivation experience, but some common, discarded technique.
Ji Yuan couldn't help but be moved. Such a complete record of condensing the three flowers would require immense contributions, merit points, and numerous resources to obtain even from the Nine Xuan Sect's library.
Even the geniuses of the sect, or the contemporary prodigies, did not have the right to casually view it.
"Senior, this is quite a burden for me to accept," Ji Yuan said with a wry smile, feeling the jade slip in his hand was as heavy as ten thousand pounds.
This was different from the earlier techniques, which only needed to be remembered and repaid when the opportunity arose.
A cultivation experience for condensing the three flowers was no less than the grace of enlightenment and initiation.
"My life has been devoted to the Great Dao. I have neither a dao companion nor any descendants," Elder Hong Tian sighed. "By chance, I became friends with your master, and I also feel a certain affinity with you."
He shook his head, not finishing his sentence, but all his meaning was conveyed.
After a long silence, Ji Yuan said nothing, but looked at him deeply.
Some words, even if they were truly what you thought, lost some of their weight when spoken aloud.
Therefore, he chose to keep them in his heart, to always remember them.
"This young man has good talent," Elder Hong Tian suddenly chuckled.
Ji Yuan immediately turned his head and saw the figure standing with a sword in the scene formed by the painting spell in the mirror.
According to the intelligence from Ming Xin Xuan, Chen Rong had arrived at a mountain inhabited by bandits and, relying on his sharp sword, had fought his way up with relative ease.
It was only now that the young man, who had always been taciturn and almost unnoticeable, finally displayed the madness of a Divine Xuan Sect disciple.
And an imposing aura that couldn't be ignored.
He was like a drawn sword, exuding a sharp sword intent, unstoppable wherever he passed.
His cultivation, at the mid-stage of the Spirit Profound realm, on the verge of the late stage, was enough for him to move freely among the bandits.
In less than half an hour, the small mountain had become a river of blood.
Dozens of wicked bandits were slain by his sword, most of them dying in a single blow, including even cultivators of the first or second realm.
"Decisive in killing is no longer sufficient to describe this young man," Elder Hong Tian commented, almost calling him a madman.
Ji Yuan beside him sighed, "There seem to be more and more bandits and mountain thieves nowadays."
With the Rebirth Pavilion surfacing, rebels rising up everywhere, and the inaction of many imperial factions, the number of bandits and mountain thieves across the Great Yu Dynasty had increased dozens of times compared to before.
The simple phrase "people lived in misery" was no longer enough to describe the current chaos.
The common people in towns and villages were reluctant to travel unless absolutely necessary, and even in their homes, they could still encounter unforeseen disasters.
"I hope the new emperor ascends the throne soon," Ji Yuan couldn't help but sigh.
It wasn't that he was overly compassionate; to be selfish, this current environment was also not conducive to peaceful cultivation.
If the situation worsened, even a powerful sect like the Nine Xuan Sect might not remain peaceful.
"Those fellows from the Divine Xuan Sect are truly patient," Elder Hong Tian's expression was filled with helplessness.
Over the past few days, including today, Chen Rong had already destroyed three bandit strongholds.
And throughout, he had used the Heaven-Splitting Sword Art inherited from the Divine Xuan Sect.
With the spread of information by Ming Xin Xuan, the Mountain River Gang, and other martial artists, the identity of this person from the Divine Xuan Sect had already spread for dozens of miles.
Even in the county town, relevant news had begun to circulate.
Yet, even so, there were still no clues about the Divine Xuan Sect.
It was as if they had never heard of it, or even if they had, they didn't care.
As if these people were indifferent to the matter.
Such behavior was itself highly abnormal.
It would have been more in line with the style of those madmen to rush to the scene as soon as they heard the news, enraged, and kill the traitor of their sect.
"Could they think that this is a disciple of their own sect gaining experience outside, rather than a traitor to the sect?"
As this thought arose, Elder Hong Tian dismissed it.
They had already passed on information about Chen Rong's identity.
Given the typical behavior of the Divine Xuan Sect fanatics, even if they knew it was a trap, they would still appear to kill the sect's traitor.
"Things that are unusual must have a reason," Ji Yuan said calmly.
He pondered for a moment, then after a brief word with Elder Hong Tian, he stepped out of the flying artifact.
In an instant, his figure disappeared into the void.
Not long after, using the void, he arrived about twenty feet away from Chen Rong.
Ji Yuan dared not directly use his divine sense, so he could only scan with his eyes inch by inch, trying to find anything unusual.
However, he was ultimately disappointed. No matter how much he scanned his surroundings, he could not find any abnormalities.
First, it could be confirmed that there was no one else hidden in the void.
To evade his perception, as well as the abilities of his innate flying sword, one would need to be at least at the peak of the third realm and skilled in this art.
Secondly, there was indeed no one around casting spells to conceal their whereabouts, otherwise, there would be some trace left behind.
After all, it was not just Ji Yuan observing in secret. There were already several cultivators in the third realm alone.
Among them were not only former prodigies like Elder Hong Tian but also contemporary prodigies like Lin Yu Bai.
Coupled with a group of experienced third-realm cultivators.
It was almost impossible to hide from their eyes.
Unless... there was no one!
Ji Yuan's heart sank, and he instinctively sensed a hidden danger, lurking in the unseen.
He quickly looked towards a place more than ten miles away, and a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart.
"Something has changed, return quickly!"
After a moment of thought, Ji Yuan immediately transmitted his voice via divine sense.
Although he could not confirm it yet, the sense of unease in the unseen grew stronger.
To prevent any potential accidents, he decisively ordered Chen Rong and the others to return immediately to the nearby Water God Temple.