The secret passage was pitch black with not a glimmer of light. Although there were lamps every few yards, Guo Xingyue did not intend to light them. With his eyesight and spiritual awareness, light made no difference to him. However, Sheng Zheng was completely in the dark, unable to see anything. He could only hold tightly onto Guo Xingyue's hand and follow his footsteps forward.
After about half an hour of walking through the secret passage, Guo Xingyue arrived at an underground palace. The palace was not large, measuring only a few dozen yards in size. The ceiling was adorned with dozens of luminous pearls, illuminating the entire hall. At the other end of the palace was a deep cave entrance, which likely served as a temporary resting place for those seeking escape, while the cave led to the outside world. Guo Xingyue stood at the entrance, releasing his spiritual awareness to carefully survey the situation inside the palace and in the passage beyond, confirming there was no danger before leading Sheng Zheng into the hall.
The hall was simply furnished; aside from several tables and chairs, there was nothing else. In one corner lay some weapons, all covered in dust and rust, indicating they hadn't been used since the passage was built. Guo Xingyue waved his hand to sweep the dust aside and gestured for Sheng Zheng to sit down. He then quickly set up two three-layered illusion formations at both entrances of the palace, before sitting opposite Sheng Zheng and smiling as he said, "I know you have many questions. It's rare for you to stay calm, so I will tell you the story behind all this."
Guo Xingyue briefly recounted his background and then analyzed the current situation. Finally, he explained to Sheng Zheng that although he had no spiritual veins, he could alter his constitution with a foundation-building pill. However, the risk of facing tribulations in the future was significantly high, and cultivation was inherently a road of no return, filled with dangers; a moment of carelessness could lead to disaster. Guo Xingyue then let Sheng Zheng choose whether he wanted to cultivate or not, assuring him that he would not blame him if he decided against it.
Listening quietly, Sheng Zheng felt an indescribable shock in his heart: his master was actually a cultivator, and the place he was in was just an insignificant planet in the universe, while the so-called "immortals" here were merely demon cultivators and enemies of his master. When Guo Xingyue asked if he wanted to cultivate, Sheng Zheng immediately nodded without hesitation, saying, "I wish to cultivate, no matter the risks."
Guo Xingyue nodded appreciatively and said, "Good. Since you have decided to cultivate, remember to diligently note down this cultivation method. I will input a strand of true essence into your body, and you will cultivate according to the flow of true essence as instructed." Guo Xingyue then took out a jade vial from his storage ring and poured out a foundation-building pill, handing it to Sheng Zheng. "Take this foundation-building pill first, and then cultivate according to the instructions."
After Sheng Zheng began his cultivation, Guo Xingyue sat down to organize the information he had gathered from the mind of the demon cultivator he had killed. This demon cultivator was a disciple of the Beiluo Sect and held a low status within the sect. He had offended an elder and was sent to the royal palace to serve. Lingyan Star was the largest demon cultivation planet in the demon cultivation realm, and the Beiluo Sect was one of the largest sects on Lingyan Star, boasting many experts. The sect leader was none other than Luo Lin, the one who had injured Guo Xingyue.
After Guo Xingyue had been injured and fled, nearly the entire demon cultivation world had mobilized, searching through all the planets Guo Xingyue could have escaped to. However, since Guo Xingyue had set up formations to conceal his presence and with the strength of his spiritual awareness, those searches had yielded no results.
Guo Xingyue thought to himself, "This is quite the predicament; I've ended up right in the heart of the demon cultivators' stronghold. Unless I can restore my true essence, I might very well perish here." He glanced at Sheng Zheng, who was currently cultivating, and sighed, realizing that he would likely have to stay here until Sheng Zheng reached the Yuanying stage. "For now, I should examine the demon cultivation methods and see what I can find."
As Guo Xingyue sorted through the information regarding demon cultivation, he couldn't help but exclaim, "How can this be? This demon cultivation method is actually the same as the cultivation method I know!" Just then, he heard a voice behind him say, "Is it surprising? That is indeed the case."
Guo Xingyue was startled—someone had managed to evade his spiritual awareness and bypass the formations. Even his prized intuition had not sensed this person's approach, which indicated that the individual was far too formidable for him to contend with. Guo Xingyue slowly stood up and turned to carefully examine this unexpected visitor.
The person was not tall and wore simple clothing, draped in a blue robe. His long white hair hung loosely over his shoulders, and a faint smile graced his face. Despite standing right in front of Guo Xingyue, his spiritual awareness scan detected nothing; the person seemed to meld seamlessly with the surrounding environment. Guo Xingyue was astonished: with his level of spiritual awareness, even a Grand Luo Jinxian should not have been able to escape detection. Could this person's abilities truly surpass even that?
Though Guo Xingyue was internally shocked, his expression remained calm as he respectfully greeted, "I am Guo Xingyue, a junior. I am unaware of what brings you here."
The visitor chuckled and said, "Hmm, you came to my home and yet asked why I am here? This is a question I should be asking you."
Guo Xingyue instinctively blurted out, "Are you the king of the Liro Kingdom?"
The visitor laughed, "The king? Oh, I was once the king, but that was long ago. Hm, not bad, young man. You're quite resourceful and ruthless—just to my taste."
Guo Xingyue understood that this visitor's cultivation was unfathomably deep, far beyond what he could handle. He did not even bother to summon his flying sword; he simply said respectfully, "I am merely a cultivator seeking refuge from pursuers. I did not know you were here, and I ask for your forgiveness."
The visitor laughed heartily, "Not bad, not bad. Quite honest. I know a bit about your situation; haha, interesting. Sit down and let's talk."