The Xuan King Realm allows practitioners to condense profound energy into tangible form, wield it to soar through the skies, and command it to harm enemies—marking the initial mastery of divine abilities.
The Xuan Emperor Realm, however, signifies the unity of oneself with the heavens and earth, harnessing their boundless power to manifest extraordinary mystical arts. It is the first step toward understanding the intricacies of spatial laws.
In the past, Bai Yun was nothing more than a cultivation failure, with only a vague, hearsay understanding of these realms. But now, he had set aside his burgeoning arrogance.
"The days ahead won't be as smooth as I'd imagined," Bai Yun mused regretfully as he sprinted forward.
Lin Fengtian appeared where Bai Yun had once stood, his brows furrowed. He swiftly expanded his spiritual perception, which spanned seven or eight miles, but found no trace of Bai Yun.
"The report was accurate. Spatial abilities? But how could someone at the Xuan Master Realm wield such powers? And how could the range be so vast?"
Retracting his spiritual senses, Lin Fengtian closed his eyes in deep thought before suddenly issuing an order to the gathered elders and disciples. "Search for the disciple named Bai Yun. I want him alive!"
"Yes!"
"Spatial abilities, huh? Even I can't afford to use them frequently. How many times can you manage?" Lin Fengtian murmured to himself.
Meanwhile, Bai Yun, racing with the Lightning Step, had already depleted more than half of his profound energy. Only after running an uncertain distance did he feel a sliver of safety. He promptly entered the "Cosmic Evolver" to check the radar.
Seeing the red dots displayed on the lightning screen, Bai Yun let out a breath of relief. No dots were pursuing him, though a few small ones and a large one lay ahead.
Although Bai Yun desperately needed evolution points to purchase an Earth-Escaping Talisman and other skills, he refrained from recklessly ambushing anyone.
"Some skills simply can't be skimped on," he thought, resuming his mad dash. Once the radar indicated no red dots within five kilometers, he retrieved a mid-grade profound stone to restore his energy.
After roughly an hour, his energy was fully replenished. Bai Yun re-entered the space, assessed the situation, and then exited again.
He had slain two disciples of the Xuanming Sect earlier, both ordinary outer disciples, gaining a mere 200 evolution points.
After a long silence, Bai Yun murmured, "The hunt begins. Start with the weaker ones, accumulate evolution points, and gradually target the 'leaders.' As for the bosses… best to avoid them for now."
Rising to his feet, Bai Yun disappeared in a flash of Lightning Step, reappearing ten meters away on a thick tree branch. With another leap, he darted to another tree several meters away, quickly vanishing into the forest depths.
Relying on his radar, Bai Yun detected a lone Xuanming Sect disciple ahead and dashed at full speed toward the red dot.
Easily dispatching the mid-grade Xuan Disciple, Bai Yun continued his search for suitable prey.
In the days that followed, Bai Yun alternated between evading searches and striking out with precision.
A week later—
Ding!
Staring at the fallen enemies, Bai Yun gasped for breath, his body and spirit utterly drained. Through this week of life-and-death encounters, the Xuanming Sect had come to recognize his strength. They no longer allowed disciples below the Xuan King Realm to act alone or in groups without a high-ranking master. Each squad now included at least one Xuan King expert.
This significantly hindered Bai Yun's hunting. He was cornered several times and only escaped by relying on Earth-Escaping Talismans.
With no time to rest, Bai Yun launched into another run, his mastery of Lightning Step becoming increasingly refined as he sped deeper into the mountains.
Not long after, five or six Xuan King experts arrived at the site of Bai Yun's recent battle, descending from the skies in all directions. Had Bai Yun remained, he would have needed yet another Earth-Escaping Talisman to evade capture.
In the past week, Bai Yun had twice faced desperate situations. Without the talismans, he would have undoubtedly been caught.
Although he had killed some disciples and earned evolution points, most were spent on talismans and pills. Fortunately, after defeating a squad just now, he completed two side missions and earned 6,400 evolution points.
Bai Yun glanced at the numbers displayed in his space, feeling somewhat reassured. He had just finished missions to eliminate thirty Xuanming Sect disciples and slay two Xuan King experts, bringing his total to 6,850 points.
Accessing the "Skills" page, he immediately purchased a pre-selected ability:
"Clone Technique" - 3,000 evolution points.
Constantly relying on Earth-Escaping Talismans to flee was too costly. If he ever ran out of talismans and faced another critical situation, the consequences would be disastrous.
He also desired another skill, but his points were insufficient, and it wouldn't be particularly useful under current circumstances:
"Spatial Shift" - 5,000 evolution points.
The technique allowed movement within a hundred meters, but against experts with miles-wide spiritual senses and the ability to fly, its utility in escaping was limited.
Although Bai Yun's speed rivaled that of Xuan King experts, he couldn't outrun a coordinated assault without a talisman. The Clone Technique, however, could disperse their focus and even create opportunities to strike back.
Bai Yun spent another 1,000 points on an Earth-Escaping Talisman and a Swift Talisman before exiting the space.
His main mission was to avoid capture for a month, not to kill enemies. Feeling the mounting pressure, Bai Yun abandoned any notion of slowly eradicating the Xuanming Sect. Survival now took precedence.
After a week of relentless combat, the sect had gradually deciphered his abilities—or what they perceived as "divine arts."
If they pinpointed his location without his knowledge, he'd be doomed. With guards stationed every ten miles, escape would become impossible. Caution was now paramount; continuing his active hunt would only increase the likelihood of being cornered.
Leisurely strolling through the mountains, Bai Yun retrieved a pack of "Liqun Cigarettes" from his backpack, lit one, and took a deep drag before exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"Liqun Cigarettes (one pack)" - 50 evolution points.
He had stumbled upon these by chance and couldn't resist buying a pack for indulgence. His preference for Liqun stemmed from habit—back on Earth, it had always been his go-to brand.
"Ah, nothing beats the taste of Earth's food," Bai Yun sighed contentedly.
Recently, all his meals had been "Earth cuisine" purchased from the space.