After the path was cut off

Li Wangxiang stared blankly at the water mirror, and the first thing that popped into his mind was an absurd thought—

Where did this old geezer come from?

In the days since waking up, Li Wangxiang had tried his best to avoid anything that could reflect his image, preparing himself mentally. But when this moment suddenly arrived, his defenses crumbled instantly.

The person in the mirror had withered hair, sunken eyes, and a dull, sagging face, looking just like a dried-up corpse.

He doesn't look like a chosen one of heaven, a seed of the Golden Core.

Li Wangxiang stared at it for a long time before letting out a soft laugh.

"So I've grown this old."

Once fate has been decided, further lamentation is futile.

He couldn't possibly go out looking like this.

Li Wangxiang raised his hand and flicked it, and a thin, cicada-wing-like [Illusory Silk Mask] covered his cheek. Then, his fingertips brushed across his temples, gradually dyeing his withered white hair back to jet black.

In the water mirror, the aged face immediately faded away, and it transformed back into the appearance of the true disciple of the Tianxuan Sect from half a month ago.

Unfortunately, appearances can be easily changed, but inner qualities are hard to conceal.

Li Wangxiang took out another [Burning Heart Rejuvenation Pill].

This pill was originally used to forcefully stimulate qi and blood and fight for one's life after being seriously injured. After taking the medicine, one's qi and blood will be depleted and spiritual power will be chaotic, which is seven parts similar to his current state after his foundation has collapsed.

Truth and falsehood are hard to distinguish.

He didn't expect this cover-up to truly fool everyone.

At the very least, one should not let others see through his true nature at a glance.

Otherwise, there will always be some reckless individuals who can't resist trying to see how much of his true teachings are left.

After the effects of the medicine began to take hold, Li Wangxiang looked up at the water mirror again.

The person in the mirror still looked pale and weak, with a lingering fatigue between his brows. However, the decaying aura that should have emanated from the cracks in his Dao Foundation seemed to have been silently obscured by something, making him appear even more complete than he had expected.

Li Wangxiang frowned slightly.

This cover-up is almost too perfect.

But on second thought, given the obvious side effects of the [Burning Heart Rejuvenation Pill], it's not impossible that, when combined with the [Illusory Silkworm Face], some unexpected developments might occur.

He didn't think about it any further, but simply raised his hand to disperse the water mirror and turned to walk out of the cave.

-----------------------

The Tianxuan Sect is located in the Changbai Mountains.

This place was formerly known as Buxian, also called Taibai. Legend has it that before the establishment of the Tianxuan Sect, the main peak's geological veins were still an ancient volcano that had been erupting for thousands of years. White pumice accumulated layer by layer from the lava flow, like snow covering the ridge, and over time, it transformed into the continuous mountain ridge we see today.

The highest of the Changbai Mountains is Huixian Mountain.

According to historical records, the founder of the Tianxuan Sect, True Lord Xiyang, encountered an ancient immortal on the summit of this mountain and received his guidance, which led to the establishment of the Tianxuan Sect and the name "Meeting Immortals".

At the summit, the Temple of the Golden Mother and the Sunrise Viewing Platform stand in the distance. The former is dedicated to that ancient immortal, while the latter is the place where the True Lord "Xiyang" attained enlightenment.

As for the Hall of Mastery, it is located below both of them.

Li Wangxiang walked up the stone steps of Huixian Mountain, the mountain wind brushing his face, the chill penetrating to the bone.

The higher he went, the fewer people he encountered, but even so, Li Wangxiang still met quite a few people along the way.

They clearly saw him.

They saw this person who should have died in Beichen Immortal City, yet brazenly walked out of his cave and climbed Huixian Mountain step by step.

Some people froze on the spot, as if they had stumbled upon a ghost that shouldn't have appeared in broad daylight; some people's lips were slightly parted, and they even forgot to bow; and many more people, after a brief moment of disorientation, forced themselves to calm down and quietly released their divine sense to scan him.

Surprise, suspicion, probing, spying.

One after another, fine and dense, like a net being woven silently in the dark.

Li Wangxiang remained unmoved, as if unaware, and steadily ascended the steps.

He showed up today, not afraid of being seen.

In fact, he wanted these people to see it.

As long as he ascends Mount Huixian and enters the Hall of Mastery, today's events will sprout wings and spread throughout the entire sect.

By then, he won't need to say many things himself.

As long as the Hall of Merit Cultivation does not officially issue an edict, this temporary silence will help him suppress many inappropriate thoughts.

At the very least, those who are watching him need to think things through first—

He, Li Wangxiang, is still a true disciple.

This layer of skin hasn't been peeled off yet.

And his trip to Mount Huixian cannot simply be about standing in the Hall of Mastery, waiting for the judgment to be handed down.

He wanted to make his point clear first.

The foundation of the Dao has been shattered, so the position of true successor could not be retained in the first place.

Rather than waiting for the adults to judge him, it would be better for him to resign first.

As for what happened after I resigned...

It is not permissible to retain the lineage.

The precious mirror is still inside him. If it remains within the sect, its existence will be discovered sooner or later.

When that time comes, what awaits him will not be as simple as just being deposed.

But if one leaves the sect, under what pretext should one leave?

Once this thought arose, Li Wangxiang didn't hesitate much.

It's as if it had been buried for many years, just waiting for this moment to surface.

— He was sent away from his clan to protect his relatives.

-----------------------

The wind was picking up.

When Li Wangxiang stepped onto the last stone step, the Hall of Mastery was already in front of him.

The palace was not particularly grand; in fact, it seemed excessively empty. There was no plaque or door in front of it, only layers of jade steps and the cold wind blowing through, making the entire palace appear as if it had been abandoned for endless ages.

Li Wangxiang stared at the empty hall, his heart inexplicably tightening.

That tightness came without warning, yet it was clearly not an illusion.

Ever since Bei Chen returned, the world he saw had already seemed a little off. But the strangeness had mostly been subtle, never as intense as it was now.

He shouldn't have entertained such thoughts.

But that sudden change still made him instinctively want to grasp it and see it clearly.

—What are those eyes seeing right now?

The moment the thought arose, what Li Wangxiang saw suddenly changed.