Chapter 25: Endless Sorrow

Dugu Baitian said, "Don't be so greedy. Martial arts cannot simply be imitated from others. Even if you can reproduce the entire set of techniques, it doesn't necessarily mean it's suitable for your cultivation. Everyone's nature is different, and true masters will create their own unique martial arts based on their own nature. I have never heard of any master achieving extraordinary glory by practicing someone else's martial arts."

Xuan Xuan suddenly woke up with a start, looking at Dugu Baitian with a strange expression, and said, "I didn't expect you to have such insights. Thank you, I almost fell for it and fell into mediocrity. You're right, the essence of martial arts lies in enlightenment. Even if I really obtain a complete set of techniques, it will only be limited to the awe-inspiring moves I've seen, and I will never be able to surpass them. Thank you for your reminder, I will walk my own path and create my own martial arts."

"You're a good student."

"Ha, you're panting just from being called fat." Xuan Xuan paused and said, "With our current strength, we can't open this jade stone door. Don't think about it anymore. Let's continue forward."

Dugu Baitian nodded in agreement.

Since being repelled by the warm energy from the jade door, the terrifying restlessness seemed to have disappeared completely and did not reappear.

The attack of the terrifying aura was limited to the spiritual level, and Dugu Baitian's mental cultivation had made a qualitative leap, so now he didn't need Xuan Xuan to hold his hand to protect him as they moved forward. In fact, he quite liked the feeling of being held by that soft little hand, but he wouldn't dare to say it even if he was given the courage. Angry Xuan Xuan was a true female tyrant, and saying such things would be unforgivable.

The sound of their footsteps echoed crisply in the white jade passage, and other than that, it was silent all around, with the long passage appearing exceptionally empty.

The two of them stopped and tried to sense the terrifying aura, but their divine senses didn't capture anything. It was dead silent all around, a dreadful silence, without a single sound, as if they had fallen into absolute nothingness.

They exchanged glances and made up their minds to continue forward. It was unclear how long they had been walking when suddenly the front opened up, and a white jade hall appeared in front of them. The walls of the hall were adorned with lifelike reliefs, including ferocious dragons, terrifying monsters, and pure fairies. The reliefs were diverse in style and posture, but they all had one thing in common - they seemed to have souls, as if they were about to break out of the walls.

Facing those monsters and dragons, Dugu Baitian had no interest and just stared intently at the fairies, comparing which one was the most beautiful in his heart.

Seeing his lecherous look, Xuan Xuan became furious and stomped on his foot hard.

"Ouch, what are you doing?"

"We didn't come here to satisfy your infatuation with those beauties. Look at what that is."

Dugu Baitian followed Xuan Xuan's pointing finger and saw two dark entrances in a corner of the hall. The entrances were pitch black, and it was only known that they extended vertically underground. Each entrance had several blood-red words that were chilling to read.

The inscription on one entrance read: Demon Seal, sealing countless demons inside, intruders will die.

The inscription on the other entrance read: Saint seal, sealing the world, Martial Saints will perish, intruders will die.

The two dark entrances stood out against the surrounding walls adorned with precious pearls and jade, emitting a faint radiance.

Dugu Baitian said, "Are these the two seal entrances that caused the seven great experts to be severely injured?"

Xuan Xuan replied, "I think so."

Dugu Baitian drew his long sword and struggled to dig out a piece of jade from the wall of the hall. He didn't have the same level of power as Xuan Xuan, so digging jade was as difficult as cutting tofu for him. He threw the jade with a trembling hand, and it flew in an arc towards one of the entrances. Suddenly, something strange happened. The jade encountered an inexplicable resistance when it was three meters away from the entrance, and it was bounced back. Dugu Baitian was frightened and quickly dodged to the side. With a loud "bang", the jade hit the wall of the hall.

Xuan Xuan said, "This is so strange, let me try."

She also threw a piece of jade towards one of the entrances, but the power she infused into the jade was incomparable. The jade, radiating dazzling light, flew towards the dark entrance like lightning. However, it turned into ashes when it was two meters away from the entrance.

This terrifying scene left the two speechless for a while. The jade, infused with Xuan Xuan's formidable power, was undoubtedly as hard as steel, but it turned into ashes when it approached within two meters of the entrance. How could a human body pass through? Even though Xuan Xuan had Emperor-level power to protect herself, she dared not take the risk. If it was like this at two meters away, who knew what would happen at one meters away.

Just then, the terrifying aura appeared again, but this time it couldn't affect the two of them.

Suddenly, the two of them felt something unusual again. Several different auras appeared in the hall, along with the most terrifying fluctuations. They understood that these residual powers, along with the other forces, were either sealed or left by the sealers.

Xuan Xuan didn't pay much attention to these fluctuations, because these residual powers were either sealed or were unable to harm her in the slightest when left outside.

Dugu Baitian, on the other hand, had a different feeling. He felt an inexplicable connection to a special force that seemed to be calling out to him, causing him to involuntarily release his divine sense to embrace it. The fluctuations of that force merged with his divine sense like water blending with water, as if they were originally of the same origin. In the next moment, he deeply felt an emotion——endless sadness, an indescribable discomfort in his heart.

By the time Xuan Xuan noticed his abnormality, tears were already streaming down Dugu Baitian's face, but he seemed unaware, standing there blankly.

"Xiaobai, what's wrong with you?" Xuan Xuan grabbed Dugu Baitian's arm and tried to pull him back. Dugu Baitian allowed himself to be dragged like a puppet, only coming back to his senses after a long time, shaking off her small hand.

"Xiaobai, what happened just now? Why were you in tears?"

Xugu Baitian's voice was heavy, "I felt so sad just now. At first, I felt a familiar calling, and then I merged with it. He was so lonely and helpless, so full of sorrow. I was deeply shaken by the grief that he carried, which seemed to have a profound connection with me, a feeling of being connected by blood and flesh, even stronger than the feeling I had at the jade gate earlier. If the person who sealed the Treasure Pavilion is my kin, my friend, then that sorrowful figure just now is myself."