"What spoils? I only heard that my nephew Chu Yang was humiliated at Xuanjian Sect, so I've come to seek justice for him—and take him down the mountain while I'm at it!"
Chu Batian coldly, his imperial aura bursting forth without restraint.
"Your nephew Chu Yang?"
At this, the sect masters and clan leaders present let out mocking laughs. Everyone knew Chu Yang had been born into poverty—when had he become Chu Batian's nephew?
Yet no one exposed this lie. They all had the same goal; in the end, it would come down to who had the strength to claim the prize.
"Lord Chu, Xuanjian Sect's Supreme Elder hasn't appeared in ten years. He's probably long dead. But to be safe, if something unexpected happens later, you'll have to hold him off, won't you?"
The sect masters huddled together to discuss their plan.
"Why me?"
"We old bones aren't as mighty as Lord Chu. Besides, if Chu Yang is your nephew, shouldn't you stand up for him?"
"That's right! If someone hits your nephew, the uncle steps in—isn't that common sense!"
Chu Batian felt a surge of frustration. If he'd known this would happen, he would've kept his mouth shut and snuck in to grab the treasure quietly. Why had he felt the need to show off, only to be forced to follow through on this pretense?
"I heard a young powerhouse arrived at Xuanjian Sect—he crushed Chu Yang with just a thought the other day?"
"Pfft, do you believe that? If there really was such a prodigy in the Northern Wasteland, would we not have heard of him?"
"I think Ye Liuyun made that up on purpose to scare people."
"Damn it! That old man really has a wild imagination."
"Come on—since everyone's here, let's go… pay our respects to that young prodigy?"
…
At that moment, in Xuanjian Sect's main hall:
"Sect Master!! Sect Master, it's an emergency!!"
A mountain-guarding disciple burst in in a panic, scrambling to his knees before Ye Liuyun.
"Hm? What has you so frightened?"
Ye Liuyun frowned, trimming his nails with a small sword. He had already heard that his daughter Ye Qingchan had broken through overnight—and that the hidden ailment in her body had been cured by Young Master Ling Xiao. It seemed their relationship was progressing smoothly.
In his hundred years as Xuanjian Sect's leader, Ye Liuyun had never felt so relaxed.
"Sect Master, it's terrible! Powerful cultivators from Donghua Sect, Beast-Taming Sect, Batian Dynasty, the ancient Yin Clan… they're all attacking us!!"
The mountain-guarding disciple's face was ashen, his eyes dull. Once, Xuanjian Sect had been the top sect in this region—but times had changed. Now everyone knew the sect was in decline, on its last legs. With several major sects and dynasties in the Northern Wasteland joining forces, Xuanjian Sect was in mortal danger!!
"Attacking us?"
To the disciple's shock, Ye Liuyun not only showed no sign of worry—he even grinned.
What the hell?! Has the Sect Master been scared out of his wits?
"Good! Xuanjian Sect has lain low for decades. It seems many people have forgotten our reputation as the top sect."
Ye Liuyun stood up and glanced at the others in the hall.
"Xiao Ge, have you seen Young Master Ling Xiao?"
"Sect Master, a disciple passed by the Cliff of Repentance earlier and saw Young Master Ling Xiao with Miss Qingchan… uh, doing that…"
"Doing that?"
Ye Liuyun's eyes widened, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Heh, his precious daughter really hadn't let him down—she'd won over Young Master Ling Xiao so quickly.
"Congratulations, Sect Master, on gaining such an excellent son-in-law!"
"Without Miss Qingchan, Xuanjian Sect would be doomed this time!"
"The Sect Master is far-sighted—willing to offend Chu Yang just to build a good relationship with Young Master Ling Xiao."
"Those old fools are asking for humiliation this time!"
Many elders spoke up, flattering and fawning over Ye Liuyun—none of them looked the least bit panicked.
Are you kidding? Who is Young Master Ling Xiao? A young noble from the Holy State here to train! With that status alone, who in the Northern Wasteland would dare lay a finger on him? Besides, Sect Master Ye Liuyun had already said Young Master Ling Xiao's cultivation was higher than his own—and he'd broken through repeatedly just yesterday. No one dared to guess how terrifying his strength had become now.
As for that bunch of losers coming up the mountain—the strongest among them was only at the Late Soul Sea Realm. How could they stand against Young Master Ling Xiao?
"Xiao Ge, go wait at the foot of the Cliff of Repentance. When Young Master Ling Xiao and the young lady… uh, finish up, ask him to come to the main hall."
Ye Liuyun waved his hand, a green light flickering in his eyes. He took the lead toward the hall's exit. "Everyone, come with me to greet our 'honored guests'?"
Damn it—my sword hasn't been unsheathed in a long time. With Young Master Ling Xiao backing us up, today I'll teach those troublemakers who've been jumping around lately a good lesson.
"Alright!"
…
At the foot of the Cliff of Repentance:
Ling Xiao let go of Ye Qingchan. Looking at the blush on her face, a smile played at his lips. This Cliff of Repentance really was a good place—many Chosen Ones had met their true love or stumbled upon fortuitous encounters here. Poor Chu Yang should have been the protagonist of this story, but he'd provoked Ling Xiao—a villain who knew all the tricks.
"Young Master… is the Holy State really as full of powerful cultivators as the rumors say?"
Since she was a child, Ye Qingchan had loved reading the ancient books in the sect, learning bits of secret knowledge about the Holy State. Rumor had it that even a dog there had cultivation far surpassing that of the Four Wastelands. Ye Qingchan had never believed it before—but after meeting Ling Xiao, she'd begun to have doubts.
"There are many powerful people, but not everyone is strong. Generally, the heirs of ancient lands, holy sects, and undying imperial dynasties are stronger. The rest—those who climbed up from the Four Wastelands—have descendants with relatively mediocre talent."
Ling Xiao smiled faintly. In truth, there was no real need for people from the Four Wastelands to yearn for the Holy State. Here, a Soul Sea Realm cultivator was a local tyrant, and the strongest powerhouses were only at the Xuanqing Realm—revered by everyone. But in the Holy State… a Xuanqing Realm cultivator wasn't even worth being a servant in a noble clan. Why deliberately humiliate themselves?
The most important thing in life is to be happy, after all!
"What will happen to me when I go to the Holy State with you someday…"
Ye Qingchan's voice was laced with worry. She'd noticed that her state of mind had changed since deciding to follow Ling Xiao. Once, looking at this young man had filled her with fear and resistance—but now, she found herself wanting his protection and affection.
As the daughter of Xuanjian Sect's leader, Ye Qingchan had always been proud. She'd met countless prodigies in the Northern Wasteland, yet none had made her take the initiative to lower her guard and seek reliance. But Young Master Ling Xiao…
Putting aside everything else, that aura of unparalleled dominance around him was truly heart-stirring!
Since ancient times, proud maidens have loved powerful lords—that was only natural. But powerful lords… love to take what they want by force! So the story of a powerful lord and a proud maiden is usually a tragic one.
Undeniably, Ye Qingchan was smart. Even now, she understood that Ling Xiao would never fall in love with her. But as long as she could follow him into the Holy State, it would be worth it for her. At the very least, Xuanjian Sect would no longer be threatened by others in the future.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it…"
Ling Xiao smiled meaningfully