After everyone had left, silence descended upon the place.
Elsewhere, inside a secluded room, several people sat together, engaged in hushed conversation. Suddenly, the loud laughter of an elderly man echoed through the room—harsh and grating, with unmistakable cruelty woven into it. Gradually suppressing his laughter, he turned to the four young men before him and said,
"I am in no way weaker than that Yun."
His eyes glinted coldly as he continued,
"I didn't make you apologize there because I was afraid of Elder Yun. The real reason was that, besides him, there was another person present—someone whose cultivation level was far higher."
The eyes of all four widened in shock. One of them, named Zhao Mingyuan, spoke up in disbelief,
"What?! Someone like that was present there?"
He leaned forward anxiously and asked,
"Elder, did you find out who it was? Who was that person?"
Seeing Zhao Mingyuan grow anxious, the old man let out a light breath. After pondering for a moment, he finally spoke,
"I suspect he was one of the overseers of the Sect Assembly. If he had been offended by your behavior back then, do you know what would have happened?"
A faint trace of anger flickered in his eyes.
"The Sakura Sect would have been disqualified this time."
When the four of them realized how close they had come to being disqualified, a wave of shame washed over them. Their heads lowered instinctively, embarrassment written clearly across their faces.
Seeing the state the four of them were in, the elder waved his hand dismissively and said,
"But don't worry. This time, our sect will have three Inner Disciples at the Master level participating. And as for the disciples of the Cloud Mist Sect," he continued coldly, "I have already devised a plan for them. When the time comes, you will understand everything on your own."
He then paused, his voice taking on a grave, solemn tone as he continued.
"For now, you should focus entirely on your cultivation—especially you, Zhao Mingyuan. You already know this well: in the Zhao family, there is no place for the weak."
After saying this, the elder gestured for them to leave. Upon receiving his signal, the four of them bowed their heads once before him in farewell and then departed from the room.
It wasn't only the Sakura Sect—many other sects were also discussing the incident that had occurred at the tavern over the past few days. Gradually, they came to learn that this time the Mist Cloud Sect had produced two extraordinary talents. In the future, these individuals were destined to become great martial artists, figures whose names would one day be known throughout the entire world.
Some sects felt a sense of pride upon hearing this news, because the emergence of such talent in a lower realm was nothing short of remarkable. To them, this was not merely an achievement of a single sect, but a matter of honor for the entire realm.
However, there were also sects that wished to prevent those two from advancing further. Relations between their sects and the Mist Cloud Sect had never been friendly. They firmly believed that if these two talents were allowed to develop properly, they would become a serious threat to their own sects in the future.
Unaware of all these undercurrents, the two of them were immersed in their own routines.
Su Hao was practicing sword techniques and hand-to-hand combat in the backyard of his room, his movements sharp and disciplined. Meanwhile, Gu Zhe sat inside his room in a meditative posture, completely absorbed in cultivation, a faint and calm smile resting on his lips.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at his door. Gu Zhe slowly came out of his meditation, rose to his feet, and opened the door. Standing outside was a beautiful young woman, around twenty-two or twenty-three years old. Her skin was fair like fresh milk, smooth like silk, and her captivating physique carried a natural charm—one that could easily make anyone lose themselves at a single glance.
Seeing her like this, Gu Zhe smiled faintly and lowered his head in greeting.
"Senior Sister Mo, what can I do for you?" he asked politely.
The moment she heard his voice, she turned her gaze away—though just a second ago, her eyes had been fixed on him.
What's wrong with me every time I stand in front of him? she thought to herself. My heart and mind both stop working properly.
Shaking off the turmoil in her heart, she was about to respond to Gu Zhe when—
"You were saying…?" Gu Zhe said with a gentle smile, taking a step forward and closing the distance between them. "What is it, Senior?"
Seeing him come so close, her breathing unconsciously quickened, and she froze mid-sentence. But the moment his calm voice reached her ears, she took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and finally spoke,
"Master said that the inner disciple test will be held tomorrow. Everyone is to be ready early in the morning."
There was a clear hint of urgency in her voice—as if she wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible. Having said that, she quickly turned around and left, almost as if she were fleeing.
A young man was hiding in a corner, secretly watching everything unfold.
The hatred in his eyes toward Gu Zhe was unmistakable, but apart from suppressing his anger, there was nothing else he could do.
Watching her leave in such a hurry, Gu Zhe shook his head and said with a soft laugh,
"Haha… she's really that innocent."
Then he paused. The smile on his face slowly faded, and in a cold, firm voice he added,
"Isn't that right, Senior Brother Ye Tianheng?"
Hearing his words, Ye Tianheng's eyes widened. He muttered to himself,
"How did he find out that I was here?"
He took a deep breath, calming himself down, then put on a forced smile and stepped out in front of Gu Zhe.
"Haha, you're right, Brother Gu. She may look a bit cold on the outside, but her heart is really very innocent."
He said those words, but deep down he knew the truth—she behaved this way only with Gu Zhe. And it was precisely this fact that was giving rise to an intense hatred toward Gu Zhe in his heart.
Gu Zhe didn't pay much attention to his words. He slightly cupped his fists and lowered his head in a polite gesture as he said calmly,
"Alright, Senior Brother. We'll meet later. Could you please inform Su Hao about this matter? I'm currently in the middle of pill refining and can't leave it halfway."
Hearing this, his fists clenched tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hands. Yet, that same fake smile still remained on his lips. Gritting his teeth, he said,
"Don't worry, Junior Brother Gu. I'll inform him. Well then, I'll be leaving."
With that, he turned around and left in hurried strides.
Gu Zhe looked after him and smiled faintly.
"Poor Tianheng… fate really doesn't spare anyone."
His expression soon turned grave.
"Saving you wouldn't cost me much. But once I change your path… the balance of this world will collapse."
His eyes carried a depth no one should possess.
"And I refuse to relive the wait for another world."
Shaking his head in quiet resignation, he stepped back inside.
The moment he left that place, Ye Tianheng's restraint completely shattered.
He clenched his fist and smashed it into the wall with all his strength—BAM! The dull sound echoed through the corridor, and fine cracks spread across the stone surface. A sharp pain shot through his knuckles, blood seeping out, yet he didn't even flinch.
The fake smile that had been plastered on his face moments ago had vanished without a trace. In its place burned a fierce, twisted hatred. His eyes were dark and feral, as if something savage had been awakened within him. Grinding his teeth, he spoke in a cold, venom-filled voice, each word squeezed out with effort,
"How dare you… how dare you look at the one I like?"
His breathing grew heavy as memories flooded his mind—every compliment, every favor, every silent sacrifice he had made just to gain her attention.
"Do you have any idea how much I've done to impress her? How many years I wasted?"
Gu Zhe's face surfaced in his thoughts, calm and effortless, and that alone made Tianheng's rage surge even higher.
"And then you appeared… and in an instant, everything turned in your favor."
His bloodied fist pressed against the wall as his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper,
"I won't let my years of effort be destroyed like this."
Slowly, he lifted his head, murderous intent flickering in his eyes.
"Gu Zhe… just wait. This isn't over."
Somewhere far away, deep between the mountains, inside a hidden cave, a man sat in a cultivation posture. Completely cut off from the outside world, he was immersed in his practice. Suddenly, a black shadow appeared before him without warning.
The moment it emerged, the man slowly opened his eyes and said in a commanding voice,
"Why have you come here?"
Hearing his voice, the black shadow replied in a slightly fearful tone,
"We still haven't found any information about that girl. However, during our investigation, we discovered that she was last seen near the Mist Cloud Sect."
The instant the words Mist Cloud Sect were spoken, the man's eyes narrowed. A terrifying pressure spread outward as his aura surged, causing the surrounding space to feel heavy and oppressive.
Cold sweat instantly appeared on the black shadow's forehead.
Seeing its condition, the man withdrew his aura and said calmly,
"Find her as soon as possible. Otherwise… you know the consequences."
Even after hearing this, when the black shadow did not move from its place, the man spoke again, his voice turning colder,
"What is it? Speak. Quickly."
Without any delay, the black shadow reported the incident that had taken place at the tavern.
Upon hearing this, a wave of joy flashed across the man's face. He smiled faintly and said,
"Interesting."
After pondering for a moment, he stroked his beard thoughtfully, his eyes half-closed as if weighing several possibilities at once.
"And what about the four boys we sent to the Sakura Sect?" he asked.
The black shadow straightened at once and replied without hesitation,
"They have been accepted as inner disciples. If circumstances allow, they may also participate in this year's sect assembly."
Hearing this, the man froze for a heartbeat—then suddenly threw his head back and burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahaha! Excellent—truly excellent."
He rose slowly to his feet, his robes fluttering as his aura stirred faintly. Taking a step forward, he clenched his hand, as if gripping something invisible.
"Now this will be interesting."
His eyes shone with cruel amusement as he looked toward the cave entrance, as though gazing far beyond the mountains.
"Let me see how the Mist Cloud Sect plans to protect itself this time."