The architectural feats of the Soaring Phoenix sect were impressive, to say the least. In fact, it wasn’t just the Soaring Phoenix sect, but many other sects and wealthy cities also had impressive architecture.

Thousands of prosperous years bulged the pockets of many factions while high-ranking inscriptions allowed buildings to both be reinforced with qi and display the elegance of inscribed patterns.

The biggest pride of the Soaring Phoenix sect were the bridges that connected the mountains. All around the sect were steep mountains with sharp peaks that broke past the clouds.

Built into the sides of steep mountains were grand buildings with curved roofs. Long, covered bridges both connected buildings on one mountainside to other buildings on other mountainsides. If one were to look at the sky then one would see a gigantic cobweb. These bridges were able to extend for miles on end without any support due to high-ranking inscriptions.

Two red-robed men, with phoenix insignia on their backs that deemed them a disciple of an elder, slowly walked on one of these long bridges. One of the two men was Zhang Qiang, who changed only in the aura that he carried himself in. No more was the once feeble cannon fodder but rather a more confident cannon fodder.

Beside Zhang Qiang, an unrecognizable young man had a delicate, oval face and fair skin. His sword-like eyebrows and confident bearing made him a lady-killer or mister perfect. There was very little one could speak ill of, except he was too perfect to be true.

“Where are you taking me along, Lu Ning?” Zhang Qiang curiously questioned.

“You...” sighed Lu Ning. “Didn’t you hear about our senior martial sister?”

“She beat up Elder Ji’s daughter, right?”

Lu Ning worried with a grim expression, “Yeah, they took her away in the morning. I hope she hasn’t suffered too much. Master needs to get her out as soon as possible.”

“My little martial brother, what does this have to do with me? When you giants are fighting, please leave me out,” pleaded Zhang Qiang.

Lu Ning glared disapprovingly at Zhang Qiang, “We’re all disciples of master! We need to help each other out in times like this.”

“Isn’t it senior martial sister’s fault that she injured Elder Ji’s little princess?” grumbled Zhang Qiang. “Now, we have to clean up her mess.”

Lu Ning shook his head and defended their senior martial sister, Lu Lan, “You know that senior martial sister has been bullied for a long time. Elder Ji’s daughter must’ve really triggered her this time.”

The two men silently walked for a while before Lu Ning sighed, “These few years weren’t easy at all.”

“What do you mean? You’re the pretty boy that’s the face of the younger generation. The one with all the girls, all the fame, and all the power. I should be the one who’s complaining.”

“That’s because you don’t cultivate diligently enough."

“My little martial brother, not everyone is a cultivation god like you, okay?”

Lu Ning’s face scrunched up at hearing the term ‘little martial brother’, a phrase that was consistently used by Zhang Qiang to one up Lu Ning in the field, age, that Zhang Qiang was superior in.

In response, Lu Ning chastised Zhang Qiang, “Lu Clan is gone, and master is our only pillar of support left. He put a roof over our heads, gives us generous resources, and even fights for the best cultivation manuals and abilities. At the very least, you could thank him by cultivating until qi deviation. That’s what we owe him.”

Zhang Qiang looked down at the floor, “I know, but I’m not as talented as you. I’ll just be the obedient, little servant that follows boss around. You can be the right-hand man.”

Soon, they came to and entered a simple one-room building.

The very first thing that came into their vision was an extremely neat room with barely a single speck of dust. Sitting at the center, the masked Ye Tian sat on a chair while reading a book and sipping tea.

Without putting his book down, Ye Tian asked, “What do you guys want?”

Lu Ning immediately dropped to the floor with a kowtow and placed a bamboo slip in front of him.

“Master, I have found a new painkiller recipe for you.”

“Oh? Good work. What do you need?”

“Master, please save senior martial sister! She’s currently being imprisoned after injuring Elder Ji’s daughter,” pleaded Lu Ning.

Ye Tian put down his book and thought for a while.

“Of all the things you could’ve asked me: resources, cultivation methods, or abilities. You ask for this?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t regret it. I’ll be back soon.”

Ye Tian got up and walked out of his residence.

***

In a damp, dark room where rats unhurriedly strolled around, the red-robed Lu Lan had her arms strung up. Little remained of her baby fat and was instead replaced by a more well-defined, mature appearance. However, all the beauty in the world could not hide her tragic appearance where red scars and open wounds painted her red clothes with true red.

She lifelessly hung there without any movement nor sound.

Beside her, another girl in similar clothes viciously whipped the strung-up girl from time to time.

“Hmph, how dare you actually touch me. Even though we are both elite disciples of elders, the status of my father far exceeds your master’s status.”

“Take it back.” murmured Lu Lan.

“What?”

Lu Lan mustered strength with her anger to hiss, “Take what you said back,”

“Oh?” The girl was now amused. “Which one? The one about the Lu Clan being dogs of the empire? Or the one about how your dog grandfather died to the rebels?”

“Both."

“Sure!” the girl grinned. “I’ll take everything I said back since trash needs to be properly thrown away just like your Lu Clan.”

“Ji! Xue!” growled the girl.

“What are you going to do about it?”

“She won’t but I will,” a cold voice boomed through the room.

The wall was blasted apart, and light broke into the damp room. Standing there in the light was Ye Tian in his black-robes and mask, but Ye Tian was not the only one at this party.

An old man’s voice came from behind Ye Tian, “Elder Ye, you are finally here.”

The old man didn’t give a single glance towards Ye Tian but rather looked at his daughter and Lu Lan, “You must be here to apologize.”

“Don’t kid yourself, old man.”

The old man’s face twitched before growling, “You should’ve known your place, Elder Ye.”

Both men released their powerful auras which not only gave the two girls goosebumps but also constricted their breathing. The fight of giants would undoubtedly result in collateral damage.

Elder Ji made the first move by rushing in to knock Ye Tian out with a single chop at the back of the neck. It would surely demonstrate the prestige and power of a mid-elemental stage cultivator.

Ye Tian responded by reaching out towards the incoming Elder Ji.

‘Unknown: Lance’

Elder Ji quickly reacted by halting and stepping backward. Just as he backed up, he saw a gigantic, black-red lance conjure out of nowhere. The tip of this lance was mere centimeters away from his eyes. If he had not backed up then he would’ve been struck by this lance.

‘This Elder Ye isn’t that weak after all.’

Elder Ji slowly backed up a few more steps while warily looking at Ye Tian. The distance meant that any movement of Ye Tian’s body would result in a swift dodge by Elder Ji.

Meanwhile, Ye Tian slightly spread apart his legs into a fighting stance.

Looking at this, Elder Ji could not help but have an ominous feeling from Ye Tian’s stance. There was this sinking feeling in his gut that any attack on Ye Tian, without a doubt, would result in heavy injuries.

‘Does he really have some ace up his sleeve that can make me feel this way?’

Noticing Elder Ji’s hesitation, Ye Tian seized the moment by narrowing his eyes, “Try me.”

Now, Elder Ji was an old man who had seen the world and its share of fakers. A parlor trick like intimidation was bound to be of weak effect. But, to test if Ye Tian was faking it, Elder Ji fully released his aura and also got into a combat stance.

The moments passed by.

Elder Ji’s aura had fully enveloped Ye Tian’s aura since Elder Ji was already mid-elemental stage. However, feeling no visible fluctuation of anxiety or panic from Ye Tian, Elder Ji retracted his aura and ordered, “Little Xue, we’re leaving.”

Ji Xue trembled slightly. She had never seen her father like this. Weren’t they third to only the sect master and ancestors? Why had they retreated? There were many questions, but she ran outside.

However, in between Ji Xue and Elder Ji was Ye Tian. As Ji Xue tried to pass Ye Tian, she suddenly yelped in pain and tripped. On the back of her knee, there was a gash. It was an old trick to immobilize people.

“Elder Ye! Don’t you dare!”

Ye Tian didn’t say anything and just stared dead into Elder Ji’s eyes. He couldn’t let go of the mind games right now. The momentum of intimidation had won, and it couldn’t be broken right now or else there could be consequences.

“Crawl back,” ordered Ye Tian.

Who knew what this madman was thinking of? Ji Xue held back her tears and crawled on. Indeed, it was a scene that could leave an observer wondering who was the bad guy and who was the good guy.

Eventually, after Ji Xue had crawled back to Elder Ji, the two gave Ye Tian a fierce look before leaving. A crowd had already gathered, and a rumor was definitely bound to travel around the sect soon.

It was time for Ye Tian to exit the scene too as he helped Lu Lan back up.