Chapter 47: Return to the Sect

Dong, dong, dong...

Chao Xiong opened the door, and a figure tumbled in as it swung wide. Several drunken bullies from his sect stood in the doorway, swaying unsteadily. Wasn’t this Young Master Liu and his cronies? The stench of alcohol on them was so overpowering Chao Xiong nearly gagged.

Mouths agape, their breath reeking of liquor, they exhaled into Chao Xiong’s face, the fumes so strong he instinctively clapped a hand over his mouth, barely suppressing the urge to vomit.

Sun Dali seized Chao Xiong by the collar and swung a punch at him. Chao Xiong didn’t dodge, but Sun Dali, off-balance, missed and struck the wall instead.

“So, you dare dodge now, Chao Xiong? Think you’ve grown some spine?” Sun Dali nearly toppled over, but managed to steady himself by clinging to Chao Xiong’s collar.

Young Master Liu shoved Sun Dali aside and planted himself in front of Chao Xiong, sneering coldly. He jabbed a finger at Sun Dali, who was sprawled on the ground.

“You idiot, did you drink fake wine?”

Their gang burst out laughing. “Hahaha…”

“This one’s mine to deal with,” Young Master Liu declared, kicking Chao Xiong hard. Chao Xiong toppled over, and as Sun Dali, just managing to get up, suddenly retched, vomiting squarely onto Chao Xiong’s face. Liu stepped forward and ground his heel into the back of Chao Xiong’s head, pressing him into the dirt; vomit mixed with mud clung to his features, the stench unbearable.

“Call each of us ‘Grandfather’—one by one—and I’ll lift my foot.”

With that, Liu pressed down harder, nearly suffocating Chao Xiong.

“Grandfather… grandfather…” The words sputtered weakly from Chao Xiong’s lips, to the raucous delight of the others.

“Aren’t you so close to Dao Sansheng? Didn’t you used to act as if no one else in the world mattered after him? Now that he’s dead, you’re so obedient. Why not be my family’s watchdog? You’ve got the experience, after all, having guarded the door for Dao Sansheng.”

Meanwhile, Dao Sansheng was making his way along the main road from the valley entrance toward the council hall. His task was complete, and he could finally claim the reward he desired. He’d have to tidy himself up and weave a plausible story, though, or that old man would never believe him.

As Dao Sansheng reached the hall, the outer-sect disciple on guard grew flustered. Dao Sansheng glanced down at himself, puzzled. There was nothing amiss with his appearance—why were they acting so strangely?

He entered the council hall. The Grand Elder sat at the head, flanked by two unfamiliar outer-sect elders engaged in discussion. Upon seeing Dao Sansheng, the Grand Elder’s stern expression began to melt into a kindly smile.

“You’re back. How did the task go?” The Grand Elder’s benevolent features and coaxing tone nearly drew the truth from Dao Sansheng’s lips.

Just as he was about to speak candidly, the three-colored halo atop his gourd bottle flashed for a split second and vanished. The glamor clouding his mind lifted, leaving him startled—this world was perilous indeed.

Regaining his composure, Dao Sansheng feigned confusion and recited the story he’d prepared, the words flowing smoothly, as if every detail were true.

“I traveled alone to Kunling County and made straight for my destination. Under cover of night, I slipped into the mountains. After several narrow escapes, I finally entered the cave. There, I witnessed the frozen corpse battling a Foundation Establishment expert. The expert, wounded, fled at once. I discovered that the corpse had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, but after the fierce fight, its spiritual energy was exhausted, and it soon perished. I searched the cave, found a few storage pouches, and then made my way down the mountain.”

When Dao Sansheng finished, one of the elders’ eyes lit up. “Did you find a white block of ice?” he asked, standing and staring intently at Dao Sansheng.

“These are the storage pouches,” Dao Sansheng replied quickly, producing the pouches he had collected. Before he could hand them over, the elder snatched them from his grasp.

“Elder Tu, what manners are these? I am still here!” the Grand Elder snapped, his anger rising.

“You know why I need this, Grand Elder. It’s for the future hope of the sect. You know exactly who it's meant for!” Elder Tu refused to yield, dumping the contents of the pouches onto the floor—odds and ends, magical tools, materials, cultivation techniques…

After a long search, unable to find what he sought, Elder Tu unleashed a wave of spiritual pressure, forcibly shoving Dao Sansheng out the door and sending him sprawling.

“Where did you put that white object?” he demanded.

The Grand Elder conjured a shield of spiritual energy to protect Dao Sansheng, allowing him to catch his breath after the crushing pressure.

“Tu Sitong, this is the outer-sect council hall. As the Grand Elder, I am in charge here—not you!”

The Grand Elder stood, directing his own spiritual might to shatter Tu’s oppressive aura.

Tu Sitong eyed the Grand Elder, then sat back down. From his sleeve, a transmission talisman lit up and flew openly from his hand, soaring out of the council hall in full view of those present, as if he cared not a whit for their scrutiny.

Among the five peaks of Duantian Valley, the tallest was the Severed Peak, home to the sect master and the core elders. From a distance, the mountain appeared split in two, its summit seemingly suspended in the air—a feat achieved by the sect’s own formation, separating the peak to create a landscape where spiritual energy was especially dense, making it ideal for cultivation.

At that moment, a young man sat in meditation atop the floating summit. He was striking, his eyes clear and bright, his white gauze robe billowing ethereally in the wind, the white ribbon in his hair fluttering alongside.

“Junior Brother Tu Tianxiong, you’ve been cultivating for so long—take a break. Master asked me to bring you something to eat,” said a brawny, square-faced youth, unkempt but good-natured, approaching with a basket.

“Senior Brother, I won’t eat. I must break through this bottleneck. I am the hope of the Tu family, the elite in whom the sect has invested countless resources. I cannot waste time—I must complete my training first.”

This was Tu Tianxiong’s third day meditating by the spiritual spring. Aside from drinking dew a few times, he had not eaten. His face was resolute, determined not to give up until he succeeded; this unyielding resolve had always earned his master’s praise.

Just then, a transmission talisman flew toward him. Pausing his cultivation, the young man snatched it from the air; as soon as it touched his hand, a voice rang out.

“Nephew, it’s your uncle Tu Sitong. An outer-sect disciple who just returned from a mission likely has what you need. On this mission, he encountered a Foundation Establishment ice corpse and may have acquired its ice pearl—precisely the thing you lack. I tried to obtain it for you, but the Grand Elder blocked me. Quickly, intercept this boy and make him hand it over.” The message ended with an image of Dao Sansheng’s face.