One Month Earlier
A boy of only ten years stood before the three elders.
His blond hair fell unevenly over his forehead; a few unruly strands betrayed the complete absence of the etiquette expected of a notable master. His demeanor was relaxed, yet paradoxically, it tightened the air around him. The elders could not understand how an "insolent brat" in the Qi Absorption Realm could maintain such composure before three masters at the Foundation Establishment stage.
— "Respected masters," the boy began, inclining his head slightly, "my name is Sai. I am aware that your excellencies harbor many doubts regarding my past and my intentions in presenting myself to the sect. Therefore, allow me to clarify from the outset: my sole objective is to transmit knowledge and to forge genuine bonds."
Although his words carried formal phrasing, his tone was careless—and, in a far from subtle manner, made it clear that he did not place the three elders above himself.
Mu Chen, the one with the shortest temper, replied without hesitation, his voice laden with disdain:
— "And what could a child like you possibly teach our sect?!"
Without giving the other elders time to speak, Sai raised his gaze, a faint smile forming at the corner of his lips.
— "Naturally? Funeral rites," he replied. "For elders who are closer to the coffin than to further cultivation."
Sai might have been the reincarnation of an immortal, a bearer of a profound Dao, but his temperament and common sense were as poorly refined as Mu Chen's self-control.
— "Insolent!" the elder roared, drawing his sword.
— "Mu Chen, calm yourself," Han Xun tried to intervene. The situation was clearly spiraling out of control.
— "I'll simply teach this brat to respect his elders!" Mu Chen shouted, his voice trembling with rage.
The sword slipped from his grasp and floated into the air, wrapped in spiritual energy—a technique accessible only to those who had consolidated their foundation. In an instant, the blade shot toward the boy, slicing through the air with brutal speed.
Sai kept smiling.
He bent his knees and leapt forward. Just as the sword's tip seemed about to pierce his face, he tilted his head with millimetric precision and, in a single motion, severed the spiritual connection controlling the weapon.
The sword fell—now firmly in his hands.
— "With a foundation like this," Sai said, examining the blade, "using long-distance sword control is the same as willingly giving up your weapon."
Mu Chen roared again, but this time he was restrained. Guo Zhen and Han Xun, sensing the abnormality of the situation, forcefully suppressed his aura.
Guo Zhen regarded the boy with renewed attention; his eyes evaluated possibilities, futures, and risks.
— "Master Sai," he finally said, the title carrying weight and acknowledgment. "Before we proceed, allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Guo Zhen. This is Han Xun. And our senior brother… the hotheaded one… is Mu Chen."
— "Hotheaded? Guo Zhen, don't you dare!"
— "Silence, Mu Chen," Guo Zhen replied coldly. "It is clear this situation has slipped beyond your control."
Mu Chen clenched his fists but remained silent.
— "You claimed to harbor good intentions toward our sect," Guo Zhen continued, turning back to Sai. "Then explain this to me. How were you able to sever the sword's spiritual mark? That connection should not be broken so easily—especially by someone in the Qi Absorption Realm."
He narrowed his eyes.
— "Unless… you are concealing your true realm."
The boy kept smiling. Just as he was about to continue his mockery, a flash of realization struck his mind.
Damn… I forgot my objective.
I came here to experiment with a new Dao, not to belittle backwater cultivators.
Sai let out a long sigh. The provocative smile faded, replaced by a serene expression. He straightened his posture and, with genuine composure, brought his fists together in a respectful salute.
— "Elder Guo Zhen, allow me to clarify your doubts as a way of apologizing for my rude remarks," he said firmly. "The truth is, I am not concealing my cultivation. I am indeed a cultivator at the Qi Absorption Realm."
The three elders exchanged glances.
— "The reason I was able to sever the spiritual mark does not lie in my realm," Sai continued, "but in the purity of my Qi and the precision of the technique used to break the connection."
Seeing that he now had their full attention, he paused briefly, allowing the weight of his words to sink in.
— "Every spiritual mark possesses a point of concentration, where the connection to the cultivator's Qi is anchored. The greater the purity of the Qi used in its formation, the greater its stability. This purity, in turn, is influenced by several factors: the quantity and quality of pills consumed, the cultivation manual practiced…"
He raised his gaze.
— "…but the most important factor is the compression of Qi within the internal channels."
The hall fell into absolute silence.
— "This is not widely disseminated knowledge," Sai continued. "However, the more compressed the Qi, the denser a cultivator's foundation becomes. A truly dense foundation allows feats that, at first glance, appear impossible for someone of a lower realm."
For a moment, the elders lost their composure.
The major cultivation realms were common knowledge throughout Qinghe Province, but such refined details were secrets passed down only among ancient clans and high-tier sects.
— "Th-this…" Guo Zhen murmured, unable to finish his sentence. That explanation alone had already profoundly altered his understanding of the cultivation realms.
— "My sincere apologies, Master Sai," Mu Chen grunted. Though dissatisfied with the brief clash, he could not ignore the value of that knowledge.
Han Xun, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke:
— "Master Sai… what are your plans for our sect?"
Sai narrowed his eyes slightly.
My plans… he murmured to himself, without continuing. He merely observed the three elders.
The silence that followed weighed heavier than any answer.
Current Scene
— "B-but this…" Sect Leader Lin Yao was left speechless. "So that is why you granted him Mount Heishi?"
— "Only Mount Heishi would be suitable for carrying forward his plans," Elder Han Xun replied, his voice low and grave.
A chill ran down Lin Yao's spine.
— "For now, all we can do is follow the flow of the river," Elder Guo Zhen said at last, breaking the final silence. "If we manage to survive the storms that are approaching… the future of the sect will be unparalleled."