I don't want to be trained by my senior sister!

After practicing swordsmanship until he was tired, he picked up a rough porcelain teacup and took a sip of freshly dried wild tea.

Just as he was about to put down the cup, a streak of light shot through the air and silently hovered in front of him.

It is a jade talisman that is entirely blue and has cloud patterns inlaid on the edges.

It's a flying message talisman, and the kind that's reserved for high-ranking members of the sect.

Fang Xuan was stunned for a moment, then reached out and took it.

"The main peak, Qingyun Hall—the sect master of Qingyun Sect, Lu Qingsong."

The content was concise and didn't say much, but the title "Sect Leader" carried enough weight.

Fang Xuan sneered inwardly, casually crushing the jade talisman that was meant to be destroyed after use, the powder falling from between his fingers.

In the original novel, the Qingyun Sect, from the sect leader to the elders of each peak, except for a very few peripheral figures, are all villains.

To put it bluntly, they're rotten to the core; there's not a single good person among them.

After Shen Chen finished testing the waters, is it now the sect leader's turn to personally take the stage?

However, it was also an opportunity for him to test the waters.

If we want to take Ning Qian with us, the first person we need to deal with is Shen Chen.

Given Shen Chen's status within the sect, killing him would be tantamount to making an enemy of the entire Qingyun Sect.

His status as the eldest son of the Fang family could indeed protect him; at least within the Qingyun Sect, no one dared to touch him.

But Ning Qian certainly wouldn't care.

He remains clear-headed about his family.

Below the celestial realm, all are but ants; all mortals seek the path to immortality, for strength is the only eternal identity.

The family would not risk a complete falling out with a major sect for the sake of Ning Qian, an outsider, which could even jeopardize the family's interests.

There is no real kinship within the families of the cultivation world.

If he lacks talent, his status as the eldest son will not bring him favor.

Meanwhile, his cousins, who had long coveted his status and resources, couldn't wait to kick him while he was down, wishing they could tear him apart.

Therefore, in the end, you have to rely on yourself for everything.

Moreover, the more important reason he didn't want to use his family's resources was that he was afraid Ning Qian would think his motives were impure. What kind of young master from a powerful family would come to the Qingyun Sect specifically to suffer without any resources?

Don't let him lose all the goodwill you've worked so hard to build up; it would be a huge loss.

He looked up at the sky.

Before we knew it, the mountain climate had turned cool, and the wind carried a sense of desolation. Autumn had arrived, and winter was fast approaching.

As for the sect leader of Qingyun Sect... he's only a Nascent Soul cultivator.

.......

"Senior sister."

He turned around and looked at Ning Qian's position next to him, and their eyes met.

"Hmm?" Ning Qian turned her gaze away upon hearing the sound, a hint of panic flashing across her cool face, and her ears burning slightly.

When Fang Xuan suddenly called her, she thought she had been caught peeping.

"The sect leader sent a message, asking me to go to the Azure Cloud Hall on the main peak." Fang Xuan said in a normal tone.

Ning Qian's hand, which was holding the small hoe, suddenly tightened, and her knuckles turned slightly white.

The Azure Cloud Palace? The sect leader himself summoned him?

"I want to go with you."

But as soon as she spoke, she realized that her tone seemed to carry the same authoritarian and uncompromising connotation as before.

She knew that what she was doing might not be good; she was too nervous, too...overstepping her bounds.

But she just couldn't put her mind at ease.

She pursed her lips, wanting to explain something, but didn't know where to begin.

"Hmm," Fang Xuan simply replied.

Ning Qian's heart, which had been pounding, finally relaxed.

"Then... let's go."

Ning Qian turned around, washed her hands by the stream, straightened her clothes, and returned to her aloof and ethereal appearance.

.......

Having been a member of the Qingyun Sect for so long, Fang Xuan's activities have been basically limited to Sword Peak and Qing Shi Town at the foot of the mountain.

He had never actually been to the other peaks, let alone the main peak where the sect's core was located.

The closer you get to the main peak, the more you can feel the richness of the spiritual energy here, far surpassing that of Sword Peak.

The mountain peaks pierce the sky like swords, disappearing into the churning sea of ​​clouds above the halfway point.

Mythical birds and beasts appear and disappear, and waterfalls and springs cascade down like silver ribbons.

But Fang Xuan saw it all and thought it was all show and no substance.

Qingyun Hall is located on a platform near the summit of the main peak.

He put down his sword and stepped onto the vast field paved with a single piece of warm, white jade.

Even though he was mentally prepared, Fang Xuan still scanned it several times.

too big.

The palace complex before us is less a grand hall and more a majestic city nestled in the mountains.

The main hall is tens of feet high, and nine huge dragon-carved pillars stand in front of the hall.

This magnificent hall is only the front part of the complex; the rear halls stretch into the depths of the clouds, with no end in sight.

As expected, this is the last dungeon for the senior sister in the original novel as she enters the immortal realm. Who can beat it without cheating?

Fang Xuan frowned: "It seems they might not be easy to deal with."

Ning Qian gave a soft "hmm," her expression even colder than usual. Her gaze swept over the familiar palace and dragon pillars, a chilling coldness flashing deep in her eyes.

But she still slightly turned her body, subtly blocking Fang Xuan's path half a step to the side, her voice low:

"Sect Master Lu Qingsong, with a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, has been in charge of the Qingyun Sect for over three hundred years. He is unfathomable. He never shows his emotions, so one must be extremely cautious."

Fang Xuan nodded, indicating that he understood.

He would certainly be cautious, but he also knew that in front of such an old fox, excessive timidity and flattery would only be a bad move.

"But they're just not easy to deal with."

Ning Qian glanced at him and saw that he looked normal and showed no fear, which reassured her, but the worry still lingered.

.......

Fang Xuan followed the disciple leading the way into the rear hall.

A vast inner lake, shrouded in a spiritual atmosphere, sits in the center of a white jade pavilion. A figure in a green robe stands with his back to them, leisurely brewing tea.

"sit."

The voice was gentle and warm, carried on the breeze.

Sect Master Lu Qingsong turned around, pointed to the stone bench in the pavilion, and wore a warm smile like that of an elder.

Fang Xuan did not stop walking. He entered the pavilion but did not sit down. Instead, he cupped his hands and said:

"Sect Master, please sit down. This disciple will stand, as it is proper etiquette."

Lu Qingsong paused in his hand holding the teapot, looked up at him, and said with his smile unchanged, "But isn't this also... looking down on me?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Fang Xuan lowered his eyes and answered crisply, yet his demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant.

"He was neither humble nor arrogant."

Lu Qingsong gave him a deep look before finally gently placing the teacup in his hand on the stone table.

"At only seventeen years old, you have the qualifications to be called the number one young person in the Qingyun Sect. It's not an exaggeration."

The moment the words fell—

Suddenly, huge splashes of water erupted from the calm lake outside the pavilion.

A ferocious giant dragon, its entire body covered in dark blue scales and with two horns on its head, burst out of the water, raising half of its body.

The mere existence of that dragon exuded a boundless and powerful spiritual energy, causing chaos in the surrounding spiritual atmosphere.

Fang Xuan remained completely still, not even the hem of his clothes was lifted by the sudden burst of spiritual pressure.

He didn't even turn his gaze away; his eyes remained fixed on the tea set on the stone table.

It was as if the ferocious beast so close at hand was less worthy of attention than a wisp of tea smoke in a cup.

Lu Qingsong took in his reaction, and the last trace of casualness in his heart disappeared.

This child's temperament is far beyond what can be summed up by the word "calm."

With a light tap of his finger on the table, the ferocious giant dragon let out a low, unwilling roar and slowly sank into the water.

The lake surface quickly returned to calm, leaving only ripples.

"Youthful vigor is a good thing," Lu Qingsong said, picking up the teapot again and slowly filling the empty cup in front of him, as if the intimidation from before had never happened.

"But too much rigidity leads to breakage. What a sect needs is a large tree that can take root and grow, providing shelter from the wind and rain, rather than... a roc that may soar into the sky at any time."

His tone remained gentle, even tinged with regret.

Fang Xuan then raised his eyes, met Lu Qingsong's seemingly calm gaze, and smiled:

"What the sect leader says is true. This disciple is still young, and whether I will become a tree or a roc is still unknown. But whatever I am, I must first have a place to live, right?"

"Your surname is Fang?" Lu Qingsong asked again.

"The enemy behind the scenes is just an alias," Fang Xuan replied, knowing that Lu Qingsong was trying to win him over.

However, this suited him perfectly, killing two birds with one stone.

She's probably... half of Diao Chan.

......

Lu Qingsong looked at him, and after a moment, smiled and waved:

"Go, the secret realm is about to open. Prepare well. Since you are on Sword Peak, Peak Master Shen will take care of things for you."

"This disciple takes his leave."

Fang Xuan took a few steps back before turning around and leaving along the way he had come, his steps still steady.

Only after his figure disappeared behind the palace gate did Lu Qingsong slowly suppress his smile, gazing at the rising steam of tea and muttering to himself:

"A shallow pond... I'm afraid it really can't hold such a hidden dragon with sharp scales and claws. Shen Chen... this time, I'm afraid you've misjudged it."

"Hahaha, this person... must belong to me, Lu Qingsong."