Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

The conversation then turned to an exchange of ideas about the Tianyuan region, interesting tidbits about various sects, and some trivial cultivation experiences.

Yan Lie seemed to have given up on further probing, and Shen Mo was happy to cooperate. The two chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere seemed very harmonious.

Before parting, Yan Lie took out a crimson jade box and pushed it in front of Shen Mo: "This is a small gift for your first visit, nothing more. Inside the box are three 'Molten Fire Crystal Cores.' Although they are not some rare treasures, they are still somewhat useful for tempering fire-attribute magic weapons or assisting in the cultivation of certain fire-based divine abilities. Brother Shen, please do not refuse."

Molten Crystal Cores are excellent auxiliary materials for refining high-level fire-attribute magic weapons. They can also be directly absorbed by Golden Core stage fire cultivators, making them quite valuable.

This "small gift" is anything but small.

Shen Mo hesitated for a moment, then accepted the gift without hesitation: "I am deeply grateful for your generous gift, fellow Daoist." He also took out a jade box that he had prepared beforehand from his storage ring. "This is a piece of 'Millennial Warm Sun Wood Core,' a specialty of my Southern Region. It is mild and gentle, and has the effect of calming the mind and aiding cultivation. I am returning this gift to you, fellow Daoist. Please do not find it offensive."

The core of the thousand-year-old warm sunwood is a rare item even in the Southern Region. It has a gentle auxiliary effect on cultivating fire-attribute techniques. Although its value is not as high as that of the molten fire crystal core, it is still quite presentable.

After exchanging gifts and exchanging pleasantries, Shen Mo finally got up to take his leave.

Yan Lie personally escorted Shen Mo to the entrance of Liuhuo Academy, watching his figure disappear around the street corner. Only then did the warm smile on his face slowly fade, and a trace of contemplation and faint regret flashed in his eyes.

"Senior brother, this person..." a trusted disciple asked in a low voice.

"Unfathomable." Yan Lie uttered four words softly, then turned and walked into the courtyard. "No rush, let's observe further. Whether it's a dragon or a worm, the grand assembly will reveal all. However, this 'idle piece' can't be left untouched for now."

Meanwhile, in the western part of Tianyuan, there was a public area specifically for participating cultivators to familiarize themselves with the environment and conduct simple drills.

The terrain here is open and divided into dozens of independent training grounds of varying sizes by an array. Each ground has a simple protective shield, allowing cultivators to hone their skills and test their spells, as long as they do not cause large-scale damage or endanger others.

At this moment, figures were moving about in many training grounds, flashes of inspiration were appearing, and shouts and the clang of metal could be heard incessantly.

Shi Tie and Wang Hu, along with Li Xiaocao and Atu, also arrived here.

They didn't intend to spar, but Shi Tie and Wang Hu were itching to see the skills of these "prodigies" from the Central Region, while Li Xiaocao and Atu were simply curious.

The four of them squeezed together on the outskirts of a training ground where there were many onlookers.

In the arena, two cultivators at the early stage of the Golden Core realm were engaged in fierce combat. One wielded a sword, its sword energy crisscrossing; the other used a whip, its whip shadows like dragons. Their cultivation levels were evenly matched, and the battle was fiercely contested, drawing cheers from the crowd.

"Tsk, this swordsmanship is all show and no substance." Shi Tie crossed his arms, curled his lip, and whispered to Wang Hu, "Look at his third move, that spinning attack, the opening is too big. If it were me, I would have chopped it in with one axe."

Wang Hu didn't speak, but stared intently at the two people's movements and the trajectory of their spiritual energy, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he was silently dissecting and learning.

Li Xiaocao's face turned pale as she watched, gripping A-Tu's sleeve tightly. A-Tu, on the other hand, was beaming with excitement, muttering to himself, "Wow, the angle of that sword strike...tsk tsk, the wind from that whip is so strong it's practically whipping my face!"

Just as I was engrossed in watching, a burst of loud laughter and commotion suddenly came from beside me.

The group turned their heads and saw a dozen or so people gathered around another smaller training ground not far away, seemingly arguing.

"What's going on?" Shi Tie, who loved excitement, craned his neck to look.

The training ground was empty. But two groups were facing off at the edge. On one side were four or five young disciples dressed in the Qingyun Sect's standard blue robes, including Zhao Ming and Sun Hai.

On the other side were seven or eight cultivators dressed in sky-blue outfits with silver sword insignia embroidered on their chests. Each of them had an arrogant expression and unfriendly eyes. They were disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

The leader was a young cultivator with a pale face and sinister eyes. He was at the early stage of the Golden Core realm. He had his arms crossed and a cold smile on his lips. He was Ling Wufeng's junior brother, named Leng Feng.

At this moment, Zhao Ming's face was flushed red as he glared angrily at Leng Feng.

Sun Hai held his arm tightly, trying to dissuade him in a low voice. The other two Qingyun Sect disciples also looked indignant.

"What, do you own this training ground? We were here first, why should we give it to you?" Zhao Ming said, his neck stiff, his voice trembling with agitation.

"Why should I?" Leng Feng scoffed, gesturing with his chin towards the arena. "It's a waste for you bumpkins from the Southern Region to occupy such a prime spot! The 'Gengjin Sword Arena' formation can slightly amplify metal-type sword energy. Giving it to you would be like casting pearls before swine, a terrible waste!"

"If you know what's good for you, get out of the way and don't delay my Heavenly Sword Sect disciples from practicing their swordsmanship."

"You...you've gone too far!" Zhao Ming trembled with anger. They had only intended to go in and get a feel for the environment since the "Gengjin Sword Arena" was empty; they had no intention of staying there for long.

To his surprise, as soon as he reached the edge of the field, he was rudely stopped and driven away by this group of people from the Heavenly Sword Sect, who used extremely insulting language.

"This is outrageous!" A weasel-faced disciple behind Leng Feng sneered. "Senior Brother Leng Feng is giving you a chance by instructing you! You come from some backwater in the Southern Region, what do you know about sword formation amplification? You probably don't even know how this formation is activated, hahaha!"

The Heavenly Sword Sect members burst into laughter again, attracting even more attention from those around them. Many recognized them as members of the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Azure Cloud Sect, and immediately showed interest, pointing and whispering amongst themselves.

"That's Leng Feng from the Heavenly Sword Sect, Ling Wufeng's junior brother. He's a ruthless character too."

"Are they from the Qingyun Sect over there? Tsk tsk, what a small world, we've run into each other."

"The Heavenly Sword Sect has been arrogant for quite some time now, but these disciples from the Azure Cloud Sect are a bit weak in cultivation, so they're likely to suffer a loss."

"Let's watch the show, let's watch the show..."

Shi Tie and Wang Hu's faces darkened upon seeing this. Li Xiaocao and A Tu also nervously gripped each other's sleeves.

"Damn it!" Shi Tie roared and tried to squeeze through.

"Senior Brother Shi, don't be impulsive!" Wang Hu grabbed him and whispered, "The sect leader said not to cause trouble! Besides, look over there!"

Wang Hu gestured with his eyes, and they saw a group of three cultivators dressed in Tianyuan Guard uniforms looking in their direction from not far away. Their gazes were cold and stern, and they had clearly noticed the dispute.

Private fights are strictly prohibited within Tianyuan. If they rashly get involved, they may be punished regardless of right or wrong.

Shi Tie clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and his teeth were clenched, but he remembered Shen Mo's instructions and didn't rush over immediately. He just stared intently at the other side.

On the sidelines, Leng Feng, seeing that Zhao Ming and the others still refused to back down, grew even more impatient. He stepped forward, unleashing the full pressure of his early-stage Golden Core cultivation, pressing down on Zhao Ming and the other three, while coldly saying:

"What, you want to fight? You bunch of Foundation Establishment stage weaklings? Believe me, I can crush you with a single finger! If you don't get lost, don't blame me for being impolite!"

The four words "a piece of clay and earthenware" were like a red-hot branding iron, burning deeply into the hearts of Zhao Ming and his companions.

When they joined Qingyun Sect, the sect was still in turmoil. They fought alongside Shen Mo and witnessed the sect grow stronger day by day. Their sense of identity and pride in the sect and in themselves grew stronger with each passing day.

How could he possibly tolerate being publicly humiliated like this?

"Damn it!" Zhao Ming roared, his true energy surging, showing signs of breaking free from Sun Hai's grip. The other two disciples also had red eyes.

A cold glint flashed in Leng Feng's eyes, and his hand was already on the hilt of his sword. Several Heavenly Sword Sect disciples behind him also assumed defensive stances, their auras locked onto Zhao Ming and the others. Conflict was imminent!