Imperial Scepter

In the afternoon, Gaojia Village was so quiet that you could hear the cicadas' wings fluttering.

The villagers huddled indoors to avoid the scorching sun and took a midday rest, while the old trees along the village road drooped and withered from the heat.

Gao Chun walked steadily along the smooth village road, his brows furrowed with a decisiveness beyond his years.

Huang Xiaoming, who followed behind him, was completely different; he was slightly hunched over and had an impeccable fawning smile on his face.

Her eyes were filled with ingratiation and trepidation, and she kept twisting the hem of her clothes with her hands, looking exactly like someone trying to curry favor.

The two knocked on the doors of three houses in succession, and Gao Chengzhi, Li Daoqiu, and Wang Hu were all home.

None of the three were in seclusion to comprehend the essence of the art, and they were all smoothly called out and headed towards the open-air training ground.

He hadn't walked more than a few steps when Gao Chengzhi's arrogance exploded.

He wore a loose, moon-white training uniform with the collar drooping loosely, one hand on his hip, and his steps were sluggish.

His brows furrowed, and his tone was lazy and impatient: "Can't we talk at home? I still need to contemplate the artistic conception later!"

"Why are we going to the training grounds? To spar in martial arts? We're both at the three-star Bronze Realm, it's a complete waste of time!"

He got angrier and angrier as he spoke, his lips curling up so much that an oil bottle could hang from them.

His head was turned to one side, clearly saying "I'm not happy," and his lazy and arrogant attitude was impossible to hide.

The gentle expression on Gao Chun's face vanished instantly, replaced by a burst of authority from his uncle and the captain.

His face darkened, his voice as cold as ice, resounding: "Gao Chengzhi, I am both your uncle and the captain of your team!"

"Personally speaking, I am your elder. I asked you to go to the training ground, but you made excuses and kept whining. This is called disrespecting your elders. Do you want to rebel?"

"Officially, I am the captain, and military orders are absolute! Your whining and disobeying orders is a violation of military discipline. Do you want to be court-martialed?"

His words came out like a machine gun, leaving Gao Chengzhi speechless.

He was most afraid of Gao Chun's stern and unapproachable demeanor, not to mention that his uncle was extremely eloquent and could make even fallacies sound reasonable, so he was no match for him at all.

"snort!"

Gao Chengzhi snorted heavily, stiffened his neck, and quickened his pace, his back to Gao Chun, displaying a stubborn attitude that said, "I'm leaving, but I will never admit my mistake."

That proud and arrogant nature was revealed in that hum and sway. Li Daoqiu and Wang Hu, though puzzled as to why they had been summoned so suddenly, still kept to their duties and followed closely behind.

Li Daoqiu was thin and frail, with a perpetually unyielding sorrow on his face, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

He was introverted and aloof, silently following in the middle of the group, his eyes as calm as a deep pool. Even when he met acquaintances, he would only nod slightly, and he was extremely sparing with words.

Wang Hu, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He was broad-shouldered and muscular, with bulging muscles on his bare arms, and his bronze skin glistened in the sunlight.

He walked at the back with his arms crossed, his face bearing his usual arrogance, radiating an oppressive aura of "the strong should not be disturbed."

But he kept pace with the group without the slightest delay.

He now has complete faith in Gao Chun's talent and ability.

Huang Xiaoming, sandwiched between the group, became the only "lubricant" in the team.

Seeing Gao Chengzhi's unpleasant expression, he immediately approached him, a perfectly timed smile plastered on his face, and said respectfully, "Brother Chengzhi, you're only ten years old, and you've already reached the third level of the Bronze Realm. I'll have to rely on your guidance in the future!"

Gao Chengzhi was still furious. He didn't even lift his eyelids, but just let out a heavy snort from his nose, turned his head to the side, and didn't respond to his words at all.

Anyone else would have been mortified by now. But Huang Xiaoming remained unfazed, as if he hadn't noticed the other man's cold expression. He changed the subject, cupping his hands in a smile to Li Daoqiu beside him, saying, "Brother Daoqiu, your calmness, persistence, intelligence, and wisdom are truly a model for us all!"

Li Daoqiu was naturally aloof, and upon hearing this, he merely gave a faint "hmm" in response, his gaze remaining fixed straight ahead, completely unperturbed.

Huang Xiaoming didn't care at all, and continued walking, turning to Wang Hu at the very back.

A genuine look of admiration flashed in his eyes as he gave a thumbs-up: "Brother Tiger, your physique gives me a real sense of security! With you here, we can be as steady as a mountain whenever we go out for training!"

These words struck a chord with Wang Hu, whose lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He nodded slightly to Huang Xiaoming, giving him face.

Along the way, Huang Xiaoming skillfully smoothed out the somber atmosphere caused by Gao Chengzhi's earlier outburst, relying on his smooth-talking and persuasive manner.

Gao Chun, who was walking at the very front, took in all of this.

A very faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, which quickly disappeared.

But he was very satisfied: this was the reason why he accepted Huang Xiaoming despite all the objections.

A team needs both sharp blades to charge into battle and stewards to manage miscellaneous tasks. Logistics, interpersonal relationships, and external communications are precisely the weaknesses of the other four members.

Huang Xiaoming's social skills perfectly filled this gap.

Otherwise, with his cultivation level of only two-star bronze realm, he would never have been able to enter the high-purity battle team.

Soon, the five arrived at the open-air training ground.

The afternoon sun poured down relentlessly, turning the bluestone pavement scorching hot. Stepping on it, you could feel the heat rising up from the soles of your shoes, making your feet tingle.

In the center of the arena, several young men at the first and second star bronze realms were practicing their fighting techniques, sweating profusely.

Their punches and kicks were powerful and fierce, and their sweat evaporated into white mist as it dripped onto the stone slab. Their faces were full of seriousness and stubbornness.

Gao Chun nodded to himself: The cultivation atmosphere in Gaojia Village is indeed solid! They are diligent, hardworking, and have a firm heart in their pursuit of the Dao.

The five of them found a quiet corner shaded by trees, a place where they could avoid the scorching sun.

Gao Chun turned around, the gentleness on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by the captain's sharp aura.

He looked around at the four people and said in a deep voice, "Everyone's here. Let's get straight to the point."

"Let me formally introduce Huang Xiaoming, who will now be the fifth member of our team!"

He paused, then added, "If anyone has any objections, speak up now!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Gao Chengzhi was the first to launch an attack.

He raised an eyebrow, his almond-shaped eyes scanning Huang Xiaoming up and down, a playful smile playing on his lips.

His tone was undisguisedly teasing: "Oh? A new teammate? Two-star Bronze Realm? Uncle, did you pick up a burden?"

"Our trip to the Southern Wilderness Forest is for training, not a vacation with unwanted companions!"

"Brother Chengzhi is joking." Huang Xiaoming's face showed no displeasure, and his smile became even brighter.

He bowed slightly, adopting an extremely humble posture: "Although my cultivation level is low, I'll take care of everything—logistics, diplomacy, and cooking!"

"Besides, I am a purple and green dual-color Dao seed. Doesn't our team happen to be lacking a support? I can fill this gap and help our team complete the standard configuration!"

He was a year older than Gao Chengzhi, yet he addressed him as "Brother Chengzhi" so naturally. His thick skin was like a city wall, completely shutting down Gao Chengzhi's sarcasm.

Gao Chengzhi choked, unable to speak, and could only turn his head away dejectedly: "I hope so."

His stubborn yet soft-hearted arrogance made everyone chuckle to themselves.

Li Daoqiu, who had been silent all along, finally broke the silence.

His brows furrowed deeply, his face contorted with worry, and his voice was kept extremely low.

"Captain, the four of us are all three-star Bronze Realm cultivators, but Huang Xiaoming is only two-star."

"We'll be going to the Southern Wilderness Forest for training often in the future. It's full of dangers there, and with his current level of cultivation, he might be a drag on the team."

He was naturally introverted and prone to overthinking, always tending to assume the worst.

His face was full of worry, and his eyes were filled with solemnity, as if he had already foreseen the scene of Huang Xiaoming falling into danger due to insufficient cultivation during his training.

Gao Chun didn't speak immediately, but looked up at Huang Xiaoming, his eyes seeming to say: Li Daoqiu, you handle this yourself.

Upon receiving the captain's signal, Huang Xiaoming's fawning and ingratiating expression vanished instantly, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.

Meeting Li Daoqiu's gaze, he said sincerely, "Don't worry, Brother Daoqiu, I will never hold the team back!"

"Although I am a support character, I also have a purple Dao Seed in addition to a green one, so my speed is not slow."

"Moreover, my father always prepares a large number of talismans for me during each training session. With the blessing of the talismans, I am more than capable of protecting myself and will never become a burden to anyone!"

Li Daoqiu stared at him for a moment, and seeing that his eyes were firm and that he was no longer the smooth-talking and flattering man he had been before, but genuinely sincere, he couldn't help but nod slowly.

This nod signifies complete acceptance of the new teammate.

Finally, it was Wang Hu's turn.

His large, bell-like eyes swept over Huang Xiaoming from head to toe, but he still didn't say a word.

She simply lowered her arms, which were crossed over her chest, and nodded slightly to Huang Xiaoming.

This simple action carries immense weight.

In this team, Wang Hu's nod means complete acceptance!

Huang Xiaoming's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down completely, and he suppressed the overwhelming joy surging in his heart.

With a perfectly measured expression of emotion, he bowed deeply to the four men, his voice strong and resolute, carrying a do-or-die determination: "Thank you for your trust, Captain and all of you brothers!"

"I swear to God, the team will fight wherever we're told, and our logistical support will be absolutely top-notch!"

"I will absolutely not slack off in my cultivation; I will break through to the three-star level as soon as possible and will definitely not hold everyone back!"

Gao Chengzhi was about to make another joke when Gao Chun raised his hand to interrupt him: "Alright!"

Just as Gao Chun was about to give some instructions on teamwork, an unexpected change occurred!

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Several crisp cracking sounds of whips suddenly erupted from high above.

It felt as if it were striking directly on the eardrums, carrying an indescribable, ancient pressure.

All the young people in the training ground stopped in fright and looked up at the sky.

Gao Chun and the other three were also startled and looked up sharply.

Against the azure sky, a figure dressed in pure white descended from the heavens.

Clad in flowing white robes, he resembled a banished immortal, yet he was headless!

With a light flick of his silver whip, he was followed by a herd of pure white four-horned goats.

"The headless shepherd in the void is back again."

Gao Chun's eyes instantly shone with a brilliant light, brighter than the midday sun.