Xing Ju stood atop the outer sect wall, her figure silhouetted against the fading light of the setting sun. Her gaze stretched far into the distance, yet her heart was heavy, weighed down by the burdens of time and memories long past. The cool evening breeze shivered through her weary bones, carrying an unsettling sense of unease.

Where was Ye An?

After abandoning Song Song, her granddaughter, she chose Ye An as her new disciple. Ye An was supposed to fulfill everyone's expectations. Yet, she hadn't returned from the expedition.

Many within the faction had already lost hope. Xing Ju was the last to lose hope.

The incompetent Core Elders who had escorted the group remained silent! How could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator have slipped through their notice?

A part of her hoped the immortal tomb had taken Ye An, perhaps as a disciple under its will. Even though that meant Ye An would no longer need their support, it was better than her being dead.

But now, who else could compete with Song Song? That wild girl was growing stronger by the day, and Xing Ju could feel it—everyone could.

Song Song's Qi sharpened daily, and soon she would reach the four-star Foundation Establishment. In only a handful of years, she could reach their level!

It hadn't even been a year since she broke through! Everyone knew of her talent, but Foundation Establishment required not just talent but also comprehension of one's chosen element. No matter how gifted, many cultivators were stuck in this stage for a lifetime. They simply couldn't advance because they couldn't comprehend their element.

Yet Song Song's compatibility with her blood element was incomprehensible. The records showed that even the current sect leader hadn't progressed through Foundation Establishment so swiftly!

For some strange reason, Ye An had managed to keep up with her.

Rumors whispered she might have an Extreme Physique like Song Song's mother, though nothing had been confirmed. There were plans to investigate once she returned—assuming she ever did. Some even schemed to dig into her background to see if she had any connection to the Ye Clan of the Azure Frost Sect or if her name was just a coincidence.

"Ye An, where are you?" Xing Ju muttered under her breath.

A new recipe had even surfaced from one of the outer elders. The sect's Alchemist Grand Elder was on the verge of discovering replacements for extinct ingredients, allowing them to craft a pill that could restore Ye An's crippled form and beauty. But without her, these plans were nothing more than dreams.

Two paths remained: they could try to approach Song Song and beg for forgiveness. But few were willing to take that risk—Song Song might simply kill them.

The second option was to find someone else to replace Ye An. But who could possibly keep up with Song Song?

There was a reason the sect tolerated Song Song's reckless behavior. She had the highest chance of becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator in the last thousand years. Many would prefer to see her fail, but the Song Clan leader wasn't someone anyone wanted to cross. Death would be the best outcome if someone made an enemy of him.

Xing Ju knew her son didn't harbor any familial loyalty or love. But if hypothetically, there was anyone he might care for, it would undoubtedly be Song Song—maybe because she was the one closest to him in personality.

The reason why he cared about her mattered little. But what was important was that no matter what Song Song did, she would get no punishment or minimum sentence at worst.

The hot summer wind brushed against her ashen hair, and Xing Ju knew that holding on to hope was a fool's errand. What she needed now were answers about Ye An—and a replacement.

She already had someone in mind who could provide both.

Turning, she leaped from the outer sect wall. Before her feet touched the ground, the wind around her picked up like a hurricane. An invisible tornado wrapped around her, propelling her forward like a bullet, the air bending in her wake. She became a red streak across the sky with nothing to slow her momentum.

She stood above a humble home within the Song Clan grounds in less than fifteen breaths. The only hint of luxury in the house was the well-built walls surrounding the residence. There was also a small pond in the yard, with a tree next to it.

Xing Ju landed silently on the grassy ground.

A dark-cloaked figure with a marble mask appeared before she could even breathe. The man was a five-star Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, his cultivation was hidden—masked by the enigmatic technique used by the Sect Leader's secret division.

"I'm here to meet Song San. Call him out," she said to the masked guard.

The white, expressionless porcelain mask gave no response, but something in the air shifted. Moments later, the door to the yard swung open, and Song San emerged, dressed in a dark robe. His green hair spilled down like a river of grass, and his eyes gleamed with the depth of dark emeralds.

Upon seeing Xing Ju, he didn't bother with the usual formalities. Instead, he smiled—a sharp, unfriendly grin that revealed his teeth. "What do you want, you old hag?"

Despite the insult, his smile remained cordial. It was clear that something had soured the young man's mood. He was usually much more subtle with his feelings.

Xing Ju's thoughts flickered to her former lover, the previous Song Clan leader. He had been a man of volatile emotions—friendly one moment, wrathful the next. The smallest slight could ignite his temper, and those around him often bore the brunt of it. More often than not, he directed his frustration at his young son.

Song San had inherited enough of his grandfather's temperament, yet Song San was different. Though he carried his grandfather's anger, he had also inherited his father's cold, calculating calmness. It was a strange, unsettling balance of fire and ice.

Xing Ju's gaze shifted to the guard's porcelain mask. As a Core Formation cultivator, she easily saw through minor covers like masks. What lay behind the mask was grotesque, twisted by the scars of countless tortures. Still, she recognized him as one of the ex-members of the Sect Leader's secret unit.

"How did they let you go?" she asked, her tone casually rude, matching Song San's earlier insult. "Did the cold hearts of those assassins finally soften enough to let you look after your nephew? You must have been worried, thinking poor Song San had no one left after his mother's death."

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Xing Ju knew the whole story as a Core Elder closely involved with the Song Clan. But it never hurt to play ignorant once in a while.

The masked man turned toward her, though he remained silent. His gaze was fixed on his master as if awaiting orders.

The disfigurement behind the mask, she knew, was the punishment meted out by the Sect Leader's secret squad for betraying them—he had taught their techniques to an outsider, Song San. And this was the price he paid.

Usually, those who betrayed the Sect Leader’s secret squad were killed after enduring their torture. Still, there had been some leniency in this case. The man was Song San’s uncle, and Song San had roots in the Blazing Sun Sect. He had come to try to be a paternal figure in his nephew’s life. Yet Xing Ju couldn’t fathom how much of a role he could play when he could no longer speak, and his mind and cultivation had both deteriorated from the torture.

It was strange. Xing Ju had always assumed that those in the secret squad had no emotions, that they were born to serve and died fulfilling that duty. Even Song San’s mother had been a peculiar woman. Her relationship with the Song Clan Leader had been more transactional than affectionate. When she was tortured to death in the Melting Tower, it was said she hadn’t uttered a single sound, simply succumbing to the injuries caused by the torture.

“Are you here to jest, or do you have something to ask of me, granny?” Song San’s tone regained its usual calm, and his emotions were now reined in as expected.

Xing Ju chuckled softly, the sound like that of a harmless old grandmother. She walked toward Song San, knowing full well what her grandson was like. Unlike Song Song, who would rather break than bend, he was more adaptable. He would learn when it was a poor idea to call someone “granny” or “old hag.”

She was already in an irritable moon with Ye An missing. Why should she, as a Core Formation cultivator, bear the insults of some snotty brat?

With each deliberate step, Xing Ju unleashed her Qi, sending ripples of invisible pressure coursing through the air. The sheer force of her power radiated outward, causing the ground beneath her to fracture, cracks spiderwebbing across the earth with every footfall.

The once sturdy walls of the house trembled violently, fissures tearing through stone and mortar as if gripped by the tremors of an unseen earthquake. The surrounding area shook under the weight of her presence.

The porcelain-masked man attempted to intervene, but Xing Ju quickly created a dense barrier of Qi. The razor-like energy sliced into his palms like he had tried to grasp a handful of razors.

“You were one of the few who knew how important Ye An was to me and many others. Several Core Elders were watching over her, yet she vanished during the expedition. I hope this isn’t your idea of a joke,” she said, her voice hard as steel, the weight of her Qi pressing down without mercy. “Ye An has reached Foundation Establishment. Even Song Song wouldn’t have been able to kill her without causing a ruckus, and we specifically warned Ye An to be careful.”

Song San, undeterred by the crushing pressure, simply smiled wider. “I have no idea what happened to her. But she’s probably dead. We both know I have no reason to fight with your group.”

Xing Ju flinched at those words, and the pressure eased. “So, Song Song…”

The rest of her sentence was left unspoken. They were still within the Song Clan compound, and everyone knew the Song Clan Leader had ears everywhere. He was a notoriously paranoid man—he would surely be listening after the ruckus she caused.

“Not likely,” Song San replied, shaking his head with a smile as if privy to some hidden joke. “I kept my eyes on my sweet sister the entire time. She had no chance to kill the girl who was clearly using you. But for the one pulling the strings behind her… that’s another story.”

Xing Ju frowned. What did he mean by “the girl who was using them”? Did he mean Ye An? Of course, Ye An was using them—they had been tempering her for their future needs and giving her any required resources. But Song San wouldn’t have mentioned it without a deeper meaning. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on such things; more pressing matters were at hand.

"Liu Feng?" Xing Ju questioned, recalling the boy she had once questioned in prison. She had even advised him on a Mortal Grade technique at one point. Back then, it had been nothing more than a whim—a favor for the teacher of a girl from the Liu Clan.

Liu Feng seemed sharp for his age, but that was all.

There were many clever people in the world, yet their intelligence often amounted to nothing if they lacked talent. They still died, and all their brilliance was wasted.

"Do you know the technique the Sect Leader's secret squad uses?" Song San asked rhetorically. "The one that's been around since the founding of the Blazing Sun Sect, once used by the Blazing Sun Immortal himself? It might not be a Sky Grade technique, but it's one of the finest Earth Grade techniques."

"So?" Xing Ju was confused by the sudden tangent.

What did this have to do with anything?

"Liu Feng saw through that technique," Song San stated plainly.

"And?" Xing Ju's confusion deepened.

Sure, the technique was excellent for concealment. Still, if it were truly flawless, every Core Elder would have mastered it by now and become invincible. Like all techniques, it had its limitations.

"Ten Thousand Steps of Invisibility may be an Earth Grade technique, but it was created by an immortal and refined over millennia by the sect's stealth division," Song San explained, his eyes narrowing. "Yet, some unwashed farmer from the middle of fuck nowhere cracked it and sensed me. Do you understand? It hasn't even been two years since Liu Feng entered the Blazing Sun Sect. The only reason we aren't dealing with another Song Song is because Liu Feng has garbage talent."

"When did you start getting intimidated by every shadow on the wall?" Xing Ju frowned.

She might not be particularly close to her grandchildren, but the idea of them fearing some nobody was ridiculous.

Also, the notion that Liu Feng could defeat someone like Ye An was absurd. Ye An was not only a Foundation Establishment cultivator but could fight well beyond her level.

However, she wasn't about to call her grandson stupid in front of his face. Not when she had come here with intentions to invite him. Perhaps changing the conversation would be better.

"Anyway, now that Ye An is missing, some people are looking for a new figurehead to lead my faction—someone from the next generation." Xing Ju's voice softened, attempting to sweeten the offer for Song San, though she knew the reality of the role she was suggesting.

What she received in response was a mocking smile. "Yeah, sure. Give me half a million spirit stones and access to your treasuries. I'm sure there are some nice things you old folks have hoarded in your long, mediocre lives."

It was as Xing Ju feared. Song San made demands, offered a half-hearted promise, and left her with no real assurances.

She nodded, though she knew he was an unreliable ally, and this was not a deal she could accept. Song San couldn't be controlled. They'd be nothing more than dogs with him holding the leash if he were in charge.

It was perhaps better than being brutally killed by Song Song—but not by much.

Xing Ju felt like a cornered animal, with the younger generation advancing so fast and taking their positions of power. This generation had an extra number of monsters. Xing Ju felt like her generation would soon be unneeded and become playthings of this new generation of monsters.

As Xing Ju thought of what she could do next, an unorthodox idea came to mind. This generation was lost, but perhaps the next one... but this one needed to be out of the way...

It may be time to eliminate these arrogant youngsters altogether.

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like this was the perfect time—the sect was heading toward another calamity, and the Sect Leader and Song Clan Head would be too preoccupied to notice the smaller pieces.

Xing Ju hadn't come here with murderous intent, but now, after being treated like a nuisance by Song Song and mocked by her brother, she was reconsidering.

Since when did the powerful allow themselves to be mocked by the weak? It was about time these foolish descendants of hers learned a lesson.

After a lengthy exchange of false pleasantries, Xing Ju walked away, irritation gnawing at her. She was tired of being treated like a nobody by a pack of useless bastards.