The mad old man's body was in utter disarray. If it were any ordinary person, they would've died long ago. Yet, the old man's spirit was as vigorous as a dragon's. Shu Han thought to himself, with the old man's current physical condition, he could easily overpower any cultivator at the initial stages of Core Formation. If the old man were to recover fully, who could possibly contend with him?

Suddenly, the old man finished his drink. Wobbling to his feet, the surge of energy from his movement immediately pushed out Shu Han's spiritual consciousness.

With one leap, he jumped out of the pit, his murky eyes scanning left and right as if searching for something. Then, staggering, he walked over to a rubbish pile by the roadside where stray cats and dogs rummaged. The old man started eating leftover food discarded by others.

The sight gave Shu Han the creeps. He hurried over, grabbed the old man's filthy wrist, and exclaimed, "Senior! This isn't appropriate! Whatever you wish to eat, allow me to treat you."

The old man glanced at him, shook his wrist, and sent Shu Han flying a few meters away. He continued to compete with the strays for food.

Alas!

To see such a formidable senior reduced to this state evoked pity in Shu Han's heart.

No matter how Shu Han tried to persuade him, the old man ignored him. Soon, as the sun set, the satiated old man simply lay down on the street, resembling an old beggar, and fell asleep.

Shu Han invited him to stay at the inn, but he was met with indifference. Only when presented with wine did the old man respond. Otherwise, he wandered aimlessly, lost in his own world.

At night, Shu Han gazed out of his inn window at the old man curled up below, a sense of melancholy rising within him. Rolling up his sleeve and channeling spiritual power into his arm, the clear black patterns on his wrist were visible. Activating these patterns, the strength in his wrist became astonishingly great.

The old man was enigmatic—sometimes coherent, sometimes not. But he had deliberately passed this to Shu Han after learning his martial arts. To understand the true nature of these black patterns, Shu Han decided to stay in the city for a few more days.

The next day, he approached the old man with a few gourds of wine, and they drank together. Passersby wondered why such a refined young man was mingling with an old beggar. Most assumed he had gone mad from too much studying.

After they finished drinking, Shu Han wished to spar with the old man, but he seemed disinterested. Once he had his fill of alcohol, he simply wandered off. Still curious about the mysterious patterns on his wrist, Shu Han discreetly followed the old man.

Three nights later, as Shu Han meditated, he was jolted awake by a deafening shout.

"Dead! All dead!"

Shu Han knew that the mad old man was having another of his episodes. It was crucial not to approach him during these times; if caught, he would unleash a flurry of punches without discrimination.

The old man's wailing continued for a quarter of an hour, prompting the neighborhood's residents to shout in frustration. Some of the men who had been awakened by the noise couldn't bear it anymore and, cursing under their breaths, grabbed whatever they could and stormed out. But soon, no one dared to interfere, letting the old man cry out in the night.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Suddenly, the wailing ceased. Surprised, Shu Han picked up his jug of wine and followed the direction of the noise. He found the old man slumped at a street corner, tears streaming from his cloudy eyes, and in front of him stood a middle-aged man in a white robe.

Shu Han knew that during the old man's fits, he would beat anyone regardless of their cultivation level. However, in front of this middle-aged man, he was no longer aggressive; instead, he wept inconsolably.

It seemed the man in white recognized the old man. Without any sign of disgust for the old man's stench, he gently patted him on the shoulder.

Suddenly, the handsome face of the man in white turned to Shu Han, and for a moment, Shu Han felt his heart race.

This man was extraordinary!

"Young man, may I borrow the wine you're holding?"

Without hesitation, Shu Han handed over his wine gourd. The man took it and opened it for the old man, who drank from it eagerly as if it was some magical elixir.

The man in white sighed deeply, then stood up and courteously thanked Shu Han. "Young brother, I've heard that you've been taking care of my senior brother these past few days. Thank you."

"No need for thanks, senior! I've also been under the guidance of this senior. It's only right," Shu Han replied. Then he inquired, "You mentioned that he is your senior brother. How did he end up in this state, wandering the world?"

The man in white sighed, "He chose this path, and no one can force him otherwise. As for the reasons behind his condition, it's a secret within our sect, not suitable for outsiders. I hope you understand."

"Of course, it was rude of me to ask."

Suddenly, the man in white suggested, "It seems you've hit a bottleneck in your cultivation. If you're without a sect, you might consider joining our Fiery Cloud Instant Sect."

Shu Han was taken aback. Both this man and the mad old man were from the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect?

On second thought, since he intended to go to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, and given this man's likely high status within the sect, having his recommendation might save a lot of trouble.

Thus, Shu Han responded with a bow, "I would be honored."

The man in white smiled, handing a token engraved with a red cloud to Shu Han. "Take this token to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, and you will be treated well." After saying this, he looked at the old man who was drinking heavily and respectfully said, "Senior brother, I'll take my leave first."

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, the man in white disappeared from both Shu Han's sight and spiritual perception.

Holding the warm token, Shu Han was astonished. To disappear instantly from his senses indicated that the man was definitely a Core Formation-stage expert. He looked at the mad old man, lamenting in his heart, 'Senior, you must have once been a towering figure in the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. How did you fall to such a state?'

It was both pitiful and lamentable.

Shu Han decided to take care of the mad old man for a while longer and planned to send his avatar out to inquire about why the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect was after him. After that, he would use the token to join the Sect.

...

High in the sky, the man in white looked down at the city below, a hint of a smile forming on his lips. At that moment, an elderly man in red approached and asked, "Sect Leader, this is the first time he has ventured so far from the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. Could he be thinking of leaving the sect for good? Perhaps we should find a way to detain him to avoid any hindrance to your plans."

The man in white laughed, "To detain my senior brother, I'm afraid we'd need a Nascent Soul-stage expert."

The elder in red, taken aback, asked, "Aren't you now at the half-step to Nascent Soul, the strongest below the Nascent Soul level? Can you not restrain this mad old man?"

"Having not tried, I can't be certain. Never underestimate him."

"What should we do then? Apart from you, no one in the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect can track him. Aren't you afraid he might truly run away?"

"He won't." The man in white confidently stated, "Ultimately, my senior brother wouldn't want the secret technique, which he spent his life's wisdom creating, to be lost. As long as that young man is in our Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, senior brother will not stray far."

The elder praised, "Wise Sect Leader. Under your leadership, our Fiery Cloud Instant Sect will surely become the premier sect in the northern region of the Great Cloud."

The man in white chuckled, "Number one might be a stretch. Don't underestimate the Green Thunder Sect." Changing his tone, he asked, "Have you gathered all the individuals I've asked for?"

"We're still short by four."

"Make it quick."