Chapter 3: The Hidden Dragon Among Sheep
Five Years Later – The Azure Sky Sect
The Azure Sky Sect was one of the top ten sects in the province, a place where countless cultivators gathered to seek enlightenment and power. It stood atop the Azure Cloud Mountains, its towering pagodas piercing the sky like swords ready to cut down the heavens.
Among its thousands of disciples—core disciples, inner disciples, and outer disciples—one particular inner disciple went unnoticed.
A young man dressed in plain robes, no different from the countless others in the sect. His expression was calm, his posture straight yet unassuming, his aura weak—so weak that even outer disciples barely noticed him.
His name? Jiang Yan.
The one who hid his fangs in the darkness, waiting for the right moment to strike.
For five years, Jiang Yan had been biding his time, cultivating in secret.
After his first visit to civilization, he had stolen a powerful technique from a corrupt elder—a Concealment Art so profound that even the eyes of heaven itself could not detect him.
> 《Veil of the Nameless God
A forbidden technique capable of erasing one's presence, hiding cultivation levels, and even suppressing one's bloodline aura.
Using this technique, Jiang Yan had perfectly disguised himself as a weak, untalented cultivator. No one in the Azure Sky Sect had even the slightest clue that beneath this disguise was a monster capable of tearing apart Nascent Soul cultivators with his bare hands.
He was just another lowly inner disciple in the eyes of everyone else.
And that was exactly what he wanted.
Life in the sect was ruled by strength and hierarchy.
Core Disciples were the chosen ones, personally trained by elders, possessing vast resources.
Inner Disciples were talented but lacked strong backing.
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Outer Disciples were nothing more than cannon fodder, servants, and punching bags for those above.
And then there were sects within the sect.
Powerful families, hidden factions, and secret groups all vied for influence. If you didn’t belong to one of these, you were nothing but an ant waiting to be stepped on.
Jiang Yan had made sure to stay out of sight, avoiding conflicts, avoiding attention. He let people walk over him, insult him, call him trash.
Why?
Because he was hunting in the shadows.
Jiang Yan was sweeping the stone courtyard of the sect’s training grounds, a wooden broom in hand. Around him, groups of inner disciples were training—some practicing sword techniques, others refining their spiritual energy.
“Oi! Trash! You missed a spot!”
A loud voice echoed as a tall, arrogant youth strutted forward, flanked by two lackeys. His name was Zhao Feng, a so-called ‘genius’ who had recently broken through to the Golden Core Realm.
Jiang Yan lifted his head slightly, his eyes cold but indifferent.
‘Golden Core Realm? If I wasn’t hiding my strength, I could kill you with a single finger.’
But instead of reacting, he lowered his head and nodded.
“Yes, Senior Brother Zhao. I’ll clean it.”
Laughter erupted around him.
“Haha! What a coward!”
“Pathetic. This trash has been here for five years and hasn’t even broken into the Foundation Establishment Realm!”
“If I were this weak, I’d just kill myself.”
Zhao Feng smirked, enjoying the moment. “Good. Know your place.”
With a final laugh, they walked away, leaving Jiang Yan standing there, gripping the broom with slightly trembling fingers.
Not from anger, but from restraint.
‘I could burn you all into nothingness, but I’ll wait. The time isn’t right… yet.
That night, deep within the mountains behind the sect, Jiang Yan sat cross-legged inside a dark cave. His body was surrounded by faint golden flames, the temperature around him rising to terrifying levels. The air trembled as if the world itself was afraid of him.
This was his true cultivation state.
The weak, untalented Jiang Yan that everyone saw during the day?
The real Jiang Yan was far beyond the Core Formation Realm, perhaps even stronger than the sect elders themselves.
‘Patience.’ He reminded himself. ‘The celestial order fears the power I possess. If I reveal myself too soon, they will send executioners. I must grow in silence.’
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling the Primordial Chaos Flame burning in his soul.
> 《Heaven-Slaying Mantra
A technique designed to kill even immortals.
His cultivation advanced once again, unseen by the world.
Despite his low status, Jiang Yan knew that the sect was not peaceful.
Rumors had begun to spread.
A grand tournament was approaching, where only the strong would be promoted.
A hidden realm had been discovered, filled with ancient treasures and dangers.
The sect master’s seat was being contested by multiple factions.
And most importantly…
Strange celestial fluctuations had been detected in the heavens.
Something was changing.
Jiang Yan slowly opened his eyes, his golden-red pupils gleaming in the darkness.
‘The world is moving… and I will move with it.’
His lips curled into a smirk.
If the heavens truly thought he was
nothing but an ant…
Then soon, they would learn the price of their arrogance
End of Chapter 3