“Vice Patriarch of the Soaring Dragon Sect?" Zou Lan mumbled, her eyes narrowed as she calmed herself.
Something didn't feel right. That man was merely in the Nascent Soul realm, while she knew the leaders of the four Immortal Beasts Sects were easily late-stage Soul Formation masters, if not even stronger. His being given this title at his realm spoke volumes of his potential.
"What is a Core Disciple of the Immortal Beasts Alliance doing here?" she asked, doing her best not to betray her doubts.
She remained as majestic as she was, her aura just as sharp, yet she reigned in her pressure, if only to give the man face. Still, the man ignored her, remaining silent, eyes closed, meditating. While she felt outraged by his disregard, she could only grit her teeth in silence, unable to offer any rebuke as she wasn't in any state to do so.
“Lord Lao was gracious enough to respond to our summons when we petitioned the Immortal Beasts Alliance for support,” the middle-aged woman replied, a smug look on her face.
“I didn’t expect that when our sect was busy dealing with the outsiders’ invasion—dying on the front lines—the Purple Blossom Sect had enough time to seek outside aid,” Zou Lan said, yet her gaze showed no emotions as she looked at the sultry woman in a purple dress. “A shame that support of yours only arrived when the battle had already ended.”
“What are you implying?" the old man said as his gaze grew darker. "Are you saying we shirked our responsibilities? The Moonlight Sword Palace isn't the only one that has incurred losses. Many of our Raging Fire Sect's disciples also died in the conflict!"
“Is that so?” Zou Lan said, sneering slightly. “I wasn’t aware that the Raging Fire Sect considered the rogue cultivators—it hired for a pittance—true sect disciples. How times have changed; isn't it convenient?"
The old man sought to fight back, trying to disprove her words, yet her gaze pierced deep into his soul. He sought to rise from his seat yet was unable. He could only grip the armrests, plunging his fingers into the hardwood, leaving deep grooves. They creaked, almost as if ready to break, only for a small formation—etched onto the wood itself—to light up, preventing it from being destroyed further.
“It seems I must offer you my apologies,” Zou Lan added, losing all her animosity as she looked at the old man, even looking slightly sad.
This couldn't help but shift her guests' attitudes. They were stunned silent by this change, drawing a blank on what to think. They had interacted with this woman occasionally and were aware of her character. This seemed wholly out of the norm; they had never seen her seem so genuinely apologetic.
"I wondered why the Raging Fire Sect holed themselves up in their compound, only letting their outer disciples die in droves while their core remained safe in the rear," she added, showing a slightly mocking smile.
The change was again so sudden that the three elders were now on edge, aversely awaiting her following words, knowing nothing good would come from them. Only the young man remained unconcerned.
"It seems the elder of the Raging Fire Sect is now so old that he can only unleash his strength on defenceless furniture, and even then, it leaves a lot to be desired. It seems your peak is long passed, and your end is fast approaching; my condolences," Zou Lan said, weighing each word, which only darkened the old man's expression even more.
His aged face turned bright red, revealing a deep anger, which Zou Lan only reciprocated with a smile. Her callousness only drove the old man further into fury. The power of his cultivation base at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm burst out of his body, filling the hall with its might.
The other two elders' eyes narrowed slightly. They only felt the remains of the old man's aura prickle their skins as the bulk of it was aimed toward Zou Lan. Still, she showed no signs of it, almost as if it was a mere breeze that couldn't even reach her body.
In a rage, the old man crushed the armrest entirely, almost causing the entire chair to burst into splinters, only for Zou Lan to raise her sleeve. Her domain burst out of her body, filling the hall whole, suppressing all within as if she was the overlord of her realm, and her words were law, yet not even words were necessary. Her existence alone was something they couldn't contend with.
Sweat poured out of the three elders' pores, drenching them with fear. They glanced only toward the woman in white, feeling as if countless sharp blades were pressed against their very souls. They knew that the slightest movement would result in their demise.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
If only subconsciously, they wished to prostrate themselves on the floor, begging for mercy, yet the last of their pride prevented them from doing so. After all, they were more than just themselves; they also represented their own respective clans, and sometimes, face was worth much more than life.
Zou Lan was aware of the reason for their arrogance, even against a stronger entity like herself. What prevented the Raging Fire Sect Elder from bowing his head was merely a stronger fear than she could evoke in the man. After all, even she wouldn’t want to make the Raging Fire Sect’s Patriarch her enemy if she could avoid it.
As for the Elder of the Cult of the Emerald Lord, that was even easier to understand. Having dabbled in poisons all his life, the man was always just a step away from death. While no man was truly unafraid of the void beyond, the disciples of the Emerald Lord possessed something she utterly despised: Faith.
While most cultivators viewed the Heavens as this all-powerful entity, to this cult, the Emerald Lord was their one true god. They wouldn't hesitate to throw away their lives and those of the ones they cherished with only a single word from him. Honestly, this blind devotion sickened her.
Only the Purple Blossom Sect was a mystery. If anything, they seemed even more mysterious than the cult. All their members were female—from the lowest of servants to the sect master herself. As for how they recruited their members, Zou Lan had heard rumours, yet nothing concrete. In fact, despite being the leader of her own sect, she had yet to meet the Matriarch of the Purple Blossom Sect.
“HOW DARE..." the old man began, only for the words to remain stuck in his throat.
He remained fixed in space, halfway through the motion of rising from his seat as Zou Lan’s pressure crashed on his body. He struggled with all his might, even materializing his bright red lotus over his head.
Ten luscious red leaves formed the base. They seemed aflame, even distorting the world around them as if an intense heat rose from them, bending the light reflected on their surface. A man of red stood on the lotus, his eyes closed as if meditating: a perfect rendition of the old man's younger years.
The old man uttered a groan, trying his best to make qi revolve within his qi channels, trying to wake up the apparition. Yet, all it amounted to was further destabilizing the image, which seemed to be on the verge of breaking. On the other hand, Zou Lan only looked at him with a disinterested gaze, barely breaking a sweat as she pushed him back down in his seat.
“I didn’t give you permission to rise,” she added, her voice cold and powerful as if her earlier anxiousness had merely been a mirage within the desert. “Do not forget whose house you are currently in. The alliance our sects have with each other may allow you a certain leeway, but it doesn’t make you my equal. If you think showing off your backer can allow you to bridge the gap, then think again!”
Her words rang within the hall, stunning the three elders into passivity. In contrast, the few disciples who witnessed their sect mistress's show of might couldn't help but feel pride in their hearts. While they had lost much in the recent conflict, they hadn't lost their backbone. They wouldn’t allow themselves to be pushed around by cowards who were too afraid to honour their words.
“It seems Sect Leader Zou may have been misled..." the sickly man's words were cut short as Zou Lan turned her gaze toward him. He could feel his skin crawl as countless sharp edges seemed to dance upon it, giving rise to interminable goosebumps. He even saw his life flash before his eyes, almost as if she could plunge a dagger into his heart with but a look.
“Are you questioning my intelligence?" she asked while a deadly premonition rose within the elders' hearts. "The timing of your arrival seems too perfect to be a coincidence. What are you trying to pull when the outsiders camp at our doorstep? Are you seeking to watch the world be trampled under their feet? Are your leaders that stupid, or is there something more—something you all aren't telling me?!"
It was only then that the young man finally opened his eyes again, calmly gazing toward Zou Lan, yet she didn't seem to be reflected in them. His voice was monotone, without any inflection or emotion showing through, almost as if none of the pressure or threat Zou Lan emitted was a concern for him.
"You seem to think these three can dictate my actions, while in fact, my reasons for being here have nothing to do with them," the man replied.
"Oh?" Zou Lan said, her pressure receding slightly, yet the three elders were still unable to move a muscle. "Are you here in your capacity as the Vice-Patriarch of the Soaring Dragon Sect or as an individual?"
Despite the elders ascertaining the man to be a Core Disciple of the Immortal Beast Alliance, she found it hard to believe. After all, each core disciple was highly valued, easily one of the greatest geniuses in the Western Region. Most of the resources the Alliance gathered would be used to elevate their cultivation, making them highly valuable to the Alliance.
As such, their identities would be highly confidential, and only a few high-ranking officers within the Alliance would be privy to them. Even as a member herself and a genius regarded highly, she had no hope of uncovering even one of their identities. It was understandable, as they were the secret weapons the Alliance had nurtured for countless years in secret, only for them to be finally unleashed in the coming conflict against the Inner Regions.
“The Alliance recently became aware of the Forgotten One’s demise,” he replied, unconcerned with her doubts. “Being the closest one, I was dispatched to verify the veracity of those reports. Whatever conflict happens within this city is none of my concerns.”
Hearing his words, the old man's eyes dilated, unable to contain his surprise, something that Zou Lan didn't miss. The female elder's reaction was much more subtle, yet she, too, couldn't perfectly hide it. Only the sickly man remained impassive. As for whether he was unperturbed or could simply hide it, Zou Lan had no way to know for sure. Still, the young man's words gave her pause.
Was his arrival with them merely a coincidence, or did he renege on the deal he made? His reaction seems so unnatural, almost as if the man doesn't possess any emotion and can't be bothered to hide them...
"I intended to verify this as soon as I arrived, yet the way was closed, shut down by the formation itself," the man added. "Not even the token the Alliance granted me allowed me to enter. You should know that tampering with the formation is a great offence. If found guilty, the Alliance may even choose to make a move and restore order. However, if you cooperate with my investigation, I may allow you to plead your case. Remember, we are not asking. This is the Alliance's will."
The man tossed a token, which Zou Lan caught with her domain, before bringing it close to her eyes. Upon seeing it, she couldn't help but frown. It depicted four ferocious beasts entangled with one another: a flaming bird, a large turtle, a fierce tiger, and finally, a soaring dragon.
The token emitted a strong force, almost repelling her domain as she probed it with her divine sense. Upon touching it, she felt the beasts' roars echo in her mind, proving its authenticity. Whether the man was a Core Disciple of the Alliance was still up in the air, but there was no doubt he represented the Alliance. This token was proof!