Escorted personally by the two sect masters, Shen Yuan and Xiang Xiaoli stepped through the towering gates of the Twin Soul Sect. The moment they entered, their eyes widened in astonishment.

Even Shen Yuan, who rarely showed visible surprise, couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"Why the hell is this sect so big?"

The vast, sprawling landscape before them was unlike any sect he had ever seen. Majestic mountains stretched endlessly, their peaks carved with intricate statues of dragons—one black, one white—looming like celestial guardians. The pathways were lined with flowing rivers of ethereal qi, each shimmering with a faint silver and gold glow. Countless halls and pagodas floated in the air, defying the laws of nature.

Even the very air seemed dense with profound energy.

Shen Yuan took a deep breath. The Twin Soul Sect was not just large. It seemed alive with the remnants of ancient power.

But what caught his attention the most were the paintings—countless murals and tapestries depicting dragons, all in pairs—one dark, one light. Each seemed to tell a different story, but the meaning was clear: duality ruled this sect.

For once, he felt a strange sense of displacement.

"A place obsessed with balance... and yet, I am anything but balanced."

After a few minutes of silent observation, the two sect masters led them deeper into the sect, toward the elite disciple area.

This was where only the most talented disciples resided—a place where most cultivators wouldn’t even dream of entering within half a century. But Shen Yuan and Xiang Xiaoli had earned their place here, thanks to their Shen Yuan being the winner of the secret realm.

The moment they stepped inside, they could feel the weight of countless gazes upon them. Some were filled with curiosity. Others, with thinly veiled resentment.

"Heh, envious dogs are everywhere," Shen Yuan mused, smirking inwardly.

But unlike Shen Yuan, Xiang Xiaoli seemed visibly uncomfortable.

Ignoring the unwanted attention, they were soon escorted to their abodes, elegant yet simple residences at the heart of the elite district. Once inside, Shen Yuan gave a polite bow to the sect masters.

"Good. Rest for now," one of them said. "Tomorrow, your journey here will truly begin."

With that, the two grandmasters left, and Shen Yuan stepped inside his new abode.

The moment he collapsed onto his bed, he exhaled deeply.

"Finally... some damn peace."

It had been too long since he last enjoyed a proper rest. The secret realm, the battles, the constant cultivation—it had been an endless cycle of chaos.

And yet…

BOOM!

A loud argument erupted outside, snapping him out of his relaxation.

His expression darkened.

"You’ve got to be kidding me."

Who dares to disturb his first moment of peace in years?

Suppressing his irritation, Shen Yuan rose to his feet and stepped outside.

The scene before him was a familiar one—two cultivators engaged in a heated argument.

On one side stood Xiang Xiaoli, looking annoyed but maintaining her usual cold demeanor. On the other, a young woman in elegant silver robes, her arms crossed, eyes burning with contempt.

"You don’t belong here," the girl scoffed, her voice laced with arrogance. "The elite disciple area isn’t for weaklings who ride on luck. You’re nothing more than an outsider who stumbled into fortune."

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Xiang Xiaoli’s gaze was ice-cold.

"Who I am and how I got here is none of your business."

The girl sneered. "Then what? You expect us to just accept you? You think that because you’re traveling with him—" she flicked her eyes toward the oncoming figure of Shen Yuan "—you suddenly deserve to stand among us?"

Shen Yuan sighed.

"So annoying."

With a casual tone, he interrupted, his voice cutting through the argument like a blade.

"Would you both kindly shut the hell up?"

His words carried an undeniable authority, making both women turn toward him.

Xiang Xiaoli instinctively stepped beside him, while the silver-robed girl narrowed her eyes at him, instantly recognizing who he was.

"Ah... the one who won the divine treasures," she said, her lips curling into a smirk. "So what? Do you think that makes you worthy of being here?"

Shen Yuan raised a brow.

"Do I look like I care?"

The girl’s eyes flickered with irritation.

"Your cultivation is still at the Heaven Path Realm. You don’t even have the Nirvana Realm cultivation yet, let alone a deep understanding of the Twin Soul Sect’s Dao. Without that, no matter how talented you are, you are—"

Shen Yuan yawned, cutting her off.

She stopped mid-sentence, her face twitching with barely concealed anger.

"You—!"

"Are we still talking about this?" Shen Yuan asked lazily. "If you have a problem, why not fight me and settle this now? Trust, I am a good doctor of envy"

The girl visibly flinched, clearly not expecting such a direct challenge and mocking.

A flicker of hesitation crossed her face, but she quickly masked it.

"I don’t waste my time on those who haven’t even reached Nirvana."

Shen Yuan smirked.

"Aren’t you exactly doing that, right now?"

The girl clenched her fists, but before she could say another word—

A hand landed on her shoulder.

Her expression immediately changed.

The hostility faded, replaced by relief and admiration.

Shen Yuan’s eyes shifted to the newcomer.

A young man clad in flowing blue robes stepped forward, his deep azure eyes carrying an effortless charm. His handsome face was flawless, exuding the kind of natural elegance that made women swoon.

The moment Shen Yuan saw him, a strange feeling of familiarity washed over him.

"Why does this guy look so damn familiar?"

The man smiled slightly before speaking.

"Forgive my junior sister," he said, his voice smooth but firm. "She has a... hot temper."

Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes, studying him carefully.

Where had he seen him before?

The man then took a step closer, his gaze lingering on Shen Yuan.

Then, after a long pause, his lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"It’s been a long time..." he said, his voice carrying a nostalgic weight. "We last fought before our old sect was destroyed."

Shen Yuan’s breath hitched.

A memory surfaced—a fierce battle, an overwhelming crater, a rivalry that ended with a shattered sect.

He stared at the man, his mind racing.

Then, it clicked.

His eyes widened as he finally recognized the man before him.

"...T…Tang Jiyan?"

For the first time in years, Shen Yuan stuttered.

Tang Jiyan smirked, crossing his arms.

"You’re surprised?"

"You’re alive?!" Shen Yuan’s voice carried a rare trace of shock.

"You sound so disappointed." Tang Jiyan chuckled.

"But... how the hell did you even recognize me?" Shen Yuan asked, regaining his composure. "I look nothing like before."

Tang Jiyan’s smirk widened.

"True, you might have changed," he admitted. "But that smirk?"

He tapped his chin.

"That shit is unforgettable."

Shen Yuan was too stunned to even respond.

"Umm… what… huh? Don’t I smirk like any other person?"

But before the reunion could continue, a hurried steward rushed toward them.

"Shen Yuan!" he gasped, barely able to breathe. "You’ve been summoned by the sect masters!"

Shen Yuan sighed.

"Why? Wasn’t my starting day supposed to be tomorrow?"

The steward wiped his forehead.

"Many powerful cultivators from strong cultivation countries have arrived... They want to see you. They want to see the person who acquired the divine treasure and achieved the tenth halo!"

Shen Yuan groaned internally.

"So that’s the reason…. But why am I always the star of the view?"

Tang Jiyan smirked.

"Go," he said. "We’ll catch up later."

Shen Yuan exhaled deeply before nodding.

"I have a bad feeling about this...."

With that, he turned and followed the steward toward the main hall, where the entire cultivation world awaited his presence.