At the Sea Pavilion in the Azure Sky Sect

"Master, are we going to visit the senior today?" Mei asked her master with an expectant expression.

"Yes, we need to bring an appropriate gift for him, but what would be suitable?" Xueyu pondered, her gaze lost in thought.

"We could bring a fourth-level demon beast as a gift, Master!" Mei suggested enthusiastically.

"That might work... Summon the disciples of the Sea Pavilion," Xueyu ordered, now determined.

"Yes, Master!" Mei responded, bowing before leaving to carry out the order.

Some time later, the disciples gathered.

"You will go to the Black Forest, south of the sect, and bring me the fourth-level Tiger King," Xueyu said, her voice firm as she looked at her disciples.

"Yes, Master!" the disciples replied in unison, confidence gleaming in their eyes.

Note on Demon Beasts:

In this world, demon beasts are classified differently from mortal creatures, but they still have a similar structure. Level 1 beasts have not developed intelligence and cannot properly cultivate yet. They are comparable to the mortal realm, although some, due to unique traits, may reach the strength level of a cultivator in the first phase of the Refinement Realm.

Level 2 beasts are at the peak of the Refinement Realm. These creatures possess rudimentary intelligence and cultivate in their own way, though with limited efficiency compared to mortals. They have the potential to break through to a higher level, making them valuable as pets in major sects.

Level 3 beasts are comparable to the Foundation Establishment Realm, a level considered high for the province. Their intelligence is significantly higher, and their more refined cultivation gives them a high chance of reaching the Golden Core Realm. Due to their cunning, they are difficult to tame and are rarely used as pets.

Level 4 beasts, on the other hand, are extremely dangerous, comparable to the Golden Core Realm. They possess advanced intelligence, even capable of using human language. What makes them truly threatening is their ability to continuously refine their cultivation. However, Xueyu was at ease, as she had sent several disciples in the fifth phase of the Golden Core Realm, confident they could handle the task without issues.

A few hours later, the disciples returned with the Tiger King. Xueyu and her disciple Mei prepared to head toward Zhen's residence.

As they walked through the city, Xueyu noticed the presence of a few cultivators in the early phases of the Golden Core Realm discreetly following them.

'Is that the Master of the Sea Pavilion? Where is she going?' a voice asked telepathically to his companion.

'I have no idea, but it's suspicious. Let's follow her and see where this leads,' the other responded telepathically.

'But our objective is to find that girl. The master will be furious if we don't locate her in time.'

'Even so, something's not right. Following them might lead us to something unexpected.'

'Right.'

Xueyu noticed their presence but was not bothered. After all, they were just two cultivators, so she ignored them and continued on her way alongside Mei.

When they arrived at Zhen's house, an extraordinary scene paralyzed them completely.

Some time before they arrived...

Yue was kneeling, awaiting the teachings of Zhen, who had called her to teach her some sword techniques.

"Yue, today I will teach you a sword technique called Eternal Sword. Since I'm just a mortal, I can't demonstrate it perfectly due to the lack of energy in my dantian, but I can show you the movements and the correct breathing technique," Zhen explained confidently. Thanks to the system, he had mastered several techniques, and even without being able to cultivate, he believed he could easily defeat someone in the early stages of the Refinement Realm.

Zhen picked up a wooden sword and began demonstrating. Yue, who was watching, was immediately shocked. Zhen's movements were incredibly smooth and precise. It wasn't just a simple sword technique. Each swing of the sword made the energy around them tremble, as if the very Dao was "intimidated" by Zhen's strikes.

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Yue observed each strike attentively as Zhen offered advice:

"Each strike must be in sync with your energy. Control your breathing, keep your mind focused, and your posture firm before striking," Zhen said, completely concentrated.

"This is the first set of strikes in the Eternal Sword technique, divided into four phases. You will learn this first part for now," Zhen concluded, while Yue, still astonished, absorbed every detail.

"Y-Yes, Master..." Yue exclaimed, still confused. 'What realm do I need to be in to swing my sword like that?' she thought.

Both were so focused that they didn't notice the presence of their visitors, paralyzed at the door, witnessing the incredible scene.

"M-Master... did you see that?" Mei whispered, a mixture of panic and admiration in her eyes.

"Mei, don't say anything that might upset the senior," Xueyu warned, deeply scared. She, who was a step away from entering the Turbulence Realm, knew that the strikes she had just seen held terrible power. If they were directed against her sect with hostility, a single sword swing could wipe it off the map.

"Oh, you've arrived!" Zhen said, walking toward them to greet them.

"H-Hello, Master, it's a pleasure to see you again," Xueyu said, bowing alongside her disciple.

"No need to be so formal. Please, come in."

"We brought a gift for the Master," Xueyu said, taking the Tiger King out of her storage ring.

"Woah, a tiger! It must be delicious, right?" Zhen said, excited at the thought of eating tiger meat, something quite unusual for someone from Earth.

'Delicious?' Xueyu and her disciple thought, confused. Fourth-level beasts were usually refined into pills to improve cultivation, not cooked to be eaten.

"Come, come, let me introduce you to my disciple."

"Disciple?" Xueyu asked, slightly confused.

"Yes, this is Yue Ling, my first disciple," Zhen said proudly.

"Nice to meet you. I am Yue Ling, heir to the Lunar Spirit Clan," Yue said, with a suspicious expression as she observed the beautiful women in front of her.

'They're so beautiful. Are they trying to take advantage of Master?' Yue wondered.

Meanwhile, Xueyu thought:

'She's only at the peak of the Mortal Realm, but to be accepted as a disciple by such a master, she must have incredible talent. No... wait... that energy... is it from someone in the Golden Core Realm?' Xueyu was deeply confused. How could someone in the Mortal Realm have energy comparable to that of a Golden Core cultivator?

"Wait... you are the heir to the Lunar Spirit Clan? Then the Master..." Xueyu questioned, surprised.

"No, the Master has no ties to the clan. It was simply fate that brought us together and made us master and disciple," Yue quickly responded.

As they entered, Xueyu became increasingly surprised by everything she saw. Every corner of the house exuded pure energy; treasures of imperial levels would be mere trash in that courtyard. From paintings to simple jars, everything there was a treasure cultivators would kill for. And there... it was filled to the brim.

In the shadows around Zhen's house, two cultivators observed.

"What did they come to do at this house in the middle of nowhere?" Mo Tianyun, a disciple of the Chaos Sect, asked his companion.

"I have no idea, brother, but I feel something strange in this house, despite its normal appearance."

"Hmm... let's keep watching for now. We'll step in if necessary."

While they observed, Zhen skillfully prepared dinner for his guests, using the tiger meat, while they waited in the living room, still admiring everything around them.

Finally, Zhen set the table for his guests and, of course, he and his disciple would also enjoy that delicacy together.

"It's ready!" Zhen said enthusiastically, while they admired the food that not only looked delicious but also exuded Dao rhythms from every direction. Xueyu thought:

'If I eat this, I'll probably break through... The senior must be trying to help me,' she reflected, feeling a growing admiration for Zhen.

Yue and Mei constantly glanced at each other, as both were disciples of the same generation. Yue thought:

'What does she want? She's beautiful. Does the Master have a thing for white-haired women? Should I dye my hair?'

Mei, intrigued, thought:

'She's beautiful, from a renowned clan, has prestige, and is his disciple. Is their relationship really just master and disciple?'

Unaware of each other's thoughts, they tasted Zhen's food. Suddenly, a whirlwind of energy passed through them.

'Aaaahhh, what is this? It's tasty, delicious, DIVINE! Am I about to break through? But I'm in the first phase of the Golden Core Realm, this doesn't make sense!' Yue thought as she broke through to the first phase of Refinement.

'Huh? Huh? What mysterious energy is this again? This food... aaahhh, it's making me advance! Huff, huff,' Mei sighed as she advanced from the first level of the Refinement Realm to the third level.

Xueyu took a piece of the tiger meat to her mouth, observing the light radiating from the meat, showing the amount of energy it contained. Already eager to taste it, as soon as she took the first bite, she thought:

'Aah, this flavor, this touch of seasoning, makes me feel like I'm in heaven! This is much better than any meat I've ever tasted before. Ah, I'm so satisfied. Wait, this is wrong... hold on,' Xueyu thought when suddenly...

'Aah, it's too much energy... it's filling all the gaps and feels like it's going to explode. I-I think I'm about to break through... N-No, I can't break through here! The tribulation could be too big and destroy everything... but... I can't hold it any longer...' Xueyu thought, on the verge of triggering her tribulation. As she began to break through her realm, the sky darkened, and the atmosphere grew dense. She was already trembling at the imminent tribulation when suddenly Zhen shouted:

"HEY!!! The weather was fine just now, don't ruin our moment!" he said, joking about the weather closing in.

Suddenly, everything calmed down, and the tribulation simply disappeared.

'W-WHAT?!' Xueyu, Yue, and Mei all thought, utterly confused, unable to comprehend what had just happened. A simple command, and the heavens obey?

'This doesn't make any sense... How can someone command the heavens? I've never heard of such a thing,' Xueyu thought, her eyes wide open as she watched the sky clear before her eyes.

Meanwhile, the two visitors who were lurking around Zhen's house were in total panic, not understanding anything, as they saw the tribulation appear and then suddenly vanish without explanation.