Thunderclouds gathered above the Eastern Wind Sect, and they boomed loudly. The sky darkened, as in a sudden flash, Huang Lu felt power crack through every part of his body. This was the power of the 3rd realm, and he felt his dark, sun-dried skin turn to a blackish-gold shade.

Thunder and lightning came from the heavens above and zapped Huang Lu, but all it did was charge up his heavenly core. His cultivation was on heavenly favor! Why would the lightning of the heavens harm him?

It wouldn't! The heavenly spirits love him and hate him and detest him all the same! But as long as he has their attention, he would become stronger!

"Master Huang?" Toh Gen stared as he witnessed Huang Lu's 3rd realm breakthrough. Huang Lu smirked and laughed.

"It's nothing. You were saying?"

"I wish to travel with you, Master Huang."

Huang Lu felt the approval of the heavenly spirits enter his body, and he nodded. "If you're going to travel with me, call me Huang Lu, and not Master Huang."

Toh Gen clasped his hand respectfully. "Certainly... Huang Lu."

At that moment, Huang Lu and Toh Gen both felt another person's aura wash over them. "Disciple Toh Gen!"

Toh Gen turned to Huang Lu. "Ah darn, Elder Yi is back! We should run. Let's not let Elder Yi catch me." Toh Gen turned and with a Qi-empowered kick, moved quickly. Huang Lu felt the power of Elder Yi, was just in the 4th realm. Huang Lu turned, and chased after Toh Gen.

"Elder Yi's will catch up with us if we run normally. He is too fast. We need to use this." Toh Gen pulled out a strange bottle, and pulled out the cork. A strong gust of wind suddenly pushed both of them, and Huang Lu felt himself fly.

It was so quick, and they flew so high, that Huang Lu had never, ever seen a city so small.

"This is insane." Huang Lu said as he tried to admire the view from high above. The wind kept getting into his eyes. He couldn't hear whatever Toh Gen was saying with the strong gust.

Whatever that bottle was, it was strong enough to send both of them out of the mountains, and over an entire valley of hills and mounds, and then over the city.

Toh Gen landed first, as he swirled his wind Qi to slow himself down. Huang Lu crashed into the ground, and he left a crater and pretty much single handedly built a ditch. But, he was a heavenly cultivator in the 3rd realm, a crash like this was nothing for his glorious black-gold body.

"Ah, I forget that it takes some skill to use the Thousand Winds Gourd." Toh Gen said. "We should be safe, for now. Elder Yi won't-"

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A bolt of lightning landed in front of them, and out came three individuals. One man looked like an elderly person in an elaborate robe of green and blue, and he was flanked by two beautiful ladies. The two ladies, one of them had a green-blue outfit similar to Toh Gen, and another had an entirely different outfit.

"You speak too soon, Disciple Toh Gen." It was Elder Yi. "Did you think the Thousand Winds Gourd is enough to evade an elder? And who might this be?"

Toh Gen frowned. "It seems I miscalculated. This is a master I met in the city, he single handedly defeated the eldritch Half Star sect's disciple."

"Oh." Elder Yi clashed his hand respectully. "Well met, fellow cultivator."

Huang Lu dusted the dirt off his exposed upper torso, and then greeted Elder Yi. "Greetings. I am Huang Lu, a wandering cultivator."

"We felt your ascension to the 3rd realm. Congratulations."

"Thank you." Huang Lu clasped his hand and felt the gaze of the two ladies on him.

The Elder turned his gaze back to Toh Gen. "Now, Disciple Toh Gen, I recall you have been requested to be present in the hall when we receive the guests from the Temple of the Starry Nights?"

"You mean the matchmaking party."

Elder Yi frowned. "That's certainly not a way to talk about our guests. This young lady is Xue Xinling, a young prodigy of the Starry nights."

Xue Xinling stared at Toh Gen. "So this is Toh Gen, the New Wind of the Eastern Wind Sect?" Toh Gen's shirt was also torn apart by Huang Lu's earlier punch, so his entire top half was exposed. His pants was dirty and messy. He certainly didn't look presentable at all.

Toh Gen frowned, but reluctantly clasped his hand together. "Well met, Lady Xue. I'm afraid you came at an inconvenient time. I just finished my spar"

"Hmm, I like spars too. And I certainly would know to know whether you can live up to your reputation." Lady Xue stood forth. "Especially if you're someone my master claims to be a worthy match."

Toh Gen coughed. "I'm in no condition for a spar after my battle, and I would like to preface that statement by saying I have no interest in arranged marriage at the moment."

Elder Yi's face turned horrible and he immediatelly stepped in. "I believe Disciple Toh Gen is not in the right mental state after his battle, come, let us rest."

Toh Gen immediately shouted. "I do not appreciate Elder Yi's attempts to matchmake inner disciples! I'm too young! I'm only 25!"

The other lady present, a fellow disciple of the Eastern Wind Sect, "I'm sorry Sister Xue, that you have to see my fellow Toh Gen is such a horrible state."

Lady Xue smiled. "Oh, on the contrary, I appreciate the honesty. I too, dislike arranged marriages. It is out of respect for the sect master that I've even come here." Lady Xue then stared at Huang Lu's muscular body. "While brother Toh Gen has been disappointing... I am impressed by Master Huang Lu's cultivation."

The way Lady Xue stared at Huang Lu's body made him feel uncomfortable. Elder Yi glared daggers at Toh Gen, and Huang Lu just wondered whether he should slither off at this time.

Toh Gen immediately picked up her interest. "Oh, that is no concern at all, lady Xue. Actually, both of us are thinking of travelling the world and hone our dao. Would you like to join us?"

"Really? That sounds really... interesting."

Elder Yi frowned. "We should discuss this with the elders."

"Oh, there's no need for that." Xue Xinling said as she licked her lips. "Us young people should travel the world after all. If we just hide in our little temples and pavilions, how would we make our mark on the world?"

Huang Lu stared at Toh Gen. The other beautiful lady immediately clasped her hand. seemingly inspired by Lady Xue's words. "Well said, Lady Xue. Elder Yi, this humble disciple, Zhan Yuanfang ask for your permission to accompany Lady Xue, Brother Toh and Master Huang on their travels. It would also be better if Lady Xue is accompanied by another lady."

Elder Yi facepalmed. Huang Lu glared at Toh Gen who nodded furiously.