Unlike the Crimson Sky Sect, which was nestled deeper within a frigid valley of the Sky Empire, the Azure Sword Sect’s branch pavilion stood majestically in the middle of an artificial lake, a sight concealed from the prying eyes of mortals.
Surrounded by shimmering waters that mirrored the heavens, the pavilion seemed to float atop the lake’s serene surface.
Yet, its true grandeur was hidden by an intricate illusion array formation.
To the average passerby, the lake appeared nothing more than a tranquil pond, its waters undisturbed, unremarkable.
Mortals who approached saw only a misty veil, as if an endless fog had descended, turning them away with a subtle whisper of confusion.
The illusion weaved by the formation was perfect; it kept the world of magic separate from the mundane, allowing only those attuned to Qi to see beyond the veil into the heart of the Azure Sword Sect’s sanctuary.
In the heart of the pavilion, inside a room adorned with rich tapestries and carved wooden screens, two young men sat facing each other.
Between them, a table held plates of fruit and jugs of wine, their rich scents filling the air.
Though these were far from the Heavenly and Earthly treasures known to elevate cultivation, they still held a faint spiritual energy, having grown in an environment suffused with such power.
This subtle essence enriched their taste, making every bite and sip far more potent than anything found in the mundane world.
The two young men were strikingly handsome, their features sharp and well-defined, enhanced by the azure daoist robes that adorned their forms.
Each wore an azure daoist robe with a silver sword design near the chest, signifying their place within the Azure Sword sect.
In Azure Sword Sect, outer court disciples displayed a white sword emblem, while those of the inner sect, like them, wore silver, a mark of their elevated status.
One of them clutched a thin sheet of paper that emitted a faint, ethereal glow.
“Xander, Knox was carrying my ten spirit stones and a Movement Talisman. Return those, and I’ll forget this entire incident. The sect doesn’t need to get involved.”
From the thin piece of paper held by one of the young men, Jason’s authoritative voice resonated.
The young man, Xander, with striking blue eyes and raven hair, chuckled, a hint of mischief dancing in his gaze.
“Jason, your sect’s members entered our territory. So don’t you think it’s necessary to pay a price for their trespass? Ten spirit stones and a Movement Talisman seem like a fair exchange for the trouble they’ve caused.”
“So that’s how you’re going to play it, huh? Heh! In that case when the secret realm opens, I’ll make sure to pay you back!” Jason’s voice thundered through the thin sheet of paper, vibrating with barely contained fury.
His words were laced with cold malice, a promise of revenge that echoed in the room.
Xander leaned back, his cold smile widening.
His striking blue eyes gleamed with dangerous intent, contrasting sharply with the raven hair falling over his shoulders.
“Why wait until then?” he taunted, his voice smooth, yet carrying an edge that could cut steel, “If you think breaking through to the 3rd layer of the Qi Gathering realm makes you capable of killing me now, then come here and try. But don’t blame me when you fail to leave the Azure Sword Pavilion alive.”
His words hung in the air, the room seemingly colder in the wake of his threat.
There was a long silence from the other end of the parchment, the pause stretching so thin that it seemed Xander’s taunt had rendered Jason speechless.
For a brief moment, Xander thought Jason had given up, perhaps too fearful to respond.
But then Jason’s voice erupted once more, crackling with arrogance and unshaken confidence, “You’ll regret this, Xander. Mark my words.”
Xander scoffed, his cold smile never leaving his face.
“Is that supposed to be a threat? I’m trembling,” he mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Without hesitation, he flicked his wrist, severing the spiritual energy that connected the thin sheet of paper.
The faint glow that once pulsed through it faded, and the parchment returned to its lifeless state, the communication between the two abruptly cut off.
Finally, the young man who had remained silent until now, quietly eating and drinking, spoke up.
His voice was calm, but there was a hint of curiosity in his tone, “Senior Brother Xander, why are you going to such lengths to protect that mortal Prince?”
Though both were inner sect disciples, the difference in their strength was vast — like the gap between heaven and earth.
The younger disciple, despite his calm demeanor, clearly understood the power dynamics at play.
Xander turned his gaze toward the young man, his eyes gleaming with a mix of ambition and desire.
“To me, that mortal Prince holds far greater value than you realize,” Xander said, his voice deliberately lowering, as if the gravity of his statement warranted a hushed reverence.
A sly smile crept across his lips, hinting at the devious plans swirling in his mind, while his fingers drummed rhythmically against the arm of his chair, “He can serve as the key… the key to reaching Isabella, allowing me to avoid any unnecessary attraction that might complicate my efforts.”
A flicker of doubt crossed his companion’s face, “Isn’t she just a Princess from the Celestian Empire? Senior brother, if you want to play with her, shall I go and bring her here? Why go to such lengths?”
“Heh! Junior brother, you’ve only just ascended to the ranks of the inner disciples, so you’re not yet familiar with the intricacies that govern our sect’s affairs…”
Xander leaned back against the ornate wooden railing, the faint glow of spiritual lanterns casting flickering shadows on his face, revealing a mix of amusement and condescension.
“Please enlighten me, senior brother!” The young man clapped his hands together, his eyes wide with eagerness and determination.
The anticipation coursed through him like a rush of warm qi, fueling his desire for knowledge that could elevate his standing within the sect.
The senior brother sighed, the smile fading as he regarded the young man with a serious expression.
“Junior brother, it’s not that I don’t want to share, but this concerns the future Qi Movement of our sect. I cannot divulge such critical information lightly—”
“I can swear on my Dao heart!” the young man suddenly declared, his voice steady and resolute, each word imbued with unwavering conviction.
With a swift motion, he pressed the tip of his index finger against the edge of a nearby blade-like shard of a spirit weapon, its surface glinting ominously in the dim light.
He sliced through the flesh, and a single drop of crimson essence blood emerged from the wound, rich with the vitality of his cultivation.
As the warm droplet pooled, he inhaled deeply, centering his focus on the oath.
“If I betray your trust, my Dao will shatter, and I will be forever unable to ascend!”
As he spoke, the essence blood began to shimmer, swirling with ethereal light as it lifted from his fingertip, dancing like fireflies caught in a gentle breeze.
The shimmering droplet floated before him, casting a radiant aura that resonated with the weight of his vow.
The blood formed intricate and incomprehensible patterns of glowing runes, weaving his promise into the very fabric of the universe.
Then, as if released by an unseen force, the luminescence gradually dissipated into the air, leaving behind only a lingering warmth.
Seeing the young man’s fervent actions, Xander was taken aback for a moment, his brow arching in surprise at the intensity with which his junior had sworn the oath.
“Do you know of senior brother Marcus?” he began, his voice smooth and deliberate, gauging the young man’s reaction.
“Senior brother Marcus? Of course, I know him! I heard he reached the peak of the Qi Gathering realm in less than a decade, becoming a core disciple of the sect, and now he’s trying to break through to the next realm!”
The young man’s eyes sparkled with admiration, his excitement almost contagious.
Xander leaned back casually, a sly smirk playing on his lips, “He is the elder brother of the current Emperor of the Celestian Empire.”
“WHAT!!?” the young man exclaimed, disbelief etched on his face, “Didn’t the current Emperor kill all his siblings to ascend the Throne!?”
“Ah, that’s merely a facade to keep the other Empires in the dark,” Xander replied, his tone nonchalant as he waved a hand dismissively.
He continued, “The current Emperor is already at the mid-stage of the Body Strengthening realm — strong enough to sweep through this entire island if he chose to. Although he is also a disciple of our sect, his strength is largely due to senior brother Marcus.
However, he cannot act rashly unless he receives orders from above. So when the time comes, this whole island will fall under our sect’s control in one fell swoop, significantly bolstering our sect’s Fate and Qi Movement.”
“Then, senior brother, why didn’t you accept Julius into our sect? Considering the relationship between senior brother Marcus and Julius, wouldn’t that anger him?”
The young man’s brow furrowed with concern, the weight of their conversation settling heavily upon him, the realization of the delicate balance of power and intrigue looming in the air.