The main hall of the Flowing Cloud Sect was vast—far larger than what one would expect from a sect that still called itself "low-tier." Pillars carved with swirling cloud patterns rose from polished stone floors, reaching toward a ceiling painted with murals of ancient battles and legendary forebears. Light filtered through narrow slits high in the walls, creating thin beams that illuminated the long conference table placed at the center of the hall.
Four elders sat on either side of the table, each in seats carved from spirit-oak, and presiding over them from the elevated main seat was Sect Leader Li Hong. He looked relaxed, fingers drumming lazily on the lacquered armrest, but his eyes—sharp and narrow like a hawk's—betrayed an ever-present calculation.
Documents and jade slips lay scattered before the elders. The smell of ink, old wood, and faint incense permeated the room.
Elder Han cleared his throat. "Sect Leader, regarding the extraction of Spirit Realm materials, would we sell all to White Dragon Hall ?"
Elder Qin nodded. "The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion from the Bai Village sent a messenger yesterday. They are willing to purchase in bulk if we secure exclusive contracts with them."
Another elder chimed in, "Exclusive? Hmph, typical large Merchant Halls—acting as if we should be grateful for being exploited."
"Still," Qin responded, "their price is not bad. And their caravans have good protection. For now, it might be worth considering."
An Elder spoke while laughing ,"Majority knows that Spirit realm will fall in the hands of Flowing Cloud Sect. We even started receiving offers even before the opening of spirit realm."
The discussion continued, flowing from materials to weapons, from cultivation resources to planned expansions deeper into the Spirit Realm territories. Like greedy vultures, they dissected every possible profit.
Just as Elder Han was preparing another suggestion, he suddenly paused.
"…Sect Leader," he said slowly, "we still haven't received any report from the assassins we dispatched to the Azure Heaven Sect."
The atmosphere cooled instantly.
Elder Wu frowned. "That is indeed strange. Usually, Silent Shadow sends coded updates even if the mission is ongoing. But this time… nothing?"
Elder Qin leaned forward. "It has been too long. Even if they succeeded, they would have sent a confirming signal. But the jade tokens remained dim."
A beat of silence passed. Even Li Hong's finger tapping stopped.
Elder Wu whispered, "Could something have gone wrong?"
Elder Han forced a laugh. "Impossible. Azure Heaven Sect is a low-tier sect barely holding onto their status. How could they resist an entire assassination squad deployed without warning? Not to mention Silent Shadow himself…"
But despite the words, unease flickered in their eyes.
Sect Leader Li Hong finally waved his hand, tone calm yet dismissive.
"Do not trouble yourselves over trivial matters."
The elders quieted immediately.
"A pitiful sect like Azure Heaven can barely defend its own gate. Caught off guard, they would be slaughtered before they could even react. And Silent Shadow…" Li Hong's lips curved faintly. "To contend against him, the Azure Heaven Sect Leader would need to personally intervene."
He leaned back, robes flowing.
"And even then, Silent Shadow is not alone."
His eyes lowered to the shadow beneath his seat—faintly trembling at the edges.
"After all… our trump card is sitting right beneath their noses. The Azure Heaven Sect Leader still keeps his beloved personal guard close, unaware that the man's loyalty lies here."
The elders relaxed as realization dawned. One chuckled.
"Sect Leader is brilliant!"
"Truly farsighted."
"With Silent Shadow and our hidden agent, Azure Heaven Sect stands no chance."
Bootlicking echoes grew louder.
"Yes, even if they try to resist, they cannot escape."
"Sect Leader Li Hong's strategies are unmatched!"
Li Hong accepted their praise without expression, though his ego clearly swelled. He raised a hand.
"Enough. Number Three."
A ripple of darkness distorted beside his throne.
From the shadow at the base of the dais, a figure stepped out—fully clad in black, face hidden behind a cloth mask. He knelt silently, head lowered.
"Master."
Li Hong spoke lightly, as if ordering tea.
"Contact my first son, Li Shenhai, in the Inner Court. Tell him to cease closed-door cultivation and prepare. Should Azure Heaven Sect attempt any foolish counterattack, he will lead the first wave to crush them."
"Yes."
The shadow bowed once and vanished—melting back into the darkness as though he had never existed.
The elders exchanged satisfied looks.
With Li Shenhai—known for his ruthlessness and peak of Foundation Establishment—standing ready, their already overwhelming advantage only grew.
Li Hong touched his chin thoughtfully.
"Let them come if they dare."
His voice held unshakeable confidence.
⸻
Azure Heaven Sect — Courtyard
In stark contrast, the courtyard of the Azure Heaven Sect roared with violent energy.
Torches flickered against the twilight sky. Dozens upon dozens of Martial Artists fastened armor plates, checked their hidden blades, tied arm-guards, and distributed talismans. The clinking of metal, hurried footsteps, low murmurs of preparation—all blended into a tense, warlike symphony.
The captains shouted orders.
"Line up properly! Unit Three—check your climbing hooks!"
"Hidden weapons secured! No mistakes tonight!"
Sect Leader Jian Wuhen's right-hand man, Liang Shen, oversaw everything with stern precision. A veteran with scars crossing his forearm, he moved through the units adjusting formation lines and reprimanding sloppy behavior.
"Don't fumble with your straps! Lives will depend on these tonight!"
His voice cracked like a whip, yet the members responded with fierce devotion. Every pair of eyes contained burning hatred—anger for their fallen comrades.
A shared desire ignited the atmosphere:
To tear apart the Flowing Cloud Sect.
To drown them in the same blood they spilled.
The courtyard felt like a giant furnace stoked to its limit.
⸻
Aelric stepped into this scene quietly.
He had changed into a fresh robe—smooth, shadow-like black, the previous one still drenched in the blood of assassins. His steps were calm, unhurried, a stark contrast to the fervor around him.
As he crossed the courtyard, several captains noticed him.
Immediately, all surrounding members bowed.
"Greetings, Divine Doctor!"
"Respects to Divine Doctor!"
Even elders dipped their heads. Some cupped their fists respectfully.
Aelric paused, momentarily taken aback. Captains and elders bowing to him? That was… unusual, even for him. Their sudden shift in attitude had no direct explanation—at least none he cared to pursue.
He simply lifted a hand, dismissing the formality.
"Enough."
His tone remained detached, soft but absolute.
Everyone straightened instantly.
Aelric walked toward a shaded tree and stood silently, observing the hectic movements of the sect.
⸻
Earlier That Day
When the strategy meeting concluded, Jian Wuhen had walked out with the elders and captains trailing behind him. As they moved through the corridors toward the courtyard, he stopped them.
His voice lowered, but its weight was unmistakable.
"One last matter. Treat the Divine Doctor with the same respect you show me."
The elders stiffened in disbelief.
Liang Shen frowned. "Sect Leader… is that truly necessary? He has no formal position—"
Jian Wuhen cut him off.
"He saved my son… and he holds abilities we cannot fathom. None of you are allowed to offend him. Even I tread carefully around him now."
Uneasy glances passed among the higher-ups.
But Jian Wuhen's tone left no room for argument.
"You all know very well—our sect cannot afford to make an enemy of him."
Though confused, the elders eventually nodded. Orders were orders. And so, when Aelric stepped into the courtyard, everyone instinctively accorded him the treatment of a figure equal to the sect leader himself.
⸻
Aelric, however, did not spare the matter more than a passing thought.
His mind wasn't on respect or politics.
His focus remained fixed on the memory he had uncovered—the existence of the Immortal Master's inheritance. He was curious as to how powerful the Immortals who were considered the pinnacle of this world were.
Compared to that, a lower-level Spirit Realm conflict was utterly insignificant.
Even Azure Heaven Sect's survival… held no emotional weight for him.
His thoughts remained cold, clear, and practical.
⸻
Once all forces assembled, Sect Leader Jian Wuhen ascended the stone platform at the center. His aura surged—commanding, authoritative, and burning with controlled fury.
"Brothers!" he shouted.
The courtyard immediately fell silent.
Jian Wuhen scanned every face—young disciples, veteran fighters, captains, elders, and even Aelric standing beneath the distant tree.
"Today… many of our brothers died."
His voice lowered, thick with grief.
"Slaughtered by the Flowing Cloud Sect like beasts."
Anger rippled through the ranks.
Jian Wuhen raised a clenched fist.
"Look around you! Remember their faces! Remember the laughter of your comrades who stood with you just this morning!"
Silence deepened—heavy, breathless.
"Tonight," Jian Wuhen said slowly, "we repay that blood."
The torches crackled louder, reflecting in the eyes of the gathered forces.
"If we must die, then we die ripping their throats out with our bare hands!
If they want our lives—
we will take theirs with us!"
A roaring wave of battle cries surged across the courtyard.
"YES, SECT LEADER!"
"WE'LL AVENGE OUR BROTHERS!"
The very ground trembled under the explosive morale.
"Strategist Luo Yanfeng," Jian Wuhen commanded.
An elderly man stepped forward—thin, silver-haired, his eyes sharp despite his age. Luo Yanfeng was known for his keen tactical mind, having previously served in border skirmishes between mid-tier sects.
He bowed deeply.
"As you have ordered, Sect Leader."
He turned to the assembled forces, clearing his throat.
"Everyone, pay attention."
Silence blanketed the courtyard.
"We have suffered heavy losses today. Many of you are wounded. Many are exhausted."
He paused, voice steady.
"But so are the Flowing Cloud Sect's forces."
He tapped his cane against the stage.
"They believe we are crippled. That we are mourning. That we are unprepared."
A dark smile crossed the strategist's face.
"So tonight, we strike where they least expect."
He raised a hand, signaling toward the rear of the sect.
"We have divided our assault force into five elite units—twelve members each, each led by a captain. These units will infiltrate from the rear cliff of the Flowing Cloud Sect."
A murmur spread among the crowd.
"That cliff has little guard presence," Luo Yanfeng continued. "They believe it to be inaccessible. They are wrong."
He held up a map.
"Your targets are the weapon stores, herb vaults, explosive chambers, and any vital resource hall you can reach. You are not there to fight head-on. You are there to cripple them."
He pointed toward Aelric.
"And accompanying these five elite units… the Divine Doctor."
Some members stiffened with excitement, others with relief.
Aelric, however, remained expressionless.
"This infiltration team will move swiftly under cover of darkness. Meanwhile…" Luo Yanfeng's voice deepened. "Sect Leader Jian Wuhen and our primary force will openly attack from the front gate."
Gasps filled the courtyard.
"Won't that be dangerous?"
"Will we be outnumbered?"
Luo Yanfeng raised a hand.
"That is exactly what we want the enemy to think."
He continued:
"The purpose of the front assault is distraction. We draw every eye, every blade, every spirit-sense to the front. Flowing Cloud will believe we are desperate and reckless—in reality, we are diverting their entire force while the elites strike at their heart."
He slammed the cane down.
"At the end—when their reserves burn, when their storage explodes, when their backbone shatters—they will crumble."
His eyes swept across the crowd.
"And even if we die," Luo Yanfeng said, voice low and grave, "we drag those butchers to hell with us."
The courtyard erupted again—shouts of fury, determination, and killing intent shaking the air itself.
⸻
Aelric watched all of this quietly.
The roaring morale.
The desperate determination.
The burning hatred.
None of it moved him.
Emotions… fleeting, unstable, easily exploited.
In his mind, the Azure Heaven Sect was simply a temporary tool—a convenient vessel until he secured what he sought.
With the Immortal Master's inheritance now within reach, the sect's value in his eyes dwindled even further.
This battle… has little to do with me.
But it didn't matter.
For now, they would use him.
And he would use them.
Such an arrangement suited his nature perfectly.