The morning sun barely touched the rooftops of Phoenix Crest City when Elder Yi arrived at the ruins of the Han Flame Tavern. Smoke still curled lazily from the broken timbers, and shards of wood and stone were scattered across the square.
City guards knelt, faces pale.
"E-Elder Yi!" one stammered.
Elder Yi ignored them. His eyes swept over the destruction. The ground itself had been scarred by a force far beyond mortal strength.
He knelt slowly, pressing a palm to a splintered beam.
Residual qi…
Cold, sharp, and chaotic. Even hours later, the pressure left a suffocating weight in the chest.
This was not merely a Mahayana cultivator… it felt far beyond.
He exhaled slowly, narrowing his eyes.
A white-haired woman.
Red eyes.
A black-haired young man, she obeyed.
And a mortal boy Liu Xin, Young Master of the Liu Family.
The pieces fell into place.
Someone strong enough to flatten the tavern had intervened for this boy.
Elder Yi turned to the remaining witnesses. "Describe everything. Do not omit a single detail."
A middle-aged bartender trembled. "E-Elder… she… she was terrifying. Her aura… it crushed everything. And the boy… he stood calmly beside her!"
"Did they attack anyone?" Elder Yi asked.
"No! They only released their aura, then vanished."
Elder Yi's expression remained unreadable. This was no ordinary event. And the implications… could ripple through the city.
Reporting to the City Lord
By midday, Elder Yi had returned to the City Lord's manor, where Feng Haoran, Phoenix Crest City's ruler, awaited. The City Lord's study was filled with jade scrolls and crystal spheres, a calm but imposing atmosphere.
"Elder Yi… what happened at the tavern?" Feng Haoran asked, voice sharp.
Elder Yi bowed. "City Lord… the Han Flame Tavern has been destroyed. The residual aura indicates at least one cultivator in the Mahayana Realm. Possibly higher. A white-haired woman, red eyes protected a mortal boy named Liu Xin. The tavern was obliterated by their power, yet no lives were taken."
The City Lord's brow furrowed. "Mahayana Realm… in my city?"
"Yes," Elder Yi said. "And City Lord… this may be connected to the recent incident at the city gates."
Feng Haoran's eyes narrowed. "The gates? Where the demon appeared?"
Elder Yi nodded. "Probably. The description matches. Witnesses there whispered of a white-haired female, her face partially veiled by fog. That same aura… terrifying, overwhelming. I am certain the white-haired female who appeared at the tavern is the same demon reported at the gates."
Feng Haoran leaned back in his chair. "Then… lockdown the city? Investigate further? Report to the Major Sects immediately?"
Elder Yi's eyes flickered with concern. "That would be wise, City Lord."
Feng Haoran shook his head slightly. "Not necessarily. In the next few days, the Azure Spirit Sword Sect will be coming to Phoenix Crest City to select disciples. Any public alarm may interfere with their arrival."
Elder Yi's heart skipped. The mention of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect brought a rare spark of excitement.
The Azure Spirit Sword Sect…
Even their outer elders were formidable, each at the Nascent Soul Realm. Their inner elders at Transcending Tribulation Realm, and the sect master… the only Peak Mahayana Realm cultivator among them.
A being of such power entering the city… it presented opportunities. Opportunities to observe, to prepare, to test.
Elder Yi's lips curved into a faint, delighted smile. "Very well, City Lord. I will monitor the situation carefully, and prepare for the Azure Spirit Sword Sect's arrival. Meanwhile… the city will remain under quiet surveillance."
Feng Haoran inclined his head, eyes sharp as a blade. "Good. This matter is far from simple. The city may not yet understand the danger, but I do. And Elder Yi… you will be the key to ensuring it remains safe."
Elder Yi bowed once more. "Understood, City Lord. I will not fail."
As he left the City Lord's manor, Elder Yi's mind was in overdrive.
The girl… white-haired, red eyes… Mahayana Realm. A mortal boy protected by such a cultivator. And the tavern… obliterated without a word. What is their objective?
He recalled the whispered rumors at the gates the mist, the faces obscured, the subtle awe of the guards. Every detail confirmed his suspicion.
This is no ordinary threat. And yet… the arrival of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect may be the perfect opportunity to observe them. Perhaps… even guide events in our favor.
Outside, the remnants of the tavern still smoldered. Shadows flickered in the corners of the ruined square, silent witnesses to a power Phoenix Crest City had never before seen. Somewhere, the wind carried a faint echo soft, almost imperceptible, yet deliberate.
The storm over Phoenix Crest City had only just begun.
...
Meanwhile, outside the Phoenix Crest City
A shimmering distortion rippled through the air as Yue's teleportation landed the three safely in a shadowed bamboo forest miles away from the city walls.
The moon bathed the clearing in a silver glow.
Liu Xin collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest. His breathing was rough, not from physical wounds, but from the crushing humiliation still burning in his heart.
Lin Xuan stepped closer, crouching down beside him.
"You alright?" he asked quietly.
Liu Xin didn't answer.
He stared at his trembling hands.
Hands that once held hope.
Hands that had been slapped away by those he trusted.
Yue observed him silently, her expression softening just slightly.
Lin Xuan sighed.
"You don't have to force yourself to be calm. What happened back there—"
"I was worthless."
The words escaped Liu Xin like venom.
He clenched his fists until blood trickled down his palms.
"That Yuwei… he said it. Everyone says it. I'm weak. I can't protect my family. Even Yi Min…" His voice cracked. "She abandoned me like I was nothing."
Lin Xuan didn't interrupt.
Liu Xin raised his head.
But his eyes… held pain mixed with a fragile spark of determination.
"I… want to become strong. Strong enough that no one will look down on me again. Strong enough to take back everything they stole from me."
The forest fell into a heavy silence.
Until Lin Xuan's lips curved into a faint smile.
"That's good," he said. "Then stand up."
Liu Xin blinked, confused.
Lin Xuan stood, his aura unfurling like a rising storm, calm yet immeasurably deep. The bamboo shivered around them.
"You want strength?" Lin Xuan declared. "Then I'll give you a chance."
Yue crossed her arms, smirking proudly.
"You're lucky, boy. Master doesn't offer guidance to just anyone."
Liu Xin stared up at them… Hope flickering again.
Lin Xuan extended a hand.
"Swear to follow me. Through danger, through hardship. No turning back."
Liu Xin's heartbeat pounded in his ears.
Follow him?
A man at merely the Qi Refinement Realm, that was all he was.
Yet to Liu Xin… this same man was now his hope.
His eyes trembled with a budding determination. "If I follow him… If I walk this path beside him… I will one day become strong enough to save my declining family." Liu Xin thought
But what shocked him the most wasn't Lin Xuan's cultivation.
It was her.
A peerless woman, brimming with unfathomable power, someone whose casual aura could crush seasoned cultivators, stood silently by Lin Xuan's side. Obedient. Loyal. Following him without question.
A Mahayana Realm powerhouse…
Listening to a mere Qi Refinement cultivator.
That sight shattered Liu Xin's understanding of the world. It made one thing clear:
The young man before him was anything but ordinary.
If he walked this path…
There would be no return.
Liu Xin gritted his teeth.
And took Lin Xuan's hand.
"I swear."
A gust of wind surged outward, as if the heavens themselves acknowledged his vow.
Lin Xuan nodded with approval.
"Good. Then your rebirth begins now."
His eyes sharpened.
"But remember."
His voice dropped into a chilling whisper.
"Power always comes with a price."
Liu Xin shivered…
But he didn't look away.
And for the first time in a long while.
He felt alive.
...
Back in Phoenix Crest City
Inside the private hall, Yuwei stood atop the balcony, overlooking the bustling nightlife of the city.
The moonlight glinted in his eyes like polished glass.
"Hehehe…"
His laughter echoed softly, laced with a hint of obsession.
"Liu Xin… You just became interesting."
A cold wind swept through the hall.
Two futures had been set into motion
One burning with ambition.
The other forged from despair.
And when they inevitably collided…
Phoenix Crest City would never be the same again.