One Month Earlier
A ten-year-old boy stood before three Ancestors.
Blond hair fell unevenly over his forehead, strands disordered, a complete lack of etiquette. His posture was relaxed.
Yet the air was tense.
The three couldn't understand it—
An "insolent child" in the Qi Absorption Realm maintaining composure before three masters of Foundation Establishment.
"Respected seniors."
Sai inclined his head slightly.
"My name is Sai. I am aware that your excellencies have doubts regarding my background and intentions. Thus, I will be clear: my only goal is to pass on knowledge and to form genuine bonds."
His words were formal.
His tone was careless.
It made one thing clear—he did not place the three Elders above himself.
Mu Chen, the most hot-tempered among them, answered without hesitation, his voice thick with disdain.
"And what could a child like you possibly teach our sect?!"
Without giving the others time to speak, Sai lifted his gaze, a faint smile on his lips.
"Naturally?" he said lightly."Funeral rites—for Elders already closer to the coffin than to cultivation."
Sai might have been the reincarnation of an immortal, a holder of profound Dao.
But his temperament—and common sense—were as poorly refined as Mu Chen's self-control.
"Insolent!"
Mu Chen drew his sword.
"Mu Chen, calm yourself," Han Xun tried to intervene. The situation was slipping out of control.
"I'll simply teach this brat to respect his elders!"
His voice trembled with fury.
The sword left Mu Chen's hand, floating in the air wrapped in spiritual energy—a technique accessible only to those who had consolidated their foundation.
In an instant, the blade shot forward, tearing through the air with brutal speed.
Sai kept smiling.
He bent his knees and stepped forward.
The sword tip was about to pierce his face—
He tilted his head.
Millimetric precision.
In a single motion, he severed the spiritual connection controlling the weapon.
The sword fell.
Now firmly in his hands.
"With a foundation like yours," Sai said calmly,"using remote sword control is the same as discarding your own weapon."
Mu Chen roared—
But was restrained.
Guo Zhen and Han Xun suppressed his aura by force.
They had sensed it.
Something was wrong.
Guo Zhen narrowed his eyes, calculating.
"Master Sai."
The title carried weight.
Recognition.
"Before we proceed further, allow us to formally introduce ourselves. I am Guo Zhen. This is Han Xun. And our senior brother—the hotheaded one—is Mu Chen."
"Hotheaded? Guo Zhen, don't you dare—"
"Be silent, Mu Chen."
Cold tone.
"It is clear this situation is beyond your control."
Mu Chen clenched his fists.
But remained silent.
"You claimed to harbor good intentions toward our sect."
Guo Zhen turned back to Sai.
"Then explain this to me: how were you able to sever the sword's spiritual mark? Unless… you are concealing your true realm."
The boy's smile was still there, poised to mock again.
Then—
A spark of realization crossed his mind.
Damn it… I forgot my purpose.I'm here to experience a new Dao—not to belittle provincial cultivators.
He let out a long sigh.
The provocative smile faded, replaced by a calm expression.
He straightened his posture.
Fists to chest.
A genuine, respectful salute.
"Ancestor Guo Zhen," Sai said firmly,"allow me to answer your question—and offer my apology for my rude remarks."
He had their full attention now.
"I am not concealing my cultivation. I am indeed a Qi Absorption cultivator. The reason I was able to sever the spiritual mark lies not in my realm, but in the purity of my Qi and the precision of the technique employed."
He paused briefly.
"Every spiritual mark has a point of concentration, where its connection to the cultivator's Qi is anchored. The purer the Qi used in its formation, the greater its stability."
Silence.
"This purity is influenced by many factors: the quantity and quality of pills consumed, the cultivation manual practiced."
He raised a finger.
"But the most important factor is the compression of Qi within the internal channels."
Absolute silence.
Sai continued.
"This knowledge is not widely spread. However, the more compressed the Qi, the denser the foundation. A truly dense foundation allows feats that, at first glance, seem impossible for someone of a lower realm."
The Elders momentarily lost their composure.
Major cultivation realms were common knowledge throughout the province—
But such refined details were secrets passed only within ancient clans and high-tier sects.
"I-is this…"
Guo Zhen murmured, unable to finish.
That explanation alone had already altered his understanding.
"My sincere apologies, Master Sai."
Mu Chen grunted, still displeased by the brief clash.
But even he couldn't ignore the value of that knowledge.
Han Xun, silent until now, finally spoke.
"Master Sai… what are your true plans for our sect?"
Sai narrowed his eyes slightly.
"My plans…"
He murmured to himself.
Then stopped.
He simply looked at the three.
The silence that followed weighed heavier than any answer.
---
Present Scene
"Th-then that's…"
Sect Leader Lin Yao was left speechless.
"So that's why you granted him Four Tributaries Mountain?"
"Only that mountain was suitable for the continuation of his plans," Han Xun replied.
His voice was low.
Grave.
A chill ran down Lin Yao's spine.
"For now, all we can do is follow the river's flow," Guo Zhen broke the silence at last."If we survive the storms ahead, the sect's future will be unparalleled."