Lin Haoming had been to Xie Ruolan's residence before, but always in her company. He had never visited alone.
The Blood Refining Sect was essentially a demonic abyss. The second layer was rumored to house three thousand inner disciples, though the exact number was fluid. These disciples lived on Spiritual Wheel Mountain, the area with the densest spiritual energy on the second floor.
Spiritual Wheel Mountain wasn't particularly high—its peak stood only about a hundred feet up—but it covered a vast area. The closer a cave dwelling was to the center of the summit, the richer the spiritual energy.
At the very center were five exclusive dwellings occupied by the Five Great Inner Disciples. Lin had met Ling Shengjie and Kong Yuanliang, two of these elite five. Kong Yuanliang, the strongest, held the top-ranked dwelling. Even though he usually practiced on the third floor with his father, keeping that cave was a symbol of his status as the Number One Inner Disciple. This was why Ling Shengjie envied him and why Kong looked down on outer disciples like Lin Haoming.
Xie Ruolan's cave was located just outside the core five, in a ring of twenty to thirty dwellings. Her official rank was around seventeenth or eighteenth. Some inner disciples whispered that she only held that rank because suitors like Kong Yuanliang and Ling Shengjie were too intimidated to challenge her, claiming her true strength wouldn't even crack the top hundred.
Lin Haoming, however, knew better. Having seen her reach Foundation Establishment before Kong Yuanliang, he suspected that if they truly fought, she would surpass him. She simply preferred to hide her depth, choosing a modest position rather than seizing the summit.
Because the dwellings were arranged in concentric rings, the mountain looked like the growth rings of a tree from a distance—hence the name, Spiritual Wheel Mountain.
---
The Scarred Warrior
Inside Xie Ruolan's cave dwelling, she sat with elegant composure. Opposite her was a burly man in his early twenties with long hair draped over his shoulders. He didn't look like a typical cultivator; he looked more like a worldly martial artist. Most striking was a jagged, several-inch-long scar running from his right eye to his chin, giving him a ferocious appearance.
The man stared at Xie Ruolan with a burning intensity. After a long silence, he sighed. "Ruolan, I truly didn't expect you to reach Foundation Establishment before me. But this is good. At least those pests, Kong Yuanliang and Ling Shengjie, won't be able to pester you like they used to."
Xie Ruolan smiled gently. "Senior Brother Wu, I was merely lucky to receive a reward from the sect. Otherwise, how could I have broken through so quickly?"
"Luck is part of one's strength," the scarred man said solemnly. "In this upcoming Spirit Stone Mine struggle, I will definitely take a top-three spot. Once I succeed in my own Foundation Establishment, I'll finally be one step closer to you. I won't have to be as wary of those two anymore."
Xie Ruolan kept her faint smile and nodded. She reached into her storage bag and produced a Top-grade Earth Escape Talisman.
"Ruolan, what is this?" The man frowned.
"Senior Brother Wu, I know you are powerful. If you were willing to join the inner sect, you'd certainly have a seat at the top. But you will face more than one enemy in this struggle. If you are besieged, I hope you won't throw your life away. This is a small token of my concern; please accept it."
The man hesitated before taking the talisman. "I know you won't be at peace if I refuse, so I'll take it. I'll return it to you when I get back. By the way, you mentioned arranging two assistants for me. I've met Wang Chen—he's passable. Who is the other one?"
"He—"
Xie Ruolan was interrupted by a flying message talisman. Her expression relaxed. "He's here."
---
An Unpleasant Introduction
The scarred man followed her gaze toward the entrance. Moments later, a young man in his late teens walked in. He looked unremarkable, and his cultivation was only at the 9th level of Qi Refining.
"Ruolan, this is the other person coming with me?" The man asked, his voice dripping with dissatisfaction.
Lin Haoming, the newcomer, hadn't expected Xie Ruolan to have guests—let alone one who looked down on him immediately. He wasn't angry, but he found the situation odd. This man was only at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, yet he addressed the newly-ascended Foundation Establishment master as Ruolan.
Is he related to some Ancestor too? Lin wondered.
Xie Ruolan quickly introduced them. "Senior Brother Wu, this is Lin Haoming. Junior Brother Lin is indeed the one I've arranged. Don't be fooled by his 9th-level cultivation; an average Great Perfection cultivator might not necessarily beat him."
"If that's the case, then fine. I suppose you wouldn't send a random nobody," the scarred man muttered, his expression softening slightly.
Xie Ruolan gave a hidden, wry smile. "Lin Haoming, you should have heard of this Senior Brother's reputation. This is the famous Number One Outer Disciple, Wu Hongfei."
Wu Hongfei? Lin recalled the name. Rumor had it that Wu had been mocked for supposedly never being able to become an inner disciple. In response, he practiced bitterly for ten years, then spent several more years in the deep wilderness slaughtering spirit beasts to hone his skills. When he returned at Great Perfection, his strength was terrifying. He had once defeated a top-one hundred inner disciple in under ten rounds.
He had the strength for the inner sect but refused to join, giving him a unique prestige.
However, Lin noticed how intimately he spoke to Xie Ruolan. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, Lin felt a pang of annoyance. His gaze toward Wu Hongfei became decidedly less friendly.