Heavenly Summit Mountain, Outer Construction Forest.
Over a dozen cultivators sat in a circle around a crackling campfire.
Among them, only one elderly man was at the Qi Sea Realm. There was also one middle-aged man and one youth at the Martial Spring Realm. The cultivation levels of the rest were at the Qi Circulation Realm or below.
"The Five Great Sects, the Five Great Sects... Are the disciples of Wind Ravine Valley really so impressive? Even if you are a disciple of one of the Five Great Sects, being assigned to Heavenly Summit Mountain just means you're nothing more than an outer court errand boy, doesn't it?"
One Qi Circulation Realm disciple complained in this manner:
"I really don't know where he got the nerve to give Elder Zhang attitude and talk back to him?"
These people were precisely the Beiyuan Sect cultivators who had been given a cold shoulder by Zhao Hongtu, the dock steward of Wind Ravine Valley.
The Beiyuan Sect was a fairly renowned cultivation sect located within the Great Wei Kingdom in the northwestern part of the Chenping Continent.
The current sect master was a cultivator at the Passable God Realm. The sect also had four Qi Sea Realm cultivators overseeing affairs, and more than ten Martial Spring Realm cultivators.
These Beiyuan Sect disciples possessed considerable pride. Wherever they went within the Great Wei Kingdom, people would show them deference and make way.
But at this Dao Inquiry Assembly of the Chenping Continent, the three words "Beiyuan Sect" clearly didn't carry much weight.
This created a significant psychological gap for these Beiyuan Sect disciples who had come to broaden their horizons. Their resentment and anger reached a peak, especially when they saw a mere dock steward from Wind Ravine Valley, who was just a caretaker, could boss around their own Qi Sea Realm elder.
That middle-aged man immediately understood Zhang Zhuang's intent.
"All of you, shut up! Elder Zhang brought you to this Heavenly Summit Mountain to broaden your horizons, not to stir up trouble!"
He said loudly.
"But..."
The disciple who had just been complaining still wanted to argue.
"Say one more word, and I'll make you roll back to Great Wei right now!"
The middle-aged man roared angrily.
Only then did the scene quiet down.
After another few moments, Elder Zhang slowly turned to face the disciple who had been complaining earlier:
"Kong Zhi."
"Disciple is here."
The disciple who had been complaining earlier responded.
"Do you remember what happened the first time you returned to your hometown after joining the Beiyuan Sect?"
"This disciple remembers."
The disciple named Kong Zhi replied, his expression showing some confusion as to why Elder Zhang would suddenly bring this up.
"You are from Yongping County in Great Wei. There is a cultivation family surnamed He in Yongping County. I know that before joining the Beiyuan Sect, you had grievances with the He family."
Zhang Zhuang said slowly:
"How did you treat the He family when you returned to Yongping County?"
"Elder..."
The disciple named Kong Zhi looked embarrassed.
"Speak."
"...I went to the He family's herb shop to pick a fight."
"And then?"
"I made the He family head come out and apologize to me with a forced smile in front of everyone."
"Do you understand now?"
"This... this is different, Elder Zhang!"
Kong Zhi retorted urgently:
"The He family kicked me when I was down, bullied me, insulted me, that's why I did that. But Wind Ravine Valley... when has our Beiyuan Sect ever provoked Wind Ravine Valley?"
"You can forgive the He family, or not forgive them. You could also have chosen not to pick a fight with the He family, but to pick a fight with the Li family or the Wang family instead. It's all the same."
Zhang Zhuang said:
"It was only because you are a core disciple of the Beiyuan Sect that you could do whatever you wanted within the borders of Great Wei."
"......"
Kong Zhi fell silent.
"This time, do you understand?"
Zhang Zhuang asked.
"This disciple understands."
Kong Zhi answered.
What difference was there between the Beiyuan Sect in the eyes of Wind Ravine Valley and the Yongping County He family in the eyes of the Beiyuan Sect?
By the campfire, a fair-skinned, handsome youth sat there, his gaze fixed intently on the burning flames before him.
His name was Ye Xiu. He was the most dazzlingly talented disciple of the current Beiyuan Sect generation and also the Beiyuan Sect's chosen participant for the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry at this assembly.
Seventeen years old this year, with cultivation at the peak of the Martial Spring Realm.
"I will restore face for the sect."
Ye Xiu said coldly.
"Ye Xiu?"
The middle-aged cultivator beside him looked at Ye Xiu next to him in surprise.
Zhang Zhuang's gaze also drifted in Ye Xiu's direction.
"At the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry, I will actively challenge disciples from Wind Ravine Valley."
"......"
Zhang Zhuang remained silent again. After another moment, he finally spoke:
"Just follow your own heart."
Elder Zhang understood very well just how special this disciple Ye Xiu was.
Even when Ye Xiu was still at the late stage of the Qi Circulation Realm, he could spar with cultivators at the early stage of the Martial Spring Realm.
He could truly be called a heaven-sent prodigy.
However, as for Ye Xiu's true trump card, only he himself knew.
Ye Xiu unconsciously stroked the ring hanging on his chest.
This ring was no ordinary object; it was a soul artifact.
It concealed a remnant soul whose combat power was roughly equivalent to a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator, and whose spiritual sense strength was equal to a Divine Ability Realm cultivator.
Elder Mo.
That remnant soul introduced himself to Ye Xiu this way.
During Elder Mo's peak period, his cultivation level had even reached the mid-stage of the Divine Ability Realm.
This Divine Ability Realm mighty figure claimed that back then, he had been tricked by a Divine Ability Realm Grand Elder from Wind Ravine Valley. Left with no choice, he had to face a late-stage eighth-rank demonic beast alone.
In the end, he was no match. He barely managed to escape with a wisp of his remnant soul, barely surviving within this ring.
It wasn't until Ye Xiu picked it up that he reappeared in the world.
Elder Mo was Ye Xiu's greatest reliance.
"Elder Zhang."
A female disciple by the campfire suddenly called out, her tone very excited:
"Look at this, is this Luoshu Grass?"
Zhang Zhuang looked in the direction the female disciple was pointing.
"It is."
Then, Zhang Zhuang confirmed.
"Excellent! The pill formula my master is refining right now is only missing this one stalk of Luoshu Grass. He searched all over Great Wei but couldn't buy it!"
The female disciple said excitedly.
"No."
Zhang Zhuang's tone was serious:
"All of you must remember, do not touch a single spiritual herb or immortal wood on this Heavenly Summit Mountain, or the consequences will be severe."
Seeing Elder Zhang's attitude was so firm, the female disciple also gave up on her idea, her expression showing a hint of disappointment.
"Tomorrow morning, there will be many cultivators selling and exchanging treasures in the square south of Heavenly Summit Mountain. You can go there to see if you can buy it."
Zhang Zhuang said:
"If the price is too high, you can come to me to borrow spirit stones. Have your master pay me back later."
"Thank you, Elder Zhang!"
Hope reignited in the female disciple's eyes.
Just at that moment, the sound of footsteps suddenly arose, heading towards the direction of the Outer Construction Forest.
All the Beiyuan Sect disciples tensed up.
Then, three cultivators appeared there. The one leading them was a Qi Sea Realm cultivator.
These cultivators wore light white daoist robes, and each had an exquisite wooden token hanging at their waist.
By the light of the campfire, the characters carved on the token could be seen—
Kongshan Qingchan.