The Azure Dragon Sect, a second-rate sect in Qingzhou, was greeted by a momentous day.
Almost every Outer Sect disciple, Inner Sect disciple, and even Core Disciple had ceased their outdoor training and returned to the Azure Dragon Sect's grounds.
That was because, one year ago on this very day, an unknown youth who had only just entered the Core Area had challenged the Azure Dragon Sect's top disciple, Gong Luyun, and the two had agreed to fight a life-or-death battle today.
Normally, such an insignificant youth would never have caught Gong Luyun's attention, nor would he have mattered to anyone in the Azure Dragon Sect—neither the elders nor the rank-and-file disciples.
But that youth could no longer be ignored. He had become the sole personal disciple of Zhuge Liuyun, the Azure Dragon Sect's only Spirit World Master.
Moreover, more than half a year ago, that youth had already been able to effortlessly slaughter a Yuan Martial fifth-level expert while only at the Yuan Martial first level. His name was Chu Feng.
If Chu Feng had once been obscure and the butt of countless jokes, he had since become a genius known to every soul inside and outside the Azure Dragon Sect, and few dared to disrespect him now.
More than half a year had passed, and no one knew just how far Chu Feng had grown. What everyone could agree on, however, was that the very same youth once written off by all had earned the attention of the entire sect—many even felt that today's outcome was anyone's guess.
After all, Gong Luyun had made the bold proclamation that if Chu Feng could withstand just three of his moves, Chu Feng would be declared the winner. As the Azure Dragon Sect's foremost disciple, Gong Luyun was undeniably powerful—one of the best among all the top disciples of the second-rate sects.
But Chu Feng's methods were unusual, and his combat strength exceeded anything people had imagined. Many believed that if all Chu Feng had to do was survive three moves, he might just pull it off if he gave it everything he had.
In short, this duel had captured the interest of every last person in the Azure Dragon Sect. And so that as many people as possible could witness it, the sect's leadership had constructed a colossal arena on one of the Azure Dragon Sect's mountain peaks.
Construction had begun six months ago. The venue could seat over a million spectators and was divided into an Elder Viewing Stand, a Core Disciple Viewing Stand, an Inner Disciple Viewing Stand, and an Outer Disciple Viewing Stand—everyone in the Azure Dragon Sect could comfortably watch the duel.
"Who would have thought that what seemed like such a trivial challenge back then would cause this much of a stir today."
"Heh, look at how excited our disciples are. Maybe this duel is a good thing after all."
"I hope so. But whether it's Gong Luyun or Chu Feng, if either one dies, it'll be hard to answer for."
"When the time comes, I'm sure the Sect Master will step in. He's been hiding in the shadows all these years—now's the time for him to come out. And in a situation like this, if things really spiral out of control, only he can restore order."
The six Guardian Elders of the Azure Dragon Sect sat in the Elder Viewing Stand, gazing down at the sea of ecstatic, roaring disciples filling the arena below. Their hearts were equal parts thrilled and anxious.
The Sect Master of the Azure Dragon Sect was a mysterious figure. Aside from the six of them and Zhuge Liuyun, virtually no one knew who the Sect Master was. For years, control of the sect had rested in their hands, and today the weight on their shoulders felt heavier than ever.
"My lords, something's wrong!"
Just then, the doors to the Elder Viewing Stand were flung open, and a Core Disciple rushed in, his face pale with panic.
"Stay calm. Tell us slowly—what happened?" The six Guardian Elders were, after all, the current stewards of the Azure Dragon Sect. They remained composed under pressure, and a single measured sentence was enough to soothe the disciple's frayed nerves.
"My lords, a large group has arrived at the foot of the mountain—sect masters and presiding elders from many sects. They're heading toward the sect right now," the Core Disciple said tensely.
"How many?" The six Guardian Elders furrowed their brows, sensing something was off.
"A great many. Sects from all the nearby second-rate sects have come. Based on a rough count, at least twenty-plus sects are represented," the disciple replied.
"Is that so? Quickly—let's go." At that, the six Guardian Elders could no longer remain sitting. With a sweep of their sleeves, they rushed toward the Azure Dragon Sect's main gate to see for themselves.
After waiting at the gate for only a short while, the six Guardian Elders were stunned to find a massive procession indeed marching toward the Azure Dragon Sect in grand fashion.
This was no force to take lightly. It was made up of sect masters, presiding elders, and strongest disciples from nearly twenty-plus sects, and among them were several dozen Xuan Martial realm powerhouses.
Even the six Guardian Elders were taken aback by this lineup. After all, their own average strength was only around the Xuan Martial third level. If this crowd had truly come with hostile intentions, they would be no match.
Fortunately, the sect masters all wore friendly smiles upon seeing the six Guardian Elders, which put them somewhat at ease. The visitors clearly had not come to attack the Azure Dragon Sect—on the contrary, they seemed to bring good news.
Later, the six Guardian Elders learned that these people had come specifically to witness the duel between Gong Luyun and Chu Feng. As for how they had heard about it—they had each received an invitation in recent days, sent by the Azure Dragon Sect's guest elder, Zhuge Liuyun.
Though the six Guardian Elders had been caught entirely off guard, they naturally could not turn away such important figures. They hurriedly converted the Elder Viewing Stand in the arena into a VIP section to accommodate them.
"What is Zhuge Liuyun playing at, sending out invitations in our sect's name without so much as telling us?" After the guests had been settled, the eldest among the six Guardian Elders—a woman—said with some irritation.
"Perhaps he was afraid Gong Luyun would renege on the terms of the duel, so he wanted these sects to serve as witnesses. After all, Zhuge Liuyun may be formidable, but he's not stronger than the entirety of Xuan Wu City—especially now that Lin Ran has appeared behind the city. That man is the chief steward of the Lin family under the Qilin Manor," another elder replied.
"I've heard all about that already. That selfish old bastard Zhuge Liuyun—going this far for Chu Feng shows he really does think highly of the boy."
"But someone like Lin Ran… if he insists on protecting Gong Luyun, then even if Zhuge Liuyun invited big shots from the first-rate sects, it probably wouldn't matter, would it? In Qingzhou, how many people dare to offend Lin Ran?"
"Well, that's true. But I suppose this is the only help Zhuge Liuyun can offer his disciple Chu Feng?" Once they had guessed Zhuge Liuyun's intentions, the six Guardian Elders couldn't help but sigh at the old man's painstaking efforts.