The twin sisters were both devastatingly beautiful — the elder was alluring and sultry, the younger sweet and lovely. Each possessed her own unique charm, her own distinct flavor.
When the two appeared, every other beauty present was instantly eclipsed. Only the aloof, icy elegance of Chen Wanxi could hope to rival them.
Everyone present was captivated by the sisters. Setting aside their looks, their identities alone were enough to inspire awe, for trailing behind them was a host of Vermilion Bird City powerhouses, every single one of whom possessed a cultivation no weaker than the city lords in attendance — all at the peak of the Yuan Martial Realm.
More importantly, these powerhouses treated the two beauties with absolute deference, like subordinates. This only deepened the crowd's curiosity — what kind of people could command such respect from Vermilion Bird City's strongest fighters?
"Those two are the daughters of the Vermilion Bird City Lord — Su Rou and Su Mei!" Sharp-eyed individuals recognized the sisters and cried out.
That revelation sent shockwaves through the crowd. How could beauties with such extraordinary status be disciples of the Azure Dragon Sect? With their backgrounds, they could have entered the Lingyun Sect without any trouble at all. Why would they choose a second-tier sect?
Questions churned through everyone's minds, one after another. But the person feeling the most wretched at that moment was a certain portly city lord, because Su Rou and Su Mei were now leading the Vermilion Bird City powerhouses straight toward him, their killing intent palpable.
"You just said that my Azure Dragon Sect's disciples are here as mere fillers — that you don't take the Azure Dragon Sect seriously?" Su Rou wore a smile, but her gaze was sharp as a blade. The portly man trembled, at a total loss for words.
In that moment, the fat city lord was drowning in regret. He wished he'd never used Chu Feng as a talking point to humiliate Chen Hui. He could never have imagined that the two daughters of Vermilion Bird City would both be members of the Azure Dragon Sect — and that one of them was even an elder.
"I'm asking you a question!" When the portly man failed to respond, Su Rou suddenly barked, unleashing the pressure of the first level of the Xuan Wu Realm. The fat city lord stumbled backward and crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
"The Xuan Wu Realm! She's reached the Xuan Wu Realm at such a young age?"
Everyone was stunned. Even Chen Wanxi — whose expressionless face never seemed to thaw — looked intrigued. Su Rou appeared to be a young woman barely past twenty. To have stepped into the Xuan Wu Realm at her age was a level of talent that defied imagination.
"All of you, listen well. Don't think that just because you're disciples in a first-tier sect, you can look down on people from second-tier sects. When the Azure Dragon Sect was in its glory, no one on the entire Nine Provinces Continent dared look down on us." Su Rouge surveyed the crowd, her voice proud and imperious.
The vast plaza fell deathly silent. Setting aside the fact that no one dared challenge Su Rou's words, what she said was simply the truth.
Even the Lingyun Sect — the most illustrious power in Qingzhou today — was only impressive within Qingzhou's borders. Placed on the continental stage and compared to the top sects of the other eight provinces, it was merely middling.
But the Azure Dragon Sect was different. Second-tier sect though it might be now, back in its prime under the Dragon Daoist's leadership, it had been a sect capable of rivaling the Jiang Dynasty itself. The Dragon Daoist had been known as the strongest cultivator on the entire Nine Provinces Continent, and his power was the kind that struck terror into the hearts of all who heard his name.
The Azure Dragon Sect's glory was unreplicable, without precedent. Though it had indeed fallen on hard times, no one could deny the splendor it had once possessed.
"Rou'er, what are you doing?" At that moment, a deep, resonant voice suddenly exploded from the sky like a thunderclap, crashing into everyone's ears.
Looking up, all expressions changed. The twenty city lords dropped to their knees in unison, crying out: "We greet City Lord Su Hen!"
The Lord of Vermilion Bird City — Su Rou and Su Mei's father — Su Hen had arrived. He stood over seven feet tall, broad and powerfully built, his bearing majestic and heroic. Clad in golden armor, he looked like a war god striding onto the battlefield. With every step he took, the ground trembled slightly beneath his feet.
Even those self-important first-tier sect disciples tensed at the sight of him, not daring to show the slightest disrespect. Su Hen was a true heavyweight in all of Qingzhou. His strength was unfathomable, and his status surpassed even the masters of second-tier sects. Even the leaders of first-tier sects did not dare slight him, let alone mere disciples.
"Everyone, please rise," Su Hen said with an easy, affable smile. He walked over to Su Rou's side. "You girl — how can you speak to your elders like that?"
"Father, this isn't Sister's fault. They're the ones who looked down on—" Seeing the situation, Su Mei quickly tried to smooth things over for her sister.
"Enough. Let the matter rest. Don't bring it up again."
Su Hen waved his hand dismissively, then offered a few apologetic words to the portly city lord. In reality, this was a case of giving someone a slap and then a sweet treat. Su Hen had witnessed Su Rou's outburst firsthand. The only reason he hadn't intervened sooner was because he'd wanted his daughter to take that fat city lord down a peg for him.
After all, sending Su Rou and Su Mei to the Azure Dragon Sect had been his idea. In his heart, he didn't appreciate people badmouthing the sect either, since that amounted to a rebuke of his own judgment. But as city lord, he couldn't exactly berate his own subordinates over something like that — it simply wouldn't do.
Now the various city lords led the talented young cultivators from their respective regions forward, and everyone fell into pleasant conversation. Meanwhile, Su Mei pulled Chu Feng off to the side.
"Chu Feng, this time at the Rising Star Assembly, you'll be entering the Ghost Horn Forest. That forest is a cursed land, home to a pack of savage Fierce Beasts known as Ghost Horn Beasts."
"Ghost Horn Beasts are born with a Spirit Martial Realm first-stage cultivation. As they grow, their strength increases dramatically. When an adult Ghost Horn Beast matures, it grows a purple horn on its forehead. Any Ghost Horn Beast that has developed a horn will have reached the ninth stage of the Spirit Martial Realm."
"Your task this time is to hunt adult Ghost Horn Beasts. The Ghost Horn serves as proof. Within a single day, the top ten who return with the most Ghost Horns will face off in a competition. The winner's city will be exempt from this year's tribute tax and will receive five thousand Spirit Pearls as a cultivation reward." Su Mei whispered into Chu Feng's ear.
"First place gets five thousand Spirit Pearls plus tax exemption. So that old fox Chen Hui is actually getting a better deal out of this than I am," Chu Feng thought to himself, clicking his tongue inwardly.
"What are you thinking about? Take this quickly." Su Mei pressed a scroll into Chu Feng's hand.
"This is..." Chu Feng unrolled it and could see that the small scroll appeared to be a map.
"It's a map of the Ghost Horn Forest. The black sections mark where adult Ghost Horn Beasts congregate. The larger the black area, the greater the number of adult Ghost Horn Beasts there — it'll help you hunt them more efficiently."
"But remember this: never go into the red sections. Strange red mist appears there from time to time, and once the mist shows itself, death is certain. It's as terrifying as the Myriad Bones Graveyard of the Azure Dragon Sect." Su Mei's voice was low and urgent.
In that moment, Chu Feng finally understood Su Mei's intentions. He tucked the scroll into his Universe Bag, then leaned close to Su Mei's ear and grinned mischievously. "Does this count as cheating?"