On Disciple Peak, wind rolled the clouds like waves.
"Junior sister, your brows are tied in knots. You must be worrying about the clan."
Zhao Han's voice came from behind. Luo Xueyao stood at the cliff edge in a long purple dress; three thousand strands of blue-black hair fell like silk. She stared toward the direction of the Grand Xu royal capital, worry lodged in her chest.
"Xueyao greets Senior Brother."
She turned, cupped her hands, then hesitated. "Senior Brother… do you know the origin of the sect?"
To her, Lingxiao was too mysterious. She had seen no other disciples, no ordinary elders, only grand halls, empty squares, and that oppressive, holy silence that made one's heart tremble.
Was it truly a hidden sect?
If the sect's powerhouses were all in slumber, then perhaps it made sense that only she and Zhao Han had entered the gate.
"Hehe, Junior Sister, I just joined too. I don't know much." Zhao Han scratched his head, honest smile simple as a clear sky. "The Sect Master said the sect's powerhouses are sleeping. When the time comes, they'll awake."
Luo Xueyao fell silent. How can the Sect Master choose such a silly senior brother…
Far away, a certain Sect Master sneezed.
Qin Wucheng: It's not a lie. It's just… an optimistic forecast.
Wind hissed through the pines.
Whoosh—
Figures streaked across the sky and landed at the foot of the peak.
"Father!"
"Ancestor!"
Joy lit Luo Xueyao's face. Her earlier worry broke like ice under sunlight. She rushed forward.
"Xueyao," Luo Jingtao exhaled, relief loosening his shoulders, "your father and ancestor are safe. If not for Senior's aid, our Grand Xu would have perished today."
Luo Xueyao turned, and her gaze fell on Luo Xuanqing's torn robe and pallid face. Mist rose in her eyes. "Ancestor…"
Luo Xuanqing lifted a hand. "Girl, don't fret. It's a small injury. This old bag of bones won't fall so easily."
Before she could answer, a voice drifted from the sky, calm as a decree:
"Wang Ming, bring them to the Main Hall."
…
The Lingxiao Main Hall was quiet as a deep lake. Qin Wucheng sat on the central seat, white robes clean, eyes half-lidded. No aura leaked from him, yet the space around his figure seemed to distort lightly, as if depth itself pooled there.
So young…
Luo Jingtao and Luo Xuanqing exchanged a glance; shock passed through both pairs of eyes. To be unable to see through a youth at their levels was a first in decades.
The old ancestor's gaze tightened, respect rising from instinct. "This old one, Luo Xuanqing, greets Sect Master Qin."
"Luo Jingtao greets Sect Master."
They had already heard from Wang Ming on the way up. Seeing Qin Wucheng in person only deepened the feeling of facing a bottomless well. The sect sat in a forbidden mountain; no wonder their dynasty had never heard of it.
A hidden sect, indeed. Born into the world at this moment.
"This time, I must thank Senior of your honorable sect for saving Grand Xu from destruction," Luo Jingtao said solemnly. "If the sect has need, Grand Xu will aid to the best of our ability."
Qin Wucheng kept his face still. Inside, he sighed. Grand Xu, with one Ninth Stage Soul Transformation ancestor and a half-dead treasury, can offer… moral support. He coughed lightly and made his tone mild.
"Xueyao is of Lingxiao now. Helping her is what the sect should do."
Luo Xueyao lowered her head, a light blooming quietly in her eyes. She had chosen right.
Luo Jingtao's expression turned grave. "Sect Master, Senior Wang has already slain the Plume Ascension Imperial Preceptor. But they will not let it rest. It is rumored their dynasty hides another ancestor, very likely to break through to the Half-Step Immortal King Realm."
The words dropped like stones.
If such a figure moved, Grand Xu would fall like paper before fire.
Although Wang Ming had suppressed the Imperial Preceptor with ease, Half-Step Immortal King was another sky entirely. The rumor said those experts could tear space with their bare hands and cross the void in a breath.
Half-Step Immortal King Realm?
Qin Wucheng's heart lurched. This big? His face, however, was placid as a lake in evening.
Plume Ascension, you really are fat with secrets…
He tilted his head a fraction, pretending to calculate. If it comes to that, let Chen Beixuan step out once and press the world flat…
A crisp chime touched his mind.
[ Ding! Reminder to Host: For the current objective, instructing Wang Ming to act will suffice. ]
Qin Wucheng paused. Suffice? Against a Half-Step Immortal King? Are you letting him solo a mountain?
[ The system does not deceive the Host. Current force distribution in the Southern Frontier Domain is… modest. ]
He almost snorted aloud. His gaze stayed serene. "Understood."
Zhao Han, standing to the side, stole a look at his Sect Master. The senior-brother mask on his face couldn't hide the spark in his eyes. As expected, Sect Master always has a plan.
Wang Ming stood behind Qin Wucheng, silent and straight as a spear. He had already concealed his aura; only Luo Xuanqing felt faint pricks against his skin that made his heart sway.
Luo Jingtao pressed on. "Sect Master Qin, our dynasty will gather thirty thousand elite troops to hold the cities and evacuate the commoners. If the Plume Ascension Dynasty sends a Half-Step Immortal King elder, I fear…"
Qin Wucheng raised a hand gently. "Your Majesty needs only to protect the people. The Lingxiao Sect will break the spine."
The words were not loud, but they seemed to fill the Hall, firm as stone.
Luo Jingtao's throat worked. He bowed deeply. "Grand Xu thanks the Sect Master."
Qin Wucheng nodded faintly, then turned his eyes to Luo Xuanqing's chest. "Ancestor Luo's injuries are complicated. Wang Ming."
"Yes."
A stream of gentle force flowed from Wang Ming's palm, threading through the old ancestor's meridians. Luo Xuanqing's breathing steadied; the torn pathways closed like knitting silk.
"Many thanks, Senior," Luo Xuanqing said seriously. His gaze on Qin Wucheng grew even more cautious. With a single word, he moves such a monster. Even as a Soul Transformation, I scarcely dare breathe too near this Hall…
Qin Wucheng tapped the armrest once, making the sound of wood crisp like a bell. "From now, Grand Xu's forces are to station at three lines. Evacuate all mortals behind the rivers. Send scouts to watch the Plume Ascension border. If a Half-Step Immortal King moves, a ripple will follow."
He looked to Zhao Han. "Arrange Outer Sect trials at the foot of the mountain. The Step of Clouds test will be tightened. I don't want the mountain cluttered with weaklings while we prepare for war."
Zhao Han straightened like a soldier. "Yes!"
Qin Wucheng turned back to Luo Xueyao. "You will remain on Inner Peak. Stabilize your Spirit Sea Realm foundation. Within seven days, I'll give you a method to temper the soul. This battle will not be short."
Luo Xueyao bowed deeply. "Disciple obeys."
Silence fell for a breath. The Main Hall's incense curled like pale snakes. Outside, the clouds pressed low, as if listening.
Luo Jingtao hesitated, then dared to ask, "Sect Master Qin… may I ask, the strength of the honorable sect… how far does it reach?"
Qin Wucheng looked at him. His eyes were calm, but the corner of his mouth tilted, the smallest degree.
"Deep enough," he said, "that your enemies will not sleep well."
Luo Jingtao's heart trembled. He cupped his hands again, words caught in gratitude and fear.
Qin Wucheng rose, white sleeves falling clean lines. "Wang Ming."
Wang Ming stepped forward. "Sect Master."
"You will go to the border," Qin Wucheng said lightly, as if ordering tea. "If the Plume Ascension Dynasty truly dares bring out a Half-Step Immortal King, test his courage. If he takes one more step, cut off his shadow."
"Understood."
Luo Jingtao's lips parted. Luo Xuanqing's fingers trembled once on his sleeve. Neither spoke.
Qin Wucheng looked toward the mountain gate. "I will also dispatch a Guardian Elder to sit in the dark."
At that, Luo Xuanqing's pupils tightened. Guardian… Elder… there are more? He bowed lower without thinking. "Grand Xu will coordinate. We dare not slack."
Qin Wucheng waved a hand. "Go. See to the people. The Lingxiao Sect does not like to be owed, but we detest slaughter more."
Luo Jingtao and Luo Xuanqing both bowed to the floor. When they backed out of the Hall, their steps were light — as if the weight of a mountain had been lifted and placed on a higher, broader peak.
The doors closed.
Qin Wucheng's shoulders sagged a fraction. He rubbed his brow. System, if Wang Ming can fight a Half-Step Immortal King, then he's been hiding pounds of face from me.
[ Ding! Host's subordinates are all elites among elites. The Host may trust the System's evaluation. ]
"Mm." He stared at the ceiling for a long moment, then grinned. "Then I'll pretend to be invincible a little longer."
He flicked his sleeve. A jade slip rose from the table and glowed faintly — orders spread down the peaks like water: guard rotations, formation layers, entry trials, resource allocations. The empty sect stirred, finally wearing the skin of war.
Far below, Zhao Han stood at the mountain square shouting instructions with unearned confidence. Luo Xueyao returned to the Inner Peak and sat by a quiet lake, eyes closed, breath steady; the mirror-like water reflected a sky full of mist.
Evening fell. The bell tolled once.
Wang Ming's silhouette appeared above the western ridges, then vanished; the air folded like silk where he passed.
Qin Wucheng walked alone to the topmost terrace. Immortal Grave Mountain stretched in waves beneath him, palaces rising from cloud like islands.
He looked toward the distant border. Somewhere beyond that line lay an army, a dynasty, and a rumor of a Half-Step Immortal King.
He smiled to himself, handsome and unreadable. "Come."
[ Ding! Side Prompt: To accelerate mission progress, the Host may convert Prestige into a Temporary War Formation. Available options: Cloud-Locking Array, Seven-Star Slaughter Formation, or Mountain-Sealing Net. ]
Qin Wucheng lifted a brow. "Recommendation?"
[ Given current forces, the System recommends: Mountain-Sealing Net — excels at trapping high-realm invaders for single-target execution. ]
"Good." He nodded. "We'll take the Mountain-Sealing Net."
[ Ding! Mountain-Sealing Net (Minor) deployed over Immortal Grave Mountain. Duration: three days. ]
Thin lines of light rippled across the sky, invisible to mortal eyes. The mountain exhaled, quiet and satisfied.
Qin Wucheng turned, robe brushing the stone. "Wang Ming solos the border. The Guardian Elder watches the shadows. The junior sister trains. The senior brother… doesn't embarrass me."