Her words hung in the air, a declaration of war thrown at the feet of a king.

  Even Bi Kan, who had anticipated her recklessness, was rendered speechless.

  The sheer audacity of it was a physical force, sucking the air from the grand hallway.

  Behind the Junior Elder, Han Meiqi’s jaw hung open, a bead of sweat tracing a slow, fearful path down her temple.

  Yet, Han Weidao’s expression remained a mask of cold stone.

  He simply stared, his amber eyes weighing Xia’s resolve, finding it wanting.

  A few seconds, thick with a tension that could shatter bone, passed before his perfect lips parted.

  "You'll only make enemies that way."

  The words were not a threat, but a simple statement of fact, delivered with a chilling finality.

  Bi Kan’s eyes widened. He had caught it—the subtle shift in Weidao’s aura, the almost imperceptible flicker in his gaze.

  He moved, his exhausted body surging forward. He stood in front of Xia, his arm a rigid barrier, shielding her from the Junior Elder’s sight.

  "Xia! We're going back to our room!"

  She opened her mouth to complain, but the protest died in her throat.

  She saw the serious, almost frantic glint in Bi Kan’s eyes, a silent, desperate plea to trust him.

  Her fists clenched at her sides, knuckles turning white, before she slowly looked down at the polished marble floor. "F-Fine..."

  The Junior Elder closed his eyes, a soft, almost inaudible sigh escaping his lips. "Great."

  He didn't bother looking at the Inner Disciple behind him. His foot shot out in a casual, dismissive kick that sent Han Meiqi stumbling toward them.

  "H-Hey, Uncle!" she yelped, before he disappeared without a trace once again.

  "A-Ah?! Why does he keep doing that?! I swear!" Han Meiqi scratched her hair in annoyance, her frustration boiling over before she caught herself, her glare landing on the two guests.

  Understanding dawned. She cleared her throat. "I-I shall escort you back! A token of my apology!" She bowed again, a stiff, formal gesture.

  "Then lead the way. My neck's hurting," Bi Kan spat, the words laced with a venom that made the Inner Disciple grit her teeth.

  "A-As you wish... Honored Guests..." she said, her voice strained.

  She turned, her footsteps heavy with resentment as she led the way.

  Damned bastard!

  Bi Kan cleared his throat, his hand still massaging the back of his neck.

  Her fist... I can sort of sense that it gathered Qi specifically into that point.

  Is that the key to becoming a Body Tempering Realm Expert? It feels sort of familiar.

  He eyed Xia's sulky expression, her arms crossed tightly as she reluctantly followed.

  "What happened, Xia?" Bi Kan asked, his voice low.

  A soft sigh escaped her lips. "It's nothing. I won a duel, and that snobby Junior Elder stopped me."

  She clenched her fists, the memory of his iron grip on her neck still fresh.

  "He was telling me that he'll toss me back into the guest room, but his grip suddenly loosened... and the next thing I knew, his eyes reached for the stars."

  She mimicked the movement, staring up at the ornate ceiling with a look of awe.

  "It was as if he was mesmerized by the sight. I didn't have time to check what was going on. Once his grip loosened, I swiftly ran away, escaping his grasp before running into you getting your ass beat!"

  The declaration was punctuated by a snicker from Han Meiqi, who was leading the way.

  "But, I did hear something as I dropped down," Xia continued, her voice dropping. "A name escaped his mouth, as if he'd said it many times before."

  She looked down, turning to face Bi Kan fully.

  "Han Jue."

  They made their return to the guest room in silence. At the door, Han Meiqi turned, crossing her arms.

  "Next time, don't run off like little children. Didn't your parents teach you manners? You're in someone else's house, you know! Even we don't get to act that reckless!"

  Her posture softened, and a small, challenging smile formed on her face.

  "I like you two. Fighters, huh? Once you make it into the family, remember to spar with me!"

  She pointed a thumb at herself.

  "I'm Han Meiqi. Make sure to remember it!"

  The door slowly closed shut.

  Bi Kan turned to Xia, who was already sitting on the bed, her arms crossed in a stubborn pout.

  "So, how did it go?" Xia asked, turning her head away. "I don't know if I managed to 'wow' anyone during my time at the training grounds. What about you?"

  His eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on the floor.

  He shrugged. "Unknown as well. I might have impressed some of the disciples, but nothing that stands out."

  He turned towards the door. "Other than that girl, we haven't gathered anyone on our side yet."

  "That means... we're back to where we started! We didn't gain anything at all!"

  Her hand smacked against the soft mattress, her brows furrowing in frustration.

  "It's not entirely over yet." If I'm correct, then... that Junior Elder is eyeing Xia's talent, he thought, rubbing his chin.

  But there's something deeper than that...

  "We'll have to 'wow' them at the dinner table. That's where we'll shine, Xia." He turned, walking over to her.

  "You'll have to say the right things at the right time. I've only gathered a few theories so far... I'll share them with you, crude as they may be."

  Bi Kan sat beside her, inhaling the still, luxurious air of the room. "Alright. Listen close—"

  In a chamber deep within the Han Manor, where shadows clung to the walls like thick velvet, an Elder rose from his seat.

  The candlelight flickered, casting his face in a grim tableau of light and dark as he clutched a sealed letter in his palm.

  "For heaven's sake," he growled, the sound a low rumble in the quiet room. "This child holds too much support within the Sect's Families."

  He turned, his sharp gaze sweeping over the Junior Elders assembled before him.

  They stood with their heads bowed, their fine robes doing little to hide their shame.

  "Is that why there's no action yet?" the Elder demanded. "To think he'd be protected by those in higher ranking as well."

  One of the Junior Elders finally stepped forward, clearing his throat. "The Linghu family is also using this to their own advantage," he reported, his voice tight.

  "They have multiple Junior Elders secretly observing the boy, protecting him from our advances. Not to mention... he's friends with the little sister of the esteemed Grand Elder, Linghu Qixia"

  The Elder's eyes widened.

  CRACK!

  His fist crashed down upon the heavy wooden table beside him.

  The impact was a thunderclap in the stillness, making the single candle flame jump violently, casting wild, dancing shadows across the walls.

  "Damned him! If it weren't for that foolish bastard, taking this child into our own home!"

  The gods, it seemed, were guiding the boy down a path to greatness.

  His fists clenched, the knuckles white.

  "That child bears too much hatred towards us. He might walk the path of a god, but beneath that path is the rubble of our Grand Manor. I have no doubt he'll come after us once he is able."

  "S-Should we inform the Grand Elder?" another Junior Elder asked, his voice trembling.

  The Elder raised a hand, slowly shaking his head.

  "No. The Grand Elder is in seclusion. Who knows if he's even going to stay after walking out from his abode."

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  His gaze shifted, landing on an artifact resting on a nearby pedestal. It was a pristine, light-blue shard, encased in a simple glass jar, pulsing with a faint, otherworldly light.

  "He might end up like the Sect Master," the Elder murmured, his voice laced with a weary dread, "disappearing without a trace, leaving us all behind."

  He turned toward the large, moonlit window, the beautiful, star-strewn sky a stark contrast to the gloom within his heart.

  "Where the hell have you gone, Sect Master?"

  Back in the training grounds, the young disciple with silk-pale yellow hair stood bored, his eyes staring off into the distance.

  This isn't worth it at all, his thoughts wandered, not even registering the new opponent who had just entered the stage.

  In a single, quick step, the challenger appeared behind the young disciple’s back, shouting his name in exclamation.

  "You think you can look bored?! Not even a peak Body Tempering Realm disciple would escape unscathed by my one hundred percent swing power!"

  The challenger was a giant brute, wielding a massive blade fitting for his body. He put his all into a powerful swing aimed to cripple the young disciple.

  As his blade hit its target, it passed through the boy as if he were thin air. Huh?! Did I accidentally kill—

  The back of the young disciple's sword smacked against the brute’s side, sending him flying across the training grounds.

  "W-Woah?! Incoming!"

  A heavy, boulder-like presence made the peering disciples scatter as the brute crashed against the far wall. Rubble and debris exploded everywhere.

  "Another report to the financier," a butler sighed, shaking his head before jumping down to aid the fallen disciple.

  The young disciple’s gaze remained distant.

  These people aren't worth fighting. That girl… why did that Uncle have to interfere?

  The grip on his hilt tightened, his teeth grinding together.

  "Dinner, huh? She'll be at the main table. I'll only be able to watch from afar, it seems."

  He looked down at his own reflection on the polished steel of his blade.

  "I'll destroy you. That I promise."

  Han Tiechi was resting in his room, the bitter taste of his defeat still fresh. "That girl… Ying Xia," he said thoughtfully, lying against the soft cushions of his bed and staring up at the crystal chandelier.

  "To think she'd only picked up the sword about a week ago. An Outer Disciple who took the Outer Sect by storm, reaching the ears of even the higher-ups of our Han Family."

  His eyes narrowed in jealousy. "Even after being born into wealth, talent, and the discipline to train every day as if my life depended on it." Both his palms balled into tight fists.

  "I still can't bridge the gap of a true prodigy."

  He rose from the bed, his posture straightening.

  "Her talents are commendable. If the rumors are true that she came from a hunting village on the outskirts of the sect, then her talent might even exceed the Grand Elder of the Linghu Family…"

  He immediately shook his head. "No. I'd be beaten by the Linghu Family if word of that comparison got out."

  A small smile formed on his face.

  "I should stop sulking. She acts freely, moves in her own zone. That is Inspiring. She's like a younger, female version of Uncle Han Jue! Except for the laid-back part of his personality, of course."

  The door creaked open.

  No permission was asked, the entrance as familiar as breathing.

  A maid stepped into his room.

  "E-Eh? You've come."

  "Of course. I heard you were injured," she said, her voice a soft counterpoint to the day's violence.

  "You can't expect a childhood friend not to worry." She closed the door behind her, the lock turning with a soft click.

  Back within his simple abode, Han Weidao held his spear, the dark shaft a familiar weight in his hands.

  He moved through a form, the weapon an extension of his soul.

  "I wonder if that cousin of mine would be interested in her?" he mused.

  "He's beyond me in the art of the spear by now, but he has his own ambitions. The total opposite of me. His journey does not lie within the sect any longer."

  He then turned towards the cup of tea resting on his table.

  "The only redeemable aspect of this family is the way they treat the maids and butlers. Most of the disciples are respectful."

  His eyes narrowed at the teacup before he grasped it, taking a soft sip and letting out a slow exhale. "If only that's how they treated each other."

  The moonlight streamed inside, casting a soft blue hue upon the central painting on his wall. He placed the cup back on the table, his expression unreadable.

  It's almost time... That kid, he has gathered quite the influence.

  If he had met Xia much earlier, would she be with him rather than that tired disciple that's always by her side?

  This would have made the recruitment simpler for you, wouldn't it, Elder?

  The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

  He waited a few seconds longer before the maid arrived.

  "A-Ah! Master, you've returned!" She bowed gently. "H-How was the tea? Shall I pour one more?"

  His eyes softened for a second before the cold indifference returned.

  "I am content with it. But I have duties to attend to. Pour me another one once I've returned."

  The maid nodded. "With pleasure, Master."

  He disappeared once more without a trace.

  Within the quiet sanctity of the weapon room, a small boy with bright, curious eyes stood before a rack of gleaming weapons.

  His gaze was fixed on a simple polearm, its metal dull compared to the ornate blades beside it.

  "This is what the 'Pink Whirlwind' was holding..." he whispered, his small hand reaching out.

  His fingers closed around the wooden shaft. "It feels so amazing! Will I be as great as her?"

  Just then, his older sister materialized in the doorway, her face a mask of disdain

  . She strode forward, snatching his wrist and pulling him away from the weapon.

  "What are you doing? You must practice the blade! The Art of the Spear is hard to master! Countless have already tried and failed within our family!"

  "B-But isn't it in our roots..?" the boy protested, trying to dig his heels in. "We have an ancestor who—"

  "It doesn't matter!" she snapped, cutting him off. "We have plenty of figures who wielded the blade! Now let's go. Dinner is about to be served."

  Her eyes narrowed with disgust.

  Tsk! That girl is already spreading her influence onto my younger brother.

  I'll bring you down during dinner...

  "I-I think you're only mad because that big sister also wields a spear!"

  the young boy yelled, his voice echoing in the stone room.

  SMACK!

  A resounding slap landed on his left cheek.

  "O-Ow!" He reached for his stinging face, rubbing it as a tear threatened to spill over his eye.

  "You?! When did you have the right to accuse your older sister of something like that? Apologize right now—"

  Her hand raised to strike him again, but her wrist was caught mid-air by a grip like iron.

  "W-Who dare—"

  Her voice dropped, the anger instantly replaced by fear as she looked up into the piercing gaze of the interloper.

  "Is this how you act towards your siblings?" the newcomer asked, his voice dangerously soft. "I could only imagine what you think of your distant cousins."

  The amber-haired disciple smiled softly, but his eyes were cold as ice.

  "You should behave yourself." He released her wrist.

  She snatched it back, clutching it to her chest. "You bastard?!" she yelled, her fists clenching.

  "Are you sure you want to do this?" A soft, fiery aura began to shimmer around his palms.

  "You're only nearing the peak of the Body Tempering Realm. Remember when you used to ridicule me when I was younger? I still remember it clear as day. Look how far you've fallen. You are still an Inner Disciple."

  "That is enough, you two."

  Another disciple stepped out from the shadows.

  He had yellow-gold hair shot through with white strands, and red circles around his pupils that seemed to spin with a manic energy.

  He covered his mouth with a gloved hand, stifling a yawn that looked more like a predatory grin.

  "Have you seen my dear sister? I haven't seen her in any of the training grounds. I fear she might have sparred with the guests unknowingly!"

  The amber-haired disciple’s eyes narrowed slightly. That guy... unlike his younger sister, he's much more calculating.

  He enjoys fighting as well, but he hides it well...

  "N-Not at all, Cousin... and we were just having a nice conversation," the amber-haired disciple lied smoothly, taking a step back. I should back off.

  He turned away. "Dinner is about to commence anyhow. You'll meet her there!"

  "That is true..." The blonde-haired disciple nodded, his gaze lingering for a moment before he too turned and walked away.

  Left alone, the young girl gritted her teeth until her jaw ached. "Just you wait..." she hissed at their retreating backs.

  "I'll break through the Meridian Opening Realm, and I'll step on you just like before!"

  She dragged her brother by the wrist, storming out of the room and leaving the lonely spear behind.

  Maids and butlers lined the perimeter of the grand dining room, standing as still and silent as the marble statues in the hallway.

  They waited for the Elder, the patriarch of this branch, to take his seat.

  "I've made our guests wait far too long," he sighed, the weight of the earlier "issue" still pressing on his mind. He shook his head.

  "That can wait. Let us begin."

  He snapped his fingers.

  The sound cracked like a whip in the silent room.

  "Bring the guests. And wake those sleeping geniuses within the Manor. We must let her know she's not the only prodigy within this sect."

  His eyes narrowed as he watched the staff scramble.

  And let those arrogant brats know their place.

  Let them see that they can be replaced as easily as a worn-out blade.

  He sank into his high-backed chair, folding his hands on the table.

  "Yes sir!" The staff shouted in unison before disappearing into the hallways with haste.

  Powerful knocks slammed into heavy wooden doors, rousing the "Five Bright Stars" of the Han Family—those who still bore the title of disciple.

  The true monsters of the family had long since ascended to become Junior Elders or fled the sect entirely, chasing ambitions far grander than family politics.

  "Fuck...?! It's dinner time already..."

  A young man of nineteen, radiating the aura of the Meridian Opening Realm, tumbled out of bed and hit the floor hard.

  A red bandana was tied haphazardly around his messy, flame-like golden hair.

  "Shit... I drank too much last nig—I mean, I cultivated too much!"

  His eyes went wide as the door creaked open.

  The maid standing there wasn't just any servant, she was a Qi Sensing Stage 8 cultivator, An older sister figure who had scolded him since he was in diapers.

  "Did I hear that right...?" she asked, her voice dangerously sweet. "Drinking?!"

  "N-No! I meant cultivating—!"

  In another room, the knock shattered a delicate concentration.

  "Damned this... My array is still incomplete. I won't be able to win the competition at this rate..."

  A golden-haired disciple, his locks tied back in a severe ponytail, bit his thumbnail until it bled.

  He was a scholar in his early twenties, surrounded by floating diagrams and glowing runes.

  "Dinner's ready, huh? I have no interest in that girl... she's a fighter, not an array-scholar like me. But I must see what that old fool is trying to get at..."

  Two others were already awake and moving through the corridors with predatory grace.

  The blonde-haired disciple with white strands walked alongside the amber-haired disciple.

  And the final one had already taken her seat.

  She stared off into the distance, her curly golden hair catching the chandelier light like a halo. Her soft pink lips parted in a bored sigh.

  She was the brightest star, a cultivator at the latter stages of the Meridian Opening Realm, often whispered about in the same breath as monsters like Lu Tian and Li Zhen.

  How could this old man invite an outsider? she thought, her gaze drifting lazily over the empty chairs.

  Someone that is a battle-crazed maniac? Is he fooling himself?

  She glanced secretly at the Elder. Does he believe that he's creating the new Sect Master? Pfft...

  The doors swung open, and the others arrived.

  The Five Bright Stars had all come to dinner—a rare occurrence that set the servants whispering.

  Not only them, but the prodigies of the Junior Elders had also arrived, led by the pristine figure of Han Weidao.

  "Heh." A Junior Elder snickered, shaking his head in dismissal as he noted an empty seat.

  "That Han Jue. He's late again. Always up to something... It's obvious where he'll end up soon."

  The others nodded in solemn agreement.

  They took their seats, the air thick with expectation, waiting for the two guests to arrive.

  A single, deliberate footstep echoed through the cavernous dining hall, a sound sharp enough to slice through the murmur of conversation.

  Every head turned. Disciples from a dozen tables, each a scion of the prestigious Han bloodline, fixed their gaze on the source.

  Jealousy and anger burned in some eyes, a cold fire lit by the intrusion of an outsider.

  In others, there was a reluctant awe, a recognition of something primal and dangerous.

  The Junior Elders, seated at the head table, felt it instantly—the way the girl held herself, not with the practiced poise of nobility, but with the loose, coiled readiness of a predator.

  The potential radiating from her was staggering, a raw, untamed force that made the air in the room feel thin.

  So that's the Pink Whirlwind of the Outer Sect...

  The Five Bright Stars looked up in unison, their expressions a mixture of boredom and calculation, their eyes narrowing as they dissected the newcomer.

  "Look at all of them, staring at me, Bi Kan," Xia whispered, a grin spreading across her face.

  Her jade eyes glowed with an intensity that outshone the chandeliers above.

  Bi Kan sighed, already anticipating the theatrics. He shook his head in silent disapproval, bracing himself.

  "Next time, they won't just be looking at me."

  Xia’s hand snapped up. Her spatial ring flashed with a brilliant light.

  The golden Dragon-Fang Spear materialized in her grip, its tip pointed toward the vaulted ceiling like a challenge to the heavens themselves.

  "They'll all be looking up to me!"