On the bustling streets, people parted like water as the four Tianlong Gate disciples passed through, none daring to cross their path.


    As they walked, Yu Ren glanced at Fang Cheng. “Senior Brother Fang, we’re just letting Tai Bai Dojo off the hook like that?”


    “A Podunk dojo in the middle of nowhere—aside from their master, they’re all Viscera Realm scrubs. How dare they act so full of themselves?”


    “What’d the deacon say?”


    Fang Cheng shot Yu Ren a sidelong look. “Test the Tai Bai disciples’ strength—probe them a bit, but don’t stir up too much trouble.”


    “He sent you to gauge them, not to start a bloodbath.”


    “Han and Bai Ruoyue are tight with Xuandu Monastery’s Lu Qingmo. They’re not like the trash from other dojos—you can’t push them too hard. You guys already went overboard back there.”


    “This place has a Ghost God Division outpost, after all—still under Xuandu’s watch.”


    Yu Ren scratched the back of his head. “I didn’t do anything wrong, did I? If I hadn’t mouthed off and played the arrogant card, how else would we have tested them?”


    Fang Cheng didn’t bother responding. Objective met—good enough.


    As for Yu Ren’s loudmouth antics and hotheaded attitude? No big deal in his book.


    Tianlong disciples acting cocky? Most folks just saw it as par for the course.


    Li Hai snorted. “Heard from the deacon that Lu Qingmo’s a washed-up has-been—stuck at her level for life.”


    “Someone like that probably doesn’t even rank in Xuandu. What’s there to fear?”


    “Washed-up or not, she could still squash you with a flick of her finger,” Fang Cheng said sternly. “Keep that to yourself—watch your mouth around outsiders.”


    “Don’t worry, Senior Brother—I know the drill,” Li Hai grinned. “I’m not that dumb. I only vent to you guys.”


    “If Lu Qingmo showed up, I’d be all bows and manners.”


    “But that Bai Ruoyue—she’s something else,” he added, still reeling. “I swear her strength’s on par with Bone Forging Realm. How’s a freak like that hiding out in a dump like Black Cloud Town?”


    He’d squared off with her and got flattened—clean, no muss, no fuss.


    Both at Viscera Peak, yet she’d crushed him like it was nothing. Back at Tianlong, only the revered true transmission disciples could pull that off.


    “She’s tough, no doubt,” the others agreed.


    Fang Cheng mused, “Bai Ruoyue’s probably got some rare gift or an extraordinary physique.”


    Black Cloud Town might be a speck on the map, but prodigies with unique traits could pop up anywhere.


    “Bone Forging-level power—a real threat.”


    “And Han’s off too,” Xiao Zhi chimed in, still wincing, his qi churning uncomfortably.


    “He’s got something up his sleeve—masking his strength. When he struck, you could tell he’s Viscera Realm, but how deep? Hard to pin down.”


    “Months to this level? Unreal. How’d he do it?”


    “There’s a secret there—a big one,” Fang Cheng said. “I figured we could dangle a spot in the sect to lure him in, dig into his background. Too bad…”


    He glanced back at Tai Bai Dojo. “Heh, cozying up to Yunjiang Dragon Palace? That’s picking a fight with the Western Sea—digging his own grave.”


    Fang Cheng smirked. “A dirt-kicking nobody overreaching.”


    “That secret might just land in our laps eventually.”


    Yu Ren frowned. “Still, it’s tricky now.”


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    “That Zuo Tianzheng beat us to the punch, winning over half the town. Tai Bai’s stubborn as a mule…”


    “If Zuo can sway them, so can we,” Fang Cheng said, oozing confidence. “He’s just an imperial lapdog—how’s he supposed to compete with us?”


    “Let’s head back and report today’s haul to the deacons.”


    “Way too arrogant—way too much,” Bai Ruoyue grumbled, fuming.


    “With that little skill, how do they have the gall to strut like that?”


    First-rate sect disciples, huh? Weaker than her, yet here she was—humble, kind, the picture of grace.


    Han nodded slightly. Yeah—just loudmouth champs with master-level flops.


    “Exactly!” Shen Yu jumped in. “We’ve all got two eyes and a mouth—why do they act like they’re born better?”


    “What’d they say before I got here?” Han asked.


    “Nothing special—just that they wanted to check out Black Cloud’s two generations of top talents,” Zhang Yuantao said. “They came straight for you and Senior Sister.”


    Han shook his head. “Fame’s a heavy load.”


    “I’ve got a hunch Tianlong won’t let this slide so easy,” Bai Ruoyue said, dead certain.


    “Little Junior Brother, from what they said, Tianlong’s got beef with Yunjiang Dragon Palace?”


    Han nodded and laid out Tianlong’s deal—their ties, the Yunjiang-Western Sea feud.


    It wasn’t top-secret stuff at certain levels, but it didn’t exactly spread like wildfire either.


    “So that’s the mess behind it,” Bai Ruoyue said, eyeing Han. “What’s your take, Little Junior Brother?”


    “The Dragon Lady’s helped me out a ton—I’m not some two-faced snake.”


    The Water Essence Festival, the Sky Sea Dragon Ascension Rite—all thanks to her.


    She’d hooked him up, built a bond, treated him square.


    Ditching her the second the wind shifts? That’s not how you roll.


    There’s real heart in this world—why dodge it over blessings or curses?


    “Damn right—that’s the way!” Bai Ruoyue and the crew backed him up.


    “Oh, by the way—I broke through!” Shen Yu piped up, beaming. “Viscera Minor Completion—little expert now!”


    All that grind since Black Mountain’s haul had finally paid off.


    Since Han joined Tai Bai, every single one of them had climbed a realm.


    “Impressive, Senior Sister Yu,” Han said with a grin.


    “Not as impressive as you, Little Junior Brother!”


    She said it, but the praise clearly thrilled her.


    After Han lapped her, the girl’s mindset had chilled out big time.


    “You’ll hit Viscera before twenty, Senior Sister Yu,” Han added. “That’s solid talent even in a big martial sect.”


    Shen Yu’s grin widened, though she waved it off. “Oh, it’s not that great.”


    Bone Forging by twenty? Nah, that was a stretch.


    Later, Han slipped away to try the magic conch again, reaching out to the Dragon Lady.


    Still no answer.


    “Still not back from Qingzhou, huh…”


    By day’s end, word of Tai Bai’s clash had swept through Black Cloud Town.


    Tai Bai’s top genius one-punched a Viscera Tianlong disciple.


    Senior Sister crushed a same-level prodigy with ease.


    The insufferably cocky Tianlong crew, lording over everyone, got their egos checked hard at Tai Bai.


    Plenty of folks secretly cheered.


    Serves you right, punks!


    Even the county’s big shots were quietly pleased to see Tianlong take a hit.


    Their rank put them in Tianlong’s sneer zone too…


    Time had shifted Black Cloud’s landscape—top dogs rose and fell.


    Once, the three dojos and three families ruled the roost—strutting around, admired, the town’s untouchable sky.


    Even the officials tipped their hats.


    Then Black Mountain stirred, restrictions lifted, and outsiders flooded in—big fish from beyond crashing the local party.


    The old six powers lost their shine, no longer kings of the hill.


    Foreign factions—like the county heavyweights—outclassed Black Cloud’s homegrown crews. They only sent Bone Forging or Day Roaming types, but it was enough to keep everyone in line.


    The locals clung to their dignity by a thread.


    Then Zuo Tianzheng rolled in, and the county bigwigs ate the same dust as the old six—knocked down a peg.


    The Jade Capital envoy, with his sky-high backing and powerhouse crew, claimed the top spot.


    His word was law—few dared defy him.


    Now, it looked like Zuo’s arrival was just the opening act.


    The real players—factions with world-spanning reach—were stepping onto the stage.


    Tianlong Gate might just be the first. Who knew what wild cards were next?


    Their entrance screamed one thing: Black Mountain and the Mountain God were hitting a tipping point.


    One thing was crystal clear—to these incoming titans, neither Black Cloud’s locals nor the county’s powers were worth a damn.


    The two groups that once ruled here? Bottom of the food chain.


    Funny pattern, though.


    Local crews flexed on lone cultivators. County bosses sniffed at the locals.


    Then Tianlong swept in, and everyone got a taste of their own medicine.


    Layer upon layer of disdain.


    Look down on others, and someone’s bound to look down on you.


    Thanks to the Mountain God, though, the locals had a unique edge—pure Black Cloud blood.


    In the right moment, that could mean something.


    At the town guard’s mansion, Zuo Tianzheng kept tabs on everything. Today’s news hit his ears fast.


    “Tianlong’s disciples, taken down like that…” His face darkened, eyes narrowing.


    “Han, Bai Ruoyue—you two are a real pain in my side.”


    “Any word on the Sky-Mending Vine?”


    Chu Shi, Manifestation Realm, answered quick. “Not a peep from any tracking tokens.”


    “If it’s out there, it’s somewhere we can’t reach. We’re stuck waiting on the Mountain God…”


    Zuo Tianzheng shut his eyes briefly. “Think Tianlong might move on Han over the Yunjiang Dragon Palace feud?”


    “Probably not,” Chu Shi said. “Lu Qingmo’s still around. Tianlong picks on the weak—they won’t openly cross Xuandu.”


    “Shame,” Zuo muttered, eyes snapping open, cold as steel.


    “I don’t want to tangle with Xuandu either, but…”


    “I want that Sky-Mending Vine more.”


    “Even if it’s just a chance it’s in Black Mountain, nothing—and no one—should stand in my way.”


    Fame’s always a burden—same old story.


    That night, Lu Qingmo pulled Han aside, dead serious.


    “You’re Black Cloud’s top genius—too bright, too loud.”


    “Until the Mountain God business wraps, trouble’s gonna keep finding you.”


    Wait, why does being Black Cloud’s best feel like I’m the world’s busiest prodigy?!