The sect master was engrossed in his cultivation, fully aware that today was just another routine recruitment process.
This annual event aimed to gather as many talented disciples as possible. However, this year was marked by a notable difference.
During his meditation, as he focused on advancing a technique, a loud roar shattered his concentration.
The barrier guarding the front of the sect quivered slightly under the impact. It was the outer barrier, and he was the one responsible for its safeguarding.
The impact's force wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, and it lacked any clear intention to kill. Nonetheless, the message was unmistakable—someone had made an attempt to assault the sect.
Who would dare to commit such an audacious act? Fueled by anger, the sect master, Zhang Wei, rose from his meditation, joined by other inner elders who had been similarly disrupted.
As he ascended into the air, his gaze fell upon the massive dragon, and his eyes twitched. It wasn't the creature that perturbed him, but rather the surname Fang standing on it.
"FANG XIONG, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" he bellowed, his voice a mix of shock and fury. This was sheer madness—what could Fang Xiong possibly be thinking?
As he flew closer to the arena, he noticed the inner elder's wounded spitting blood, though, upon closer examination, It appeared to be a minor injury.
The elder should have realized that he couldn't fully deflect the aura, which was not lethal in any case.
Rubbing his forehead, he felt a headache—something cultivators experienced when grappling with complex matters.
Taking deep breaths to calm himself, he turned his gaze towards Fang Xiong, whose expression held a trace of guilt.
Left momentarily speechless, he wasn't sure how to respond.
The air seemed to grow heavy as Fang Xiong's voice resonated, spreading throughout, "Fellow Daoists, I present to you the cultivators of my city." He attempted to lighten the mood with a smile.
Two inner sect elders responsible for overseeing punishments and mission assignments became visibly angered, causing their auras to surge. Fang Xiong raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes, awaiting their response.
The sect leader, perceiving the tension, tried to intervene, but one of the inner elders acted more swiftly, addressing Fang Xiong with a stern tone, "Fang Xiong, do you realise where you are?''The Mission Elder's voice carried a weight of seriousness.
"Outside the sect," Fang Xiong stated.
His response caught them off guard. "You dared to attack the sect's formation. How do you plan to justify this?"
The auras emanating from the two elders intensified, attracting the curious gaze of an expanding crowd.
Disciples and elders of various levels—outer, inner, and core—gathered, anticipating a spectacle. It wasn't an everyday occurrence to witness two powerful cultivators in conflict.
The combined aura cast an unsettling atmosphere, reminiscent of the ominous stillness before a storm.
The sect leader observed the situation and furrowed his brows, ready to intervene. However, a voice reached his ears, "Nephew, stay put. Don't get involved in this." It was his uncle, a figure he hadn't heard from in hundreds of years.
Feeling surprised, he heeded his uncle's advice. After all, his uncle was a grand elder and knew Fang Xiong better than anyone. He had cleaned up Fang Xiong's messes when he was the sect leader years ago.
"Mission Elder, Wu Tianzhao, why don't we take this to the skies if you're so displeased?" Fang Xiong suggested, his aura rising in a manner that left little room for refusal.
Wu Tianzhao was initially taken aback, and then a hint of concern crept into his expression. However, given the audience, he responded, "Fine."
Both cultivators ascended into the sky, high above the onlooking crowd. Fang Xiong stood with his hands calmly behind his back, his black hair flowing in the wind's resistance.
Drawing a saber, Wu Tianzhao held it firmly, while Fang Xiong unsheathed a pure black sword. As the sword came into view, it became evident that Fang Xiong was serious.
"Soulreaver Skyfall, Fang Xiong, why did you assault the barrier?" Wu Tianzhao addressed Fang Xiong using his full title, underlining the gravity of the situation.
"Why?" Fang Xiong shook his head, appearing at a loss for words.
"Mistakes happen. Now, what do you intend to do about it?" Fang Xiong replied, his tone serious and contemplative.
"We have rules, and we will adhere to them, Fang Xiong," the elder stated, his gaze shifting from Fang Xiong to the sect leader. Upon receiving a nod from the sect leader, he sighed and turned his glare towards Fang Xiong.
Without hesitation, he drew his saber and unleashed a powerful attack, channeling all of his energy into the strike. He held nothing back.
The shout of "Wrath Annihilation Crimson" echoed through the air as the massive saber attacked rent the atmosphere with a piercing scream.
Long Chen, receiving Fang Xiong's mental message, swiftly positioned himself to shield the people of Cloudsoar City from the oncoming attack.
Fang Hao's gaze remained fixed on the immense attack, a barrage of red lights hurtling toward his father. The power contained within the attack was overwhelming.
Fang Xiong stood resolute, unwavering like a mighty mountain. He made no move to evade the incoming assault; it seemed to be his plan all along.
Fang Hao suddenly heard his father's voice in his mind, "There is a reason why my title has Skyfall in it."
The black sword let out a resounding hum, and an immensely heavy pressure shrouded the sky Those below, felt the very air tremble and their faces turned pale.
"Skyfall, Fifth move!" Fang Xiong's voice resounded as he unleashed a formidable slash. "...Dominance."
Multiple colors danced and flickered around him, and a strange phenomenon began to unfold. The sky itself quivered under the immense pressure of this technique.
The Sect Leader's eyes widened in astonishment as he witnessed the attack. Fang Xiong had evidently mastered a new profound law.
Facing the oncoming slash, Wu Tianzhao's complexion turned ashen. The saber attack was abruptly severed before it could reach him, dissipating into nothingness.
Another figure materialized, placing a barrier in front of the elder just in the nick of time.
Fang Xiong's expression hardened, his gaze focused and resolute as he channelled even greater power into the attack. The sheer force behind it exceeded his previous efforts.
The attack collided with the barrier, shattering it into fragments and enabling the attack to continue its path toward the elder.
Just as the attack was about to strike its target, a sharp shout pierced the air, uttering the name "Fang!"
The shout caused Fang Xiong to slightly lessen the force of the attack, understanding the reason he was called. As a result, the attack struck the elder's chest.
Despite the impact, no discernible marks or injuries appeared on the elder, leaving the onlookers perplexed.
Storing the sword, Fang Xiong glanced at the grand elder standing before him and offered a faint smile. "Zhang Liwei, long time no see."
The grand elder's eye twitched as he turned to look behind him at Wu Tianzhao, who appeared unscathed but was clearly seriously wounded. "Go and cultivate, this matter will end."
Zhang Liwei instructed Wu Tianzhao, who nodded with a pale face and left, shooting a final glare at Fang Xiong before making his departure.
Fang Xiong's eyebrows raised as he noticed the glare from Wu Tianzhao, prompting him to respond with a threatening look of his own that caused the elder to quickly retreat.
The grand elder promptly enveloped them in a barrier and began to speak, "I understand the reason behind your actions. I've heard about what happened to your daughter, but this was an extreme way to handle it."
"Extreme? I came here with my son, who is going to join the sect, and you allowed harm to befall my daughter because that elder assigned the mission," Fang Xiong retorted with frustration, his anger evident in his voice.
"This is a warning: if something more serious happens, he will die. And while I may not be as strong as you old monsters, I won't hesitate to drag others down with me," Fang Xiong stated firmly, revealing his true intentions.
The grand elder sighed and replied, "Don't worry, she is safe." He understood when to back down and shifted his gaze downward, noticing Fang Hao's curious expression.
With a hint of humour, he added, "Are you sure this is your son? He lacks that flickering anger you and your daughter possess."
"Enough," Fang Xiong said in defeat, understanding the implication. While Hao didn't share the same characteristics as him, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"Go down and bid farewell to your son. And remember, little Xiong, you can't keep doing this," the grand elder spoke with a sense of wisdom before disappearing.
Fang Xiong remained in the sky for a while, lost in thought. The chain of events had been set in motion during a family meeting when they noticed a disturbance in their daughter's Soul Lamp, indicating that she was severely injured.
In a rush, he and his wife sought information from their contacts within the sect to uncover the truth.
It turned out that the Mission Elder had made a grave error, sending her to face a formidable enemy of a higher realm without proper information.
Mistakes were not uncommon, but this situation went beyond that. His daughter was exceptionally talented, and typically, missions like these went through several layers of checks.
In response, Fang Xiong, along with his wife, approached Long Chen to devise a plan. Their intention was to teach the responsible elder a valuable lesson.
The plan unfolded successfully, but the grand elder, who had known Fang Xiong since childhood, could see through the scheme.
With a sigh, he joined Hao to watch the trials. His prior show of strength and influence had sent a direct message to those in charge: underhanded actions would not be tolerated, especially if they posed a threat to his family.