C14 Situ Quan

Deepmere is situated on the eastern side of Stormford, serving as the heart of the East Prefecture. It governs a region spanning three hundred miles, overseeing the entirety of the East Prefecture.

On the other hand, the Soul Capturing Sect lies to the west of Stormford, at the core of the West Prefecture. The central city of the West Prefecture is Twin Sky City. Unlike Twin Rage, the Soul Capturing Sect has actual dominion over Twin Sky City, exerting tangible control over the West Prefecture's three hundred mile jurisdiction.

Nearly all the promising talents from the West Prefecture have been sent to the Soul Capturing Sect. In the East Prefecture, due to Twin Rage's waning influence, even the promising youths of Deepmere have ended up at the Soul Capturing Sect in the West Prefecture.

At this moment, within the Soul Capturing Sect in the West Prefecture, nestled deep beyond the massive mountain gate, lies a serene abode. The environment here is not only tranquil and elegant but also boasts a spiritual energy concentration threefold that of other locales.

Currently, a middle-aged Taoist, his face devoid of any facial hair, is thoughtfully examining a jade slip.

"Are you saying that Lee Qingyun has significantly increased in strength and has even acquired a high-grade cultivation technique?" the Taoist inquired.

"That's correct." A towering man stood within the room, responding with utmost respect. This was Zhang Tiankui, who, in the presence of the Taoist, was a far cry from his usual domineering self, scarcely daring to breathe too loudly.

For this Taoist was none other than Situ Quan, the Great Elder of the Soul Capturing Sect—the most formidable among them.

"Understood," Situ Quan responded with a nonchalant tone.

"Great Elder..."

Situ Quan interjected calmly, "I grasp your concern, but Twin Rage fell apart three years ago. So, no matter how much time Lee Qingyun has, he poses no threat to our Soul Capturing Sect."

"Furthermore, there are more pressing matters that require my attention. I can't afford to divert too much energy to Lee Qingyun."

"Understood..." Zhang Tiankui acknowledged.

"It's not worth expending effort, but that doesn't mean we ignore the situation. Go to your master and instruct him to delegate the crafting of the Myriad Soul Pill to Elder Sun for the time being. He will handle putting pressure on Twin Rage."

"Make it clear to your master that we cannot afford to lose our grip on Deepmere City."

"Do you understand?" Zhang Tiankui responded with excitement, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Then you may leave."

"Tiankui takes his leave."

Once Zhang Tiankui had departed, Situ Quan gently set the jade slip aside, murmuring to himself, "A top-tier cultivation technique..."

Within the halls of Twin Rage.

Xun Liang, holding the small hand of Pingan, stood obediently before Lee Qingyun.

Lee Qingyun instructed, "From now on, you two mustn't waste too much time on other matters. Focus on your cultivation."

Pingan, with a serious expression, earnestly replied, "Understood! Master, I will dedicate myself to cultivating. And just between us, I've already reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement."

Lee Qingyun's face gave a slight twitch. It was no surprise that a prodigy with a heavenly spiritual root would soar to the sixth level of Qi Refinement so quickly. It was truly enviable.

Yet, he knew the dangers of pride in a genius and said, "Hmm... Not bad, Pingan. But when I was your age, I had already reached the ninth level of Qi Refinement."

"Ah?" Pingan's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Yes, and your senior brother Xun Liang, who is only three years your senior, has reached the eleventh level of Qi Refinement."

"Oh," Pingan murmured, her lips forming a round pout.

Xun Liang asked, "Master, why have you summoned us? I've just put rice on the stove; I need to get back and watch it."

Lee Qingyun reminded, "I've told you, your focus should be on cultivation. As for cooking..."

"I'll figure something out."

"Today, I've brought you here to inform you that I've established a formation in the cave area where the spiritual energy is thrice as dense as anywhere else."

"So, you both are required to train here for eight hours daily. Understood?"

"Yes, Master," they replied in unison, then with a shared squeal of excitement, they dashed into the cave area.

"Wow, the spiritual energy is incredibly dense here, Senior Brother Xun!"

"Yes, it is."

Lee Qingyun watched his two disciples with an indulgent smile, thinking he too must accelerate his own cultivation. Falling behind his disciples would not be a good look.

Fong Yong arrived breathlessly from the direction of the hall.

"Sect Master, Sect Master, two individuals at the entrance are requesting to see you. They appear to be from the Nature's Mystery Pavilion."

People from the Nature's Mystery Pavilion?

Lee Qingyun was taken aback. Had they come so soon?

As Fong Yong led Lee Qingyun toward the main hall, he described the visitors' appearances in detail.

"One in a green robe and the other in white?"

The green robe signified a senior deacon of the Nature's Mystery Pavilion with a cultivation level at least above the Golden Core, while the white robe indicated an ordinary deacon with a cultivation level below the Golden Core.

"The man in the green robe was exceedingly courteous, yet both seemed quite awestruck by our grand hall. Haha."

"And... the one in the white robe, I believe he was the one seated with Wang Ruhai at the Fate Pavilion that day..."

"Oh?" Lee Qingyun was taken by surprise. The white-robed youth had vanished without a trace after his victory over Zhang Tiankui. Who would have thought he was affiliated with the Nature's Mystery Pavilion?

He must be from their Stormford branch.

Lee Qingyun and Wang Ruhai hastened their steps and entered the main hall.

There, they encountered a youth in a green robe with an ordinary face but an aura that was hard to define. He was seated, taking in the splendor of the new hall, while the white-robed youth stood by his side with deference.

"Esteemed guests, my apologies for not greeting you sooner. Please, forgive my oversight. Haha," Lee Qingyun said warmly, stepping forward and bowing with his hands clasped.

"No trouble at all," replied the green-robed man, rising to his feet with a friendly smile to return the greeting.

Lee Qingyun studied the man in green, sensing a flicker of recognition, yet he couldn't place where they had met. "I am Lee Qingyun, a junior. May I have the honor of knowing your name, senior?"

With a smile, the man in green responded, "My name is Han Le. I've been graced by your father's kindness. We are of the same generation, so please, there's no need for such formality."

Did he run into someone he knew?

A thought struck Lee Qingyun—it was always easier to handle evaluations when encountering an acquaintance.

He responded, "Sounds good, Brother Han."

"For some reason, I feel like I've seen Brother Han somewhere before. Where could it have been?"

Han Le chuckled and revealed, "During Wang Ruhai's birthday celebration at Fate Pavilion, I discreetly watched you from the sidelines, standing right next to the Wang Family's Patriarch on the eighth floor."

Lee Qingyun was taken aback. To blend in so seamlessly on the sparsely populated eighth floor, without drawing any attention, was an incredibly fearsome skill.

He must have been sizing him up in secret, pondering whether he was worth the investment. After all, if Lee Qingyun had continued his downward spiral like in previous years, Han Le might have deemed him unworthy of acknowledgment.

Lost in his thoughts, Lee Qingyun was jolted back to reality when Han Le turned to the man in white behind him and said something that brought a surge of satisfaction to Lee Qingyun, "What are you waiting for? Come and pay your respects to your Uncle Li Qingyun!"