C9 There Are also Different Levels of Rogue Cultivators!

The girl in the red dress, hearing Ho Liao inquire about her family's elder, proudly said, "Our elder is only fifty-seven this year, still young, and his cultivation level is really high!"

Fifty-seven and only at the fourth level of Soulkeep? What's there to brag about? That's just self-flattery, Ho Liao thought to himself.

"Kid, the master of Fatebinder Hall was likely expelled from the Flying Cloud Sect. Reaching the fourth level of Soulkeep at fifty-seven is no easy feat. The elixirs needed to break through each level are hard to come by for an independent cultivator. So, compared to many, his cultivation is quite admirable," the Book Spirit explained in Ho Liao's mind.

"Is the Flying Cloud Sect a major sect?" Ho Liao wondered.

"The Flying Cloud Sect is just a branch under the Burningbrand, but it still has tens of thousands of cultivators," the Book Spirit clarified.

Ho Liao sighed, thinking that without meeting his master, he would be far behind the master of Fatebinder Hall.

At that moment, the girl in the red dress led Ho Liao to a grand hall, as bright as daylight, where faint sounds of dispute could be heard. The large doors swung open automatically. This time, there was no attendant, but a very tall man, looking to be in his thirties, with a radiant complexion and eyes that sparkled with a hidden brilliance, clearly marking him as a cultivator.

Standing to his left were three elderly men, all appearing to be in their seventies, with white beards and a glint of wisdom in their eyes. However, their presence seemed less commanding than the tall man's.

To his right stood a petite woman, dressed flamboyantly and undeniably beautiful, yet her eyes betrayed a depth of experience and weariness beyond her youthful appearance.

Upon seeing Ho Liao, the tall man immediately clasped his hands in greeting and said, "I knew the moment you entered Qeydiff. I didn't expect you to be so young—are you even twenty?"

In truth, the tall man was exaggerating. He possessed a magical artifact called the Soulkeep, which he had placed at the entrance of Fatebinder Hall. It allowed him to see everything happening at the door from his desk in the main hall, a trick he used to impress others.

Ho Liao wasn't particularly curious about this. When the tall man guessed his age as twenty, Ho Liao realized the man's judgment was lacking. So, he didn't correct him and instead replied, "You must be the master of Fatebinder Hall. I am Ho Liao. May I ask your name?"

"Please come in, young friend. I am Yu Long of the Flying Cloud Sect," the tall man replied, "and also the master of Fatebinder Hall!"

As soon as Yu Long finished speaking, the three elderly men on the left showed expressions of disdain. One of them, wearing a robe embroidered with a crane, scoffed, "Yu Long, you've been expelled from the Flying Cloud Sect for over thirty years. Stop claiming to be one of us!"

An elderly man in a bright red robe continued, "Though we don't hail from a major sect, we've safeguarded Qeydiff under the protection of its city lord. This grants us the right to challenge the head of Fatebinder Hall. If you keep dodging our challenge today, we'll take matters into our own hands!"

Ho Liao realized that the position of the head of Fatebinder Hall was earned through competition, which he found quite intriguing. It seemed clear now that Fatebinder Hall had no ties to the Flying Cloud Sect.

However, Ho Liao sensed that these three elders might not be able to defeat Yu Long individually. He wondered why Yu Long was avoiding the challenge.

Facing the provocation from the three elders, Yu Long remained calm, his expression unchanged. He laughed heartily, "We're all cultivators here. Can't I even greet this young friend?"

"Yu Long!" the elder in the crane-embroidered robe said angrily, "The challenge system for the head of Fatebinder Hall has been in place for a thousand years. You became the head by succeeding in a challenge, gaining control over all the cultivation resources in Qeydiff, and advancing your own cultivation. But you can't hold onto the position forever just because you've benefited from it!"

The elder glanced at Ho Liao and continued, "Yu Long, don't think we don't know your intentions. You're waiting for more cultivators to arrive at Fatebinder Hall, confident that many will be from sects. You intend to turn the contest for the head of Fatebinder Hall into a battle between sect-affiliated and independent cultivators, which is utterly despicable!"

"Hey, Second Brother Xing!" the woman suddenly spoke up. "We, the orthodox cultivators, are naturally more prestigious than you rogue cultivators. How could a place as grand as Fatebinder Hall in Qeydiff be managed by mere rogues?"

She turned to Ho Liao and said, "Young friend, you're so young and have already activated two strands. You must be an orthodox cultivator, right?"

Ho Liao was confused. What was the difference between rogue and orthodox cultivators? Were there really different classes among them?

Puzzled, Ho Liao asked the woman, "Could you please explain what makes someone an orthodox cultivator versus a rogue one?"

The woman giggled, covering her mouth, "You must have just left your sect..."

"Ha!" interrupted the rogue cultivator known as Second Brother Xing, "Stop flattering yourself. You weren't just leaving a sect; you were kicked out!"

"Second Brother Xing, you've gone too far!" Yu Long's face changed, and he angrily rebuked.

"Hmph!" the elder in the red robe snorted, "Yu Long, don't get too cocky. This young friend here might not be from a sect at all!"

Turning to Ho Liao, the elder in red said, "Young friend, judging by your skills, you seem to have reached the Soulkeep stage and have trained in martial arts. But I don't see any of the pretentious habits typical of sect members. Am I right?"

"You're blind!" the woman suddenly snapped. "This young friend is barely twenty! How could he have reached the Soulkeep stage without the help of a sect?"

The elderly man in the red robe wasn't bothered by the woman's retort. Instead, he continued speaking to Ho Liao, "Young friend, the term 'wild cultivator' refers to those who have never been part of a sect, and thus, have not been expelled due to any misconduct. On the other hand, a 'proper cultivator' is someone who has joined a sect but was later expelled for serious mistakes. Do you understand now?"

Ho Liao finally grasped the situation and couldn't help but find it amusing. How could those expelled from a sect call themselves 'proper cultivators' and mock others? He couldn't see the point in maintaining such pride. It seemed hypocritical to him. If a cultivator can't recognize their reality, they aren't truly independent. Even among independent cultivators, such people are just drifting aimlessly. Ho Liao believed this wasn't the path for a true cultivator and held little respect for those who couldn't find their rightful place.