"Master, during all these years you were away, I have been properly developing the Ghostface Sect. We will be of great help to you!" said Green Ghost seriously.

Devouring Ghost said softly, "I had never imagined that you would reach this level relying on yourself. But with your strength, it will still be very hard for you to face the actual top organizations."

The Heaven Battling Realm, also known as the Saint Realm, was the realm beyond the Soul Foundation Realm. At the Heaven Battling Realm, one would shed one's mortal body and exchange one's bones, forming the body of a Saint, possessing the strength to fight the heavens. With a wave of one's hands, one could upturn heaven and earth. With a stomp of one's foot, one could collapse mountains. This was the type of strength a regular person couldn't even begin to imagine.

Those at this realm would have a lifespan of over 10,000 years. With how long Green Ghost had lived, it was obvious how high a realm he had reached. With his strength, wherever he went, he would be a formidable individual. Someone like him could easily found a tier-7 organization. In fact, the Ghostface Sect was as powerful as a tier-7 organization. However, they had maintained their influence within this Bloodsin City and had kept a low-profile. Because of that, not many people knew their actual strength.

"I'm nothing compared to master," said Green Ghost humbly.

"Since you've managed to reach this stage, I will naturally impart on you some of my experiences and the complete battle techniques I hadn’t taught you back then. Hopefully, that will help you reach an even higher height," promised Devouring Ghost. "However, you must remain loyal to the young master, or you won't be my disciple anymore."

"Master, i-is the young master Lord Xiang?" Green Ghost probed cautiously.

"Yes and no," answered Devouring Ghost with an uncertain tone. "He is the one who has obtained the master's inheritance. He is also a descendant of the Xiang Clan's main branch family. Therefore, I have selected him as my young master. He will be the one to finish the master's unfinished job."

"Since you are not sure if he is Lord Xiang, why are you so strongly attached to him? Why don't you stay here? I'll pass you the sect master's position. With the Ghostface Sect, we can also do something big!" Green Ghost persuaded.

"Is that really what you think?" Devouring Ghost asked coldly.

When Green Ghost met his master's eyes, fear surfaced in his heart. However, he was no longer an ordinary person, so he braced himself and said, "With your talent, you should proclaim yourself a hegemon! Why do you need to be someone's underling?"

"Hmph! You are the one who doesn't want to be someone's underling, right?" said Devouring Ghost, displeased. "Green Ghost, remember my words. If you don't want to follow the young master, that's fine. But from now onward, our relationship shall be severed. We will no longer have anything to do with each other."

After saying that, Devouring Ghost stood up and started leaving. It was clear Green Ghost's proposal had angered him. Green Ghost quickly stopped him: "Don't be angry, master. It was just a proposal. If you disagree, I will forget about it! From now on, the Ghostface Sect will be doing the biddings of Young Master Xiang."

"Hmph. I'm afraid you aren't even being sincere," said Devouring Ghost, his face ashen. He then sighed, "Everyone has their own ambition. You have been a sect master for 10,000 years and have been free to do whatever you wish. It is understandable why you would have such a thought. But let me tell you something. Only by following the young master will you reach higher heights. In fact, even leaving the dominion is possible."

When Green Ghost heard the firmness within Devouring Ghost's tone, he accepted the explanation even though he still wasn't very convinced. Regardless, he still respected Devouring Ghost and wished that Devouring Ghost would be able to impart upon him more of what hadn't been taught to him in the past, allowing him to further his cultivation.

As for Xiang Shaoyun, Green Ghost decided to continue assuming the role of a bystander. If that young man really demonstrated excellent talent and could be a Sovereign within 100 years, he wouldn't mind taking the young man as his master.

Devouring Ghost could see the reluctance in Green Ghost's eyes, but he couldn't be bothered to say anything else. He believed that it wouldn't be long before Green Ghost had a change of mind.

...

Outside the hall, Xiang Shaoyun and Lady Shura were strolling around randomly. Unlike other organizations, the Ghostface Sect was much less bustling. Not many pedestrians could be seen walking around, and most of the time, only the occasional patrolling members in a group of three to five could be seen.

Most members were either in cultivation or out of the sect on missions. Thus, the Ghostface Sect's headquarters was rather quiet. One could say that the Ghostface Sect was a sect that focused on growth and wasted no time doing unnecessary things. The two walked a serene stone path without saying anything. It was as if both were waiting for the other to say something, or perhaps both had no idea what to say.

Eventually, Lady Shura was the first to break the silence, "I heard you have become a special-recruit disciple of the Dragon Phoenix Academy?"

Xiang Shaoyun nodded. "Yes, looks like you are quite well informed. Take your mask off and fight me. Let's conclude our deal before I leave for the Dragon Phoenix Academy."

Back then, after seeing Lady Shura's real face, he was greatly attracted to her. He did not wish to see her fall into the embrace of another man. She could only be his. They had then made a promise that so long as Xiang Shaoyun could surpass her in three years, she would become his woman, with Green Ghost's approval.

"Ok. I want to see for myself your actual strength as well," said Lady Shura. She knew he was a War Emperor, but she was two stages above him in cultivation level. As one of the city's top-10 young experts, she was no pushover either. She did not believe that she wouldn't be a match for him.

Thus, she brought him straight to the Ghostface Sect's training field. The training field was located indoor instead of outdoor. It was a stone room of about 2,000 square meters in size. The room was further reinforced by a formation. Any attacks below the strength of the formation would not be able to deal any damage to the room.

Both Xiang Shaoyun and Lady Shura entered the stone room.

"Bring it on!" said Lady Shura with a thick battle intent in her eyes.

As the representative of the new generation of Ghostface Sect experts, she had the favor of the sect master. Therefore, she did not wish to be defeated by Xiang Shaoyun, who had a lower cultivation level than her.

But she also knew that Xiang Shaoyun had impressive combat prowess. Thus, she longed to have a battle with him so as to verify her own strength and to see if he was really as strong as rumored.

"Take your mask off first," Xiang Shaoyun requested.

"You can freely take the mask off if you win," said Lady Shura.

"Hehe, I can take off that mask freely even without defeating you," said Xiang Shaoyun with a smile. He had barely finished his words when only an afterimage was left where he stood. He then reappeared before Lady Shura and grabbed at her mask.

Lady Shura had not expected that he was that fast. Fortunately, she reacted in time and quickly blocked his hand with her own hand, stopping him from taking off her mask.