Inside the Xin Sect which was on the summit of the central mountain.

A palace stood taller and more magnificent than all the other palaces.

It was the palace of the Sect Leader of the Xin Sect.

With a dragon sculpted from a jade, curling outside the roof of this golden palace, it was a sign that a dragon resided inside it.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Inside it.

Zho Luo was still afraid to turn around and face the sect leader with his gaze.

But what was the reason for this fear?

'Mhmm.'

Zhao Luo trembled again as he could feel someone surveying him from his head to toe. 

It was the aura of the sect leader, that was giving Zhao Luo a certain feeling.

Zhao Luo felt naked as if he couldn't hide anything from the person who was looking at him.

"I have to behave otherwise I may just die if I turn around."

Zhao Luo had just made up his mind when a voice resounded in the golden hall.

"I had smiled after a long time a few days ago. It was because I saw a lion cub trying to roar like a lion when the sound leaving its mouth was only a cub's squeaking sounds."

The sect leader spoke with a thundering voice.

'Is he trying to tell me something?'

Zhao Luo hurriedly thought about anything that could have happened which matched the description that the sect leader had just said.

"Turn around young man, and let me see how the cub looks like."

The sect leader ordered Zhao Luo.

'I am the cub?'

While marveling at the fact that the lion cub, the sect leader was talking about was him, Zhao Luo turned around to finally face the sect leader.

The moment Zhao Luo turned around, the sect leader had pulled back his aura, letting the pressure on Zhao Luo calm down.

"I greet the Sect Leader."

Zhao Luo bowed down his head before looking at the Sect leader.

Bao Fei smiled from the sideline as he looked at this scene.

He was only supposed to give Zhao Luo the result and the reward for clearing the four challenges but at the last moment, the sect leader had ordered him to bring Zhao Luo to him.

'It looks like they have some catching on to do.'

Bao Fei thought.

"Raise your head and come close."

The sect leader ordered Zhao Luo.

Zhao Luo listened to him. While raising his head, he moved two steps closer and saw the face of the person who ruled over a hundred thousand warriors, disciples and elders included, of the Xin Sect.

"I, Xin Wang, welcome you to my palace."

The sect leader introduced himself in a manner but the shocking thing was, that he acted generously by welcoming Zhao Luo.

Zhao Luo saw a handsome man. The man's complexion was a little dark but his facial features were sharp. His eyes were black while during the short moment that Zhao Luo was looking at the Sect Leader, the black eyes had given away a lustrous golden shine three times. His long black hairs were tied behind his head which made him look even sharper. 

To top it off, the sect leader was sitting on a normal chair.

Yes, a four-legged piece of garbage.

'I was hoping for an amazing throne. He looks like a Mongol emperor ready to take a kindergarten class.'

Zhao Luo was let down when he compared the person to his sitting.

'He resembles someone but why the sudden change in his speech?'

Zhao Luo questioned in his mind as this was the same person who was probing through his body just a second ago.

"I am Zhao Luo. A trainee disciple of the trainee hall."

Zhao Luo pointed at his black badge while introducing himself.

"I know."

Xin Wang said as he nodded.

The sect leader, Xin Wang's, calm demeanor had warmed the golden space around Zhao Luo. Thus allowing him to speak more freely 

"Sect Leader, what did you mean by me being a lion cub?"

This question had been bugging Zhao Luo since the sect leader had spoken mysteriously about the cub acting like a grown lion.

"Young man, have you forgotten your bold announcement outside the teleportation building of my Sect?"

Xin Wang told Zhao Luo which caused certain memory flashbacks to invade Zhao Luo's head.

(Memory flashback)

"I will become the strongest in the Xin Sect."

(Memory flashback ended)

'Mhmm, why did I shout out my plan?'

Zhao Luo cursed himself as he awkwardly smiled at the sect leader who was looking at him closely.

"I was too excited then."

Zhao Luo scratched the back of his head while telling the sect leader with an awkward smile on his face.

"No need to make excuses. It is good to have an excited person like you who can live up to his goals. The reason I told 'little third' to bring you here is...."

The sect leader looked confused for a second as he had his index finger pointed upwards like he was going to tell the reason.

'Little third?'

Zhao Luo glanced at the third elder and could barely hold his laugh.

Other than that his only wish was that the sect leader could stop adding these suspenseful stops.

"There are two reasons and not one."

Xin Wang opened his middle finger and pointed it upwards along with his index finger.

"First I wanted to see how the disciple who had completed the missions to become one of my successors would look like."

'Successor?'

Zhao Luo was shocked as the sect leader continued.

"You have indeed grown but don't be conceited over just this much. All of the other successor disciples are stronger than you."

The sect leader told him while waving his hand at Bao Fei.

"Little third, give him the reward."

Xin Wang ordered Bao Fei.

'Nod', Bao Fei nodded and took out a badge from his storage ring.

Bao Fei gave Zhao Luo a golden pentagon badge that was as big as Zhao Luo's hand.

With an 'S' jade dragon carved on the badge, it looked very valuable.

"That is your reward for clearing all the four missions in the right order."

The sect leader told Zhao Luo with a smile which was a short-lived one.

"Just this?"

Zho Luo questioned as he inspected the badge after taking the badge from the third elder.

"Sigh, kids these days. That thing is more valuable than any other reward in this sect. Some disciple even considers it more valuable than their own life."

Bao Fei was the one to answer Zhao Luo as the Sect leader had a displeased look on his face as he watched Zhao Luo.

"It's the successor badge. Once the stage is set, all the disciples who own a successor badge will be eligible to fight for the leadership disregarding their ranks and standing in the sect. But put it away for now."

The third elder whispered to Zhao Luo before moving back to the sideline.

"Remember to advance tomorrow. A king of trainees will only be a trainee."

The sect leader advised Zhao Luo.

"I will remember your guidance."

Zhao Luo bowed deeply to show his gratitude and also for the reward, the golden badge with the jade dragon, aka, the successor's badge.

"Good."

Xin Wang nodded as he praised Zhao Luo's behavior.

Zhao Luo also smiled. It was nice getting praised for once.

But soon his smile disappeared as the Sect leader looked at him with squinted eyes.

The expression of the sect leader had taken a 180° hit in just an instant.

Zhao Luo could feel ice shards pricking at his skin just by the chilly stare of the Sect Leader.

'But Why?'

Zhao Luo was confused as to why the sect leader would show him such an angry expression.

"Little third told me something peculiar. That there is a kid who is trying to swoon over my daughter. My baby girl. My gem. My TREASURE. MY ANGEL."

Xin Wang was getting louder and louder to the point where he started shouting as he talked about his daughter.

Zhao Luo could feel his mind shake because the sound of the sect leader carried his powerful aura which would pressure Zhao Luo's ear.

The world in front of Zhao Luo's eyes started spinning and fear started taking over him as he saw the sect leader getting up from his plastic seat.

Boom!

The seat broke down as Xin Wang got up from it and took a step towards Zhao Luo.

"Coincidentally, the disciple swooning over my daughter is you, Zhao Luo."

Xin Wang whispered in Zhao Luo's ear. Just a single step and he was standing close to Zhao Luo.

'I almost pissed my pants.'

Zhao Luo was shocked by the Sect leader's foot technique which was similar to the third elder's.

"S-sect leader, I d-don't know your d-daughter."

Zhao Luo replied while stuttering as he didn't dare to meet Xin Wang's eyes.

"Hahaha."

The sect leader laughed frantically.

That was when Bak Fei intervened.

"Leader, that seems to be the case. The young lady has been wandering around while hiding her identity."

The third elder told the sect leader while Zhao Luo carefully listened to the truth spoken by the third elder.

'Young lady? I am close to her? Hiding her identity?'

Zhao Luo matched everything in his mind and only a single image appeared in his head.

"Yan."

Zhao Luo unconsciously shouted her name as the Sect Leader and Bao Fei looked at him.

"You said she was hiding her identity then how does he know her name?"

The sect leader questioned Bao Fei as the end of his brows arched up.

"Oh no, Yan isn't a boy?"

Zhao Luo feigned ignorance as he went against the flow.

It was a do-or-die situation for him so to live he would even sell his soul.

'Huh?'

The Sect leader and Bao Fei both looked at Zhao Luo in a questioning way.

"I mean, I was close to Yan because I thought he was a boy."

Zhao Luo told them as he looked innocently in their eyes.

"Is that the truth?"

The sect leader looked at Bao Fei.

"Yes, the young lady is indeed pretending to be a boy."

Bao Fei bowed and told him.

"So you will not like her from now on because she is a lady and not a man?"

The sect leader asked Zhao Luo with a menacing look in his eyes.

It was more like he was setting Zhao Luo's future interaction with Yan by clearly telling him that Zhao can't like her.

Zhao Luo wondered how he should answer this when the wrong answer could just cost him his life.

'Gulp.'

Zhao Luo swallowed his saliva under the sharp gazes of the Sect Leader and the one with the weird hairstyle, the third elder.