It’s good that things were resolved peacefully between the Shadow Devil Sect and the Thousand Sect Alliance—well, mostly peacefully. Quite a few people tried to resist, but Senior Clam convinced them not to … through violence. It’s almost as if I’m with Lucia again, but it’s not the same. Senior Clam doesn’t have the charisma or charm that Lucia has. My heart doesn’t thump when he takes action. It’s been a while since I’ve felt excited for anything, actually. Most of my time’s been spent cultivating in isolation.

“Little Moon.”

“Grandfather.”

“You’ve done well.”

“Thank you, Grandfather.” With the help of the Righteous Buddha Sect’s loot, the elders of the sect have fully recovered. At first, they were reluctant to consume such expensive healing pills, but when I told them about the sects that were strong-armed into being beneath us, they ate them right away. Without the appropriate strength, none of the sects will listen. Senior Clam and I might be the only sky-realm experts in Kong County right now, but once Senior Clam leaves and I enter secluded meditation, there’ll be plots and schemes to whittle away at the Shadow Devil Sect’s authority.

“This alliance however…, I have a headache just thinking about it,” my grandfather said and rubbed his head. He smiled at me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “But you can leave that to me. You should focus on cultivating. Once you’re a peak sky-realm expert, no one will try to antagonize our sect.”

“I understand, Grandfather.” That’s right, strength is the greatest deterrent. Would the Righteous Buddha Sect have caused us so much trouble if I had been strong enough to kill their three experts in a single strike? Of course not. “I don’t have many vials of Lucia’s impurities left. Shall I open the passage to her pocket realm and send in a junior to fetch some more?” I wish I could personally go to see her, but the pocket realm won’t allow me to enter.

“Yes, that might not be a bad idea.” My grandfather stroked his beard and nodded. “We’ll also have an update on Sect Leader Fluffytail’s progress that way. It would be nice if she was on the verge of becoming an immortal.” My grandfather’s eyes narrowed, and his voice lowered. “We’re lucky no immortals have come to pursue her. Perhaps no one noticed she’s a squirrelkin?”

“It’d be best if that were the case.” I’ve encountered an immortal once while traveling with Lucia. And despite the fact I’m a sky-realm expert now, I have no confidence in surviving even one attack from an immortal. “I’ll prepare to head towards the pocket realm. Hopefully Lucia built up a lot of impurities during the past ten years.”

As I stood up to leave, an unpleasant feeling washed over me. “But it seems like even that will have to be delayed.” With the help of the massive formation embedded in the ground around the Thousand Sect Alliance’s stronghold that we erected over the past two days, I sensed a group of cultivators heading our way, the weakest of which was an earth-realm expert. “There’s … a lot of sky-realm experts coming towards us, Grandfather. I know you’ve recovered, but I think it’s best if you stayed here.”

“And let my precious granddaughter face them all alone? Nonsense.”

“Grandfather…, please.” I nearly lost my grandfather when the experts from the Righteous Buddha Sect assaulted us, and this time, there weren’t only three sky-realm experts. “You’ll….” I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

But my grandfather sighed, knowing the end to my unfinished thought. “I’ve become a burden, is that it? I’ve gotten old.”

A light went out in my grandfather’s eyes. It pains me to see him this way, but it’s for the best. I won’t be able to fight at my full potential if I have to look out for my grandfather’s safety. “Grandfather…, I’ll be going now.” I donned my veil before teleporting outside, up into the sky. Senior Clam was already up there, staring off into the distance. I think. I still didn’t know where his eyes were located.

“Vice-Sect Leader Moonlight…, uh, you see, I have important business I need to attend to,” Senior Clam said once I arrived. “I’ve been putting it off for ten years now.” Coughs escaped from his shell. “You understand, right? Since that’s the case, goodbye and I hope to see you again!”

Before I could say a word, Senior Clam turned into a beam of light, shooting across the sky. I didn’t expect him to stay and help. Considering the fact he wasn’t willing to fight me, a single sky-realm expert, there’s no way he’d stay around to confront ten of them. It didn’t take long for the incoming experts to appear before me. They were wearing rainbow robes with long colorful feathers trailing behind them. “Elders must be from the Rainbow Phoenix Sect.” I already know why they’re here: to get revenge for the Red Phoenix Sect. If they couldn’t figure out our Shadow Devil Sect was the cause of their demise in ten years, they didn’t deserve the ten sky-realm experts standing behind them. But I had to ask anyway. “I am Vice-Sect Leader Moonlight of the Shadow Devil Sect, leader of the Thousand Sect Alliance. May I know what brings the esteemed elders to my humble abode?”

Waves of pressure washed over me as the ten sky-realm experts unleashed their auras. A hundred earth-realm experts stood behind them on a flying boat with six phoenixes circling around it. They were at the peak of the earth realm. This … is a lot more than I expected. It seems like all the elders of the Rainbow Phoenix Sect had come to get revenge. One sky-realm expert floated forward. “Hmm? I didn’t expect to meet such a young sky-realm expert here. Interesting. I am the sect leader of the Rainbow Phoenix Sect, Vermillion Blaze. Today, we’ve come to deliver divine retribution to the Shadow Devil Sect. Where is your sect leader, Heart Devil Lucia? She’ll be the first to die.”

How should I respond? Sorry, she’s not here at the moment? I don’t think they’d accept that. I took in a deep breath, but before I could say anything, a black beam of sword qi cut through the air and sliced the flying boat in half, slaying two of the phoenixes and at least seven earth-realm experts in the process. A deep roar resounding with killing intent echoed out from behind me. “The ones that’ll die today will be you!”

I turned my head, and a familiar face that I hadn’t seen in a while appeared in my vision. “Brother Claw!”