C16 The Meeting Began!

"Pretending to be exemplary." Faang Shen's expression turned ominously dark as he watched Yuwen Tian walk away. He had arrived on a mission to crush the other three sects.

"Yuwen Tian, rest assured, I will certainly teach you a lesson," Faang Shen vowed silently, having already condemned Yuwen Tian to his demise.

Zilong from the Purple Cloud Sect noticed the tension between Faang Shen and Yuwen Tian but chose to remain silent. In fact, he relished the discord, as it meant he could potentially benefit from their fierce rivalry.

In the evening, after Pingyu had slowly healed from his injuries, he came to apologize to Yuwen Tian. "Saint, I blame myself. I couldn't even defeat the fifth-ranked inner disciple of the Foursquare Sect."

He Xiangwen, Bai Ling'er, and others had heard about the incident and visited Yuwen Tian's room. "It doesn't make sense. Are the members of the Foursquare Sect really that formidable?" He Xiangwen expressed his bewilderment, his tone laced with incredulity.

Given that the Foursquare Sect and the Heaven Sect were ostensibly equal in strength, such a significant disparity between their inner disciples seemed improbable.

Bai Ling'er spoke with a delicate voice, "Regardless, I refuse to believe that Wei Li is merely the fifth-ranked disciple of the Foursquare Sect. If that's true, then the competition among the inner disciples is pointless, and our Heaven Sect is bound to be defeated."

Yuwen Tian gave them a nonchalant look and remarked coolly, "The inner disciple competition is of no concern to me. Whether Wei Li ranks fifth or first among the Foursquare Sect's inner disciples is irrelevant to me."

His statement left the others staring at him in astonishment. They remembered Yuwen Tian's declaration before leaving the sect: he had come to the exchange meeting of the four sects to honor the Heaven Sect and to strengthen its influence in the Mirage Sea Realm.

Feeling the stunned gazes of those around him, Yuwen Tian offered a slight smile and said, "Truthfully, I'm not concerned with the rivalries among the inner disciples, nor those among the true disciples. As long as I can single-handedly defeat all the Saints from the other sects, all problems will be resolved."

"That's why you shouldn't feel any pressure. Just leave everything to me." Despite the casual tone of Yuwen Tian's voice, it carried an air of undeniable authority.

"Uh..." Yuwen Tian's statement left everyone at a loss for words, their own comments suddenly stifled.

Pingyu initially thought Yuwen Tian was simply offering him a graceful exit. He felt even more embarrassed and was profoundly grateful to Yuwen Tian.

Three days later, the much-anticipated exchange meeting of the four premier sects of the Mirage Sea Realm was set to take place at the Red Pavilion in Dongfang City.

The Battle Tiger Sect arrived a day earlier. Their Son, Zhan Feng, was a towering figure with sharp, piercing eyes and a brow that hinted at his exceptional presence, exuding an aura of crisp efficiency.

In Dongfang City, at the Red Pavilion.

Warriors from across the major cities of the Mirage Sea Realm flocked to the Red Pavilion, eager to witness the triennial exchange meeting of the realm's four leading sects.

By now, the Red Pavilion was teeming with thousands of people, predominantly warriors from the major cities of the Mirage Sea Realm, with those from Dongfang City in the greatest numbers.

"This exchange meeting between the Purple Cloud Sect, Foursquare Sect, Heaven Sect, and Battle Tiger Sect is essentially a contest among the younger generation. It's going to be quite the spectacle," observed a keen spectator, visibly excited by the prospect.

"We're well aware of that. These four sects are the most formidable powers in the Mirage Sea Realm. I'm curious to see just how skilled their most distinguished young members are."

"What I'm really looking forward to is finding out which sect's Son has the superior strength."

Nearly all the warriors from the major cities of the Mirage Sea Realm who had arrived at the Red Pavilion were brimming with anticipation for the exchange meeting of the four sects.

Representatives from the Foursquare Sect, Heaven Sect, Purple Cloud Sect, and Battle Tiger Sect also made their way to the venue, bringing together the four esteemed Sons.

The four Saints were naturally the leaders of the inter-sect exchange meeting.

At a square table, one person sat on each side, north, south, east, and west, with several core disciples standing behind them.

Faang Shen, the Saint Son of the Foursquare Sect, surveyed the crowd and declared, "We will adhere to the usual protocol for this exchange. Inner circle disciples will spar in martial arts first, followed by the true disciples, and finally, we four Saints will face off."

Zhan Feng, the Saint Son of the Battle Tiger Sect, spoke with authority, "Since we're sticking to the old rules, there's nothing more to discuss. Let's proceed accordingly."

Zilong of the Purple Cloud Sect had no objections, merely watching the crowd with an amiable grin.

Yuwen Tian stated coolly, "Let's get started. I don't have all day to squander here."

"You, Yuwen Tian, are you suggesting we're wasting time?" Faang Shen asked, his tone sharp. For some reason, Yuwen Tian's aloof demeanor irked him.

Yuwen Tian gave Faang Shen a chilly look and retorted, "Exactly."

"Hmph! Fine, I'm eager to see just how much your Holy Son of Heaven title is worth," Faang Shen responded icily.

"As you wish, provided you're capable," Yuwen Tian replied dismissively, already considering Faang Shen a non-issue.

Zhan Feng and Zilong sensed the palpable tension between Faang Shen and Yuwen Tian, each cracking a concealed smile. The fiercer the rivalry, the more satisfying it was for them.

Yuwen Tian had zero interest in the clashes between the inner sect and true disciples. Even if the Heaven Sect suffered a humiliating defeat, it was of no consequence to him. His sole focus was on defeating the other three sects' Saints and claiming the 5,000 villain's points for himself, a prize he coveted greatly.

The arena thundered with the sounds of combat, and the Red Pavilion echoed with continuous cheers and gasps of awe.

"Bang!" The tenth inner circle disciple from the Heaven Sect was struck, spitting blood and hurled backwards.

"Haha! The inner disciples of the Heaven Sect are truly garbage!" boasted an inner disciple of the Foursquare Sect with unbridled arrogance.

"Indeed, the Foursquare Sect's strength is formidable. The older generation of the Heaven Sect aside, the younger generation just doesn't measure up," remarked someone.

"Don't be hasty, this is merely a contest among the inner disciples. The true disciples are yet to compete. I believe the true disciples of the Heaven Sect will prove themselves," another chimed in.

"Mm-hmm, let's just wait and see."

Approaching Yuwen Tian with caution and a look of remorse, an inner disciple of the Heaven Sect whispered, "Holy Son, we have disgraced the Heaven Sect."

"Mm," Yuwen Tian responded with a nonchalant hum, his expression unchanging and impassive.

Bai Ling'er, standing nearby, spoke up gently, "Holy Son, there's no need to be upset. If you feel like scolding someone, just let it out. It's so uncomfortable to keep it bottled up."

"Yes, Holy Son, please scold us. It will make us feel a bit better," the inner disciple pleaded, filled with shame.

"No need to speak. Just quietly observe the exchange," Yuwen Tian dismissed with a wave of his hand, seemingly indifferent.

In his heart, it didn't matter how inadequate the disciples of the Heaven Sect were. As long as he was there, he alone was enough to uphold the prestige of a sect.

"Of the four major sects, the Heaven Sect is somewhat weaker, while the Foursquare Sect is more dominant. The Battle Tiger Sect and the Purple Cloud Sect, however, seem to be evenly matched," warriors from the Red Mansion speculated.

"He Xiangwen, I've heard you're quite strong among the true disciples of the Heaven Sect. Let's see what you're made of," declared Hu Shan, a true disciple of the Battle Tiger Sect, his voice thick with conceit.

With a thunderous roar, Hu Shan charged forward like a ferocious tiger descending the mountain, stirring up a whirlwind. His Yuan Qi surged as he wielded a massive axe, swinging it down towards He Xiangwen's head with the force to cleave the heavens and shatter the earth. The presence of a peak Xiantian Ninth Realm warrior intimidated everyone in attendance.

He Xiangwen's cultivation level was on the lower side, having only just reached the Ninth Xiantian Realm. He found himself intimidated by the oppressive presence of Tiger Mountain from the Battle Tiger Sect. After a brief moment of hesitation, he quickly raised his treasured sword to defend himself.

The clash of metal rang out sharply as He Xiangwen's arms went numb from the impact, forcing him to stagger back several steps before he could steady himself. His face registered shock as he watched the towering figure of Hu Shan launch another ferocious attack.

A barrage of axe shadows filled the sky, bringing with them an overwhelming force that cut off He Xiangwen's escape. It was a sight of sheer terror.

He Xiangwen fought desperately, but ultimately, Hu Shan's axe bent his Azure Light Sword and left a dent in his chest.

"Haha! Not only are the inner disciples of the Heaven Sect weak, but even their true disciples are rubbish. I'm not even the fifth-ranked true disciple in the Battle Tiger Sect," Hu Shan boasted with a wild laugh, "As I thought, the Heaven Sect is nothing but trash."

With a contemptuous spit, Hu Shan chose not to finish off He Xiangwen. Instead, he swaggered back with his axe slung over his shoulder.

Bai Ling'er turned her worried gaze to Yang Dingtian. "You're the last of our true disciples standing. You can't afford another defeat, or the Heaven Sect will truly be seen as the weakest."

Concern was evident on Bai Ling'er's fair face.

Yang Dingtian was confident in his strength; he believed he wouldn't have any issues unless he faced a warrior from the Violet Palace Realm. With conviction, he promised, "Don't worry, I will redeem our honor."

Yang Dingtian's opponent was Ling Feng, the fourth-ranked true disciple from the Purple Cloud Sect, who carried a golden longsword. "You must be the strongest true disciple of the Heaven Sect, aside from Yuwen Tian. Let's battle!" he said calmly.

Without any unnecessary chatter, Ling Feng's sword intent suddenly erupted, transforming him into the embodiment of a pure swordsman. The sheer sharpness of his sword aura drew the attention of all those around him.

Swoosh!

Ling Feng exuded an aura of sheer brilliance, and with a flick of his right hand, he unleashed a sword strike. A dazzling white light flashed, and a razor-sharp sword energy ripped through the void, hurtling straight towards Yang Dingtian.

"Damn, that's some strong sword energy!"

Feeling the formidable force of the sword energy, Yang Dingtian's heart raced. In a moment of desperation that earned him the contempt of the crowd, he made a disgraceful move. He leaped off the combat platform, yelling at the top of his lungs, "I concede!"