Chapter 132: A Visitor from the Windcloud Guard

“Nothing.” Luo Tian came back to himself. His absent-minded behavior just now had indeed been discourteous, and had done rather a lot to damage his image as a senior fellow disciple. “Junior Sister Shen, do you have any other questions?”

Since he had not revealed either his aura or his true strength, there was no way for the others to tell that Luo Tian had already reached the Meridian Flow Realm. Of course, a powerhouse of the Origin Core Realm would have had no trouble seeing through him.

As for raising his seniority within the sect by another level, Luo Tian had not cared in the slightest.

He was leaving this place soon. Why bother with such things?

“N-no, that’s all!”

In the instant it took her to blink, Shen Lanxing felt that Senior Brother Luo seemed to have undergone some strange change. Yet if she were asked to explain exactly what it was, she would have found it too embarrassing to say.

It was almost as though Senior Brother Luo had seen right through her.

The thought brought a flush to Shen Lanxing’s pretty face. Stammering, she said, “Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Luo. I-I’ll be going now.”

Without waiting for Luo Tian to say anything else, she hurried away.

After a moment’s thought, Luo Tian called out to her with utmost seriousness.

“What is it, Senior Brother Luo?”

Shen Lanxing turned around in confusion, displeasure showing on her face. What was this fellow trying to do now?

“Three thousand contribution points,” Luo Tian said flatly, as though the foolishly captivated man who had stared at Shen Lanxing moments ago had not been him at all. His tone was astonishingly self-righteous.

“You…”

Shen Lanxing’s delicate brows shot up, and she nearly lost her temper. He had just stared at her so rudely, and now he actually had the nerve to ask for sect contributions?

But after thinking it over, she realized that refusing to pay would make even less sense.

As a descendant of the illustrious Shen family, she knew perfectly well the price of seeking guidance. If she were shameless enough to rely on her status and refuse to pay, the matter would surely spread and become another laughingstock for the other three great clans.

Besides, if she insisted on arguing, could she really tell people that she had refused to pay because Luo Tian had looked at her face?

Her thoughts raced, but in the end Shen Lanxing could only grit her teeth, angrily toss her identity token to Luo Tian, and transfer the three thousand contribution points. Only then did she storm away.

After the Divine Eye evolved, Luo Tian felt that there was no longer much point in guiding outer disciples at the Qi Condensation Realm. Even if they succeeded in breaking through, the value of the golden motes they contributed was negligible.

Luo Tian did not know what form the Divine Eye would take in its next evolution. Yet it was an undeniable fact that after several motes had entered it, the Divine Eye had not changed in the slightest.

His strength had advanced further, reaching the Meridian Flow Realm. The origin energy within his body flowed like water, surging ceaselessly like waves and tides. During this period, the Divine Eye had also successfully evolved. Not only could it now see the origin energy of every element, it could also perceive the profound truths other cultivators had comprehended and estimate the depth of their understanding according to the strength of those truths.

With nothing else to do for the moment, Luo Tian now devoted himself to waiting for the Windcloud Guard’s examination. He very much wanted to go out and see whether the existence of elemental spirits could truly be discovered by observing the concentrations of the various types of origin energy. Yet after giving it some thought, he decided to remain still for the time being.

Although the Meridian Flow Realm provided a foundation for venturing beyond the sect, throughout the entire Cloudpeak Empire, such strength amounted to nothing. Luo Tian had no intention of placing himself in danger so casually.

A cultivator should indeed advance fearlessly, but that did not mean rushing headlong into meaningless dangers. There was nothing wrong with making careful plans before taking action.

Moreover, Wanfeng City’s jurisdiction extended for a thousand miles in every direction, providing ample opportunities for training. Luo Tian was confident that he could achieve the Origin Core Realm. There was no need to run off now and risk venturing into the unknown.

At the very least, he would wait until he possessed enough strength to protect himself.

As a result, Luo Tian’s life during those few days was rather leisurely. He did not rush his cultivation. He had already entered the Meridian Flow Realm and consolidated his foundation, so it was impossible for him to break through again in the short term. He might as well relax for a while.

Alternating exertion with rest was the proper path of cultivation.

Yet three days before the examination, something happened that gave Liu Changtian a considerable headache.

The City Lord’s Residence had finally discovered that Jiang Zhenglong was missing. It mobilized many of its subordinate forces to investigate the matter and ordered all the other factions in Wanfeng City to report immediately if they discovered anything suspicious.

Although no one had noticed the important role the disciples of the Divine Sun Sect had played in the matter, Liu Changtian still could not set his mind at ease.

He would never dare hand Luo Tian over. If the Seventh Prince happened to remember the matter one day and flew into a rage, wiping out all four great clans, the consequences would be unthinkable. And if the City Lord’s Residence learned that a disciple of the Divine Sun Sect had beaten Jiang Zhenglong to death, would the sect receive any mercy?

They had to divert the Windcloud Guard’s attention at once. They could not allow them to keep fixating on the Divine Sun Sect!

Therefore, when a disciple came to report that the Windcloud Guard had sent people into the Divine Sun Sect, Liu Changtian was torn with hesitation. In the end, he had no choice but to honestly send an elder down to receive them.

Outside the Divine Sun Sect stood three men, all dressed in identical azure armor and carrying regulation sabers on their backs. An identity token hung at each man’s waist.

The palm-sized black tokens swayed in the wind. One side bore five dots linked together, resembling five stars enclosed within a circle, much like the disciple tokens of the Divine Sun Sect. The other side was engraved with the words “Wanfeng City,” while the words “Windcloud Guard” beneath them were noticeably smaller.

The man in the middle appeared to be the leader of the group. He stood half a step ahead of the other two, making his superior status unmistakable.

He had a square face, dark skin, and thick, heavy brows. He looked like a man of bold and forthright character. Yet the sharp glints that occasionally flashed through his eyes added a distinctly murderous edge to his appearance.

Hua Xiangyang, the Windcloud Guard’s representative in Wanfeng City, was an exceptionally formidable figure, renowned even within the Windcloud Guard.

“Captain, isn’t coming here just a waste of time?” asked a thin young man among the three, his tone clearly expressing his displeasure at having been sent to the Divine Sun Sect.

The man beside him immediately coughed several times. “Brother Song, the captain has made his decision. Stop spouting useless nonsense, or you’ll be climbing Black Mountain again when we get back!”

The thin young man pursed his lips and instinctively shrank his neck, but ultimately did not dare say another word. Clearly, the threat carried considerable weight.

“Hahaha! I had no idea several friends from the Windcloud Guard were coming from so far away. Forgive us for not welcoming you sooner!”

The voice arrived before the man himself. Liu Neng came forward with a broad smile, followed by four inner disciples of the Meridian Flow Realm.

“Captain Hua, wasn’t the last time we met five years ago? Hahaha! Judging by your appearance, you’ve already reached the Azure Radiance Transformation of the Meridian Flow Realm? Truly impressive for someone so young, truly impressive!”

After nine revolutions of Qi Condensation came the nine transformations of the Meridian Flow Realm. Azure Radiance Transformation was considered the sixth level, only one step away from the later stages of the realm.

Though Liu Neng was an elder of the Origin Core Realm, he naturally lowered his posture before Hua Xiangyang, displaying none of the arrogance one might expect from an Origin Core cultivator.

“Elder Liu, it has been some time,” Hua Xiangyang said with an expressionless cupped-fist salute. “Our visit this time is indeed rather abrupt. The matter is urgent, and I dare not delay your return to the sect for too long. Please take us to meet Sect Master Liu Changtian as soon as possible.”

Though he said this, there was not the slightest trace of embarrassment in his tone.

“Of course! This way, everyone!”

Liu Neng led the way. The expression on his face changed at once.

They were merely running errands for the City Lord’s Residence. What did they have to be so proud about?