The mountain wind rustled through the pines.
No one spoke.
The disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect stood in silence, their eyes moving between the corpses of the bandits and the young man covered in blood.
A fifteen-year-old...
Who had killed a Spirit gathering cultivator.
It was difficult to believe.
Senior Sister Luo Yue's gaze lingered on Lin Yuan.
His clothes were coarse homemade fabric, the kind worn by hunters and villagers. There were no sect insignias, no family crest, and no expensive treasures.
He looked like an ordinary mountain youth.
Yet the captain's corpse told a different story.
One of the disciples stepped forward.
"Senior Sister, perhaps he received help."
Another nodded.
"There's no way someone his age defeated a Spirit gathering cultivator alone."
The disciples instinctively looked toward Gu Chen.
The old man sat on a rock, lazily drinking wine as though the discussion had nothing to do with him.
Luo Yue asked politely,
"Senior, did you intervene?"
Gu Chen looked up with a puzzled expression.
"Me?"
He pointed at himself.
"I have old bones and bad knees."
"I barely managed to walk here."
The disciples kept staring at him.
Not a single one of them believed him.
But what confused them though was none could sense even a trace of spiritual energy from his body.
To them...
He truly seemed like nothing more than an old drunk.
Luo Yue decided not to pursue the matter.
She turned back to Lin Yuan.
"You said you fought him alone."
"How?"
Lin Yuan had expected this question.
On the journey down the mountain, he had already begun thinking of how to hide the existence of the Nine Chains.
After a brief pause, he answered.
"My father was a hunter."
"He taught me how to observe my prey."
"I couldn't match the bandit in strength or cultivation."
"So I watched his movements until I found an opening."
It wasn't a lie.
Just not the whole truth.
Luo Yue continued staring him carefully.
There was no hesitation in his voice.
No signs of lying from him.
She slowly nodded.
"Combat instinct..."
She had heard of people like this.
Rare individuals who possessed extraordinary battle awareness despite lacking formal training.
Such talents were born only once in many years.
Another disciple frowned.
"Even so..."
"He still shouldn't have been able to break through the captain's spiritual defenses."
Gu Chen suddenly laughed.
"Who said spiritual defenses are unbreakable?"
The disciple respectfully clasped his fists.
"Senior, that's not what I meant."
Gu Chen stood up, stretched lazily, and walked toward a nearby boulder.
Without gathering spiritual energy...
Without assuming any martial stance...
He simply flicked the stone with one finger.
Tap.
Nothing happened.
The disciples exchanged confused glances.
Then—
The boulder silently crumbled into fine gray dust.
A gust of wind scattered it across the mountain path.
Silence.
The disciples froze.
Even Luo Yue's composed expression changed immediately.
No explosion.
No form of Qi was used.
The stone had simply...
ceased to exist.
Gu Chen looked at the stunned disciples.
"Strength isn't always loud."
Then he returned to drinking as if nothing had happened.
Lin Yuan's heart pounded.
"Just who is this old man?"
Luo Yue bowed deeply.
"Senior..."
"...please forgive our rudeness."
This time, her tone carried genuine respect.
Anyone capable of reducing solid stone to dust with a casual flick of the finger was far beyond her comprehension.
Gu Chen waved dismissively.
"I dislike formalities."
"If you insist on thanking me..."
"Buy me wine someday."
The disciples smiled awkwardly.
No one dared treat him as an ordinary old man anymore.
After a few moments, Luo Yue turned to Lin Yuan again.
"What are your plans now?"
Lin Yuan hesitated.
"I..."
He realized he didn't have any.
His village was gone.
His parents were dead.
He had nowhere to return to.
The only thing he possessed was a promise of vengeance.
Seeing his silence, Luo Yue spoke gently.
"The Azure Cloud Sect accepts disciples every three years."
"The entrance examination begins in one month."
Lin Yuan looked up.
"A sect..."
She nodded.
"With your talent, you should be able to get selected."
One of the male disciples immediately objected.
"Senior Sister!"
"Our sect has strict requirements."
"He has no known background."
"No recommendation."
"And we don't even know his cultivation."
A single glaze from Luo yue was enough to shout him up,she answered calmly.
"Which is why I said he has a chance."
"The examination exists for everyone."
Her eyes met Lin Yuan's.
"If you truly wish to become stronger..."
"Come."
She removed a small jade token from her sleeve.
On one side was carved a drifting cloud.
On the other...
The words Azure Cloud Sect.
She handed it to him.
"Show this at the outer gate."
"They'll know you met us."
Lin Yuan accepted it with both hands.
"This..."
"...is my first opportunity."
He bowed sincerely.
"Thank you."
The disciples mounted their horses one by one.preparing to leave,Before riding away, Luo Yue looked back one last time
"The cultivation world is cruel."
"Never trust appearances."
With those words, the Azure Cloud Sect disciples rode their horses forward disappearing down the winding mountain road.
Only Lin Yuan and Gu Chen remained.
The old man stared after the departing riders until they vanished from sight.
Then he chuckled.
"Well..."
"It seems fate has saved me the trouble."
Lin Yuan looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Gu Chen smiled mysteriously.
"I was planning to take you somewhere."
"But now..."
"...someone else has already opened the door."
He turned and continued walking down the mountain path.
Lin Yuan hurried after him.
The jade token felt cool in his hand.
For the first time since losing everything...
A new path had appeared before him,and he had something to look forward to.
Far away, hidden within the clouds above Black Crow Mountain, a figure dressed in crimson robes watched the departing disciples.
His face was concealed beneath a blood-red mask.
In his hand was another black token engraved with a crimson crescent moon.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"So..."
"The inheritor has left the mountain."
A cold laugh echoed through the clouds.
"Inform the Sect Master."
" The successor has been found..."