After eating in the dining hall, Xu Yang headed toward Li Fire Peak under the morning sun.

’Showing a bit of my strength really paid off,’ he thought. ’People who used to ignore me are suddenly warm and friendly, and even strangers are smiling at me.’

After leaving the Outer Disciple residential area and crossing a field of jagged rocks, a figure suddenly darted out from behind a boulder, blocking his path.

Xu Yang halted, his dormant True Qi stirring as he covertly gathered his Force.

It was none other than Li Rui’an, the man with whom he had clashed palms.

"Congratulations, Brother Xu, on comprehending the Wind and Thunder Strength," Li Rui’an said with a smile, cupping his fist.

Xu Yang’s face was devoid of expression. "Is this all you came here to say?"

Li Rui’an shook his head. "Of course not. I waited here specifically to tell you, Brother Xu, that what happened the other day wasn’t my idea. Kong Yu instructed me to target you and force you to join the Dawn Association."

Although he had already reached the Qi Cultivation Gang realm, with a higher Cultivation than Xu Yang, he was fundamentally different.

He had been practicing martial arts for over three years, and in all that time, he had failed to comprehend Hidden Strength.

’The supposed nobody, a talentless mediocrity with no backing, has turned into a genius on par with the Ten Heroes.’

He couldn’t afford to provoke a genius who might rival the Ten Heroes, even with his higher Cultivation. That was why he had to come and clear the air today—to explain that Kong Yu had set him up.

"Brother Xu, I apologize for my previous actions. How about we call it even? If you ever need my help in the future, I certainly won’t refuse."

Li Rui’an spoke with sincerity, all of his former arrogance and aggression gone.

Xu Yang’s eyes narrowed. "From the sound of it, Brother Li, you aren’t a member of the Dawn Association?"

’He caused trouble for me, and now he comes to apologize with nothing but empty words, telling me something I’d already figured out. There’s not an ounce of sincerity in this.’

’Even a single Qi Replenishing Pill would have been a show of good faith.’

Li Rui’an shook his head. "If they’d used one of their own from the Dawn Association for that little show, it would have been far too obvious. So they found me and asked for a favor. You know how powerful the Dawn Association is; I couldn’t possibly refuse."

Xu Yang nodded, then added, "Then can Brother Li tell me: when Kong Yu asked for your help, was it out of a personal grudge or in the name of the Eagle Society?"

’If it’s the Eagle Society, then the others will have to honor our pact.’

’A pact is a pact and must be honored. But if this has nothing to do with it, I won’t drag the pact into it. It’s best to get a clear answer.’

Li Rui’an paused, taken aback. "It must have been a personal grudge. When Kong Yu found me, he said you killed a close senior brother of his during the Martial Arts Examination and wanted me to help him get some payback."

’So it really is personal!’

Xu Yang said, "Since Brother Li has been so forthcoming, then as you said, let’s consider the matter between us settled."

"Thank you for your understanding, Brother Xu. You should be careful of Kong Yu."

With narrowed eyes, Xu Yang watched Li Rui’an walk away before continuing on his way to Li Fire Peak to work at the forge.

The day passed quickly. At sunset, he descended Li Fire Peak with Chen Chao and the others. This group of senior disciples, all at the Qi Cultivation Gang realm, were much warmer to him than before. They chatted and laughed the entire way, treating him as an expert of their caliber.

Obviously, these people also knew that he had comprehended Hidden Strength after practicing martial arts for just over a year.

Not long after he stepped into the Outer Disciple residential area, a voice suddenly called out from a tavern nearby. "Junior Brother Xu, could you come up for a chat?"

Xu Yang looked up and saw a man with an extraordinary bearing standing on the second floor of the tavern.

"That’s Shi Yong of the Heroic Assembly," Chen Chao reminded him in a low voice. "Junior Brother Xu, hurry up. You can’t afford to slight him."

"Senior Brother, wait for me!"

Xu Yang called out before turning and entering the tavern.

’There are benefits to showing your strength. Even someone like Li Rui’an came to bow his head. Now, not just any random nobody will dare to cause trouble for me.’

’But at the same time, anyone who dares to challenge me now won’t be a nobody—they’ll be a real tiger.’

’He used to be unknown, but now he had caught the attention of the true experts among the Outer Disciples. He might face less trouble from now on, but when it came, it would be serious.’

When he reached the second floor, he saw Shi Yong seated at a table with a pot of clear tea and two cups laid out. Standing behind him was a man with a sharp, piercing gaze.

"Junior Brother Xu, please sit. Have a cup of this Cloud Mist Dew Point and see how it tastes."

Seeing Xu Yang arrive, he broke into a smile, lifting the teapot to fill both cups. A rich yet delicate fragrance filled the air.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Shi. May I ask why you’ve summoned me?"

Xu Yang cupped his hands, then took a seat. After taking a small sip, he said softly, "Excellent tea."

Shi Yong elegantly set down his cup and smiled. "Junior Brother Xu is a direct man, so I won’t beat around the bush. I’ve come to invite you to join our Heroic Assembly.

"Rest assured, Junior Brother. The Heroic Assembly isn’t like that trash from the Dawn Association. We don’t take advantage of our members.

"Our members are all united and ambitious, dedicated to mutual advancement. We never force anyone to do something against their will.

"The organization has a wide network and numerous intelligence channels. We frequently organize missions for our members, such as exploring ruins and searching for treasure.

"You haven’t yet reached the Qi Cultivation Gang realm. If you join the Heroic Assembly, we will quickly arrange for an expert to help you acquire resources and assign you missions with high contribution point rewards. I guarantee you’ll reach the Qi Cultivation Gang realm within three months at most." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Xu Yang felt a stir of temptation as he listened.

During his time in the sect, he had of course heard of the Heroic Assembly. They were incredibly powerful, their members all hand-picked geniuses. They also had backing from the Inner Sect, to the point that even the Dawn Association didn’t dare to cross them.

’Of course, the Heroic Assembly probably wasn’t as noble as Shi Yong made it out to be. It wasn’t just about ’mutual advancement.’ Any organization is ultimately founded to serve its leaders.’