Some people believed that the Cloud Heaven Sect took far too much.

Thus, the Mist and Smoke Sect was internally divided into two factions. One was friendly with the Cloud Heaven Sect, known as the Ascension Sect, whose members only thought about ascending to the Upper Sect.

The other faction was dedicated to their local roots and wanted only to strengthen the Mist and Smoke Sect itself. They were known as the Local Sect.

Luo Xiaoxuan’s words greatly displeased the Local Sect.

Luo Xiaoxuan, however, didn’t care at all.

Considering herself part of the Upper Sect, she, like the Cloud Heaven Sect disciples who had come with her, looked down on a "small place" like Jade Lake City.

However, the young man leading the group of youths coughed lightly upon seeing this and tried to smooth things over with a smile.

"Ahem, Xuan, watch your words. The Mist and Smoke Sect and the Cloud Heaven Sect have deep ties. We are all one family."

The young man held great prestige and was the object of Luo Xiaoxuan’s affection. As soon as he spoke, Luo Xiaoxuan immediately reined in her sharp tongue and obediently fell silent.

But some of the people standing near the young man shot Luo Xiaoxuan unfriendly glances.

...

While the youths below were talking, Luo Qi, the Sect Leader of the Mist and Smoke Sect, saw the elder approach. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he got straight to the point:

"Have those little bastards from the Six Extremes Demon Sect really come?"

"It is true."

As they spoke, scouts from the Mist and Smoke Sect were continuously sending back reports.

—During the Seven Peaks Grand Competition, the Seven Profound Sect had opened its gates wide, allowing many outsiders to enter. This also made it very easy to pass information out.

Therefore, the disciples of the Mist and Smoke Sect and the Cloud Heaven Sect soon learned that a disciple from the Six Extremes Demon Sect had boasted that he would single-handedly kill every Seven Profound Sect disciple inside the Heaven-Filling Array Map.

They also learned that he had defeated Yan Chen—the most outstanding disciple of the Seven Profound Sect, who possessed a supreme-grade Magical Artifact Embryo—in just three strikes.

This news caused the original disciples of the Mist and Smoke Sect to look at each other in shock.

Their leader, Song Chen, furrowed his brow deeply.

As a leading figure among the three major sects of Jade Lake City, he had naturally heard of Yan Chen. Although he didn’t fear Yan Chen, he didn’t believe he could defeat him in a short amount of time, either.

Yet a man like Yan Chen had been defeated by Li Feng in three strikes. The thought was suffocating.

"Three strikes..."

As Song Chen’s expression turned grim, the Cloud Heaven Sect elder, Yang Jing, raised an eyebrow. But he quickly regained his composure and said calmly, "It’s not surprising. Although the Six Extremes Sect is a Demon Sect, it is also a Major Sect. Their power is not something that sects from a small place, like the Seven Profound Sect or the Golden Armor Sect, can withstand."

"However, this is perfect. They’ve shattered the Seven Profound Sect’s morale, which will make it easier for us to subjugate them."

As he spoke, Yang Jing glanced at his own True Disciple, his tone filled with a hint of expectation.

"Jiang Ye, are you confident you can defeat that Li Feng?"

Jiang Ye smiled at the question. Then, in a tone that was both humble and proud, he said, "To say victory is guaranteed would be an exaggeration, but I am eighty percent confident I can defeat him!"

"Haha, good!"

Yang Jing nodded in satisfaction at Jiang Ye’s answer.

His confidence also made the members of the Mist and Smoke Sect’s Local Sect faction waver.

The other Cloud Heaven Sect disciples with them stood even taller, their eyes filled with arrogance, as if to say, ’The person you find invincible is just an ordinary opponent for us.’

These gazes made the disciples of the Mist and Smoke Sect’s Local Sect feel resentful, but they couldn’t say a word.

Just as they were stewing in their discomfort, another piece of news arrived from the Seven Profound Sect.

The news was—Li Feng had been defeated, instantly killed in a single blow!

"..."

"Huh?!"

The moment this news broke, the sect’s main hall fell silent. They couldn’t understand how someone as powerful as Li Feng could be defeated, let alone killed in a single strike.

"Wasn’t Yan Chen, the strongest in the Seven Profound Sect, already defeated?"

Some were confused. Others, however, scoffed, their gazes sweeping pointedly over Jiang Ye and the other Cloud Heaven Sect disciples.

"So this is what a disciple from a Major Sect is like? Not so impressive after all."

At these words, it was the Cloud Heaven Sect disciples’ turn to feel uncomfortable.

Their True Disciple had just claimed he could contend with Li Feng and had an eighty percent chance of winning.

But an eighty percent chance still meant they were on the same level.

And if Li Feng could be instantly killed by a Seven Profound Sect disciple, then so could Jiang Ye.

Their expressions naturally turned ugly at the thought of being upstaged by a disciple from a minor sect they despised.

This time, even Jiang Ye found it difficult to maintain his humble and polite facade.

"This is impossible! Jade Lake City is tiny. How could it produce such a powerful prodigy? There must be a trick. Did a High Cultivator from the Seven Profound Sect intervene? Or did that Zhong Ming use some despicable means to launch a sneak attack?"

Trying to save face for Jiang Ye, Luo Xiaoxuan started coming up with countless excuses for Li Feng’s defeat.

And to her delight, she wasn’t wrong.

"Report! A message has arrived via Cloud Bird! Li Feng’s defeat was partly due to carelessness. That Zhong Ming is more like an Assassin than a Sword Cultivator—his movements are secretive, and his attacks are ruthless! The Cloud Bird also warns our sect’s disciples to show no carelessness whatsoever when encountering Zhong Ming!"

As soon as this was said, Luo Xiaoxuan’s smugness returned.

"Hmph. I told you. Someone from a minor sect could never have defeated Li Feng with true strength."

Seeing his own daughter repeatedly siding with the Cloud Heaven Sect made Luo Qi’s hands, hidden in his sleeves, clench into tight fists. On his face, however, there wasn’t the slightest change in expression as he said, "So it wasn’t a frontal assault. That is indeed good news for us."

"However, even if it was a sneak attack, to be able to kill Li Feng means Zhong Ming’s strength must be considerable."

"And with such a prodigy—not to mention they’ve now bested the Six Extremes Demon Sect once—the Seven Profound Sect is bound to become arrogant. They will be even less willing to submit to others."

"They will obey," Jiang Ye said, his voice now laced with an undeniable arrogance.

Since arriving in Jade Lake City, his humility had only been a facade—the condescending charity of a superior to an inferior.

Arrogance was his true nature.

The recent turn of events had made him feel like he had lost face.

Being a proud person, he naturally wanted to reclaim it.

And there was no better way to restore his honor than by defeating Zhong Ming with his own hands.

"Sect Leader Luo, please rest assured. Just find an opportunity for me to fight Zhong Ming, and I will show him the true gap between him and a disciple from a Major Sect."

This was exactly what Luo Qi had wanted, so he naturally wouldn’t object.

"Then I’ll be counting on you, Jiang."

The two parties discussed matters in the main hall for a while longer.

Afterward, the group from the Cloud Heaven Sect left to rest.

After leaving the Mist and Smoke Sect’s main hall, Yang Jing seemed to think of something and said casually to Jiang Ye, "Even though it was a sneak attack, that Zhong Ming did defeat Li Feng. He has value and is worth recruiting. After you defeat him, give him a chance to join the Cloud Heaven Sect."

Jiang Ye raised his eyebrows at this, but in the end, he didn’t refuse outright. Instead, he nodded and said, "I will give him the chance, but only if he has something that I find worthy of my notice."

...

Yang Jing of the Cloud Heaven Sect had thoughts of recruiting Zhong Ming, and on the other side, so did Luo Qi.

After leaving the sect’s main hall and returning to his residence, Luo Qi’s brow remained tightly furrowed. Seeing this, his wife came up behind him and began to massage his shoulders.

"My dear, are you worried about the position of Alliance Leader?"

Luo Qi shook his head. "No. The Seven Profound Sect is strong, but they are ultimately no match for the Cloud Heaven Sect. The two aren’t even on the same level. With the Cloud Heaven Sect’s help, the position of Jade Lake City’s Alliance Leader will certainly be mine."

He sighed, resting his forehead in his hand. "I’m worried about Xuan."

This time, his wife also frowned.

She, too, was rather displeased with Xuan’s behavior.

But Luo Xiaoxuan was, after all, the daughter she had carried for ten months. So, she offered a defense for her daughter’s actions. "My dear, isn’t Xuan’s behavior part of our plan? There is nothing that would put the Cloud Heaven Sect more at ease than having a Young Master who favors them."

"..."

Luo Qi couldn’t refute this.

Although he was part of the Mist and Smoke Sect’s Local Sect faction, his visit to the Cloud Heaven Sect had shown him that it was not a power he could resist.

Therefore, upon returning to the Mist and Smoke Sect, he had pretended to be part of the Ascension Sect. He had even sent his daughter to the Cloud Heaven Sect to be raised and trained when she was very young.

Under such circumstances, Luo Xiaoxuan’s bias toward the Cloud Heaven Sect was inevitable.

With her as a ’Hostage,’ the Cloud Heaven Sect was quite at ease with him.

The support he was currently receiving from the Cloud Heaven Sect was partly due to this arrangement.

But as the Sect Leader of the Mist and Smoke Sect, he was unwilling to remain subordinate to the Cloud Heaven Sect forever... or rather, he was unwilling to be manipulated by them in all matters.

’Once the Jade Lake City alliance is formed, and with the Six Extremes Demon Sect creating distractions on the side, I will have a sliver of power to resist.’

’As for Xuan, it’s about time she came back.’

’Also, I can’t keep suppressing the Seven Profound Sect and the Golden Armor Sect.’

’Especially the Seven Profound Sect. That Zhong Ming, no matter the circumstances, did kill Li Feng... Perhaps I can have Xuan... with him...’