In the Azure Mist, just north of Starpoint Island, a tall man strode into one of the central cities where mortals and cultivators intertwined.
Unbeknownst to the giant man, the guards steered clear of his way whenever they caught sight of him, fearing to draw his attention. It caused the patrol schedule to skew irreparably as the thick crowds prevented the scattered guardsmen from regrouping.
The hulking presence continued to frolic around the city without care, going from street stall to street stall, having the time of his life.
“Boss, get me a few of those skewers,” the man said as he flicked over a spirit stone.
“Uhh, sir, this is too much. A spirit stone is enough to buy out my stall twice over.”
“You can keep the change. The smell is amazing, so I’m sure it’s worth it.”
The pressure of those words coming from a towering cultivator made the stall keeper break out in a cold sweat. Thankfully, the heat from the grill covered for him. It kept him from freezing up, allowing him to redouble his focus on his work.
It didn’t take long for the surrounding crowd to notice the intensity of the vendor. The man stared at the grill, with his eyes about to bulge out, while he fanned the grill furiously. It didn’t help that an intimidating man was silently hovering over him as the man worked. Passersby understandably cast sympathetic glances at the poor hawker, who looked as if he were being forced into something unreasonable. The two men in question heard none of the nearby whispers as they were both focused on the sizzling grill.
Then, the vendor abruptly lashed out, swiftly flipping over the skewers before brushing them with sauce. Once that was done, the rigorous fanning spread the aroma rapidly. It didn’t take long before a small crowd formed around the stall. They quietly joined in behind the large man, hungrily staring at the food.
“What’s happening here?” a woman’s voice rang out, tinged with amusement.
Everyone instantly turned to the speaker. The woman didn’t seem to mind, alternating glances between the skewers, the vendor, and the mountain of a man.
Having drawn everyone’s attention, everyone nearby whispered a few words amongst themselves before swiftly dispersing. They made it clear that the woman was a well-known figure whom the townspeople avoided.
“So? Is anyone going to answer me?” the woman repeated as she side-eyed the towering figure.
“Hmm? I’m just ordering some food.”
“I see, then I guess I’ll have some too. Owner, get me three skewers.”
“Yes, yes. Right away, Young Lady Zemei.”
Seeing the vendor working hard at getting more skewers prepped, the young woman turned to the only other remaining person.
“So, I take it you’re new here? I’m Han Zemei. What’s your name?”
“Long Yi. Did you need something from me?” he asked with a confused expression. Long Yi wasn’t so blind as not to see that the woman was trying to talk to him for some reason. The issue was why. He didn’t think he had done anything since entering the city, nor did he do anything to attract attention. Still, he wasn’t one to just ignore people, either.
“And what sect are you from, Long Yi? Or are you an independent expert?”
It was only with the pointed question that Long Yi realized what this was about. Taking a closer look at the woman known as Han Zemei, her attire screamed of wealth. Not the typical mundane kind of wealth either, but the kind only cultivators could afford. Whether it was silk or linen, Long Yi didn’t know, but he did know that they were made of precious heavenly materials that no mortals could afford.
“Star Gem Academy—we’re uhh, new. What about you? Are you from the local sect in charge of this area?”
Hearing his response, Han Zemei let out a refreshing laugh.
“I see, so it’s the new force from Sword Saint Isle. Our elders have told us about you. Anyway, regarding your question, yes, I guess you can say I am from the sect in charge, or at least one of them. Our Rolling Tide Sect doesn’t dare to be the overlord of the entirety of Azure Mist province, but there are only two other sects that could rival us.”
“So that’s how it is. I won’t prod into your matters, but I do have a request for the powers in charge of this land. Who do you think I need to speak to?”
“Recruitment—and the investigation on the Abductress, of course.”
“I see, then our sect elder will be able to take care of it. Why don’t you follow me?”
Accepting the skewers from the trembling vendor, the two headed out, eating and talking as they walked. To be accurate, they divided the roles. The woman did the talking while Long Yi did the eating. He sank his teeth into the juicy skewers, relishing the explosion of flavor that danced across his tongue.
It was worth the wait.
Like that, they uneventfully made their way toward the center of the city, where the Rolling Tide branch was located.
“An elder should be in. Let me go get him.”
She didn’t leave Long Yi alone in the foyer for long, as she soon returned with a middle-aged man in tow. The elder was much more amiable than Long Yi had thought, listening patiently to his requests.
“No problem. It’ll take a day or two to confirm the details with the rest of our sect and the other two powers in charge of the area around Qingluan City, but I don’t believe your proposal will face any issues.”
“Thank you, elder,” Long Yi replied as he clasped his fists.
“No, it should be me who should be thanking you for being so patient. Alas, this is the cost when various forces are involved. In the meantime, Han Zemei here will ensure your stay will be a pleasant one. Feel free to tell her what you need. She is still quite inexperienced with dealing with guests, but she means well.”
The elder nodded and rushed off, likely to go push Long Yi's—or, to be precise, Star Gem Academy’s agenda ahead. The demeanor and respect he got made Long Yi feel itchy all over his body. It wasn’t something he expected of a Violet Core elder when he was only a measly Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stage.
Thinking of his meagre strength, Long Yi couldn’t help but sigh. Despite being somewhat talented, it was still discouraging to see that there were so many people ahead of him. He simply hadn’t had enough time to mature his combat doctrine or learn fight-changing techniques.
“Something the matter?” his new guide asked.
“Nothing. Just thinking about my training. Since there are a few days to wait until I can start recruiting students, I may as well start polishing up on my skills.
“In that case, let us head to the training yard out back. You’ll be able to do as you like there.
Heading outside, Long Yi instantly noticed the training yard in question. It wasn’t anything like what he expected. Instead of a small patch of land in the back, what he was staring at was a colossal pit in the ground. It was steep enough to completely hide a person, but was otherwise ordinary, consisting mostly of dirt. The area in the pit was divided into numerous small rooms with no ceiling. From his vantage point, he could almost see everyone inside.
“Quite a fancy training ground you have here.”
“It’s a relic of the past. Nothing to worry about,” Han Zemei replied.
“Don’t mind if I take advantage of it, then. I probably won’t need any help until your elders are done with everything, so you can leave if you’d like.”
“No need to be so rushed about it. There’s plenty of time,“ the young Rolling Tide cultivator replied. “Why don’t we do something to pass the time away instead?”
“Pass the time, how?”
“By sparring, of course. Come on, big guy. Let’s see what you’re really worth.”
Before Long Yi could protest, he had been dragged away to one of the partitions within the training grounds. It didn’t help that he was then thrown into the chaotic battlefield between two Foundation Establishment experts. He was bound to learn a lot about his limits and his opponent’s very soon.