Chapter 336: Welcome
Zhao Wuji cut an imposing figure in a sharp, black uniform. The garment was woven from Thunder Silkworm silk, a material known as Thunder-Locking Cloth, with silver-gray lightning motifs subtly embroidered into the fabric. As he moved, the patterns thrummed with a faint light, tracing the flow of his spiritual power.
Within the Dragon Tiger Immortal Sect, only core disciples who mastered the thunder arts were worthy of such attire.
And he had the looks to match.
He possessed a high, straight nose, well-defined lips, and sword-like brows that angled sharply toward his temples. A faint scar cut across one brow, not marring his features but adding a hint of battle-hardened ferocity. His pupils were pools of ink, shot through with crackling lightning, and his gaze cut like a razor.
Zhao Wuji was flanked by several official disciples of the Dragon Tiger Immortal Sect. Leading the way, clearing a path for them, was none other than the young master of the Su Clan—one of Mystic Heart City’s five great families.
“Are you deaf? Move!”
“How dare you block the path of the Dragon Tiger Immortal Sect?”
Jiang Chen and his three companions found themselves directly in the path of Zhao Wuji’s procession.
Seeing them stand their ground, Su Le, the young master paving the way, shot them a venomous glare. “Tired of living, are you? Scram!”
In that instant, Jin Fugui strode forward. The crack of his hand across Su Le’s face echoed in a sudden, stunned silence.The move was so abrupt that everyone, cultivators though they were, was too stunned to react.
To strike someone in Zhao Wuji’s presence was simply unthinkable.
“He hit someone right in front of Zhao Wuji?”
The crowd murmured in disbelief.
But no one was more shocked than Su Le himself. He clutched his swelling cheek, his voice trembling with incredulity. “You… you dare to strike me?”
His words carried a silent, furious addendum: *You dare strike someone in front of the Dragon Tiger Immortal Sect’s most promising core disciple?*
And he wasn’t just anyone. He was the young master of the Su Clan, a family renowned for refining spiritual talismans and one of the five pillars of Mystic Heart City. This slap wasn’t just an assault on a man; it was an insult to his entire clan.
Yet, Jin Fugui showed no trace of fear. He sneered, “Open your damn eyes and look closely. We are disciples of the Cloud Sea Sect!”
His declaration sent a new wave of shock through the crowd, though for some, it brought a flash of understanding. No wonder he had the gall to strike Su Le—his backing was just as formidable.
In the entire Azure Realm, only three powers had earned the title of Immortal Sect.
First, the Dragon Tiger Immortal Sect.
Second, the Cloud Sea Sect.
Third, the Inviting Moon Immortal Sect.
These three sects stood like insurmountable mountains, forcing all other cultivation clans, families, and factions to gaze up in awe, forever out of reach. In other words, even as one of Mystic Heart City’s five great families, the Su Clan couldn’t afford to offend a single disciple from an Immortal Sect.
Inside their sect, Jiang Chen and his friends might be treated like workhorses, with little status or reward. But out here, even a mere official disciple held a position of immense prestige.
Why did countless cultivators strive to join an Immortal Sect each year, exhausting every means possible? This was why.
The name “Cloud Sea Sect” made Su Le’s entire body tremble. A cold dread washed over him. He had been trying to curry favor with the most brilliant disciple of one great sect, only to stumble into offending disciples from another. He didn’t know if they were official or core disciples, but it didn’t matter. He couldn’t afford to provoke either.
In that moment of sheer panic, Su Le had already pictured his own grave. Desperate, he shot a pleading look at Zhao Wuji.
Recalling the young master’s attentive service over the past few days, Zhao Wuji stepped forward, his face an emotionless mask. “Gentlemen, I am Zhao Wuji, a core disciple of the Dragon Tiger Immortal Sect. For my sake, let this matter go.”
Jin Fugui eyed him up and down. “So, you’re Zhao Wuji?”
Zhao Wuji gave a slight nod.
Noticing the sweat beading on Jin Fugui’s palm, Jiang Chen quickly stepped in, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture. “So it is Fellow Daoist Zhao. My Senior Brother speaks of you often.”
A flicker of curiosity crossed Zhao Wuji’s face. “And your Senior Brother is?”
“Chen Tian,” Jiang Chen stated calmly. “A core disciple of the Cloud Sea Sect.”
A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers.
There was a list in the Azure Realm known as the Ten Rising Stars. Qin Hao of the Cloud Sea Sect was ranked near the top. Chen Tian was also on that list, though his ranking was slightly lower. Both were names known throughout the cultivation world.
Why not mention Qin Hao? While his reputation was greater, he had already reached the Golden Core realm. To bring up his name would have been a blatant power play, an intentional slight. Considering both parties were from Immortal Sects, a certain decorum had to be maintained.
As expected, Zhao Wuji’s eyebrow twitched. “I heard Chen Tian traveled to the Central Region. Has he returned?”
Jiang Chen offered a faint smile. “Senior Brother has returned and is currently in secluded cultivation. It won’t be long before he breaks through to the Earth Grade Golden Core!”
The weight of the words “Earth Grade Golden Core” was immense, evident from the shocked expressions that spread through the crowd.
Zhao Wuji’s brow furrowed for a moment before he smoothed it over. “Disciples of the Great Sects should stand together. Since we are on the same side, there’s no need to provide a spectacle for outsiders. Shall we enter together?”
Jiang Chen exchanged a look with his companions and then smiled graciously. “Of course.”
With a mutual path to de-escalate, the tension dissolved.
Together, the group walked toward the third building of the Sea Demon Pavilion: the Deep Sea Hall.
With a series of soft hisses, they passed through the shimmering water curtain that served as its entrance. The entryway was not a door but an archway forged from Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron and Deep Sea Profound Ice. It was unadorned, save for dozens of inlaid Glimmering Pearls that pulsed with a ghostly, phosphorescent blue light, making the three ancient characters for “Deep Sea Hall” appear to float in the water.
The floor beneath them was even more magical. It was as transparent as crystal, offering a clear view of the living water flowing below. Palm-sized fish with scales that shimmered with seven-colored light swam lazily, creating the illusion of a mobile, miniature galaxy. The sight was breathtaking.
As they stepped through the archway, their eyes wide with wonder, a grand hall opened up before them.
The hall was vast and open, with no supporting pillars. Its ceiling was a massive, dome-shaped curtain of living water, from which hung thousands of translucent Dragon-Whisker Algae. The fronds swayed gently in an unseen current, and occasionally, a tiny droplet would fall, striking the crystalline floor with the crisp, clear chime of jade on jade.
Two attendants stood at the entrance, a man and a woman.
The man was strikingly handsome, his black hair flowing like seaweed over a long robe of dark-patterned mermaid silk. The woman was an enchanting beauty with a constant smile in her eyes and skin as fair as a pearl. A single crimson mole graced the corner of her right eye, and she wore a shimmering skirt of iridescent scales that caught the light with every movement.
Seeing the new arrivals, the two attendants bowed gracefully. “Welcome, honored Immortals, to the Sea Demon Pavilion!”