The old wooden door creaked open. Cautiously, Van went in. The moonlight that streamed through the cracks in the roof was enough to illuminate the place.

Eventually, he found a small basin that was slightly less cracked than the rest. Satisfied, he left the bathhouse and returned with a big bucket full of boiling water he had made in the kitchen. He poured that in, then poured in a half-bucket of water he had drawn from the well.

Then, as per instructions, he poured in a packet of the Super-Strength Body Fortifying Powder and stirred the bathtub with a giant bathing ladle. Immediately, an extremely spicy and pungent smell filled his nose.

Van considered the tub.

[I guess I'll just get in.]

[Here I go!]

He went in with a splash.

__________

[Earlier the same day]

Once the Sect Master left the situation for his disciple to handle, he dismissed Elder Lang from his thoughts. When he returned to his quarters, he dissipated the cloud path with a wave of his hand and summoned a mighty steed with starry eyes and a mane of moonlight. He gently fed it a crystal carrot. Without another word, he floated up onto its back and they galloped through the clouds.

"Here!"

The mighty steed reared back and then plummeted downwards.

The faint specks below them grew larger. One of them expanded into the sprawling Summer Pavilion.

As one, the heavenly steed and rider floated gently down, prancing through the misty air.

"The Master of the Cedar Sect has arrived!" A servant watching the sky announced with great respect and admiration. His eyes were stuck on the figure above.

Out of all the top sects, the Cedar Sect's Master was the most handsome. He was also the youngest in the history of Cloud River to have achieved the vaunted role of a Sect Master! Rumours said that his cultivation was at the peak of the Sea Establishment and on the verge of breaking through to the legendary Island Formation stage!

What kind of expert was an Island Formation stage cultivator?

It had to be known that Cloud River had never produced an Island Formation stage expert in its entire existence!

Only Cloud River's largest and most formidable neighbour, the Great East Heaven Country was rumoured to harbour such a beastly cultivator.

Alas, Sect Master Musheng had been unable to break through it in the two decades since he had reached the peak of Sea Establishment. Why? Well, many ugly rumours flew around. The ugliest one was that he had been fooled by a demon woman and cruelly backstabbed, causing his cultivation to never advance again!

However, that was obviously just a rumour.

The servant shook his head.

Ignorant people making and believing evil rumours. Tsk tsk. If entering the legendary Island Formation stage was that easy then how come there was not a single person in that realm? Hm? It takes, time, time I say!

Sect Master Musheng walked into the Summer Pavilion calmly and with great dignity. As his elegant purple-robed figure stepped into the pavilion, the expressions of the people inside changed.

The first to approach was a slim figure in light blue robes. It was the Zephyr Sect's Master.

"Brother Musheng," she greeted.

"Sister b.u.t.terfly," he responded in kind. The graceful woman dipped her head and displayed a shallow smile. He politely gestured for her to re-join the table. She acquiesced, and he followed.

As he drew closer, the Master of the Boulder Sect greeted him with a few simple words. He did not get up from his seat. Sect Master Boulder was a thin old man with long wispy eyebrows. Despite being the oldest, he brimmed with vitality. Hidden behind his robes was the physique of a body cultivator!

Only the Star Cutting Sword Sect's Master did not deign to greet him. He appeared to be slightly older than Musheng and was glaring him with a hostile look. He wore pitch black robes with a long sword sheathed by his side, and his peppered hair was tied into a braid behind his back. A gleaming silver eye patch over his left eye added to his aura of danger.

Old Man Boulder coughed.

"Shall we begin?"

__________

Half an hour later, Musheng stood up in fury and hit the table.

BANG!

The musicians and dancers inside the pavilion were badly frightened. Musheng looked at that one-eyed b.a.s.t.a.r.d's face.

"You-!" He said, itching to draw his sword, "This has always been our arrangement! In exchange for using our resources, the Cedar Sect reserves a larger portion of the quota to enter the Windswept Realm!"

The Star-Cutting Sword Sect Master did not lose in the magnitude of temper, "Sect Master Musheng, face the b.l.o.o.d.y facts. We all know the strengths of our top disciples, and your Cedar Sect loses by long shot. Why should we allow our more talented disciples to eat a loss? We are generous for giving you twenty spots for entry!"

Musheng felt as if he had swallowed a burning rock; a ball of hot anger burned in his stomach. The Star-Cutting Sword Sect Master was not giving him any face!

There was only one ugly worm in the apple of the Cedar Sect's tale of prosperity - they produced too many good disciples. Too many good disciples - and to date, not one single 'unsurpa.s.sable genius'!

In the glorious Six Nation Azure Battling Record, a record of great talents aged twenty and under, over twenty of the top one hundred talents were from the Cedar Sect. This was by far the largest number of any sect in the Six Nations.

However.

No Cedar Sect disciple had ever breached the sacred top fifteen!

The elders racked their heads for years but to this day was unable to breach that glorious top fifteen in the Azure Battling Record. Countless resources were spilt into grooming their students, and yet they were still unable to produce a talented genius whose brilliance could put all others to shame and s.n.a.t.c.h a position in the top fifteen! And yet slowly over the decades, their compet.i.tors had been able to achieve such a feat!

It could be said that the Cedar Sect had become too caught up in their businesses and money-making schemes and had forgotten their very roots in the martial way!

Thus in recent years, the Cedar Sect put more effort into their recruitment process. They opened their entrance exams twice a year and secretly changed some of their recruitment requirements. Those with willpower and battle sense were noticed and had an advantage over those that didn't.

It was precisely in this kind of transition period in which Van and the rest arrived at the Cedar Sect's doors. It was also why they were allowed into the sect as servants despite their low qualifications in terms of spiritual potential.

So the Star-Cutting Sword Sect Master's words were based on facts.

Who didn't know that these last few decades the Star-Cutting Sword Sect had producing more and more talented geniuses of the sword? The Sect Master's own daughter, Althea, had reached the 11th level of Qi Distillation before eighteen and was in the top fifteen of the Azure Battling Record!

Though it was enviable, Sect Master Musheng was not as angered or worried as he appeared.

Although his anger was not truly fake, it was also not from the heart. They were not as numerous, certainly, but he did not believe that his inner disciples lost to the Star-Cutting Sword Sect's.

If he revealed his hidden aces too soon, the other sects would strategize against them in the Windswept Realm!

Pretend to be the pig to eat the tiger. Let's see who has the last laugh!

He spoke again, as if full of anger, "You want the Cedar Sect's resources and medicines to support our venture into the Windswept Realm and yet are asking us to accept twenty spots when we have been traditionally allowed fifty? Stop talking s.h.i.+t, you one-eyed b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"

Even the serene Lady b.u.t.terfly momentarily lost her composure when she saw how the normally elegant and graceful Musheng started cussing.

The Star-Cutting Sword Sect's Master raised his voice, "It is because of the Cedar Sect providing resources that we are allowing you twenty spots! If you had to compete fairly your trash sect would be sending even less!"

Musheng had a ridiculing smile on his face.

"And somehow you think that it is also reasonable for your sect to take sixty spots while the rest of us have so few? Isn't your Star-Cutting Sword Sect acting a little too high and mighty?"

Musheng looked at the Star-Cutting Sword Sect Master with a look of challenge in his violet eyes.

"You want fair? Who doesn't know that the Star-Cutting Sword Sect has some great talents... But without those talents, would you be half as strong?"

"A sect is much more than just a few inner disciples."

"We each have hundreds and hundreds of outer disciples who represent the majority of our fighting strength! They are the true representation of a sect's strength."

"The outer disciples will compete! That is how we will determine the quota for the Windswept Realm!"

There was a moment of silence.

The Star-Cutting Sword Sect Master laughed.