“Wait. Do not kill him.” Rong Tian spoke louder than he intended. His hand rose, but the distance of three steps between him and Qi Yu felt much greater. He was too late. Qi Yu did not turn around. There was no pause and no sign of reconsideration. Dark purple liquid left her mouth and struck Master Fang directly across the face while he remained kneeling on the floor. A howl filled the narrow shop. Master Fang raised both hands to his face. His fingers clawed at his own skin as if he could tear away the poison before it spread. The poison could not be removed. The sweet fragrance in the air changed. A sharper smell appeared beneath it, like heated copper and flesh burning from within. Master Fang inhaled once more by refle

One hour passed after Rong Tian and Qi Yu left the clothing shop. A thin beggar wearing a torn jacket walked through the quiet street. Most businesses had closed, and the remaining light came from distant wine houses and entertainment buildings. The beggar noticed that Master Fang’s shop door was not locked. He stopped and looked around. No guards were nearby. He pushed the door open and entered carefully, already preparing an excuse in case someone saw him. No one challenged him. Master Fang’s body lay stiff on the floor, his face darkened by poison. The beggar remained motionless for three seconds. Then his eyes moved toward the cashier’s drawer. His hand followed. He took the money he could find and searched beneat

The senior disciple’s expression carried the pride of a hero, but beneath that appearance was the confidence of a beginner who knew too little about the world. He smiled broadly and lifted his chin, enjoying the admiration his words had created among the younger disciples.Nothing was more dangerous than someone completely certain of the road beneath his feet while knowing nothing about where that road truly ended. The senior disciple’s companions, however, saw only courage and confidence.They gathered around him and praised every word he had spoken. Several young women among them looked at him with open admiration and quietly imagined becoming closer to him in the future.“Senior Brother Yao is truly impressive,” one disciple said. “Even his words are enough to ignite my fighting spirit.”“That is right,” another added. “With Senior Brother Yao’s heroic nature, the name of the Pure Sky Sect will surely rise and become famous throughout the empire.”“Senior Brother Yao is the most ga

While the crowd continued cheering for Tian Zhang, Mo Zhengsheng’s eyes settled on a figure that seemed familiar from an older and deeply unpleasant memory. The young man wore a white Taoist robe, but Mo Zhengsheng recognized his face despite the change in clothing. “Rong Tian, the carriage driver’s son,” he muttered, unable to hide the hatred in his voice. The memory of that night in the Hadarac Desert returned in broken fragments rather than a clear sequence. He remembered running through the darkness while his horse galloped beneath him. Behind him, the members of his expedition had fallen so quickly that the incident could barely be called a battle. Their voices had called his name from the darkness, but he had not stopped. Those memories had never disappeared, though he had buried them beneath excuses that sounded reasonable whenever he repeated them to himself. Mo Zhengs

Rong Tian descended from the Spirit Ship using one of the ropes. His movements were quick but carefully measured, allowing him to remain among the ordinary cultivators without attracting attention. He had already selected his target before the vessel reached the desert. That target was Mo Zhengsheng, though Rong Tian’s decision did not come from uncontrolled anger. Anger was a luxury he could not carry into a situation involving thousands of cultivators. Mo Zhengsheng was dangerous because he had been allowed to move freely on the same board for too long. The man knew Rong Tian’s face and name. His killing intent on Qingyun Peak had already shown that he would act if he believed an opportunity existed. Allowing such a person to roam the same desert among thousands of people would be an irresponsible choice. Rong Tian needed to deal with him in a place where everyone was too occupied with