The hall was silent.

Sui Zheng's sharp eyes swept across the room from the corners, taking in every detail: brown wooden panels, simple flooring, and furniture so plain that even a servant's quarters in the Imperial City would have looked more lavish.

Despite the flood of thoughts crowding his mind, his face displayed only a polite smile—calm and deferential.

Across from him sat the mysterious master of the Phoenix and Dragon Dojo: Wang Chen.

At first glance, the man appeared completely unremarkable—his expression placid, his posture relaxed. A faint sense of detachment clung to him, as though the mundane world no longer existed in his eyes.

From mere spiritual sense alone, Sui Zheng could deduce that Wang Chen's cultivation realm was at the early stage of Foundation Building—clearly beneath his own.

Yet instead of feeling reassured, Sui Zheng grew more wary. This was the same man who had slaughtered Bu Fang—a Golden Core expert—from the Blood Fang Gang in front of countless witnesses.

Such a feat didn't belong to reason.

The faint sound of pouring tea broke the silence.

Wang Chen gently placed a steaming cup before him. His movements were slow, deliberate—each gesture refined to the point of art. With his chin slightly raised, he spoke in a mild tone that carried quiet weight.

"What an honor for this small dojo to receive someone of your stature, Gang Leader Sui."

Sui Zheng, seasoned by decades of political maneuvering, showed no change in expression. He had risen from an illiterate villager to one of the underworld's most influential figures. He knew better than to drop his guard.

He let out an amiable chuckle. "Senior must be jesting. It is my honor entirely."

Bowing slightly, he accepted the teacup. But he didn't drink.

He merely stared at the surface of the tea as ripples of steam swirled upward.

Wang Chen's eyes narrowed, a faint crease forming between his brows. That tiny change—barely perceptible—made Sui Zheng's back turn cold. Goosebumps prickled his arms.

A drop of sweat slid down his temple.

He clenched his jaw and forced a smile before raising the cup to his lips. "A fine aroma… truly refined tea."

The liquid burned his tongue as he gulped it down, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously.

Wang Chen watched his every move in silence, gaze unreadable.

"Now then," he finally said, his voice light, yet carrying an unmistakable edge. "Don't waste my time. State your reason for coming here."

That calm tone felt heavier than a killing intent. It pressed down on Sui Zheng's chest, making his heart skip a beat.

He swallowed. The air around him thickened, a suffocating spiritual pressure locking onto his body.

If he hesitated now, he was certain he wouldn't walk out alive.

"I came to express my deepest gratitude," Sui Zheng said quickly. "For killing that demon in human skin—Bu Fang. Senior has performed a deed of the highest merit. Had he lived, who knows how many innocents would have suffered under his hands."

He bowed deeply, words dripping with earnest respect.

Wang Chen's face remained expressionless, though inwardly, he scoffed. What a skilled actor… acting holier than that butcher Bu Fang. They're cut from the same cloth.

He didn't bother exposing the man. There had to be more to this visit.

And right on cue, Sui Zheng's demeanor shifted. He straightened, voice low but cautious.

"Senior… if you permit, there is someone else who wishes to meet you."

He bowed again, waiting for Wang Chen's reaction.

Wang Chen frowned slightly, his brow furrowing. Someone else?

He glanced around subconsciously, releasing a faint wave of spiritual sense. Nothing. The hall was empty—no strange presence, no hidden aura.

Was Sui Zheng toying with him? Unlikely. The man's nervousness was far too genuine.

Is a cultivator hiding nearby… testing me?

Wang Chen's eyes flickered coldly. His instincts warned him of danger.

Instead of questioning further, he simply turned toward an arbitrary spot in the room, his tone calm but commanding.

"Fellow Daoist," he said, "you've watched long enough. Why not reveal yourself?"

Sui Zheng flinched, eyes widening. He hadn't expected Wang Chen to see through it so easily.

The next instant, the air in front of them distorted. A thick ripple of spiritual qi tore through space as a shadowed figure emerged—a bent old man draped in gray, with skin cracked like dried bark and a smile that made one's stomach twist.

He cackled softly, a ghostly echo that scraped against the ears.

"Heheheh… truly worthy. Only a creature of time could recognize another."

The room fell silent.

Wang Chen and Sui Zheng just stared.

Wang Chen's first impulse was to draw his sword and slash this horrid intruder to pieces. As for Sui Zheng—his blood ran cold. Recognition dawned on his face.

That voice.

It belonged to the mysterious being sealed within his jade ring.

He had always pictured it as a dignified, ancient master. Not… whatever this was.

Almost as if reading his thoughts, the old man turned and sneered at him, his cracked lips curling back over crooked teeth. "What did you just think, little one?"

The temperature in the room plummeted.

Sui Zheng's pulse hammered in his throat. Cold sweat drenched his back.

"I—I wouldn't dare…" he stammered.

Meanwhile, outside the dojo, the sun shone faintly through thin clouds.

Li Mei sat cross-legged near the flower garden, her fingers weaving traces of spiritual energy in delicate patterns. A faint smile played at her lips as she watched Lin Huang pacing restlessly nearby.

That boy had worn a hole in the ground from sheer anxiety.

"Senior Brother, you'll exhaust yourself worrying like that," Li Mei said, her voice teasing. "If you keep pacing, even your qi pathways will grow dizzy."

Lin Huang scowled, pausing mid-step. "I just don't trust that man. The way Sui Zheng slithered in here—he reeked of ulterior motives."

Li Mei's smile widened ever so slightly. Her gaze softened with quiet amusement.

"Instead of fretting over Master," she said, "perhaps you should worry about yourself. If you don't reach the foundation building soon, you'll lose your spot as senior disciple."

Lin Huang straightened, indignant. "Tch. I'm not that slow. I will reach foudation building any day and might even before you, don't Underestimate me."

"Any day now…" Li Mei repeated, chuckling. "You've been saying that for months."

Her eyes twinkled with mischief. "At this rate, you'll still be stuck at Qi Refining when Master ascends."

Lin Huang opened his mouth to retort but found no words. After a moment, he simply sighed and crouched down beside her.

Li Mei looked at him from the corner of her eye, a faint warmth touching her heart.

Never in her wildest imagination had she ever thought, one day she would be, teasing the feared realm destroyer like this.

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