In fact, as standard among China's second-tier Ancient Martial Arts sects, there are generally three to five First-Class Ancient Warriors or warriors at the Peak of First-Class Ancient Warrior, plus one Half-Step Innate Ancestor. As a middle-of-the-pack sect among the eleven major second-tier Ancient Martial Arts sects in the circle, the Holy Fire Sect's foundation and strength were slightly stronger than this standard, but only by a very limited margin.

Therefore, if those three—the Elder of Law Enforcement, Elder Zhong; Elder Xue Hongxin; and Zhou Duanyi—had truly met with trouble, it would most certainly be a major catastrophe for the Holy Fire Sect. It could even be described as crippling, a devastating blow to their core strength.

After all, although the strongest martial power in their Holy Fire Sect was his father, Junn Duanshan, the dignity and prestige of a great sect could not be maintained by just one person.

Especially since his father had not yet reached the Innate Realm. Even if he was reluctant to admit it, his father truly lacked the standing and qualifications to single-handedly be the backbone of an orthodox sect. Only the Innate Realm, which towered over Ancient Martial Arts, granted such qualifications and standing. This was a truth universally acknowledged throughout the entire Circle of Ancient Martial Arts.

So, Junn Kangding was indeed panicking. Firstly, he feared that if the three had truly met with disaster, their Holy Fire Sect would be crippled and suffer a devastating blow. Secondly, he feared that if their losses and casualties were confirmed after this incident, it would definitely affect the Holy Fire Sect's ranking among the eleven major second-tier Ancient Martial Arts sects. While it might not lead to a plummet, a drop of at least two or three places was absolutely certain, which would be an incredibly passive and humiliating position to be in.

"Dad, what are you talking about? Did something happen?" Junn Yuanyi, his arm wrapped in bandages, walked in with a confused expression, having apparently heard his father's cry of alarm.

After so many days of recuperation, aided by various rare and wonderful medicines, Junn Yuanyi's depleted vital energy had barely been restored. At least his complexion was no longer so pale, but the impact of his severed arm remained. Not only was his vitality greatly damaged, but even though his arm had been reattached, it would never again function as smoothly as before. It would certainly be far inferior to its former state, which would naturally affect his strength and talent, making him unworthy of his former reputation as a prodigy.

For this reason, he now hated Chen Fei from the bottom of his heart, wishing he could strip his bones one by one, burn his blood, and eat his flesh. Such was the depth of his hatred.

"What's going on? You have the nerve to ask what's going on? If it weren't for you, how would Elder Zhong and the others have gone missing?" Hearing his son's question, Junn Kangding's face hardened. He paced back and forth in the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, seething with anger.

Clearly, he knew very well that if not for his clueless son, this situation would never have escalated to this point. Those were First-Class Ancient Warrior powerhouses of their Holy Fire Sect! How many did the entire sect have? Yet now, at least a third of them were in trouble, and that even included the Elder of Law Enforcement, Elder Zhong—the sect's third-strongest expert! His strength had reached the Peak of First-Class Ancient Warrior, and he had a chance of breaking through to the Half-Step Innate realm.

Frankly, in his eyes as the Sect Leader of the Holy Fire Sect, an expert of that caliber was potentially more important than his own son, to say nothing of losing him. How could he not be furious at this moment?

"What? Elder Zhong and the others are missing? How is that possible?" Junn Yuanyi's expression changed instantly. Sweat immediately beaded on his shiny bald head. He knew perfectly well why Elder Zhong and the others had left the sect—they were going to avenge him!

But now, they were missing. Could it be... His face turned deathly pale, and he couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. HISS.

Even now, he hadn't forgotten the lie that he and Elder Xue Hongxin had carefully fabricated out of fear of losing face. They claimed that the young man had caught him off guard with a sneak attack, which was how he lost his arm. But the truth was, that young man had forcefully severed his arm right in front of Elder Xue, who herself was a First-Class Ancient Warrior. What did that imply? It meant the opponent's strength was likely no less than Elder Xue's, perhaps even greater. And considering his age...

"I, Dad, I, this..." Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and his lips, now a purplish hue, trembled uncontrollably. At this moment, he finally realized he had concealed something incredibly serious and significant. How could such a peerless young genius with the strength of a First-Class Ancient Warrior possibly be a lone wolf with no backing?

"What's wrong with you? What are you trying to say...? Wait, are you hiding something from me? Spit it out! What really happened?" No one knew a son better than his father. Seeing Junn Yuanyi's state, Junn Kangding's expression changed drastically, and he questioned him in a booming voice.

"Well, I... Elder Xue told me not to tell you before. That young man... he has at least the strength of a First-Class Ancient Warrior. That day, he... he chopped off my arm right in front of Elder Xue." After stammering for a long while, Junn Yuanyi finally gritted his teeth and revealed the truth.

Clearly, he wasn't an idiot. He understood such a matter couldn't be hidden for long, and it seemed he could no longer keep it a secret. Otherwise, it would lead to a major disaster.

"What?"

SMACK!

Upon hearing this, Junn Kangding almost jumped up as if his pants were on fire. Without a second thought, he swung a heavy slap across his son's face, his features contorting with rage as he roared, "You stupid kid! You damn brat, do you realize what you're saying? A young man your age actually has the strength of a First-Class Ancient Warrior? Are you an idiot? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

At that moment, he felt like strangling his moronic son. A young man of his son's age possessing the strength of a First-Class Ancient Warrior—the implications of that needed no further explanation. How could a youth who could be called a peerless prodigy possibly be a lone wolf with no one backing him?

Even a fool could tell that the power capable of cultivating such an unprecedented, peerless genius was no simple entity. It was very likely a force even greater than their Holy Fire Sect.

I... I... I... He was so furious he could barely stand it, his body trembling and his face twisted in rage. He never imagined his own son could be so stupid as to hide such crucial, fatal information. Now they were in deep trouble. He feared that Elder Zhong and the other two were not coming back.

"I'll beat you to death!"

At that thought, Junn Kangding couldn't resist slapping his son hard across the face again, causing both of his cheeks to swell up, bruised and purple.

Seeing this, Junn Yuanyi certainly didn't dare to resist. He meekly took the solid slap. With both cheeks swollen, he mumbled indistinctly, "Dad, I... I really didn't expect this. Elder Zhong himself came out of seclusion, so I thought... so I thought..."

"Elder Zhong! All you know is Elder Zhong! Who do you think he is? Even if he is at the Peak of First-Class Ancient Warrior, based on what you just said, that kid's backer is likely on par with our Holy Fire Sect, and that place might very well be their stronghold! Did you really think Elder Zhong alone would be infallible?" Seeing his son still couldn't grasp the situation, Junn Kangding grew even more exasperated.

"Ah! Then... then, Dad, what should we do now?" Junn Yuanyi was completely dumbfounded by this revelation.

"What to do, what to do..." Junn Kangding paced back and forth in the courtyard, his hands clasped behind his back in agitation, his gaze dark and gloomy. "The only solution now is to wait for your grandfather to successfully break through to the Innate Realm and emerge from seclusion! By then, all problems will be resolved with ease, and perhaps our enemies will have to pay a price!"

Successfully break through to the Innate Realm and emerge from seclusion? He spoke with great confidence, likely because his father, the Ancestor of the Holy Fire Sect, Junn Duanshan, had stumbled upon a top-tier Ancient Martial Arts manual during his travels deep in the Lingnan Mountains a few months prior—one that detailed how to reach the Innate Realm.

This was clearly an incredible stroke of fortune, and it solved the Holy Fire Sect's fatal weakness: being unable to advance due to the limitations of their techniques.

And with his father's remarkable and extraordinary talent, having already reached the Twelfth Stage of Great Perfection of the Divine Skill of the Divine Fire Token, he was only missing a key—an opportunity—to reach the Innate Realm. Now, that key, that opportunity, had finally arrived, as if it had fallen from the heavens. Therefore, he couldn't fathom his father failing. He hadn't even entertained the thought. In the end, he would surely succeed! He had to!

That's right. We just have to wait for Grandfather to come out of seclusion after he breaks through to the Innate Realm! He will definitely succeed!

「In Capital City, within a courtyard house in an alley near Zhongnanhai.」

This place was considered a mysterious area by the people of the country. Originally a residence for the emperor, it later became the offices of the Party Central Committee after the establishment of the new China. Not even high-ranking Party officials could freely come and go; only a very select few had that privilege. Yet now, hidden among it all, was such a courtyard house. If word of its existence got out, it would surely stun countless people. After all, even a speck of land here commanded an astronomical price.

In the courtyard, an elderly man dressed in attire from the Republic of China era stood quietly behind another elderly man in a wheelchair. The former had graying hair and wrinkled skin, and he carried a small medicine box on his back. This man was none other than the Imperial Doctor of Capital City who had previously traveled to Jiangnan to treat Elder Dong. If memory served, his surname was Xun, and his given name was Lun.

Besides him and the old man in the wheelchair, another middle-aged man in a white coat was looking on anxiously. He stared at the man in the wheelchair with concern and nervousness. "Grandfather, how are you feeling? Does it still hurt? Elder Xunn, given my grandfather's condition... what should we do now?"

Anyone who recognized him would be utterly shocked to hear the proud Dr. Xuu asking for someone else's opinion on a medical case. This middle-aged man, with the surname Xuu and the given name Ji, was the top and most authoritative neurology expert at the Harmony Hospital of Capital City. He had become famous at a young age, studied at the most prestigious medical institutions abroad, and swept countless major medical awards. He had cured innumerable patients with complex and difficult diseases, allowing them to stand and walk again.

To say he was the hospital's golden signboard was no exaggeration. Perhaps because he was so capable, he was also incredibly proud, hating any interference in his treatments or meddling with his patients.

But now, he was actually asking for someone else's opinion? This couldn't be a dream.

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