The Mystic Cloud Sect was not just a sect; it was a nation carved into the heavens by someone with infinite money and zero taste.
Massive pillars of white jade rose from the earth, holding up floating islands that defied gravity. Waterfalls cascaded from the sky, turning into scented mist before hitting the ground. Cranes with wingspans of twenty feet soared through the clouds, their cries sounding like melodious flutes.
To a normal cultivator, this was paradise. To Jiang Chen, it was an insult to his wallet.
"Look at this," Jiang Chen muttered, fanning himself with a cheap paper fan. "Gold-leafed roof tiles? Spirit Stones paved into the driveway? It looks like a dragon vomited a jewelry store. It's tacky."
Behind him, Ye Kai and Su Ling stood in their "Hidden Turtle" disguises—rough hemp clothes and straw hats. They looked like potato farmers who had taken a wrong turn.
"Master," Su Ling hissed, clutching a bag of defensive talismans. "This is a death trap. That waterfall is a 'Hydra-Killing Formation'. The birds are surveillance drones. I suggest we tunnel from the south."
"No tunneling," Jiang Chen adjusted his collar. "Today, we do not sneak. We are VIPs."
"But Sect Leader," Ye Kai scratched his head. "We don't have an invitation."
Jiang Chen smiled, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Ye Kai, invitations are for guests who wait to be asked. Kings invite themselves."
The VIP Gate
Jiang Chen walked the red carpet toward the VIP gate, ignoring the chaotic peasant line. Two Golden Core guards crossed their spears.
"Halt!" the guard barked. "Present your Invitation Token!"
Jiang Chen didn't stop. He walked until the spear tip touched his chest.
"Move," he said softly.
The guard blinked. He expected fear. He did not expect absolute, crushing boredom.
"Token?" Jiang Chen laughed, a dry rasp. "I haven't carried a token in three hundred years. Does the sun need a token to rise? Does the wind need a permit to blow?"
He looked the guard in the eye.
[Passive Effect Activated: Tongue of the Deceiver]
[Lie: "I am an ancient expert insulted by your existence."]
"I heard the Mystic Cloud Sect was hosting a ceremony," Jiang Chen lied smoothly. "I thought I would stop by to see if the standard has improved since Grandmaster Xuan's time. But it seems you only breed louder watchdogs."
The guard froze. Grandmaster Xuan? The legendary Retired Elder?
"Senior... you knew Grandmaster Xuan?"
"Knew him?" Jiang Chen scoffed. "That old drunkard still owes me three pots of wine. Forget it. If the Sect has forgotten its old friends, I shall leave."
He turned to leave. The perfect "Walk Away."
"Wait! Senior, wait!" The guard panicked. "Please, forgive my blindness! I will summon the Reception Elder immediately!"
The Hall of Cloud Judgement
Deacon Liu, the receptionist (who Jiang Chen had thoroughly terrified by diagnosing his baldness and kidney failure), led them to the Hall of Cloud Judgement.
It was a magnificent open-air arena.
At the Head of the Hall, twelve golden thrones were arranged in a semi-circle.
Eleven of them were occupied by the Active Elders. The twelfth throne—representing the ruined Desolate Cloud Peak—was empty, covered in dust.
Jiang Chen didn't wait to be seated. He walked straight up to the platform and sat in the empty twelfth throne.
Ye Kai and Su Ling stood behind him like statues.
The entire hall went silent.
Eleven powerful Nascent Soul auras locked onto him.
"Who is this?" A booming voice echoed. It came from Fang Lie (The Sword Elder).
He sat in the second seat. His aura was terrifying—Nascent Soul Level 8. He was a High Elder, a monster of the sect.
Mei Hua (The Pill Elder), sitting in the fifth seat (Nascent Soul Level 5), squinted while eating a glowing walnut. "Maybe he's the new janitor? Hey boy, do you have any snacks?"
But the loudest reaction came from the man sitting next to Jiang Chen.
Wei Hong (Elder Wei). The Elder of Law Enforcement.
Wei Hong was handsome in a slimy way, but his aura was weak—only Nascent Soul Level 1. He was a "Low Elder," barely qualified to be here. He only held the prestigious fourth seat because his Grandfather was a Spirit Severing Grand Elder.
"You?" Wei Hong narrowed his eyes. "The beggar from the auction? How did you get in here?"
Deacon Liu trembled. "Elder Wei! This is the 'Hidden Sage'! A friend of Grandmaster Xuan!"
"Friend of Xuan?" Wei Hong scoffed. "Impossible. My Grandfather told me Xuan died years ago."
Jiang Chen took a sip of tea that wasn't his. He turned slowly to Wei Hong.
"Your Grandfather?" Jiang Chen chuckled. "Ah, yes. Grand Elder Feng. The man who wiped your nose until you were thirty."
The other Elders covered their mouths to hide their snickers. Even the High Elders despised Wei Hong for being a "Nepo Baby."
Wei Hong's face turned red. "You dare?! I am the Elder of Law Enforcement!"
"And you are doing a great job," Jiang Chen praised sarcastically. "You bully mortals and steal blind children. Truly, a hero of the age."
Wei Hong slammed his hand on the table. "Enough! I don't know how you tricked the guards, but I will expose you right now!"
Wei Hong released his Nascent Soul Level 1 pressure.
It was weak compared to the monsters around him, but enough to kill a mortal.
BOOM.
The pressure crashed down on Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen didn't even put down his tea.
He felt it. It felt like a wet napkin hitting his face.
Jiang Chen ignored him and looked at Fang Lie (The Level 8 Sword Elder).
"Hey, Sword Guy," Jiang Chen called out casually.
Fang Lie, who hadn't blinked in an hour, slowly turned his head. His eyes shone with sword light. "Are you speaking to me, mortal?"
"Yes," Jiang Chen pointed at the sword Fang Lie was polishing. "Your blade is dull. You're polishing it wrong. You're using Spirit Oil, but that blade is forged from 'Cold Star Steel'. You need to use demon blood."
Fang Lie froze.
The entire hall went deathly silent. No one dared to lecture Fang Lie. He had cut people in half for sneezing too loudly.
Fang Lie looked at his sword. Then at Jiang Chen.
"Demon blood..." Fang Lie murmured, his eyes widening in realization. "Of course. The yin energy would balance the temper... How did I not see that?"
Fang Lie looked at Jiang Chen with sudden respect. "Daoist... who are you?"
"Just a passerby," Jiang Chen shrugged.
Wei Hong was trembling. His pressure was being ignored, and now the High Elder was respecting this fraud?
"ACKNOWLEDGE ME!" Wei Hong screamed, ramping up his aura.
Jiang Chen finally looked at him. He sighed.
"Little Wei, stop it. You're embarrassing yourself. If you push any harder, you're going to pop a blood vessel in your eye."
Wei Hong froze. He did feel a vessel popping.
"You..."
"Sit down," Jiang Chen commanded, his voice holding the weight of a teacher scolding a toddler. "The show is starting."
The Show Begins
On the stage below, disciples dragged out a heavy iron cage.
Inside was Wei Wu, the Blind Oracle, chained like a dog.
Wei Hong stood up, desperate to regain face. He amplified his voice.
"Behold! This cursed boy is a warning! He practiced demonic arts! Today, our new disciples will test their spells on him! Kill the demon!"
The crowd cheered.
Jiang Chen's knuckles turned white gripping his fan.
"Demonic arts?" he whispered. "No. That is Dark Void Talent. You idiots."
Wei Hong sneered at Jiang Chen. "What's wrong, 'Hidden Sage'? Do you pity the trash? He is blind and useless. Just like you."
Jiang Chen stood up.
The 11 other Elders watched him. Fang Lie (Level 8) leaned forward. Mei Hua (Level 5) stopped eating. They sensed something... odd. This mortal had no Qi, but his presence was suffocating.
"Useless?" Jiang Chen's voice cut through the noise.
He looked at the 12th Peak—the Desolate Cloud Peak—visible in the distance. It was ruined, dead, just like this boy in the cage.
"Elder Wei," Jiang Chen smiled, "You have eyes, but you are blind. You throw away gold because it is covered in mud."
Jiang Chen pointed at the cage.
"I propose a bet," Jiang Chen declared, staring down the entire Mystic Cloud Sect leadership. "I bet that 'trash' in the cage... can defeat your strongest disciple."
"If I win," Jiang Chen pointed to the empty 12th throne he was sitting in. "I take this seat. I take the Desolate Cloud Peak. And I take the boy."
"And if you lose?" Wei Hong sneered.
"If I lose," Jiang Chen shrugged. "You can have my head.