A wound up discussion about a certain cultivator becmore agitated as the people talking stood in awe of his capabilities. "Yes, you are right. Austin's cultivation base has reached the Sky Realm," one of them affirmed. "His power is beyond our imagination now." The man nibbled on his lower lip anxiously before he spoke once more, "I have personally witnessed Austin's fight with the Blood Wolf Ancestor at the royal backyard garden. He crippled the Blood Wolf Ancestor's arm with only one hit!" Widening his eyes, he whisper-shouted conspiratorially, "lI would not have believed it if | were not there!" Sighing, the man recalled how aggressively Austin had fought with the Blood Wolf Ancestor and could not help feeling a second wave of shock and even a little bit of fear at the display of the cultivator's formidable strength.
By himself, Theon could not even fathom battling such a powerful being, let alone gathering enough confidence to challenge the Blood Wolf Ancestor. On the other hand, Austin single-handedly brought grave danger to his opponent by only utilizing sof his skills. 'To think that that was not even his full strength..." the man shivered at the memory. If the emperor had not stepped in to meddle before the fatal blow Austin was about to deliver, the Blood Wolf Ancestor would have been slain that day.
"It is true then? That Austin was able to fight the Blood Wolf Ancestor? It is kind of hard to believe that he has becso powerful." The elders and the stewards present all gasped in wonderment. Whispers through the grapevine had reached their ears about the supposed fight but they were greatly unconvinced then. Now that there was a confirmation of the occurrence, they shivered like taut wires met with a sudden disturbance.
It was all sorts of ridiculous—the fact that a former disciple of their Sun Sect was now someone who had the potential to be a remarkable cultivator and could defeat those of great power.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtDuring the past year, Austin had a significant improvement in his martial arts cultivation. There was not a single day that Austin did not train for hours on end, choosing to prioritize the process of preparing himself through rigorous practice and adapting the kind of focus and direction unparalleled by any other cultivator. Due to his perseverance, he undoubtedly succeeded in defeating Abbott and even severely injuring the Blood Wolf Ancestor. The two unbelievable happenings had spread all over the Violet Orchid Empire, which earned Austin quite a reputation. Furthermore, many of the elder cultivators were astounded by his outstanding achievements, while the younger generation had started to regard him as someone to look up to.
After facing off with Austin twice, the Blood Wolf Team found themselves at a loss as the young cultivator tically weakened not just their forces but their morale as well. As the events had progressed, it seemed as if they would never recover from such a setback. It was such an embarrassment and a huge blow to their egos, given the fact that they were defeated by a boy no more than twenty years old after deeming themselves one of the most powerful forces in the empire. Every member eventually felt a sense of shand dishonor at the turn of events.
Indisputably, it would have been an interesting narrative if the Blood Wolf Team had declined merely because of its conflict with a single boy.
One of the elders stood up and addressed the figure in front of the crowd. "Sect Leader, it is obvious that we have overlooked and failed to recognize a real talent." "If Austin remained to be a disciple of our sect, we would have had a member in our midst who holds a great power of the Sky Realm now, and that would have been an immense advantage for us." With an expression full of regret, blotches of red bloomed across the elder's face.
The other elders nodded silently in agreement with him. As they looked at one another with quiet distress, they felt a pang of guilt at the fact that they forewent an opportunity to keep Austin. Everyone had understood the significance of having a powerful cultivator at the Sky Realm be a member of the Violet Orchid Empire.
As the ruling party of the Violet Orchid Empire, the royal family maintained a strong sense of authority and aptitude that no else simply had in the empire. Moreover, their largest guarantee that they could affirm such power over the empire was the existence of numerous potent cultivators that currently attained the Sky Realm.
If the young man had still been a disciple of the Sun Sect, his great prowess of the Sky Realm would have certainly enhanced the strength and reputation of the sect.
"You're right," the Sect Leader wistfully voiced out. "I have regretted the moment we let him go for thousands of times." "When Abbott and Dwayne looked for trouble in the Sun Mountain and bothered Austin in the past, | should have stepped in and protected him as his Sect Leader." Another flash of regret flashed through Theon's eyes as he remembered his insufficiency and shortcomings during that unforgettable instance. With his fists clenched, he shook his head at his naivety in the past. 'l cannot believe how much of a fool | was..." he thought gloomily.
"After being continuously hunted by his enemies from the Blood Wolf Team and those of the Flaming Sun Valley, it is truly impressive that Austin still managed to improve his cultivation base to the Sky Realm level!" one of the elders exclaimed.
Another elder added his input to the mix of conversation, "He surely is a talent favored by the god!" "His departure is truly a big loss to our sect." Shaking his head in disappointment, the oldest among the elders shakily stood up while he assented. With his quivering hands, he signaled the other stewards trying to help him away with a dismissive wave. Despite his old age, the very thought of how wrongly Austin had been treated still frustrated him.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAt that moment, the crowd stilled when a voice piped up from behind the crowd, addressing the Sect Leader. "Theon, have you already made up your mind?" "Will you join our Ghost Sect or attempt to go against us in vain?" An unknown yet chilling voice crept towards the cultivators, of whom were suddenly on guard and alarmed at the intrusion. "We have promised to give you a full day to consider our offer, and you have almost run out of time." Confusion, as well as panic, permeated in the air before the crowd parted to reveal the source of the unnerving voice that spoke again, "I believe it's your tto make a choice!". . .
Just as Austin and Violet arrived at the Sun Mountain, they immediately attempted to climb up the soaring peak without any rest.
Despite the treacherous pathways and the towering trees that obscured their vision, they both persevered to break through the hindrances blocking their journey. Moreover, they continued to encounter members of the infamous Ghost Sect on their way.
Fortunately for them, they were able to reserve their energy due to the fact that the enemies they met while trekking up the mountain were Earth Realm cultivators at best.
While distractedly wiping the sweat dripping down his forehead, he thought their main forces must have been gathered at the top of the mountain in order to assert their power over the Sun Sect.
Since they needed their stronger members on top, they must have ordered their weaker junior members to stand guard below.
‘Like hell I'm letting them get away with this!" Austin murderously thought while he gritted his teeth as he fought the scattered men of the Ghost Sect. Unluckily for the weaker cultivators that posed as guards, they were not considered as threats to both Austin and Violet as the latter alone could kill them all without wasting too much effort; her strength combined with Austin would have been more than enough to completely overpower them.