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The moment Shi Chang Xiao's boots touched the ground, his smile vanished.
He wasn't smiling anymore.
Because half a breath before him, like a black falcon descending from the abyss, the Solitary Falcon had already landed.
The thunder rolled again overhead, but the real storm crackled between the two men.
Their eyes met, and in that instant, the entire battlefield froze.
Countless invisible arcs of pressure and spiritual might clash between their gazes, more currents flowing from their confrontation than the thunderbolts fracturing the clouds above.
Their Xuan pressure didn't explode outwardā¦ it twisted and folded like coiled dragons ready to strike.
Neither of them blinked.
The air grew heavier, and then two whooshes sliced through the storm.
The Sixth and Eighth Elders of the Silver Blizzard City descended swiftly, their robes tattered at the edges, faces pale and stiff with lingering discomfort. Their swords were both shattered, gleaming dully in their hands.
Though clearly having been pushed back by Shi Chang Xiao's force, their bodies bore no serious wounds.
They had barely survived.
Without a word, they moved behind the Third Elder, since the Three Elders were now united again, their confidence obviously grew!
After all, the Three Elders were all Spirit Xuan experts!
Then, the air shifted again with the arrival of new competitors.
One after another, six more figures moved through the storm, as silent and steady as falling snowflakes.
The rain curled around their bodies unnaturally, repelled by layers of fine Aura manipulation.
They fell in behind Shi Chang Xiao like banners raised behind a general.Ā
From the darkness of the eastern alley, a middle-aged man stepped forward. He had clean features, keen eyes, and a calm, practiced gait.
He bowed politely, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
"Looks like everyone's gathered at last..." He said, voice neither loud nor soft, but unmistakably poised.
"Lei Jiang Hong, on behalf of my master Li Wu Bei, greets his seniors: Master-Brother Shi, Master-Brother Falcon." He cupped his fists and offered a graceful salute. His nine companions mirrored him, all stepping forward in perfect synchronicity.
Li Wu Bei-One of the Eight Great Masters.
The name alone echoed like thunder.
A name revered across the continent, and the newcomers were his direct disciples.
The Solitary Falcon blinked.Ā Then, with a visible twitch in his brow, he slowly turned toward Shi Chang Xiao.
"Strange... I have no relation with Li Wu Bei...? So why is his apprentice calling me Master-brother? Where is this even coming from?" The Solitary Falcon asked in a cold voice. "Shi Chang Xiao, don't tell me that you have an alliance with Li Wu Bei?"
His voice was low, incredulous, and utterly displeased.
"You bald Falcon! What nonsense are you talking about?" Shi Chang Xiao glared back. "Even if you're not associated with Li Wu Bei, how dare you act so arrogantly to his apprentices? You don't have the manners of a Peak Spirit Xuan ā We have our laws!"
"Bah, this is how I am; Why don't you come and teach me otherwise!" Solitary Falcon snorted.Ā "The only rule is strength."
He turned sharply toward Lei Jiang Hong and his nine followers.
"Respect, you say? You're weak. All of you. If you want to stay alive, run back to your master and cry in his lap. You're in over your heads."
Tension surged again in the atmosphere.
The young men behind Lei Jiang Hong flinched and their faces flushed in anger, but none dared speak.
But then, aĀ chuckle floated through the rain.
It was soft, casual, and a little bit teasing.
Jun Mo Xie, still wearing the oni-masked, was calm and unmoved. The Xuan Core pulsed lightly in his hand as if reflecting his mood.
"Come now, Falcon," Jun Mo Xie's voice was light and amused, "aren't you being a bit too frosty? The juniors offered respect. Shouldn't you accept it with grace? Or must you scold anyone who dares speak politely?"
There was no arrogance in the tone, only deliberate, razor-sharp mockery.
But it wasn't the insult that stunned the crowd.
It was to whom it was directed.
Solitary Falcon, the man who once tore through a Sky Xuan sect single-handedly.
Everyone expected an explosion of rage.
But instead, Solitary Falcon paused and then, slowly, he nodded.
"The Senior is right."
A silence fell over the place.
It was the kind of silence that made even thunder stop to listen.
The Falcon's gaze turned toward Lei Jiang Hong, and though his tone remained cold, it was no longer mocking.
"I'll accept your respect," He said, "but don't mistake it for approval. You're still far too weak. This battlefield isn't for you. Step in, and you'll die before you realize it."
Shock!
Pure, unfiltered shock rippled through the field like an earthquake.
Shi Chang Xiao turned his head with a slow, mechanical movement, frowning deeply.
Senior?
Fei Meng Chen blinked twice, hiding the growing chill in his spine.
Solitary Falconā¦ called that person... Senior?
Even the Silver Blizzard City's Three Elders felt their faces pale beneath the rain.
The Falcon's words weren't spoken out of jest.
That sharp glint in his eyes when he glanced at Jun Mo Xieā¦
It wasn't disrespectful. It was a mix of warinessā¦ and recognition.
That kind of respect only came from those who understood the weight of the man before them.
And Jun Mo Xie just stood silently in his placeĀ as though nothing had happened.
As though calling Solitary Falcon to heel had been as simple as breathing.
The others were struggling to realign their worldview.
But for Jun Mo Xie, itĀ was simply the beginning.
He was still waiting while holding the Core, still baiting so many experts into descending upon Tian Xiang City.
And so, he raised his head to the sky, and his eyes behind the mask glittered...
The rain continued to fall.
But for Shi Chang Xiao, it felt as though the entire sky had grown quiet... and utterly unfamiliar.
He stood rooted to the ground, gaze fixed on Solitary Falcon, as if struggling to recognize the man before him.
His brows slowly furrowed. His lips thinned.
There was no mistake... this was the same man with the familiar blunt temper and arrogance.
But something fundamental had changed.
"Falcon..." Shi Chang Xiao finally spoke, his voice low and sharp like the edge of a honed blade. "What happened to you?"
Solitary Falcon didn't respond. He just turned his head slowly, a wide, tooth-baring grin forming on his faceāthe grin of a battle-crazed predator.
Whoosh!
Jun Mo Xie flicked his fingers lazily.
The Xuan Core flew through the air in a glowing arc of golden brilliance, spiraling through the rain like a falling star.
Solitary Falcon's hand shot out.
Snatch!
He caught the Core with a casual ease that belied the preciousness of the treasure. He weighed it in his palm once, then turned his gaze to Jun Mo Xie.
Behind the oni mask, Jun Mo Xie's voice flowed cool and calm, yet carried a weight that made even the thunder hush.
"There's not a single person here worth my time," He said. "None of them has the talent or the hunger. They're all just... chasing crumbs. But you..."
"You at least still have that fire. So go and fight to your heart's content."
---- ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ----
Spoilers for the next five chapters!
Chapter 116: Spoiled Princess
Chapter 117: Qing Han's Tears
Chapter 118: Father & Daughter
Chapter 119: Game of Passing
Chapter 120: The Dance Ends
--- ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ---
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