He Xiao Sing, who had finally managed to escape from that place, looked a little surprised. She didn't recognize the area around her. Even though she had lived in the forbidden zone for over ten years, she had never been to this part before. Deep inside, He Xiao Sing suspected she was inside the Pak Kwa Forest.
The Pak Kwa Forest was located on the western side of the forbidden zone. It was known as the most dangerous area there. Besides being home to many fierce beasts, the forest was also protected by a powerful seal. No one could enter it without Ong Hai San's permission.
Realizing how dangerous the place was, He Xiao Sing quickly prepared to teleport. Before doing so, she deliberately smeared her hand with her own blood, not wanting the seal to block her teleportation spell.
After teleporting three times, He Xiao Sing finally escaped the Pak Kwa Forest. But just as she appeared outside the forest, she suddenly ran into Li Xu Xian.
"Xiao Sing, why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be training in your room?"
Li Xu Xian asked curiously. He had been standing guard near the Pak Kwa Forest for a while, and seeing He Xiao Sing suddenly appear startled him.
"Uh… Father, I was practicing teleportation magic. I didn't expect I'd end up here," He Xiao Sing quickly made up an excuse. She silently thanked her luck for running into Li Xu Xian instead of Ong Hai San — lying to Ong Hai San would have been nearly impossible.
"Oh, I see… In that case, you should return right away. Don't stay here too long. Your master will be angry if he finds out you've been wandering here," Li Xu Xian said kindly.
Trusting his adoptive daughter completely, Li Xu Xian didn't suspect a thing.
"All right Father, I'll go back now. Goodbye!"
After saying goodbye, He Xiao Sing immediately left. But before heading home, she took some time to hunt a few rabbits and wild chickens. She planned to prepare dinner for Mo Tien Wang, so she hunted more than usual that day.
At that moment, Ong Hai San had just returned from Kun Lun Sect. As soon as he arrived at the forbidden zone, he went straight to his room. Once inside, he didn't notice anything unusual — the stone wall that had previously opened was now closed again.
Sitting down on his chair, Ong Hai San appeared deep in thought.
Earlier that day, when he visited Kun Lun Sect, he had been troubled by internal disputes within the sect. Li Tao Lu, the current leader of Kun Lun, wanted to resign from his position. Because of that, Kun Lun Sect was now divided into two factions.
The first faction supported Yan Wan Tong as the new leader. Yan Wan Tong was the head disciple of the Kun Lun Sect. After Li Xu Xian had secluded himself in the forbidden zone, Yan Wan Tong took over his position. Around the same age as Li Xu Xian, Yan Wan Tong was somewhat arrogant. Back when Li Xu Xian was still the head disciple, Yan Wan Tong had never dared act arrogantly. Though jealous of Li Xu Xian, there was nothing he could do — not only was Li Xu Xian the nephew of Li Tao Lu, but his strength and talent far surpassed Yan Wan Tong's. Moreover, all the disciples adored Li Xu Xian for his kind and gentle nature. When Li Xu Xian resigned, Yan Wan Tong finally had the chance to become head disciple, mainly because he was the most senior after Li Xu Xian.
The second faction supported Huang Cin Sen as the new leader. Huang Cin Sen was only twenty-four years old but possessed striking good looks and remarkable martial talent. At just twenty-four, his internal power had already reached level 12. Recently, he had also brought great honor to Kun Lun Sect — three months ago, he destroyed a notorious bandit hideout in the Kun Lun Mountains. Because of his heroic deed, the people expressed deep gratitude toward the sect.
After that incident, Huang Cin Sen's reputation soared even higher. Yet, despite his growing fame, he remained humble and polite, earning him even more followers.
Both Yan Wan Tong's and Huang Cin Sen's supporters were equally stubborn. Lately, they had even been caught fighting over their respective candidates.
As the situation grew more heated, Li Tao Lu turned to Ong Hai San for advice. Personally, Li Tao Lu favored Huang Cin Sen. He believed Huang was an exceptionally rare talent — reaching level 12 at only twenty-four years old. With a few more years of training, Li Tao Lu was certain Huang Cin Sen could achieve the highest level of mastery.
Ong Hai San ultimately decided to hold a tournament between the two. Six months from now, both of them would compete in the stage, and whoever won would become the next leader of Kun Lun Sect.
Both Yan Wan Tong and Huang Cin Sen were satisfied with this decision, and none of their supporters dared to protest.
After they left, Li Tao Lu privately suggested that Ong Hai San take Huang Cin Sen as his disciple. He was convinced that under Ong Hai San's guidance, Huang's abilities would improve rapidly.
However, Ong Hai San refused. He believed it would be unfair to train only one of them. If he accepted Huang Cin Sen, then Yan Wan Tong should receive the same opportunity.
Unfazed by the rejection, Li Tao Lu suggested that Ong Hai San train both of them for the next six months. He believed it would benefit Kun Lun Sect as a whole. After all, as candidates for leadership, both should possess exceptional martial skills.
After much persuasion, Ong Hai San finally agreed. For the sake of Kun Lun Sect, he couldn't refuse any longer. He then asked Li Tao Lu to make the necessary arrangements and decided to train both men alternately.
Li Tao Lu was overjoyed by this decision and promised to handle everything properly. Once the arrangements were made, Ong Hai San left Kun Lun Sect.
Now, sitting alone, Ong Hai San pondered how best to train the two candidates — and at the same time, he couldn't help but worry about He Xiao Sing. He feared that her secret might be exposed once those two arrived.