The gates of the Black Dragon Faction groaned as they slowly closed behind them.
The sound echoed through the abandoned compound like the last breath of a dying beast.
Lu Mao glanced over his shoulder.
The massive wooden gates were cracked and crooked, iron hinges rusted with age. Weeds crawled along the stone path beyond them, winding like green serpents through broken tiles.
The palace ahead loomed like a forgotten relic.
Tall spires clawed at the sky. Broken banners fluttered faintly from half-collapsed towers. Windows gaped dark and empty like hollow eyes watching the newcomers enter.
Bao Fu shivered.
"This place…" he muttered quietly, clutching the strap of his satchel. "…feels like we just walked into the lair of some demon king."
Chen Yuan looked around slowly.
"Demon king?" he said dryly.
He pointed toward a crumbling balcony where a piece of stone dropped off and shattered somewhere below.
"With the state of this place, the demon king probably moved out years ago."
Marco said nothing.
His steady gaze simply scanned the courtyard like a soldier entering a battlefield.
Yan Mei frowned faintly.
Even she looked slightly unsettled.
Only Li Xian seemed unaffected.
She walked ahead of them with calm, precise steps, her silver hair swaying softly behind her like moonlight drifting through shadow.
Dust lifted gently beneath her feet.
She moved through the abandoned palace as though it still belonged to her.
The others followed.
The deeper they walked, the stranger it felt.
No voices echoed in the halls.
No servants moved between rooms.
No disciples practiced techniques in courtyards.
Nothing.
The entire palace was silent.
Too silent.
Lu Mao's eyes sharpened.
He could feel qi drifting faintly through the air — but it was old, lingering, like the fading warmth left behind by a fire long extinguished.
Finally he spoke.
"Senior Sister."
Li Xian slowed slightly but did not turn.
"Yes?"
Lu Mao glanced down another empty corridor before asking,
"Isn't anyone else here?"
For a moment, the only sound was their footsteps echoing through the hall.
Then Li Xian answered calmly.
"I am the only member of this faction."
She paused briefly.
"…apart from Master."
The group stopped walking.
Bao Fu blinked.
Chen Yuan tilted his head slowly.
Marco's expression didn't change — but his eyebrow lifted slightly.
Yan Mei exhaled.
Bao Fu leaned closer to Lu Mao, whispering urgently.
"I knew it."
Lu Mao raised an eyebrow.
"Knew what?"
Bao Fu pointed nervously at Li Xian's back.
"She's definitely a ghost."
Chen Yuan snorted.
Bao Fu continued whispering with growing horror.
"She appears out of nowhere during the trials… defeats everyone effortlessly… then leads us into an abandoned palace where no one else lives."
He swallowed hard.
"She's clearly luring us here to devour our souls."
Chen Yuan looked him up and down thoughtfully.
"With that belly of yours, she'll probably pick you first."
Bao Fu immediately wrapped both arms protectively around his stomach.
Lu Mao chuckled softly.
"When did cultivators start fearing ghosts?"
He stretched casually.
"Some cultivators can command them."
Ahead of them, Li Xian continued walking as though she hadn't heard a single word.
But the faint twitch at the corner of her eye suggested otherwise.
The corridor finally opened into a larger chamber.
At the end stood a massive pair of wooden doors.
Unlike the rest of the palace, this area was clean.
Torches burned along the walls, their flames steady and bright. Several small qi orbs hovered near the ceiling, casting soft golden light across the polished floor.
Someone clearly maintained this place.
Li Xian stepped forward and pushed the doors open.
They creaked slowly.
Inside sat a man.
A very large man.
He lounged behind a wide stone desk like a mountain that had decided to grow a beard and drink liquor. His long hair spilled across his shoulders in dark strands, slightly tangled. His cheek rested lazily against his palm while the other hand held a large gourd bottle.
He tipped it back.
Glug.
Glug.
Then his eyes drifted lazily toward the doorway.
"Oh?"
His voice rumbled like distant thunder.
"Well now…"
He blinked slowly.
"…pretty Li Xian."
He raised the bottle slightly in greeting.
"You brought guests?"
He squinted at the group.
His gaze moved from one face to another.
Then he leaned forward slightly.
"Hm."
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"Tiny."
He waved the bottle vaguely toward them.
"These little fellas look too small."
Another drink.
"Hik."
"Maybe they'll die if I pinch them."
The room fell silent.
Bao Fu stared in disbelief.
Chen Yuan's mouth twitched.
Marco looked completely unfazed.
Yan Mei slowly rubbed her temple.
Lu Mao simply blinked once.
So this was the master of the Black Dragon Faction.
Li Xian's expression stiffened slightly.
"Master," she said evenly.
"These are the new candidates."
Wu Sheng blinked.
"…what?"
Li Xian continued calmly.
"They will be under our care for the next year."
Wu Sheng slowly sat upright.
The bottle lowered.
"You mean…"
His eyes narrowed.
"…you were defeated by these kids?"
Silence.
Then his voice exploded across the room.
"Shame!"
He slammed the bottle down on the desk.
"I trained you myself!"
He pointed dramatically at Li Xian.
"You! A senior disciple of the Black Dragon Faction!"
Then he pointed at Lu Mao and the others.
"Defeated by these tiny brats!"
He shook his head in exaggerated disappointment.
"What a disgrace."
Lu Mao exchanged a quiet glance with Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan whispered,
"I'm starting to understand the abandoned palace."
Wu Sheng waved a dismissive hand.
"I told you clearly before the trials."
His voice dropped into a grumbling tone.
"I don't need any nuisance in this place."
He leaned back again.
"You and I are enough."
He grabbed the bottle again.
"Why would you bring more unfilial trash here?"
Li Xian's calm expression cracked slightly.
"Master."
Her voice rose just a little.
The room went silent.
Wu Sheng paused.
Li Xian continued firmly.
"They passed the trials."
Wu Sheng stared at her for a long moment.
Then something shifted.
The drunken laziness faded.
His posture straightened.
And suddenly—
The air changed.
A heavy pressure descended across the room like an invisible mountain.
Lu Mao's breath slowed.
Chen Yuan's eyes widened slightly.
Bao Fu nearly dropped his satchel.
Wu Sheng's aura seeped outward quietly — but its weight was terrifying.
This was not the aura of a drunken fool.
This was the presence of a true cultivator.
He studied the five of them carefully now.
His gaze felt like a blade pressing against their skin.
Finally he spoke again.
"…very well."
His voice was calm.
Controlled.
"Under Li Xian's command… and with my approval…"
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"You five will join this faction."
He leaned back slowly.
"I am Wu Sheng."
His voice carried quiet authority now.
"Master of the Black Dragon Faction."
His gaze hardened.
"I am not interested in your existence."
Silence fell again.
"You will prove your worth through merit."
He picked up the gourd again.
"Now get out."
Another drink.
"I need peace."
Li Xian turned immediately.
"Follow me."
The five of them left the room quickly.
The doors closed behind them with a heavy thud.
Outside, the corridor felt lighter somehow.
Bao Fu exhaled loudly.
"I think I just met the scariest drunk man in the world."
Chen Yuan nodded.
"Agreed."
Yan Mei sighed quietly.
For a moment, Li Xian's expression softened slightly.
Just for a second.
Lu Mao noticed.
He watched her carefully as they walked.
Something about this place carried a history — one he didn't yet understand.
They eventually emerged into a wide open courtyard.
The roof above had long since collapsed.
Blue sky stretched overhead.
Broken pillars circled the space, and cracked stone tiles covered the ground.
Once, this place must have been magnificent.
Now it looked like a forgotten throne room.
Li Xian stopped at the center.
"This is the Black Dragon Hall."
Her voice echoed softly through the ruins.
"This is where we gather to discuss faction matters."
The five disciples looked around slowly.
Bao Fu scratched his head.
"It's… spacious."
Chen Yuan smirked.
"That's a polite way to describe ruins."
Li Xian ignored the comment.
She folded her hands behind her back.
"Listen carefully."
Their attention sharpened immediately.
"For the next year…"
"You are Outer Disciples of the Golden Sparrow Guild."
Lu Mao's gaze focused.
"The guild measures strength through contribution."
Li Xian raised a small crystal from her sleeve.
It shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
"Contribution points determine your status."
She closed her fingers around it.
"You earn them through missions."
"Discovering resources."
"Defeating enemies of the guild."
"Or contributing to your faction's growth."
Bao Fu leaned forward slightly.
"And we spend them?"
"Yes."
Her gaze remained calm.
"You may exchange contribution points for cultivation manuals… artifacts… weapons… and access to training grounds."
Chen Yuan whistled softly.
"So the stronger we get… the richer we get."
Li Xian corrected him immediately.
"The more you contribute… the stronger you become."
She opened her hand again.
The crystal glowed faintly.
"This is a spirit crystal."
Lu Mao's eyes narrowed slightly.
"It contains qi."
Li Xian nodded.
"Yes."
"It can be used as currency."
"Or absorbed directly during cultivation."
Bao Fu's eyes lit up.
"So we get these from missions too?"
"Yes."
"The number of crystals you receive equals the contribution points you earn."
She turned slightly toward the distant city center.
"All missions are issued from the guild headquarters."
Marco spoke quietly.
"The Sovereign Aerie."
Li Xian nodded once.
"The Spire of the Golden Sparrow."
Her voice carried faint reverence.
"That is where the elders sit."
"Where faction leaders meet."
"And where disciples receive their assignments."
She looked back at them.
"Tomorrow…"
"You will accompany me there."
Yan Mei tilted her head slightly.
"For missions?"
"No."
Li Xian shook her head.
"For your initiation."
Chen Yuan blinked.
"What does that involve?"
Li Xian answered simply.
"You will receive your first cultivation technique."
Bao Fu's jaw dropped.
"Already?!"
"In the presence of the elders."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"And Madam Yan."
Silence fell.
Lu Mao felt a faint smile form at the corner of his mouth.
Their journey inside the guild had truly begun.
And tomorrow—
They would step into the heart of the Golden Sparrow Guild itself.