Misty Cloud Mountain stood sentinel, dozens of kilometers north of the imperial capital.
Early that morning, Zhou Changqing had set out ahead of Xiao Yan, invitation in hand, for the Misty Cloud Sect.
At the foot of the majestic, imposing mountain, Zhou Changqing and Queen Medusa walked side-by-side, ascending a stone staircase that led straight to the summit, its end lost in the swirling clouds and mist.
Today, the Queen was dressed in her usual attire: a form-fitting black cheongsam embroidered with red, accentuating her full and graceful figure. A veil concealed her exquisite, beautiful face. As her long, slender legs moved, a fragrant scent wafted from her.
At the Queen's level of cultivation, her body was naturally immaculate and repelled all dirt. Even if her clothes or skin were somehow soiled, a single surge of Dou Qi would cleanse them instantly. Furthermore, the clothes worn by powerful cultivators were never made of ordinary materials. For these reasons, many experts rarely changed their outfits.
Glancing at Queen Medusa's long eyelashes and the hint of iridescent shadow at the corners of her eyes, Zhou Changqing mentally prepared his words. "Your Majesty," he began, "I've heard that the previous Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan, did not die but is in seclusion, attempting a breakthrough."
"Before he entered seclusion, Yun Shan was already at the peak of the Dou Huang realm. If he's still alive, there's a very high probability that he has broken through to the Dou Zong realm."
"If I happen to clash with the Misty Cloud Sect today, it might draw him out. If Yun Shan truly appears, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Your Majesty to lend me a hand."
"Is this because of that boy, Xiao Yan, the one who refined the Green Lotus Core Flame?" Queen Medusa asked, casting a cool glance at Zhou Changqing.
Zhou Changqing didn't try to hide it, simply nodding. "My friend Xiao Yan and I go way back. If the Misty Cloud Sect shamelessly makes a move against him, I can't just stand by and watch."
Her beautiful eyes stared at Zhou Changqing for several long seconds before she looked away and gave a faint nod.
In truth, Queen Medusa had known for a long time that the little fellow beside her had given the Heavenly Flame she'd gifted him to someone else. The day after she gave the flame to Zhou Changqing, she had noticed its aura had vanished. At first, she thought he might possess some special method to conceal its presence. But as time went on and she still couldn't sense it, she realized the flame was no longer in his possession.
Later, when she saw Xiao Yan at the Miteer Auction House, she detected the aura of the Heavenly Flame on him.
Fortunately, Medusa was not an ordinary woman and didn't hold a grudge over it. Since she had already given the gift away, she wouldn't interfere with how Zhou Changqing chose to handle it. If she had intended to, she would have brought it up long ago.
Nevertheless, the fact that Zhou Changqing had given away her gift still left a sliver of displeasure in her heart. In the end, no matter how extraordinary a woman was, she was still a woman.
Being stared at by Medusa for those few seconds made Zhou Changqing a little uncomfortable. He could only feign a cough and express his gratitude. "Ahem, thank you in advance then, Your Majesty."
He was well aware that his actions were, to some extent, dishonorable. But back then, his relationship with Medusa was not as deep as his bond with Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan had been willing to give up a Heavenly Flame for his sake; how could he let such a good brother miss out on the Green Lotus Core Flame? Besides, the whole situation was a result of the butterfly effect he had caused. He couldn't possibly remain indifferent. And on top of it all, he had received an Earth Class Dou Skill.
If he had to do it all over again, he would make the same choice.
They fell silent, their figures flashing up the steps, ascending the mountain at an incredible speed.
Before long, the seemingly endless staircase, which was in fact quite long, came to an end beneath their feet.
Reaching the summit, they were greeted by a magnificent vista. Beyond the mountaintop, clouds and mist swirled, partially obscuring floating landmasses that hung in the air like stars in the cosmos. These massive floating islands were covered with buildings and connected by chain bridges. Sunlight streamed through the mist, refracting into rainbow-colored light, creating a scene like a celestial paradise.
Zhou Changqing's gaze swept over the landscape, a sight he had only ever seen in movies in his past life. After a moment of appreciation, he turned his attention forward.
Before them was a massive plaza paved with white stone. The plaza was encircled by a deep trench filled with mist, from which colossal swords carved from green stone jutted out at various angles. In front and to the sides of the plaza rose tiered viewing platforms.
The lowest tier was filled with over a thousand young men and women in moon-white robes. Above them, on the next tier, sat a number of middle-aged individuals in blue robes. Unlike the disciples seated on the ground, they each had their own stone chair.
The third and highest platform held far fewer people—only four old men sat upon more ornate stone thrones, dressed in grand robes embroidered with white clouds. A palpable and formidable aura emanated from them. The highest platform of all was empty.
It was clear these were the members of the Misty Cloud Sect. The lowest level were the young disciples, the middle were likely deacons, and the third tier had to be the elders.
Zhou Changqing's eyes moved upward, finally locking onto the most imposing of the four elders, a man with a white beard. He instantly guessed his identity. That stern expression, those somewhat fierce features, and the pride simmering beneath his calm gaze—it could be none other than the First Elder of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Leng.
As Zhou Changqing scanned his surroundings, everyone on the viewing platforms had also noticed the two newcomers arriving at the plaza.
On the elders' platform, the old men recognized Zhou Changqing the moment they saw him. He was the sensational new weapons refiner who had recently emerged in the Jia Ma Empire! Although their Misty Cloud Sect hadn't yet made contact with him, their information network was excellent, and they had long since seen his portrait.
"Is the esteemed visitor Master Zhou Changqing?" the white-robed elder in the center asked, his voice carrying clearly across the distance to everyone's ears.
Zhou Changqing smiled and nodded, cupping his hands slightly. "The very same. You must be the great First Elder Yun Leng. I've heard much about you. I trust I haven't arrived too late?"
He had certainly heard much about him. If it weren't for this old bastard, who had shamelessly targeted Xiao Yan to protect his beloved Mo Cheng and later massacred the Xiao clan, the Misty Cloud Sect would never have been destroyed.
By now, Yun Leng had risen and walked to the edge of the platform. His expression remained placid and stern as he returned the gesture. "Master Zhou is too kind. My name is but a trifle. The three-year agreement has not yet begun. Please, take a seat in the guest area and wait."
Zhou Changqing's eye twitched. I was just being polite. Do you really think you're that famous? With that high-and-mighty, holier-than-thou attitude, it was no wonder he would cause so much trouble later. It seemed the Misty Cloud Sect's standards for selecting elders could use some improvement.
Without another word, Zhou Changqing nodded, and he and Medusa spread their Dou Qi Wings, flying to the third-tier guest platform on the left.
As they watched the two pairs of Dou Qi Wings, a flicker of understanding passed through the eyes of the Misty Cloud Sect elders. The intelligence was correct. This man and the woman beside him were both Dou Wang experts.
The deacons and disciples of the sect, however, were stunned. They had never imagined that this young-looking man was actually a Dou Wang! While they knew a new master refiner had appeared in the capital, they had been completely unaware of his cultivation level.
Landing on the guest platform, they found that quite a few people were already seated. Among them were Hai Bodong, Nalan Jie, and the heads of the other major powers in the imperial capital.