In the side hall, sandalwood incense curled through the air, yet it could not dispel the oppressive gloom.
Fire-Refining True Lord sat upright in the seat of honor, his crimson robe like congealed lava. His ancient, rugged face revealed neither joy nor anger.
Gu Yu stood below with his hands lowered, his expression still grim, his eyes churning with unwillingness and irritation.
"Couldn't make sense of it?" Fire-Refining True Lord lifted his Spiritual Tea and slowly took a sip, his voice like two flints grinding together.
Gu Yu drew a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but his tone still carried a trace of irrepressible resentment. "Peak Master, this disciple truly does not understand! That Fang Mo is nothing but an ant from a Low-level World. He has been in the sect for barely a year, and his foundation is shallow. Why should he? First, he was handed the position of deputy peak master of Taichu Peak for nothing, and now the Sect Master has personally appointed him to assist the Purge Team! That is real authority, authority that can mobilize the resources of the entire sect! What virtue or ability does a greenhorn like him possess? If this continues, Taichu Peak's influence will surely surpass our Imperial Sky Peak!"
Fire-Refining True Lord set down his teacup and calmly looked at his most valued subordinate. "Because he survived the ninefold lightning tribulation. Because he excels in formations, alchemy, and artifact forging. Because he helped four True Lords slay a Heaven Penetrating Level exotic beast on Wind Fierce Plateau. And because he opened the ninth level of the Yin Ruins."
Gu Yu's throat tightened. How could he not know all that? Yet the suffocating feeling of being overtaken by a later arrival—and even cast far behind—only grew stronger. "Even so, his