On the mountain path below Yunxi Peak.
A party of four or five people was slowly making its way uphill.
The two men at the front stood tall, their auras steady. They were Gao Yang and Xu Ziqiang, renowned among the Profound Truth Sect's Internal Energy Realm disciples.
These two were towering peaks among the Internal Energy Realm disciples, monopolizing first and second place in the Azure Qilin Battle year after year.
Their cultivation had long since been honed to the pinnacle of the Internal Energy Realm. Ordinary disciples at peak transforming strength could not last three moves against them.
They had forcibly carved out a gulf between themselves and the other top Internal Energy Realm fighters that was nearly impossible to cross.
Whenever the two appeared in the Azure Qilin Battle arena, the other disciples were left with nothing but despair, unable even to entertain the thought of taking first place.
The party climbed the winding mountain path, chatting casually in relaxed tones.
They were heading up the mountain for a small gathering at Yuwen Mingjue's invitation.
As for Yuwen Mingjue, neither Gao Yang nor Xu Ziqiang was particularly close to him. At most, they were acquaintances from the same sect.
Still, both considered Yuwen Mingjue a genuine case of "more money than sense." He spent lavishly, eagerly befriending famous disciples like them and offering tangible benefits to win them over.
Naturally, they were happy to make such a friend. They could reap some benefits and gain another admirer. Why wouldn't they?
Last time, for instance, Yuwen Mingjue had paid a hefty price to have them leave the sect for several days so he could take first place in the Azure Qilin Battle.
Yet in the end, not only had he failed to win first place, Yang Jing had