The next day.
Northwest of Jintai Prefecture, lush woods and drifting mist filled a rolling mountain range, not especially lofty, but imposing nonetheless.
At the very heart of the mountains stood a magnificent complex of adjoining halls.
With upturned eaves, green bricks, and dark roof tiles, it exuded a fierce, domineering aura of the Martial Path. This was the Vajra Order Headquarters, home to one of Jintai Prefecture's Five Great Schools.
At that moment, the Vajra Order's gates stood wide open. Members in dark yellow robes, weapons hanging at their waists, came and went with steady strides and concentrated auras. Their orderly movements fully displayed the bearing of a great sect.
The sounds of disciples training and orders being called carried far, echoing through the valleys.
Deep within the Vajra Order lay an elegant, secluded detached courtyard, shaded by luxuriant flowers and trees.
Three young men in their twenties or around thirty sat in the reception room of its main house, speaking quietly.
The young man in the seat of honor had a stern face and sharp eyes. The dense aura unique to the qi-nourishing realm emanated faintly from him. He was none other than Li Yu, the member of the Vajra Order's Three Heroes who had recently broken through.
Seated below him on either side were the other two heroes who shared his fame, Zhou Qiang and Xu Shizheng.
Before Li Yu had broken through to the qi-nourishing realm, Zhou Qiang's profound cultivation and formidable abilities had led outsiders to regard him as the foremost of the Vajra Order's Three Heroes, his standing firmly above Li Yu's.
But after Li Yu successfully entered the qi-nourishing realm, his strength soared. His standing and influence within the order rose sharply as well, firmly surpassing Zhou Qiang's. He became the acknowledged leader