Provocation

Luo Zheng had expected that he would encounter Luo Peiran sooner or later after entering the Azure Cloud Sect. But he had not expected to run into him here before he had even taken the assessment.

Judging from Luo Peiran's tone, he already knew about how Luo Zheng had caused havoc on Clan Training Day and crippled Luo Chengyun.

"The Azure Cloud Sect recruits people from all under heaven. You can enter the Azure Cloud Sect, and so can I!" Luo Zheng said calmly.

Luo Peiran laughed twice and said, "You traitorous wretch of the Luo Family, everyone has the right to punish you! And you still want to enter the Azure Cloud Sect? What a fool's dream. I'll cripple you right here today!"

As he spoke, the Purple Light around Luo Peiran flared brilliantly. A cold smile spread across his face as he walked toward Luo Zheng step by step.

Luo Zheng snorted. Every muscle in his body tensed as he entered a guarded stance. Luo Peiran's strength seemed to have improved again, but was Luo Zheng any different? Even an expert like Xie Lang, who was Half-Step to the Innate Realm, had fallen into his hands. What could one Luo Peiran possibly do to him?

Just then, a Black-Robed Disciple reached out and grabbed Luo Peiran, saying, "Brother Peiran, this is the Azure Cloud Sect. Mind the Rules, or be careful of punishment under the Sect Rules."

After the Black-Robed Disciple finished speaking, Luo Peiran frowned. At the words "Sect Rules," he was clearly somewhat wary, and he hesitated for a moment.

At that moment, a noble-looking youth stepped out from the middle of the Black-Robed Disciples. Every gesture of his revealed an air of lofty dignity. He was likely the central figure among this group of Black-Robed Disciples, yet he merely asked, "Peiran, does this person have a grudge against you?"

Luo Peiran was extremely respectful toward that Black-Robed Disciple. He nodded and said, "Yes. He is a traitorous wretch from my family. As the young patriarch of the Luo Family, I must clean house."

"Then kill him. Although the Azure Cloud Sect's Rules are strict, this kid has merely registered. He has not even taken part in the Sea Trials, so killing him would not count as harming a sect disciple. I, Wang Hengzhi, can bear this much," Wang Hengzhi said blandly, deciding Luo Zheng's life with a single sentence.

Luo Peiran had originally intended to make a move, but upon hearing Wang Hengzhi's words, he instead abandoned the idea. Wang Hengzhi was his benefactor, and a benefactor's favor was exceedingly precious. Luo Peiran felt there was no need to waste such a favor on Luo Zheng, so he said, "No rush. I'll see whether this kid can pass into the Azure Cloud Sect. If he cannot, killing him will be as easy as crushing an ant. If he does get in, there will be plenty of chances. There is no need to rush this moment."

Luo Peiran turned to Luo Zheng and said, "I'll let you live a few more days. But your life is mine for the taking."

Then it was Luo Zheng's turn to laugh. He laughed with all his might and pointed straight at Luo Peiran. "Hahaha! Luo Peiran, aren't you afraid people will laugh themselves to death hearing such big talk? I wonder whether the Luo Family told you the truth! Even Luo Junyi was defeated by me. You! What right do you have to demand my life?"

After saying that, Luo Zheng's aura erupted in an instant. His body had been tempered and then forged in true fire for ten hours, raising its toughness to the level of a Middle Grade Profound Artifact.

Though he was only in the Viscera Refining Realm, his aura was incomparably domineering. His nearly tangible presence surged forward, blotting out the sky and covering the earth. At that moment, even breathing became difficult for Luo Peiran.

Faced with Luo Zheng's heaven-shaking aura, Luo Peiran's expression turned ugly. Two days earlier, a carrier pigeon from the Luo Family had delivered a letter briefly explaining what had happened at home. The letter had mentioned only that Luo Zheng had crippled Luo Chengyun; it had not said that Luo Zheng had defeated Luo Junyi.

Not long ago, Luo Zheng had only been in the Flesh Refining Realm, yet the aura he now unleashed was actually this powerful.

Luo Peiran had originally been exceedingly confident in himself. After taking the Heaven and Earth Creation Pill, his cultivation speed had seemed blessed by the gods. By a twist of fate, he had also come to know Wang Hengzhi, this benefactor, and soared in a single step to become an Inner Sect Disciple. His status had undergone an earth-shaking transformation.

Someone like Luo Zheng had long since been thrown far behind him. Luo Peiran had not even been interested in giving him a proper glance.

The letter from home had reported that Luo Zheng was dead. Dead was dead; Luo Peiran had regarded it as no more than a trivial matter.

But how could Luo Peiran have imagined that Luo Zheng, who had supposedly died, would appear before him alive and well? And the aura radiating from him suggested that his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, seemingly no longer beneath Luo Peiran's own?

Facing Luo Zheng's so-called arrogant aura, the expressions of several Inner Sect Disciples on Luo Peiran's side darkened.

Luo Zheng did not even count as an Azure Cloud Sect disciple yet. Even if he successfully passed the assessment and entered the sect, he would only be an Outer Sect Disciple. What right did he have to act arrogantly before a group of Inner Sect Disciples?

A kid who did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth could only be taught a vicious lesson with their fists, so that he would clearly see what reality was.

They all turned their attention toward Wang Hengzhi behind them. At present, Wang Hengzhi was the core of their group.

Wang Hengzhi smiled, still wearing that casual, indifferent expression. He said to Luo Peiran, "Peiran, your family's dog is rather fierce. Why haven't you made your move? What are you waiting for?"

The moment Wang Hengzhi finished speaking, Luo Peiran prepared to attack.

But at that instant, a streak of light flashed from within the Azure Cloud Sect. A Flying Carriage was approaching.

Two Armored Warriors stood atop the Flying Carriage, constantly patrolling the air.

"It's the Patrol Officers," a Black-Robed Disciple said.

Seeing the Flying Carriage in the sky, Luo Peiran's expression became unpleasant. The Azure Cloud Sect's Rules were strict, and disciples were generally forbidden from fighting one another.

However, there were so many sect disciples, and every one of them cultivated martial arts. Such things could not be entirely avoided. Thus, so long as they were not caught in the act by Patrol Officers, people generally turned a blind eye.

With the Patrol Officers directly above their heads, Luo Peiran's group could no longer make a move.

Wang Hengzhi gave Luo Zheng a cold laugh, patted Luo Peiran on the shoulder, then left at a leisurely pace with his hands clasped behind his back.

Luo Peiran said to Luo Zheng, "You got lucky today. But since you have come to the Imperial Capital, whether or not you enter the Azure Cloud Sect, there is no reason I will let you leave alive. I'll allow your wretched life to last a few more days. I'm in no hurry; the days ahead are long! If you are afraid, you had best find a corner and swallow poison to kill yourself. Death is your only choice!" Only after saying that did Luo Peiran leave with the Black-Robed Disciples, following behind Wang Hengzhi.

After that group of Black-Robed Disciples had completely departed, Mo Can, who had been standing far away, slowly came over. His face was full of admiration as he said, "Luo Zheng, you are incredible. Even Outer Sect Disciples would not dare provoke those Inner Sect Disciples, but you had only just registered and already dared to clash with them."

Besides Mo Can, quite a few people who had come to register cast strange looks at Luo Zheng. Some felt that he was reckless, while others thought he had courage. But most believed that offending Inner Sect Disciples before even entering the Azure Cloud Sect was undoubtedly seeking a Dead End.

Luo Zheng gave a bitter smile. Who liked offending people for no reason? Especially within a great sect like this, where crouching tigers and hidden dragons lay everywhere and experts gathered like clouds. He was merely a fallen young master from a small family—he counted for nothing at all. The best course was to endure and cultivate quietly.

Luo Zheng could endure other things, but he could not endure Luo Peiran. Whenever he thought of his father's death, Luo Zheng could not sleep at night. If he could bury and smooth over this hatred, then he would be unworthy of being a son!

Mo Can was also an Aristocratic Clan Disciple. Seeing Luo Zheng's expression and recalling the conversation between Luo Zheng and that man, he had already guessed most of the truth. This was likely a dispute within the Luo Family, so it was not his place to say much. Still, Mo Can reminded him, "Among those Black-Robed Disciples just now, you should pay particular attention to the one at the very end."

"Who exactly was that person?" Luo Zheng had also noticed Wang Hengzhi. Luo Peiran had treated him with the utmost respect, while that man had acted as though no one else mattered.

"If I am not mistaken, that person should be an Aristocratic Clan Disciple of the Wang Family," Mo Can said.

An Aristocratic Clan Disciple?

No wonder Luo Peiran had been able to wear black robes and become an Inner Sect Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. He must have latched onto an Aristocratic Clan Disciple.

One had to know that aristocratic clans were the true privileged class within the empire. Some of their privileges were even written directly into the laws of the Imperial Capital.

But even so, it was impossible to make Luo Zheng lower his head obediently. He, Luo Zheng, had only one wretched life now. If this trouble truly came looking for him, then all he could do was fight for his life.

After leaving the Azure Cloud Sect, Luo Zheng temporarily found an inn and settled in.

The Imperial Capital truly was different from Chongyang County. Nearly everything cost two or three times as much as it did in Chongyang County. But Luo Zheng had taken one of Xie Lang's Sumeru Rings and gained a considerable harvest. The Square Crystal Stones alone were immensely valuable; just one Square Crystal Stone could buy ten inns like this with plenty to spare.

That night, Luo Zheng blew out the candle on the stand, climbed onto the bed, and sat cross-legged. Yet he did not go to sleep.

With a thought, he took the blood-red hammer from the Sumeru Ring and placed it before him.

Previously, the Black Fire within the furnace in his mind had inexplicably flown out and devoured the Karma Fire Sword. It had then Light Up one Dragon Scale, greatly increasing his strength. If he could Light Up the second Dragon Scale, his strength would surely increase by quite a bit more.

Originally, there had been no need to rush this matter. But after encountering Luo Peiran today, Luo Zheng had developed a sense of crisis.

There was no other means upon which he could rely to deal with a crisis. He had no support whatsoever in the Imperial Capital, so improving his own strength had become his only option.

Once everything was ready, Luo Zheng closed his eyes and entered a meditative state, attempting to construct the Heaven and Earth Furnace in his mind.

Last time, that Black Fire had appeared from his mind on its own initiative and refined the Karma Fire Sword into Iron Essence.

Whether the Black Fire would appear again this time, Luo Zheng was not very sure.

That enormous furnace floated silently within his mind without the slightest movement. Luo Zheng's consciousness slowly drew closer, trying to awaken the furnace.

But after circling the furnace twice, there was still no response at all. Just how was he supposed to activate this furnace?