Eastern Sky Ridge, Xuanfeng Temple.
As Jiang City's undisputed number-one sect, Xuanfeng Temple held an exalted position, but it had never shut itself off from the world. Any worshipper willing to climb the long stone steps up the mountain could come to the temple and offer incense.
Every day, young disciples from Xuanfeng Temple received worshippers and incense offerings in the front hall. Fans who were especially devoted to a particular disciple would check in advance which days he was scheduled to appear and then rush over to offer incense.
Without a doubt, the most popular was the adorable fairy, Li Feixia. She was always smiling and warm, brimming with enthusiasm and making sure everyone felt appreciated.
Next came the number-one prodigy, Liu Yuanjun. He worked hard at his cultivation and spent little time receiving worshippers, but whenever he did appear, droves of young women came to support him, making his fellow senior and junior brothers in the temple terribly envious.
At dusk, after a whole day of forced smiles, Liu Yuanjun rubbed his stiff cheeks and slowly made his way toward the back mountain.
Xuanfeng Temple wasn't large. It took barely ten minutes to walk from the front mountain to the back, and disciples were never allowed to fly around at will and disturb the tranquility of the cultivation grounds. The surrounding wilderness stretched far and wide, and a thin veil of pink sunset clouds in the evening sky made for a captivating view.
With the City Hero Battle approaching, once he'd finished his duties for the day, Liu Yuanjun wouldn't have to receive worshippers in the front hall again. He felt that this kind of work—greeting people and smiling at them—was even harder than grueling cultivation.
On his way back to his lodgings, he suddenly spotted someone standing