Proof

The colossal beast in the clouds never revealed itself. With a beat of its wings, it stirred up a hurricane in midair, then turned its massive body and flew back the way it had come, leaving only the figure in blood-red robes standing beneath the clouds.

Xu Yuan had come openly and aboveboard. He had even sent the Sword Sect a visiting card yesterday in advance, though they had not replied at all.

But now, it seemed that visiting card had not been entirely useless. Though hostility still surrounded him, at least his palace had not come under attack after entering the Heaven Origin Mountain Range.

When he descended from the clouds onto the summit of the main peak, a group was already waiting below. Luo Wei stood at their head, accompanied by the Sword Sect's Sword Masters and elders. After looking around, he found no one from the Hidden Sect—at least, not openly.

On second thought, it made sense. Though the Sword Sect's influence within the Sect Alliance had gradually been eroded, the Heaven Origin Mountain Range had always been their territory. The Hidden Sect naturally could not overstep its bounds.

Looking at the woman at the head of the group, Ran Qingmo's master's wife, Xu Yuan's voice remained as languid and flippant as ever:

"Acting Sect Master, for you to personally come welcome this junior, I'm truly flattered."

"With your status, Xu Changtian, if this sect did not personally come to receive you, that would be the true discourtesy."

Luo Wei's plain white mourning clothes looked especially cold and desolate amid the ink-black curtain of rain. She stared at the handsome young man whose eyes held a blood-red smile, her voice slightly cold. "But this sect truly never expected that you would actually dare to come."

"What is