On a barren mountain near the border between the Yue Kingdom and the Yuan Wu Kingdom stood several dozen people in yellow robes, some tall and some short.
Their robes fluttered in the wind, and their ages varied just as widely.
The youngest had soft skin, rosy lips, and white teeth, with childhood still lingering in their faces.
But all stood in orderly ranks without a word.
At the very front, an old man stood with his hands behind his back. He gazed leisurely at the sky, motionless and lost in thought.
He looked to be in his fifties or sixties. His hair was graying, but he was vigorous and ruddy-faced.
He was Li Huayuan, the elder leading the group this time.
Behind him stood four men and one woman, all solemn-faced Foundation Establishment Stage stewards of Yellow Maple Valley.
Among them was Uncle-Master Wang, who had brought Naruto and the others into the sect. He, too, looked grave.
Behind the five stood two neat rows of disciples in yellow robes.
Their expressions varied. Some looked nervous and ill at ease; others glanced about without a care. Still others smiled quietly, giving nothing away.
Naruto and Han Li stood together, talking in low voices.
Yellow Maple Valley had brought an exceptionally strong contingent for this trip to the Forbidden Grounds. Five or six disciples alone were at the peak of the thirteenth level.
Most of the remaining disciples were at the twelfth level. Only three were below the eleventh.
Besides Naruto and Han Li, there were a white-haired old man and a boy of sixteen or seventeen.
The old man was Xiang Zhili.
When Naruto first saw him, his heart tightened. After all, Xiang Zhili was the strongest person in the human realm.
Even with the Flying Thunder God, Naruto