"The Qiang People weren't anything special."
Dantai Heng sat on an azure stone, looking smug. "Nothing to write home about. They actually got scared and fled."
99
"Fortunately, Physician Gong broke through and formed his Divine Core... the light of constant order shone over this place, and only then did those outsiders leave."
Xu Fan looked at Mount Taiwei, which he had not seen for so long, and something stirred in his heart. Sensing his surroundings, he found that the Qiang People who had occupied the mountain were nowhere to be found.
Mount Taiwei lay in a remote region beyond the frontier. It was utterly desolate, and its spiritual energy was not particularly rich. Only a tiny sect like theirs would set up here.
Years ago, Yin and Zhou had fought, plunging the world into chaos. The Western Qiang had seized the opportunity to pillage, occupying [Mount Taiwei], where Tang Yi lived.
At the time, Xu Fan had only just acknowledged him as his master. He had spent less than a year on the mountain before beginning to wander again, under the grand name of traveling the world.
Their return now happened to coincide with Gong Jilie emerging from seclusion, having formed a Divine Core in the path of "Supreme Rites." That had frightened all the outsiders away, leaving their little party to reap the benefits.
Entering the mountain, they saw that the sect gateway built of black stone still stood. Its plaque remained too, bearing ancient characters:
[Celestial Stars Way]
The mountain was already a field of ruins. Fortunately, the sect had never possessed anything valuable. Tang Yi had founded this tradition himself, and it had no accumulated heritage whatsoever. Putting up a few halls now would count as rebuilding it.
"We've come at a good time... at least