Western Sea, White Cang.
A lone stone mountain stood amid clusters of surrounding islands.
Sky-blue thunderbolts flitted like birds, darting ceaselessly as thunder rumbled faintly. Above these waters, numerous cultivators in Azure Cloud Daoist Robes hurried to and fro, keeping everything within a radius of ten thousand li under control.
White Cang was a fairly important hub in the Western Sea. Traveling westward to the farthest reaches led to Phoenix Scale and Gathering Grotto, among other continents; heading south led to the Wondrous Sea and even the various Immortal Dao territories. To the north, monsters grew increasingly numerous, all the way to Sindhu.
A slit opened in the Great Void above the mountaintop. Yellow sand churned, revealing a thin young man in a black Robe of Law. One sweep of his gaze gave him some understanding of White Cang's current circumstances.
"Junior brother!"
Hearty laughter rang out from the palace on the mountaintop. Blazing golden-red fire surged out and descended before Xu Fayan. Who else could it have been but his senior brother Xiao Wen?
"I received the sect's secret message some time ago and learned that you had attained a divine ability. Only seeing you today has truly put my mind at ease."
Liu Xiaowen still wore his dark-black Red Cloud Daoist Robe. His eyes shone brightly, but a look at his junior brother's divine bearing left him somewhat alarmed.
It was nothing else-he simply resembled a monster far too closely. Liu Xiaowen even felt as though the one standing before him was not Xu Fayan, but a living Grave Sheep.
"After years in seclusion, I've finally attained a divine ability. From today onward, leave White Cang's affairs to me, senior brother. You can return to the mountain to oversee things."
Xu Fayan spoke in a quiet, eerie tone.