Halfway up Xuanji Peak, clouds and mist drifted like gossamer.
Suddenly, two figures came treading through the mist, shattering the gauzy clouds beneath their feet.
Supreme Elder Sword Fool wore a gray cloth Daoist robe washed almost white. With every step he took, the surrounding spiritual energy seemed to be combed by invisible threads of sword energy.
His gaze met the approaching Xuanji True Lord, and he nodded slightly in greeting.
Beside him, Grand Elder Jian Yi wore blue robes and carried a Sword Case on his back, his features bearing the sharpness unique to Shushan cultivators.
Seeing them, Xuanji True Lord cupped his hands slightly in greeting, his expression calm. "Supreme Elder Sword Fool, your presence brings luster to every corner of our humble Condensed Jade Sect.
"Might I ask what brings you here in person, Daoist Brother? Please do not hesitate to enlighten me. If there is anything I can help with, just say the word."
Sword Fool nodded slightly. His gaze settled on Xuanji True Lord, and a wave of reflection rose unbidden within him.
Seeing Xuanji again after more than a century, all manner of memories surfaced before his eyes.
Back then, Senior Brother Tianshu had once judged Xuanji thus:
-A hypocrite who harbored self-interest and the arts of domination within; his lust for power and ambition were like a blazing inferno, impossible to restrain.
In those days, the Condensed Jade Sect had been nothing more than a decrepit Golden Core sect battered by wind and rain, its sect master and master brutally slain, enemies lurking on every side.
It had tottered on the brink of collapse.
Yet Xuanji had single-handedly built that ruined sect into the behemoth it was today, its might looming over several archipelagos.
That alone offered a glimpse of his methods and