Du San leaned in closer, clearly savoring the gossip. "Ah, but the real rumor—the one everyone's whispering about—is even crazier."
Xiao Ning raised his cup, expression unchanged. "Oh? Let's hear it."
Liu Qing sighed and shook his head. "You mean that absurd tale?"
Xu Jie gave a crooked grin. "That's the one. No one with half a brain believes it, but everyone still tells it."
Du San smirked, tapping the table. "They say the Shadowclaw Sect wasn't attacked by some Nascent Soul elder, or even a Heavenly Tribulation monster—but by a Divine Transformation realm cultivator."
He lowered his voice theatrically. "Appeared out of nowhere, descended from the clouds, and unleashed a heaven-sundering technique straight onto their main peak."
Xiao Ning's expression remained placid, but behind his eyes, a flicker of cold amusement passed.
Liu Qing snorted. "And the punchline? They say the sect repelled him."
