"Junior Brother, so this is your haul from Wu Tan City?"
Yun Yun's delicate brows arched slightly as she noticed the group of girls accompanying Yun Xian.
"Senior Sister, these are Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei from the Xiao family in Wu Tan City," Yun Xian introduced casually. "And this is Xiao Yi Xian from Qing Shan Town. Yu'er, Mei'er, Xiao Yi Xian, come pay your respects to your master."
"Yes."
The three girls obediently stepped forward, preparing to kneel before Yun Yun.
"Hold on!"
Yun Yun waved her hand, releasing a gentle burst of Dou Qi to stop them mid-motion. Her gaze swept over the trio. Xiao Yu, sixteen, at nine-segment Dou Zhi Qi; Xiao Mei, fourteen, at seven-segment Dou Zhi Qi—both with average talent. Xiao Yi Xian, sixteen, a four-star Dou Zhe, showed impressive potential, though her Dou Qi attribute didn't align with Yun Yun's.
"When did I agree to take disciples?"
Yun Yun's cool demeanor was unyielding. Over the years, she'd only accepted Nalan Yanran as her personal disciple.
"Then they can address you as Sect Leader," Yun Xian said with a grin.
"Sect Leader!"
The girls quickly caught on, bowing with clasped hands.
"You're excused… wait, what?"
Yun Yun responded instinctively, then realized she'd been outmaneuvered.
"Alright, from today, you're all disciples of Yun Lan Sect," Yun Xian declared, sealing their status.
As Lu Xun said, if you suggest a skylight for a dark room, people resist. Propose tearing off the roof, and they'll settle for the skylight.
Yun Xian knew his senior sister well. If he'd directly proposed inducting the girls into Yun Lan Sect, Yun Yun would've hesitated. But by suggesting she take them as disciples, she'd balk, making sect membership the easier compromise.
"Junior Brother…" Yun Yun sighed, shooting him a mock-reproachful glance. "Fine, have it your way."
Hmm? Teacher doesn't seem to mind Little Uncle-Master's trickery?
Nalan Yanran cast a curious glance at her usually strict mentor.
Ahem.
Yun Yun, slightly flustered under her disciple's scrutiny, quickly regained her composed, icy facade. "Yanran, word from Wu Tan City says Xiao Yan has regained his former cultivation talent. You must not underestimate the Three-Year Agreement."
"Yes, Teacher. I'll give it my all!"
Nalan Yanran's eyes flickered, recalling how Yun Xian had singled out Xiao Yan at the Xiao family.
"Go cultivate. When you reach nine-star Dou Zhe, I'll find a pill to help you break through to Dou Shi," Yun Yun instructed. "As for them, I'll arrange for elders with matching attributes to take them as disciples."
"Thank you, Teacher."
"Thank you, Sect Leader!"
Nalan Yanran and the others bowed and left, each casting reluctant glances at Yun Xian.
"We're off, Little Uncle-Master."
"Come visit us soon, Little Uncle-Master!"
Yun Xian smiled. "Next time, for sure."
Once the girls departed, Yun Yun's posture relaxed. She leaned back in her seat, cheek resting on her hand, her half-lidded eyes and lazy tone betraying a rare softness. "Well, Junior Brother, your knack for charming girls is getting sharper."
"Senior Sister, you're mistaken," Yun Xian teased, stepping behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders, massaging gently. Leaning close, he whispered, "Those little girls are mere buds. The true flower is a mature beauty like you."
Yun Yun gave a light huff. "Smooth talker."
The hall fell silent, save for their soft breaths, both savoring the quiet moment.
After a while, Yun Yun spoke. "Junior Brother, don't you think you should try a bit harder? Reach Dou Ling, or at least Da Dou Shi?"
In the Jia Ma Empire, town-level powerhouses like Yan City's Mo Cheng or Wu Tan City's Xiao Zhan were respectable, if far below her Dou Huang strength. At least it'd give Yun Xian a proper standing.
"Senior Sister, I'm already invincible," Yun Xian said earnestly.
Not long ago, he'd taken down Mo Cheng, a Dou Ling, and the sixth-tier Amethyst Winged Lion King—top-tier feats in the Jia Ma Empire.
"Not this again…"
Yun Yun rolled her eyes. She'd heard this claim countless times.
"If Senior Sister wants proof, I can show you now…"
Yun Xian touched his storage ring, where a sixth-tier magical core lay.
"No need. The Jia Ma Empire has no Dou Zong for you to defeat," Yun Yun said, waving dismissively.
Long ago, Yun Xian had boasted he could kill a Dou Zong to prove himself, only to "sense" none existed in the empire, leaving her exasperated.
"There will be. Soon, a four-star Dou Zong will appear, plotting against our Yun Lan Sect," Yun Xian said gravely.
The Hun Clan's Earth-Rank Protector, Wu Ying, would tempt Yun Shan with the promise of breaking through to Dou Zong, secretly manipulating the entire sect.
"A four-star Dou Zong… If they're truly a threat, that's dangerous," Yun Yun said, her brows furrowing as she fixed Yun Xian with a serious look. "Junior Brother, this isn't a joking matter…"
"Don't worry, Senior Sister," Yun Xian said, patting his chest confidently. "A mere four-star Dou Zong? I can crush them with a flick of my finger."
Yun Yun rolled her eyes again, clearly unconvinced.
"Of course, of course. My invincible Junior Brother will protect the sect, won't he?"
___
Yun Lan Sect, Some Time Later
For a while, the sect remained peaceful.
Until one moonless, windy night.
In the forbidden grounds of Yun Lan Sect's back mountain, a powerful aura surged skyward, only to falter at a bottleneck, unable to break through, and ultimately receded.
"Sigh… Another failure…"
Yun Shan, his hair white and face pale as death, grew even more dispirited. Stuck at Peak Dou Huang for over twenty years, his time was running out. Without a breakthrough, he'd soon perish in meditation.
Hah hah hah!
A sinister laugh shattered the silence, making Yun Shan's face darken.
"Who dares trespass in Yun Lan Sect's forbidden grounds?!"
His eyes flashed with cold light, unleashing the aura of a Peak Dou Huang. Like an aging lion, weakened but still formidable, he could deter most intruders.
"So weak. Yun Lan Sect has truly declined," a voice sneered.
A mass of eerie black mist materialized in the sky.
"Cowardly rat, show yourself!"
Cyan Dou Qi wings sprouted from Yun Shan's back as he drew his sword and soared toward the mist.
"Pinnacle of the Wind: Falling Slash!"
____
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