...

While lost in thought, Chen Sheng had already reached the end of the core disciples’ residential area in the outer courtyard, and an independent small courtyard appeared in view.

Outside the courtyard gate were planted two guest pine trees, their trunks sturdy, and their branches pruned neatly. Several purple spiritual vines climbed the courtyard wall, blooming small flowers and exuding a faint fragrance.

This was the standard residence given to disciples at the Enlightenment Realm, much more elegant than the communal courtyards of ordinary disciples.

Just as he arrived at the gate, a familiar figure briskly approached, it was precisely Zhou Ming.

He was still wearing the gray, dusty attire of an outer disciple, but the collar was deliberately straightened. His face, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, was plastered with an excessively enthusiastic smile, clearly having waited here for a while.

"Zhang Ling, you finally returned!"

Zhou Ming’s voice carried a deliberate flattery, yet his gaze could not help but sweep over the small courtyard’s door, a flicker of jealousy briefly passing through his eyes.

Chen Sheng stopped in his tracks, his expression cold as ice: "What is it?"

Back when they both first entered the sect, before Chen Sheng had revealed his talent, Zhou Ming still referred to him as a brother.

Once the news spread that he had awakened his spiritual sense in half a day, Zhou Ming, feeling unbalanced, started badmouthing him in private, saying he "got lucky" and "will lag behind sooner or later."

After he cultivated to the Enlightenment Realm and received focused nurturing from Steward Huang, Zhou Ming came wagging his tail, offering daily pleasantries and sticking close to him.

This opportunistic and two-faced behavior was detestable.

Chen Sheng naturally saw through it all and distanced himself early on.

Zhou Ming was also smart, never spreading the matter around, occasionally coming to ease the relationship.

At this moment, his face was still full of smiles:

"It’s like this, Brother Qin, Brother Bai, and a few others all admire your cultivation talent greatly, and would like to invite you to Wan Hua Studio for a small gathering, to celebrate your completion of the Enlightenment Realm."

"Brother Qin has said that the banquet will be prepared to the highest standards, and the timing is entirely at your convenience!"

As he spoke, he excessively flattered Chen Sheng, showing a sense of pride:

"You wouldn’t believe it, who in the outer courtyard doesn’t admire you now? Three years to achieve Enlightenment Perfection, you are indeed a rare genius in a century for Pan Sword Sect!"

"Brother Qin and the others are all figures of prestige, lowering themselves to invite you, it’s a tremendous honor, since we all came out of the Demon Cave together, I’m basking in your glory!"

"I’m not going."

Chen Sheng’s voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness.

Zhou Ming’s smile stiffened, quickly stepping forward trying to block him:

"Come on, Brother Qin and they are all full of sincerity, and they all have powerful backgrounds..."

Before he could finish, Chen Sheng’s sleeve flicked lightly, a formless mana transformed into a small gale, "whoosh," sweeping Zhou Ming away.

Zhou Ming cried out, landing heavily on the bluestone slabs outside the courtyard gate, his gray robe covered in dust, and his elbows and knees were scraped, oozing fine blood beads.

Chen Sheng didn’t even glance at him, directly pushing open the courtyard gate and walking inside, the heavy wooden door creaked shut, isolating the disturbances outside.

Zhou Ming lay on the ground, his whole body aching as if his bones were disjointed, the wound on his elbow burning hotly.

He struggled to sit up, staring at the closed courtyard gate, his ingratiating smile slowly fading, replaced by venomous malice.

Zhou Ming quickly collected himself, starting to feign misery, shouting at the courtyard gate:

"Zhang Ling! Are you really so heartless? Back in the Demon Cave, we were brothers who starved and feared together! Would you not consider even a bit of those ties?"

Inside the courtyard, there was no response, only the wind rustled the spiritual vines on the courtyard wall, emitting a "swoosh", like silent mockery.

Zhou Ming shouted for a long while, his throat growing hoarse, yet no sound ensued.

He slowly stood up, dusting off the grime from his clothes, his gaze treacherously ominous, filled with resentful thoughts, a venomous snake of jealousy growing wildly in his heart:

"Zhang Ling, don’t be too smug! Just because you have slightly better talent, that doesn’t mean you can be so arrogant!"

"I’m waiting for the day you fall from the clouds, then I’ll show you that we small figures also have power that can keep you down!"

He limped away, unaware that every move he made was clearly observed by Chen Sheng within the courtyard.

Chen Sheng stood under the grape arbor, his fingers holding a freshly picked spirit fruit, his expression calm and unmoved.

Zhou Ming’s petty schemes were laughably childish in his eyes!

He turned and walked into his study, took out a piece of trimmed rice paper, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote a line with a few swift strokes:

"An evil guest comes to the door under the guise of an invitation, but in truth, it’s coercion. Words wrapped in old sentiments, I do not believe this reflects Brother’s true intentions."

After writing, he flicked his finger, infusing the paper with spiritual power, and the paper instantly transformed into a snow-white paper crane. As its wings flapped, it carried a faint wave of spiritual power as it flew towards Qin Hao’s courtyard.

At this moment, Qin Hao was practicing sword refining in the courtyard. Hearing the soft chirp of the paper crane, he raised his hand to catch it. Upon unfolding it, the elegant and powerful handwriting on it caused his expression to change dramatically.

He swiftly sheathed his sword, and the sword scabbard clattered loudly against the stone table, as he shouted sharply, "Someone, come here!"

A young servant hurried over: "Young master, you called."

"Go find out! What exactly did Zhou Ming say and do when he went to invite Brother Zhang?"

Qin Hao’s face was ashen, his temple veins throbbing violently. He had invited Zhang Ling to the banquet to build good relations, not to coerce him.

If Zhang Ling bore a grudge because of this, let alone winning him over, even enmity would suffice!

The servant dared not delay and returned shortly after with news, recounting everything Zhou Ming had flatteringly relayed, how he was rejected, thrown out the door, and then cried and wailed pathetically.

Upon hearing this, Qin Hao’s anger erupted, slamming the stone table, causing the teacups on it to jump and tea to spill everywhere:

"Damn Zhou Ming! A vile creature who dares to alter my intentions on a whim, nearly making an enemy of Brother Zhang for me! Fortunately, Brother Zhang is wise, and did not misunderstand me!"

He paced back and forth, a malicious glint in his eyes:

"Prepare a gift! Choose the finest Foundation Consolidation Pill and Purity Symbol, I will go apologize in person now!"

To resolve the misunderstanding and seize the chance to connect with Zhang Ling, this was the best remedial opportunity.

The accompanying steward saw his anger had not dissipated and asked softly, "Young master, what should be done with Zhou Ming?"

Qin Hao snorted coldly, his tone icy:

"That useless fool, daring to toy with me! Tell Bai Yu to keep his dog in check! Isn’t Zhou Ming Bai Yu’s man? Let him handle it himself!"

Pausing, he added:

"After all, he’s a sect disciple, killing him outright is too conspicuous. First, break his limbs so he behaves for a few days."

"Once the matter calms down, find an excuse to deal with him, do it cleanly, and leave no trace."

He vaguely guessed that this would also align with Brother Zhang’s intentions, naturally willing to act, not minding being used as a tool in the slightest.

The steward bowed in compliance: "This old servant understands."

Within three days, news spread in the outer courtyard that Zhou Ming, caught stealing elixir pills from fellow disciples by Bai Yu, had his limbs broken in public and was thrown into the servant quarters of the outer courtyard.

Zhou Ming’s cries of agony echoed throughout the outer courtyard, yet no one dared to plead for him — everyone knew he was Bai Yu’s man, now handled by Bai Yu himself, clearly having committed a grave error.

In the blink of an eye, several months passed, and Zhou Ming’s affair gradually faded from everyone’s memory, occasionally brought up only as a cautionary tale of "a villain suffering his own bitter fruit."

That evening, the setting sun dyed the peaks of Pan Sword Sect a golden red.

Two men in black quietly infiltrated the servant quarters, packed the already-dying Zhou Ming into a sack, and under the cover of dusk, carried him out of the sect and tossed him into a cliff valley.

From the valley came a few harrowing screams, which soon fell silent, as if no one had ever been there.

...

Simultaneously, in the depths of Taiao Divine Mansion on Suspension Mountain.

Within a jade palace suspended in the Cloud Sea, an elder dressed in an Eight Trigrams Daoist Robe slowly opened his eyes.

Though his face was emaciated, hair and beard as white as snow, a faint celestial aura lingered around him, and in the instant his eyes opened, it seemed as if they swirled within.

With a wave of his hand, a water mirror appeared in the air, mirroring a faint golden fortune rising towards the sky like a wolf smoke.

Within the fortune, the vague phantoms of myriad beasts floated, exuding a majesty dominating the world.

The elder stroked his beard, a gentle smile appearing on his face:

"Fortune is flourishing, the first True Immortal seed of this era has finally emerged!"