The mysterious figure no longer paid attention to the restless currents among the five Great Masters.
His gaze drifted past them toward the distant battlefield.
Jun Wu Yi sat tall upon his warhorse, cloak fluttering sharply in the morning wind. His voice was steady, decisive, and commanding as it carried across the ranks.
"Shift the left flank five paces forward! Reinforce the second trap line! Archers, hold until my signal!"
The soldiers moved in disciplined waves, their flags snapped, their armor clinking, and dust rose in rolling clouds beneath marching boots.
The hooded man watched quietly.
For a brief moment, there was something unreadable in his posture.
Then he spoke softly, and yet the moment his voice fell, the air itself seemed to lower its head in submission.
"Li Jue Tian… You are still as arrogant and petty as always."
His tone was calm and unhurried.
There was a faint pause before he continued.
"It has been a few years since I last saw you… but you are still so disgusting."
The words were not loud, but they struck harder than thunder.
Li Jue Tian's face instantly darkened. The veins at his temple bulged, and his eyes turned cold and murderous.
"You—!"
He stepped forward half a pace, aura flaring instinctively, but the mysterious figure tilted his head slightly and cut him off before he could finish.
"Last time…" He continued lazily, as if recalling an amusing anecdote, "I was merely passing by."
His sleeve shifted slightly in the wind. "And what did I see?"
A soft chuckle escaped his lips. "You had surrounded the Panther King."
The atmosphere froze in an instant, and the expressions of the other Great Masters changed instantly.
Solitary Falcon's brows shot up.
Feng Juan Yun's eyes narrowed sharply.
Shi Chang Xiao stiffened, and Lei Wu Bei's breathing paused for half a heartbeat.
The hooded man's voice grew faintly amused.
"I have to admit… you had quite the guts."
A subtle pressure seeped from him like invisible mist.
"After all… if Venerable Mei were to find out…"
He let the words linger deliberately.
"She would skin you alive… and tear your flesh into pieces."
Boom!
Li Jue Tian's face flushed crimson.
It was not from anger, but from sheer embarrassment.
It was raw and humiliating.
That incident had been handled quietly. No one here was supposed to know the details. He had withdrawn before things escalated, and the matter had never been openly spoken of.
Yet this man had just dragged it into the light, in front of everyone.
Solitary Falcon was the first to react. He let out a low whistle, eyes gleaming with something between surprise and mischief.
"Well, well… Li Jue Tian," He drawled slowly. "You never mentioned that little adventure."
Feng Juan Yun's lips curved faintly.
"You surrounded the Panther King?" He asked coolly. "Were you seeking death… or simply testing your luck?"
Shi Chang Xiao folded his arms, his expression turning complicated.
"Did you truly believe Venerable Mei would not hear of it?" He asked quietly. "You know his temperament."
Lei Wu Bei actually let out a short laugh. He said, shaking his head. "Not afraid of the wrath of Venerable Mei? Second Great Master… you are braver than I thought."
Each sentence was like another slap.
Li Jue Tian's fists clenched tightly behind his back as his knuckles turned white.
The surrounding spectators dared not breathe.
Even Li Teng Yun, still recovering from the earlier strike, stared at his father in disbelief.
Father… did that really happen?
"That was—" Li Jue Tian's chest rose and fell sharply.
He tried to speak, to try to defend himself.
But what explanation could he give?
That he had calculated carefully?
That he had ensured Venerable Mei would not appear?
That he had retreated before the situation worsened?
All of it sounded hollow now.
Under the hood, the mysterious figure chuckled again.
"Heh…"
The sound rolled lazily in the air, yet it pressed against Li Jue Tian's pride like a mountain.
"I remember you leaving rather quickly that day," The hooded man added casually. "Your steps were… quite hurried."
Solitary Falcon burst into open laughter this time. "Haha! So the Second Great Master also knows how to run!"
Feng Juan Yun's shoulders trembled faintly, whether from suppressed laughter or restrained shock, no one could tell.
Shi Chang Xiao coughed lightly, though his eyes betrayed amusement.
Lei Wu Bei smirked openly.
Li Jue Tian felt his face burning hotter and hotter.
It was humiliation, pure humiliation, and yet, he did not dare move.
Because deep down, a colder realization gnawed at his mind.
'This man was there that day...'
The mysterious figure simply stood there, relaxed and unbothered, watching Li Jue Tian's discomfort with open enjoyment.
The wind swept across the battlefield as the armor clattered faintly in the distance.
The hooded man's amusement faded as abruptly as a candle snuffed by the wind.
He turned his head slightly.
It was only a faint movement, almost lazy, yet the moment his gaze shifted, the temperature of the air seemed to drop. His eyes, hidden beneath the shadow of his robe, appeared to pierce through layers of space itself, staring far beyond the visible horizon.
For a breath's span, nothing happened.
Then he spoke softly. "We seem to have some guests."
His voice was soft and calm, but it carried a terrifying authority, like a decree issued by the heavens themselves.
The five Great Masters felt their hearts skip violently against their ribs.
Guests?
Before Shi Chang Xiao or Lei Wu Bei could extend their senses to probe the surroundings, the mysterious man raised one hand casually.
He made a simple grabbing gesture, as though plucking fruit from a tree.
Instantly, the space beside him distorted.
Ripples spread outward like concentric rings on a disturbed body of water. The air warped and folded inward with a sharp, metallic hum, and a jagged seam of black light split open midair.
Crack!
The sound was like glass shattering across the sky, and a dark portal tore itself open in the air.
Bang!
Two figures shot out violently as though hurled by an invisible hand. They crashed onto the ground with bone-jarring force, dust and gravel exploding upward in a chaotic cloud.
The earth trembled faintly beneath the impact before the silence followed.
Shi Chang Xiao's eyes widened, and Lei Wu Bei inhaled sharply.
Li Jue Tian's pupils contracted to needlepoints.
To forcibly tear open space, and drag hidden experts out from concealment... this was no ordinary method.
This was absolute suppression.
The hooded man lowered his hand as though he had merely brushed away dust. He glanced down at the two figures sprawled on the ground and snorted.
"So it was the two clowns from the Elusive World of Immortals…"
The words were neither loud nor harsh, yet humiliation dripped from every syllable.
The two men rose slowly, their movements controlled despite the dust clinging to their robes. Their faces were flushed with unmistakable embarrassment.
They did not dare rebuke him and simply stood up.
Both wore dark robes fitted close to their bodies, emphasizing their tall and well-built frames. Around their waists were purple-gold belts that gleamed with restrained brilliance. Swords hung at their sides, long, elegant blades encased in purple-gold scabbards, their hilts finely crafted and unmistakably extraordinary.
The aura around them was sharp and refined, like unsheathed steel hidden within silk.
Their faces were handsome and dignified, middle-aged yet possessing an undiminished heroic spirit. Even after being dragged through space and slammed onto the ground, they retained an air of composure.
But beneath that composure was caution.
Solitary Falcon's expression shifted dramatically, and he muttered the names under his breath.
"Rainstorm… Hurricane…"
The two of them were once the two world-shaking swordsmen.