Chapter 775: The Return of the Young Sect Leader
The morning sun pierced the night, its first rays spilling over the magnificent domes of the Tianshi Sect, bathing the sacred mountain in a majestic, golden light.
In the main square, disciples of the sect moved through their morning lessons under the watchful eyes of their elders. The air crackled with latent power as they practiced, each movement precise, each incantation sharp. They were, to a man, formidable talents. An elder stroked his long beard, a faint, proud smile gracing his lips as he observed the scene.
The Tianshi Sect was widely recognized as the leader of Yanxia's mystical arts world. Its heritage was deep, its power immense—so much so that even the great super-clans dared not provoke it, treating the sect with the utmost respect.
To countless prominent figures, wealthy magnates, and influential families, Zhang Tianjiu, the Sect Master of the Tianshi Sect, was a living immortal. And here, on Celestial Master Peak, he was indeed something close to it, a master capable of summoning wind and rain, of calling down thunder and lightning with a mere thought.
At this very moment, however, the man himself, secluded in the back mountains of the sect, wore a thunderous expression. He stared down at the Sect Master's token in his hand, a flicker of genuine pain crossing his aged eyes.
'That damned Shen Anyu,'he fumed internally,'he nearly destroyed my Tianshi Sect's most sacred heirloom.'
His fingers traced the web of cracks marring the token's surface. Even after careful repairs, the scars remained, each one a fresh wound in Zhang Tianjiu's heart.
The trouble had started with Yu Guannan, the sole surviving heir of Yanxia's Yu Clan. She had publicly declared that the Young Sect Leader, Zhang Zhiyun, was the one who had annihilated her entire family, and she demanded that the Tianshi Sect give her an explanation.
The accusation sent shockwaves through the sect. Even they, the mighty Tianshi Sect, could not slaughter a super-clan without consequence. The charge brought a storm of condemnation, threatening to shatter the sect's millennia-old reputation in an instant.
But Zhang Zhiyun had vanished. Even his own master, Zhang Tianjiu, could not reach him. Finding the boy and getting to the truth had become the most urgent matter.
To that end, Zhang Tianjiu had personally descended the mountain. His investigation quickly led him to Shen Anyu, the man who held a grudge against his beloved disciple over a stolen fiancée. He had gone to demand answers about Zhang Zhiyun's whereabouts, fully prepared to use coercive measures and risk offending Yanxia's Shen Clan.
He had not, however, expected Shen Anyu's strength. It was far beyond his calculations. Even wielding the sect's treasured token and drawing upon the full might of his Celestial Master Peak cultivation, he had been no match for the man. The token was nearly shattered, and he had suffered a humiliating defeat.
"Zhiyun, oh, Zhiyun," Zhang Tianjiu sighed, the sound heavy in the still mountain air. He caressed the damaged token. "Where in the world are you? Are you dead or alive? And why… why would you slaughter the Yu Clan?"
Zhang Zhiyun was his prized disciple, the successor he had carefully nurtured for years. He was the most outstanding talent the Tianshi Sect had seen in a thousand years, a vessel for all of his master's highest hopes.
And the boy's talent had not disappointed. At his young age, he was already a Half-Step Celestial Master; by now, he might have even broken through to the full Celestial Master realm.
Zhang Tianjiu had secretly investigated the ruins of the Yu Clan's ancestral home. Though he denied it publicly, he knew in his heart it was highly probable that his disciple was responsible. The terrifying traces of lightning magic left at the scene were the unmistakable signature of the Tianshi Sect.
But he didn't care about the destruction of the Yu Clan. He cared about the life and death of Zhang Zhiyun.
'If something happened to Zhiyun… it's very likely Shen Anyu's doing.' Zhang Tianjiu's expression darkened. In terms of both strength and motive, Shen Anyu was the prime suspect.
If his beloved disciple had truly died at Shen Anyu's hands, then old grudges and new would demand a reckoning. He would make Shen Anyu and the entire Shen Clan pay.
The Tianshi Sect's foundation was terrifyingly deep. Besides himself, a powerhouse at the peak of the Celestial Master realm, there were two other elders who had achieved Celestial Master cultivation. Outside the sect, there was Zhang Tianen, another master at the Celestial Master Peak level, not to mention the numerous Grand True Immortals and True Immortals in their ranks.
In terms of sheer martial might, the Tianshi Sect feared no super-clan. In ancient times, they had possessed the power to influence the change of dynasties. They had only adopted a low profile in recent years out of a healthy respect for modern armies and their terrifying armaments. After all, if the Tianshi Sect acted too recklessly, what was to stop a volley of missiles from leveling their sacred mountain?
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Just as Zhang Tianjiu's thoughts were racing, the sound of hurried footsteps broke his reverie.
A disciple rushed into view, his face flushed with excitement. He bowed deeply and proclaimed in a loud, joyful voice, "Master-Uncle! The Young Sect Leader is back! The Young Sect Leader has returned!"
"Zhiyun is back!" The words struck Zhang Tianjiu like a bolt of lightning. He shot up from his chair, his face alight with pure joy. Then, just as quickly, he caught himself, sat back down, and forced his expression into a stern mask.
"Tell that unfilial disciple to roll over here and see me!" he barked.
He needed to properly discipline the boy for acting so recklessly as to wipe out the entire Yu Clan. The Tianshi Sect had been forced to burn countless connections and expend vast resources just to barely suppress the matter and delay the investigation—and that was only with Zhang Zhiyun being the prime suspect. There was still no conclusive evidence, only the word of Yu Guannan.
If it were ever truly proven, with irrefutable evidence, that Zhang Zhiyun was responsible, even the Tianshi Sect would find it difficult to protect him. The other super-powers would not stand for it; if the Tianshi Sect could destroy the Yu Clan today, what was to stop them from destroying another clan tomorrow? They could not be allowed to act without restraint.
The entire affair had given Zhang Tianjiu a massive headache. But no matter what, he had to protect his disciple.
The disciple's next words only strengthened his resolve.
"Master-Uncle, the Young Sect Leader… I think he has broken through to the Celestial Master realm! His aura is overwhelming. Even the Second Elder said he felt inferior in his presence!"
The Second Elder was also a Celestial Master. His judgment would not be wrong.
Hearing this, the stern expression Zhang Tianjiu had fought to maintain began to crack, a hint of unconcealable joy leaking through. He had suspected his disciple might have made a breakthrough, but now it was confirmed.
Before, as a Half-Step Celestial Master, Zhang Zhiyun was already hailed as the sect's greatest talent in a millennium, with hopes of reaching the Celestial Master realm before the age of thirty. But the gap between Half-Step and true Celestial Master was as vast as the distance between heaven and earth.
And now, after less than a month away from the mountain, Zhang Zhiyun had done it. Such talent meant he had a real chance of reaching the legendary Land Immortal realm in the future. With a Land Immortal at its head, the Tianshi Sect would be led to an era of incomparable glory.
"Good! As expected of my Zhang Zhiyun!"
The cold mask on Zhang Tianjiu's face finally shattered, replaced by a look of deep relief and beaming pride.
'Indeed,'he thought,'without experiencing the tribulations of the mortal world, one cannot attain the Great Dao.'
"Although Zhiyun has undergone some hardships, this is a good thing. A jade, unpolished, cannot become a treasure."
"After bitterness comes sweetness!"
He thought of the heartache his disciple had suffered—his fiancée, Ji Xiaolin, stolen by Shen Anyu, his own arm severed. But now, things were finally looking up. One day, he would surely make Shen Anyu pay the price for it all.
As for the annihilation of the Yu Clan… at worst, the Tianshi Sect would have to bleed a little more. They would pay a greater price, appease the anger of the various powers, and perhaps find a suitable scapegoat. It was not an impossible situation to resolve.
When a person leaves, the tea cools. The Yu Clan, though once powerful, was now all but extinct, survived only by an orphaned girl. Who would truly stand against the Tianshi Sect for her sake?
Before, as Sect Master, he might not have been able to convince the entire sect to protect Zhang Zhiyun. But now, with the boy's potential on full display, who in the Tianshi Sect would dare to disobey?
"Hmph, it's just one clan. If this were a few hundred years ago, my Tianshi Sect would dare to depose and enthrone emperors!" Zhang Tianjiu snorted, his resolve hardening into steel. He would protect his disciple.
Casting aside all pretense of formality, he sprang to his feet and rushed from the back mountains toward the front hall, his face wreathed in a joyful smile. He would personally welcome his beloved, trial-worn disciple home.
But Zhang Tianjiu had no idea what kind of surprise Zhang Zhiyun was about to bring him.
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