Following their young master's lead, Elder Bai Mo and all the remaining protectors bowed in unison. "Thank you for saving our pitiful lives!" they chorused, their gratitude genuine and overwhelming.
In the blink of an eye, Huai and Wuhe, who had been standing at a distance, appeared directly in front of Yan. The terrifying aura of a moment ago vanished as Huai affectionately rubbed Yan's head. "You've become quite naughty after spending so much time with your Grand Elder," he said with a sigh.
Yan chuckled, having already put his blood-red scimitar back into his space pouch, the fearsome child warrior replaced by an innocent-looking boy. "Hehe... Master, Grand Elder taught me how to protect you!" He proudly flexed a non-existent bicep for Huai to see.
Huai sighed again and shook his head in mock disappointment, while Wuhe, standing beside them, looked thoroughly pleased, a proud glint in his eyes that confirmed his "education" had indeed taken firm root in their young disciple.
Huai turned his attention to the group from the Shadow Sword Sanctuary. As his gaze swept over them, Ling Tian and his protectors felt as if they were completely transparent, their deepest secrets laid bare before his eyes.
"Where are you people from?" Huai asked, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable weight.
Ling Tian immediately clasped his hands in a formal salute. "I am Ling Tian, Young Master of the Shadow Sword Sanctuary." He then gestured to the elder beside him. "This is the 4th Elder of my sect, Elder Bai Mo. And these are my protectors."
He continued, "I left the sect to gain some experience, but I never imagined I would encounter such enemies out here."
Huai nodded in understanding. "So, you are from that 4th-tier sect," he said, his tone so casual that it startled both Ling Tian and Bai Mo. To hear their powerful sect, one of the overlords of their galaxy, referred to so nonchalantly was shocking.
"Your Highness," Ling Tian asked tentatively, "do you know of our sect?"
Huai nodded again. "Yes, I've heard of it. Your sect is one of the overlords of the Red Lotus Galaxy, correct?"
Ling Tian affirmed with a nod. "Yes! Alongside us, there are other major forces as well..."
"I know, I know," Huai said, cutting him off gently. He looked at Ling Tian thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "Ling Tian, you must know of some great places in the Red Lotus Galaxy, right? Somewhere we can find a fresh atmosphere and enjoy our time."
Ling Tian considered this, an idea forming in his mind. This was a golden opportunity. "Your Highness! Why don't you travel with us? My sect controls hundreds of planets. I can personally give you a tour." Although he couldn't see through their cultivation, it was obvious they were immensely powerful, perhaps even at the legendary Galaxy Realm. He had to take this chance to build a connection with them.
Huai nodded. "Then it's settled. Get on my spaceship."
Without any further delay, Huai casually waved his hand. In an instant, the entire fleet of pirate spaceships, along with all the treasures they contained, disintegrated into fine dust that scattered into the void.
Ling Tian, Bai Mo, and every last one of the protectors stared at the empty space with broken hearts.
A single, unified thought echoed in their minds: 'Your Highness, if you didn't want those treasures, you could have just given them to us poor folk! Why did you have to destroy them?'
Huai didn't seem to notice their anguish at all, but Yan saw their expressions clearly and chuckled to himself. Having spent time with his master and grand elder, he had a good idea of their immense wealth. To them, the loot of a pirate fleet was nothing more than worthless trinkets.
After seven days of continuous travel through the silent void, the spaceship finally entered the Shadow Sword Territory, a vast domain spanning hundreds of planets, all under the watchful protection of a single overlord: the Shadow Sword Sanctuary.
"Brother Ling Tian, what kind of place is that planet you were talking about?" Yan asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.
Ling Tian looked at the boy with a pained expression. No matter how many times he had pleaded with the young killing machine not to call him 'brother,' insisting he could just use his name, Yan would simply frown and refuse. "No," Yan would say respectfully, "Master taught me to respect my elders, and you are older than me."
Ling Tian and Elder Bai almost wept. The idea of this killing machine, who could effortlessly slaughter a peak Star Sovereign, calling them 'brother' and 'uncle' so casually... the thought alone was terrifying.
Sighing in resignation, Ling Tian replied, "That planet is one of my sect's main medicinal gardens. We cultivate countless medicinal flowers and exotic plants there. It's truly a beautiful sight. I'll take you there later."
Xie Yan nodded, his eyes glittering with excitement. He had never left his home before, and this entire journey was a thrilling adventure.
A beautiful, verdant planet loomed in front of them. The automated ship began its descent into the atmosphere, but as it neared the planet, it was intercepted by a squadron of a hundred soldiers clad in the uniform of the Shadow Sword Sanctuary. The spaceship came to a halt.
"Identify yourselves!" a voice boomed over the comms. "What is your purpose for entering Sword Star?" Sword Star was one of the main planets under the direct control of the Shadow Sword Sect.
The spaceship's main hatch opened, and Ling Tian stepped out. Seeing their young master, all the soldiers immediately bowed. "Welcome back, Young Master! We apologize, we could not detect your presence just now."
Ling Tian nodded, then asked in confusion, "Why is security so tight?"
The disciple at the front answered grimly, "Something terrible has happened in the sect, Young Master. The Sect Master has given strict orders to check anyone entering our territory without permission."
Ling Tian frowned as he listened to the details. "Stand down," he commanded. "I have brought guests with me. I will report to my father myself. There is no need for you to say anything for now."
The disciples nodded and cleared a path. Ling Tian guided the spaceship through the security cordon and down towards the surface of Sword Star.
After landing on Sword Star, Ling Tian escorted Huai and the others to a private, elegant courtyard reserved for his personal use. Offering them residence here was the highest form of respect he could show.
"Your Highnesses," he said with a bow, "please, take some rest. It seems my sect is facing a problem of unknown origin. I must go to the main hall, but after I have completed my discussion with my father, I will return."
Huai and Wuhe nodded in acknowledgment, while Yan felt a pang of boredom now that his friendly guide was leaving. He wouldn't be able to ask any more questions for a while.
Ling Tian left the courtyard and made his way directly to the sect's main hall. Inside, he found a scene of controlled chaos. His father, the Sect Master Ling Zhan, was pacing back and forth anxiously, his face a mask of worry. The other elders present were similarly panicked, whispering amongst themselves as if a great catastrophe had befallen them.
Seeing his son enter, Sect Master Ling Zhan let out a breath of relief. "Ah, Tian! You've returned! Now I can feel somewhat more at ease."
"What has happened, Father?" Ling Tian asked, confused by the palpable tension in the air. "Why is everyone in the sect so on edge?"
Ling Zhan's face turned grim, and he gritted his teeth. "Your grandfather... he's been injured. We don't know what to do. We've already sent an urgent message to the Medicine Gatherer Pavilion. They should be arriving soon."
Tian felt a jolt of disbelief. His grandfather was the Old Ancestor of their sect, a mighty being at the Galaxy Apprentice level. Who in this galaxy was powerful enough to injure him? "How did it happen?" he asked, his voice laced with shock.
Ling Zhan gritted his teeth, his knuckles white. "The Old Ancestor of the Summoning Beast Pavilion came to meet your grandfather," he began, his voice low and laced with fury. "But after the meeting, they suddenly started fighting. When their ancestor saw he could not defeat your grandfather fairly, he... he consumed some kind of forbidden item. His cultivation skyrocketed right before our eyes."
Ling Zhan's voice trembled with a mixture of fear and rage. "He broke through to the realm of a Galaxy General and beat your grandfather so severely that he lost consciousness. His injuries are so grave that our own physicians can do nothing."
He took a shaky breath, trying to compose himself. "But there is hope. I received word that the Medicine Gatherer Pavilion is hosting a guest. A mysterious healer known as the 'Sage of the Seven Needles.' He has become famous in just the last few months. People say he is a true sage, capable of snatching souls from the jaws of death itself."
Ling Zhan's eyes held a desperate light. "I do not know all the details, but they say he was the one who saved their own young mistress, Yao Lingxi."
Ling Tian was stunned. "Lingxi... is cured?" he asked in utter disbelief. As a fellow 4th-tier sect, they were well-acquainted, and he knew just how hopeless Yao Lingxi's condition had been.
"Yes," Ling Zhan confirmed. "I heard they met this Sage of the Seven Needles on some distant planet, and he returned with them to the Medicine Gatherer Pavilion."
What they didn't know was the truth of the matter. After her time on the Blue Star, Lingxi was preparing to return to her sect. The so-called 'Sage of the Seven Needles,' Mu Feng, had joined Huai's Eternal Sect long long ago . Now he is a 4th tier physician after cultivated the knowledge huai gave him and required special herbs that only the Medicine Gatherer Pavilion possessed. Thus, he had simply accompanied her back.
Ling Zhan's face fell again, the momentary hope overshadowed by dread. "Before the ancestor of the Summoning Beast Pavilion left, he gave us an ultimatum. He will return to make us submit. If we do not... we will all die, just as my father is now." He sighed, the weight of his entire sect resting on his shoulders.
A thought suddenly ignited in Ling Tian's mind. The journey, the pirates, the impossible child warrior, and the unfathomably powerful beings he now hosted in his own courtyard. He had met someone special. Someone who could change everything.
"Father, I must leave," he said abruptly, turning before Ling Zhan could even reply, and rushed out of the hall.
Meanwhile, back in the quiet courtyard, Huai was enjoying a moment of leisure with Wuhe and Yan. Wuhe was patiently demonstrating the fluid motions of swordsmanship, and Yan was meticulously following his every action. The boy already knew his master and this Grand Elder were inseparable. Over the past week, he had grown connected to Wuhe as well, readily accepting him as another master.
Huai watched them for a moment, then commented dryly, "Yan, aside from sword techniques and fighting skills, try not to learn anything... weird from your Grand Elder."
Yan completed the final sequence of moves, sheathed his practice sword, and ran over to his master. "Why, Master? Grand Elder taught me many things that are very important to learn!"
Huai's eyebrow shot up. "Oh? Like what?"