With matters having come to this, Guo Jingfeng and his companions could do nothing but acquiesce.
They offered no rebuttal; upon his departure, Li Changtian of Drifting Peak had specifically instructed Guo Jingfeng that even if Gao Han refused to join Drifting Peak, he was not to be antagonized.
Nian Hua, well aware of Gao Han's formidable prowess, held his peace as well.
As for Kang Bai, though uncertain of just how powerful Gao Han truly was, he fell silent upon seeing that Guo Jingfeng and Nian Hua had spoken not a word of protest.
Moreover, seeing Nian Hua's grinning face, radiant as a chrysanthemum in full bloom, Kang Bai could scarcely resist the urge to strike him.
Yet he restrained himself, sighing inwardly: Pathetic! Utterly pathetic! The man rejects you, yet you beam with joy—you would probably revel in it if someone gave you a good beating.
Their understanding did not extend to the disciples of Raindrift Peak. Wei Ying had long harbored resentment toward Gao Han, and upon returning to his peak, he said not a word of what had transpired and retreated into seclusion at once.
Added to this, Raindrift Peak's power was second only to the main Misty Peak, fostering an arrogant, overbearing demeanor among its disciples over time.
"Hmph! Unappreciative fool! How dare you spurn us! Arrogant whelp—let me teach you a lesson your parents never did!" A true disciple of Raindrift Peak roared, launching a fist toward Gao Han.
The fist force shattered the air as it hurtled toward him.
Gao Han's expression turned icy. Facing the incoming strike, he merely raised his palm to block it.
Clang!
The moment the fist force touched his hand, it froze solid. Gao Han squeezed his fist, and the frozen energy shattered into countless icy fragments that drifted away on the air.
The man had intended only to discipline Gao Han, not take his life, and had not fought with full strength—otherwise, Gao Han would not have blocked the strike so easily.
"Hmph? Not half bad," the man remarked in surprise, then sneered. "But what of it? You are nothing but a Third Layer True Essence trash! Kneel before me and apologize, or I will make you regret it!"
"Do your parents know you speak with such ill breeding?" Gao Han retorted calmly.
"Wha—?" The man stared blankly for a moment before his face flamed crimson with rage. "Boy, I will cripple you today, or my name is not a disciple of Raindrift Peak!"
Gao Han tapped his right foot lightly against the ground. A surge of power traveled through the earth toward the true disciple's feet and erupted outward.
"Aah! You dare attack me from behind?" Caught off guard by the burst of frosty energy, the true disciple met with instant misfortune.
His body froze stiff, and he fixed Gao Han with a venomous glare, his eyes blazing with hatred.
He had suffered the ultimate humiliation. He had intended to dazzle the lower-ranked disciples, flaunting his strength and pride.
Instead, Gao Han had shattered all his plans, tearing to shreds the dignity he valued above all else.
Rage consumed him, and his hatred for Gao Han escalated to a new height. He longed to tear Gao Han into a thousand pieces to sate his fury.
Yet he could not move an inch; his entire body had been frozen solid by Gao Han's frost.
Gao Han, Elder Bai, and the others laughed and turned away, heading for the inner-sect residences.
An Ruoxuan pledged himself to Misty Peak, while Lin Lin naturally became a disciple of Flowerdrift Peak.
Nearly all female disciples of the Misty Sect joined Flowerdrift Peak, and the peak had long made it clear that all female disciples were welcome without exception.
After reuniting with Fan Xiaoniu and his two companions, Gao Han followed Zhu Jin and his group toward the inner-sect living quarters.
The inner-sect residences lay upon Hidden Dragon Peak, a small mountain separate from the five great peaks.
It was called small only in comparison to the towering, cloud-piercing five peaks.
A mountain's glory lay not in its height, but in its spiritual essence. Though Hidden Dragon Peak was not tall, it rested upon a powerful earth vein, making cultivation within its bounds twice as effective.
Hundreds of courtyards dotted the mountainside, nearly identical in form, as if carved from the same mold.
At the very peak, however, stood twenty-odd courtyards unlike any other.
Compared to the ordinary dwellings, these were luxurious mansions in every sense.
They were far more spacious, and their construction was leagues beyond the smaller courtyards below.
The standard courtyards were built of thatch and wood, covering no more than one hundred and fifty square meters including the yard.
The ten grand mansions at the peak, by contrast, were constructed from azure marble, with roofs hewn from black profound wood—sturdy, insulating, and keeping the interiors cool in summer and warm in winter.
Even the main halls alone spanned two hundred square meters, with the entire compound covering over five hundred square meters.
Zhu Jin told Gao Han that these elite courtyards belonged solely to the top ten ranked inner-sect disciples; only they were worthy of such residence.
Next came the top hundred inner-sect disciples. By his current ranking, Gao Han would ordinarily be assigned a courtyard halfway up the mountain.
Yet Zhu Jin led him to the quarters of the top hundred. As it turned out, the inner-sect disciples unaffiliated with the five peaks shared a tight bond.
True inner-sect disciples occasionally stayed at Hidden Dragon Peak as well, and the rift between the two groups ran deep, often escalating to open hostility upon sight.
To prevent constant conflict, the peak had been split into two districts: the southern slope for true inner-sect disciples, and the northern for independent inner-sect disciples.
Zhu Jin showed Gao Han to an empty courtyard beside his own: Courtyard Number Ninety.
To Gao Han, the location mattered little. While an earth vein boosted cultivation speed, he would have far rather trained in a graveyard.
The frigid qi there had accelerated his cultivation at a staggering pace, far surpassing the benefits of a mere earth vein.
Besides, he could not remain in the sect forever. He needed a residence only as a foothold within the sect—and a place for Fan Xiaoniu and Yue'er to live.
His courtyard held four chambers. Fan Xiaoniu and Yue'er, whose romance had now come into the open, shared one.
Wu Yan had sworn loyalty to him, so Gao Han granted him a chamber of his own. Gao Han himself took the largest central room.
Once all was settled, Gao Han left the Misty Sect with Elder Bai and Zhu Jin, heading for the nearby town.
They had agreed that he would join their gathering, and Zhu Jin, having spent many years among the inner-sect disciples, could offer valuable insight on certain matters.
Elder Bai, too, though not particularly high in cultivation, possessed a realm of understanding far beyond Gao Han's own—there were questions he wished to pose to the elder.