Chapter 163 Unfit to Be Seen in Public

"Regarding the Five Elements Sect, disciples from sect backgrounds can take a look at your sect tokens first."

Ling Qinghe's calm tone carried a trace of the majesty belonging to a superior and a powerhouse. "The pattern on the back actually represents the Five Elements Sect."

Jin Xishan, Wu Hao, and the others immediately took out their identity tokens. After inspecting them and glancing at the tokens of other sect disciples as well, understanding dawned in their hearts.

The pattern on the back of the token looked almost like a bird's-eye view of the martial arts arena before them, resembling a pentagram enclosed within a circle. Although someone had noticed it previously, no one had given it much thought; the secret had been hidden here all along.

However, the people from the Hua, Ling, and Han families merely exchanged glances, and someone even let out a soft, cold snort. It was quite evident that they held these sect disciples in utter disregard.

The disciples dispatched by these local families of Myriad Wind City were all elites, so they naturally knew far more than the sect disciples. Hearing Ling Qinghe mention the existence of the Five Elements Sect did not surprise them in the slightest.

"Commander Ling, what kind of force is this Five Elements Sect... exactly?"

Jin Xishan asked with a trembling voice, unable to conceal the shock and astonishment in his heart.

As for the others, unspeakable brilliance surged within their gazes. Though they remained silent, they were extremely curious about this.

It was hardly surprising that the sect disciples felt this way and harbored such a desire to investigate. After all, Myriad Wind City was already considered immensely powerful in their eyes, boasting countless powerhouses. Not only did the Wind and Cloud Guard gather the most elite Pulse-Condensation realm cultivators, but the major factions within the city also lacked no shortage of Origin Dan experts, with even second-tier Primordial Spirit Dan masters numbering quite a few.

However, making progress in the Origin Dan realm was exceedingly difficult. Although one possessed a full five hundred years of lifespan, very few could elevate their strength significantly within that timeframe unless backed by immensely massive resources.

Even so, even if they were merely at the Single Dan realm, that was still formidable indeed.

If Myriad Wind City could reach such a level, how much more so for the Heavenly Wind Prefecture it belonged to, and the Cloud Peak Empire that governed the Heavenly Wind Prefecture?

Yet...

The Cloud Peak Empire itself had to submit to the governance of the Five Elements Sect. Just how formidable must this Five Elements Sect be?

"The Five Elements Sect..."

Ling Qinghe's voice suddenly turned somewhat hollow and distant, his gaze slowly casting outward into the boundless, azure firmament—a horizon stretching endlessly beyond reach, the farthest edge of the heavens that one could never hope to pursue in a lifetime. "The Five Elements Sect is a true behemoth. In this world, it is likely the absolute ruler, and the scope of its influence radiates so far that cultivators like us could never hope to traverse it all in our entire lives. As for the Cloud Peak Empire, it is merely an utterly insignificant existence within its ruling domain..."

"Commander Ling... is this true?"

These words unmistakably stunned the youths. Even the family members from Myriad Wind City fell silent. After a long while, a sect disciple finally asked with a trembling voice.

It was not a matter of disbelief, but rather of not daring to believe.

The Cloud Peak Empire governed ten prefectures, and the Heavenly Wind Prefecture managed eight cities. Myriad Wind City, being one of them, was already the lifelong goal for which these youths struggled, yearning to make a name for themselves, to rise above the crowd, and to spread their prestige far and wide...

Yet what could these goals possibly amount to in the eyes of the Five Elements Sect?

Having learned of the existence of the Five Elements Sect, how could these youths not be utterly dazed? Their very faith was on the verge of collapsing.

"Of course it is true! Why would Commander Ling need to deceive you?"

A light chuckle came floating over, followed immediately by a rich, deep voice. The tone lacked no trace of banter, yet carried an even more obvious sense of majesty.

Upon hearing these words, Ling Qinghe immediately straightened his posture and turned around to bow, "Ling Qinghe greets Commander Hua!"

The youths looked over one after another and saw a middle-aged man striding toward them. Although his footsteps were steady and powerful, they produced not the slightest sound. It was as though he had grown directly out of the earth and was himself a part of the great land; for him to walk and make a sound would have been the truly strange thing.

The man wore only a coarse cloth vest on his upper body, possessing a striking appearance tinged with an aura of upright righteousness. He was burly and robust, yet without any appearance of bulkiness, looking instead exceedingly lean and agile. Beneath his bronze-toned skin, streamlined muscles bulged one by one, embodying both strength and explosive power, yet without any sense of discordance.

Ling Qinghe was already the deputy commander of the Wind and Cloud Guard. For him to bow and utter words like "Greetings, Commander Hua," the identity of this person was already self-evident.

The commander of the Myriad Wind City Wind and Cloud Guard, Hua Beiqian.

...

Two golden beams shot straight outward, and everything within this flame no longer held any secrets for Luo Tian.

Although it was merely an illusion, even an illusion could not escape the movement of energy; otherwise, it could never have formed.

Within the walls of this room, countless starlight points twinkled, connected together by arcane patterns to form a strange design.

So this was a formation?

Luo Tian nodded slightly. It was indeed formidable; he could see the heaven and earth primordial energy of the outside world being continuously absorbed by this formation, advancing in an orderly fashion along each pattern. In the process, this energy underwent subtle, imperceptible transformations driven by the formation's power, ultimately shaping the scene perceived by his naked eyes.

Primordial energy...

Flames...

It seemed as though he had watched for a very long time, yet it also felt like a mere split second. Luo Tian suddenly experienced a flash of insight.

The flames before his eyes rolled and surged unceasingly. At times, they resembled demons incinerating the eight wildernesses and all things in existence, leaving behind utter desolation in their wake. At other times, they were like a flickering flame trembling in the wind, suddenly bursting forth with a powerful momentum that could sweep across the heavens and earth. At times, they transformed into a gigantic fire dragon, before which all evil spirits retreated wherever it passed. At times, they seemed to turn into a wisp of extremely condensed blazing light, radiating boundless brilliance and surging heat waves, as if even space itself could be burned away...

Luo Tian's lowered right hand had been loosely clenched in a fist, but at this very moment, a surge of primordial energy suddenly welled up within his palm.

After this strand of primordial energy appeared, it did not dissipate directly; instead, it continued to tremble slightly before suddenly transforming into a small cluster of flames, as though it had always been fire itself, merely covered by a thin layer of gauze.

Now that the covering had been wiped away, much like dust clearing to reveal a brilliant luster, its true essence was laid bare.

The tongue of flame danced and leapt with all its might, struggling as if trying to break free from some kind of restraint.

A mere moment later, this cluster of flames was drawn out into a slender thread, winding and entwining like a snake around Luo Tian's arm.

And as this fire serpent crawled upward, its color grew increasingly brilliant...

"Hiss—"

Luo Tian's eyebrows knitted tightly together, and he clenched his teeth hard to keep from crying out ungracefully.

The clothing on his arm had already been burned away, and a succession of red rings marked his skin all the way from his wrist up to near his shoulder. Evidently, the instantaneous excessive temperature had caused injury to his physical body.

Even so, Luo Tian endured the burning, searing pain in his arm while a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Controlling intent!

Embodying intent!

Never had he imagined that upon entering the Enlightenment Chamber for the very first time, he would reap such a harvest!

While rejoicing, Luo Tian could not help feeling somewhat vexed. If he hadn't grown carried away and foolishly tried to push his Blazing Fierce Intent a step further, he wouldn't have botched it and ended up in this state.

Now, how on earth was he supposed to face people? (To be continued.)