A sword rested on his right waist, its blade concealed within a black scabbard. But what stood out the most was its teal hilt.
This was no mere decoration.
It was a symbol.
In the Drifting Sword Sect, the hilt wrap of one’s sword signified their rank within the sect:
Brown Wrap – Outer Disciples
Green Wrap – Inner Disciples
Dark Green Wrap – Core Disciples
Silver Wrap – Elders
Teal Wrap – Pillar Elders
White Wrap – Vice Sect Master
Black Wrap – Sect Master
This man’s teal hilt meant only one thing – he was a Pillar Elder of the Drifting Sword Sect!
This was Elder Tang Sheng, one of the sect’s Four Pillars, known as the Pillar of Flow.
He was the master of Lin Yijun.
A cultivator at the 8th Stage of Heavenly King Realm.
A woman stood beside Hua Feixue and Yue Xueyan, wearing the same uniform as them. Her mature, beautiful eyes carried a depth that seemed to hold countless secrets, but the rest of her face was hidden behind a delicate white veil.
Even so, there was no doubt. This was a stunning woman.
A jade beauty beyond compare.
One who had turned down at least a hundred cultivators, if the rumors were to be believed.
Her light pink hair was tied into a flat-headed ponytail, smooth and silky, shifting gently with her movements. Embroidered on the chest of her robe was a six-petaled deep pink flower, a symbol of her position within the sect.
This was Elder Feng Yuhan, one of the Six Petal Guardians of the Snow Petal Sect.
She was also the master of Hua Feixue and Yue Xueyan, known as the Petal of Nivalis.
Today, both Elder Tang Sheng and Elder Feng Yuhan had been dragged here by their disciples.
At first, they assumed it was a trivial matter, but what they heard compelled them to come.
Not only had their disciples found Mo Xixi, the heir of the fallen Ashen Curse Cult, working inside this very store, but they had also claimed that the shop sold impossible products.
A product that could grant enlightenment.
A drink that could boost reaction speed.
It was absurd!
Naturally, their first instinct was to be suspicious. They had carefully examined their disciples, checking for any sign of illusions, mind control, or spiritual interference.
Yet no matter how thoroughly they searched, they found nothing.
There were no traces of foul play at all.
At this point, even if they wanted to dismiss their disciples’ claims, they could not.
Items with such effects should not exist in the mortal realm. Even if they did, they would be considered forbidden treasures, heavily restricted by the major sects or found only in secret grounds long lost to time.
And yet, their disciples had casually bought them from a small store.
“Welcome.”
There he was!
The storekeeper their disciples had spoken of. The man who had taken in Mo Xixi, the heir of the Ashen Curse Cult, as a worker.
The two elders wasted no time. They immediately extended their spiritual senses, scanning Hao with all their might.
A moment passed. Then another.
But no matter how hard they searched, they found nothing.
The man standing before them was a mortal.
Not a trace of qi in his body. Not even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy.
There were only two possibilities. Either he came from a realm far beyond their comprehension, or he was nothing more than a fraud.
Both answers were equally ridiculous.
Before they could dwell on it further, their disciples stepped forward and made their greetings.
Lin Yijun cupped his fists. “Greetings, boss.”
Hua Feixue smiled. “Greetings, Boss Hao!”
Yue Xueyan gave a polite nod. “Greeting, senior.”
Xiao Lianfeng followed. “Greeting, Senior Hao.”
The two elders were just about to offer their own greetings when the door behind the counter suddenly opened.
A black cat walked out, stretching lazily.
It was followed by two small black kittens, their bright eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Elder Tang Sheng and Elder Feng Yuhan froze.
Their gazes locked for a brief moment before Elder Tang Sheng spoke through a mental transmission.
’Elder Feng… that cat… or rather, that spiritual beast… it is an Abyssal Spiritual Beast, isn’t it?’
Elder Feng Yuhan gave the slightest nod.
The weight of this realization was not small.
An Abyssal Spiritual Beast was not something one could casually own. Even the weakest among them were comparable to Heavenly Emperor Realm cultivators.
Creatures of this level were on par with sect masters!
Yet here it was, roaming freely in this little store.
Their suspicions about Hao only grew stronger.
Not only did his store sell impossible products, but now they discovered it housed a Abyssal-level Spiritual Beast as well.
A storekeeper with no qi.
Products that defied all logic.
A spiritual beast on par with the strongest cultivators.
Was this truly just a store, or was it a hidden secret ground in disguise? A place that defied common sense, hiding treasures beyond imagination?
Or perhaps… the storekeeper was no mere mortal, but an immortal who had grown bored of the upper realms and descended to play the role of an ordinary shop owner?
The two elders exchanged glances before turning to Hao.
“Greetings, Storekeeper Hao.” Elder Tang Sheng said with a polite nod.
“Greetings, Storekeeper.” Elder Feng Yuhan followed.
Then, without hesitation, they turned toward the black cat and bowed slightly.
“Greetings, Senior.”
Their disciples Lin Yijun, Hua Feixue, Yue Xueyan, and Xiao Lianfeng – stood frozen, staring at their masters in stunned silence.
…Did they just bow to a cat?
They had come in expecting their masters to question Hao, maybe even pressure him for answers. But instead… why were they greeting a cat?
Were they seeing things?
Hua Feixue blinked. “Did… Did Master just – ?”
Yue Xueyan coughed lightly.
Lin Yijun looked at his master, then at the cat, then back again. ’Was the old man turning senile?’
Xiao Lianfeng opened his mouth, only to close it again.
But their confusion only deepened when they realized something strange – none of them could sense anything unusual from the black cat.
To their eyes, she was just a normal cat. Yet their masters, powerful figures at the peak of the Heavenly King Realm, had greeted the cat with genuine respect.
They had no idea.
At their level, they couldn’t even sense the unfathomable danger hidden within the mother cat’s presence.
While the mother cat gracefully leaped onto the counter, her two little kittens stepped forward.