The Man's face, a canvas of time and wisdom, bore strong and defined features that seemed as if they were carefully chiseled by a master craftsman. Deep-set eyes of brilliant azure sparkled with an unfathomable depth of wisdom and a touch of timeless mystique. They were like tranquil lakes, revealing no secrets but seemingly housing a world within them. His hair, now a dignified silver, flowed like a silken river down his back, a striking contrast to the azure of his robes.
There was a stillness about him that could only be found in those who had seen the ebb and flow of countless years. The way he appeared and stood beside Han Cai had an ease and elegance that could only be born from a lifetime of navigating the intricate paths of cultivation.
Han Cai noticed that the man was not looking at him, but at the beautiful valley where Han Cai was gazing.
Finally, the man spoke while still staring at the valley, "I am Lan Tianlong."
Han Cai did not respond to the man and waited for him to continue.
Seeing that Han Cai was not replying, the man spoke again, "It seems you've had some lucky chances; it's been years since I paid attention to the outer sect."
The man continued, "Did you know you are the cause of the war with the White Tiger Alliance?"
This was the first time the man saw some reaction from Han Cai.
Han Cai asked, "What do you mean?"
Tianlong responded, "The alchemy technique you use is an ancient one that's worth destroying many nations for. The technique of extracting unique properties from materials and using a normal tree root to get the effects of spirit roots is a long-lost alchemy art."
Han Cai shook his head, "I didn't have a lucky chance, I'm just a genius in alchemy."
Tianlong laughed out loud and replied, "That's even better than a lucky chance. Nevertheless, war is going to happen."
Han Cai questioned, "How did you know it was me?"
Tianlong chuckled, "You hid your presence very well, but some of the disciples who went out to sell the pills... I just had to follow their movements."
Han Cai nodded, realizing that made sense.
Tianlong asked, "Who is the man who took over Du? He seems to be a Heaven Immortal."
Han Cai confirmed, "He's my bodyguard."
Tianlong was surprised, "That's interesting. How is a Heaven Immortal protecting a tiny seed like you?"
Han Cai shrugged, "We all have our chances."
They stayed quiet for a while before the old man spoke again, "So, what are you going to do now that war is going to begin?"
Han Cai thought for a while and replied, "Run! What else can I do?"
Tianlong laughed out loud again. This young man was very intriguing to him.
Tianlong asked, "Don't you have faith in the sect's strength?"
Han Cai shook his head, "Blind faith is foolishness. Since they declared war on the sect, this means they are prepared. They are a millennia-old alliance and if they think they can take you on, they must have some reason."
Tianlong nodded and asked, "Do you know the history of our sect?"
Han Cai shook his head, "Nope."
Tianlong gave an amused smile, "Don't you feel curious about the history of the sect?"
Han Cai shook his head, "Nope."
Tianlong felt curious and asked, "Why not?"
Han Cai spoke, "The more I know, the more Karma I will owe. I would rather stay ignorant."
Tianlong laughed out loud again and spoke, "I think you have a misconception about Karma. Anyway, did you receive the legacy of some monk? Is that why you shave all your hair? Or are you the reincarnation of one of those monks?"
Han Cai shook his head, "Burnt my hair trying to learn alchemy."
Tianlong laughed out loud again. After his laughter subsided, he spoke, "Not in our realm but another, there is a continent known as the Spirit Beasts Continent. This continent is ruled by four beasts: Long, Fenghuang, Gui, and Hu. Humans in the continent worshipped these beasts, and pleased by their worship, the beasts blessed the humans with their bloodline. With the bloodline of the beasts, humans began to grow and become stronger. Over the years, these humans with the bloodline of the deity beasts formed four sects: Phoenix Sect, LongTian Sect, Gui Sect, and ShenHu Sect.
Tianlong continued, "Azure Dragon Sect was a branch of Long Tian Sect in lower realm."
Han Cai spoke, "That is why you gave yourself the name? Why is this continent called vermillion phoenix if all four are equally powerful"
Tianlong nodded, "All Four Sects opened branches mortal realm and In the beginning, it was all peaceful, but as time passed, the ancestors who founded the sect left. We members of each sect started growing and becoming stronger. The stronger we became, the more greed we had, which led to constant battles. Today, our Azure dragon Sect has reduced to only one nation in this vast continent, while white tiger sect had become White Tiger Alliance but in power they are similar to use, and the Vermillion Phoenix Sect grew most and over the years they became rulers of the continued.."
Han Cai asked, "What about Gui Sect?"
Tianlong replied, "Their branch is called Emerald Turtle Sect. Just like turtles, they stay quiet and not interact much, but they are the second most strongest in the continent. If someone could challenge the Vermillion Phoenix Sect, it would be them."
Han Cai asked, "So, we are fourth strongest in the continent then?"
Tianlong replied, "No, we just own a country. Any sect which owns a country might have equal power as us, but we do have plenty of alliances and a rich foundation; no one can fight us in the Azure Dragon Country."
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