The Azure Sky Sect stood transformed.
Where once it had been an overlooked sect with shallow influence and limited strength, now it hummed with power. The very air across its peaks was different—heavier, more refined, and laced with a spiritual pressure that made visitors instinctively lower their heads.
The Sect Master's recent breakthrough to the peak of the Soul Transformation Realm had shaken not only the Azure Sky Sect but the entire region. The celestial phenomenon that had accompanied it—soul projections, energy storms, spatial distortion—was not something that could be ignored. Even the heavens had resisted his ascension, forcing him to suppress the will of the world itself just to take that step. But he had done it. And now, the very fabric of the sect pulsed with new life.
Zhao Yan had stepped fully into the Nascent Soul Realm. His aura was no longer merely strong—it was commanding. Every step he took now radiated the pressure of a cultivator standing at the gateway to true greatness.
Liu Qingcheng had undergone an even more profound change. With the Vermillion Ascension Pill refined by Qin Chen using the essence of a Vermillion Phoenix, she had not only stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm but awakened a powerful mythical soul that aligned perfectly with her bloodline. Her aura was majestic, almost divine, with flaming wings of spiritual energy sometimes flickering into existence behind her.
The Core Elders, once plateaued for decades, had begun breaking their own limits. With Qin Chen's Soul Transformation-level pills, they had stabilized their realms and expanded their foundations. The result? A sect where the majority of its leadership could rival the top elders of stronger, higher-grade forces.
Even the Sect Master, now at the peak of Soul Transformation, stood on the cusp of legend.
The Azure Sky Sect's internal structure had also shifted. There was no longer ambiguity between levels. The Sect Master sat at the peak, now wielding strength that rivaled some of the mightiest in the region. Below him, the Great Elders—reinvigorated and elevated. The Core Elders—solid and ready for war. And most notably, the Core Disciples—each one now a peak-stage Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivator.
The transformation was undeniable. And it didn't go unnoticed.
In a nearby sect nestled among the volcanic mountains—the Crimson Sun Sect—a group of elders had gathered in silence.
"It originated from the Azure Sky Sect, didn't it?" asked Elder Huang, staring at the fading spiritual residue in the skies. The lightstorm had long vanished, but its echoes remained.
"It did," Elder Lin confirmed. "That wasn't an ordinary breakthrough. That was peak Soul Transformation… and it wasn't masked."
"Intentional, perhaps," said Elder Huang. "A declaration."
The sect master of the Crimson Sun Sect stroked his beard, contemplative. "They've been quiet for years. But now, with that boy I've been hearing about recently… Qin Chen… things are changing. Perhaps it's time we reevaluated the Azure Sky Sect."
"They're no longer prey," Elder Lin muttered.
The Crimson Sun Sect wasn't hostile—but the power dynamics of the Northern Wilderness were built on strength. And now, one more player had truly entered the board.
Back in the Azure Sky Sect, Qin Chen stood atop a lonely cliff, hands behind his back, his robes fluttering in the wind.
He gazed down at the sect below—the disciples training harder than ever, the elders reinforcing defensive formations, the rising aura of a place finally awakening from slumber.
"It's good," he muttered to himself. "But not enough."
His Zenith Sword Soul pulsed faintly in his chest.
He was powerful—unbelievably so for his age. But the tournament loomed ever closer. And with it, enemies he couldn't afford to underestimate.
He thought back to the rumors.
Disciples from Grade 1 and Grade 2 sects that could cross multiple small realms to defeat their enemies.
Cultivators from the Everlasting Immortal Palace who were born with Dao Constitutions and awakened Saint-grade bloodlines.
Sword Kings from the Heavenly Sword Sect who had already achieved nascent control over Sword Domains.
And then there were the hidden forces.
The ones not on any ranking list, the ones who trained in ancient sects beneath the sea, or in sky palaces hidden behind spatial folds.
Qin Chen closed his eyes.
"The Azure Sky Sect is ready. Now it's my turn."
He would break through to the Nascent Soul Realm soon. But not just with pills.
He wanted something more.
A method that could push even his abnormal foundation to an unshakable level. Perhaps… a perfect fusion of the Sovereign Flames and the Zenith Sword Soul. Or a new comprehension in his Dao.
But that could wait for a moment longer.
He had one final thing to do before he shut himself in for his own ascension.
His eyes narrowed.
It was time to find out what the other sects really had.
And who among them dared call themselves geniuses.
Because if they couldn't stand against him…
They would be nothing more than stepping stones