Storm Brewing

The Sacred Flame Sect was located in the southern region of the Heavenly Fortune Nation. The Sect was built on a hundred kilometers of an expansive mountain range, teeming with the element of fire. The Sect had around ten thousand disciples, the majority of whom were male, and all of them possessed a Profound Vein with a high affinity for the fire element.

Similar to the Misty Cloud Sect, the echelons of the Sacred Flame Sect consisted of the Sect Master, Supreme Elder, Eight Grand Elders, and Twenty Elders. Most of them possessed profound strength at the Heaven Profound Realm. As for disciples, they were classified into three categories: Core disciple, Inner disciple, and Outer disciple. Every three years, the Sect would recruit new disciples, and today was supposed to be the assessment day. However, for an unknown reason, the Sect had announced the cancellation of the assessment, which left many young profound practitioners across the nation disappointed.

At the highest peak among several mountain peaks, a man who appeared to be thirty years old calmly walked into a majestic hall. His sharp eyes were calm, without any hint of urgency. The words "Sacred Flame" were shown on his long crimson robe. The words were fluttering vividly, as if they had come to life. He was Huo Han, the current Sect Master of the Sacred Flame Sect.

"Ancestor!" Huo Han saluted respectfully to a figure standing behind a fire curtain in the hall.

The fire curtain slowly faded away, revealing a frail old man sitting on a large chunk of Fire Jade. His skin was red with strange patterns engraved all over his body, including his bald head. He was Huo Yan, the former Sect Master of the Sacred Flame Sect. His sunken eyes opened as he gazed at Huo Han.

"How's the preparation?" Asked Huo Yan. His aged voice was deep and hoarse. Evidently, he had lived for a very long time.

"We are ready to start anytime." Huo Han replied. A glimmer of excitement could be seen in his eyes.

Huo Yan fell silent for a moment as he pondered something. He asked, "What's the situation over there?"

"There have been no major changes within the Misty Cloud Sect. It seems they weren't aware of it." Huo Han answered in a relaxed manner. During the past few years, he had covertly positioned multiple Fire Spirit Snakes in the vicinity of Misty Cloud Peak to monitor their movements. Except for the accident that occurred a while ago when one of his snakes was discovered by the disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect, there had been no major activity in that Sect since then.

A thoughtful expression appeared on Huo Yan's face. He gazed at Huo Han and asked, "Among them, who left the biggest impression on you?"

Huo Han was confused. He didn't understand why Huo Yan suddenly asked him this question. He replied after a brief consideration. "It's Yun Meilan. Her art of the concealment is terrifying. I have suffered a loss from her once in the past."

Huo Yan shook his head, a trace of disappointment on his face. "No matter how skilled she is in concealment, she will eventually reveal herself when she launches an attack. You only need to be on guard against her." He paused for a moment to observe Huo Han's expression before he continued, "The most frightening individual among them is the First Hall Master, Yun Ruanyu. She was the mastermind behind the demise of our Third Ancestor. Her ability to calculate is extremely terrifying. However, since that old hag is already dead, they don't have any backers anymore. No matter what plan Yun Ruanyu comes up with, it will be nothing compared to overwhelming strength."

Huo Han's eyebrows raised in surprise. Yun Ruanyu was indeed the most mysterious person as she rarely appeared in public. This was the first time he came to know that she was the cause of the Third Ancestor's death.

Huo Yan further stated, "She is one of the reasons why I am willing to wait until that old hag dies. With both her and that old hag, there is no way we could do anything to them, even with Qi Qianxing's help. This time, we paid a hefty price to entice Qi Qianxing into the plan. We must not fail."

Huo Han nodded in understanding. In his heart, he didn't believe that the Misty Cloud Sect could offer any resistance when confronted by the Sacred Flame Sect, Profound Sword Sect, and Qi Qianxing at the same time. If it weren't for Huo Yan's strict restraint, he would have attacked the Misty Cloud Sect a decade ago.

Huo Han hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, "Ancestor, can you tell me what exactly that relic is?" He had wanted to ask this question for a long time. He didn't understand why Huo Yan was so obsessed with the supposed relic within the Misty Cloud Sect.

A blazing flame suddenly appeared around Huo Yan's body as he replied with a trace of anger in his voice, "This is not something you need to know. You helped me complete the task, and now you can receive the reward you desired the most. Isn't this enough reason for you?"

Huo Han quickly knelt down on the floor, sweating profusely. "Please, calm down, Ancestor!"

Huo Yan stared at Huo Han for a while, then waved his hand dismissively and said, "Go." After the Blazing Sun Mythical realm opens, we will start our plan."

Huo Han let out a sigh of relief. He gave a deep bow to Huo Yan and quickly left the hall. When he stepped out of the hall, a sinister smile crept onto his lips. "Yun Qianxue... Hehe, you will be mine soon."

***

In the northern part of the Heavenly Fortune Capital City, there laid a majestic palace made of exquisite white jade - The Heavenly Fortune Imperial Palace. This place was the main residence of the Qi Royal clan. It occupied several acres and there were over a thousand people residing there.

At this moment, there were four people sitting around a luxurious twenty-meter-long antique wooden table in a spacious reception hall.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, for achieving a profound breakthrough in strength." An early-thirties-looking man in a white robe said. He had a handsome face, sword-like eyebrows, and a pair of sharp eyes that constantly emitted a lethal aura. He was Ji Muchen, the current Sect Master of the Profound Sword Sect.

Besides him, there was a teenager who bore a striking resemblance to him. Without a doubt, he was Ji Muchen's eldest son, Ji Cheng. He was a young prodigy proficient in sword arts, and his strength had already reached the tenth level of the Essence Profound Realm.

"Thank you, Sect Master Ji." Said a dignified man in a golden embroidered robe, who was seated across from Ji Muchen. His face was cold. His thick, black eyebrows resembled two sharply angled swords, and his gaze remained calm like a tranquil pool, devoid of any ripples or movement. He was Qi Qianxing, the current ruler of Heaven Fortune Nation. Sitting by his side was a young maiden who appeared to be fifteen years old, the Second Princess, Qi Tian'er.

Qi Qianxing glanced at his daughter and said, "I heard that Sect Master Ji came here to propose marriage for his son to my daughter. Am I correct?"

Ji Muchen replied calmly, "Yes, Your Majesty. My son is sixteen years old this year, and I believe it is the right time for him to get married. I don't know what Your Majesty thinks of my untalented son." He didn't talk about the Second Princess directly; instead, he asked Qi Qianxing about his son. It could be seen that he was quite a prideful person.

Qi Qianxing laughed and looked at Ji Cheng, saying, "Your son is quite impressive. To have achieved this level at sixteen, he can be considered a top talent in his generation." He turned to Qi Tian'er and asked with a warm smile, "What do you think, Tian'er?"

Qi Tian'er's beautiful eyes remained fixated on Ji Cheng from the moment they first met, never wandering elsewhere. When she heard her father's question, her face immediately turned red with shame. She quickly lowered her head and answered shyly, "He is good, Royal Father."

Qi Qianxing and Ji Muchen looked at each other and burst into laughter at the same time. Meanwhile, Ji Cheng looked at Qi Tian'er's delicate face and nodded inwardly with satisfaction. In terms of appearance and status, Qi Tian'er was good enough to be his wife.

"Since my Tian'er has no objection. I wholeheartedly approve of this marriage. We shall settle the wedding ceremony after the exploration of the Blazing Sun Mythical realm." Qi Qianxing said with a faint smile. To him, giving his daughter away for benefits was commonplace. He didn't feel reluctant at all and quickly approved of this marriage without further consideration.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Ji Muchen stood up and bowed his head slightly. He was inwardly overjoyed, as he didn't expect Qi Qianxing to easily accept the marriage proposal like this.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I swear, I will take care of the Second Princess for the rest of my life, and I will never let her down." Ji Cheng saluted and made a solemn vow.

Qi Tian'er took a deep look at her soon-to-be husband's handsome face, her heart beating rapidly. As a royal princess, she was well aware that one day she would have to marry for the sake of benefits. To be able to choose a companion by herself was already a significant fortune. She was extremely satisfied with Ji Cheng. Whether it was his talent or his appearance, both were top-notch.

"Alright, Tian'er, you should bring your Brother Ji to visit our imperial palace." Qi Qianxing told Qi Tian'er. The latter replied and promptly left the hall with Ji Cheng.

The atmosphere turned serious after the two young people had left. Ji Muchen savored a cup of spiritual tea before inquiring, "I assume Your Majesty has already agreed to Sect Master Huo's conditions. May I know your opinion on this matter?"

Qi Qianxing replied nonchalantly, "I have much to say about this matter... However, it's not wise to underestimate a well-established sect like the Misty Cloud Sect. I don't believe Sect Master Huo's intentions are as simple as they seem on the surface. To be honest, if it weren't for the urgent need of a substantial amount of Fire Spirit stones for my son, I definitely wouldn't participate in this."

Huo Han's obsession with Yun Qianxue was known throughout the entire nation. Every time they met, he would try his best to court her. Unfortunately, Yun Qianxue never paid attention to him even once, and she even defeated him several times in the past. No matter how infatuated Huo Han was with her, Qi Qianxing didn't believe he would take the risk of confronting the Misty Cloud Sect just to get Yun Qianxue.

Ji Muchen nodded in agreement. He responded, "You are right, Your Majesty. I think Sect Master Huo is hiding something from us. I'm afraid, he is trying to use us as cannon fodder."

Although Ji Muchen understood that Huo Han had sent a lot of Fire Spirit stones to Qi Qianxing in order to gain his support, he wasn't sure to what extent Qi Qianxing would help them.

Qi Qianxing sneered, "Using me? Heh, he won't dare. Even his ancestors have to bow their heads when they see me. A junior like Huo Han is even more afraid of me." He paused briefly and then added, "As for what exactly he is hiding from us. I can't figure it out at the moment."

Ji Muchen frowned deeply. Besides proposing marriage, he came here to find out the secret behind Huo Han's seemingly reckless actions from Qi Qianxing. He didn't expect that even Qi Qianxing had no clue about it.

"It doesn't matter. He can't do anything behind my back, anyway." Qi Qianxing spoke. His voice was filled with arrogance and unwavering confidence.

Ji Muchen's brows relaxed significantly as he said, "Your Majesty is right."

The two exchanged meaningful glances and erupted into boisterous laughter, causing it to reverberate throughout the expansive hall.