The moment he stepped outside, a wave of damp mist hit him in the face. The mountaintop was extremely humid, and the early morning was thick with fog. For an ordinary person's vision, they would only be able to see about five meters ahead at most.
Although Tang San wasn't affected nearly that badly, it was clear he couldn't cultivate his Purple Extreme Demon Eye. It seemed that if he wanted to stay here for any length of time, he would need to find a suitable place to practice.
The air was somewhat cold. After standing outside for only a short while, Tang San's clothes had already grown damp, forcing him to retreat back into his room. Just as he was debating whether or not to cultivate a while longer, a loud banging echoed from the door.
"Tang San, you up yet?" The voice belonged to Tang Long.
"I'm up." Tang San hurried over and opened the door. Tang Long was walking in carrying a food box, one that was noticeably larger than the one Tang Tiantian had brought the day before.
"Come on, let's eat breakfast together." Tang Long wasted no time with formalities, setting the food box on the table and opening it up. Inside was a plate of steamed buns, a pot of hot congee, several eggs, and pickled vegetables.
"You're probably going to be busy today. Eat up."
"Thank you." Tang San didn't stand on ceremony either. At his age, he had quite the appetite. The two brothers dug in heartily, and before long, every last bit of food was gone.
"Tang San, you're probably going to run into some trouble today. I heard from some of the other brothers that the elders have taken your return very seriously, and they're furious. The Sect Master asked me to tell you — be careful. If necessary, you can refuse other people's challenges."
Could he really refuse? If he did that, he'd probably never be able to contribute anything to the sect. Tang San sighed inwardly. "Thank you, Big Brother."
After breakfast, Tang Long didn't leave. He waited until the sun hung high in the sky and the fog had cleared before leading Tang San out the door, heading straight for the front courtyard of the Clear Sky School.
The Clear Sky School. The front courtyard.
Completely different from the tranquility when Tang San had arrived the previous day, the courtyard now held at least a hundred and fifty people. Most stood along the perimeter, while in the center of the courtyard, Sect Master Tang Xiao and five white-haired elders stood together.
These five elders all appeared to be at least eighty years old, yet every one of them was sharp-eyed and vigorous, their faces flushed with vigor. One of them was speaking to Tang Hao with a stern expression.
Tang Long whispered, "Aside from those who are out on procurement runs or handling affairs, nearly all of the sect's direct-line disciples are here. Those five in the center are the sect's five First-Generation Elders. Even the Sect Master has to give them some respect. In terms of seniority, they are all the Sect Master's uncles."
With Tang Long at his side, Tang San entered the courtyard. The incense table he had anticipated wouldn't appear was indeed nowhere to be seen. Tang Yuehua stood behind Tang Xiao, her face looking rather grim. The moment Tang San and Tang Long appeared, they became the immediate center of attention.
Just then, someone shouted from the crowd, "Trash from Tang Hao's line — get out of the Clear Sky! You don't belong here!"
Accompanied by this provocative outburst, quite a few of the younger sect members voiced their support, and the courtyard quickly descended into commotion.
Tang San's eyes narrowed slightly. Just as Tang Xiao was about to bark an order to stop, a faint layer of white light suddenly spread outward from Tang San's body, instantly becoming colorless.
At this moment, with the sun directly overhead, the mountaintop was undoubtedly freezing without direct sunlight, but it was also much closer to the sun. When the sunlight poured down, the temperature rose significantly higher than in the lowlands. The scorching rays could even cause sunburn on exposed skin.
Yet the instant that colorless light released from Tang San's body, every disciple of the Clear Sky School felt as though they had been plunged into an ice cellar. Bone-piercing killing intent spread to every corner of the front courtyard in the blink of an eye.
The clamor of voices cut off abruptly, as though severed by a razor's edge. Who could have imagined that Tang San — who moments ago had worn such a calm, composed expression — was capable of releasing killing intent this powerful, so dense it was almost tangible?
Tang San's gaze swept across the crowd, and almost instantaneously he located the sect disciple who had spoken first — a young man who appeared to be roughly the same age as him. With his ability to pinpoint voices and his formidable spiritual power, he locked on without hesitation.
The thick killing intent saturating the surrounding air condensed in that same instant, converging entirely onto that single individual.
The colorless killing intent, once dispersed, now reappeared as white — like a bridge connecting Tang San to the young man. In Tang San's dark blue eyes, a faint layer of blood-red appeared. In that moment, Tang Yuehua seemed to see the Tang San who had first arrived at Moon Pavilion all over again.
The young man, barely into his twenties, saw his complexion drain the moment the Killing God Domain converged upon him. The bone-deep chill pierced straight through his skin, and in his eyes, Tang San seemed to have transformed into a bloodthirsty demon.
Still, he was worthy of being a Clear Sky School disciple. Despite his youth, his cultivation was far from shallow.