Mornings at the Main Peak of the Cloud Sword Sect were never as serene as the lower slopes. Today marked the Welcoming Ceremony of the Three Sects Alliance—a grand event held once every five years to greet the newly arisen geniuses from across the Immortal Realm. Every disciple, from the gray-robed outer disciples to the luxuriously blue-robed inner disciples, was required to assemble in the vast White Jade Square, an expanse capable of accommodating tens of thousands.

Ye Tian stood at the very back of the outer disciples' ranks. His gray robe fit his sturdy frame neatly, standing in sharp contrast to the surrounding outer disciples who gazed around with nervous awe. For Ye Tian, the opulence of golden decorations, the banners fluttering in the celestial wind, and the aroma of divine incense wafting into the sky held no charm whatsoever.

His eyes were locked strictly on the highest dais at the far end of the square. There, atop floating thrones, sat the Grand Elders and the paramount inner disciples of each respective sect.

And among that elite circle sat her. Lady Mei.

Mei Ling—her true name, which Ye Tian had only recently gleaned from disciple gossip—wore a white silk robe embroidered with gold thread, reflecting her prestigious new status as a Prime Inner Disciple. Her face, exquisite as an ice goddess's, remained impassive as she looked down upon the thousands of disciples below. Around her seat, spiritual energy shaped like silver lotus petals swirled with far greater density than before, signaling that her cultivation had surged dramatically after receiving the sect's finest resources. She was a full moon in the night sky, while the disciples below were mere mortal fireflies.

Seeing the woman he had desperately clung to in the skies of the mortal realm, Ye Tian’s heart hammered against his ribs. It was not out of infatuation, but because she was a tether to home. She was the sole living witness and the single thread connecting him to the lower realm—where his sister, Xiao Mei, remained.

I have to speak with her, Ye Tian thought. She must know far more about the dimensional structure of the lower realm and how the gate can be reopened.

When the ceremony transitioned into a recess and the elders began mingling with distinguished guests, the disciple formations loosened. Ye Tian seized his moment. Stepping forward with quiet, deliberate momentum, he slipped away from the outer disciples' ranks and ascended the jade staircase leading toward the main dais.

"Hey, look at that fool. Where is he going?" whispered an outer disciple who noticed Ye Tian’s movement.

"He's courting death. Outer disciples are strictly forbidden from approaching the core dais!" another sneered.

Ye Tian shut out the murmurs. Employing a subtle shift in body weight from his Mortal Body Cultivation technique, he moved as light as a breeze, slipping past several distracted inner disciple guards. He was now a mere ten meters from Lady Mei. She stood near the edge of the platform, gazing out alone at the expanse of floating mountains.

"Lady Mei!" Ye Tian called out in a firm yet suppressed tone, unwilling to spark a major commotion.

Mei Ling caught the sound. Her elegant head turned slowly, and a pair of eyes cold as frost locked onto Ye Tian. A flash of recognition flickered through her gaze, followed by a slight crease on her fair brow. She recognized him—the mortal pest who had survived the Mist Cave and now wore the robes of an outer disciple.

However, before Ye Tian could take another step to speak, a wave of scorching energy violently cut off his path.

BLAM!

The white jade floor before Ye Tian's feet turned pitch-black and charred, forcing him to a sudden halt. Stepping out from beside Lady Mei was a handsome young man clad in fiery red robes adorned with golden dragon embroidery. His oppressive aura belonged to a powerful cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Realm. He was Lady Mei’s protector and senior martial brother, Senior Brother Huo.

Senior Brother Huo glared down at Ye Tian with absolute disdain.

"Insolent outer trash!" Senior Brother Huo barked, his voice laced with an energy pulse that set the ears of nearby disciples ringing. "Who gave you the audacity to approach and speak the name of Core Sister Mei with your filthy mouth?!"

Ye Tian did not retreat a single inch, even as his chest tightened under the thermal pressure of Senior Brother Huo's fire energy. He looked straight past the man's shoulder, fixing his eyes on Lady Mei. "I mean no harm. I only wish to ask something regarding... what happened that day. The incident in the lower realm."

At the mention of the "lower realm," Senior Brother Huo snorted in disgust. Meanwhile, Lady Mei stood frozen, her expression unchanged, as though Ye Tian's words were nothing more than a passing breeze.

"The lower realm? Matters of that mortal trash heap have no place being uttered on this sacred peak!" Senior Brother Huo took a step forward, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his flaming sword. "Brat, mark my words. I know how you managed to crawl your way up to become an outer disciple. But before Sister Mei, you are nothing more than a speck of dust that accidentally brushed onto her clothes as she ascended. Do not presume that hitching a ride on her fortune gives you any connection to her."

Senior Brother Huo jabbed a finger sparking with flames toward Ye Tian’s chest.

"You exist in two completely different worlds now. She is an eagle soaring through the nine heavens, while you are a mere earthworm squirming in the mud. If you dare approach her again or tarnish her name with your repulsive mortal background, I will personally see to it that your soul is extinguished from this Immortal Realm. Begone!"

Senior Brother Huo unleashed his full aura pressure, attempting to force Ye Tian to his knees before the crowd. Several inner disciples who noticed the commotion turned, whispering and laughing mockingly at Ye Tian’s expense.

Ye Tian gritted his teeth. The muscles beneath his gray robes flexed, resisting the weight of the oppressive energy with pure, unyielding physical strength. He did not kneel. His eyes remained sharp, yet he realized the most painful truth of all: Lady Mei had no intention of defending him, nor would she even offer a nod of acknowledgment. To her, Ye Tian was an irrelevant past best buried deep to preserve her reputation as a pure goddess of the sect.

This reunion was cold—as frigid as the ice that froze his immediate hopes.

Ye Tian slowly retreated one step, freeing himself from Senior Brother Huo’s oppressive aura domain. His fingers brushed against the tattered hemp bag at his waist, feeling the grains of rice within that seemed to whisper strength into his resolve. He knew that begging for help from those who viewed him as a worm was pure folly. The only way to make his voice heard in this ruthless world was to grow stronger than any eagle in the sky.

"I understand," Ye Tian said in a remarkably calm voice. Yet deep within his eyes, a hidden golden glint flashed, leaving Senior Brother Huo momentarily startled by an unexplainable sense of intimidation from an outer disciple.

Ye Tian turned on his heel and strode away, leaving the grandeur of the dais behind. He walked back into the shadows of the outer disciples, carrying the sting of that day's humiliation to burn as fuel for his terrifying body cultivation. The journey to the top was still long, but Ye Tian swore that the day he stood on equal footing with them was not far off.