The Sect Bows Once More

The news spread like wildfire through the sect.

Within the span of a few breaths, disciples flooded out from courtyards and halls, their expressions painted with disbelief, joy, and awe. One by one, they fell to their knees in reverence, recognizing the familiar figure who stood at the entrance to the sect—an impossible sight.

He had returned. The former Sect Master, Li Feng.

From the heart of the fortress-like compound, layers of restrictive formations flickered to life, only to fall one after another. A wave of formidable auras surged outward.

First came twenty Core Formation cultivators, robes flaring with spiritual energy. They moved swiftly, forming a loose perimeter. A breath later, four Nascent Soul Realm elders emerged from the inner sanctum, their faces grave, eyes sharp, each one scanning the man standing before them for any trace of falsehood or illusion.

At the forefront stood a woman in white, her expression unreadable. Mei Lin, current sect leader and the strongest cultivator remaining in the sect, faced the man without flinching.

Elder Wu Li narrowed his eyes, speaking in a low voice. "Impossible… Li Feng was killed. We saw it with our own eyes."

Elder Zhou folded his arms across his chest. "An imposter, perhaps."

The man in question, who now bore the name Xiao Ning, smiled faintly.

They can't accept what they see. To them, death is final. But in this world, what does death mean to a cultivator who refuses to be buried?

He said nothing. There was no need—yet.

"Enough."

Mei Lin's voice cut cleanly through the rising murmurs. She stepped forward and raised her hand.

Her eyes never left Xiao Ning's.

"What stands before you is none other than Sect Master Li Feng."

The crowd stirred like waves on a windless sea suddenly struck by thunder. The Core Formation cultivators looked uncertain. The Nascent Soul elders exchanged subtle glances but said nothing.

Xiao Ning could feel it—their hesitation, their wariness. Most of the disciples were already convinced. But the elders? They would need more than words.

"I examined him myself," Elder Wu Li said stiffly, stepping forward. "Back then, there was only a flicker of life left in his soul. It should have been impossible to recover."

"It was necessary," Mei Lin responded calmly. "His death, the rites, the burial—it was all a deception. A false trail laid to mislead the Righteous Sects Alliance. Sect Master Li Feng lived. He recovered in secret."

Another wave of murmuring broke out, louder this time. Though some remained silent, the elders' silence spoke volumes—they did not object, but neither did they accept.

Xiao Ning exhaled slowly and closed his eyes.

Words won't do. Let the truth be carved with force.

With a single thought, his aura erupted outward.

A deafening silence fell as the ground trembled. Shadows surged like living things, coiling around his figure. From his chest, golden light burst forth, piercing the gloom and casting long, flickering shadows across the plaza.

Several Core Formation disciples fell back, unable to withstand the pressure. Even the Nascent Soul elders stiffened, a trace of unease in their eyes.

Elder Wu Li gasped. "Late-stage… Body Refining Cultivation?"

Xiao Ning opened his eyes, which now gleamed with a golden hue.

"You're not mistaken," he said lightly. "When my Nascent Soul was on the verge of collapse, I encountered a fateful opportunity. Through it, I reforged my soul and pushed my body cultivation to the fourth refinement stage—late phase."

A long silence followed.

Elder Zhou gripped the hilt of his sword unconsciously. "This… this is beyond reason."

"Do you still doubt me?" Xiao Ning's voice echoed. "Or do you see now?"

No one spoke. Not a single elder met his gaze.

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Xiao Ning's mouth. So be it. Let them accept it in silence. In the end, power decides everything.

Even if suspicion lingered in their hearts, what of it?

He turned slightly, and his gaze met Mei Lin's.

She returned the look, unreadable as ever. But she didn't speak. Her silence was not refusal—it was support.

With her standing beside him, no voice of opposition could rise high enough to matter.

Xiao Ning nodded. "Come. Let us speak further inside. There is much to discuss."

---

The grand hall of the sect had once echoed with his commands. Now, after months of silence, he sat once more upon the seat of the sect master. The carved throne had been polished, but it still bore the faint scent of incense and time.

The four Nascent Soul elders stood before him, uneasy.

Xiao Ning's eyes narrowed.

"Only the four of you? Where is Elder Jin?"

The atmosphere grew tense.

Mie Lin, standing beside the throne, gave the smallest twitch of her eyebrow. She said nothing. It was not her place to speak now.

When no one answered, Xiao Ning's gaze turned cold. His eyes settled on Elder Qian.

"Qian," he said, voice low and sharp, "do you think I've lost my authority?"

Elder Qian paled. With a sigh of resignation, he stepped forward.

"There… seems to have been an accident. Elder Jin is dead."

Xiao Ning rose to his feet, his expression thunderous.

"Who?"

"We… we don't know," Elder Qian replied quickly. "It happened during a night patrol. His soul jade shattered. By the time anyone arrived, nothing remained."

Xiao Ning sneered inwardly, suppressing a smirk. Of course they wouldn't know—their ignorance was by design.

It was he who had orchestrated Elder Jin's demise, ensuring the path forward remained unobstructed. Yet he maintained his composed facade, shifting his gaze toward Wu Li, the youngest among the elders present. 

"Wu kid," Xiao Ning addressed him casually, using the nickname that only he dared to employ. "Any updates regarding the Righteous Sects Alliance or that accursed Azura Dragon Sect?" 

The corners of Wu Li's mouth twitched involuntarily at the familiar moniker.

Though annoyed, he quickly suppressed his irritation, recognizing the necessity of deferring to the sect leader now that he was convinced of his identity.

Bowing respectfully, he reported, "Sect Leader Li, following your proclaimed death, the Righteous Sects Alliance spread the news far and wide, hosting a two-week-long banquet to celebrate their so-called victory. However, since then, there has been no significant activity." 

Xiao Ning's eyes darkened. "They really hate me that much? Hmph."

If it were up to him, he would have remained hidden a little longer. But this sect—its resources, its information network—was far too valuable to abandon.

He had no desire to return to being a rootless wanderer.

When had he, Xiao Ning, ever feared anything?

Assuming leadership of a sect was far preferable to wandering the world alone. Here, he need not concern himself with scouring for resources or chasing scraps of information. More importantly, it offered a stable foothold—an identity through which he could gradually anchor himself in this new life.

In his past life, he had built a formidable faction within the Inner Worlds, one that shook the heavens and dared contend with the great powers. Yet in the end, fate had played its cruel hand...

"Have the Bone Forging Sect or the Crimson Lotus Cult responded yet?"