A sharp, resounding knock crashed against the heavy wooden door, the sound echoing in the luxurious guest room and halting Bi Kan’s explanation mid-sentence.

  The polished brass knob turned without a sound. A butler, his posture ramrod straight and his face an impassive mask, stepped inside.

  A steady, condensed aura emanated from him, the quiet power of a cultivator at the same stage as Bi Kan.

  "Our Elder has invited you to dinner," the butler stated, his voice a smooth, practiced baritone that left no room for refusal.

  "We expect you to come on time." He then stepped back out into the grand hallway, his hands clasped behind his back, waiting.

  The silence he left behind was thick with unspoken tension. Bi Kan’s gaze hardened as he looked at Xia, the weariness in his eyes sharpening into a blade's edge.

  "Choose your words carefully, Xia. If we offend them, they might just wipe us off the map." His voice was direct, stripped of any comforting platitudes.

  Xia rolled her shoulder, a flicker of irritation crossing her face before it was replaced by a confident, almost arrogant grin. "I've got it already," she said, waving a dismissive hand.

  "Besides, I'm the prize here. Even if I don't get accepted as their disciple, I still have my options!"

  The butler led them down the long, ornate corridor. Each step they took felt longer than the last, an invisible weight pressing down on their shoulders.

  This was it.

  They finally came into view of the Dining Hall.

  It was a cavernous space filled with dozens of tables, a sea of disciples whose heads snapped toward them as Xia’s boot landed with a loud, deliberate thud on the marble floor.

  At the head of the room, on a raised dais, sat an old man, his presence as vast and deep as a mountain.

  Beside him, five younger figures sat with an air of supreme confidence, their auras humming with a power that made the air feel thin.

  Huh, that must be the elder, the one in the center. Is that where we'll be sitting? Xia thought, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

  Bi Kan remained collected, but his mind was a whirring machine, instantly cataloging the power disparity.

  The Five Bright Stars on the main table, their cultivation realms sitting calmly within the Meridian Opening.

  We're... totally... He brushed his dark hair back with his fingertips, a nervous tic he couldn't suppress. Outmatched here, aren't we?

  He glanced at Xia. Despite the two-realm difference between her and the talented individuals of the Han Family, she still had the gall to grin.

  She took a confident stride forward, her chin held high, lifting her hand as her spatial ring began to glow.

  A collective intake of breath swept the room.

  A few of the younger disciples shot to their feet before being yanked down by their seniors at the sight of her Soul Tier weapon materializing in a flash of golden light.

  At the head table, the Elder’s old, wrinkly fingers tapped rhythmically against the polished wood.

  He raised a heavy eyelid slightly, his gaze falling upon the brilliant spear, and let out a soft, almost inaudible sigh.

  How come someone like her wields a Soul Tier weapon?

  Was it an inheritance from her parents..? But even if that's the case, it's still... peculiar.

  The Elder glanced at the Five Bright Stars.

  Their eyes, previously bored, were now brimming with a sharp, undisguised curiosity, fixed on the golden spear.

  These brats might start asking for Soul Tier weapons as well...

  The amber-haired disciple, Han Yao, tilted his head, his gaze locked on the Soul Tier weapon that had materialized in Xia's hand.

  So the rumors are true, she wields a great weapon.

  To think it'd be of Soul Tier... A dismissive snort, quiet but sharp, escaped his lips.

  "It could be possible she won her duels due to the exquisite quality of her weapon," he murmured, his voice laced with a newfound disinterest.

  "I'm getting less interested in her capabilities—"

  "You should watch your tongue, Han Yao."

  The calm disciple beside him spoke, his voice a low whisper that cut through the hall's ambience.

  The white strands of hair mixed in with his gold locks fell over his face, hiding his eyes well.

  "Do you really believe she got this far due to her weapon alone?"

  This guy... why is he defending her? Han Yao’s gaze slid sideways.

  A battle maniac recognizes another battle maniac, is that it?

  "I seem to have made a misjudgment, cousin." Han Yao folded his hands, his posture stiffening slightly.

  "Please do forgive me. It's just I've gotten glimpses of her capabilities... and been quite disappointed..."

  His mind flashed to the memory of a chaotic blur rampaging through the hallways earlier.

  "She has managed to dismantle a well-known swordsman of the Outer Disciples, Lu Pu," Hao Jing stated flatly.

  "She's definitely not simple."

  Han Yao nodded, his amber eyes glancing at Ying Xia once more.

  "You're right, Hao Jing. She has also managed to dazzle the sword maniac of the Inner Court, Leng Wuxin."

  The other three stars spared Xia’s antics a brief, fleeting glance before their attention drifted. The Scholar at the end of the table paid them no mind, his fingers tracing invisible patterns beneath the tablecloth.

  A faint wisp of Qi, intricate and complex, slipped from his fingertips before vanishing.

  Hao Shuo, the disciple with the red headband, watched Xia's bold entrance with a glint of interest, only to wince as a maid standing behind him pinched his earlobe sharply.

  A frustrated "Tsk!" escaped his lips as he was forced to straighten his posture.

  The duo finally stopped their leisurely appraisal of the room.

  Xia took a seat with a confident scrape of her chair, facing the Elder and the rest of the members directly.

  Bi Kan sat just beside her on her right, a silent shadow in her brilliant light.

  Those two are already assessing Xia, I can hear their murmurs quite well... does that one favor her?

  Bi Kan’s gaze remained fixed on the table, his senses picking up the subtle shifts in the room's atmosphere.

  "I'd like to thank you."

  The Elder’s voice commanded immediate attention.

  The Five Bright Stars, who had been lost in their own worlds, focused on him.

  Even the Junior Elders straightened, their pupils fixed on the old man.

  "For accepting our invite. You must be quite confused, because we haven't detailed the 'why' of our invitation."

  Beating around the bush, huh? Bi Kan thought, his expression unreadable.

  Unless it's an entirely different agenda, there's no doubt that you've invited her here to send a message.

  By recruiting her, you're cementing your family's claim to a future superpower.

  He closed his eyes, contemplative.

  Linghu Qixia, and the Sect Master... has the Han family finally decided to hop on this trend of collecting peerless geniuses?

  "We have invited you so that we could personally aid you in your journey towards a higher path. Take you under our reigns, Ying Xia,"

  the Elder finished, folding his gnarled hands together on the table.

  Ying Xia opened her mouth, a list of demands already forming on her tongue.

  "That won't be necessary." The Elder raised a hand, stopping her before she could speak.

  "You want your friend to tag along with you. That is no problem. We can take him under our wing as well, Pink Whirlwind."

  Bi Kan’s eyebrow shot up. What the hell is he thinking?

  Gasps of shock rippled through the hall. "H-Hey, is he for real?" a disciple whispered from a side table.

  Murmurs erupted from the crowd, disciples clenching their fists, a single, resentful thought uniting them all.

  This is... unfair!

  "Elder."

  The voice made every chest in the room vibrate.

  The sheer authority it commanded, even amongst his own peers, made the other Junior Elders hesitate to look at him straight in the eye.

  Han Weidao took a single step forward, his red cape swirling around him.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "You're being too brazen. You're being awfully giving to this girl."

  He glanced dismissively at Bi Kan, then back towards Xia.

  "I can understand if you'd accept some of her terms, but inviting another Outer Disciple on her behalf? An untalented one at that."

  Even if his words wound me, he's not wrong, Bi Kan acknowledged internally.

  To think that the elder would even consider accepting me, all for the sake of securing Xia... he's really betting everything on her future.

  Xia's grip on the spear beside her tightened, her knuckles turning white as she barely controlled the anger flaring in her eyes.

  "Prodigy as she may be," Han Weidao continued, his voice cold and cutting, "she's not equivalent to the scant few geniuses that this sect is hiding. She may not even be in the top ten!"

  The Five Bright Stars remained silent, their faces impassive as they watched the events unfold, Although two of the stars were about to burst

  "You're quite brave, Junior Elder Weidao."

  The Elder’s Qi spread throughout the hall, a crushing pressure that slammed down on everyone present.

  The air grew thick and heavy, and disciples at the outer tables felt their bones groan under the overwhelming dominance.

  Those closest to him felt it most prominently.

  Has he gone insane?! The Top Star, Han Xingyue, gritted her teeth, her fist slamming down on the table with a sharp crack. "We're trying to eat here, aren't we?!"

  "Inviting two trash disciples to the dinner table, halting my secluded training and study!" the scholar, Han Chen, added, his voice sharp with irritation. His eyes traced upwards, meeting the Elder's gaze with an unmatched tenacity.

  Their arrogance... Bi Kan noted, his own body straining against the invisible weight.

  Even in front of a superpower like that. I can't gauge it perfectly, but that Elder is definitely at least Stage 9, or at the peak of the Spirit Lake Realm!

  "Those two..." Han Yao whispered, his amber eyes highlighted by the golden chandeliers above.

  "I admire their bravery." His Qi began to flow smoothly through his meridians, subtly toughening his spirit and body.

  "Anticipating the impact, huh?" Han Jing whispered back. His calm demeanor cracked, a hint of unrestricted excitement and violence lacing his tone.

  "Hey, which do you think..." A grin began to spread across his face, and he covered his mouth with his hand to hide it. "...between them would win?"

  The sight sent a chill down Han Yao's spine.

  He ignored the question.

  "Xingyue and Chen," the Elder's voice was dangerously low.

  "Both of your arrogance has no end. When did I grant you permission to speak?"

  Chen rose slowly from his seat, clapping his hands together in quick succession.

  "We're just finding it hard to believe that these two are worthy of our attention!" Patterns of an array, invisible to most, began to form on the floor beneath the grand table.

  "We'll see if these two are worth my attention! Especially the main guest!"

  Han Weidao, having seemingly forgotten his own argument, took a step forward, but the Elder raised a hand, stopping him.

  Weidao let out a quiet scoff and stepped back, crossing his arms and watching carefully.

  Let's see how you handle this, prodigy of the Outer Sect, the Elder observed quietly.

  Beneath both Bi Kan and Xia, the marble floor seemed to shift.

  Strange, thorny vines erupted from the stone, coiling around their legs with lightning speed.

  "If you can't even handle being suppressed by a low-tier array, then you can forget about becoming a disciple of the Han Family! Let alone supported by our faction!"

  Chen shouted.

  Bi Kan was already pulsing his Qi, trying to decipher the array's weakness as the vines wrapped tight.

  This... it not only withholds movement severely, it's actively suppressing my Qi! How—

  Xia raised her golden spear.

  It became a blur of motion, cutting the vines in a quick succession of stabs and thrusts, her movements timed perfectly to prevent them from wrapping her and Bi Kan any further.

  Han Weidao was the first to notice, almost nodding in approval before catching himself.

  She's not entirely a waste of time.

  "Hurry Bi Kan! Figure this array out! I doubt I can keep this up any longer!" Xia grunted, the sheer number of vines beginning to overwhelm her.

  So what if you could stop its full function?! Chen thought, a smirk on his face.

  I can keep this up until you tire! Array scholars like me have an immense amount of Qi, beyond standard disciples within the same realm!

  Bi Kan raised his hand, a faint wisp of steam rising from his knuckles as he powered up an even weaker version of his mini-boar attack.

  I've found it!

  The Elder raised an eyebrow.

  Impressive.

  That girl, her attacks are so precise, she can even allow that brat to locate the main weakness of the array!

  Her spear skills are...

  The array shattered as Bi Kan's fist found the specific point of weakness.

  That faint Qi earlier, he thought, I caught it when he was fiddling beneath the table.

  Chen unfolded his hands, gritting his teeth in disbelief.

  Impossible! How was he able to decipher where the weakness was?!

  Not only that, I made sure to infuse it with enough Qi so it won't shatter easily.

  Just what kind of technique did he use to multiply the impact of his attack?!

  "Gladly they didn't notice," Bi Kan whispered to himself, a bead of sweat tracing a path down his temple.

  "So what?"

  A bored expression settled on Han Xingyue’s face as she rose from her seat.

  "Why test them with a simple array?"

  A dense, heavy Qi began to gather around her fist, the air shimmering as it tempered her knuckles and the meridians within, infusing them with a powerful, destructive energy.

  She glared at Xia, her eyes sliding dismissively over the Soul Tier weapon.

  "You've only garnered the attention of others because of that spear, carrying you all the way here. Let me tell you, a high-tier weapon alone won't aid you in navigating this world without the strength to prove your might!"

  Han Jing’s Qi flared in response.

  He slammed his palm flat against the table, the impact sending a sharp crack through the polished wood.

  "How pathetic," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

  "I thought highly of you, since losing to you back then. But to think you'd threaten use a full-scale punch against mere Qi Sensing Outer Disciples." His eyes, previously calm, narrowed with a chilling malice.

  "You disgust me."

  Han Jing's provocation tightened the meridians of Han Yao, who tempered his body whole, pulsating Qi as a shield and activating a hidden talisman as he gulped nervously.

  That guy... earlier he was grinning! He's definitely instigating her so he can get a fight out of this!

  "Hah?! What did you say to me? You want to have a go?!"

  Han Xingyue's Qi exploded outwards, an otherworldly pressure that felt as if she was already standing alongside the aura of a Spirit Lake expert.

  Han Jing cracked a smile, unable to withhold his excitement.

  "T-There it is!" His own Qi burst out like lightning, cracking the surrounding plates and glasses on the table.

  On the other side, Meiqi dropped the large piece of meat she had been gnawing on.

  "Wait? Is that my elder brother's Q—" She almost spat out her food as she saw the sight of her brother taunting Xingyue.

  "B-Brother, what are you doing?!"

  The other disciples at her table squinted.

  S-She just noticed that now? Was she really that focused on the food earlier?

  Han Weidao finally took a step forward, the Elder no longer stopping him.

  "Baring your fangs this early at the dinner table, your arrogance is not permitted. Withdraw, both of you!"

  With a singular step, his own immense Qi seemed to physically break the tense atmosphere between Xingyue and Jing.

  Both of them glared at Weidao, then at each other, before reluctantly withdrawing their power.

  "I would've bashed your skull in if it weren't for Uncle saving your pathetic self," Xingyue hissed.

  Han Jing shook his head, covering his mouth to hide his grin. "I was about to show you my new arts. A pity."

  I guess the tests are over. Now we can finally discuss things.

  Bi Kan finally took a seat, his eyes discreetly scanning the floor beneath him for any lingering trace of an array.

  "Even if I did plant any more, you wouldn't be able to detect it," Han Chen said, his voice flat.

  "An Outer Disciple can't possibly fathom arrays of my caliber. It was a surprise you managed to destroy that lowly one, so you're not entirely trash."

  Despite the insult, a hint of a compliment was buried within.

  After all, Han Chen thought, I am a scholar.

  Anyone who studies beyond martial arts isn't trash.

  "Apologies for the ruckus," the Elder said, his voice smoothing over the tension.

  "Sometimes these kids act out on their own. Luckily, our Junior Elder here was able to prevent anything catastrophic from happening."

  Bi Kan's eyes narrowed.

  Yeah, right. As if you weren't testing us.

  "Now then," the Elder continued, his gaze landing on Bi Kan.

  "As Weidao had intervened... perhaps it was far too outrageous to take you under our wing, Outer Disciple Bi Kan."

  A collective sigh of relief rippled through the other dinner tables.

  Xia cleared her throat. "Go on. I'm sure you still have something to say. I'll say what I want after you're done explaining your offer."

  The Elder scratched his head slightly. Not bad. It's not an entirely genius thing to say, but I heard she was more of a battle freak like Han Jing and his sister.

  To think she's able to read the situation, even forcing me to lay out everything we can offer.

  "Of course. Aside from our resources, we can help your friend over here.

  He may not be an official disciple, but he can borrow a few of our resources. He can be your... assistant. A personal servant in this manor."

  The butlers and maids lining the room perked up. Being a personal servant was a grand honor.

  "That's unacceptable," Han Xingyue said immediately, stuffing a piece of meat into her mouth.

  "Even if he's a friend of a genius, a personal servant is an honor not befitting of him. Unlike this girl, he possesses no talent at all!"

  "He's not entirely untalented," Han Chen intercepted with a scoff. "I'm surprised you made it this far, Xingyue. Perhaps your talent is far superior to your own intellect."

  "What did you say? Please, pray tell what that lowly Outer Disciple can offer?"

  Insults hurled towards Bi Kan, but he had learned to control his anger.

  Though his hand did reach into his robes once again.

  I can spare another name in this book. Han Xingyue, was it? I will repay this insolence. Gladly, you're no longer insulting Ying Xia.

  "He was able to decipher the weakness of my array," Chen stated. "With enough training, he might even become a disciple of mine—"

  A loud laugh escaped from Han Shuo. The maid beside him didn't stop him this time. "Who do you think you are? Disciple? You're not some grandmaster!" he mocked.

  "At best you'd be able to teach him to cast basic arrays like hiding the scent within a room! No more! He's useless even with your guidance!"

  I won't be left out of this squabble!

  "Tsk! You dare!" Chen hissed.

  "My, my... it seems that even that position is quite troubling to accept," the Elder mused.

  "Perhaps it would be best if he were just a regular butler."

  Xingyue and Shuo backed off. Chen gritted his teeth, but the compromise was not entirely unacceptable.

  "Well, I've heard the opinions of these three. How about you two?" The Elder's gaze landed on Han Jing and Han Yao.

  "It doesn't really matter," Han Yao said, folding his hands together.

  "What matters is if it's acceptable to that young girl. She's a great talent. So even if her friend becomes an official disciple or as lowly as a butler, as long as she's on board, that's fine by me."

  A precise move, aimed at no one, the Elder noted. Not making enemies, huh?

  Han Jing, on the other hand, kept eating, his expression a clear "no comment."

  Then the Elder gestured to the rest of the tables. "Any objections from the crowd?"

  Silence filled the hall, broken only by the munching sounds from Han Meiqi. She was eyeing Bi Kan before tossing a bone onto her plate. She raised her hand. "I do!"

  The crowd gasped. The arrogant girl from the entrance looked shocked. What? Han Meiqi is vouching for that lowly trash?!

  "Oh? And how come?" the Elder asked.

  She stood up, hands on her hips. "That brat's strength isn't so simple! I've gotten a taste of i—" Her words caught in her throat as Weidao glared at her.

  "A-Ah, I mean! I managed to catch a glimpse of his strength! H-Haha! Definitely did not fight him!" She cleared her throat.

  "He would do well being that girl's personal servant. Who knows, he might become a powerhouse soon? Isn't it rare for someone at the age of fourteen to reach Qi Sensing Stage 8 without any background? Any rich resources?"

  The Elder stroked his chin as disciples began to murmur.

  A few Inner Disciples stood up.

  "He might also prove to aid the girl in the political scenery. We've witnessed his finesse in the library!" A few more nodded, those who had seen Bi Kan dismantle the bully earlier.

  What do you know? Even the scant few paid off, Bi Kan thought.

  "I agree, we should offer a lot to this young prodigy," Han Tiechi called out from his table.

  "Her talents are no joke. Even I admit defeat in terms of swordsmanship! The rumors are undoubtedly true!" The swordsman he had defeated nodded in agreement.

  One, however, was reluctant, the one with silk-pale yellow hair. "Hey, Han Guichen," another disciple urged.

  "Maybe she'll be able to defeat you! We should agree with Han Tiechi!"

  "Well... she is intriguing..." I get to prove that she's nothing but third-rate trash. I'll play along.

  "You've made quite the influence here already, both of you," the Elder mused with a soft chuckle.

  After exposing that child, this situation is much easier to handle.

  "Very well! I shall agree to the Outer Disciple becoming a personal servant to our esteemed guest if she accepts our invitation! That is final!"

  His words left no room for discussion. Han Xingyue gritted her teeth and stuffed food in her mouth to quell her anger.

  Ying Xia raised her hand. "That's awfully nice of you."

  She smiled, her green eyes squinting with arrogance.

  "But."

  That single word made every Junior Elder tense.

  The offer was generous enough. What more could she ask for?

  "I've yet to make my conditions. You put words in my mouth," she began.

  "I will say one thing. My friend here does not need to be my personal servant or anything like that."

  She began to grin.

  "He's only a plus-one. He's here to observe, eat, and enjoy this evening's dinner alongside me. You won't be putting a leash on him. He doesn't need your resources."

  Every single disciple, even the Junior Elders, was left speechless.

  After all that, she had refused the offer so cleanly.

  What is this girl's... The Elder leaned closer, his brows furrowed. ...goal?