A middle-aged man with a line of gray hair going through black came into the hall with a strong stride, his face with an expression of a strict teacher coming to scold disobedient disciples.

As soon as he saw Wu Long his pupils contracted and with the words “so it is you” a pressure of a Core Formation Realm practitioner started to emanate, concentrating on the nonchalant young man who turned to look with a calm gaze.

“Grand Elder Fu, please mind your conduct”

Fan Shuei’s face finally shown anger. Releasing the pressure of one’s cultivation base was an incredibly hostile act, and doing so within the territory of another sect was considered a major breach of conduct.

“… My apologies, Palace Master Fan, please understand that I was too emotional”

Grand Elder Fu’s eyes widened when he saw Wu Long just standing there, as if nothing was wrong and looking at him with indifference. He then released the pressure and reluctantly shifting his eyes from Wu Long looked past him to the agitated Fan Shuei.

Wu Long in fact was truly lower in realm than the man, so the pressure of his cultivation base, however skilled Wu Long was, should by all norms make it hard to not only stand, but even breathe with the difference in Major Realms. The reason he was able to completely ignore that was the Chaos Refining Body Tempering Art, since he simply treated the pressure as energy to refine, and tempered his body, although very mildly.

“Even if I understand your reason I cannot condone your conduct, or demeanor in barging in here”

Fan Shuei, visibly displeased spoke with a tone that would make lava frozen solid.

“Hm, I think I already apologized, Palace Master Fan. And did so despite the fact that the incident happened on your territory”

Grand Elder Fu’s tone slightly changed, clearly expressing that ‘apologizing once was enough’.

‘Hmm, I thought it was so yesterday, but the relationship really is strained’

Wu Long thought as he looked at that. Last night’s interaction between the elders was one thing, but if even a Grand Elder allows himself to behave like this toward the Sect Leader, it shows a clear tension between the two sects as a whole, not just a relationship between two individual elders.

As it was apparent from both times Wu Long observed the interaction between these sects, the tension stemmed from the demeanor of superiority of the Cloud Piercing Sect members. The question was, whether that was simple pompous attitude and delusion or an actual disparity in the status and power of the sects.

Fan Shuei’s face paled from anger, but she chose to not pursue the topic as it was apparent that the first apology was the last courtesy Grand Elder Fu was going to give on this matter.

“… It is true that it happened on our territory, but Mister Wu here is…”

“Wu? Is it that puny Wu Family of the Wood Spirit Empire? Hah! And with that backing you dare beat and severely injure an Elder of the Cloud Piercing Sect? You are in way over your head, boy”

Grand Elder Fu scoffed, cutting in as soon as he heard Fan Shuei mention a name. And while Cloud Piercing Sect was one of the Five Great Sects and incredibly powerful if compared to one aristocratic family of an Empire, it was still an exaggeration to call the Wu Family ‘puny’ even for them.

However, the fact that Fan Shuei decided to swallow the rudeness of the man before told Wu Long that there was indeed a disparity between the sects, meaning that the high and mighty behavior of this man, and possibly a large portion of his sect, based on the fact that such a man was allowed to be an envoy to another Great Sect was a mixture of true superior power and swollen pride that could have well resulted from that power.

Once Wu Long got the gist of the general situation between the sect he was curious about he completely lost interest in Grand Elder Fu, turning to look at Fan Shuei.

“I would really appreciate that reply to my question, Palace Master Fan”

Wu Long said in a calm tone, and a murmur went through the hall once more, this time a little more turbulent. Grand Elder Fu’s face that was filled and then topped up with superiority, glazed on top with ridicule and additionally sprinkled with even more superiority suddenly started melting into a grimace as a vein popped up on his forehead.

Fan Shuei also looked at him with widened eyes as she did not expect him to completely ignore a Grand Elder of a Great Sect.

“I…”

“It seems that family does not even teach manners nowadays. Makes me question is there a need for such an aristocratic family to exist”

Grand Elder Fu cut in as the Palace Master was about to speak again to make a snarky remark as he strained to keep all the superiority that was melting and dripping away on his face with a forced smile. The menacing meaning behind his last few words apparent to everyone.

“Are you going to tell him or am I?”

Wu Long said to Fan Shuei and a hint of astonishment, puzzlement, and then… excitement appeared in the old woman’s turbid eyes. She turned her gaze to the man whose expression was making a last stand in keeping up appearances.

“The Wu Family indeed no longer exists”

She then stated in a calm tone with measured pace of speech, and the man froze.

“Eh?”

“And the one you are trying to speak to is the one who is single-handedly responsible for its demise, particularly its top was annihilated by his hands directly”

She then added as a light of contentment and satisfaction appeared in her eyes, looking at the grimace of half-superiority half-anger that was gradually fading away, savoring that moment when his eyes shown incredulity, disbelief, and finally, fear.

“T-This bo-…this man? Haha, haha… Y-you cannot be s-serious… Palace Master Fan…”

Grand Elder Fu stuttered as he spoke with a light dry laugh, desperately trying to find on the face of the old woman a sign of it being either a joke or simply not true as the words sank in his mind. However, what he saw was something he was very familiar with, a hint of enjoyment at another’s misfortune. The people who came in with the Grand Elder all paled.

His widened eyes then slowly lowered from the old woman on a platform at the end of the hall, to the man standing in front of him, who still was not acknowledging his presence, facing the Palace Master.

The back that was facing the group from the Cloud Piercing Sect now seemed eerie, despite absolutely nothing changing outwardly. The simple knowledge that Wu Long decimated an ancient influential family with three Core Reformation Realm Ancestors made this figure calmly standing there terrifying.

“Ooops”

Gong Cui covered her mouth with a light giggle after a word escaped her mouth. And the hall turned deathly silent afterward, a silence in which even a sound of a pin dropped would be heard incredibly loud and clear.