The council hall did not return to silence after Li Shen's teacher left.
Instead, a different kind of tension lingered.
Seated at the center was the Great Elder, Elder Han Guowei, his aged face calm yet unreadable. To his left sat Elder Mei Lian, her sharp eyes reflecting quiet calculation, while on the right, Elder Zhou Cheng tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest, lost in thought.
But it was the man seated slightly behind them who broke the stillness.
Elder Xu Rong.
Unlike the others, his gaze had not softened since the discussion ended. Instead, it had grown darker and more focused.
"…You trust her too much," Xu Rong said slowly, his voice low.
Elder Han Guowei did not look at him. "Liu Qingyue has never acted against the sect."
(Remember Liu Qingyue is the woman who had taken Li Shen in.)
Xu Rong let out a faint scoff. "Trust is irrelevant when unknown variables are involved."
Elder Mei Lian glanced at him. "You suspect her?"
"I suspect the boy," Xu Rong replied without hesitation. "And anything tied to him."
A brief silence followed.
Elder Zhou Cheng finally spoke. "The aura reported in the forest… it was not natural. Even I would not ignore such a thing."
Xu Rong's lips curved faintly.
"…Exactly."
His fingers tightened slightly against the armrest.
"If that boy truly possesses an artifact capable of releasing such power…"
Then... his eyes narrowed.
"…Then it should not remain in his hands."
The words carried a meaning far beyond concern for the sect.
Elder Han Guowei's gaze shifted slightly.
"…Be careful, Xu Rong."
But Xu Rong only smiled faintly.
"I am merely thinking of the sect's future."
No one replied.
Because they all understood
Not every ambition spoken in that hall was for the sect alone.
---
Far from the council hall, Liu Qingyue walked along the quiet stone paths of her pavilion.
Her expression remained calm.
But her thoughts were not.
"…They have already begun moving," she murmured softly.
She knew it even without being told.
Because people like Xu Rong would never simply wait.
---
Back in the council hall, Xu Rong rose to his feet, without another word, he turned and left.
His destination was not random.
Moments later, within a secluded courtyard, a figure knelt before him.
A young man, dressed in the robes of an inner disciple, his aura steady and refined.
Zhang Wei.
A cultivator at the First Stage of Qi Gathering.
"You called for me, Elder Xu," Zhang Wei said respectfully.
Xu Rong looked down at him, his expression calm.
"There is a task I require of you."
Zhang Wei lowered his head slightly. "I will not fail."
Xu Rong's lips curved faintly.
"…Watch someone for me."
Zhang Wei did not question it.
"Who?"
Xu Rong's eyes darkened slightly.
"…Li Shen."
A brief pause followed.
"Observe him," Xu Rong continued. "His actions. His cultivation. And most importantly…"
His voice lowered.
"…Anything unusual."
Zhang Wei's eyes flickered slightly.
"…Understood."
"If he possesses something… bring me information," Xu Rong added. "Do not act recklessly."
Zhang Wei nodded.
But Xu Rong's next words carried a different weight.
"…However…"
Zhang Wei looked up slightly.
"If an opportunity presents itself…"
Xu Rong's gaze turned cold.
"…You may take it."
Silence followed.
Zhang Wei understood immediately that this was no longer just observation.
"…Yes, Elder."
A faint smile appeared on Xu Rong's face.
Because in his mind, the "opportunity" was inevitable.
---
Meanwhile, within the outer disciple grounds, life moved as it always had.
Disciples trained, some meditated while others sparred.
But among them Li Shen had already become a name none could ignore.
Inside a modest training courtyard, Li Shen stood facing a wooden post, his fists striking it repeatedly with controlled force. Each impact was precise, his movements refined far beyond when he first entered the sect.
His aura was stable and his Qi flowed smoothly although still within the Ninth Stage of Body Refinement but on the verge of breaking through.
Nearby, two outer disciples watched him from a distance, whispering among themselves.
"…That's him."
"The one who fought Lin Xuan to a draw?"
"Yeah."
All of a sudden
A talkative disciple appeared at their back, slightly older, folding his arms.
"You two are new, so you don't understand yet."
They looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
He glanced at Li Shen briefly before speaking.
"…The sect isn't as simple as it looks."
They frowned slightly, wondering when they made any statement about the sect looking simpler than it is.
"…Explain."
The older disciple nodded.
"Outer disciples like us are at the bottom," he began. "Most of us are in Body Refinement. Only a few break into Qi Gathering."
He gestured slightly toward the inner sect area.
"Once you reach Qi Gathering and prove your strength, you can become an inner disciple. That's where real cultivation begins."
"And above that?" one of them asked.
"Core disciples," he replied. "Those are the true geniuses. The ones the sect invests its resources into. They're far stronger than inner disciples."
A pause.
"And above them… are the elders."
"But not all elders are equal."
The two listened closely now.
"Some elders," he continued, "were once inner disciples who couldn't break through further. They become elders to guide outer disciples."
"And the stronger ones?"
"…Core disciples who reached their limit," he said. "They become elders of the inner sect."
A brief silence followed.
"And above even them…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"…Are the true elders. The ones who can still advance. The ones who sit in the council."
The two disciples exchanged glances.
"…So where does Li Shen fit into all this?"
The older disciple looked at him again with a different expression.
"…That's the problem."
Li Shen's fist struck the post again.
A crack spread across its surface.
"…No one knows yet, since he hasn't broken through Qi Gathering he can only be an outer disciple but since he can fight one then he should be taking the exam for inner disciples but he can't since he hasn't broken through."
The two outer disciples watched him ramble on and decided to sneak out, no longer bothering with this talkative.
---
Not far away, hidden among the shadows of a nearby structure Zhang Wei watched silently.
His eyes remained fixed on Li Shen.
He was calm and very observant.
"…So this is him," he murmured.
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"…Let's see what you're hiding."
---
Li Shen suddenly stopped.
His hand remained against the wooden post but his eyes shifted slightly toward the shadows.
"…Someone's watching," he said quietly.
Dao's voice echoed within him.
"…hmm took you a while to notice."
Li Shen's gaze darkened slightly.
Because deep down he could feel it.
The peace within the sect was beginning to crack.