The red-robed cultivator stared in disbelief. A child so young, yet already at the Late Qi Refining Stage? Even in his own Blaze Sword Sect, such talent was unheard of.
If I bring this boy back, the elders will be ecstatic. The sect master himself might take notice. This could be my big chance… Greed flickered in his eyes. He smiled warmly at Thor.
Thor watched him warily but kept his expression innocent.
"Where are your parents, little one?" the man asked.
"I'm with my faction leader," Thor replied.
"Which sect? Who is your leader?"
Thor shook his head. "No sect. Just my leader."
So his master is a rogue cultivator—not from a major sect. The man's smile turned condescending. "Listen, boy. Meeting me today is your great fortune. Come with me to the Blaze Sword Sect. I'll teach you top-tier lightning techniques. You'll become truly powerful."
Thor looked confused.
The cultivator tried again, speaking slowly. "I'm from the Blaze Sword Sect—one of the greatest powers in Oran. Join us, and no one will dare bully you. You'll be respected everywhere."
"But I already have a leader," Thor said.
"That's fine. You can still join. Take me to him. I'm sure he'll agree—if he really cares about you, he'll want you to develop properly. What can a rogue cultivator teach you? It's a waste of your gift."
He added generously, "If your leader wishes, he can come as a guest elder. We'll treat him well. You can even see him often. Everyone wins."
In his mind, offering a guest elder position was a tremendous honor—one no rogue cultivator would refuse.
But instead of gratitude, Thor simply smiled, turned, and ran.
So excited he's running to tell his master? The man started after him—then stopped in shock.
Thor let out a clear cry, channeled his energy, and executed Cloud Dragon Evasion. He weaved through the forest like a fading shadow, appearing and vanishing between trees. In moments, he was gone.
The red-robed cultivator stood stunned. I'm at Peak Qi Refining… and a Late Stage child just outran me?
Meanwhile, Thor circled through dense woods until certain he'd lost the man, then returned to Alaric and explained what happened.
Alaric frowned. Before leaving Oakwood, the chief had warned him: the Blaze Sword Sect was a top-tier power, just like the Holy Sword Mountains. Elders like Eldar were minor figures there. Worse, both sects belonged to the Nine Domains Sword Alliance—a coalition of nine major sword sects, led by the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, one of Oran's three great holy lands.
Calling Blaze Sword the "strongest" was an exaggeration, but its strength was very real.
He looked at Thor—his bright eyes, innocent face, untamed hair. You shine too brightly, kid. Your talent will keep attracting poachers.
This encounter was a wake-up call. Thor—and future disciples the system would demand—were geniuses Alaric couldn't afford to lose. Without enough personal strength, even loyal followers would be stolen.
He had manipulated the Holy Sword Mountains because they were destined to become Soren's enemies. But the Blaze Sword Sect was different—this was a threat he'd drawn himself.
Alaric's eyes turned cold. Avoiding major powers was ideal, but when it came to Thor, he wouldn't back down. He'd worked too hard to recruit his first disciple. And with the system demanding four prodigies within a year, retreat wasn't an option.
✅ SYSTEM:
Faction Points: 750
New Objective: Strengthen faction foundation. Avoid detection by major powers while cultivating disciple.
Note: Hostile attention from [Blaze Sword Sect] likely. Recommend discretion and accelerated training.