However, sometimes being overly kind can unfortunately be perceived by others as a weakness to be exploited.
Facing the modest and kindly Pang Hong, who did not wish to make a big fuss, the disciples of Canglang Palace thought he feared them, especially the leading disciple of the Spirit Realm Level Five, an heir of Canglang Palace. They thought Pang Hong was too weak to be threatened, didn't consider him seriously, and they disrespectfully insulted Pei Xuanjing, treating him as a fraud.
They were highly disrespectful to Pei Xuanjing, belittling his achievements, arguing that his fame only came from times without true heroes. They claimed that if the revival of Heaven and Earth hadn't been slow and many of the strong figures of the Sky Wasteland hadn't yet returned, a mere cultivator of the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm like Pei Xuanjing would never have the chance to be hailed as the First Person in the World.
They believed that once those strong figures returned, Xuanjing's fame would be shattered; he ought to be humble and keep his tail between his legs or else he will be risking his own life.
Their words enraged Pang Hong.
Everyone should know that to Pang Hong, the most respected person in the world is Pei Xuanjing. For his master, he could even give up his own life, not to mention other things.
Hearing such disrespectful insults to his master, he took immediate action.
The heir of the Canglang Palace roared with anger when he saw a cultivator of the mere Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm daring to challenge him. Priding himself on his status, he declared that he would arrest Pang Hong, teach him a lesson, and let Pei Xuanjing know from behind the scenes that they, the Canglang Palace, were not afraid of them.
The confrontation between two individuals, one disciple of Pei Xuanjing and the heir of Canglang Palace, was expected to be an earth-shattering battle, but the outcome came as a shocking surprise.
Astonishingly, the heir of the Canglang Palace of the Spirit Realm Level Five, was no match for Pang Hong. After only ten matches, the man was killed under Pang Hong's sword attack!
This result shocked all present.
Although challenging beyond one's rank is not unusual in the Sky Wasteland, it was remarkable for a cultivator from the humble village of Ancestral Land to defeat and kill the heir of Canglang Palace, who was one realm higher than him. This feat led many people to look at Pang Hong in admiration, and they became even more curious about his master, Pei Xuanjing, the powerful figure who had trained such a disciple.
The shocking events that followed left many people stunned. The death of the disciple of Canglang Palace provoked the fury of the strong figures in Canglang Palace. They sent a cultivator of the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm to kill Pang Hong.
At that moment, Pang Hong triggered a last resort left to him by Pei Xuanjing, summoning his master's incarnation. With a single move, the Seventh Level cultivator of Canglang Palace was killed.
"My silly boy, why bother? It's just a few words. Let them say whatever they want. Being insulted by them won't cost me a thing," Pei Xuanjing said with a sigh after hearing Pang Hong's account.
At his level, he didn't care much what others thought of him. Their opinions would not affect his emotions in the slightest.
Given Pei Xuanjing's current status and identity, his existence had blocked many people's paths and damaged their interests. Every moment, countless people cursed and ranted against him behind his back.
But what could it matter?
Facing the powerful Pei Xuanjing, even if they were furious behind his back, they would have to keep their anger in check and put on a smile whenever they met him face to face.
However, having his disciple draw his sword for him and feeling cared for did touch Pei Xuanjing's heart.
"Everything I have comes from my master. I absolutely cannot tolerate anyone disrespecting him," Pang Hong said, shaking his head.
His master could afford to be indifferent, but as his disciple, he absolutely couldn't. If anybody dared to show disrespect to his master in front of him, he would fight back, regardless of who the offender was.
"You, you," Pei Xuanjing sighed lightly, deciding not to advise him anymore.
His disciple obeyed his words in every aspect but this, no matter how many times he had told him, he refused to change.
"Master, how should we handle this matter and confront Canglang Palace?" Pang Hong asked.
He knew that regardless of the original cause, since someone from the other side had been killed, including a cultivator of the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, the matter was not going to be resolved easily.
Such a huge trouble was beyond Pang Hong's capacity to handle. All they could do was to depend on their master's decision.
"Confront them? Since this matter was instigated by Canglang Palace, they should give me an apology," Pei Xuanjing said indifferently.
His words were calm, yet exuded an indomitable air of dominance.
If his statement spread, it would certainly shock countless people.
This aligns exactly with what Pang Hong had thought. Regardless of the cause of this conflict, the fact remained that a disciple and a Seventh Level cultivator of Canglang Palace were killed by them. The party suffering a loss was Canglang Palace.
It wouldn't be an issue if it was the Level Five cultivator, because figures at that level, although important, were not indispensable to a formidable concern like Canglang Palace. But it was a whole different story to lose a Seventh Level cultivator.
In the Nine Realms of Spirit, each stepping stone leads to the heavens. Any cultivator below the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, given sufficient resources, can reach that state.
But Seventh Level cultivators are not like that. Each one has outshone countless cultivators. They've set foot on the road to becoming legends, starting to explore the secrets of the Immortal Path.
Such formidable figures are considered pillars of strength and power in many forces. Losing a Seventh Level cultivator is an irremediable loss for any force.
So, most people believe that Canglang Palace would not let this go easily. And if Pei Xuanjing wanted to resolve this conflict, he would have to make some concessions.
But Pei Xuanjing's attitude showed no sign of wanting to make amends or resolve this conflict. Instead, he was demonstrating a hard line.
Pei Xuanjing had a clear understanding of the current situation. He knew that whatever the cause of the conflict, the fact was that his forces had come into conflict with Canglang Palace. One of them must back down to resolve the conflict, or it would escalate.
However, Pei Xuanjing knew that the one who should back down was not him. He had no reason, and certainly no inclination, to retreat.
No matter what the original intentions of the Canglang Palace were in instigating this conflict, Pei Xuanjing knew one thing – that everyone was now waiting for his response, and based on his actions this time, would determine their attitude towards him.
If Pei Xuanjing chose to back down and soothe the anger of the Canglang Palace, it would mean one thing – he was admitting defeat. This would make other forces think he was weak, and might encourage them to gang upon him like a pack of hyenas, tearing at him to seize any advantage. Thus, Pei Xuanjing would not back down or compromise.
Moreover, he was not the one at fault this time, so why should he back down?
True, this conflict had somewhat disturbed Pei Xuanjing's original plans and was somewhat unexpected.
But after some consideration, Pei Xuanjing found that this was also an opportunity – an opportunity to make genuine contact with the forces of the Sky Wasteland.
In the past, those against him–even those cultivators of the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm–were but scattered and unorganized forces. These people would only feel that their defeat was due to opportunistic circumstances and that his rise to fame was merely accidental. Otherwise, the disciples of the Canglang Palace would not have treated him as such.
The current Canglang Palace, however, was a very suitable target. They held a certain degree of power and status within the Sky Wasteland, yet were somewhat inferior to those top forces presiding over individuals of the Nine Realms of Spirit.
If Pei Xuanjing made his move this time, suppressing the members of Canglang Palace so they dare not defy him again, it would undoubtedly serve as a wake-up call to many forces in the Sky Wasteland. Furthermore, it would allow them to recognize entirely the hand that Pei Xuanjing held, as well as his strength.
In this way, it could also serve as a point of entry for Pei Xuanjing to declare to those forces in the Sky Wasteland that he was not an empty name. He possessed enough strength to stand equal with them and deserved their respect.
Ultimately, strength was the law of the land. When he appeared before these many forces on the stepping stone of the Canglang Palace, they were bound to view him with due regard, granting him the respect that a powerful individual deserved.
"Canglang Palace, regardless of your reasons or objectives for this mess, now that you have kicked off this drama, how it will unfold is no longer solely up to you," a whiff of coldness glinted in Pei Xuanjing's eyes as he thought to himself.
No matter whether Canglang Palace's provocation was intentional or unintentional, since they had already appeared before him and created the present circumstance, Pei Xuanjing would naturally not let this opportunity slip easily. He had decided to start here – this being the first act in his journey amidst the many forces of the Sky Wasteland.
…
As Pei Xuanjing decided to take advantage of this conflict as a stepping stone to come onto the world stage, the group from the Canglang Palace was also discussing this issue.
By this time, many from the Canglang Palace had already descended upon the Ancestral Land. In the Daming World, the final say was had by an elder of the Spirit Realm Eightfold. When the original trouble started, he was in seclusion, trying to curb the rejection of Heaven and Earth towards him and was not bothered about handling the internal affairs of the palace.
After all, in his view, although the strong members of the Canglang Palace had not all returned, the presence of an Eightfold Spirit Realm cultivator like him and many Seventh Level Spirit Realm cultivators were enough to deal with many situations.
However, he never expected that during the brief period of his seclusion, such an event would occur. This shocked and enraged him.
Yes, he was both surprised and angry. He was surprised that his disciples would be going out of their way to provoke people from the Shenxiao Sect.
Though everyone had already descended onto the Ancestral Land and felt somewhat uncomfortable with Pei Xuanjing, who was deemed as invincible, quite keenly, they opted not to take action before understanding more about their opponent. They did not want to fruitlessly be made into sacrificial pawns.
Even a large force like the Canglang Palace did not wish to provoke Pei actively, dress up for others, or be a scapegoat.
However, the proactive actions taken by their disciples undeniably infuriated this Supreme Elder.
Of course, what infuriated him even more was Pei Xuanjing's ruthlessness. He killed a Seventh Level Spirit Realm cultivator – a cornerstone of the Canglang Palace – with just one strike. The loss of even one such individual would spell a significant loss for the Canglang Palace.
What enraged him the most was the reason behind his disciples' provocation. Was it a disciple acting on a whim, or was someone stirring trouble from behind the scenes? The Canglang Palace could oppose Pei Xuanjing, but they absolutely couldn't be made to take the fall unknowingly. They needed to find out which force or individual was scheming against them.
However, no matter what the cause was, whether their disciples had been beguiled, or it was due to their own reasons, the current situation stood as it was. For the sake of the Canglang Palace's reputation, they had to make Pei Xuanjing account for his actions. Otherwise, Canglang Palace would lose its respect in future.
"Third Supreme Elder, what should we do next?" Wei Ping asked for directions.
He was one of the elders of the Canglang Palace and was appointed by the Palace Master, who was in seclusion in the Sky Wasteland, to be in charge of the Canglang Palace's affairs in the Ancestral Land. The daily affairs of the Canglang Palace were under his administration.
However, the current matter had exceeded what he could handle, as his Seventh Level of Spiritual Realm was sufficient to deal with others, but it was insufficient to face Pei Xuanjing.
After all, the Seventh Level Spirit Realm cultivator who was killed by Pei Xuanjing was also an elder of the Canglang Palace. In terms of true strength, he was even stronger than Wei Ping. If that elder was killed by Pei Xuanjing's mere avatar, what could he achieve? He could only obey the instructions of the Third Supreme Elder to the letter.
The Canglang Palace had five cultivators of the Eighth Level of the Spirit Realm. Besides the Palace Master, the other four were the Supreme Elders of the Canglang Palace, and the Old Ancestor who defied the cultivator of the Ninth Level of the Spirit Realm without defeat was the Great Supreme Elder of the Canglang Palace.
The Third Supreme Elder currently before their eyes was the master's uncle, who had lived for countless years. His name was barely known, and the people of the Canglang Palace respectfully called him the Third Supreme Elder.
With the strength that Pei Xuanjing had shown, only this Third Supreme Elder was qualified to talk to him on equal terms.
Upon hearing Wei Ping's question, the Third Supreme Elder frowned, thought for a while, and asked, "Did Pei Xuanjing have any other comments after this incident happened?"
"He didn't leave any message," Wei Ping shrugged with a bitter smile.
In fact, Wei Ping also harbored some resentment about this matter.
As merely an ordinary elder within the Canglang Palace, it would be extremely fortunate to be chosen by the Palace Master to oversee the affairs of the Ancestral Land.
Although this task seemed troublesome, he just needed to conscientiously go about his duties, not provoke anyone, and he would successfully complete it as the many forces began to return. He was simply waiting for the arrival of the Palace Master to secure his great contribution.
Therefore, after descending upon the Ancestral Land, Wei Ping strictly ordered his many disciples to be careful in their words and actions, not to stir trouble, and lay aside any issues. Their primary priority was to await the return of the Palace Master. Any conflicts could be dealt with after his arrival.
In these thirty years, he had seen almost everything through. However, at this crucial point, one of his disciples committed an unwise act, not only losing his life but also causing a conflict with Pei Xuanjing.
This was a thorny issue for Wei Ping, and the reckless action of one of the elder members only made the situation worse.
"There has still been no response yet. Does he think that our Canglang Palace is insignificant?" The Third Supreme Elder's eyes flashed with fury.
Although Canglang Palace was not a top-tier power in the Sky Wasteland, it undoubtedly held sway over some territories. Pei Xuanjing's cavalier attitude was enough to make the Third Supreme Elder fairly livid.
"You go and send someone to deliver a message, demanding that Pei Xuanjing account for his actions to my Canglang Palace." The Third Supreme Elder turned to Wei Ping, "He must personally bring his disciple, tied hand and foot, to beg for our forgiveness. Otherwise, we will certainly level his Shenxiao Sect."
The situation had reached this point where even if he didn't want to stick his neck out, he had no other choice. The reputation of Canglang Palace, established over countless years, is absolutely untouchable, regardless of how formidable Pei Xuanjing was or if there were people stirring trouble behind the scene, he had to maintain the dignity of the Canglang Palace.
Regardless of Pei Xuanjing's stature, no matter how domineering he was during the revival of Heaven and Earth, when facing him, his opponent wouldn't have a chance to resist.
Even though his talent was rumored to be extraordinary, having reached the eighth level of the Spiritual Realm during the course of his thirty-year retreat, he shouldn't be of much concern as he himself had already been at the eighth level for a millennium. Why would he be afraid of such a junior?
Canglang Palace's declaration had swiftly spread that Pei Xuanjing was to bring his disciple's head and present himself bound at Canglang Palace to beg for forgiveness. Otherwise, they would eradicate the entire Shenxiao Sect.
"Canglang Palace is as domineering as ever!"
"Canglang Palace has five powerful individuals at the eighth level of Spirit Realm. This time, the one who sits in the ancestral land is none other than the Third Supreme Elder, a hard-to-deal-with character. Since he has spoken, who knows how Pei Xuanjing would react?"
"What can he do to counter? Pei Xuanjing's dominance over the ancestral land is because we haven't arrived yet. With the return of the forces, would Pei Xuanjing, who is so domineering, wish to oppress the world like before? How ridiculous!"
…
Regarding the news spread by Canglang Palace, the various factions of the Sky Wasteland's powers were all engaged in lively discussions. It seemed that everyone was profoundly skeptical about Pei Xuanjing's chances.
After all, during the less than hundred years since the revival of Heaven and Earth, it was a heavenly blessing that Pei Xuanjing advanced from a common martial artist to the seventh level of the Spiritual Realm. His ability to suppress practitioners of the Spirit Realm's seventh level was indeed shocking to many.
However, now that Canglang Palace, a hegemonic force, has made their move, they, who had an eighth level Spirit Realm cultivator to rely on, were definitely not something Pei Xuanjing could cope with.
"This time, the National Preceptor might be in danger."
"Can the national preceptor confront a powerful practitioner of the Spirit Realm Eightfold with his ability?"
"The National Preceptor is unparalleled in the current age. With his incarnation, he can kill a cultivator of the seventh level of the Spirit Realm. If he personally takes to the field, how good can the cultivator of the eightfold realm be? He might not necessarily be the National Preceptor's match!"
"Exactly, as long as the National Preceptor makes a move, that eighth level cultivator will definitely be suppressed."
"What a big talk from Canglang Palace. Do they really believe there is no one amongst us native cultivators?"
…
In response to the news released by Canglang Palace, the native cultivators of the Daming World also had different attitudes. Many people expressed concern for Pei Xuanjing. After all, Pei Xuanjing at this moment was facing a cultivator of the eighth level of Spirit Realm.
Of course, some people saw Pei Xuanjing's rising career as a continuous transformation of impossibility into possibility. Every time people thought he was doomed, Pei Xuanjing could always shock the world.
If Pei Xuanjing dared to suppress a cultivator of the seventh level of the Spiritual Realm of Canglang Palace with his incarnation, then it represented that he had enough confidence to face the current situation. Therefore, before knowing the outcome, it's all still unknown.
"Do you think that Master Pei can cope with this situation?" Zhu Houji asked Wu Shijiu at his side, furrowing his eyebrows.
He already knew that Pei Xuanjing entered the Spirit Realm Eightfold and knew that with Pei Xuanjing's strength, it shouldn't pose much problem to deal with the Spirit Realm Eightfold cultivator from Canglang Palace.
However, he was concerned about another issue. That is, Canglang Palace didn't have only one Spirit Realm Eightfold cultivator. There were four more who had not descended. Among them, the strongest one was even said to have remained unbeaten against the Nine Realms of the Spirit practitioners.
This kind of power could indeed be called a local hegemony, which was an extremely strong enemy for the Great Ming Divine Dynasty at the moment.
What's more important was that the current conflict seemed to be a confrontation between Pei Xuanjing and Canglang Palace. However, because of their different identities, it could be seen as the first clash between the native forces of the Daming World and many forces of the Sky Wasteland.
If Master Pei can't demonstrate sufficient deterrent power this time, the rest of the original Sky Wasteland forces and their power, which had quieted down, might be seething with unrest.
Zhu Houji thought in his heart.
"Indeed, the leading figure of Canglang Palace is very formidable, but he is far away in the Sky Wasteland, and cannot descend for now. He doesn't pose any threat to the National Preceptor," Wu Shijiu said indifferently.
He naturally understood the emperor's worries, but Wu Shijiu had a different view on this matter. His view coincidentally aligned with Pei Xuanjing's thoughts.
Although the conflict was somewhat unexpected, it happened so conveniently that it was an opportunity for Pei Xuanjing, a proper entry point.
Canglang Palace was a local overlord among the first-class powers but didn't have any all-powerful cultivators of the Ninth Level of Spirit Realm residing there. When compared with the top powers, they were still slightly lacking. Though they were powerful, they were not invincible.