Inside the Cyan Lotus Palace, it was like spring all year round. Primordial Mist suffused the air, and waves of rosy light pulsed through it, making the sky-blotting Cyan Lotus Dharma Aspect appear magnificent and brilliant.
Frankly, this was not the kind of treasured domain a mere Tier One Cultivator should be able to possess!
At this thought, Fang Yang casually glanced at Sen Hui and thought to himself,
'Sen Wei has a treasured domain like this for her residence. Even if Sen Hui really isn't favored, the place she has access to can only be a step down from this, at most. And what's more, she *is* the favored one...'
In the next instant, Fang Yang burned that thought to ash.
He was fine with building a decent friendship with Sen Hui, but he would keep any deeper connection at a respectful distance.
Besides, it wasn't like he was short on cultivation resources, and with his ability to seek good fortune and avoid calamity, why on earth would he want to saddle himself with a princess he'd have to worship?
He didn't need that particular sword to break through the enemy's ranks!
"Sir, please have some tea." A serving girl glided over and placed a cup of tea before Fang Yang.
Fang Yang lifted the lid, and a rich, clear fragrance wafted up, making the pores all over his body seem to open and close.
Fang Yang gazed at the clear liquid, which contained only a few tea leaves, and felt a strange sense of unease.
Because his whole life, the tea he had drunk in this world was almost always milk tea, with salt and other spices added!
Fang Yang lifted the cup, gently pushed the leaves aside, blew softly on the liquid to cool it, and then took a delicate sip.
He felt the difference in an instant.
The Fire Eagle Illusion within his Void Acupoint True Essence Sea had begun to stir, growing more active.
This tea could strengthen the Fire Eagle Illusion!
And this... this was the Tier Two opportunity the favorable omen had foretold.
Realization dawned on Fang Yang. He immediately began to slowly drink the Spirit Tea.
As he drank, the Fire Eagle Illusion gradually grew more solid. While not yet vivid enough to be mistaken for a real creature, it had clearly grown stronger.
After draining the cup, a spark flashed in Fang Yang's eyes. He had taken another firm step toward the high-level Tier One realm.
On the other side, Zhang Ye also drained his cup.
The serving girls then refilled the cups for Fang Yang and Zhang Ye.
At that exact moment, Fang Yang and Zhang Ye looked up in unison, a smile shared between them.
In reality, however, both were inwardly scorning the other's lack of etiquette. 'A stupid fish.' 'A dumb bird.'
"I hear Brother Fang cut a majestic figure in the Flying Fish Cloud Sea Realm, riding a horse and commanding an eagle. It truly fills me with admiration."
"Heh, how could that possibly compare to Brother Zhang battling beasts in the Molten Lava Lake Realm? You're the true Overlord in the flesh."
"..."
When Fang Xuan, Zhang Le, Chen Xing, and the others entered, they were greeted by the sight of Fang Yang and Zhang Ye laughing and conversing with great enthusiasm, looking for all the world like they were bosom buddies.
But this sight only made Fang Xuan and the others all the more excited.
For they knew that Fang Yang and Zhang Ye were using words as spears and shields, locked in a duel where every pleasantry was a hidden attack!
'He's a handful,' Fang Yang thought.
'Tricky,' Zhang Ye thought.
And yet, this only made their exchange more frequent. Neither of them backed down.
An uninformed observer would have probably mistaken them for the dearest of friends, bonded by life and death.
If Sen Wei hadn't stepped in to guide the tea party and introduce a new topic, Fang Yang and Zhang Ye would have likely kept at it until dawn.
In that short time alone, it seemed the two had said more to each other than they had to anyone else in over a month.
"Poetry is the language of ambition, worldly affairs its inspiration. For the first day of our tea party, let us compose poems to express our aspirations!" Sen Wei said with a faint smile.
In an instant, both Fang Yang and Zhang Ye froze.
It wasn't that they were uncultured—Fang Yang, in particular, had a wealth of breathtaking verses at his disposal.
But if they composed a poem, successful or not, they would inevitably reveal more of their true nature to their rival.
Forge a poem or make something up on the spot?
Heh, that would only make it easier for the other to see right through them.
And so, for the rest of the day, Fang Yang and Zhang Ye remained almost completely silent. They simply watched quietly as Chen Xing and the others took the spotlight, winning the honors for the first day.
...
「Night.」
「Atop the snowy mountain, in the Cyan Lotus Palace.」
The day's tea party had ended, and a tranquil atmosphere returned to the Cyan Lotus Palace.
Brilliant silver moonlight shone down on the two sisters, Sen Wei and Sen Hui.
The two young women walked slowly, one following the other.
"Xiaohui, you were rather quiet today. I heard you've become much more lively and cheerful over at the Cangmu Banner."
"N-No, I haven't."
The two made sporadic small talk, with Sen Wei taking the lead and Sen Hui responding passively.
Admittedly, Sen Wei's reason for hosting the Young Dragon Tea Party was to bring Sen Hui back from the Cangmu Banner and keep her protected.
But her upbringing still left Sen Hui with a deep-seated reverence for Sen Wei. Here, in the Thunder Punishment Banner, Sen Hui was not nearly as lively as she had been at the Cangmu Banner.
It could only be said that Sen Wei was like the midday sun—too dazzling, too scorching—making Sen Hui afraid to even get close.
"I remember you used to love playing with me," Sen Wei sighed. "When did we start to grow so distant?"
In truth, Sen Hui wanted to be close to her older sister, Sen Wei, to be inseparable just as they were in childhood.
But when she glanced up at the brilliant yellow Dragon Robe Sen Wei wore, she couldn't help but shiver.
She knew an insurmountable chasm now lay between them.
Suddenly, she found herself at a loss for words.
Ahead of her, Sen Wei was still trying to find a topic of conversation.
"Zhang Ye and Fang Yang... those two are cut from the same cloth. There's no real difference between them."
To put it nicely, you could say they have the bearing of emperors. To be blunt, they're treacherous and difficult to manage.
If that were all, it might be manageable. But they are also cold-blooded and cruel by nature, yet blessed with considerable talent. They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
"You can make use of them, but you must never, ever trust them—"
As Sen Wei spoke of Fang Yang again, an idealized image of him—one she herself had polished—surfaced in Sen Hui's mind.
The image of Fang Yang in her mind finally settled: a young general astride a Frost Horse, a spear in his right hand and an eagle perched on his left.
For some reason, a surge of courage welled up in Sen Hui's heart.
With her spirit roused, Sen Hui dared to object. "They're not the same. Fang Yang isn't... like you said... like that..."
Under Sen Wei's gaze, Sen Hui's voice trailed off, and her head bowed lower and lower.
In the end, the courage Fang Yang had inspired in her was not enough to overcome her fear of her sister.
Sen Wei suddenly chuckled. "Oh? Is he really not that kind of person? Perhaps I was mistaken?"
At her words, Sen Hui stared down at her own invisible toes, saying nothing.
But after Sen Wei turned away, Sen Hui murmured, almost inaudibly, "Fang Yang is kind by nature. I'm afraid you're wrong about him this time, Sister."
What Sen Hui didn't notice was that Sen Wei's face was now wreathed in a smile.
「Late that night.」
Sen Hui was asleep, but Sen Wei was poring over intelligence reports about Fang Yang.
Finally, Sen Wei came to a conclusion.
'Fang Yang is certainly impressive. His looks and talent are both first-rate. It's no wonder Xiaohui's heart is fluttering.'
'It's a pity. A Fire Eagle spreads its wings only to soar freely; it is no perch for Xiaohui, who is like a delicate vine. If they were forced together, it would only end in a tragedy of fire consuming wood.'
'...But forget it. As long as Xiaohui is happy, that's all that matters. If she and Fang Yang do end up together, then as long as I'm around, Fang Yang's nature *will* be kind!'
As her resolve solidified, Sen Wei's Dragon Robe began to radiate an azure, divine light. The true dragon embroidered on it seemed to open its eyes, accentuating her formidable aura.
In that moment, it felt as though Sen Wei could hold the entire world in her palm.
If Sen Hui truly liked Fang Yang, then Sen Wei would force him to live off her patronage. He would accept it whether he wanted to or not!
...
「Meanwhile.」
Far away at the Cangmu Banner, the flames of war lit up the night sky.
It was hard to imagine that after splitting his forces, Qingkong hadn't attacked the Thunder Punishment Banner, but had instead turned on the Cangmu Banner.
The sudden eruption of battle had nearly destroyed the entire Cangmu Banner garrison.
People died at every moment, wiped out as easily as weeds.
The smaller tribes, in particular, suffered devastating losses.
The ground ran with rivers of blood, and the air was filled with cries of anguish.
When the battle paused, every household hung white mourning cloth.
And yet, amid the devastation, the Ten Thousand Birds Tribe of the Silver Tribe had managed to preserve its strength relatively intact. It was incredible!
"Brother Fang He, you are truly worthy of your name, 'Medicine Fox.' If not for your brilliant foresight, I fear my Ten Thousand Birds Tribe would have been doomed," the Ten Thousand Birds Race Leader said, his voice laced with lingering fear.
Second Uncle Fang chuckled and shook his head. "The credit is not mine alone. It was also due to Ah Yang's foresight."
Inside the Clan Leader's tent, Lu Yao, Lingfang, Hong Qishang, and the others were all startled by his words, but on second thought, it seemed perfectly natural.
An eagle is naturally more far-sighted than others, so it was only normal for Fang Yang to have such talent... yeah, right!
Although the battle had been fierce, Second Uncle Fang, thanks to Fang Yang's warning and his own preparations, had managed to preserve his own life while sheltering a number of others.
Beside a frost-white flying horse stood a smaller one, its eyes sparkling. It was beginning to feel great anticipation for the Fang Yang it had never met.
News of the brutal war that had erupted at the Cangmu Banner quickly made its way back to the Thunder Punishment Banner.
In the pre-dawn hours, the Thunder Punishment Banner erupted into a clamor.
Everywhere, people were frantically discussing the turn of events and what impact it would have on the Thunder Punishment Banner.
And Fang Yang, at this very moment, was just getting out of bed...