Zhang Qian stared blankly at his Master, who flew away without even looking back, but he still remembered his manners.
He turned around and bowed respectfully to the Small Courtyard.
“Senior, sorry to disturb you.”
With that, he finally turned and stepped onto his Flying Sword, chasing after Wan Shanxin.
He chased for a full fifteen minutes before finally catching up to Wan Shanxin, who had stopped his Flying Sword and looked utterly panicked.
As soon as he got off his Flying Sword, Zhang Qian hurried forward.
“Master, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Do you want—”
“Don’t talk. Tell me honestly—how did you meet that Senior?”
“Huh?”
Zhang Qian was completely confused, but Wan Shanxin couldn’t care about that right now and asked again, his voice raised.
“How did you meet him? Tell me everything, in detail!”
“Ah—yes!”
Zhang Qian shuddered, seeing that his Master was already angry, and quickly lowered his head, recounting everything that had happened before in great detail.
He didn’t dare leave out a single word.
“So you just met like that, nothing special?”
“Yes, Master. Is there something wrong?”
“Wrong? It’s very wrong!”
Even now, Wan Shanxin’s heart was still pounding wildly and had yet to calm down, fear lingering in his chest.
That momentary pressure just now was on par with a Void Refinement expert!
At least, as far as Wan Shanxin himself was concerned, the strongest he’d ever met was only at the Void Refinement Stage.
As for those Tribulation Crossing old monsters, they almost never meddled in worldly affairs anymore, just waiting for their Tribulation, rarely appearing in the Cultivation World.
The Cultivation World’s hierarchy is divided into three major stages.
They are: Refining Essence into Qi, Refining Qi into Spirit, and Refining Spirit to Return to the Void.
And each stage is divided into four layers.
The first stage, Refining Essence into Qi, is divided into Foundation Establishment, Illuminating Rotation, Opening Light, and Merging Platform.
The second stage, Refining Qi into Spirit, consists of Heart Movement, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Spirit Transformation.
The third stage, Refining Spirit to Return to the Void, corresponds to Void Refinement, Return to Void, Great Ascension, and Tribulation Crossing.
After Tribulation Crossing comes the legendary Union with Dao and Feathered Immortal Ascension.
There’s a widely accepted understanding in the Cultivation World: unless you’re a peerless genius, it’s nearly impossible to defeat someone above your level.
And even if you are a peerless genius, without a Spirit Treasure in hand, you absolutely have no chance of defeating someone of a higher stage.
As for Spirit Treasures, those are extremely rare in the entire Cultivation World.
Altogether, there are only a dozen or so, each controlled by the major sects.
They would never be given to low-level disciples.
It’s easy to see just how difficult it is to defeat someone above your level.
Ever since Wan Shanxin joined Burning Wheel Valley, he had cultivated diligently for several centuries and was hailed as a rare talent.
In just three hundred years, he had reached the Nascent Soul stage, already half a step into Spirit Transformation.
It wouldn’t be long before he broke through Nascent Soul and became a Spirit Transformation expert.
At that point, apart from the great sects, he could run rampant wherever he pleased.
Even in all of Burning Wheel Valley, there were only a handful of Spirit Transformation experts.
As for the Valley Master of Burning Wheel Valley, his teaching benefactor, he had already reached the stage of Refining Spirit to Return to the Void—Void Refinement, a rare powerhouse even in the entire Cultivation World.
Yet, just now in that Small Courtyard, the pressure of heaven and earth he felt was in no way weaker than his own Master’s full-strength attack.
In other words… in that tiny fenced courtyard, there was actually a Void Refinement expert hidden!!
But he knew: to an ant, whether the foot stepping on it belongs to a lion or a wildcat, it is still a force that can crush the heavens.
So, he could only be fairly certain that the other party must be a Void Refinement expert.
As for which level within Void Refinement… Wan Shanxin truly had no idea.
“This must be reported to the Valley Master immediately. Qian’er, from now on, whenever you pass by that courtyard, no matter what you’re doing, as long as you go by, get off your Flying Sword and pay your respects. If that Senior feels any affinity for you and teaches you even a single move, it’ll be enough for you to benefit for a lifetime.”
Even as members of the Demonic Sect, some courtesies must still be observed—especially toward those vastly more powerful than oneself.
You absolutely cannot afford even the slightest disrespect.
“Yes, Master…”
Zhang Qian wasn’t stupid.
He could now be fairly sure that the powerful figure living in that fenced Small Courtyard was definitely stronger than his Master.
As for how much stronger, Zhang Qian had no concept.
If Wan Shanxin, in the Nascent Soul stage, was like an ant before a Void Refinement expert, then Zhang Qian—who had just reached Merging Platform, not even completing the first stage of Refining Essence into Qi—before a Void Refinement powerhouse, was less than an ant, just a speck of dust.
Even a single breath from such an expert could erase someone like him without a trace.
This wasn’t an exaggeration.
At least, from what Wan Shanxin understood, this was the truth.
“Let’s go. Come back to the sect with me at once. We’re going to see the Valley Master!”
“Master, is that Senior really so powerful that even the Valley Master has to be alarmed?”
“Don’t ask too much. When we meet the Valley Master, just say what you should say and answer what you’re asked. Do not hide a single thing, understand?”
“Yes, Master.”
Zhang Qian felt a bit inexplicably excited at this moment.
Though he didn’t understand what had really happened in front of that fenced Small Courtyard, one thing was clear: this matter had already reached the point where the Valley Master himself needed to take action.
If he could leave a good impression before the Valley Master, his future would be bright indeed.
Very soon, the pair of master and disciple flew northwest.
After about half an hour, they finally arrived at Burning Wheel Valley.
The location of Burning Wheel Valley was within the Myriad Demon Mountains, at an active volcano.
At this moment, molten lava rolled within the volcano, but halfway up the mountain, the landscape was lush and green.
Even the Demonic Sect knows how to enjoy life at times.
The crater itself was reserved for cultivating Burning Wheel Valley’s strongest technique—the Burning Wheel Technique.
Passing through a lush street pavilion, they arrived outside the Valley Master’s Hall.
After a young immortal attendant went to announce them, master and disciple entered the Valley Master’s Hall.
As soon as he entered, Zhang Qian couldn’t help but look around.
Even as an Inner Disciple, this was the first time Zhang Qian had ever come to the Valley Master’s Hall, and he couldn’t help but feel curious.
Just then, a voice rang out.
“Shanxin, what brings you to see your Master today?”
It was a man who looked like a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youth, sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat.
Behind him were the spirit tablets of the previous Seniors of Burning Wheel Valley.
“Disciple greets Master.”
At this moment, Wan Shanxin, who looked like a middle-aged uncle, didn’t hesitate at all.
He dropped to both knees and kowtowed respectfully.
Zhang Qian hurriedly knelt as well, touching his forehead to the ground.
“Disciple’s disciple, Inner Disciple Zhang Qian, greets Sect Grandmaster.”
“You are Zhang Qian?”
Chai Ruochen looked at the two kneeling below, sizing up his grand-disciple.
From the reports of the other disciples, this Zhang Qian was now the most talented disciple in all of Burning Wheel Valley.
Since it was their first meeting, as Valley Master and Sect Grandmaster, he naturally wouldn’t be stingy.
“Hmm, not bad. A good seedling. The future of Burning Wheel Valley depends on you young people.” He turned his hand and took out a Sword.
“This Sword was used by your Sect Grandmaster in his youth. I’ll give it to you.”
“Huh?”
Zhang Qian looked up in disbelief. Wan Shanxin quickly tugged at him from the side.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry and thank your Sect Grandmaster!”
“Th-thank you very much, Sect Grandmaster!”