Chapter 114: The Fiery Heaven Sect

Liu Pan did not have a clear understanding of the specifics of the Burning Heaven Sect; he only knew that it was the gathering place for all the talented disciples in the Southern Prefecture. Within the Burning Heaven Sect, even the outer disciples mostly possessed middle-grade spiritual roots or higher. Walking behind Li Feiyang, Liu Pan felt that almost no one he passed had an aura weaker than his own.

"Ant." At this moment, this was the only word Liu Pan could use to describe himself.

As they encountered more disciples along the way, Liu Pan gradually began to feel that something was strange. The reason he had labeled Li Feiyang a madman with extreme inner repression in his own book was inseparable from the plot that followed the meeting between Li Feiyang and Liu Kuang. In truth, Liu Pan had never written about Li Feiyang’s daily life in the book, nor did he know what kind of situation Li Feiyang faced within the sect. Now, following behind him, Liu Pan finally understood why Li Feiyang’s heart was so repressed.

"An outcast!" Liu Pan felt this word perfectly described Li Feiyang’s existence within the Burning Heaven Sect. Almost every disciple they passed looked at Li Feiyang with a hint of subtle, inexplicable strangeness in their eyes. Liu Pan did not doubt that if such gazes were directed at him for a long period, his own mind would certainly become deeply repressed. He was curious about what Li Feiyang had done to earn such strange looks from almost everyone. However, curiosity aside, anyone with a sound mind would know that such questions should never be asked to one’s face unless absolutely necessary.

Before long, the three of them passed the mountain gate and arrived at the foot of Burning Heaven Peak. Burning Heaven Peak was the main peak of the sect. Standing at the base and looking around, it was easy to see that it was neither the tallest nor the largest mountain in the sect. Liu Pan did not find this strange at all. In the current cultivation world, the most common and practical resource, origin stones, was nearly exhausted. Even if a grand protective array capable of covering the entire sect could be set up, the consumption would be unaffordable.

In modern major sects, the strongest defensive measures were mountain-protecting arrays. Even these utilized very few origin stones, relying instead on numerous gathering arrays to absorb ambient energy to maintain their function. This was why the main peak was not the largest; the larger the mountain, the larger the array required, and the greater the resource consumption. Liu Pan could guess without verification that the taller peaks surrounding them lacked such arrays—or perhaps they once had them.

Soon, the three reached the summit of Burning Heaven Peak, where a magnificent hall appeared before Liu Pan: the Burning Heaven Hall. He had to admit, the exterior was truly resplendent. People were always concerned with appearances, especially those in high positions of power who controlled the sect. It was not hard to imagine that while Burning Heaven Peak was not the most imposing mountain, the Burning Heaven Hall was undoubtedly the most magnificent structure in the sect.

As they approached the entrance, the guards stepped inside to announce them. Ultimately, they entered without obstruction. The moment he stepped inside, Liu Pan shivered; he felt eight divine senses and three mental energies lock onto him simultaneously. One of the divine senses was particularly terrifying, exerting a pressure no less than that of Li Feiyang. He knew without doubt that its owner was Li Yi, the Sect Master of the Burning Heaven Sect and the foremost figure in the Southern Prefecture.

What puzzled Liu Pan most was the number of people present. Judging by the fluctuations of the divine senses and mental energies, he was certain these were all elder-level figures. With so many gathered and focused on him, Liu Pan felt the situation was far more complex than he had imagined. He truly wanted to know what Li Feiyang had done to be targeted by so many.

"Junior Brother, you have returned. You have truly worked hard on this trip to the south," a gentle voice rang out. Liu Pan glanced up and saw a middle-aged man in dark red robes sitting on the throne, wearing a pleasant smile. It was clearly Li Yi, the Sect Master.

Beyond Li Yi, Liu Pan caught glimpses of the figures below. Though he could not see them clearly, he realized they were almost all elderly men. At the end of the left row, he recognized the old man who had appeared at the pit after he had survived his Martial Master realm lightning tribulation: Zhang Cu. He remembered that Zhang Cu’s cultivation was at the sixth level of the Martial Emperor realm. If a sixth-level Martial Emperor was sitting at the very end, it was easy to infer that the others were likely at the same level or higher.

"I will be blunt: there was no sign of evil cultivators during this trip to the south," Li Feiyang said, his voice cold. As a Martial Emperor himself, he had sensed the prying divine senses and mental energies the moment he entered. However, out of caution, he did not act out. In fact, he had anticipated this and was well-prepared; otherwise, he would have erupted long ago. His only desire now was to finish this business and return to Flying Yang Peak to study that strange power.

"I see. In fact, Yang Yi has already sent word via flying sword regarding the evil cultivators. The reason I had Bai Zhuang wait for you is that I heard you brought back a disciple yourself," Li Yi said, his gaze falling upon Liu Pan behind Li Feiyang. "I am truly curious: what is so exceptional about a disciple who could catch your eye?"

"There is nothing exceptional about him. I was simply bored and found someone to play with," Li Feiyang replied, his tone devoid of emotion.

"Just to play with? I find this boy rather unusual," Li Yi smiled, shifting his gaze back to Li Feiyang. "I heard he has a middle-grade spiritual root and possesses an aura that can incite a Fire Sun Sparrow into a frenzy, yet he bears no trace of an evil cultivator's aura."

Li Yi paused slightly, then continued without waiting for Li Feiyang’s consent: "How about this? Since several important elders are here, let us conduct a comprehensive examination of him to see exactly what is going on."