From a distance, the Green Mountain Sect’s bluestone front gate stands cracked yet imposing, exuding a silent strength that commands respect.
Beneath the gate, Andrew Han and Miles Ning stand together.
“Green Mountain Sect should rise again?”
Miles Ning, hair tousled by the wind, is left bewildered—he cannot understand this disciple at all. Just moments ago Andrew was walking calmly, but now, standing before him, he suddenly speaks words of earth-shattering ambition.
Rise again?
Today’s Green Mountain Sect is but a small Martial Arts Sect, listed among the national registry. True resurgence would mean restoring its former glory—returning to its status as a large Martial Arts Sect.
“There’s no need to rush.” Miles Ning shakes his head. Although he believes in Andrew’s potential, he knows this cannot be hurried—it will require generations of Green Mountain disciples to inherit and strive. Besides, Andrew is still far from the Law Realm; to speak of resurgence now is, in the end, wishful thinking.
Of course, Miles Ning does not know.
When Andrew set foot in Green Mountain Sect, his Inspiration fully crystallized into a spinning, mysterious diamond—swirling with indescribable, majestic power.
Just how strong is it?
Impossible to measure.
His Inspiration, now sublimated into crystal-diamond form, is leagues beyond what it was before—a difference as vast as sky and earth. Even Andrew himself is moved and shaken by its power; that is why he speaks of resurgence.
He dares to ask—
If he can now confront apex Specters head-on, how could Green Mountain Sect not rise to fame, not rise again?
Yet Andrew does not wish to show off, nor reveal himself too soon. He has endured quietly for over two months, always waiting—waiting for the moment to ride the winds and break the waves, waiting for the instant his edge can shake the world!
"Master."
"It’s time we rebuilt Green Mountain Sect." Andrew looks past the front gate into the sect’s inner grounds—neatly arranged ruins, both a symbol of Green Mountain’s past and a testament to Miles Ning’s careful stewardship.
Twenty-two years ago, Green Mountain Sect stood united, defending Sinovera’s land and blocking the Black Dragon’s emergence.
They gave so much, sacrificed so much, and today only Andrew Han and Miles Ning remain... With Monica Zhang and Finch Huang, that makes just four.
"Oh, right—"
"Master, do you remember when I mentioned the name Finch Huang to you last time?" Andrew smiles; since no one else is present and there are no surveillance devices, he speaks openly: "She has managed to fuse martial power with her Gifted ability—she is, in fact, the Fifth Legend."
What?
A Legend?
Miles Ning’s eyes twitch twice; he stares at Andrew in shock and doubt. "Is she truly a Legend?" A fully grown Legend is at least equal to a titled third-step Martial Lord.
A titled third-step Martial Lord is unimaginably powerful!
Andrew Han is just an exception... Most Peerless Paragons exist somewhere between the upper Martial Lord Realm and the titled third-step Martial Lord. A few fall along the way, some remain ordinary Martial Lords, and only a tiny handful ever reach the Law Realm.
"The Fifth Legend? She’s joining our Green Mountain Sect?"
Miles Ning asks again, eyes fixed on Andrew. If Green Mountain Sect welcomes a Legend, it’s almost certain that within the coming decades, the sect will return to its status as a large Martial Arts Sect.
"Of course. It’s absolutely true."
Andrew grins and nods.
So even his own master could get nervous and excited—how rare that was... Andrew quietly teased him in his heart a couple of times. The two walked and talked as they went, finally stopping at the very center of the island.
Ahead.
A massive round stone pillar stands upright, about two meters in radius, its surface smooth all around.
"Master."
"I never realized you had such skill in architecture," Andrew said in surprise.
The base of the pillar sits in a hollow, like a foundation stone; on its surface are carved patterns and inscriptions briefly recording Green Mountain Sect’s long history... This is the monumental pillar Miles Ning spent half a month shaping with martial power.
Hmph.
Miles Ning twitches his mouth.
In truth, he had wanted to rebuild this pillar for over twenty years, but with no one to inherit the sect, it would have been pointless. Only now, at last, could he fulfill that wish.
"All right." Miles Ning’s expression grows solemn. "From this day forward, I, Miles Ning, entrust Green Mountain Sect to you, Andrew Han. From now on, you are the sect master of Green Mountain—you are its living symbol!"