Inside the bustling main hall of the teahouse opposite the Purple Immortal Pavilion, every seat was packed with tea drinkers. In a corner, Hannah Murong's cheeks turned pink as she protested her grandfather's teasing about whether she liked Ian Song.
"Even though Ian Song just arrived in the Imperial Capital, Vergil Beigong's reputation is way too intimidating. Unless Ian Song is a total fool, there's no way he'd show up just to get himself killed!" someone analyzed, glancing at the old diviner, who looked worriedly at his blushing granddaughter.
"So that means we're not going to see any drama today?" someone said regretfully. Meanwhile, on the street outside, Ian Song walked calmly, seemingly unfazed by the countless probing spiritual senses and open stares from the surrounding teahouses and restaurants.
"Not necessarily!" someone interjected, just as Ian Song continued forward, indifferent to the attention swirling around him.
Suddenly, an old master spoke up mysteriously: "Do you all actually know where Ian Song comes from?" At the same time, Ian Song reached the entrance of the Purple Immortal Pavilion, his gaze landing on Vergil Beigong's four guards.
"Could this kid have some big background? Or maybe he's a newly emerged disciple from a major sect?" someone speculated. Meanwhile, Ian Song announced in a clear voice, "I've come to answer the appointment. Where is Young Master Beigong?"
"No," the old master shook his head, looking even more mysterious. At that moment, one of the guards sneered, "Want to see our young master? You have to pass our test first!" Of the four, three were at the peak of late Soul-Split, and one was early Fusion.
"Old master, stop keeping us in suspense, just tell us where Ian Song is from!" someone urged. The crowd outside the Purple Immortal Pavilion grew excited, shouting for the fight to begin.
"Yeah, senior, don't keep us in suspense!" another chimed in. Upstairs, nobles like Brandon Nangong and Jasper Easton overheard the commotion about Ian Song.
Urged on by the crowd, the old master took a sip of tea and finally spoke slowly: "Ian Song comes from the Tang Dynasty!" Jasper Easton, listening upstairs, couldn't help but marvel at Ian's strength.
"Tang Dynasty? That little kingdom way out in the sticks?" a young cultivator scoffed. Upstairs, a wastrel joked, "I hope Ian Song knocks out a few of Vergil Beigong's teeth today!"
"Heh, I thought Ian Song might be someone important, but he's just a cultivator from some backwater kingdom. Seriously, does he really think he can go up against Vergil Beigong? Hmph, what a waste of our time!" Downstairs, Brandon Nangong smiled and said, "If Ian Song survives this, I want to befriend him."
"Yeah, this is boring now!" Several guests started to get up, but the old master suddenly began recounting Ian Song's exploits in the Tang Dynasty—how he destroyed more than half of the Prime One Church's branch altars, leaving the crowd stunned.
"The ending's already set!" Some sneered, doubting the old master's claims and the possibility that a late Soul-Split cultivator could defeat so many Fusion experts. Upstairs, the nobles extended their spiritual senses, watching Ian Song walk calmly down the street.
"Heh, nothing worth watching here. Let's go listen to some tunes at the brothel instead!" A few mocked, but the old master explained that even he had doubted the news at first—until Ian Song proved his strength upon arriving in Great Zhou. On the street, Ian Song kept a calm, unhurried demeanor as he approached the Purple Immortal Pavilion.
Seeing that no one had any faith in Ian Song, the old master smiled faintly and asked in a loud voice, "Do you all truly believe the Tang Dynasty is just some remote place?" The crowd watched Ian Song with a mix of curiosity, mockery, disdain, and gloating.
"Isn't it?" a cultivator sneered, though the events in Immortal Maple City were known throughout the region. In a small tea stall, Hannah Murong watched Ian Song with concern and asked her grandfather if he'd be alright.
Someone even mocked the old master: "Old sir, stop trying to act mysterious!" But the old master began to recount how Ian Song slew 290,000 demon cultivators and even captured a Fusion-stage demon king alive. The old diviner responded to Hannah, "Don't worry. Good people die young, but troublemakers live a thousand years!"
"Heh!" The old master suddenly let out a strange laugh. "You youngsters are far too naive. The Tang Dynasty may be far out on the borderlands, but there are still mighty experts there. For example, the Tang's national church, the Prime One Church, is guarded by Immortals." Hannah Murong's face brightened, and her grandfather teased, "Girl, you care about that brat a lot, don't you?"
"Impossible! How could a remote place like that possibly produce Immortals?" someone questioned, but his face was clearly filled with shock and awe. Hannah Murong blushed, protesting, "Grandpa, don't say that! I don't care about him!"
"If the Tang Dynasty didn't have Immortals holding the fort, would our Great Zhou even allow it to exist?" the old master said gravely.
Hearing this, all the cultivators in the hall lowered their heads in thought, realizing the old master made sense.
The old master's voice sounded again: "Prime One Church has been established for a hundred thousand years. Within its halls are Immortals, Immortal Artifacts passed down through the ages to suppress luck, dozens of Tribulation-stage experts, and hundreds of Fusion-stage masters!"
As the old master spoke, shock appeared on the faces of all the cultivators in the hall.
"So you're saying, Prime One Church is even stronger than Great Zhou's top sects?"
"Exactly!" The old master nodded.
"Wait, does that mean Ian Song is from the Prime One Church?" someone suddenly asked.
The old master shook his head. "No, Ian Song isn't a disciple of the Prime One Church. In fact, he turned the whole place upside down!"
"No way! Ian Song's just late Soul-Split stage. How could he possibly go up against the Prime One Church?" another person questioned skeptically.
The old master just smiled and said nothing.