Andrew Han's sudden rise has had a tremendous impact.
Anyone who knows of Green Mountain Sect already understands in their hearts—Green Mountain endures!
But none of them expected Green Mountain Sect to rejoin the official Sect Sequence so quickly; it far exceeded their expectations.
Something's off.
There's definitely something off here.
Independent martial practitioners are abuzz with speculation. Especially among small Martial Arts Sects—those who have faced every kind of obstruction from Leonard Tong—the confusion runs even deeper.
......
"How is that possible?"
"The head of the Sect Review Office is Leonard Tong, ranked on the Titled Sequence. Even if a Martial Arts Sect meets all Alliance regulations, if it violates Leonard Tong's rules, it still can't be registered in Sinovera's official Sect Sequence."
"Back then, how many gifts did we have to send?"
"Leonard Tong's unwritten rules became blatant hidden regulations. Whether you were compliant or not, you had to offer heavy gifts—otherwise, he'd stall the approval, and even intervention from Alliance Elders was useless."
Everyone in the know is baffled.
In fact, only the inexperienced young fail to understand.
The 'rules' Leonard Tong speaks of are ever-changing. To put it bluntly, they're arbitrary barriers invented to extract vast martial resources.
But Leonard Tong doesn't dare brazenly demand benefits—after all, that's against regulations.
So these hidden rules can only be figured out through personal experience, or if a kind soul offers a hint.
......
"Wait a minute."
"Did Leonard Tong change his ways? Is he no longer so greedy? Or is he wary of Andrew Han, giving him special treatment?"
Among the small Martial Arts Sects, some quietly speculate.
Sigh.
"That kid Andrew... Well, it’s time for me to reveal the truth. This will be a major blow to the Old-Guard Faction led by Elder Huang." Shawn Xiao shook his head, gazing up at the moon, a hint of serenity in his eyes.
The Old-Guard Faction controls the entire Alliance.
Nearly every key position is held by these entrenched conservatives. Reform-minded people like us are only ever governed, restricted, and ruthlessly suppressed.
Hmph.
If not for me and Quinn Qing barely squeezing into the Alliance Elders’ council, reform would be nothing but a mirage—just empty talk." Shawn Xiao shook his head, turning into a streak of black light as he quietly departed.
Reforming the Martial Arts World is no overnight task.
But—
Andrew Han’s sudden rise has injected new momentum into reform, indirectly weakening the Old-Guard’s power.
...
That night.
The truth bursts forth—like a spark igniting a prairie fire, like thunder rising from a flat plain—spreading across the land and throughout the Martial Arts World.
Leonard Tong, head of the Sect Review Office, openly tried to extract benefits from Andrew Han under the guise of ‘rules.’ When Andrew didn’t ‘understand’ those rules, Leonard blocked Green Mountain’s readmission, so Andrew beat him down and taught him what Green Mountain’s rules are.
If you don’t sign, you get beaten!
If you refuse, you get beaten!
Beaten until you sign, beaten until you submit—this left the entire Martial Arts World speechless.
Shocking!
From the Titled Sequence powerhouses down to ordinary practitioners, everyone was stunned. It was like a tidal wave sweeping across the nation.
"Strange."
Peerless Andrew Han—invincible, undefeated!
Origin of Dawn—emerging from nowhere, overwhelming the world!
Insane.
The truth has gone viral.
Like a raging storm sweeping the land, the sensation started in the Imperial Capital and spread outward—first to northern and central Sinovera, then east and south, until it reached every corner of the Martial Arts World.
An ordinary person standing here would likely be terrified, knees weak, afraid to move a muscle.
Thunder Path Sect.
Li Gang, draped in archaic robes, stared down at his phone. "Insane. Absolutely insane. Has the world lost all sense of justice and humanity? How has that guy gotten even stronger again?"
Huh.
Why ‘again’...? Andrew Han is simply beyond reason!
Li Gang fell silent, then looked up at the moon and sighed in quiet disappointment. "My master once said that if I ever defeat Andrew Han, he’ll find a way to return immediately."
At this rate—
he might never see his master again in this lifetime.
Meanwhile, the ‘Ten Thousand Armies Are Nothing’ WeChat group exploded—every Hidden Dragon was either stunned and full of praise, or furious and contemptuous.
"Leonard Tong tried to extract benefits?"
"He’s in the Titled Sequence, and head of the Sect Review Office—how could he be so despicable?"
It wasn’t just the chat group. Every young practitioner in the Martial Arts World felt a surge of uncontrollable anger and bitter disdain—a key Alliance official, responsible for sect admission, had such a dark style.
Yet amid the outrage, there was also joy.
"Hahaha!"
Quentin Su, sect master of Su Stele Sect, stood in his study, laughing heartily. "That damned Leonard Tong finally ran into a brick wall. He thought he could toy with Andrew Han? We’re weak, so we can only bow and scrape—but Andrew is different. He’s Sinovera’s Contemporary Paragon, an unprecedented Peerless!"
With that, the storm became fully clear.
With this, the storm finally comes into focus.
Andrew’s rise to fame is just one facet; more importantly, he has weakened the influence of the Old-Guard Faction. Leonard Tong is now the target of countless curses, and the roots of the Alliance’s conservative bloc have been truly shaken.
Southvale Province, Riverford City.
Sss.
A cigarette is gently lit.
Miles Ning, dressed in a worn leather jacket, stood by the window in his modest apartment. His thin, trembling hand gently pushed open the spotless glass, gazing up at the moonlit sky.
Green Mountain Sect—
has finally rejoined the Sect Sequence.
Unconsciously, his wrinkled old face was already streaked with tears—marked by years of pain and hardship, filled with remembrance and longing, all finally dissolving into silent reflection.
Miles Ning’s torment ran deep.
For twenty-two long years, not a moment passed without thoughts of Green Mountain Sect. Every second brought an indescribable pain that pierced his soul and echoed in his mind, tormenting him day and night, leaving him sleepless—only cigarettes could soothe him.
He had considered ending it all.
Death.
Far too simple.
There’s probably nothing in this world simpler than dying, but Miles Ning dared not die—could not die.
Carrying Green Mountain’s legacy and continuing to live was harder than dying.
To walk forward in ruin, clinging to hope—that is what’s truly precious.
"I destroyed Green Mountain Sect with my own hands—I destroyed our Green Mountain Sect!" Miles Ning sobbed, letting his tears fall freely, his eyes bloodshot and frightening. "Thank you, Andrew—thank you for letting me see Green Mountain Sect rejoin in my lifetime."