The Circle of Saints

The bitter wind and bone-chilling rain.

The battle between the White Jade Sect and Mysterious Gate Mountain had finally begun.

On the highest battle platform of the ancestral star, ten combatants from each side took the stage. All were great cultivators of the Heaven Mending Realm, with those at the peak of Heaven Mending Realm as the finale.

A dense crowd of cultivators gathered to watch, eager to witness the clash between great cultivators and see grand divine abilities.

Emperor Zhou stood at a high vantage point, his eyes slightly lowered. Beside him, Zhou Jia's brow was furrowed with worry as he asked:

"Father Emperor, are you truly confident?"

Emperor Zhou smiled confidently, "Your father ranks in the top three under the Saints in the Emperor Capital, and among the top tier of all peak Heaven Mending Realm cultivators in the Star Region!"

Seeing Emperor Zhou so confident, Zhou Jia ceased his attempts to dissuade him and let him proceed with the battle.

The fight began quickly. The opening match was between two Heaven Mending Realm level six great cultivators, their divine abilities flashing, igniting the atmosphere of battle!

Bai Lu stood among the spectators, watching the lively scene and observing the two Heaven Mending Realm cultivators on the battlefield, yet his expression remained unexcited.

The two Heaven Mending Realm cultivators seemed to have ignited their fighting spirit, clashing incessantly. Blood splattered onto the arena, eliciting fierce cheers from the onlookers.

Three hours passed.

The battle reached its conclusion.

The Mysterious Gate Mountain Heaven Mending Realm cultivator achieved a bitter victory, having lost an arm and bathed in blood, he stood tall, displaying a victorious posture.

The White Jade Sect Heaven Mending Realm cultivator lay on the ground, barely alive, with only weak breaths. Had he not surrendered in the final moments, he likely would have perished.

This was the outcome of the first match.

Bai Lu, however, did not stay to watch the rest. He was not concerned with the victory or defeat of these two sects, so he turned and left.

The battles continued for seven days, resulting in two wins and two losses for each side.

Emperor Zhou took the stage for the final match, facing the Mysterious Gate Mountain's ancestral master at the peak of Heaven Mending Realm.

It was expected to be an evenly matched battle.

But the result was Emperor Zhou being utterly dominated, without even a chance to retaliate.

He spat blood, looking at the White Jade Ancestor in disbelief, as if blaming him for not discussing the intensity of the battle beforehand.

The White Jade Ancestor was also shocked, wondering how the Mysterious Gate Mountain's supreme elder had become so terrifyingly powerful.

The Mysterious Gate Mountain elder provided the answer, laughing wildly:

"This old man has touched the barrier of Quasi-Saint, just one step away from stepping into the highest realm. I am no longer on the same level as you ordinary peak Heaven Mending Realm cultivators."

"Now that you're here, you might as well die. I'll gladly accept your death."

Despite these words, Emperor Zhou did not die, for he surrendered early.

He might not be skilled in battle, but he excelled at surrendering.

With two victories and three losses, the White Jade Sect was defeated.

The White Jade Ancestor was dumbfounded, never expecting the highly-paid Emperor Zhou to be utterly useless. He immediately wanted to renege, demanding Emperor Zhou return the wealth.

Emperor Zhou angrily retorted: "You didn't clarify the strength levels, how can you blame me now? Besides, when you invited me, you said the outcome didn't matter. How can you now demand the wealth back?!"

"Don't you have a powerful backer? Why don't you just call them out?" the White Jade Ancestor raged.

"How could such an important figure be summoned so easily? It's a rare opportunity, how could it be wasted on your White Jade Sect!" Emperor Zhou furiously replied.

"If not for my White Jade Sect, then you won't be using it at all. My White Jade Sect officially declares your imprisonment. If you don't return the wealth, you'll never leave this ancestral star!"

The two sides had completely fallen out.

The scene grew chaotic once more.

Two months later.

When Chen Xia and his companions returned to their small cabin on the ancestral star, Zhou Jia, who had been waiting outside for a long time, frantically knocked on the door.

"Enter," Chen Xia's calm voice came from inside.

Zhou Jia hurriedly entered, his expression panicked and helpless.

"Senior Sister, what's the matter?" Chen Xia asked again.

The three from Emperor Capital remained silent, knowing of the great karmic connection between Zhou Jia and Chen Xia, and not wishing to interfere.

"Please, save my Father Emperor, he's been... he's been imprisoned by the White Jade Sect!" Zhou Jia anxiously said.

"He's been imprisoned? Haha, truly what goes around comes around," Chen Xia laughed.

Zhou Jia couldn't find any humor in the situation. His expression was anxious, and he was about to kowtow to Chen Xia.

"Don't, Senior Sister. I'll help you," Chen Xia waved her hand to stop him, then turned to Chi Yu and said:

"The ancestral star is under your jurisdiction, you handle this."

"Understood," Chi Yu nodded, then sent a mental message to the current Great Elder of the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect, briefly explaining the situation and instructing him to resolve it.

Whoosh.

From within the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect, a thousand-zhang fire crow soared out, transforming into a streak of flame that crashed into the White Jade Sect's territory, destroying half a mountaintop. It roared:

"White Jade old dog, get out here!"

"Coming, coming," the White Jade Ancestor hurriedly emerged, smiling sycophantically: "What's the matter? Why such great anger? Has my White Jade Sect done something wrong?"

Bang!

The White Jade Ancestor's body was suddenly smashed into the ground, creating a deep crater. His head was gripped in the Great Elder's palm, making cracking sounds.

The Great Elder's cold voice rang out, "You dare imprison Emperor Zhou? Chi Saint has personally ordered you to send Emperor Zhou over. You have a quarter of an hour. If you're even a breath late, I'll have your head!"

After speaking, the Great Elder forcefully threw the White Jade Ancestor's head to the ground once more. With a thunderous crash, the White Jade Sect's mountain peak was lowered another notch.

The White Jade Ancestor's head was covered in blood, his mind buzzing, but he dared not delay. He crawled and rolled towards the prison to retrieve Emperor Zhou.

In the cold, damp prison, Emperor Zhou was bound by layers of formation arrays. The wounds on his body had not yet healed, and his spiritual energy was faint.

He was feeling some regret at this moment, wishing he had returned the wealth to ensure a safe departure. Then he wouldn't have ended up in this predicament.

As he was still pondering, a blood-covered figure suddenly appeared outside the prison. It was the White Jade Ancestor. He quickly undid the prison and grabbed Emperor Zhou's arm, pulling him out.

Emperor Zhou's face was bewildered as he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Please don't ask, just come with me. I beg you, I know I was wrong," the White Jade Ancestor sobbed.

Both men addressed each other respectfully, showing improved manners.

The White Jade Ancestor rushed to the small cabin at the location given by the Great Elder.

By now, Emperor Zhou had also understood the situation. His face hardened as he coldly laughed:

"So that's how it is. White Jade Ancestor, I want you dead!"

The White Jade Ancestor's body trembled, not daring to reply, for he had already sensed the great pressure emanating from within the small cabin!

"Come in," Chen Xia's calm voice sounded.

The two entered together. Emperor Zhou's face was sorrowful as he began to complain:

"Mr. Chen, this White Jade Ancestor is unreasonable and brutal. I helped him before, yet he treated me like this, even wanting my life. Mr. Chen, you must uphold justice for me!"

"Useless thing, as my subordinate, you couldn't even win a fight!" Emperor Capital coldly snorted.

Emperor Zhou's body trembled, and he dared not speak again.

The White Jade Ancestor kept his head lowered, blood still flowing from it, not daring to utter a word.

"Kill them?" Chi Yu asked Chen Xia curiously.

The White Jade Ancestor's body shuddered, but he didn't dare to beg for mercy, fearing that Chi Saint might find him annoying and destroy the entire White Jade Sect.

Chen Xia sat in a rocking chair, his left hand supporting his head, and waved his right hand, saying calmly:

"Forget it, let them each go home. It's not easy living to such an old age. Pay attention to your conduct in the future."

The White Jade Ancestor immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his entire body nearly collapsing. Only then did he dare to raise his head and glance at Chen Xia.

This one look terrified him so much that he collapsed to the ground.

Chen Xia was actually the cultivator who had participated in the selection with Bai Lu that day, and later left alone.

His mind raced frantically, finally understanding why Emperor Zhou had been desperately trying to signal him that day. So that was it.

This person was the powerful figure backing Emperor Zhou!

Even Chi Saint could only stand by his side. What kind of terrifying existence was this?

They say Chi Saint is the god of the ancestral star. In that case, wouldn't this person be the god among gods of the ancestral star, the true controller hidden behind Chi Saint?

The White Jade Ancestor dared not think further. He retreated trembling, but before leaving, he took one more glance.

He realized that the four cultivators in the small cabin combined controlled nearly two-tenths of the entire Star Region!

The circle formed by these four individuals.

Was the supreme authority in the Star Region!