The tablet glowed with a bright yellow light. A small orb of golden light flew out of the tablet and slowly took the form of a dignified old man. He wore a white robe under a black outer robe embroidered with crimson clouds. He ignored the gasps and glanced at the group of people around him. They lowered their gaze as a pair of piercing eyes landed on them one at a time. Old man Fei long felt a pair of eyes on him and finally opened his eyes. 

Eeh! Sovereign!

Ah! i see you know what i am, but you're still wrong.

Fei long heard the cold voice in his head. His body tensed up. He was ready to flee at any moment. The old man gave him a chilling smile and moved to the next person. 

'Master.'

'Are these the people bullying you?'

'Master, no one is bullying me.'

'Then who is this person who wants to take the gift I gave you? Don't be afraid. Rong fei, don't you trust your master?'

Qi rong fei slowly raised his hand to point at  delegate wu.

'This is delegate wu, from the Fire dragon sect, a two star sect.' He explained briefly.

'Fire dragon sect? I've never heard of them.'

Wu dong shi was breathing heavily. He wiped the streams of sweat running down his temples and approached the elder in a respectful manner. The man had given him one look and he knew he had bitten off more than he could chew.

'Wu dong shi greets senior-'

'When did i have a junior like you?'

'Master!'

'Rong fei, let me deal with this for you. You there, is your sect also in jingtian province? who is the head of your sect? I'll call in a few favours and get people to go and tear it down.'

'Master!'

'What? A puny two star sect is throwing their weight around. It is only right that I also show them what happens when they annoy me.'

'Se- senior- senior. I didn't mean any harm. Ask elder Qi. I explained that I am only trying to protect him. A small sect such as the Thousand bamboo immortal sect cannot protect such a treasure. It is bound to bring trouble in the future.'

'Ohh! is that so?'

'Yes, yes. I don't have any bad intentions.'

'Bad intentions aside, what gives you the right to decide that my student-'

'Senior, i really didn't- i mean...'

'I don't believe you. The fact that Rong fei contacted me is answer enough. He was powerless and probably afraid for his life. As his master, i must punish… whoever the culprit is.'

Wu dong shi understood that the old man was looking to protect his student by making a statement. Seeing a way to preserve his life, he pointed at Lei xiao yu.

'It's him. He's the culprit you are looking for. Lei xiao yu. He is the one behind it all. He told me to use my influence and take the fan away. He knows that I am only a poor elder from a big sect so he used my ambition against me. I am also a victim of a grand scheme.'

'Lei xiao yu. Lei xiao yu? I've heard this name before. Where did i hear it?'

'He is the son of a snake and a rat i told you about.'

'Oh! I remember now. You said you wanted to solve your problems with his sect on your own. I know how proud you are. That's why I let you leave on your own. It looks like you haven't succeeded yet.'

'It is taking more time than I thought, master.'

The old man sighed staring at the now frozen Lei xiao yu. A brief flash of madness appeared in the figure's eyes. He gave sect leader Lei a toothful smile as he adressed Qi rong fei. 

'Rong fei, you are my beloved student. I've always been sad that i couldn't be of much help to you. Allow your master to help you this time.'

He didn't wait for Qi rong fei's answer before he disappeared and appeared in front of lei xiao yu. The attack came fast. Too fast for Lei xiao yu to avoid the descending hand. Too fast for elder ke or elder xuan han to even think of moving. An incorporeal hand stabbed through Lei xiao yu's abdomen and closed around his dantian. 

Crack!

Lei xiao yu spat a mouthful of blood mixed with escaping spirit energy. 

'Sect leader!' Elders of the Purple wind sect rushed to his side as he slid off his seat onto the floor.

'Just like that, the Purple wind sect is done.' Breathed sect leader Chen from a corner.

Wu dong shi breathed a sigh of relief. Lei xiao yu was drowning in his blood, but he didn't seem in any danger of losing his life. He was just glad that it wasn't him on the ground. A shadow fell over him. The old man stood over him watching him as if debating what to do with him. He finally put him out of his misery.

'Don't worry. You don't interest me. But if your Fire dragon sect thinks they can target my student, I wouldn't mind destroying every single life inside your sect. I haven't had the chance to go wild in centuries... I almost wish you would dare me.'

He forgot Wu dong shi in the next moment and walked to the shocked Qi rong fei's side. 

'Rong fei. I've dealt with your issue. You should be able to handle the rest on your own. Contact me if another one of these jokers bullies you again.'

The old man's form retracted into the orb and flew back into the jade tablet. The pressure weighing on the room disappeared and the people inside began to breathe easier. 

The head of the medicine hall, who was present shook his head after examining the unconscious Lei xiao yu. He was carried away but everyone knew his fate. His dantian was crushed and his cultivation lost. He, much like the Purple wind sect was done for.

The elders of the Purple wind sect met the other three sect leaders and left in the morning looking dejected. The events of the previous day had aged them. The Purple wind sect in the absence of the driving force that was Lei xiao yu lost it's vigour. They gave up their qualifying spots to the three sects who gained three more seats. 

The day ended with the Cloud peak mountain sect was still in first position. The Thousand bamboo immortal sect had overtaken the Golden aurora school and was now in second place. 

Over the course of the coming months, the Purple wind sect, would gradually close its door, distributing most of its students among the other sects. Most of the students chose the Cloud peak mountain or the Golden aurora school. There was too much bad blood between them and the Thousand bamboo immortal sect. The few of their numbers that entered the thousand bamboo immortal sect were called fools by their colleagues.

'Just a one person changed the fate of a sect. Imagine how many changes will occur once they are ready to take their place as the number one sect in the province.' 

Fei long mused aloud to chen miao yen.

'It has put an obstacle to our plans. I think for now, we should hang back and live in peace until we are ready.'

'Let's do as you say.'

Chen miao yen left the compound and stuck to the shadows as she made her way back to her compound. 

A figure emerged from the darkness behind Fei long. He raised an eyebrow at the intrusion.

'Father, do you still plan to go ahead with it?'

'Of course. We have waited for countless years in this god forsaken place, biding our time. It's too late to go back. We must advance forward.'

'The Thousand bamboo immortal sect won't be an easy adversary, especially now.'

'Fei lan, my son, I care not who we swallow as long as we swallow. Chen miao yen believes us to be allies, but to me she has always been a prey. When the time comes, we will surely swallow, but as to whom it will be, that is not yet decided' 

His cackling ended in a cough.

The tournament continued despite the astonishing news of the Purple wind sect withdrawing from the competition. Lu dou won his second match as did Wen shan shan and Huang rong. In the senior group, Zi yu led the charge and was followed by Wen shan li, Wen shan mei, Ah li and Bai zhang

Wen shan mei was finally eliminated by the number one student from the Golden aurora school in the third round. Of the thirty remaining students half had been eliminated. The remaining fifteen each earned a seat to the national tournament. After a hard fought battle Zi yu managed to win her match. She collapsed in a bloody mess  and was taken away to the medicine hall. The most surprising performance came from Wen shan shan, Huang rong and Lu dou. They placed thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth respectively. The final results put the Thousand bamboo immortal sect in first position. They took eight spots on the list. The Golden aurora was solidly in third place with only two spots. 

The trials of the last week were worth it, because they had succeeded in showing that the Thousand bamboo immortal sect had not yet breathed its last. The second elder's order to the students to return to the sect before they began celebration was met with resounding applause. He produced the contested fan and loaded the tournament representatives for the return trip. 

In the hubbub surrounding the conclusion of the tournament. A decrepit old man dressed in peasant robes with a rucksack stumbled out of the Purple wind sect. Nobody recognised him. It stood to reason. In his prime, he was known as Lei xiao yu, sect leader of the Purple wind sect. Ever since he'd had his dantian crushed and lost his cultivation, he had basically been forgotten. Nobody needed a useless person like him when they were desperate to save their own lives. 

'Qi rong fei. This is all your fault. All your fault…'

He cursed under his breath as he put as much distance between himself and his past.