Thunder Clouds Sect - The Meeting Room

"Has there been any news regarding the Heavenly Thunder Sect? Zou Xiaosi and those two elders should have arrived by now," Xue Fuyi asked the gathered Elders.

"Indeed, they have arrived back in their Sect after they made a stop in a local healer to stabilize Zou Xiaosi"

"Is the healer special in any way"

"By our stands? No"

Xue Fuyi nodded at the information. The Elders had been angry that he hadn't said to them that their Sect was going to receive someone of royal blood, but he had calmed them down after only a single hour of conversation. Which, considering how stubborn they all are, was actually surprising.

An Elder belonging to the Spiritual Thunderstorm lifted his hand. "Ah yes, I almost forgot. A few minutes before I came to this meeting I saw the Prince, Elder Zeng, and a few Silver Tiger soldiers with them, entering the Thunderstorm"

Another Elder spoke. "What of it? Everyone knows that the Ninth Prince has Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Veins, so entering and cultivating inside the Thunderstorm would only benefit him" What the Elder spoke was true, in fact after the 'conversation' they had with the Sect Master, they instally knew that the Ninth Prince came here because of the Thunderstorm, after all its Lighting Bolts were beneficial to those that had the power of Thunder and Lighting as part of their Spiritual Veins.

"Yes, I am also aware of that, but what confused me is that your daughter, my Sect Master, was with them"

Xue Fuyi became confused at hearing those words, and he wasn't the only one. The room became abuzz with words between the Elders of the Sect after hearing those interesting news.

"I would say that she seduced him, but both are too young for that to happen"

"Perhaps it is a childish infatuation?"

"Xue Lihua is beautiful for her age, but it takes more than that to appear in the gaze of a prince, even one as young as His Majesty, besides both Elder Zeng and the Silver Tigers would never allow it"

"But then why would he take Xue Lihua with him to the Thunderstorm?"

"SILENCE!" Xue Fuyi shouted, once more using his new cultivation base to increase the pressure that his voice gave. It instantly silenced the all the Elders. For even the strongest of them was only in the 6th step of the Demi-Immortal realm, and had yet to reach the peak, though given their absurd lifespan, it didn't worry them very much.

"I will go there and assent the situation. You can come with me if you want to, but do not antagonize the Prince and Elder Zeng, as well as the Silver Tigers," Xue Fuyi said as he got up from his position and to the door that led out of the meeting room. Seeing him go, the Elders followed him. As they were very curious about the sudden turn of events and wanted to watch.

Thunder Clouds Sect - Entrance of The Spiritual Thunderstorm

Xue Lihua was feeling uncharacteristically happy. In fact, she was the most happy in her entire life! For not only she had a second chance at her cultivation road, but she also met the Ninth Prince, Feng Cai.

Thanks to the way she was treated, she was very good at reading people, and when she looked at him every time he stand a hand at her to help, and different from all those false smiles, his were genuine. When he told her she would leave the Thunder Clouds Sect and go to the Imperial Academy, she was elated. Of course, she knew that life on the academy wouldn't be easy, but the idea that she never would return to this hateful Sect was simply to temptable to reject.

Of course, she would need to be discreet about the grade of her Spiritual Vein, but that would be easy.

Unfortunately, any good mood she had instantly soured after seeing her Eldest Brother who was speaking with her dear Father. Truthfully, she didn't hate them enough to kill them, but she would shed no tears if both of them died. If they had at least attempted to show care when she was young and not make her feel she was an outcast because of something she didn't even have control over.

But she did like the look of shock they gave her when they noticed her and the Ninth Prince's entourage.

"Spiritual Altar!? That is impossible!" Her Father shouted, which prompted others to check on her cultivation base as well, which ended with them showing shocked expressions as well.

"Wasn't Xue Lihua in the second step of the Qi Gathering Realm? And wasn't it impossible for her to advance to beyond it?"

"Yes, and yes, which makes this situation quite peculiar"

"Peculiar?! In the past, she couldn't even cultivate properly, now she has entered the Spiritual Altar Stage like it was nothing! You say that it is peculiar, but I have a word for that: Impossible!"

"Well, clearly it isn't impossible. There is a saying that diamonds hide in the dirt. I think it applies to this situation"

Xue Lihua felt sick looking at all the smiling faces that were directed at her. Once they either scowled, ridiculed, or straight up ignored her, but now they all sing praises to her name. It disgusted and disappointed her that humans could change so easily, almost like they are wearing masks with no one knowing how they truly feel towards others and themselves.

"Elder Zeng, My Prince, may I ask you both what exactly happened inside the Thunderstorm?" Xue Fuyi was the first to speak, and he couldn't hide the clear greed present in his voice. After all, if he discovered how an utterly worthless cultivator like Xue Lihua went from the second step of the Qi Gathering realm to the Spiritual Altar Stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, then the possibilities would be endless when he applied the method to himself and other stronger and more talented cultivators like Xue Tengfei.

"You may not" Elder Zeng's words came fast as they were brutal, which cause Xue Fuyi to frown before he quickly scowled his expression, hoping that Elder Zeng didn't notice which was a really dumb though. "After all, she is no longer your disciple anymore"

Xue Fuyi blinked. "What?"

"She is going to the Imperial Academy to become one of its disciples"

It was then that Xue Fuyi realized the circumstances. Whatever method they had used to make Xue Lihua stronger was only for a single use, and apparently it was potent enough to catch the eyes of an Imperial Elder, which was easy as it sounded. Looking Xue Lihua, he could the little smirk in her face, it was clear she was going with them of her own free will, and worse if her expression was right she had no though on helping the Thunder Clouds Sect with the resources and authority that would come with her new position.

It was at this moment that Xue Fuyi felt his intestines turn green with regret. It would helped if he had been more of father and less of a distant figure to his daughter than maybe then she would have helped them with any future calamities, unfortunate that it was simply impossible for that happen now.

"I see, when you are leaving?"

"Right now, it shouldn't take long to organize everything"

"I see..."

Elder Zeng words were like a death knell, and he could nothing but said empty words as he felt a great opportunity slip between his fingers. As they left Xue Fuyi started thinking of the past or rather he started thinking of his deceased wife.

'Oh Shen Meixiu, my beautiful flower, why did you have to leave us?' Xue Fuyi shocked the anguished thoughts and feelings away, right now he had focus on the present and not the past. And with that in mind he went on his way.