Chapter 4: The Seven Heroes
It was a busy day for the Celestial Dragon Sect as distinguished guests arrived one after another. They had enough room for everyone. However, the tension was incredibly high when old, powerful friends reunited. Right off the bat, Bai Dajin, the sect leader of the White Tiger sect, demanded a spar from Zhang Yi, the patriarch of Azure Dragon.
Unable to stop them but needing to contain the damage when two experts of the Transcendent Core realm clashed, Zhao Mingfeng quickly led them to the training grounds in the back mountain where they could clash without worries.
Unlike the hot-headed warriors, the old sect leader of the Black Tortoise clan stepped forward to greet his old friend with a gift.
"Old Zhao," Chen Zhong greeted with clasped hands and a bow. "It's been a while."
The elderly man with a hunched back and a walking staff was the current sect leader of the Black Tortoise sect. When he fought the demonic sect, he was already in his late forties. Due to difficulty managing his clan and family, it took Chen Zhong many years to settle internal affairs and raise his son. By the time things smoothed over, he was already too old to make further progress in his cultivation, unlike Zhao Mingfeng, who had a very supportive wife and incredible children.
Returning the respectful greeting, Mingfeng smiled at the man who had been his mentor when he was younger. Chen Zhong was a very loyal cultivator who helped him many times when he was still struggling with his responsibilities as the leader of the Rainbow Alliance. Although the hunchback man did not have a very powerful cultivation base, he was a wise leader and excellent teacher with incredible patience. Even the more hot-headed members of this alliance respected him as an elder and mentor. Outside the alliance, Chen Zhong was a well-known philanthropist who founded many clinics and schools in remote villages that even the government had given up on.
"I brought a small gift today from Xuanwu Mountain," Chen Zhong gestured for his son, Chen Tao, to present the casket of rare wine. "This is brewed spirit wine from the Ice Flowers of Mount Xuanwu and purified in the glacier spring. It is excellent for increasing the yin qi foundation. I heard you're having difficulty breaking through to the Supreme Core foundation, and I thought this might help."
Stunned by his mentor's generosity, Mingfeng received the gift with both hands and bowed at his waist level. The Ice Flower Spirit Wine took a lot of skill and resources to create. Less than five bottles were created every ten years. Chen Zhong must have brewed these himself.
"Teacher, you're too generous. Please, come inside first. It's chilly outside. The autumn wind gets colder on the Celestial Dragon Mountain every year."