After departing from the Heavenly White Tiger Clan, Yuan began his journey back to the Rising Phoenix Clan, despite still having several months left before the one-year promise.
However, along the way, he was forced to halt when he spotted two groups of cultivators clashing in the middle of nowhere.
Typically, Yuan wouldnât have paid such a scene any mind, as it had nothing to do with him. But this time, something caught his attention, as the attire of these cultivators looked familiar, compelling him to stay and observe.
"Hm? Those robes... Arenât they the Demon Sealing Clanâs robes?" Feng Yuxiang commented after seeing them.
"Yes, and the other one belongs to the Demon Sealing Grotto," Yuan confirmed.
The Demon Sealing Clan and the Demon Sealing Grotto members noticed Yuan shortly after he arrived, but immediately stopped paying attention to him once they realized that he wasnât reinforcement from the other side and continued their fight.
These members were mostly Bronze Immortals, with a few still in the Divine Realm.
"I have been getting really tired of you guys lately! Do you think youâre better than the Demon Sealing Clan because youâre slightly better at controlling Demon Sealing Aura?!"
"Hah! What Demon Sealing Clan? You guys are nothing but old news! Thereâs a reason why most of your original members have left and joined us at the Demon Sealing Grotto instead!"
"Right?! Youâre just a bunch of envious bastards! Thatâs why you schemed against us during the Supreme Demon Sealer qualifications!"
"What scheme?! Youâre just slandering us at this point!"
The battle intensified with each passing moment.
"Arenât you going to stop them?" Feng Yuxiang asked.
Yuan replied calmly, "They may be fighting, but I donât sense any real killing intent. Theyâll be fineâitâs more like watching a bunch of kids squabbling."
Suddenly, a powerful presence descended upon the place, instantly halting everyoneâs movement.
"What do you idiots think youâre doing?! Stop this immediately!" A familiar voice resounded the very next moment, and a beautiful woman appeared before them.
It was none other than Yan Hara.
"Senior Yan, theyâre the ones who started this fight!" said one of the Demon Sealing Clan members.
"Thatâs right! They attacked us on sight! We were only defending ourselves!"
Yan Hara turned to look at the Demon Sealing Grottos with a frown.
"Explain yourselves," she demanded.
"What is there to explain? Your Demon Sealing Clan started this."
"..."
Instead of being angry, Yan Hara merely said, "Since nobody was seriously injured, Iâll let you leave. Get lost before I change my mind."
"Hmph."
The Demon Sealing Grotto did not stay and quickly left the scene.
"Senior Yan! Why did you let them go that easily?! Theyâll think they can bully us and get away with it!"
"We need to fight back, or theyâll just keep doing it!"
Yan Hara looked at them and sighed. "Regardless of how you feel about each other, with the recent movements from the demon worshippers, weâll need to stand together. Fighting among ourselves wonât just weaken usâit will endanger the rest of the world."
"So are we just supposed to endure it?!"
Yan Hara narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "Do you really take me for a fool? What are you doing near the Demon Sealing Grottoâs headquarters? If you expect me to believe you came here unaware, Iâve got bad news for you."
The Demon Sealing Clanâs members instantly panicked, their composure unraveling under her piercing words. Though the Demon Sealing Grotto had attacked first, they had clearly provoked the conflict by deliberately trespassing into their territory.
In other words, they were asking for trouble.
"B-Butâ"
"Enough with your excuses. Get out of here before I get angry for real," Yan Hara interrupted, raising her voice.
The Demon Sealing Clan members didnât dare to linger any longer and swiftly fled the scene.
Once the others had left, Yan Hara finally turned her attention to the presence observing from afar.
At first, she didnât recognize Yuan, as his aura had changed so drastically. But the moment she saw his familiar, handsome face, her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
"Y-Yuan?! What are you doing here?!" Yan Hara exclaimed as he approached her.
Yuan greeted her with a calm smile, "I could say the same to you. What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere? Iâm on my way to the Rising Phoenix Clan."
"The Rising Phoenix Clan...? Well, I am on my way to visit the Demon Sealing Grotto for a meeting. Since Qian Chu is still away, I have to take his place."
Yuan raised his eyebrows and asked, "Donât they have the Grand Elders to take his spot?"
"Yes, but my position within the clan has reached the point where even the Grand Elders are wary of me. In fact, theyâre the ones who told me to go in Qian Chuâs place. Theyâre probably hoping that Iâd screw up or something."
Yuan pondered for a moment before responding, "Do you think I can go with you?"
"Eh? I donât mind, but donât you have business with the Rising Phoenix Clan?"
He nodded and explained, "Yes, but I still have about half a year to spare."
"If you say so."
Thus, Yuan made a detour to visit the Demon Sealing Grotto with Yan Hara.
"When did you arrive at the Eighth Heaven?" Yan Hara asked.
"Very recently."
"Then what have you been up to?"
"I was just at the Heavenly White Tiger Clan."
"You have ties to both the Rising Phoenix Clan and the Heavenly White Tiger Clan? Those are incredibly exclusive placesâneither of which usually welcome humans."
Yuan smiled and said, "Iâll tell you about it someday."
A few days later, they arrived at the Demon Sealing Grottoâs headquartersâa hidden stronghold that existed within its own separate dimension. The portal leading to it was tucked away in a remote city deep within the wilderness.
"Iâm Yan Hara of the Demon Sealing Clan, here on behalf of Qian Chu, whoâs currently unavailable," she said, presenting her medallion to the guards as proof of her identity.
"We have been expecting you, Master Demon Sealer Yan Hara, but who is that next to you?"
The guard pointed at Yuan with his gaze.