Seated in his courtyard, Jun Wu listened to the report of the past few weeks while he had been gone, and he could not help but be stunned.

"Has the Gong clan gone insane?" he muttered to himself.

The Gong clan had lost all common sense, attacking the Mystic City and the various clans that supported the academy.

They were not only targeting the Mystic Path Academy; they were also targeting the Frostwind Academy.

Going against the two academies meant they had cut off any chance of reconciling in the near future.

Although he did not understand where the Gong clan found the confidence to wage war with the academies, his instinct told him they were not acting alone.

He raised his head and looked at Mao Yun and Zhang Wei. Both had performed well in his absence.

"You did well," he began, his voice low but filled with seriousness. "However, the situation is getting out of hand, and we need to be prepared."

Mao Yun and Zhang Wei nodded. They could all feel the rising tension in the city. Many clans had betrayed the academy and were serving as spies for the Gong clan.

No one knew what promises the Gong clan had made to them for betraying the academies.

In such turbulent times, they needed to be prepared for anything.

"How many Runic Sniper Rifles has Elder Peng made?"

"Ten so far," Mao Yun replied.

"Very well. That should be enough for now." He nodded and rose to his feet. "Follow me."

The two looked at each other and saw the seriousness on Jun Wu's face.

Although they did not know where their young master had gone, they felt that since his return, his countenance had changed.

Inside Jun Wu's study, he stood with both hands behind his back. "I will ask you a question, and I need to hear the truth."

"Young Master, we would never deceive you," Mao Yun said with a grave expression. "Young Master, please ask. We will tell you everything we know."

Zhang Wei also nodded in agreement.

"Very well." He nodded. "Where is your loyalty? Don't rush to respond. Think carefully."

He stared at them, watching their expressions carefully. He could have allowed them to use the mural inside the cultivation chamber to become Master Realm.

But he decided to be cautious; he never knew who their allegiance belonged to. They might be serving him right now, but if his father or the clan ancestor summoned them and they betrayed him, it would be too late to regret.

Mao Yun and Zhang Wei understood this as well. They knew this was a decisive moment. They had been serving him because of his father.

Right now they needed to choose. Either they served because of his father, or they served him wholeheartedly, becoming their true master.

For a moment, the study was quiet. The two retainers thought for a moment before they fell to their knees at the same time.

"Young Master, we might have served you because of your father, but we've long decided to follow you forever," Mao Yun said seriously.

"Yes, Young Master," Zhang Wei added. "We've long made you our master. We would follow you to the end of the world. We would never betray you."

Jun Wu did not respond to their claim immediately. He could see they were telling the truth from the depths of their minds.

"Alright, rise to your feet," he nodded.

"Thank you, Young Master, for accepting us," Mao Yun said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Although they had not been treated badly under his father, they had never been so important in their lives. They were not merely some warriors trained under him.

With Jun Wu, they felt a sense of belonging. Additionally, with the talent he had displayed so far, they knew that following such a master meant their future would be bright.

"I know Mao Yun has sensed that I'm a lot different from before. That's because I've become a Master Realm cultivator," Jun Wu announced.

What!

Zhang Wei widened his eyes in disbelief. He did not feel anything.

Master Realm!

He could not believe his ears.

Beside him, Mao Yun was stunned for a moment. Although he felt Jun Wu was different, he never expected such a massive change.

"Y-Young Master, congratulations," he said, recovering from his shock.

"Ah! Yes, Young Master, congratulations," Zhang Wei added quickly.

Jun Wu waved his hand casually. "I didn't call you here for congratulations. Your current strength is insufficient in this current storm."

"Both of you need to become Masters as soon as possible."

Listening to him, Mao Yun and Zhang Wei's hearts raced. They were no fools.

Since Jun Wu could become a Master Realm cultivator without the help of the clan, he must know the means by which they could become one.

Quickly, he led them inside his cultivation chamber and activated all the arrays inside.

"Both of you stand in front of the mural and open your minds. That's a visualization technique that would help you become masters," he explained slowly.

"Yes, Young Master," they answered in unison.

Their hearts pounded heavily with anticipation.

"Also, take the spirit stones. If you feel the spiritual energy is not enough, use them."

With that, he left the cultivation chamber.

Outside, Xinyue was already pacing back and forth. She heard Jun Wu and rushed to visit him. She had been so worried since his departure. With the Soaring Cloud Region in chaos, she could only pray Jun Wu would be safe and return to her.

The rising tension in the city made Zhang Wei stop her from going to the pavilion. Thus, she could only stay at home and cultivate.

She cultivated with all her strength and broke through to the Peak Stage of the Third-Rated Martial Artist. She was a short step away from becoming a Second-Rated Martial Artist.

When she heard the door open, she came out of her thoughts. She raised her head and saw Jun Wu.

Without thinking, she leaped toward him, throwing herself into his arms.

Hmm!

Jun Wu wrapped his arms around her waist. His nose was filled with her nice-smelling perfume.

Xinyue wrapped her hands tightly around his neck as if she wanted to enter his body. All her shyness and nervousness vanished in the current moment.

Right now, all she wanted was to be in his embrace. Jun Wu could feel her overflowing emotion, care, and something more.

He gently raised her head and stared directly into her eyes. Slowly, he brought his mouth closer to her cherry lips.

Thumb! Thumb!

Her heart pounded heavily, like a war drum, as Jun Wu's lips drew closer to hers. Although nervous, she was filled with anticipation.

Slowly, she felt his soft lips caress hers. She opened her lips, welcoming him with all her heart.

The kiss was clumsy at first, but following Jun Wu's lead, it deepened. Her hands dug into his hair, pulling him closer.

Hmm! Hmm!

A soft moan escaped from her mouth as she felt Jun Wu's hands moving around her body. His hand found her sculpted figure and squeezed it gently.

Hmm!

An electric spark shot through her body; she felt a sensation she had never felt before. Her hidden garden twitched like never before.

"What is this feeling?" she cried in her mind.

When she thought the feeling would continue, Jun Wu separated from her. Feeling confused, she looked up at him.

"Hahaha. Don't tell me you want me to continue." Jun Wu could not help but tease her.

Her face reddened, and she lowered her head in shyness. "What do you mean? How can I want that? It is you who is taking advantage of me."

She whispered, her voice barely audible. Even she did not believe what she had just said.

"Hahaha," Jun Wu laughed lightly and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I know how you feel, but we can't rush it. Do you understand?"

She nodded, and a sweet feeling bloomed in her heart. She knew they had cemented their relationship.

Holding her hand, he led her to the wooden bench inside the courtyard to enjoy the cool breeze.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough," Jun Wu said seriously.

"Thank you…" she replied happily.

Praise from her man felt different from praise from others. She couldn't help but want to be praised again.

"However, you need to push for a breakthrough and become a Second-Rated Martial Artist," he said seriously, and handed her five spirit stones.

"Take these; they should help you with the breakthrough."

"Thank you, I won't disappoint you." She replied with determination in her voice.

"I know." He ruffled her hair. "Go back to your cultivation. I need to speak with Elder Peng."

She nodded and departed. Thinking of what happened earlier, she couldn't help but blush.

As for Jun Wu, he walked to the forge.

"Young Master, welcome back," Elder Peng said, coming out of the forge.

"You've worked hard," Jun Wu smiled.

"But we need to do more. There is a lot of work before us"

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