Jian Qingzhu had gathered clues from her father and the monkey king to know the location of Ancient Pheasant.

Along the way, disciples were smart enough to get out of their way. The power disparity was apparent at this point - only elders and ancestors could stop her.

However, none has shown up so far outside of Phoenix Ground. Strictly speaking, she was not a traitor and no judgment has been given yet. Thus, they wouldn’t even stop her from leaving Dragon.

Members of Phoenix Ground could do so because that would be an internal matter. However, anyone else in the sect would need permission from the ancestors.

“It’s right ahead.” Qingzhu entered a mountain pass then looked around and said with relative confidence.

A village appeared before them with sparse houses. She saw smoke and heard the sounds of livestock. It was the perfect image of a rural area.

This wasn’t uncommon in City of Demons. These villages were either inhabited by mortals or owned by disciples.

The moment they walked in, they saw someone seemingly sitting and waiting there for them.

Moreover, there was a crowd watching from a distance too, consisting of both Dragon’s members and those from other sects.

The person sat beneath a pear tree. He was young yet still brimming with authority. His eyes were sharp just like that of a ferocious tiger. No one wanted to be the target of his attention.

He gave the impression that he alone could defend a pass, not allowing anyone to get through.

“That’s the first brother of Tiger Pond.” One spectator quietly commented.

“Tyrant-eyed Celestial Tiger, we’ll see this genius in action today.” An outsider said.

“Yes, a competition of the leaders of the young generation.” A friend responded.

There were three primary leaders among the young generation of Dragon - Celestial Tiger, Jian Qingzhu, and Crystal Dragon Young Lord.

In reality, most believed that the young lord was one level beneath his peers in terms of talent and power.

He was considered a genius because of his influential father. Moreover, his father loved him and spent immense effort.  He personally taught his son on top of using natural resources to boost the boy’s cultivation. If it wasn’t for this, he wouldn’t be considered to be one of the three geniuses.

On the other hand, Jian Qingzhu and Celestial Tiger earned their current achievements. They didn’t use the same number of natural resources and pills as the young lord.

The main difference between the two was their conduct. Qingzhu kept a low profile while Celestial Tiger was famous for his love of fighting.

He served as the first brother of Dragon as well, not just Tiger Pond. This was approved by all three branches.

The successor of Dragon has yet to be determined. Thus, Celestial Tiger never hid his ambition before. He was virtually unbeatable in Dragon on top of entering Eastern Desolace and challenging many geniuses there.

Of course, Peacock Monarch supported his son as the next successor. Nonetheless, Celestial Tiger kept on proving himself as a worthy candidate.

Among the three, Jian Qingzhu had the lowest chance, especially when she was assigned as the saintess already. Now, the young lord was dead so the most likely winner became Celestial Tiger.

The crowd was awfully interested in this development.

“This battle might show us who’ll be the successor.” One outsider whispered. Though Peacock Monarch was brilliant, growing old was inevitable. He would have to give up his position eventually.

The majority believed in Celestial Tiger because Jian Qingzhu was teaming up with an outsider. If Celestial Tiger were to win, it would pave the way for his future ambition.

Jian Qingzhu slowly walked over and Celestial Tiger stood up.

“Long time no see, Senior Brother.” She stopped and greeted.

Celestial Tiger’s sharp eyes fell on Li Qiye, looking like a tiger descending from a mountain and searching for prey.

“Indeed, your changes are startling, Junior Sister.” He turned his sight toward her.

“I didn’t change.” She shook her head.

“You are a pillar of the sect, Junior Sister, yet you conspire with the enemy. Is it worth it?” He said with a serious tone and glared at Li Qiye again.

“You’ve listened to false rumors.” She calmly explained: “I am still a member of Dragon and certainly not conspiring with anyone. The sect hasn’t banished me.”

The crowd thought that this was true. The ancestors and the elders never mentioned anything about banishing her.

“That’s perfect if what you’re saying is true. You just need to hand over Sect Master Li Qiye and his sect members.” Celestial Tiger nodded.

“I’m afraid I can’t do so because they are my good friends. I will not hand them over.” She refused.

“Don’t you know the consequences?” His eyes turned cold: “The sect master has declared them as our enemies. Protecting the enemy is a serious offense.”

“This is another misunderstanding.” She elaborated: “The feud between Young Noble Li and the sect master is personal, not a sect matter. That would have to be decided by the ancestors. There is a clear distinction and there are no rules forbidding me from interacting with Little Diamond’s members.” 

Celestial Tiger couldn’t come up with a response. Sure, she wouldn’t be able to befriend anyone who was deemed an enemy of Dragon. However, this wasn’t official yet.

Any disciple might have enemies outside. This didn’t mean that their fellow sect members couldn’t interact with the latter.