There were six powerful auras outside his peak—five familiar, one annoyingly irritating.
Alex's eyes narrowed.
He sensed Evelyn kneeling on the ground, her spirit tense and frightened.
"Tch. Like vultures," Alex muttered.
They weren't here to greet him. That much was obvious.
Alex could almost swear on his life they wanted to confirm if he was truly weakened.
"It should have been the signs of my breakthrough that attracted them."
Alex raised his hand, flicking his sleeve as his robes shifted slightly with spiritual force.
The cave trembled faintly.
"Well, I suppose I've rested long enough," Alex said calmly as he made his way outside his cave.
He had no intention of hiding anymore.
Outside, the elders hovered silently, waiting.
Even the Sect Master's gaze was fixed on the entrance to the cave.
Then, without warning, a ripple of pressure spread through the air.
It was subtle—barely a breeze—but every Nascent cultivator among them suddenly grew alert.
And then, a figure emerged from the depths of the cave.
Clad in simple green robes, Alex looked calm.
His eyes were half-lidded, but the moment he stepped out, the air changed.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Evelyn looked up instinctively. Her heart leapt.
He's here!
The woman in red's amused smile froze slightly. Her eyes locked on the man, her body tensing.
The others did the same.
Alex looked around slowly, his gaze indifferent.
"You all came to visit me?" he said, voice calm, with a hint of mockery. "How touching."
The Second Elder, the Master of the blue peak snorted. "You've been avoiding everyone for days. What did you expect?"
"A little privacy," Alex replied flatly. "But I suppose that's too much to ask in this sect."
His gaze finally landed on Evelyn. She was still kneeling, her head low.
"Get up," he said. His tone was flat, but Evelyn obeyed like it was law.
"Yes, Master."
He turned back to the hovering group.
"I appreciate the concern, but as you can see... I'm still alive."
The Sect Master remained silent, his expression unreadable. The others exchanged glances.
"Still alive, yes," the woman in red said slowly. "But how well?"
Alex smiled faintly.
"You can test it, if you'd like," he said softly.
His words were quiet—but the pressure behind them made the wind howl.
Evelyn's eyes widened.
Her master… was terrifying.
And the others? For the first time since arriving, none of them looked quite as confident.
Well—perhaps with the exception of the Sect Master, who had yet to say a word.
But just as that thought crossed Evelyn's mind, the silence broke.
"Did the Sixth Elder have a breakthrough?" The Sect Master's voice rumbled like thunder across the mountain, calm yet commanding.
Alex gave a slight bow, one fist cupped in his other palm. On the surface, it was respectful. But his tone held a casual edge.
"The Sect Master is as perceptive as ever."
Compared to how he addressed the others, this was by far the most respectful tone Alex had used.
Not because of reverence—but because of strength.
There were four stages within the Nascent realm.
The First stage, Nascent Birth, was Alex's previous level.
The second stage, Nascent Growth, was his current realm—shared by the Red Peak Master and considered the entry-level among the sect's elders.
On paper, he had been the weakest among the Nascent Elders.
But only on paper.
Even while in the Nascent Birth stage, Alex's combat ability far exceeded expectations. He wasn't much weaker than those in the Growth stage.
Above that was the third stage, Nascent Perfection—the level of the Sect Master and the Grand Elder, also known as the First Elder.
And finally, there was the fourth stage—Nascent Completion.
The peak of the Nascent realm.
To Alex's knowledge, no one in the Demonic Dragon Sect had reached that level.
Only two sects in the region he was—one righteous, one demonic—were known to have cultivators at that stage.
"That's good," the Sect Master said, his voice calm but authoritative. "Then the rumors can stop. The Demonic Dragon Sect does not shelter cowards or dying dogs."
Alex's eyes narrowed for a brief moment, but his smile returned just as quickly.
"Of course," he replied. "It wouldn't do for one of your peak masters to be seen as half-dead."
His words were coated with politeness, but the bite behind them wasn't hard to miss.
The Sect Master didn't respond. He simply turned his gaze away, as if Alex's existence was no longer worth paying attention to and vanished from his spot.
But to Alex, that dismissal was more telling than a threat.
He's not sure how much I've grown, Alex thought. That's why he didn't press. That alone is enough.
The silence dragged on for a moment before the Red Peak Master floated forward with a languid smile.
"Still as sharp-tongued as ever," she said with a chuckle. "I wonder how much of it is bluff, and how much is real power."
Alex gave her a brief glance.
"Why don't you find out?" he asked simply.
For a second, the space around them rippled—two forces brushing against each other. But just as quickly, it vanished.
The woman in red frowned, but didn't speak again.
She wouldn't be the first to move. And certainly not when the pressure Alex just released wasn't weaker than hers.
Which meant one thing.
He was no longer the weakest among the Nascent cultivators.
Evelyn watched the exchange from behind Alex, her breath caught in her throat.
This was power.
The others seemed to come to the same conclusion.
No one said another word.
One by one, the powerful figures hovering in the sky began to turn away.
The Red Peak Master was the first to leave. Her crimson robes fluttered like fire as she spun lightly in the air, her expression unreadable.
The Master of the Blue Peak followed next, giving Alex a cold, sideways glance but saying nothing.
The Third, Fourth and fifth Elders disappeared shortly after, flickers of spiritual light vanishing into the clouds.
Only silence remained.
And then… they were gone.
The mountain was quiet again.
The wind blew softly, the trees rustling as if nothing had happened.
Evelyn's legs trembled slightly, but she stood tall behind her master.
Alex didn't look back. He stared at the empty sky for a long second before breathing out slowly.
"They'll be back," he thought . "Next time, they won't come to check on me. They'll come to test me."
He stepped forward, the stone beneath his feet cracking slightly with each calm step.
Evelyn followed, a few paces behind, unsure whether to speak.
But Alex glanced at her sideways. "You did well."
She blinked. "I… didn't do anything, Master."
"You didn't run," Alex said simply. "That's enough."
Her eyes widened faintly, but she nodded quickly.
"Yes, Master."
Alex walked to the edge of the cliff, his gaze sweeping over the vast sect below—the peaks, the courtyards, the disciples scurrying like ants in the distance.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
This was the cultivation world.
Harsh. Ruthless. Unforgiving.
And this was his new reality.
Alex Fang—Sixth Elder of the Demonic Dragon Sect.
A demonic cultivator.
"However…. Why do I find myself getting excited?"