Apotheosis

Emanuel enjoyed a very high position in Cloud Hall.

He too was an elder like Fernandez, but the latter was an old man with little potential for any further progress and belonged to the inferior group.

On the other hand, Emanuel was in the prime of his life and was in a peak condition for martial refinement. Due to his formidable strength, he was one of the most powerful elders in Cloud Hall.

The message rune that had reached Emanuel's ears for several seconds only comprised of a few words. There were only a handful of people who could persuade Emanuel into leaving with such a short sentence.

But who could it be?

Zen had entered the Cloud Road for the first time. He had never been to the Central Region before, and had never gotten the chance to know any top leaders of Cloud Hall. Given that, who could be the person who decided to step in and help him?

Several sect leaders were puzzled pondering over that question.

Kenneth focused his eyes at Zen with a convulsed expression on his face. Suddenly, the young disciple of his own sect started to seem strange to him.

He believed he knew Zen well and prided himself for being one of the only people who knew his secrets. But it was finally becoming clear to him that there was a lot he didn't know.

Zen was a nature creature, but that didn't help reduce Kenneth's shock at what he had done in front of Emanuel.

Even though Zen wasn't threatened by Emanuel anymore, Kenneth's head was still full of worries. "You were acting impetuously, Zen," he said.

Following Kenneth's words, Fernandez nodded and said, "I agree. I don't know who are you relying on but I don't think it's a wise choice for you to act out against Emanuel. He left you unharmed today, but don't forget you have to face him many times in Cloud Hall. If he decides to go against you, you will be in great danger."

Fernandez had almost figured out who had helped Zen, as there weren't many possible answers. As far as he knew, the only people who could ask Emanuel to leave were the current and former Cloud Hall leaders. The former leader hadn't showed up in public occasions for over a hundred years.

It wasn't a big stretch to assume that the current Cloud Hall leader was the only possible person who could have asked Emanuel to leave. But that wasn't it. The next question that pestered Fernandez was if Zen even knew the Cloud Hall leader to that extent? How did they know each other? Where did they meet?

As per what Fernandez had heard, the Cloud Hall leader had been in a closed-door cultivation for two years. If that was indeed true, it was impossible for them to meet each other.

"Elder Fernandez, Mr. Shi," Zen bowed to Fernandez and Kenneth with cupped hands, "Thanks for your concern. I know I've overdone it, but I had no other choice. After all, my experiences in the Cloud Road matter a lot. My sanctity will never allow me to tell them to anyone else, even to Master Zhuo! What's more, even if I did as he asked me to, do you think he'd have let me go easily?"

Zen's words had a tone of authority and reason. Both Fernandez and Kenneth fell silent after he finished. They knew this young disciple was right.

Emanuel's

disguise.

"There she is, the third one to the left of the disciples!"

The cyan dragon's voice came from within Zen's head as he squinted his eyes to make out Tia's form in the distance.

He followed the dragon's words, and as he stared at her ordinary face, he found her looking back at him at the same time.

She pretended to just be glancing at him when she caught him staring at her. She was trying to figure if he could see through her disguise.

To her surprise, Zen's eyes were dead stuck on her, like he saw her clearly. Had he recognized her? That was impossible! She was confident about her disguise. Zen wasn't even a cultivator of the Internal Elixir Realm. He couldn't be able to see through her!

What she didn't know was the disguise did not function before the cyan dragon. The mighty creature could locate her very soul.

Tia put up a nonchalant face even though she was a bit uncomfortable with Zen's eyes fixed on her. Soon, though, the pretense had to be given up. Why was that? Because she noticed a faint smile appearing across Zen's face, as if he was saying, "Be done with the tricks! I already know who you are!"

'He's a damn pain! He really did find me out!' she thought to herself. She pouted, glaring at him angrily. She pursed her lips together and sent him a message with her life vitality, "Stop staring at me, or I'll gouge your eyes out."

Zen laughed with no fear at her words. He knew Tia was in a higher position than Emanuel. She was the one who had driven him away with just a sentence.

He had no worries because even though Fernandez had found out Tia's real identity, he would never dare to expose the truth.

"Hey, what did you say to Master Zhuo with that message rune a while ago?" Zen asked, returning a message with his life vitality.

Tia smiled slyly and replied, "I told him it was none of his business and asked him to get out of here immediately," Zen was rendered speechless! Although he knew she was in a very high position, he hadn't expected her to have been so rude to Emanuel. Now Zen knew why had Emanuel's face been so low when he left silently.