A NEW ADDITION AND A WARM WELCOME.

The vice clan leader, Tien Jr, moved with ethereal grace, resembling a floating presence as he descended the mountain effortlessly. Shuu, following suit, descended without the cauldron holding him back or slowing him down this time, seemingly gliding down with a fluid motion.

"Ho, I thought you merely grasped the basics of the cauldron run in theory, but I never knew you could wield it to such an extent. I witnessed your use of the technique against Bob, though I initially considered it a spur-of-the-moment occurrence. Congratulations, you have indeed surpassed expectations," declared the vice clan leader as they reached the mountain's base.

Tien Jr executed a high jump, creating the illusion of flight, though Shuu discerned it as a skillful balance and glide. Intrigued by the technique's swiftness compared to running, Shuu quickened his pace to match the vice clan leader. Blades of grass blurred past Shuu's vision as he endeavored to keep pace, pushing his limits in the process.

"Hmm, let's see how long you last," contemplated Tien Jr, opting for a more extended route to the inner disciple mountain unbeknownst to Shuu. The moon cast Tien Jr's silhouette as a moving shadow in front of Shuu, who actively tried to keep up with the mesmerizing figure.

The duo encountered a substantial rock formation, resembling a perimeter fence. Rising seven metres (which is approximately twenty-three feet) in height, the vice clan leader effortlessly scaled it mid-air while gliding still. Shuu, relying on his understanding of shifts in air currents, leaped over it with ease, landing gracefully at a spot that he deemed safe. He displayed an elegant descent, defying the notion that he had fallen from a height of over seven metres.

Anticipating the jump, Shuu detected the presence of a small group of ghouls ahead. His descent and graceful landing prompted hushed gasps from the small group of senior disciples awaiting him.

.

.

Surveying the surroundings, Shuu beheld a small waterfall flowing into a stream, faintly illuminated by the moonlight. Flourishing plants and flowers adorned the area, thriving due to the abundant water enriching the soil, creating a picturesque oasis.

The senior disciples assumed guarded stances, sensing the blood of a familiar fellow senior disciple on the intruder before them. Six senior disciples, two male and four female, composed the group.

"Ah, yes. Allow me to introduce our latest addition to the inner disciples of the Wind Emperor clan. I present to you, Shuu!" announced Tien Jr, gracefully landing behind the puzzled disciples. The senior disciples promptly bowed to their master, showing their backs to Shuu.

"What? This guy? But the exams are in three days' time," protested a female disciple with long, straight black hair, donned in dark yellow fitting robes, emanating an air of respect and contempt.

"Ho, can't you smell the blood of Bob on him, Senior Jen?" calmly inquired Tien Jr, hoping his whimsical response would provoke Senior Jen into testing Shuu's capabilities.

"But, master, she is right. Senior Bob barely meets our standards. Senior Bob and a few others among the senior disciples might be stronger than the rest of the trash within the inner disciples, but that doesn't change the fact that we need to reduce, if not stop, the influx of inferior disciples who manage to ascend to become inner disciples. Just because their futures are assured in the clan makes them rest on their laurels," commented a male senior disciple, supporting Senior Jen's earlier statement. This disciple, with short black hair and a lean muscular body, also wore dark yellow robes.

"Hmm, I suppose one of you would like to test the boy, then?" posed Tien Jr, hoping to escalate the tension among his senior disciples.

"Since the master has recognized his worth in becoming a senior disciple and, by extension, an inner disciple of the clan, I cannot go against it. If he indeed dispatched Senior Bob, then that makes him worthy of being a recyclable item amidst the trash we have here," the same male disciple who commented earlier made another remark, as politely as he could.

"Haha, I was hoping for one of you to test him, but it seems that you all are a bunch of scared cats! Haha!" Tien Jr laughed amid his disciples. The six senior disciples felt anger but restrained themselves from charging, recognizing that Shuu might be a seeker of the truth of the Wind Emperor arts, unlike those who sought permanent membership through mere passage rites.

"Tch, boring," remarked Tien Jr as he walked towards the male disciple who commented earlier.

"Senior Jack, this is Senior Shuu. Assign him to his quarters and provide him with his inner disciple robe," Tien Jr directed. However, Shuu interrupted, closing the distance between himself and Senior Jack.

"It seems you have an issue with me staying here. Say, Bob was weak, and I feel the senior disciples are more hype than an actual testament to the strength of the disciples in the clan. Why don't you show me what it means to be a senior disciple in this clan?" challenged Shuu, inching closer to Jack, clearly towering over him and casting a menacing smile.

Senior Jack, initially surprised at the confidence of the new disciple, scrutinized Shuu from head to toe, realizing why Bob stood no chance against him.

'What the hell? Where did this person come from? He is exactly at our level! If I were to rank him by the way the ghoul investigators rank ghouls… he is probably at the entry-level of an SS-ranked ghoul if not an experienced SS-ranked ghoul, and at this age? The rest of the trash senior disciples are either quasi-S-rank or S+ rated ghouls,' ruminated Senior Jack, viewing Shuu in a new light. The surprise and silence in his expression didn't go unnoticed by all present.

Releasing a sigh, thorn-like tendrils shot from senior Jack towards Shuu who was at point-blank range. Shuu's senses had warned him a millisecond earlier about the imminent threat but Shuu decided to move at the last moment, deploying his understanding in Wind Emperor movements just from his cauldron runs.

The senior disciples were shocked that Shuu could already deploy techniques that weren't taught to him easily but Tien Jr saw this differently. He marveled at how Shuu developed his own style for an evasive movement.

The group watching would be shocked at Shuu's movement since they predicted his landing position to be far away from Senior Jack but instead, he spun his body to deliver a kick to Senior Jack's head.

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Authors note:

Bad news first, as I said before no Patreon member means that I can't afford my editor for now anyway.

Good news, the new fanfic I want to release soon is up for review at your leisure, chapter one and two are free on the Patreon so go check it out on the collections tab and tap/click on 'THE SLAYER ADVENTURES'. There will be a harem, and it is not going to be a 'gotta catch 'em all' type.

What world do you want the MC to enter first it is all up to you. Do you want DCEU, MCU, Bleach, Avatar the last airbender? Let me know in the comments on the Patreon or here after you read the chapters.

I made you all wait this long for a return huh, say do you want another chapter tomorrow as an apology from me?

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