Han Yu, who had seen the entire incident, leaned back and chuckled quietly. "At least he is finally gaining some recognition. Good for him."

Yet even as warmth filled him at his friend's growing reputation, Han Yu suddenly felt something shift in the atmosphere. It was subtle, like a thin thread being plucked from afar. His heart gave a faint tremor, and instinctively, his eyes swept across the camp.

There were hundreds of people moving about, laughter and chatter mixing with the clang of tools. Nothing looked out of place. But Han Yu knew better than to dismiss his instincts. A faint wisp of energy brushed against him, one that only he could sense.

It was the unique ripple of Eight Emotions energy, tinged with a shade of grey surprise. Someone was watching him.

Narrowing his eyes, he followed the drifting wisp of energy, letting it guide his senses. The thread pointed south, past the bustle of the Orthodox sect camps, across the vast no-man's land, toward the distant camp of the Unorthodox sects.

Han Yu's gaze lingered on that direction, his expression thoughtful. "So… it really wasn't my imagination," he murmured under his breath. Whoever it was, they were hidden among the unorthodox cultivators, watching him from afar.

He forced his expression back into calm neutrality, not wanting to attract attention.

But inside, a sliver of unease had taken root. The massive gathering of sects was already tense, with the Orthodox and Unorthodox divided by a fragile peace. If someone from the other side was singling him out, it could mean trouble.

Still, Han Yu did not act immediately.

He had learned that patience often revealed more than confrontation. For now, he returned to his alchemy station, mind whirling with quiet suspicion, while Fatty Kui's booming laughter once again echoed across the camp.

Two days passed in what felt like a blur for the Twin Leaf Peak Sect.

Where once there had been little more than hastily erected tents and a rough clearing of the forest, now stood the beginnings of a fortified base camp. The elders had directed the disciples to work in shifts, alternating between building, patrols, and cultivation, and the results were nothing short of impressive.

The camp had been divided into neat sections, laid out with precision.

At the very center, in the innermost circle, the tents of the elders and peak heads had been erected. These were larger, more finely made tents, imbued with stabilizing inscriptions to protect against stray weather and energy fluctuations.

Surrounding this central hub was the area reserved for the Core Disciples. Each one received a tent of their own, smaller than those of the elders but still comfortably sized, allowing for privacy and cultivation without disturbance.

The next ring of the camp was set aside for the inner court disciples.

Here, tents were placed in orderly rows, two disciples sharing one tent. It was not as luxurious as the private tents, but it was more than sufficient for their needs.

Beyond this area, on the outermost circle of the camp, the Outer Court disciples settled.

Their tents were smaller still, with four disciples sharing each one. For mortals, such an arrangement might have been intolerable, perhaps only those in the army might be used to camping like this.

But for disciples, who had become used to hardship during this expedition, it was merely an inconvenience. Thankfully, the elders had permitted them to choose their tent mates, avoiding unnecessary conflict among those who already had to endure crowded conditions.

Surrounding it all was a tall wooden palisade, freshly cut logs driven deep into the earth.

The palisade was not a mere wall, for etched upon its surface were inscriptions carefully drawn by the formation masters of the sect. These tied into a larger barrier array that covered the entirety of the base camp, shimmering faintly with protective power when viewed from certain angles.

The array would reinforce the palisade against physical assault, and more importantly, ward against beasts trying to break through. It was not an impenetrable fortress, but it was more than enough to deter most wild creatures, and would give ample warning should something stronger attempt to approach.

Though it was highly unlikely that the beasts would dare to attack when there was such a massive presence of strong experts here.

Han Yu had been given a tent alongside Wu Shuan, Fatty Kui, and another Outer Court disciple named Liu An.

Wu Shuan had been the one to recommend Liu An, and though Han Yu had not known him before, he found little reason to object. Liu An was a quiet man, already forty years old, which made him noticeably older than the rest of them.

He was still only at the peak of the Qi Refining realm, which was a bit for someone his age, and it was likely he had long given up hope of advancing further.

Yet, despite this, he carried himself with a calmness that did not invite pity. He was cordial, always polite, and spent most of his free time in silent cultivation. Unlike Fatty Kui, who was a ball of noise and energy, Liu An preferred the peace of stillness.

Wu Shuan, at twenty five, was the second oldest among them. Though not particularly outstanding, he had a reliable and stable personality, making him the natural bridge between the silent Liu An, the lively Fatty Kui and the ever-calculating Han Yu, though it wasn't really needed for the latter two as they knew each other for years already.

Fatty Kui, at nineteen, was the youngest after Han Yu, who had just turned eighteen a few months ago. The mix of ages in their tent did not prove troublesome, however, as they fell into an easy rhythm.

Wu Shuan would often spar with Liu An, while Fatty Kui provided endless comedic relief, and Han Yu busied himself with alchemy when not cultivating.

Despite the camp's rapid progress and the growing sense of stability, the atmosphere within the sect camp was one of anticipation.