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Tian Xianzi clicked his tongue and sighed.

"You're going to use your family's influence to force your little disciple to submit? Just wait until your parents break your legs, you brat."

"So what if he's from the He family?"

Pei Ji offered nothing but a cold sneer at this, the gloom in his eyes weaving into thick clouds. "Harming the innocent for no reason—is this the true nature of these great noble families?"

Ji Yunkai, who hailed from a noble family himself, felt his fists tighten.

Of course not! It's just that the brat He Zhizhou has something wrong with his head!

After being retorted to without a shred of mercy, He Zhizhou's face flushed red. "Since you dared to resist me today... sooner or later, I'll have you kneeling beneath me, begging for mercy! You'd better remember that, Pei Ji!"

Sword Venerable Zhen Xiao's ears turned red.

Beneath him... begging for mercy.

Yuck, how unwholesome.

Inside the Heaven-Peering Mirror, the night was murky. Pei Ji stepped into the courtyard, and just before closing the door, he turned slightly, a lazy arc curling at the corner of his lips.

"You should probably tie your belt first, Senior Brother He."

Only then did He Zhizhou realize his belt had come loose during their scuffle, leaving his trousers hanging in a most unsightly manner.

—But what kind of villain adjusts their pants during a standoff? That was just too lacking in dignity.

And so, he let out a cold snort, parted his lips—which were nearly stiff from smiling—and raised his eyebrows with the air of a domineering CEO. "What, is Junior Brother Pei too shy to look?"

What a greasy specimen of humanity; he was enough to ruin one's appetite.

Qingxiao Hall was as silent as a grave.

Several pairs of eyes stared fixedly at the mirror, gazing at He Zhizhou's infinitely magnified face.

His smile was so devilishly arrogant, and his voice echoed throughout the hall: "You are my prey, and you will never escape. Hahaha, hahahahaha!"

This is just too perverted.

The elders fell into a collective silence; no one spoke.

Finally, the Sect Leader, Ji Yunkai, broke the silence, speaking with hesitation: "The child is still young and doesn't know any better... let's not beat him to death just yet."

That night, He Zhizhou, a disciple under Li Wangsheng, was summoned to Qingxiao Hall.

At the same time, a piece of news spread like wildfire, taking the entire sect by storm:

Shocking! He Zhizhou attempts to force himself on Pei Ji, only to be ruthlessly countered! Is this a collapse of morality or a distortion of human nature? It's too much to look at, too much to hear!

It was rumored that when passersby discovered him, He Zhizhou's red mandarin duck-patterned belt was still hanging on the head of that madman!

Seeing this news on the gossip communication talisman, Ning Ning was stunned for a long while.

No way.

He Zhizhou, that "mission that couldn't possibly fail" he spoke of...

Was this it?

He truly lived up to his reputation as a man who had once been a top courtesan; he was wild, brother.

The Xiaochong Mountain Secret Realm was located within Liuming Mountain. When the Xuanxu Sword Sect's floating immortal ship arrived at the mountain gate, it was exactly midday.

Liuming Mountain was a major sect of the immortal path. Unlike the Xuanxu Sect, which focused solely on the sword, or Fanyin Temple, which devoted itself to Buddhism, Liuming Mountain integrated a vast number of cultivation schools, much like a comprehensive university.

The mountains were wreathed in immortal clouds and dotted with lakes. Sunlight fell into the lake water, rippling with crystalline, bright specks of light, as if the sun had been shattered and fallen into the mortal realm—an empty mountain flowing with light.

Immortal cranes drifted leisurely between the forests, and jade-like pavilions stood upon layers of mountain peaks. The shimmering water reflected white walls and glazed tiles; it was like a fairyland on earth.

"This place is way too big!"

He Zhizhou jumped off the immortal ship. To express his inner excitement, he unleashed a triple-threat of 21st-century straight-guy slang: "Awesome! Invincible! Six-six-six!"

After this guy was summoned to Qingxiao Hall by the elders, it took a Herculean effort for him to explain that he had merely sensed the Devilish Qi on Pei Ji and was attempting to investigate his identity; and that the so-called "black and thick thing" was just a small Devil-Breaking Blade.

Ji Yunkai would be silent upon hearing this, and Shi Jingyi would shed tears.

It was said that the elders fell into a collective silence for a long time. Finally, Tian Xianzi feigned indifference and coughed, "Right, right! We called you here just to say this—we shouldn't discriminate against Devil Race bloodlines! Pei Ji hasn't done anything wrong; who can help it if he ended up with a father like that? Zhizhou, you must understand our good intentions!"

And so, the matter was brushed aside. When He Zhizhou complained to Ning Ning, his assessment was that those people shouldn't eat food; eating detergent would be enough for them.

"The Xuanxu Sword Sect has arrived!"

A middle-aged man standing before the mountain gate laughed heartily and strode forward to greet them, followed by several disciples in blue robes with their hair tied up, all of whom possessed impressive cultivation levels. "It has been a long time since we last met. Please forgive my lack of a proper welcome!"

The man who arrived was none other than the sect leader of Liuming Mountain, He Xiaochen.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a calm, yet secretly excited, male voice rang in his ears: "When will the Sect Leader have time to spar with me?"

To everyone's surprise, He Xiaochen did not decline. He looked immediately at Zhen Xiao, who had issued the challenge, a flash of light in his dark eyes: "Right now! Let's go, I'll take you to a good place!"

"Sect Leader."

A disciple behind him spoke up: "We are currently in the middle of welcoming the various sects. If you leave now..."

He Xiaochen waved a large hand dismissively: "Just tell them I was so overwhelmed by welcoming guests that I suffered a cultivation deviation and am on the verge of death, resting in my room."

After saying this, he turned his head toward Zhen Xiao and said, "Let's go!"

Two sword shadows transformed into streaks of light and departed.

Looking at Sect Leader He's refined, scholarly appearance, I never expected him to be a battle maniac just like Zhen Xiao.

"Please, everyone, pay it no mind."

The blue-robed disciple who had spoken earlier offered a polite yet awkward smile. He stepped aside and gestured with one hand, clearing a path toward a wide, magnificent mountain road. "I am Xie Junming of Liuming Mountain. The secret realm opens tomorrow, and the sect has prepared a banquet for you all today. Please, follow me this way."

The Xuanxu Sword Sect had brought fifteen disciples. The ones Ning Ning recognized were Lin Xun, Pei Ji, He Zhizhou, and Qin Shu.

The banquet was set up at the summit of Xuanji Peak. Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, an endless array of delicacies was laid out, giving the event the distinct feel of a celestial feast from the Nine Heavens.

Ning Ning and Lin Xun, those two unlucky souls, were so accustomed to eating dirt that they hadn't seen such a spread of fine food in ages. Ning Ning, in particular, having transmigrated from another world, found every dish exceptionally novel and began to feast without a second thought.

Xie Junming was slightly taken aback.