The Elder Arrives??

Li Ping'an shook his head and said,

"I wouldn't know about that. This old man has been forging iron in this sect for sixty years, yet I've never seen a steward like you, who treated the sect's disciples like pigs and dogs!"

"On your very first day, you even withheld spirit stones! I'll take this chance to ask the sect properly whether it intends to treat us servant disciples this way!"

Xu Yan was left speechless.

When he had first arrived, those words had been meant to put the servant disciples in their place.

He had never expected Li Ping'an to seize on them as grounds to report him.

"Looks like unless I show you what I'm capable of, you really won't know your own weight."

Xu Yan no longer held back.

Bang!

The spiritual power around him erupted without reservation.

With a swish, a green longsword appeared in his hand.

"Li Ping'an, traitor to the sect! You have publicly defied your superior! As the steward, I shall execute you on the spot today!"

Xu Yan shouted loudly and slashed his sword through the air.

The sword qi formed a streak of dark ice that shot toward Li Ping'an with a whoosh.

Li Ping'an frowned.

The servant disciples cried out as well,

"Uncle Li, be careful!"

Anyone could see that Xu Yan had used a spell this time. He was getting serious.

Yet Li Ping'an merely shifted his feet and drifted to the side, lightly evading the strike.

But Xu Yan moved swiftly. No sooner had one sword strike passed than another stabbed forth.

Several ice spikes came flying at Li Ping'an in succession.

Li Ping'an suddenly sank into a horse stance and began performing an inexplicable set of punches.

"Idiot!"

Seeing this, Xu Yan curled his lips into a cold smile.

This was a spell. This fellow actually wanted to use a mortal's martial arts to fight him?

It was simply wishful thinking, a fool's dream.

Yet in the next moment, his eyes went wide.

The punch Li Ping'an threw contained astonishing force and the power of qi and blood.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

His fists collided with the ice spikes, shattering them into vapor that vanished in an instant.

"What kind of fist technique is that?"

Xu Yan was dumbfounded.

He had never imagined that Li Ping'an would casually throw out a few sets of punches and dissolve his Ice Spike Technique.

"You want to learn it? I can teach you."

Li Ping'an smiled as he spoke unhurriedly.

"Damn it!"

"If I don't show you what I'm capable of today, you'll really think I can't handle you, won't you?"

Xu Yan gritted his teeth. He knew he had to take down Li Ping'an today.

Otherwise, how could he establish his authority in the Waste Hall in the future?

He immediately swept his longsword, preparing to unleash an even more powerful spell.

Yet Li Ping'an calmly took a magic treasure from his storage pouch.

The magic treasure consisted of two black objects.

Looking closely, they turned out to be a pair of cymbals.

That was right—cymbals, the sort used alongside gongs and drums at other people's wedding feasts.

The Waste Hall disciples were equally dumbfounded, unable to understand why Li Ping'an had taken out a pair of cymbals.

Then Li Ping'an struck the pair of cymbals together heavily.

Clang!

A grating sound like a broken gong immediately rang out, piercing beyond belief.

The Waste Hall disciples could not help covering their ears.

Their minds shook violently, and dizziness and nausea washed over them.

Xu Yan stood closest to the cymbals, and his vision went black.

He felt an immensely powerful sound wave surge into his mind, churning his consciousness.

White spots swam before his eyes, and nausea rose in his chest, making him want to vomit.

The spell in his hand was interrupted as well.

"This is... a spiritual attack!"

Once Xu Yan realized it, he was shocked.

He looked at the cymbals in Li Ping'an's hands and immediately understood.

What cymbals were these?

They were clearly a pair of spiritual magic artifacts!

How could this fellow possess spiritual-type magic artifacts?

Such artifacts were exceedingly rare.

Xu Yan was utterly stunned and was just about to make his next move.

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and Li Ping'an vanished from before him.

In his place stood a white-robed Daoist with the bearing of an immortal.

The Daoist had a long beard and white hair, and held a whisk in his hand.

Clad in an immortal robe that gave off a cold, faint radiance, he slowly descended before Xu Yan.

"What are you doing? How dare you bully the disciples of my sect like this!"

The white-robed elder shouted angrily.

Xu Yan's legs immediately began to tremble, and he dropped to his knees.

This man was none other than Elder Wuchen, the peak master of Sword Star Peak!

He held an extremely lofty position in the sect, and his words carried tremendous weight.

His cultivation was even more terrifying. It was said that he had already reached late Golden Core stage and was on the verge of breaking through to Nascent Soul.

Why would such a mighty figure suddenly appear here?

But he had no room to doubt it now.

The terrifying pressure emanating from the elder had already made his entire body tremble uncontrollably.

"Elder, why are you here?"

"I'm asking you!"

The elder rebuked him angrily,

"What kind of steward are you? You treat the disciples under you like pigs and dogs! Are you still a disciple of my sect?"

"I was wrong! This disciple was wrong!"

Xu Yan broke out in a cold sweat.

So the Sword Star Peak elder had heard all of his arrogant and domineering conduct in the Waste Hall.

Though he did not understand why the elder had come down to meddle in this matter for no apparent reason,

there was no longer any room for anything but kowtowing and admitting fault.

"Who sent you to become steward of this Waste Hall? And who ordered you to deliberately make things difficult for these Waste Hall disciples? Confess truthfully at once! If you utter even half a lie, I'll kill you beneath my palm immediately!"

The white-robed elder threatened him again.

Xu Yan was drenched in sweat. How could he dare conceal anything further?

He hurriedly poured out the whole truth like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

It turned out that Zeng Fei had instructed him.

As an outer sect deacon, Zeng Fei had pulled strings at the sect's steward office and specially arranged for Xu Yan to replace He Steward.

The purpose was to deliberately suppress Li Ping'an, preferably driving him down the mountain.

All to avenge Zhen Fei's father, Zhen Xin, whom Li Ping'an had defeated.

"So that's how it is!"

The white-robed elder slowly nodded and said,

"You actually dared to place this sort of personal grudge upon the disciples of our sect, in matters of management. You are truly audacious beyond measure!"

Just as he was about to continue rebuking him, his body suddenly paused.

Then his expression turned somewhat strange, and he quickly said,

"Enough. This old man has business to attend to. I'll deal with you another day!"

Then he vanished in an instant.

Xu Yan remained on his knees, kowtowing like a pounding pestle, not daring to rise.

Yet after a long while, he heard no further sound.

When he looked up again, he saw Li Ping'an watching him with a faint, knowing smile.

"Why is it you?"

Xu Yan's expression darkened slightly, but he immediately recalled the Sword Star Peak elder from earlier.

He hurriedly looked around warily.

Yet he saw no sign of the Sword Star Peak elder.

"Where did Elder Wuchen go? Did you see him?"

Li Ping'an smiled faintly and said,

"Of course I saw him. Elder Wuchen originally intended to punish you severely, but something came up, so he left first."

"However, before leaving, he told me to tell you that if you dare throw your weight around in the Waste Hall or use public authority to avenge private grievances, he will come out at once to deal with you and make you suffer."