Huge, huge, HUGE gossip! Everyone was scared witless!

Tang Yan straightened his back, composed himself, and was just about to ask the system to share that unprecedented, explosive piece of gossip.

Then he saw someone enter from outside the arena, sporting a short beard and dressed in elegant, pale-blue enchanted robes.

The handsome man, who looked to be in his thirties and had a refined, scholarly air, strode inside.

As he passed the disciples, many rose and nodded in greeting.

"Martial Uncle Han."

"Martial Uncle Han."

A faint smile rested on the middle-aged man's lips as he nodded amiably to the disciples.

Soon, the man reached Xiao Jixue and Tang Yan.

The former had stood as soon as he approached, and the latter rose along with him.

"Ji Xue, here to watch Artifact Peak's minor competition?"

"Yes, Martial Uncle Han." Xiao Jixue answered coolly, his expression indifferent.

Han Zhongjin did not take offense. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Tang Yan.

At that first glance, a strange glimmer flashed through his eyes.

This useless disciple Fu Shouci had taken in possessed looks more outstanding than anyone he had ever seen.

Unfortunately... without his cultivation, he was utterly useless.

And Xiao Jixue before him was the finest prospect he had set his sights on.

Regrettably, he was too vigilant and held too high a position in the sect to be an easy target.

Xiao Jixue frowned and shifted sideways to shield Tang Yan behind him, a chill seeping into his cool voice.

"Was there anything else, Martial Uncle Han?"

Han Zhongjin came back to himself and said to Xiao Jixue, "Nothing. I merely came to see what was so special about the new disciple our sect leader took in."

With that, he headed toward his seat.

Tang Yan watched Han Zhongjin's retreating figure, narrowing his shimmering, peach-blossom eyes. He could not quite describe what he felt.

Whatever it was, it was not pleasant.

He reached out and tugged Xiao Jixue's sleeve, leaning closer to ask quietly.

"Eldest Senior Brother, why didn't I see this Martial Uncle Han when I became Master's disciple?"

His light, warm breath brushed the skin of Xiao Jixue's neck, leaving a faint, tingling sensation.

In an instant, that unfamiliar sensation spread from Xiao Jixue's neck.

It traveled all the way down to his heart, making it quiver uncontrollably.

The next moment, a faint crimson flush suddenly crept over the young man's finely shaped ears, looking rather enticing.

Tang Yan drew back after speaking and did not notice anything unusual about Xiao Jixue's ears.

Suppressing the little pang of disappointment rising in his heart, Xiao Jixue pressed his lips together and explained.

"He's an elder of Artifact Peak named Han Zhongjin, a Ninth-Rank Artifact Refiner.

He devotes himself to teaching the Artifact Order's disciples who also study artifact refining, so the disciples of Artifact Peak hold him in very high regard."

"But he's only an elder in charge of Artifact Peak's affairs. Only the Peak Masters and Deputy Peak Masters attend meetings in the Council Hall, which is why you haven't seen him."

After explaining, Xiao Jixue's expression grew solemn as he cautioned him.

"Don't have too much to do with him."

Xiao Jixue had met this Martial Uncle Han several times, but every encounter left him with an indescribably uncomfortable feeling.

He always felt that this seemingly refined, scholarly martial uncle was not what he appeared to be.

Tang Yan nodded. "Mm-hmm."

In the distance, Wei Lianyi looked at Han Zhongjin with a deep frown.

Intense revulsion and unease churned inside her.

Her expression abruptly changed. She already suspected that this Martial Uncle Han, whom she was meeting for the first time, might be another demon spy.

Wei Lianyi quietly rose and slipped away from Artifact Peak, heading toward the Law Enforcement Hall.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the void above the great plaza.

Fu Shouci, who had stolen a moment from his busy schedule to sneak over to Artifact Peak for a look, nearly collided with Xu You, Jiang Mei, and the others upon entering the void.

They stared at one another, wide-eyed.

Jiang Mei chuckled cheerfully. "Hehe~~ Sect Leader, you're here to see little Tang Yan and hear him spill some juicy gossip too?"

Fu Shouci remained expressionless, determined to preserve his stern dignity as the head of a sect.

"Of course not. I simply happened to wander over here."

Fei Zhong waved his large hand. "Sect Leader, want a drink? The spirit wine Junior Sister Jiang brought is wonderfully rich."

Fu Shouci wrestled with himself for quite a while.

In the end, unable to resist the lure of a good spectacle, he walked over and sat down despite his protests.

"You certainly know how to enjoy yourselves."

Jiang Mei said, "Of course!"

Artifact Peak's Peak Master, Ye Sheng, had left the sect on business not long ago.

Unlike the other peaks, Artifact Peak had no Deputy Peak Master to oversee its affairs, so Han Zhongjin had been assigned to preside over today's minor competition.

"Begin."

After speaking, Han Zhongjin turned to three of the participating disciples.

"Li Jiang, Liu Yunsheng, Jiang Xiao, I hear the three of you recently became capable of refining Superior Magical Treasures. Today, I shall personally assess your work."

"Yes, Master."

In the spectator stands, Tang Yan finally had time to question the system in his mind.

[System, what was that unprecedented, explosive piece of gossip you mentioned?]

The other gossip lovers, whose attention had been focused entirely on the disciples in the arena, heard this and their eyes lit up.

They stealthily straightened their backs and pricked up their ears, listening intently.

Woohoo! That super-duper explosive gossip was finally here!

Even Fu Shouci and Xu You, hidden in the void, could not help looking curious.

As for the disciples methodically preparing their refining materials in the arena, they had already shut off their five senses.

After all, once they actually began refining, if they heard something utterly explosive...

A moment's lapse in concentration could cause an explosion.

Of course, a handful of disciples were confident enough in themselves to believe Tang Yan would not distract them, and had left their five senses open.

A moment later, Tang Yan's puzzled thoughts rang in everyone's ears.

[Huh? You're saying that Martial Uncle Han is a cock-cutting maniac?]

[What does cock-cutting mean?]

As Tang Yan questioned the system in his mind, he looked toward the refined, handsome Han Zhongjin at the front.

The man was extraordinarily perceptive. Tang Yan had only cast him a fleeting glance.

Han Zhongjin's eyes, glinting with a hidden sharpness, immediately shot toward Tang Yan.

Tang Yan hurriedly averted his gaze.

The next instant, his mouth fell slightly open, his peach-blossom eyes widened abruptly, and his pupils contracted, disbelief filling his gaze.

He sat frozen in his seat for a long while, stunned, before finally speaking in horror within his mind.

[What the hell?! Holy fucking shit!!!]

The disciples' curiosity surged, while Fu Shouci and the others grew even more curious.

After all, ever since they had become able to hear Tang Yan's thoughts...

They had never seen him this horrified and shocked.

Even Xiao Jixue, who had little interest in gossip, spared a rare glance at the person beside him.

[Cock means...]

[So that means! Han Zhongjin likes cutting off male cultivators'... He's a dick-cutting maniac?!]

(A real case!!! Just treat it as entertainment—please don't put yourself in their shoes!! Note: don't imitate it either!!!!!!)

As though seeking confirmation, Tang Yan fired off question after question.

The ends of his clear voice rose sharply with fright, his words trembling heavily.

Xiao Jixue: "?"

Everyone who heard the uncensored content: ?????

What... what was that?! Σ( ° △ °|||)︴

Who? Martial Uncle Han cut off what?

A cutting... maniac?!

Hiss! Holy shit! That was terrifying!

Countless people gasped, utterly horrified.

The disciples' eyes, especially those of the male cultivators, brimmed with fear.

Even the female cultivators' eyes were filled with disbelief and horror.

It was simply too explosive! Truly, uniquely explosive!

"Pfft!" In the void, Fu Shouci sprayed his entire mouthful of spirit wine into Fei Zhong's face across from him.

Fei Zhong, who was struggling to suppress the urge to cover his lower body, thought, ...Fuck, why was he the one getting wine sprayed all over his head and face again?

Fu Shouci stared blankly, unable to concern himself with anything else.

Xu You and Li Rong clutched their poor hearts.

They declared that they had suffered an extremely severe, extremely violent fright!!

Although Jiang Mei was a woman, she too felt as though she had suffered a billion points of fright.

She did not even dare look at Han Zhongjin below, afraid of this man who liked cutting... cutting... She simply could not say it.

Just as little Tang Yan had said, Han Zhongjin had to be a devil!

Deep within Tang Yan's sea of consciousness, the Purple Star Sea shook its little body and spoke with tremendous excitement.

[Yep, that's right, hehe~~ Host, tell me, isn't this gossip explosive beyond anything before or since?]

Tang Yan: *[...]*

Buh... buh...

Tang Yan swallowed hard, feeling cold all over.

[How... how can a perverted maniac like this even exist?] Tang Yan was so frightened that he stammered.

But what made his eyes bulge once again was,

[Host, you should know: there's no such thing as the most perverted, only something even more perverted!]

Tang Yan: [Huh?!! Who do you mean? Don't tell me Han Zhongjin has done something even more perverted and explosive?]

[Yep.]

Tang Yan: *[!!!]*

The gossip-loving spectators, whose poor hearts lurched with terror and whose legs were trembling: ???? Huh?! o_O???