Huang Mian's expression was one of utter contempt.
His words conveyed the same meaning.
In his view, it was only a matter of time before Ximu Peak was merged into Chunwei Peak.
These are the people in front of me, daydreaming, clinging on and on about unnecessary things, and unwilling to back down because of their pride.
Tsk tsk.
They refuse to back down now; it seems they'll only admit defeat when he lays a bare reality in their faces.
After he finished speaking, he immediately turned to look at the elder beside him, bowed and clasped his hands in a gesture of great respect.
"Elder Xu, please move your body so they can know that the Sect Master's appointment is truly deserved."
Elder Xu, also known as Xu Zegang, is one of the elders of Chunwei Peak.
His level of attainment is basically close to that of Half-Step Great Saint.
Chunwei Peak is a peak for sword cultivators, possessing formidable strength. Xu Zegang is Swordsmanship elder within Chunwei Peak, and his strength... cannot be easily measured by realm.
Looking at the person in front of him, Cao Zhengyang's face was extremely ugly.
To prove whether Xu Zegang is truly capable of serving as the deputy Peak Master of Ximu Peak, it's impossible for the Peak Master himself to fight Xu Zegang. Otherwise, what would that make him?
That directly becomes a test of whether the other party has the ability to serve as the Peak Master!
They won, which was only natural. After all, how could a Peak Master possibly be defeated by a deputy Peak Master?
But what if we lose...
Then Ximu Peak would lose face big time!
The key issue is that, apart from him, the Peak Master, no one on Ximu Peak is qualified or capable of fighting Xu Zegang.
Behind Cao Zhengyang, Cao Chun, the daughter of the Peak Master, was beautiful and had blossomed into a stunning beauty. However, her hands were clenched into fists, her face was extremely ugly, and she stared intently at Huang Mian, as if she wanted to pounce on him and bite him to the bone.
Unfortunately, her vital points were being held by two other disciples, preventing her from moving forward or even taking a single step.
Even her vocal cords were sealed by Cao Zhengyang beforehand.
Clearly, Cao Zhengyang knew his only daughter's personality all too well.
If left unchecked, given her domineering personality, she would dare to insult even a Great Sage, let alone Half-Step Great Saint Great Saint, without caring what kind of consequences it would bring.
No...
It can't be said that they don't care.
She was simply too impulsive, with a fiery temper that was completely unchecked.
It was also his dereliction of duty...
As he pondered these matters, Cao Zhengyang's face grew increasingly gloomy, and his gaze towards Huang Mian became increasingly hostile.
At that moment, He Qinglang a deep breath and stepped out.
"Enough!"
" Huang Mian, don't push your luck! Do you really think Ximu Peak is without anyone?"
His face was ashen. His gaze swept across the faces of the surrounding crowd, taking in the joy, surprise, and even astonishment in their eyes. Finally, his gaze settled on Huang Mian's face.
As the eldest disciple of Ximu Peak, he and Huang Mian were considered equally matched rivals.
However, his departure to Azure Wave City to assume the position of city lord, while seemingly a promotion, was actually a demotion and a defeat. Huang Mian mocked him for this many times.
Fortunately, not long after, Huang Mian suffered a serious injury during a secret realm adventure, causing his cultivation level to decline, thus tying the two up.
Now that they've met again, old enemies are naturally filled with intense hatred.
Originally, He Qinglang was hidden among the inner disciple of Ximu Peak, and not many people noticed him. Although Cao Zhengyang noticed him, he did not feel comfortable exchanging pleasantries with him.
Now that he has made his appearance, he has attracted everyone's attention, and many people's faces have turned to surprise and delight.
"Senior Brother?"
"It's Senior Brother back!"
He Qinglang is also in the Late Saint Realm. He is exceptionally talented and can be called a prodigy. Now, he can be considered the strongest person in Ximu Peak besides Cao Zhengyang.
This reassured many of his Direct Disciple disciples.
"With our senior brother here, we definitely won't lose..."
"Senior Brother... you absolutely must win!"
"Both are at the Late Saint Realm, Senior Brother won't lose. We must believe in Senior Brother."
Huang Mian looked at He Qinglang and laughed, showing little surprise at his appearance.
He raised an eyebrow and spoke in a good-natured manner, as if making small talk.
"What, He Qinglang, have you finally had enough of staying in that remote place and decided to come back for a work report?"
After saying that, he seemed to laugh at himself, shook his head, and spoke with a hint of sarcasm.
"Look at my memory, I almost forgot, you didn't voluntarily sacrifice yourself to manage Azure Wave City, you were exiled, tsk tsk..."
"Speaking of which, it seems like it's been several hundred years since you became the city lord of Azure Wave City, hasn't it? No wonder the crows have been cawing all day; it turns out it's you... released from prison."
These words, though seemingly without malice, sounded more jarring and unpleasant than anything else when spoken aloud.
Huang Mian, however, still had a smile on his face.
"It's a pity you've returned too late. Even if you regain your status as Direct Disciple of Ximu Peak in the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect, it's too late. The position of deputy Peak Master has already been decided; it's the sect master's word, and no one can change it!"
He Qinglang's expression remained calm, showing no change whatsoever due to Huang Mian's words.
He spoke calmly.
"I never needed to restore my identity. I was simply appointed as the city lord of Azure Wave City by orders. From beginning to end, I have always been the eldest disciple of Ximu Peak. I was just fulfilling my duty to protect Azure Wave City."
"Besides... what? Are you afraid of me?"
"I can't pretend I didn't hear what you just said. You said it yourself: whoever wins the competition is qualified to be the vice Peak Master of Ximu Peak. Or... do you, a Chunwei Peak, have no right to act in this way?"
He suddenly laughed, a laugh even more nonchalant than Huang Mian's.
"Haven't seen you in a century, and you still love to boast."
"You!" Huang Mian's expression suddenly changed, his anger burning.
But then, for some unknown reason, he suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"Alright, He Qinglang, I'll give you that chance."
"What I just said was spoken by my master himself, every word is true and cannot be taken for granted. If someone from your Ximu Peak can defeat Elder Xu, what's wrong with my Chunwei Peak not interfering in your peak's affairs?"
"It's just giving you a few more days of freedom!"
" Tong'er..." Cao Zhengyang was somewhat worried and couldn't help but send a telepathic message to He Qinglang, "That old bastard Xu Zegang is not to be underestimated; he's no pushover."
Be careful in everything you do!
He Qinglang did not immediately respond to his master's words, but instead stood in front of Xu Zegang Xu Zegang and cupped his hands in greeting.
Elder Xu, please do not hesitate to offer your guidance.