Raise a sword!

Everyone turned around and saw Jiang Peng slowly walking out from the corner.

At the same time, Jiang He turned around angrily and glared at Jiang Peng.

"You disrespectful brat! Even the sect leader addresses me as 'Master Uncle,' how dare you call me your equal?"

Jiang Peng met Jiang He's gaze directly, her eyes meeting his without any sign of backing down.

"You are a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and so am I. Why can't we address each other as equals?"

"How dare you talk back!" Jiang He roared, "My senior brother Lü and I..."

Before Jiang He could finish speaking, Jiang Peng's face showed a mocking expression.

"What does Master Lü's superior cultivation have to do with you? Since you are of such high seniority and have cultivated for so long, how come you're still only at the late Foundation Establishment stage? Why haven't you cultivated to become a True Person?"

Jiang He's face immediately turned red.

"you..."

"What do you mean, 'you'? Since Senior Brother Jiang had the nerve to put on this air of seniority, why is he blushing now? Could it be that his old face isn't as thick as I thought?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang He finally lost his temper and brandished his cane, ready to attack.

Just then, Jiang Peng's aura suddenly changed, and an extremely sharp and terrifying pressure that made people feel apprehensive even from a great distance suddenly descended upon the sect's main hall.

This was not the pressure of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, but rather the fierce aura emanating from an ancient sword cultivator.

Many Foundation Establishment elders who were far away couldn't help but change their expressions.

Jiang He, who was standing nearby, was so frightened that he stumbled backward and eventually lost his balance and fell to the ground.

"This old man...this old man..."

Jiang He's chest heaved rapidly, but he couldn't utter a coherent sentence for a long time.

Jiang Peng immediately composed himself and asked with a cold smile, "Senior Brother Jiang hasn't answered my question yet! In your eyes, which is more important, the sect or your family?"

"I, an old man..." Jiang He was speechless.

In the end, it was Elder Li Susu, who was skilled in medicine, who stepped forward and persuaded Jiang Peng to stop.

"Junior Brother Jiang, say less."

Li Susu approached and spoke in a low voice.

"Senior Brother Jiang is nearing the end of his lifespan and is already on the verge of death. You must not provoke him at this time, lest the Jiang family come after you later."

Jiang Peng thanked him and, heeding his advice, did not press him further.

The last elder, whom Jiang Peng didn't know well, helped Jiang He up and saw him out of the sect's main hall.

The farce has come to an end.

Seeing Jiang He being sent away, Chu Chun'an said helplessly, "It's time for the younger generation of the Jiang family to persuade Uncle Jiang. Such behavior is inappropriate... Thank you, Junior Brother Jiang, for speaking up for the sect's disciples."

Jiang Peng was taken aback.

He stepped forward not for the sake of the sect disciples, but simply because he didn't like the old man Jiang He.

Back then, his spot in the Spirit Transformation Pool almost fell through because of Jiang He's interference. It was only after Ni Chang intervened and forced Jiang He to back down.

Now that Jiang Peng has gained some confidence, he naturally wants to stand up and reclaim some of the grievances he suffered back then when he dared not utter a word.

However, when Chu Chun'an heard this story, it became as if Jiang Peng was thinking of the sect's disciples.

After a moment's thought, Jiang Peng's gaze toward Chu Chun'an suddenly became complicated.

This seems to be another clever trick by the sect leader to strengthen his relationship with the sect and increase the sect's prestige.

If nothing unexpected happens, what happened in the main hall today will probably spread among the disciples in the next few days, just like the news about the Foundation Establishment Pill.

No wonder Chu Chun'an kept quiet when Jiang He was causing trouble.

"Senior Sister Wei, you're right." Jiang Peng looked at Wei Zhilan in the other corner and transmitted her voice, "The sect leader is indeed insidious and full of scheming."

Wei Zhilan, however, looked listless and did not respond to the question, only nodding perfunctorily.

Seeing this, Jiang Peng asked curiously, "Why is Senior Sister so dejected?"

"You were tricked by the sect leader, and I was tricked by Ni Chang." Wei Zhilan's eyes were lifeless. "She tricked me into opening a gambling den and becoming the bookmaker, but it turned out she had her eyes on one of my magical artifacts... Damn Ni Chang, she said she would team up with me to fleece a fat sheep, but I was the fat sheep in the end."

"Junior brother, how can such a thing happen! One bookmaker colludes with gamblers to cheat another bookmaker. I've been a con artist my whole life, but now Ni Chang has opened my eyes to something amazing."

As she spoke, Wei Zhilan grew angrier and angrier, and she spat out in public.

"Pah, this is supposed to be a Golden Core cultivator? I'm so angry!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and left the sect's main hall.

Many of the elders in the main hall were puzzled, and even Chu Chun'an looked bewildered.

"Junior Sister Wei is... well, she's always been an oddball, so it's not surprising that she suddenly got a screw loose."

Chu Chun'an waved his hand.

"In conclusion, the matter of the sect competition is settled. You may all return now... Junior Brother Jiang, please wait."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Peng stopped in her tracks.

Chu Chun'an then said, "Junior Brother has been saying that he wants to go to the Jade Pavilion Sword Pavilion. Now that there are undercurrents in the Southern Mountain Region, this matter should be done sooner rather than later. Junior Brother Jiang has been delayed for more than a month because of the Foundation Establishment Pill. Now that he has nothing to do, Junior Brother Jiang can set off for the Sword Pavilion."

Jiang Peng's face showed a slight joy.

Based on his current cultivation progress, even without any bottlenecks, it would take him at least thirty to forty years to break through to the ninth level of Foundation Establishment.

He needs to make up for his shortcomings in sword cultivation in order to speed up his training.

Chu Chun'an then handed Jiang Peng a jade slip.

"There always needs to be a reason to visit the Sword Pavilion. It just so happens that we need to inform the Sword Pavilion about the matter of the demonic cultivators. I'll leave this matter to you, Junior Brother."

It was a simple matter, so Jiang Peng accepted the jade slip and agreed to the task.

...

On Biwu Peak.

Jiang Peng told Mei Jinhe and the other two about the sect competition.

Among them, Mei Jinhe, who is at the eighth level of Qi Refining, is the most likely to compete for a place among the top eight true disciples.

"Give it your all and leave no regrets." Jiang Peng blurted out these words almost without thinking, but then added after a moment's thought, "However, you're only in your thirties this year. If things don't work out, there's no need to rush. Keep a calm mindset."

Mei Jinhe answered absentmindedly.

As for Su Zhi and Liu Linong, Jiang Peng didn't have much to say.

"Junior Brother Su, do you have a target?"

"I'm only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, which puts me at the bottom of the true disciples' cultivation, so I won't embarrass myself by showing off," Su Zhi said, shaking his head.

Jiang Peng didn't offer any words of comfort; the boy was a sensible person, so there was no need for further explanation.

He finally looked at Liu Linong.

But Liu Linong was still wearing an apron and holding a spatula in his hand.

Jiang Peng couldn't help but raise her hand and slap Liu Linong on the back of the head.

Liu Linong pouted, looking aggrieved.

"Why is Master so fierce since he came back this time? I'm over twenty years old, please give me some face... The other elders all call me Chef Liu, and some even treat me like a peer."

"Your dad told me to beat him up. If you're not happy about it, go back and find your dad."

Jiang Peng glared fiercely at Liu Linong.

"If you're not among the top ten in the mid-stage Qi Refining competition after I return, you'd better watch out!"

"You should know that my requirement for top-grade spiritual roots isn't unreasonable; you're aiming for the top ten!"