Having cultivated myself into an immortal, all I want to do is raise female disciples.

Gone.

There's no one here.

Even Li Junxiao has been defeated, so the remaining people... will not be a match for Qin Guang.

Those who had originally stood on Li Junxiao's side were now looking at Qin Guang on the stage with resentment, who was stepping on Li Junxiao and had victory in his grasp.

They hate, but they don't have the power to do so.

I could only watch all of this from the sidelines, feeling resentful and powerless... I couldn't do anything about it.

There was silence.

On the platform of the hall, Elder Jin He rose with a sinister smile.

He glanced contemptuously at Xun Ranqing, whose face was deathly pale and who looked as if he had aged more than ten years, then slowly walked to the edge of the platform, looked down at Qin Guang, and revealed a satisfied smile.

"Is there anyone else who disagrees?"

His words spread throughout the entire Ranshan Sect.

Everyone looked up at Jin He, Qin Guang's master, a powerful cultivator with a cultivation level as high as the Void Realm.

There was no response to Jin He's question; there was only utter silence.

To go through the motions, Jin He will have to repeat this sentence three times.

That being said, who would stand up and confront Qin Guang now?

"I'll ask you a second time, is there anyone still dissatisfied?"

No one answered.

The audience fell silent.

Dead silence was Jin He's answer.

Jin He's smile deepened. He opened his arms as if embracing the position of sect leader, and at the same time, he asked loudly:

"I'll ask one last time, is there anyone who disagrees with Qin Guang being the chief of the Ranshan Sect?"

This time, no one answered either.

It should be so.

But the truth is... not so.

"Yes, I have--"

A flippant voice suddenly broke the silence of the training ground.

Everyone was stunned, including Jin He and even Qin Guang on the stage.

He suddenly stumbled and fell because Li Junxiao, whom he had been stepping on, had suddenly disappeared.

In the crowd, everyone made way for the person who dared to speak up.

The man who appeared in everyone's sight was an ordinary-looking man.

He was dressed simply, had plain short black hair, an ordinary face, an air of indistinguishable quality, and lifeless, listless eyes.

In his arms, he was holding a woman named Li Junxiao.

He placed the unconscious Li Junxiao on the ground and said to a female cultivator beside him, "Please take care of her."

After leaving those words, he walked lightly onto the arena.

Then, in the endless silence, he stretched out his finger, pointed to the sky, but his gaze was fixed on Jin He on the platform, and he said three words with a smile.

"I refuse to accept this."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

That man, he finally came.

20. Ordinary people use ordinary swords.

Only one person.

Standing on the platform, standing before people.

A light robe swayed in the wind, and his ordinary, unremarkable appearance instantly became the focus of everyone's attention simply because of the three words "I refuse to accept this."

At this moment, none of the inner and outer disciples of the Ranshan Sect recognized this person.

The young man was not wearing the robes of the Ranshan Sect, and no one present recognized his unremarkable face; he seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Do not--

It's not that no one recognizes him.

Qin Guang, standing on the arena with the gleaming golden tiger-shaped longsword in his right hand, recognized Yun Ping the moment he saw him.

Qin Guang recognized Yun Ping. He had met this young man, who claimed to be a relative of Ren Yao, once before in Li Junxiao's cave. But after that, apart from knowing that Li Zhe and others had been beaten up by Yun Ping at the Ren family manor, he had no other information about Yun Ping.

At this moment, Yunping's sudden appearance was truly unexpected.

however--

"You? You're not convinced? With your frail body that could be blown away by the wind and your tiny bit of hidden cultivation?"

Qin Guang didn't care who Yun Ping was or whether they were relatives; only one thought remained in his mind.

Whoever comes—dies!

In this battle for the top spot, there can only be one winner: him.

Ren Yao, who had dared to challenge him earlier, had already been defeated, while Li Junxiao, who had threatened to kill him, was still lying on the ground, unconscious.

No one can stop Qin Guang anymore; within the entire Ranshan Sect, there is no one who can prevent him from becoming the chief!

After that, he seized the position of sect leader, becoming the sect master of Ranshan Sect, standing at the pinnacle of the entire sect... no... the entire Cangyue City!

At that time, what cultivation partner could he not find? What alluring beauty could he not find?!

With a sudden, sweeping motion of his right hand, Qin Guang unleashed a chilling blade of intent that scattered in all directions. His eyes gleamed with boundless killing intent, and a hint of madness crept onto his cheeks.

Yun Ping stood before Qin Guang, facing the wildly scattering and bursting sword intent, his face expressionless, only his lips moving slightly indifferently:

"This competition for the chief disciple is open to all disciples of the Ranshan Sect. Even if I look a bit weak, I am still qualified to challenge."

"No one says that disciples who look weak can't come to challenge, right?"

"Yes, of course!"

Qin Guang grinned: "But I might not be able to control myself right now. With your small frame, you might end up like Junior Sister Ren, unable to withstand even a single blow."

Whether or not we can accept it is another matter.

Yun Ping shifted his gaze from Qin Guang and turned to the seven adjudicators beside him, who seemed to be looking at him like a madman.

In the eyes of these seven people, Yun Ping had no spiritual energy or meridians in his body. His physical body looked quite solid, but he was still just a mortal. No matter how strong a mortal was, he could not possibly be a match for a cultivator.

Yunping asked politely, "So, may I come up and take on the challenge?"

For a moment, the seven of them fell silent.

They glanced at Yun Ping, who looked completely at ease and unaware that his actions were tantamount to suicide, with some confusion, and then hesitantly turned their attention to Yun Ping's clothes.

at the same time--

Standing on the platform and looking down, Jin He frowned, a look of surprise and confusion flashing across his aged face.

As an elder of the Three Peaks, he hesitated for a long time before amplifying his voice with spiritual energy and said in a deep voice, "What you said is indeed correct, but only disciples of the Ranshan Sect are qualified to challenge. You are just an outsider, so how can you compete for the chief position?"

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized what was happening—

Yunping was not wearing the Ranshan Sect's Taoist robe, so he should not be a disciple of the Ranshan Sect. If he is not a disciple, how can he compete for the chief position?

Yunping seemed to have expected this.

He casually pulled a token from his pocket and tossed it to one of the adjudicators.

The man took the token and looked at it, and his expression changed in surprise.

Because that token—is a symbol of identity.

He hesitated for a few seconds before turning around and speaking to the high and mighty Jin He in a voice that everyone could hear: "Elder Jin He... this person... is the sect leader's personally accepted closed-door disciple."

"what?"

Jin He frowned even more, turned his head slowly, and looked at Xun Ranqing, who was sitting in the sect leader's seat with a slightly complicated expression.

When Xun Ranqing met Jin He's gaze, she took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down, and appeared quite composed.

Jin He stood with his hands behind his back, staring coldly at Xun Ranqing: "Sect Master, I never expected that you would secretly take in a closed-door disciple."

"Do I need Elder Jin He's permission to accept disciples?"

"Of course not, Sect Master is joking."

Jin He's expression was quite cold, and the murderous intent in his eyes was exposed without any attempt to hide it.

He grunted, flicked his long sleeves in dissatisfaction, and sat back down in his seat.

Sect Master Xun Ranqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but then the huge weight on his heart was lifted again.

His worried gaze fell on Yunping on the stage. He closed his eyes, his mind filled with the words Ding Bo had spoken to him earlier—

"Sect Master, if you trust me, please give me the token of your closed-door disciple."

What do you need that token for?

According to that gentleman, this is just in case... if Miss Li loses, then this gentleman will personally take to the stage.

[Who is that gentleman? Who is he that deserves such a respectful address from you, Uncle Ding?]

[A...very mysterious old man.]

Oh, the mysterious old man...

Xun Ranqing stared at Yun Ping below, who was neither mysterious nor like a big shot, and sighed inwardly—Uncle Ding, you're not lying to me, are you?

Because no matter how you look at it, Yunping is no match for Qin Guang, and might even be...

He will be killed with a single blow.