Seeing that everyone had arrived, Zheng Xiaofeng quickly stood up and introduced to the Sect Leader and the elders:
"These two are from the Tianyan Sect of Zhongzhou."
The Sect Leader of Qingfeng Sect, with a warm smile, said, "So they are esteemed disciples of the Tianyan Sect. May I ask what brings you to Qingfeng Sect?"
Faced with the Sect Leader's inquiry, Chu Xingchen showed no reaction, his gaze fixed solely on Shangguan Hong.
The Sect Leader looked slightly embarrassed and glanced at Zheng Xiaofeng.
His eyes questioned—what is going on here?
Zheng Xiaofeng felt helpless inside. What kind of mess is this? This job is truly unbearable. Not only do I have to act subservient to those I can't afford to offend, but every little thing seems to be my fault.
If I knew everything, would you even be the Sect Leader?
But no matter how frustrated he felt, Zheng Xiaofeng had to step up now.
He put on his usual humble smile and cautiously asked,
"Do you and Elder Shangguan know each other?"
"Naturally, we've met once before," Chu Xingchen finally responded, a faint smile appearing on his face. "I wonder if Elder Shangguan still remembers me?"
Shangguan Hong, after a moment of silence, replied, "Of course, I remember."
He paused, then added with a hint of confusion, "But back then, didn't you say you were from the Heavenly Dao Alliance of Zhongzhou?"
Chu Xingchen propped his chin with his right hand, his tone both flippant and disdainful:
"Oh? So Elder Shangguan doubts me?"
"Of course not, it's just..."
Shangguan Hong trailed off, leaving room for endless speculation.
Hearing this, the Sect Leader once again turned his gaze to Zheng Xiaofeng.
His eyes still questioned—what the hell is going on here?
Zheng Xiaofeng was exhausted. He really wanted to grab the token from Chu Xingchen's waist and throw it in the Sect Leader's face.
I've been doing this subservient job for so many years. Can't I even tell if a Zhongzhou token is real or fake?
He could only try to mediate again, "Elder Shangguan... is there perhaps some misunderstanding between you?"
Shangguan Hong remained silent.
"A misunderstanding? Hardly," Chu Xingchen said, his tone still flippant. "It's more like a grudge."
This time, Zheng Xiaofeng didn't wait for the Sect Leader's questioning look. He quickly tried to smooth things over with a smile:
"Our esteemed guest must be joking. Didn't you say you had a mission that requires our Qingfeng Sect's cooperation?"
Hearing Zheng Xiaofeng's awkward attempt to change the subject, Chu Xingchen replied calmly,
"From the tone of Elder Shangguan, it seems he thinks I'm an imposter from the Tianyan Sect. Don't you want to verify my identity further?"
Chu Xingchen paused, then added leisurely, "Or perhaps, let Elder Shangguan personally verify it?"
Just as Zheng Xiaofeng was about to continue trying to calm the situation, Shangguan Hong's aged voice cut in:
"That would be best."
This statement left Zheng Xiaofeng momentarily stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief as he looked at Shangguan Hong.
What the hell is wrong with this guy?
Shangguan Hong ignored the looks of disbelief from the others.
He had his reasons for doing this. If this person hadn't shown up, it would have been fine, but now that he was here, Shangguan Hong felt something was off.
To be safe, Shangguan Hong had looked into Li Xingtian's background when he returned.
The records showed that Li Xingtian had initially worked in the mines before being transferred to the outer sect due to a lack of alchemy talents.
Although Shangguan Hong had concerns, there was little he could do. After all, he couldn't defeat the man, and being rescued by him was a blow to his pride.
When the mine was attacked, Shangguan Hong had suspected it might have been this person's doing. But upon reflection, Chu Xingchen's spiritual energy was pure, with no trace of demonic cultivation.
Moreover, Shangguan Hong had truly believed at the time that Chu Xingchen was likely from Zhongzhou.
But now... a Zhongzhou native, with a group, who knew about the mine.
If he were truly a disciple of the Tianyan Sect, why would he deceive me by claiming to be from the Heavenly Dao Alliance?
If he really wanted to save someone, he could have just shown his token, and I wouldn't have dared to say a word. Why the pretense?
There must be something fishy going on!
It's possible that the demonic cultivators who attacked the mine were led by this man. Qingfeng Sect has its protective mountain array and so many Golden Core elders.
If this man is truly an imposter from the Tianyan Sect...
Moreover, even if he is genuine, at most, I'll lower my stance and apologize, or accept punishment.
The potential gain outweighs the risk, so why not?
Shangguan Hong quickly made up his mind and stepped forward without hesitation, saying:
"Since you're from the Tianyan Sect, besides the token, you must have other means of proving your identity, right?"
The Sect Leader, who had initially intended to stop Shangguan Hong, paused upon hearing this.
Shangguan Hong noticed the Sect Leader's hesitation and understood that he had tacitly agreed.
A faint smile appeared on Shangguan Hong's aged face.
At that moment, Yaoqin, who had been silent, suddenly drew the sword at her side. A sword intent filled with infinite sharpness, as if it could easily slice through stars, erupted from her hand.
The wild spiritual energy was perfectly condensed, and in a flash of light, the grand hall was completely split in two by the sword strike.
The violent spiritual waves crushed everything in the room.
Several Golden Core elders hurriedly raised their spiritual barriers to block the exaggerated aftermath.
As the spiritual energy settled, the hall was already in ruins. The terrifying sword mark had not only shattered the walls of the hall but also continued with enough force to flatten the mountain behind it.
Massive boulders tumbled down.
Shangguan Hong, who was closest to the sword intent, was even forced back several steps, even though the attack wasn't aimed at him.
Yaoqin slowly sheathed her sword and placed it back beside her chair.
She hadn't even stood up to deliver that strike.
"The Tianyan Sect's divine technique, the Yan Shen Taiqing Sword," Yaoqin said coldly, her gaze fixed on the shaken Shangguan Hong. "Do you still want to verify anything else?"
Shangguan Hong immediately held his breath. What the hell is there to verify now?
This divine technique, which only true disciples of the Tianyan Sect can learn, is far more convincing than any token.
But isn't this person... a bit too overpowered?
Chu Xingchen, seeing Shangguan Hong's grave expression, deliberately turned to Yaoqin and asked with feigned confusion:
"Senior Sister, why did you hold back?"
Yaoqin replied indifferently, "This is someone else's sect, after all. We should leave them some face."
Zheng Xiaofeng glanced at the nearly ruined hall... It didn't seem like much face was left.
Chu Xingchen nodded lightly, then stood up and casually picked up the sword Yaoqin had placed beside her.
"My senior sister has proven that she's a disciple of the Tianyan Sect. Now it's my turn to prove myself to all of you."
As he spoke, Chu Xingchen faced Shangguan Hong, pretending to draw his sword as if he, too, intended to unleash the Yan Shen Taiqing Sword and cut Shangguan Hong in two.
The Sect Leader hurriedly intervened, "Wait... esteemed guest, please wait!"
What more is there to verify? If another strike like that happens, will there even be a Qingfeng Sect left?
The Sect Leader glared at Shangguan Hong and scolded, "Elder Shangguan! Apologize to our esteemed guests at once!"
It's unclear how Chu Xingchen and Yaoqin reacted.
But Zheng Xiaofeng, hearing these words, felt an immense sense of relief.
Finally, it's not my fault this time.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
