Epic Quest Three was related to the Holy Spring Sect—this was quite excellent, since Jun Changxiao was already planning to lead his disciples to challenge them anyway.

If completed, not only could he raise the sect’s prestige, but he could also obtain contribution value and break through to Wuzong—truly killing three birds with one stone.

However, the plan for the challenge would need major changes.

Initially, Jun Changxiao’s thinking was that bringing the inner disciples and Zhou Hong would be sufficient, but judging from the quest numbers, he could only bring outer disciples.

According to normal challenge rules, one person fights one match—that would require forty-three disciples.

Moreover.

With so many matches this time, Jun Changxiao didn’t expect complete victory, so after some thought, he decided to bring fifty disciples.

Needless to say, the twenty-five people who had participated in the Death Valley training would definitely go.

Li Shangtian, Sima Zhongda, and the others were naturally indispensable—after all, they joined early and their realms were higher than later arrivals.

Disciples like Lin Jianghang and Cui Bujian were also deployed.

Although Song Xuanzhou joined late, his aptitude and realm were high, so he would definitely go along.

After Sect Master Jun’s selection process, all the elite disciples of the Tiegu Sect were mobilized.

Of course, he didn’t send Viper and Wildcat—after all, they were too old. No matter how you looked at it, they didn’t seem like disciples.

“Sect Master.”

At the cafeteria entrance, Ma Yongning hugged his blade and said: “Can I go?”

Since joining the sect, although this fellow frequently helped Liu Wanshi manage the cafeteria, his martial cultivation hadn’t been delayed in the slightest.

Moreover, he was a dedicated blade cultivator!

Blade cultivators and sword cultivators, because they tested one’s aptitude and were too extreme, were relatively rare on the Xingyun Continent.

“You’re too old,” Jun Changxiao said.

This sentence was like a sharp sword, stabbing into Ma Yongning’s heart, painful to the point he could barely breathe.

“Sect Master.”

He said in a deep voice: “I just look a bit weathered—my actual age is only twenty-nine.”

Holy crap!

If he hadn’t said so, one would suspect he was forty or fifty!

Jun Changxiao’s mouth twitched: “You look even older than Yang Yuhua.”

Ma Yongning’s gaze grew solemn: “Please let me fight. I’ll prove my strength to the Sect Master, prove it to Dudu!”

He wanted to fight because of Liu Wanshi.

That little girl would often sit in the cafeteria with her chin propped on her hands, watching the disciples cultivating outside, murmuring to herself: “I really hope when the Sect Master goes to challenge the Holy Spring Sect, he can take me along.”

“To watch the excitement?” Ma Yongning had said.

Liu Wanshi replied seriously: “To cheer on the senior martial brothers!”

This seemingly casual remark touched Ma Yongning, and he secretly decided that he must go to challenge the Holy Spring Sect, use his strength to defeat opponents, and make Liu Wanshi happy.

Just yesterday, after endless pestering, the little girl finally obtained qualification to accompany the Sect Master to the Holy Spring Sect to cheer them on, so naturally he had to fight as well.

“Clang!”

Ma Yongning drew his blade: “Sect Master, please respect a blade practitioner, otherwise I will immediately take my own life before you.”

“……”

Jun Changxiao’s mouth twitched.

You were won over by Liu Wanshi with a few bowls of rice, and now you talk to me about respect!

However, since he wanted to go, he said: “You can go, but depending on the situation, we’ll decide whether you fight or not.”

“Good.”

Ma Yongning sheathed his blade.

Yi Hei and Er Hei also walked over: “Sect Master, we’re much younger than him—can we fight for the sect!”

Hearing this, Ma Yongning nearly drew his blade to initiate a battle of dignity with these two bastards.

Yi Hei and Er Hei were indeed very young, only in their early twenties, and their realms had already reached Peak Wutu. Jun Changxiao decided to take them both along.

……

The combat roster increased from fifty to fifty-three people.

Then, Jun Changxiao selected another one hundred forty-seven outer disciples to round it up to an even two hundred.

Fighting away from home, they absolutely needed momentum, so the purpose of those outer disciples following was to cheer on the fighting disciples!

After everything was settled, with five days remaining until the challenge date, Jun Changxiao assembled the disciples early.

The disciples all knew that the Sect Master was taking senior martial brothers to challenge the fifth-rate Holy Spring Sect, so they assembled at the Martial Arts Arena, lined up neatly, every one of them with chest held high!

Jun Changxiao stood before the great hall entrance: “This battle may be difficult, but we must let the world know that even if a great mountain stands before us, the Tiegu Clanging Sect can cross it!”

“Be people of iron bones clanging, do deeds of iron bones clanging!”

The disciples clasped their hands behind their backs, voices resounding like they could devour mountains and rivers, their voices echoing above the sect, radiating an aura of clanging iron bones!

“Swish!”

Jun Changxiao waved his ceremonial robe: “Depart!”

“Yes!”

Led by him, the fifty-three fighting disciples and one hundred forty-seven accompanying disciples marched out of the sect in a mighty procession, proceeding down the mountain path.

Li Luoqiu watched them leave and transmitted: “Sect Master, celebratory wine has been prepared. I and the other disciples await your triumphant return!”

“Mm.”

Jun Changxiao replied.

After seeing them off, the disciples returned to the sect and began even more frenzied cultivation. They would become stronger to win supreme honor for the sect in the future!

On this day.

Two hundred disciples of the Tiegu Clanging Sect, led by the second-generation Sect Master, left Tiegu Mountain, advancing toward that unreachably high mountain in the distance.

This battle—either success or martyrdom!

……

“The Tiegu Sect people have departed!”

“Go report to the Alliance Leader!”

The informants lurking in the shadows at the mountain’s base hurriedly sent the news to the Haoqi Sect.

Jun Changxiao had long since discovered these people, but since they were merely conducting surveillance, he didn’t bother with them.

Before long.

The news reached Qin Haoran’s ears. He sneered coldly: “Jun Changxiao actually dares to challenge the Holy Spring Sect.”

The Longdao Sect Master grinned: “At Lingquan Mountain, boasting so extravagantly in front of so many people—if he doesn’t go, how can he establish himself in the martial world?”

Situ Wang, who had been argued into spitting blood, said indifferently: “An ignorant junior who doesn’t know the height of heaven or the depth of earth—go experience the terror of a fifth-rate sect.”

“Let’s go.”

Qin Haoran said: “We depart as well.”

Not long after Jun Changxiao’s group left, dozens of big shots from the Hundred Sects Alliance each brought their own disciples, advancing toward the Holy Spring Sect in a mighty procession.

The Tiegu Sect going to challenge the Holy Spring Sect was truly an unprecedented feat throughout history.

As fellow forces in the same commandery, they ought to provide support, but their purpose in going was completely and utterly to watch the joke unfold.

Were there people going to support and cheer?

Who?

Xie Guangkun and the Ai Family.

Indeed, just as Jun Changxiao walked out of the Tiegu Mountain range, at a fork in the road he saw City Lord Xie and over a dozen family heads from Qingyang City’s major families.

“Sect Master Jun.”

Xie Guangkun cupped his fists: “I and the family heads, representing the three million six hundred thousand citizens of Qingyang City, wish to journey alongside the Tiegu Clanging Sect!”

“Many thanks!”

Jun Changxiao cupped his fists in return.

That they would provide support at this time made him very grateful, and he deeply understood that in this world, there were at least people with genuine feelings who supported him.

“Father.”

Li Qingyang called out to his father.

Family Head Li said: “My son, the Li Family is honored because of you!”

“Sect Master Jun.”

Just as Jun Changxiao was about to set out, from another road, Ai Shangni came hurrying over with Ai Shangfang and Ai Shangke, followed by quite a few family heads from Huyang City, including Song Xuanzhou’s father, Old Master Song.

Who said the protagonist must bear the destiny of being enemies with the entire world? Who said the whole world was plotting against the protagonist?

No.

In this cruel world, friendship also exists!

Even if this friendship might be built on business relationships, daring to accompany him to challenge the Holy Spring Sect—this was an iron-clad relationship!

“Everyone.”

Jun Changxiao said: “Today, you’ve come to cheer for my Tiegu Sect. This gratitude, I, Jun, will remember in my heart. In the future, if you ever have use for my Tiegu Sect, we will definitely do everything in our power to assist!”

He spoke quite seriously.

But the people who had come along responded with smiles.

They would never imagine that in the future, Sect Master Jun’s words would become so hard to obtain, so precious and invaluable!