“Let me tell you, if I wasn’t worried about making things look too ugly, those Martial Kings who surrounded me—I definitely could have taken care of them all.”
In the wilderness, Yun He sat on a rock covered in bumps, reeking of alcohol.
The wine fumes drifting through the air made Jun Changxiao doubt, “Are you really the Qingyang Commandery Governor?”
He had originally left, but remembering this person, he returned and rescued him from being beaten by the group.
“Nonsense.”
Yun He said, “Of course I’m the Qingyang Commandery Governor.”
Speaking thus, he retrieved from his spatial ring a gold-rimmed waist token carved with the five characters ‘Qingyang Commandery Governor.’
“Fine.”
Jun Changxiao said, “My commandery governor is a weirdo.”
“Brat.”
Yun He took another drink and grinned. “That Qingyang Commandery could produce a sect with limitless potential like yours—that’s due to my excellent leadership.”
Forget those Martial Kings who had just beaten him—even Jun Changxiao had the impulse to take action.
“Hey.”
Yun He pointed toward the perpetually burning flames in the distance and whispered, “Who’s inside? To be able to crush a Martial Emperor.”
Little Dragon’s battle form was a bit frightening, so when coming, Sect Master Jun had specifically instructed him to use flames to conceal himself and not reveal his appearance.
“The sect still has matters waiting for me to handle. I’ll take my leave first.” Jun Changxiao was too lazy to explain to him and stood up to leave.
“Wait!”
Yun He stood up, patted his shoulder, and said seriously, “I’m someone who enjoys traveling around mountains and rivers. I’ll leave Qingyang Commandery in your care from now on.”
“…” Jun Changxiao’s mouth twitched.
This fellow was thoroughly shirking his duties as an absentee governor. When could he himself be so carefree?
“Of course.”
Yun He said, “I won’t shortchange you either.”
Speaking thus, he tossed over a waist token. “From today on, you are the Qingyang Commandery Governor.”
Jun Changxiao was stunned.
However, seeing the waist token inscribed with the characters ‘Qingyang Commandery Vice Governor,’ his mouth twitched. “This is way too casual, isn’t it?”
“Kid!”
Yun He stood up to leave, waving his hand. “I’m leaving first.”
“Nutcase!”
Jun Changxiao muttered, then summoned Little Dragon and disappeared into the sky as a mass of firelight.
Yun He took a drink, gazing at the sky with bleary eyes, murmuring, “Little fellow, whether Qingyang Commandery can become stronger depends on your Iron Bones Sect.”
Thud—
He collapsed on the ground, sleeping soundly.
This time he was truly drunk, sleeping for several hours before waking up, then scratching his head with a bewildered expression. “How did I fall asleep here? Aih, blacked out from drinking again…”
“Forget it. Seeing as we’re both commandery governors, I won’t bother Zhuo Chaoqun anymore.”
“Huh?”
“A vice governor waist token is missing? I didn’t drunkenly give it to someone again, did I!”
…
Back to Jun Changxiao.
Held by Little Dragon, he quickly returned to the sect.
The disciples cultivating in the演武场 immediately surrounded him asking about the situation.
When they learned the Sect Master’s contracted beast had thoroughly thrashed Lingyuan Sect’s Martial Emperor and numerous Martial King upper echelon members, their eyes widened.
My heavens!
How awesome was that!
What a pity they couldn’t witness it with their own eyes.
“Master.”
Little Dragon’s form reverted to its previous appearance, then collapsed on the ground, saying weakly, “I need to rest for a while.”
…
On the day Lingyuan Sect held its lecture, Jun Changxiao flew over and thoroughly beat the Grand Elder, the Commandery Governor, and others—this matter immediately spread throughout Southwest Yang Province!
“What?”
The Magic Fiend Sect branch’s Grand Hall Master stood up upon receiving the intelligence, shocked. “That fellow can defeat a Martial Emperor?”
“Reporting to the Grand Hall Master!”
His subordinate said, “It wasn’t Jun Changxiao who acted. It was a mysterious person shrouded in flames. Lingyuan Sect’s Grand Elder was completely beaten without any ability to fight back!”
“This strong?”
The Grand Hall Master’s brows furrowed tightly. “Could this small Iron Bones Sect have an even more powerful existence?”
The God-Slaying Palace branch also received the news. The Hall Master was similarly shocked and speculating, “Was it that Martial Emperor who acted? To easily crush Yu Hongtai completely—the rank must be very high!”
The matter of crashing Lingyuan Sect’s場子 spread wider and wider, with news reaching the Tianyu Royal City.
Situ Haoyun and Yi Tianxing were also shocked for a good while after learning about it.
Of course.
Many people discussed who exactly the mysterious person shrouded in flames was.
This was destined to remain an unsolved mystery.
After receiving the news, Princess Honglian fell into brief contemplation, thinking silently, “Must be a fire element expert.”
…
News about the Iron Bones Sect continued spreading through Southwest Yang Province. Many martial artists also realized this small sect not only had a dual Sword and Martial King, but also a Martial Emperor expert!
For a time, many youths harboring dreams flooded toward Qingyang Commandery from all directions, just to join this sect of extraordinary potential that ranked in the top three!
“Line up properly, one at a time!”
Outside the Iron Bones Sect main gate, Li Qingyang and Xiao Zuiji were maintaining order.
Ning Duxing and Ning Duzui sat at a table, beside which sat a large stack of entry forms. The two now not only taught disciples but had the additional job of recruiting disciples.
“Greetings, Elder!”
A youth walked over.
Ning Duxing said, “Name, gender, age, spirit root, cultivation.”
“My name is Yang Lan, male, nineteen years old, low-grade spirit root…”
The youth was introducing himself when Ning Duxing interrupted, “Spirit root too low, doesn’t meet entry requirements.”
Jun Changxiao had the two of them recruit disciples with the condition that at minimum they needed middle-grade spirit roots—low-grade need not be considered.
“Elder!”
Yang Lan said, “My martial dao spirit root is poor, but my array formation spirit root is high!”
“Oh?”
Ning Duxing said, “You understand array formations?”
Yang Lan handed over a token. “This can prove it.”
The token was carved with extremely complex patterns that at first glance resembled some kind of array formation, inscribed with the four seal characters ‘First-Rank Array Apprentice.’
The array formation path also had grade divisions.
This first-rank array apprentice was completely just entry-level.
After Ning Duxing and Ning Duzui exchanged glances, he picked up his brush and began filling out the entry form, then directly stamped it with the seal. “Go in. Someone will receive you.”
Yang Lan bowed with clasped fists. “Many thanks, Elders.”
“Even a first-rank array apprentice can join?”
Someone muttered.
Su Xiaomo proclaimed loudly, “Our Iron Bones Sect recruits disciples based first on spirit root aptitude, second on special talents. Even the lowest-level medicinal herbalists will be accepted.”
“I see!” The crowd understood.
Those who had originally worried their aptitude wouldn’t pass but possessed special skills suddenly became confident.
“I understand medicine!”
“Go in.”
“I… I’m a second-rank medicinal herbalist…”
“Go in.”
In one day, over a hundred disciples were accepted, including forty to fifty middle-grade spirit root youths, with the rest having special skills.
After cultivating, Jun Changxiao took the entry statistics form and saw Yang Lan’s name, murmuring, “The array formation path is very mysterious. We can cultivate some array formation masters.”
The Thirty-Two Strange Gates Formation contained many types of arrays. He didn’t have time to research them all. If there were disciples who understood array formations, he could hand them over to research and benefit the sect.
—