When the branch halls all began operating, many provincial and commandery cities immediately exploded, because Myriad Ancients Sect branch halls uniformly announced externally they were recruiting capable talents with extremely generous treatment!

For example!

Sincerely recruiting fifty salespeople, monthly salary of ten thousand taels, more work equals more pay!

Sincerely recruiting ten branch hall guardians—peak Martial Grandmasters get monthly salary of five spirit stones, Martial King level gets monthly salary of ten natural spirit stones.

Condition: only recruiting rogue cultivators externally. Any martial cultivators with forces or families please don’t disturb.

Those performing well during their tenure could be recommended by the branch hall to become Myriad Ancients Sect members.

Once this recruitment advertisement was released, it immediately set off tremendous waves in various cities. Many rogue cultivators couldn’t help but become restless.

“After struggling outside most of my life with no achievements, why not give it a try!”

“Let’s go, let’s go—we’ll register!”

For a time, before Myriad Ancients Sect branch halls in various provinces and commanderies, crowds were truly overwhelming. Among them were indeed peak Martial Grandmasters, even Martial King level experts!

They didn’t really care about the monthly salary—they were extremely moved by the possibility of becoming Myriad Ancients Sect members.

Actually, many martial cultivators had plans to join, but after inquiring, learned that this top-three potential sect generally chose young people with decent aptitude when recruiting disciples.

Helping Myriad Ancients Sect work not only provided wages but also entry opportunities—why not?

“Sect Master.”

Li Luoqiu made her routine report: “Various branch halls have successively recruited quite a few Martial Grandmasters, including ten at Martial King cultivation.”

“Not bad, not bad.”

Jun Changxiao said: “Observe them more. Those sincerely here to work can be brought into the sect.”

“Mm.”

Li Luoqiu paused: “Just received news—Lily Sacred Sect’s people are currently en route to visit.”

“Oh?”

Jun Changxiao said with surprise: “Why have they come?”

Before long, Lily Sacred Sect’s visiting letter was delivered.

The letter hadn’t even arrived yet, but the information was obtained in advance—this showed Myriad Ancients Sect’s intelligence gathering was already extremely excellent.

“The three-year agreement is approaching.”

Jun Changxiao supported his chin, murmuring: “What does it mean that they’re sending people at this time?”

Li Luoqiu said: “Perhaps they want to come sound out the situation.”

Jun Changxiao grinned: “Is my Myriad Ancients Sect’s foundation so easy to sound out?”

……

Boom!

Boom!

In the training room, Xiao Zuiji repeatedly struck the testing machine. The power values constantly changed, and his entire body was drenched in sweat.

Every day after completing cultivation, he would come here to test. Even if it was just one jin of improvement, he felt it was extremely precious.

Only by truly experiencing loss could one understand how hard-won regaining it was.

Xiao Zuiji was very grateful to the Sect Master.

Without him, there would be no present self.

Constantly growing stronger and defending this sect with his life—this was Xiao Zuiji’s life goal.

“Zuiji.”

Jun Changxiao leaned against the doorframe: “An elder from Lily Sacred Sect will visit shortly, bringing disciples.”

Xiao Zuiji froze.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said quietly: “Is she coming along too?”

“Mm.”

According to the latest intelligence sent by the branch hall, Murong Xin was also coming.

Xiao Zuiji exhaled, shaking his head: “Has she come to humiliate me again?”

He would never forget that scene several years ago when his cultivation regressed and he became a waste, when Murong Xin brought Lily Sacred Sect’s people to the Xiao Family to break off the engagement.

“Family Head Xiao, this old woman has come for no other reason than to hope my disciple can dissolve the engagement with your family’s direct lineage. If you must have a reason, then it’s that he’s not worthy.”

“Your Xiao Family being able to produce a supreme-grade spirit root genius could be considered an enormous blessing. However, this level is commonplace in my Lily Sacred Sect, so the engagement must be broken today.”

Every sentence, every word spoken by Lily Sacred Sect’s elder when she came to the Xiao Family pierced Xiao Zuiji’s heart. Whenever he dreamed of it, he couldn’t help but subconsciously clench his fists.

He had no feelings for Murong Xin—breaking the engagement didn’t matter.

You’re lofty and superior, I’m an ant—that also didn’t matter!

But why must you viciously trample with your feet!

“What?”

“This kid has lost his spirit root, and his cultivation has regressed too?”

When Lily Sacred Sect’s elder learned of Xiao Zuiji’s recent situation, that haughty expression became even more intense.

“Without spirit root or cultivation, he’s thoroughly and completely worthless—naturally even more unworthy of Junior Sister Murong.”

“This is the first time I’ve heard of spirit roots falling. It seems your Xiao Family hasn’t done fewer things that defy heaven’s principles on ordinary days.”

“Junior Sister coming to break the engagement is truly a wise move. Otherwise, marrying such trash would ruin her entire life.”

The Lily Sacred Sect disciples who came along initially remained silent, perhaps thinking their aptitude wasn’t as good as Xiao Zuiji’s. But upon learning he’d lost his aptitude and cultivation, they all jumped out to mock him. Their words were so sharp that the Xiao Family’s upper echelon couldn’t help but feel angry.

They weren’t angry that Lily Sacred Sect was bullying people too much—they were angry that this direct lineage member who’d brought honor to the family had now brought endless humiliation!

“Elder Cheng.”

Family Head Xiao smiled: “We’ll break this engagement.”

A second-rate sect was an insurmountable colossus to the Xiao Family—naturally they didn’t dare have any defiance.

“This is ten thousand taels of silver.”

Lily Sacred Sect’s elder’s tone remained consistently arrogant: “Consider it compensation for dissolving the engagement.”

Witnessing the family head accept that banknote representing ‘humiliation,’ Xiao Zuiji finally couldn’t help but spray out a mouthful of blood.

“I’m sorry.”

Before leaving, Murong Xin had said these words.

Even when leaving, you still have to humiliate me?

Xiao Zuiji clenched his fists tight, fingernails embedding into flesh. Blood dripped out drop by drop, yet he felt not the slightest pain.

Because this small pain compared to the pain of trampled dignity was nothing at all.

After Lily Sacred Sect’s people left, the Xiao Family immediately convened a family meeting—oh no, it was a criticism assembly to inflict secondary harm on Xiao Zuiji.

That day.

Xiao Zuiji didn’t know how he survived it.

When he gradually regained consciousness, he’d already been expelled by the family.

The harm from Lily Sacred Sect, plus being abandoned by the Xiao Family, left him completely disheartened. He wandered outside for a full five years.

Killing requires nothing more than a nod of the head.

This kind of devastation to dignity and spirit was truly most fatal.

Recalling those unbearable memories, Xiao Zuiji once again subconsciously clenched his fists, his face slightly contorted.

Breaking the engagement.

That could be accepted!

But that kind of trampling on dignity—no man could accept it!

This was also why Xiao Zuiji consistently couldn’t forgive Murong Xin—because every time he saw her, he would recall that near-demonic visage of Lily Sacred Sect.

Jun Changxiao leaned against the doorframe the entire time without speaking.

Though he hadn’t witnessed the engagement-breaking scene, he could guess that when a second-rate sect brought Murong Xin to break the engagement, there must have been much verbal humiliation to show their superior attitude.

So when that woman previously visited Myriad Ancients Sect, it prompted Xiao Zuiji to set the three-year agreement—not to prove how remarkable he could become in the future, but purely to use strength to reclaim the dignity he’d lost!

“Humiliation?”

Jun Changxiao’s eyes turned cold: “My Myriad Ancients Sect disciples—no one can, must not, and dare not!”