That same afternoon.

The Murong family received the letter sent by the Myriad Ages Sect.

The content was—Eight direct descendants of your esteemed family failed in their challenge at our Myriad Ages Sect and have become prisoners. Please prepare two hundred thousand spirit stones and come ransom them within five days, or bear the consequences.

This was similar to kidnappers calling for ransom money—if you don’t cooperate, we’ll tear up the ticket. Only Jun Changxiao could pull off this style.

Because other righteous sects would definitely care about face.

Don’t even mention it.

This style of the Myriad Ages Sect immediately retaliating against anyone who offended them was not that of a righteous sect—it was more like an evil sect.

However.

Calling them an evil sect was inappropriate.

Back when Zhenyang Commandery invaded, the entire sect mobilized to defend Qingyang City, sparing the common people from the baptism of war—something evil sects would find very hard to do.

So the outside world’s definition of the Myriad Ages Sect placed them somewhere between righteous and evil.

Jun Changxiao didn’t care about righteousness or evil. He only sought to act as his heart desired.

“Slam!”

The Murong family head slapped the table with one palm, roaring: “A bunch of good-for-nothings who accomplish nothing but ruin everything!”

Two hundred thousand spirit stones.

For a family, this was definitely a huge sum!

The Grand Elder said furiously: “Even if the direct descendants went to challenge and lost, they shouldn’t be detained and imprisoned. The Myriad Ages Sect is clearly trying to extort us!”

“It’s intolerable!”

The Second Elder stood up, saying through gritted teeth: “Family Head, this old man is willing to go to the Myriad Ages Sect to demand their release. If they refuse, we’ll declare war on the Myriad Ages Sect directly!”

“Declare war?”

The Murong family head said coldly: “Do you think our Murong family is stronger than the Demonic Evil Sect?”

“This…”

“Or do you think we can compete with the God-Slaying Palace?”

The Second Elder fell silent, then sat down.

The Murong family head said: “Two third-rate evil sects obediently paid spirit stones to ransom their people. If our Murong family declares war, wouldn’t that be asking for humiliation!”

A family’s direct descendants could be brain-damaged, but the family head had to be smart—otherwise how could they survive in this cruel world?

The Murong family head was very smart.

After learning about the three-year agreement, he made no public statement and chose to observe coldly, since this was a matter between the Myriad Ages Sect and the Lily Sacred Sect after all.

But those spoiled direct descendants, after one moment of inattention, went and courted death by challenging them!

“Family Head!”

The Grand Elder said: “What do we do now?”

“What else can we do!”

The Murong family head’s heart was bleeding: “Hurry and prepare the spirit stones and ransom those bastards back for me!”

Murong Shaolin and the others were the youngest generation of direct descendants representing the family. If something happened to them, it would definitely be an unacceptable blow!

Whether a family could continue its glory depended entirely on the younger generation of direct descendants. If losses occurred on this point, the most serious consequence would be directly heading toward decline.

So even knowing Jun Changxiao was extorting and blackmailing, the Murong family head had to obediently cooperate.

……

Myriad Ages Sect, at the mountain’s foot.

Murong Shaolin and the others, their faces bruised and swollen, followed behind the Grand Elder like frightened rabbits.

Two hundred thousand spirit stones bought back their freedom.

However.

The devastation to both spirit and flesh seemed like a brand deeply imprinted in their hearts.

Most tragic was Murong Shaolin.

After being wildly beaten by Ye Xingchen, he developed psychological trauma.

After returning home, every night he would have nightmares, then clutch his head and beg in terror: “Stop hitting, stop hitting!”

Sigh.

This could also be considered a form of growth.

Jun Changxiao sat in the great hall, playing with several spatial rings in his hand, smiling: “Originally we had nothing to do with each other. They insisted on coming to deliver spirit stones to me. The Murong family are truly good people.”

Easily earning two hundred thousand spirit stones—beautiful.

Li Luoqiu said: “Recently the martial world has been discussing our Myriad Ages Sect going to challenge the Lily Sacred Sect.”

Jun Changxiao rubbed his chin: “Someone must have deliberately spread the news.”

The three-year agreement belonged to a private arrangement between two sects. He’d never mentioned it publicly. Now that the news was spreading like wildfire, there was definitely a mastermind behind the scenes fanning the flames.

“It should be the Lily Sacred Sect unilaterally spreading it, wanting the whole world to see how our Myriad Ages Sect doesn’t know our own limits.”

Jun Changxiao murmured.

Li Luoqiu’s ear received a voice transmission.

After a moment, she said: “Sect Master, we just received news. The continent’s largest betting merchant has opened odds, and the win-loss ratio all favors the Lily Sacred Sect.”

“Is that so?”

Jun Changxiao was quite surprised.

He hadn’t expected that the agreement battle with the Lily Sacred Sect could even alarm betting merchants.

Li Luoqiu said: “Many second and third-rate sects have publicly stated they’ll go to the Lily Sacred Sect to observe the battle on the day of the agreement.”

“Be specific.” Jun Changxiao said.

After some tallying, Li Luoqiu said: “At least twenty fourth-rate sects, five third-rate sects, and two second-rate sects—specifically the Blazing Flame Sacred Sect and the Imperial Sword Sacred Sect.”

Jun Changxiao rubbed his chin: “I extorted quite a few spirit stones from the Blazing Flame Sacred Sect in Nanhuang Prefecture. They’re coming to observe, probably with the intent of watching our Myriad Ages Sect make fools of ourselves.”

Li Luoqiu said: “The Imperial Sword Sacred Sect has an alliance relationship with the Lily Sacred Sect.”

“Is that so?”

This surprised Jun Changxiao greatly.

The Imperial Sword Sacred Sect was one of the few sword sects on the Xingyun Continent that primarily cultivated the sword path, with very formidable strength.

Of course.

Not all disciples cultivated the sword path—after all, sword cultivators’ appearance rate was too low.

“When I bring disciples to challenge the Lily Sacred Sect, will this second-rate sword sect jump out?” Jun Changxiao murmured.

Li Luoqiu said: “Hard to say.”

Jun Changxiao rubbed his temples: “Going to challenge a second-rate sect is more troublesome than I imagined.”

……

“Crack, crack!”

The sound of bones shattering rang out, making one’s head feel like bursting.

Xiao Ziji’s fists clenched tight. Although his face had already twisted hideously, he didn’t cry out once.

About half a double-hour passed.

That force like separating tendons and dislocating bones dissipated. His whole person immediately collapsed limply.

What was he doing? He was tempering.

Where was he tempering? The Tempering Tower’s fourth floor!

The first floor tempered the physical body, the second floor tempered movement techniques, the third floor tempered spiritual energy, and the fourth floor tempered sinews and bones.

Tempering sinews and bones.

Was equivalent to secondary development of the body’s potential, making it more firm and hard.

The tempering process was like shattering all the bones in one’s body, then reconnecting them. The pain it brought could be described as worse than death.

After Xiao Ziji fully adapted to the first three floors’ tempering, he’d already ascended to the fourth floor a month ago and begun the most rigorous secondary physical tempering.

As the three-year agreement drew ever closer, his cultivation also became more diligent. So his tempering time was longer than usual.

Although he’d recovered his aptitude and was even stronger than before.

Xiao Ziji was obsessed with physical body sculpting. Given the conditions, he would forge ahead relentlessly.

The sect’s meat shield role was truly well-deserved!

“Step.”

Just then, Ye Xingchen, who was also tempering sinews and bones on the fourth floor, walked toward the stairs leading to the fifth floor, saying: “Only knowing how to temper the physical body makes you a wooden stake that only takes beatings. The soul aspect must also be tempered.”