Mount Hua was no stranger to Jun Changxiao—not to the Jun Changxiao of the past, nor to the Jun Changxiao of the present, since this was his second visit.

Thinking back to those days.

Ascending the mountain peak to exchange techniques with various sects, and incidentally letting his disciples show off and slap some faces—how carefree that had been.

“Step.”

Treading upon the ancient stone steps, since it wasn’t the period of the Mount Hua Martial Tournament, there was no gravity array in place, making the entire journey as easy as walking on flat ground.

Of course.

Even if the array had been active, with the current strength of Eternal Sect disciples, it would have been virtually useless anyway.

Before long.

Jun Changxiao led the group to the mountain summit.

Standing on the smooth platform used for martial contests, memories of the past flooded back vividly, yet now everything had changed…

“Sigh.”

Jun Changxiao raised his head at a forty-five-degree angle, gazing at the sky, just about to speak.

“Can you not act all melancholy and sentimental!” the System complained at an inopportune moment.

Jun Changxiao replied, “What do you know? This is called atmosphere!”

His carefully cultivated emotions disrupted, he lost interest in being sentimental and instead ordered, “Old Zhen, reinforce the platform with an array formation to prevent the entire mountaintop from being destroyed before we’ve even properly thrashed a few evil sect disciples.”

“Mm.”

Zhen Dejun began walking around, then started setting up a stabilizing array formation around the platform’s perimeter.

The System said, “The host could rub his face back and forth on it to check if the stone slabs meet ISO quality management system certification standards.”

“…”

Jun Changxiao vowed that if this thing had a physical form, he would definitely give it a thorough beating to avenge all these various taunts!

…

Because they arrived rather quickly, there were no other forces on Mount Hua yet.

However, after waiting half a day, martial artists from various sects coming to watch the excitement gradually arrived.

“Sect Leader Jun!”

A sect leader cupped his hands and smiled.

Currently speaking, apart from a very few exceptions, most third, fourth, and fifth-rate sects highly recognized Eternal Sect—after all, winning the Dragon-Tiger Championship proved everything.

Since they already had sufficient respect, why were they still not optimistic about Eternal Sect in the upcoming duels?

The entire reason lay in the no-rules death matches.

Events like the Dragon-Tiger Championship ultimately had rule restrictions, but death matches had no such concerns—the only options were to kill or be killed.

When it came to killing people, evil sect disciples were obviously more adept than righteous sect disciples.

Moreover, even if the evil sects were somewhat weaker in strength, who knew what unknown methods they might have in death matches that could turn the tables?

In short.

Many sects recognized Eternal Sect’s strength.

But because the duel format involved life and death, people were more inclined toward the evil sects whose reputation had long been deeply ingrained in their impressions.

What’s more.

This was challenging two third-rate evil sects.

No one looked down on Eternal Sect—even the challenged Demonic Fiend Sect was quite wary initially, only gaining confidence because no-rules death matches were what they were best at.

Jun Changxiao’s agreement and choice to fight two at once wasn’t just to improve rankings, but also to tell the world: My Eternal Sect can play both light and dark games, and we’re ready to fight to the end!

…

“Sect Leader Jun, long admired, long admired!”

“Too kind, too kind!”

The sect leaders ascending the mountain peak cupped their hands in friendly greeting, and as Jun Changxiao was part of the sect circle, he naturally wouldn’t neglect proper etiquette.

Able to show off, able to be modest.

This was the true way of conducting oneself in the world.

“Sect Leader.”

While cordially conversing with several sect leaders, Li Qingyang transmitted mentally, “Palace Master Xi has arrived.”

“My apologies, I must step away briefly for something.”

Jun Changxiao cupped his hands and walked toward Xi Jingxuan, who had just ascended while being supported by Li’er, greeting her with a smile: “Palace Master Xi, we meet again.”

Xi Jingxuan smiled, “Sect Leader Jun challenging two third-rate evil sects truly takes courage.”

“You flatter me, you flatter me,” Jun Changxiao replied.

Xi Jingxuan said, “I also wish your esteemed sect great victory and renown throughout the world.”

Behind her, Zhangsun Fanghua and Leng Xingyue exchanged glances, a trace of helplessness appearing between their brows.

The Palace Master represented Sublime Magnificence Palace—even if she came to cheer for Eternal Sect, she shouldn’t openly voice support in public, otherwise it would be all too easy to offend the two third-rate evil sects.

Hearing Xi Jingxuan’s words, sect leaders from various forces quietly muttered among themselves—could it be that Sublime Magnificence Palace’s Palace Master was openly taking such a stance because she had some unspeakable relationship with Jun Changxiao?

“Sect Leader Jun and Palace Master Xi are both sect leaders of equal standing and similar age—absolutely a talented man and beautiful woman, a match made in heaven,” a fourth-rate sect leader said with a smile.

“Indeed.”

Many martial artists agreed.

As one of the parties involved, Xi Jingxuan’s face immediately turned red upon hearing this.

Jun Changxiao smiled awkwardly, “Jun and Palace Master Xi are merely friends. Please don’t misunderstand, everyone.”

“Understood, understood.” Everyone laughed.

Clearly, no matter how Jun Changxiao’s destined-to-be-alone attribute manifested, they had already decided the two had a relationship, or perhaps because they were public figures they didn’t dare expose it and could only secretly develop an underground romance.

Indeed.

Sect Leader Jun was currently in his career’s ascent period—if he went public with a romance, it would affect things in various ways.

The most terrifying things in the world were—forceful speculation and having a gossipy heart.

“Demonic Fiend Sect has arrived!”

“God-Slaying Hall has arrived too!”

Suddenly, someone shouted at the top of their lungs.

Everyone withdrew their minds full of gossip and either activated their spiritual sense or looked down the mountain to see Demonic Fiend Sect’s sect leader and God-Slaying Hall’s hall master leading large groups of disciples up the mountain.

“Whoosh whoosh!”

The people hadn’t yet arrived, but evil qi came first.

Martial artists whose cultivation wasn’t particularly high all shivered, their gazes filled with deep wariness.

Even if a righteous sect had extremely high cultivation, it would only inspire awe, but an evil sect, no matter how weak, could still inspire fear—this was the greatest difference between the two.

“Step! Step! Step!”

Demonic Fiend Sect’s sect leader and God-Slaying Hall’s hall master strode up with large steps.

Though these two brothers looked calm on the surface, seeing Jun Changxiao made their hearts feel somewhat uncertain.

Others’ understanding of Eternal Sect might still be stuck at the Dragon-Tiger Championship, but they, as third-rate evil sects, had already received news that this sect recently dominated a mineral vein and forced back first and second-rate sects!

It’s fine, it’s fine.

They merely relied on special firearms—in true no-rules fighting, the outcome was still uncertain.

…

With the arrival of the two evil sects, the banquet-like atmosphere atop Mount Hua was disrupted, becoming incomparably murderous.

Many martial artists quieted down, with only Eternal Sect disciples remaining calm and composed, even looking at their upcoming opponents with strange smiles curling at the corners of their mouths.

Demonic Fiend Sect and God-Slaying Hall disciples felt uneasy.

Especially remembering the scenes of many Eternal Sect disciples who participated in the Dragon-Tiger Championship battling first-rate sect disciples, they immediately lost what little confidence they had.

This wasn’t friendship first, sparring second.

This was a true life-and-death battlefield.

Don’t think too little of yourself, and don’t think too highly of your opponents!

The two evil sects’ disciples rallied themselves mentally, but seeing Eternal Sect disciples’ ill-intentioned smiles again, they couldn’t rally even a tiny bit of spirit!

Pressure.

Invisible pressure!

“Sect Leader Ren, is it?” Jun Changxiao looked toward Demonic Fiend Sect’s sect leader, smiling, “Do you still want my blade?”

“…” Demonic Fiend Sect’s sect leader’s mouth twitched.

The grudge between Demonic Fiend Sect and Eternal Sect originated from that year when challenging Sacred Spring Sect, Jun Changxiao used the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade—thinking back on it now, he wished he could slap his own face.

“Hall Master Han, have you recently stuck your neck out for any other evil sects?” Jun Changxiao looked at God-Slaying Hall’s hall master, his face showing an even broader smile.

God-Slaying Hall’s hall master’s facial expression was quite colorful, equally full of regret—back when several evil sects were eliminated, why did his branch have to join in the excitement and instigate other evil sects to punish Eternal Sect?

“You two.”

Jun Changxiao said, “Enough idle talk—let’s begin the duels now.”

“How shall we duel?” Sect Leader Ren asked.

Jun Changxiao replied, “Disciples duel with disciples, elders duel with elders, sect leaders duel with sect leaders. One-on-one is fine, group fights are acceptable too—however many matches your two sects want to fight, my Eternal Sect is ready to fight to the end.”

These words were quite audacious.

This chapter’s cliffhanger definitely…

—