“Master Uncle, Master Uncle… you, you pinch me!”

This was the voice of Sect Master Zheng Yao, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Fudao Shanren’s hands were trembling, the greasy chicken leg seeming to have a life of its own, constantly sliding between his two hands.

Damn it, why was this chicken leg so restless today?

He could only grip the chicken leg tightly with both hands to ensure it wouldn’t drop.

Hearing Zheng Yao shouting over there, he didn’t think twice before scolding: “This old man also wants someone to pinch me! What are you howling about!”

Good heavens, this was a Tianpan!

Someone come slap them! See if they were dreaming!

That girl Jian Chou was truly too wicked, too wicked!

At the very beginning, not answering him was one thing, but at the start of the battle, she didn’t reveal her battle disc. When the fighting began, the battle disc was again concealed within purple light.

They had to wait until the fight was over, until she kicked that chattering Zhou Baozhu away, before they could see it!

It truly scared Shanren so much that he nearly dropped his chicken leg!

After the purple light phantom dispersed, standing on the Sword Drawing Platform beneath Jian Chou’s feet was a fully illuminated battle disc!

Each Kunxian line was as lustrous as jade!

Fully illuminated Kunxian lines, a fully illuminated battle disc—what did this mean?

A perfect battle disc, a Tianpan!

The words “Tianpan” were already spinning endlessly in the minds of these two unreliable people. They were so excited that they couldn’t even speak.

On the mountain wall, following Qu Zhengfeng, the others finally heard the word “Tianpan” and fell into endless shock.

On the Sword Drawing Platform, Jian Chou still stood in place.

This time, she had held back her strength. The spiritual energy in her body hadn’t fully recovered either. This strike was comparable to the one at the Scripture Pavilion.

But even so, Zhou Baozhu, who had been so arrogant before, was now severely injured and coughing up blood, lying in the arms of another female cultivator from the Jianzhu Sect, unable to say a word.

She quietly observed Zhou Baozhu below, meeting an extremely shocked and unwilling gaze.

Jian Chou wordlessly held the Liwai Mirror and took two steps outward.

Among the three female cultivators from the Jianzhu Sect she had seen in the hall earlier, the more mediocre one was now holding Zhou Baozhu, looking at Jian Chou with terror on her face, while the one who had been timid and fearful before had drawn her sword in this instant.

“You’ve already won, must you still drive us to extinction?”

This was somewhat unexpected for Jian Chou.

She looked down at her steps, then at the other’s startled, bird-like expression, and couldn’t help but laugh.

Drive them to extinction?

Did she look that frightening?

She couldn’t help but speak: “All of this is merely her own doing. In the past, your Jianzhu Sect could abuse your power to bully others. Today, I, Yashan, abuse our power to bully others. Using the same standards, what’s wrong is there?”

The young woman couldn’t help but fall silent, biting her lip, hesitating as she looked at Jian Chou for a long while before finally putting away her sword, clasping her hands together, and bowing deeply.

“This time it was our sect overestimating ourselves, with many improper behaviors. Senior Jian Chou is magnanimous—please show mercy and spare Senior Sister Zhou.”

“Jiang Ling! What are you saying!”

A difficult, sharp rebuke came through gritted teeth from the severely injured Zhou Baozhu.

She glared fiercely at the young woman before her, as if she wanted to devour her alive.

Jiang Ling’s body trembled violently, but she lowered her head even further, still speaking to Jian Chou.

“This junior knows well that when Senior Sister Jian Chou did not stand idly by when Senior Sister Nie was in trouble, she truly is someone with righteous principles. Now, Senior Sister Zhou has paid the price for her arrogant words, but she is not the instigator after all. If Senior Jian Chou could spare us, once we return to the Jianzhu Sect, this junior will certainly explain today’s events to our master and sect leader, conveying Yashan’s intentions. I believe the sect leader will surely change her mind. This way, there can be a solution that benefits both sides.”

“Nonsense! You… cough cough…” Zhou Baozhu was furious, and while speaking, she coughed up quite a bit more blood.

The female cultivator holding her was nearly in tears from anxiety.

“Senior Sister Zhou, don’t move, don’t move…”

“What are you still standing there for? Quickly… quickly stop her for me!”

How shameful for the Jianzhu Sect to bow to Yashan in broad daylight!

When she returned to the Jianzhu Sect, when she recovered from her injuries, she’d see how she’d deal with her!

The female cultivator looked at Zhou Baozhu, then at Jiang Ling, who stood with her back to them but shielded them behind her, then looked up at Jian Chou standing high on the Sword Drawing Platform, watching them.

This female cultivator finally slowly lowered her head, not following Zhou Baozhu’s words.

This time, no matter how Zhou Baozhu berated her, she acted as if she hadn’t heard.

This scene was rather interesting.

Jian Chou’s gaze toward this young woman, Jiang Ling became somewhat appreciative.

However, to let them go just like that seemed a bit too easy.

She put her hands behind her back, placing the Liwai Mirror behind her, and asked with a smile: “You say to let you go, to let you return and explain the situation to your Jianzhu Sect elders—empty words, how dare I trust you? Who knows if you’ll directly slander my Yashan when you return? Besides, I see you’re just an unknown junior in the Jianzhu Sect. How could you possibly persuade your sect’s elders to change their minds?”

Hitting the mark directly.

Jian Chou’s words were perfectly reasonable.

One could tell Jiang Ling’s position in the Jianzhu Sect just by looking—trembling with fear when she first arrived, not daring to say half a word, and now standing up ultimately to protect Zhou Baozhu and safeguard her two fellow disciples, yet being berated and threatened by Zhou Baozhu.

With little influence and a weak voice, it was inevitable that Jian Chou wouldn’t trust her.

Jiang Ling knew this herself.

Her lips were bright red, her teeth snow white, and when she bit them, she used considerable force, as if the more force she used, the calmer she could become.

After hesitating for a long time, Jiang Ling finally seemed to make up her mind and spoke: “This junior dare not guarantee that I can persuade the sect elders, but if Senior Jian Chou doesn’t spare us, this matter will be impossible.”

Upon hearing this, Jian Chou couldn’t help but nod, praising: “That makes sense.”

Getting this word of approval from Jian Chou, Jiang Ling’s pale face immediately flushed bright red, as if encouraged, and she continued speaking.

“If Senior Jian Chou would show mercy, first, Yashan’s reputation is widely known in the Central Domain, and our sect elders all respect it greatly, not daring to disregard Yashan’s thoughts; second, Senior Jian Chou greatly protected Senior Sister Nie from Wuwang Studio, and Senior Jian Chou’s exceptional talent makes her unmatched—our sect elders surely wouldn’t want to create another powerful enemy; moreover, today’s battle was because Senior Sister Zhou spoke inappropriately, and our sect elders will certainly be able to distinguish right from wrong.”

The reason the Jianzhu Sect would send someone to apologize to Yashan alone was that they thought Yashan would stay out of this matter, and thought Jian Chou would choose to stay out of it. They never expected that, whether it was Yashan or Jian Chou, they both seemed determined to wade into these muddy waters.

Such a contrast was something no one could have anticipated.

If the Jianzhu Sect elders learned of this, even if they had a thousand or ten thousand reasons to be unwilling, they would only choose to temporarily bow to Yashan and handle this matter beautifully.

Jiang Ling’s analysis, though using some rather pleasant words to embellish it, essentially said that the Jianzhu Sect was pragmatic enough.

This wasn’t praise, even being too utilitarian.

But this was the reality of the Jianzhu Sect.

Jian Chou still had to say that Jiang Ling was a very smart person, but unfortunately…

She had joined the Jianzhu Sect.

Seeing that Jian Chou hadn’t spoken for a long time, Jiang Ling’s heart hung even higher.

“I wonder, what does Senior Jian Chou think?”

“…”

Jian Chou steadily looked down at the young woman below, and for a moment, she thought of Nie Xiaowan. Her gaze became somewhat complex as she looked toward Fudao Shanren and Zheng Yao in the distance, and those fellow disciples who were watching her.

Finally, she turned her gaze back: “There’s one thing you said that I quite like—that I’m not like your Senior Sister Zhou, someone who distorts facts and kills innocent people. I’ve already won and had no intention of driving you to extinction, just teasing you a bit. As for whether to let you go… I think you should ask our sect master.”

Jiang Ling stared with eyes wide in near astonishment, hardly daring to believe what she had heard.

Standing on that high Sword Drawing Platform, Jian Chou’s figure was gilded with a layer of dazzling silver light by the sunlight falling from above. Looking up from below, one could only vaguely see that silhouette against the light, and even her facial expression was blurry.

However, Jiang Ling could feel that Senior Jian Chou seemed to be smiling quite happily.

She took quite a while to react, finally understanding that she had escaped danger, and cast grateful eyes toward Jian Chou.

Suddenly relaxing from extreme tension, she nearly collapsed to the ground.

Zheng Yao and Fudao Shanren, who had been watching from afar, saw that the timing was right and impatiently rushed over, also landing on the Sword Drawing Platform.

Before Jiang Ling could ask anything, Zheng Yao generously waved his hand: “It’s none of your business anymore, hurry up and leave!”

Hurry up and leave!

What big deal was one Jianzhu Sect?

They didn’t care at all!

Right now, they only had two words in their hearts—Tianpan!

Tianpan, Tianpan, Tianpan…

Zheng Yao’s heart was burning with excitement. After dismissing the Jianzhu Sect members with one sentence, he eagerly crowded next to Jian Chou.

Those two eyes were practically glowing.

“Senior Sister! Senior Sister!”

“Girl Jian Chou, you’re simply too wicked. How can you bully an old man like this?”

Fudao Shanren couldn’t think of a second accusatory sentence.

Jian Chou stood on the Sword Drawing Platform, forcibly restraining the urge to hold her forehead, glancing at the group of speechless Yashan disciples below, suddenly wanting to bang her head against the ground.

There were still so many people here, and you two were the pillars of Yashan!

“That… Sect Master, Master, you… Could you pay attention a bit… There are still so many people here…”

Her voice was extremely low, afraid of being overheard.

Fudao Shanren and the sect master unhesitatingly sent Jian Chou a pair of eye rolls, with only one thought in their hearts: Image, what good is image! Is an image worth any money? Is it more important than Tianpan? Is it more important than Tianpan? Is it more important than Tianpan?!

Fudao Shanren was about ready to grab Jian Chou by the neck, only asking: “Just tell me, is it a Tianpan or not?”

Zheng Yao nodded repeatedly: “Right, right, speak up, speak up!”

Hadn’t they just seen it themselves?

Jian Chou actually couldn’t explain it very clearly herself. She only said: “Your disciple only knows that all the Kunxian lines on the battle disc did indeed light up, but doesn’t know if it’s a Tianpan.”

“Silly girl!”

Fudao Shanren unhesitatingly gave Jian Chou a new title.

“If all the Kunxian lines light up, it’s naturally a Tianpan! You truly live up to being my disciple, able to act foolish at a time like this!”

This voice was quite loud. The remaining five disciples standing on the mountain wall all felt their knees aching.

As for the other Yashan disciples standing below the Sword Drawing Platform, they were all somewhat bewildered.

Why couldn’t they understand what Master Grand-Uncle and Sect Master Uncle were talking about?

Tianpan?

Whose Tianpan?

No, how could there be a Tianpan?

Wasn’t this supposed to be a legendary existence that no one had achieved in over a thousand years?!

Looking again at the object of their excitement—Senior Sister Jian Chou!

That Senior Sister Jian Chou, who had just established her foundation and kicked away a mid-stage Foundation Establishment opponent! Yashan’s most formidable leg in history!

The legend of “kicking at the slightest disagreement” would probably be crowned upon this Senior Sister from now on.

Now they were even talking about some Tianpan?

Did it have to be this exaggerated?

Some people were already so devastated that they wanted to lie flat on the ground.

And Jian Chou…

From the moment she was surrounded by Fudao Shanren and Zheng Yao, she had the urge to kneel and call them grandpa.

She explained helplessly: “Master, it’s not… I can’t describe that feeling either. It’s just that… cultivation seemed too simple, so smooth it frightened me. I somehow inexplicably cultivated this kind of Tianpan; it’s different from what I imagined.”

Jian Chou didn’t think she was a mediocrity, but she also didn’t think she was talented to a heaven-defying degree.

Otherwise, why was she the one who got killed, while Xie Buchen was the one who got taken as a disciple?

So she had always maintained a very mystified attitude of “huh, how did I manage to cultivate this” toward her cultivation progress.

Unfortunately, in the eyes of her master, Fudao Shanren…

After hearing Jian Chou’s words, he silently stuffed the chicken leg into his mouth and chuckled.

“I never want to take another disciple in this lifetime.”

How did he end up with such an oddball?

Tianpan?

And she dared complain that cultivation was too fast?

Comparing goods leads to throwing them away; comparing people leads to death!

Wuu wuu wuu, he never wanted to talk to girl Jian Chou again! Too demoralizing!

Only Sect Master Zheng Yao still had gleaming eyes at this moment, rubbing his hands together: “Well then, let’s go somewhere else and continue chatting. I’ve lived this long, cultivated for so long, and I’ve never actually seen what a real Tianpan looks like! Senior Sister, Senior Sister! Let me satisfy my curiosity!”

Thirteen days to Foundation Establishment, and it was even a Tianpan.

Fudao Shanren waved his hand: “Go, go, go, let’s change locations. Need to study this properly, and there are several other things to ask you about.”

Jian Chou guessed it was probably about her “leg” technique.

She didn’t refuse and went with Fudao Shanren and Zheng Yao back to Lanyue Hall.

On the way, she encountered several junior brothers from the mountain wall, each looking at her with mysterious, inexplicable gazes.

Jian Chou suddenly remembered something and stopped, walking toward them.

Shen Jiu looked at Jian Chou’s legs with lingering fear, swallowing hard, wanting nothing more than to stay far away from her.

He was afraid those legs might accidentally strike again. Although he was at the Nascent Soul stage, he might still end up in a sorry state from such an attack.

The important thing was…

That leg strike just now was so beautifully executed, it made one’s scalp tingle!

Even though Jian Chou was only at Foundation Establishment, it was still frightening.

Fortunately, Jian Chou wasn’t looking for him.

She walked over and stopped in front of Qu Zhengfeng: “Brother Qu, your cultivation is the highest. I have something…”

Qu Zhengfeng was still immersed in the feeling of seeing the Tianpan earlier. Now, looking at Jian Chou, he felt she had an extremely mysterious aura about her. Tianpan…

How many people could have a Tianpan?

If not heaven’s favor, then heaven’s jealousy.

Which would Jian Chou be?

He had many thoughts, but it didn’t prevent him from answering Jian Chou’s question: “Is Senior Sister Jian Chou worried about the one who left earlier?”

Jian Chou looked at him in surprise.

Qu Zhengfeng’s meticulous thinking truly exceeded her imagination.

She hadn’t revealed even half a word of her intention, yet he had already guessed it. Either he could read minds, or he had the same worry in his heart. Jian Chou guessed he probably could do both.

Since Qu Zhengfeng had made it clear, she wasn’t polite either.

“As Brother Qu said, I am indeed worried about the Jianzhu Sect disciple who just left, Jiang Ling. When she spoke those words at the bottom of the Sword Drawing Platform, though she was protecting Zhou Baozhu, I fear that after leaving Yashan, Zhou Baozhu will turn her back on her. If something unexpected happens in between, it’s not what we want to see.”

If things could be handled properly as Jiang Ling had said, that would be ideal.

Qu Zhengfeng naturally understood.

He cupped his hands: “In that case, please rest assured, Senior Sister Jian Chou. Leave this matter to me.”

After all, the reason Jian Chou sought him out was: his cultivation was the highest.

Jian Chou didn’t know exactly why she had sought out Qu Zhengfeng.

Perhaps because he was the former senior brother and seemed more reliable than the others?

Jian Chou didn’t delve deeper, only thanked Qu Zhengfeng, then bid farewell to the others and went inside.

Once Jian Chou left, Shen Jiu started clamoring: “Really, I could do it too! Why didn’t she ask me? Brother Kou could also work—first-rate combat power, and he’s even a pure-hearted male cultivator! How could you not give me such a chance to court someone?”

Chen Weishan laughed honestly beside him: “If I were Senior Sister Jian Chou, I wouldn’t choose you either. Anyone can see you’re not a good person.”

“…”

Shen Jiu was nearly choked to death by this blockhead, his eyes bulging, unable to speak for quite a while.

Little fatty Jiang He was biting his finger, muttering: “I want to know what the Sect Master and Master are going to talk about…”

Inside Lanyue Hall.

Jian Chou was also very curious.

She had already returned, standing before Fudao Shanren and Zheng Yao, looking proper and well-behaved, even somewhat ordinary, completely different from her spirited appearance on the Sword Drawing Platform.

No matter how you looked at her, she didn’t seem like someone with the combat power to directly kick away a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Fudao Shanren tugged at the beard on his chin, looking at Jian Chou with the gaze one would use to look at a rare beast.

After quite a while, Fudao Shanren finally spoke: “Light up your battle disc for me to see.”

Jian Chou complied, and with a flash of her mind, the battle disc under her feet lit up again.

A battle disc spanning one zhang in radius encompassed both Fudao Shanren and Zheng Yao.

This feeling of standing on someone else’s battle disc was indescribably strange…

Zheng Yao murmured: “I’m standing on a Tianpan…”

This time, they could finally see clearly.

Each Kunxian line, interwoven and intersecting, formed a complete battle disc.

Carefully and thoroughly, checking every corner, Fudao Shanren’s mouth went bitter, not knowing what he felt in his chest: “It is a Tianpan… it is a Tianpan…”

Really?

Jian Chou had never dared to be certain, but now that Fudao Shanren had confirmed it definitively, her heart finally settled.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and she finally couldn’t help asking a question: “Master, I established my foundation in thirteen days, and Kunwu’s Hengxu Laoguai’s disciple established his foundation in ten days, but I have a Tianpan—does he?”

“Pfft!”

Sect Master Zheng Yao choked on his saliva again!

After looking at Jian Chou, he immediately turned to Fudao Shanren: “Master Uncle, what exactly did you tell Senior Sister?”

“What’s wrong with calling him an old freak? Does it wrong him?” Fudao Shanren rolled his eyes repeatedly, not even wanting to reason with Zheng Yao, and directly pushed him aside, “Don’t block the way!”

Zheng Yao felt wronged.

Fudao Shanren’s back was to him, completely ignoring him.

He came to face Jian Chou, holding a chicken leg: “I don’t know about the Tianpan. But this old man has discovered you’re quite promising material. How about this—you continue cultivating at this speed for a few more days, and I’ll arrange to meet with old freak Hengxu and have you fight his disciple. This old man has calculated your combat power—you might just kick that unlucky Xie Buchen to death in two or three moves!”

“…”

Jian Chou stared at Fudao Shanren for quite a while before barely restraining her excitement and nodding like a pecking chicken: “Master is truly wise and mighty, truly the backbone of our Yashan!”

Zheng Yao stood behind them, suddenly feeling the urge to ask the heavens speechlessly.

“How do you know that person doesn’t have a Tianpan?”

“He does?”

Jian Chou immediately turned around.

Zheng Yao shrugged: “I just think that with Kunwu’s style of always preferring to hide their strength, producing a ten-day Foundation Establishment is already shocking enough. If I were Hengxu Zhenren, even if I had a Tianpan, I wouldn’t reveal it.”

“That’s true too…”

Fudao Shanren was still familiar with Hengxu Zhenren’s style.

He thought about it, then waved his hand directly: “What does it matter if he has a Tianpan or not? Anyway, girl Jian Chou’s combat power is rare at the same level! Right, combat power…”

Suddenly remembering something, Fudao Shanren turned to look at her.

“Speaking of which, this old man forgot to ask you—what was that leg technique about?”

One leg…

Naturally, it was the Dao Seal.

Jian Chou hesitated briefly, then said: “Outside the hidden realm of Qingfeng Nunnery, a very large symbol appeared. At that time, your disciple was outside and memorized this symbol. A few days ago, while cultivating in the Scripture Pavilion, I felt it looked quite like a Dao Seal, so I casually reverse-engineered it. I didn’t expect that when I used it, it succeeded, which is why the Scripture Pavilion was damaged.”

As she spoke, she took out the paper with the Dao Seal drawn on it that she had long hidden, and handed it over.

The hidden realm of Qingfeng Nunnery?

Could it be that symbol?

Fudao Shanren was suddenly startled, taking the paper and looking at it together with Zheng Yao.

This symbol looked quite ordinary, but one needed to know specifically which meridians and acupoints to channel spiritual energy through to experience whether this Dao Seal was powerful.

Fudao Shanren recalled Jian Chou’s words, his mind still somewhat foggy.

“If I heard correctly, you just said you casually reverse-engineered it, used it once, and it succeeded… meaning you succeeded on the first try?”

“Yes.” Jian Chou nodded honestly, “Maybe I was just lucky.”

Lucky…

Could anyone in the world have such good luck?

Fudao Shanren frowned deeply, remembering Jian Chou saying that her cultivation had been unusually smooth before, so fast it was unbelievable, and now there was also the Tianpan, and she had even successfully tested a Dao Seal on the first try.

Setting aside the mysteries within this Dao Seal, just the reverse-engineering itself was considered an extremely mentally taxing task by cultivators.

A single Dao Seal required testing among countless possibilities, and one careless move could result in meridian rupture and cultivation deviation.

Among ten thousand possibilities, deriving just a few might not even guarantee success, and the one doing the reverse-engineering and testing might already be dead.

If the risk weren’t so high, wouldn’t there be countless Dao Seals under heaven already?

Fudao Shanren felt like a tangled mess spinning in his head.

Something was wrong, something was wrong…

There had to be a reason for this.

He vigorously tapped his temples with his fingers, thinking about what he might have overlooked.

Jian Chou didn’t know what he was thinking and could only turn her head along with Zheng Yao, following Fudao Shanren’s steps.

After quite a while, Fudao Shanren had a flash of inspiration.

“I remember when you were on the Yashan Path, you once passed through a dangerous section of the path, and at that time your battle disc lit up on the back of your hand?!”

“…There was such a thing.”

Jian Chou also remembered and nodded.

“But what about it?”

What about it?

Fudao Shanren wanted to kneel before this little ancestor.

He extended a trembling finger, pointing at Jian Chou, his voice also trembling: “It turns out I was too careless… you… Can you make the battle disc light up on the back of your hand again?”

“Like this?”

Though Jian Chou didn’t know what Fudao Shanren wanted to do, seeing his expression as if he couldn’t breathe, she didn’t dare disobey and directly raised her hand.

The battle disc under her feet immediately disappeared, reappearing suspended above the back of Jian Chou’s hand!

In that instant, both Fudao Shanren and Zheng Yao turned into stone statues, standing motionless.

Jian Chou didn’t think this was anything special.

“Isn’t it just that wherever spiritual power flows, with a thought, the battle disc lights up there? Like this…”

With a thought, she clenched her extended hand into a fist, then extended her index finger, and the battle disc immediately moved to her index finger.

For fun, she even casually turned her finger, and as her finger turned, so did the battle disc, creating flowing lights and colors that were quite beautiful.

“Or like this.”

As if to prove her words correct, to prove this was an extremely ordinary thing, Jian Chou retracted her finger, and the battle disc disappeared again.

Then she raised her head, looking upward, her porcelain-white face tilting slightly.

In that moment, spiritual power surged to her ancestral aperture.

Thus, the battle disc appeared, spinning above Jian Chou’s head.

Looking at it this way, it was quite comical, like a small person wearing an enormously large hat.

But Fudao Shanren couldn’t laugh—he was about ready to cry for Jian Chou to see.

Comparing people really could kill you!