Uh…

It seemed wrong somehow – she didn’t even have a sword yet.

So it should be chatting about life and stretching legs.

Jian Chou couldn’t help but feel melancholy. After holding it in for a long while, she finally said: “At least I was once a genius with thirteen days of Foundation Establishment on the Tianpan… My cultivation speed shouldn’t be slow, right? So being ranked at one hundredth is probably reasonable?”

“…”

Eyes widening, Yushan Xing stared straight at Jian Chou.

“What’s wrong?”

Jian Chou’s heart skipped a beat, thinking she had revealed something.

Unexpectedly, Yushan Xing shook his head with a sigh: “And here I thought you were a clever person. This Great Senior Uncle from Yashan is someone this sect master believes has a reputation that doesn’t match reality. Have you heard any deeds of hers? It seems like she defeated some small fry from Jianzhu Sect during Foundation Establishment? And something about ridiculous leg-stretching? I heard she was recently in Black Wind Cave and hasn’t come out for two years – who knows if she died in there. Sigh, these are all rumors, but what real achievements does she have? Tell me?”

Jiang Wenchao had been cultivating in seclusion for years without concerning himself with worldly affairs, knowing little about such matters, let alone the two geniuses from Kunwu and Yashan, which he had only recently heard about on the road.

So when Yushan Xing asked this, he could only look at Jian Chou.

At this moment, Jian Chou was completely speechless.

Achievements?

There were achievements, of course.

Like with Zhou Chengjiang, with Qi Shaofeng, the Red Small Realm, Black Wind Cave…

But could she say any of that?

So…

After holding it in for a long time, she suddenly raised her head to look at Yushan Xing, using an extremely certain and appreciative tone: “The sect master is right. This person’s reputation doesn’t match reality – she must have been ranked at one hundred because she’s too beautiful!”

Don’t talk to her about having face – she didn’t have such a thing.

Jiang Wenchao couldn’t help but look at Jian Chou strangely.

These words had an odd flavor to them.

But Yushan Xing didn’t notice. Hearing that Jian Chou actually agreed with him, he couldn’t be happier.

He clutched the small booklet in his hand, slapping his palm: “Exactly! You’ve finally sided with this sect master! Fellow daoists, we don’t rely on our faces to make a living – we can definitely work steadily and rise above others!”

“I heard… Yashan is a sect that relies on faces to make a living?”

Jian Chou couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of her mouth.

“That’s right. Anyway, most cultivators from Yashan are quite good-looking, and… their temperament always feels different somehow.” Yushan Xing had the look of “I’ve seen many Yashan cultivators and am very familiar with this,” saying, “Anyway, when Yashan’s Fudao Shanren’s disciples were around, they were all ranked first – second disciple Qu Zhengfeng, third disciple Kou Qianzhi, fourth disciple Shen Jiu, fifth disciple Bai Yin, sixth disciple Chen Weishan, seventh disciple Yu Zhifei, and eighth disciple Jiang He, without exception!”

Except for Fifth Senior Brother Bai Yin and Seventh Senior Brother Yu Zhifei who had been traveling abroad for a long time without returning, Jian Chou had met all the others. Thinking carefully, they were indeed handsome and dignified…

But…

Was it because of their faces?

She still didn’t believe it.

Jian Chou couldn’t help asking: “These people were all ranked first – what were the results?”

“The results?” Yushan Xing thought carefully and said, “Qu Zhengfeng was from over seven hundred years ago. When he participated in the minor assembly, he was at mid-Nascent Soul stage, overpowered Kunwu’s Zhao Zhuo in a great battle, and finally ascended the Solitary Platform alone. Kou Qianzhi wielded his Dao-Seeking Sword among thousands of cultivators and won first place in the final melee…”

Yushan Xing remembered quite clearly, listing them one by one.

Fourth disciple Shen Jiu, after a vicious battle, was narrowly defeated by Yue He with his River-Flowing Sword Intent. It was said that after the Zuo Three Thousand Minor Assembly, Yue He was mysteriously beaten up by someone.

Fifth disciple Bai Yin defeated Wang Que, a genius from Kunwu’s new generation at the time, cut down the great banner, and ascended the Solitary Platform.

Sixth disciple Chen Weishan, because he wasted time talking to himself and was too kind-hearted, was defeated by Jiang Hanzheng, an exceptional talent from the mid-level Central Domain sect Shenling. That same night, Jiang Hanzheng was beaten and injured by a mysterious person, losing two teeth.

Seventh disciple Yu Zhifei, wielding his “I Am the Sword,” fought with severe injuries to knock both Cui Shisan, the ninth direct disciple under True Person Hengxu, and Jin Feng, the tenth direct disciple, off the platform, also ascending the Solitary Platform alone. That same night, both Cui Shisan and Jin Feng were beaten up by a mysterious person and couldn’t get out of bed for three days.

“Among them, only Yashan’s eighth disciple Jiang He was ranked in the top ten for three hundred years straight, but he never participated. He’s been cultivating for over three hundred years, but his cultivation is still at Golden Core stage. In Yashan, such slow progress is really quite strange…”

After finishing the accounts of each person, Yushan Xing’s voice carried a tone of lingering fascination.

“Now, Zhilin Sou seems to know this person won’t participate in the minor assembly, so he simply stopped ranking him.”

Right, little fatty Jiang He’s cultivation was still at Golden Core stage now. From the previous conversations among the sect members, Jian Chou could vaguely sense that Jiang He’s cultivation seemed to have something special about it.

But now wasn’t the time to delve into this. She only wondered…

“Why were all the Kunwu people who won beaten up?”

Jian Chou had been dumbfounded listening to this and couldn’t help asking.

“Well…” Yushan Xing laughed, with a mysterious tone, “Among the ten great unsolved mysteries of the Zuo Three Thousand Minor Assembly, your question ranks first. As for who it was, some guess there are vengeful spirits in Kunwu, others guess that Yashan was sore about losing and just unreasonably beat people up, and others say that after Kunwu disciples won and returned, someone in the sect was jealous and beat them up together… Oh my, there are so many different theories. I wonder if anyone will get beaten up this year, hahaha!”

“…”

Why did she feel there was something slightly strange about this?

Jian Chou’s expression became indescribable.

Jiang Wenchao had already heard about these matters and wasn’t surprised.

He laughed once and said: “Thirty years ago, I also heard about it. But in recent years, Yashan hasn’t accepted many disciples, so such incidents have become rare. I always feel it’s related to Yashan somehow.”

“Hehe, so I wonder how many people will get beaten up this time. This time there’s Yashan’s Tang Wancheng, and also their Great Senior Uncle Jian Chou.” Yushan Xing rubbed his hands together, already excited, “I’m sure there will be a good show. If that Great Senior Uncle loses… wahaha—”

“Hmph.”

A mocking light laugh suddenly interrupted.

“…”

Yushan Xing’s laughter stopped abruptly.

Following the sound, he frowned tightly, turned his head aggressively, and immediately saw a solitary young man standing at the edge of the platform.

Dressed in a dark red robe like thick blood, he looked gloomy and oppressive at first glance.

His sleeves were long, with edges that seemed to drag on the ground, completely concealing his hands hanging at his sides.

His entire person seemed to be shrouded completely by this dark red robe.

The young cultivator’s features were originally quite refined, but they were shrouded in a dense, lingering melancholy that made him seem gloomy and oppressive.

His deep pupils carried a faint dark red color, and a dark red blood line, seeming like a shallow scar, ran from his brow down his straight nose, stopping half an inch from his nose tip, leaving a sharp trailing line.

What was originally a complete face seemed to be divided by this blood line, revealing a strange sense of brokenness.

When Yushan Xing looked at him, the young man also raised his gaze, looking at Yushan Xing indifferently, though he didn’t seem to care much.

Almost the moment Yushan Xing saw this young man, he felt an extremely dangerous aura – not just because his cultivation was higher!

But having already looked over aggressively, it would be strange to back down now.

Steeling himself, Yushan Xing spoke: “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.”

The young man’s voice was flat, with nothing special about it.

However, he looked toward Jian Chou and the other two.

Though his gaze seemed peaceful, when it swept over, it inexplicably carried a cold feeling, as if it would pierce through skin.

After glancing at Yushan Xing without caring much, he looked at Jiang Wenchao for a while but didn’t seem very interested, then moved his gaze to Jian Chou.

Jian Chou was also looking at him.

The moment his gaze fell on her, Jian Chou seemed to hear the sound of clashing weapons in her ears – sharp and cold!

The young man’s pupils seemed to contract with interest, then he actually curved his lips, using an almost admiring and obsessed gaze to stare at Jian Chou’s brow!

“Such a beautiful axe…”

Ghost Axe!

The young man’s gaze was like a sharp blade, seeming to pierce through Jian Chou’s shell, reaching her soul, seeing the Ghost Axe hidden in Jian Chou’s brow and fused with her body!

At that moment, Jian Chou felt the Ghost Axe faintly trembling, as if it wanted to fly toward that young man.

But then a faint purple light flashed on her forehead.

The Soul-Fixing Nail appeared and vanished!

The light gradually faded.

The trembling Ghost Axe finally calmed down, sleeping within Jian Chou’s body.

She stood rigidly in place, looking at the distant young man with near horror, only seeing the lingering traces of a smile in his eyes.

The admiration in his gaze hadn’t withdrawn.

But it wasn’t for Jian Chou – it was for the axe in her brow.

Then, his voice flat, he spoke again: “I also have a good one.”

Most people had settled on the flat ground between the platform and the great river, waiting for Kunwu to send someone to withdraw the Righteous Guard Light so they could cross the river. There were few people on the platform, and even fewer noticed this scene.

Even the disturbance occurring within the Ghost Axe in Jian Chou’s body was unknown to anyone else except Jian Chou herself.

Yushan Xing looked at Jian Chou with a strange expression, completely confused.

“Axe? What axe? Where is it? How come I don’t see it?”

Jiang Wenchao could clearly see that this young man’s cultivation was at mid-Golden Core stage, but besides the oppressive feeling around him, he also gave people an indescribable sharp sensation.

As for the axe…

Glancing at Jian Chou, Jiang Wenchao could also see the vigilant posture in her eyes as if facing a great enemy.

All along the way, he had only seen this female cultivator use a golden circular mirror, but didn’t know she had another axe.

Speaking of which…

An axe?

Female cultivators who used this type of magical artifact were quite rare.

Jian Chou stood motionless, still staring intently at the other party.

After saying those two inexplicable sentences, the other party showed no other reaction. After a long time, he slightly lowered his eyes, and the long blood mark drawn from his brow only added an indescribable allure to this lowering of his gaze.

Turning around, this young man said nothing more and slowly walked down the steps.

Below the platform was a more crowded throng of people.

The dark red figure quickly became a small silhouette in the view of the three.

In the eerie silence on the platform, the crowd below suddenly erupted: “Look, what is that?!”

“So… so big…”

…

Everyone looked up.

At the horizon, at the peak of the clouds.

A massive floating island came from the west, surrounded by white clouds, breaking through the fierce winds of the sky, appearing in everyone’s field of vision.

On the plain, a huge shadow was cast by this floating island.

Though it was very far away, one could still vaguely see a massive high platform at the front of the floating island, with two or three figures standing on it, their robes fluttering as if they would ride the wind away!

That was…

The Sword-Drawing Platform!

Jian Chou’s eyes widened suddenly!

Could this massive floating island be…

“Yashan!”

“Yashan, it’s Yashan!”

“Yashan’s Lingzhao Peak!”

“My heavens, it must be the legendary Lingzhao Peak of Yashan!”

“Three hundred years, to think I could see it again. Ever since Fudao Shanren left the Nineteen Continents, this poor daoist has never seen it again.”

“It really is Yashan…”

…

At that moment, countless cultivators whose cultivation wasn’t necessarily very high but who had heard of or seen this scene couldn’t suppress their excitement and shouted loudly!

On a walkway by the river.

Many female cultivators from Baiyue Valley also looked up.

“Cough…”

Purple-black poison lines could no longer be hidden on Lu Xiangleng’s slender, pale fingers.

Her face was pale to the point of near transparency. She coughed once, raised her head, and her peaceful, otherworldly gaze fell on that floating island, unable to suppress her amazement.

“I’ve long heard that Yashan’s Lingzhao Peak could be controlled in flight, but because Fudao Shanren hadn’t returned for three hundred years, no one activated it. To be fortunate enough to see it today makes this trip worthwhile.”

Her poisoning by the earth scorpion was always a secret that Baiyue Valley never revealed to outsiders, except for her sect and that female cultivator with the little marten she had once told by chance.

So even Zhilin Sou couldn’t know the slightest bit.

In this session’s “Solitary Platform Notes,” she could still be ranked fifth, but once the Zuo Three Thousand Minor Assembly began, the worldly-wise Zhilin Sou would undoubtedly lower her ranking without hesitation.

But none of that mattered anymore…

Whether she could even survive was hard to say.

Lu Xiangleng smiled slightly.

The shadow cast by the massive Lingzhao Peak was gradually covering over.

By the river, under a large tree.

“Clack clack clack…”

Suddenly it became noisy outside.

The hands working the abacus suddenly stopped.

Qian Que, with two small mustaches on his lips, was still pondering the difficult question of whether to cross the river or not: This year that little wench Gu Qingmei was even ranked in the top ten – was Zhilin Sou blind? If he also went to join the excitement at this Zuo Three Thousand Minor Assembly, would he be discovered? And there was that Meng Xizhou – if he also appeared here, his impersonation from before would be exposed…

Ah, having offended Gu Qingmei, he really couldn’t afford it!

Hearing sounds from the distance, he looked up casually, originally not paying attention, but after this glance, he could no longer look away.

When that floating island-like Lingzhao Peak came from the distance, it seemed extremely slow, but when it approached, one could see it was actually extremely fast. In almost the blink of an eye, that huge shadow directly covered over, making Qian Que’s location completely dark.

Looking around, it was as if the entire sky had suddenly darkened.

Lingzhao Peak was too big and flying too high!

Further along the river.

Jianzhu Sect’s sect master Zhuxin, leading his sect’s disciples, had also stopped here.

Xu Lan’er, with a small teardrop mole at the corner of her eye, was talking with Zhuxin.

This time, though she hadn’t ranked in the top ten, she was already at eleventh. After more than two years of seclusion, with her master’s assistance and secret techniques in hand, she had forcibly succeeded in forming her core in the last few days before departure.

Who could have imagined?

Moreover, what she possessed now wasn’t just cultivation level.

Lin Sou knew a lot of information, so he ranked her eleventh, but Xu Lan’er didn’t think she was really just at eleventh.

“Master, what exactly is the background of that Xia Houshe from Fengmo Sword Sect who’s ranked first now?”

Thinking of the rankings she had seen earlier in the handbook, Xu Lan’er couldn’t help asking.

Zhuxin’s beautiful face also showed confusion, only shaking her head: “In all these years, it’s rare to see this kind of situation. If it’s not a scam, then another shocking genius is about to emerge. Fengmo Sword Sect is keeping quite calm about it.”

As soon as she finished speaking, there was an uproar around them.

Zhuxin was surprised and simultaneously felt a terrifying aura sweep overhead!

She looked up and her pupils immediately contracted, her face contorting.

Xu Lan’er was also filled with towering hatred.

“Yashan!”

“Yashan…”

“It really is Fudao Shanren – he’s returned.”

“He was once a prodigy on par with True Person Hengxu. My god, I really saw him! The one standing at the very front of the high platform!”

“Peak of Lingzhao, above the nine heavens, riding the wind, floating island drifting. So it’s really true…”

“Yashan!”

…

Countless people looked up at it with shock, amazement, fear, hatred, admiration, excitement, or fanaticism…

At the convergence of countless gazes was only that flying Lingzhao Peak, only that figure standing high on Lingzhao Peak like an immortal!

Fudao Shanren!

Lingzhao Peak quickly flew over the crowd, but Jian Chou’s gaze never left the Sword-Drawing Platform on Lingzhao Peak.

Was this really her unreliable master?

Just as this doubt passed through her mind, Jiang Wenchao’s somewhat grave voice sounded beside her: “Something’s wrong – this Lingzhao Peak’s speed hasn’t slowed at all!”

Ahead was the Righteous Guard Light!

Kunwu hadn’t sent anyone to withdraw the Righteous Guard Light yet, but Yashan was controlling Lingzhao Peak to fly straight at it. Could it be that they wanted to…

Collide directly?

Jiang Wenchao’s sudden doubt was also the doubt of everyone below, even leaving them dumbfounded.

That shadow had already quickly covered the entire river surface within sight. The rippling waves disappeared, the rainbow reflections on the river from water vapor also disappeared, leaving only that stretch of river water still flowing in the darkness.

In the eerie quiet, everyone could only hear the sound of swallowing saliva.

“Whoosh.”

A sound of soaring through the air broke the silence covering the ground.

Then came a hearty laugh: “After three hundred years, I see Yashan’s Lingzhao Peak flying to Kunwu again. Fudao, oh Fudao, if you crash into Kunwu one more time, I think True Person Hengxu will settle old scores with you this time! It’s been two years since we met – have you been well?!”

A gray shadow swiftly flew through the air, straight as an arc, heading directly toward Lingzhao Peak where Fudao Shanren was.

Fudao Shanren, who was pondering whether to smash the Righteous Guard Light to make old ghost Hengxu spit blood, heard this “have you been well” and immediately knew who it was. This rough, unpleasant voice – who else could it be but that old thief Pang Dian?

At that moment, Fudao Shanren turned his head: “It’s you again, Pang—”

His voice stopped abruptly.

Fudao Shanren’s gaze suddenly fell on a certain point on the platform.

At this time, Pang Dian was preparing to fly up to Lingzhao Peak to join the excitement and mooch a ride, so he could enter Kunwu first.

Zhou Chengjiang had also leaped through Longmen in these two years, successfully forming his core and awakening several new Dao Seals. But hearing that Yashan’s Jian Chou’s cultivation was still stagnant, how could Pang Dian not seize this opportunity to have a good taunt?

So thinking he could soon show off to Fudao Shanren, he laughed with such joy.

Not noticing Fudao Shanren’s abnormality at all, Pang Dian was about to fly up to Lingzhao Peak and land on the Sword-Drawing Platform.

Unexpectedly, Fudao Shanren, who was staring straight at something below, didn’t hesitate at all and directly swung out a palm, bringing up a huge air wave that overturned countless clouds in mid-air, and actually – ruthlessly slapped Pang Dian to the side!

“Bang!”

Caught off guard, the thin-bodied Pang Dian, with his white beard and white hair, was directly sent flying by this palm!

Whoosh—

A longer arc appeared, descending toward the surface of Nine-Headed River!

All the cultivators who witnessed this tragedy had their jaws drop to the ground!

What was going on?

Everyone was still stunned, watching that immortal-like figure who lived in legends like a dream.

Then they saw an unforgettable scene.

The old man who had just been standing on the Sword-Drawing Platform, stern and upright, floating like an immortal, now seemed to have gone mad, jumping up and down on the Sword-Drawing Platform.

Toward some place on the ground, Fudao Shanren vigorously waved his arms, without any of the supposed dignity of a master, only excitedly shouting at the top of his lungs!

“Jian Chou, Jian Chou!”

“Little Jian Chou, come over here!”

“I’m your master!”

“Little Jian Chou, little Jian Chou!”

…

Jian Chou?

Was Fudao Shanren calling his eldest disciple?

But where was she?

Seeing that Fudao Shanren was waving toward below, jumping and hopping, everyone felt some illusion in their minds suddenly shatter, leaving not even dregs behind.

Under this huge shock, everyone instinctively looked around, wanting to see where there was movement.

“Little Jian Chou, what are you standing there for? Hurry up!”

From far away, Fudao Shanren on the Sword-Drawing Platform was practically dancing with joy.

Jian Chou just watched like this, seeming to see Sect Master Zheng Yao behind him, holding his head with both hands in an appearance of unbearable pain…

Her mouth twitched.

She suddenly didn’t want to admit she was Yashan’s Great Senior Sister!

What should she do?!

Standing beside her, Jiang Wenchao looked at Fudao Shanren for a long time, feeling that this direction…

He finally couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Jian Chou.

But Yushan Xing still hadn’t noticed anything unusual, only kept jumping vigorously, hopping up and down, trying to see through the crowded heads whether a Yashan Great Senior Sister named “Jian Chou” had appeared nearby.

“Where? Where? Where is she? Does she look good? How’s her cultivation?”

A series of questions were asked by him in the moments he jumped up and fell down.

Seeing him jump so strenuously, Jian Chou couldn’t help but sigh and reached out to press on his shoulder…

I’ll jump!

Jump!

Hey, why can’t I jump up anymore?

Yushan Xing looked up in surprise and finally saw Jian Chou: “What are you doing? Don’t block me from seeing the beauty!”

“…”

Beauty…

Jian Chou remembered the previous discussion about “Jian Chou must have been ranked in the top hundred because she’s particularly beautiful,” and couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of her mouth. After a long while, she smiled: “Actually, there’s nothing much to see. She looks about the same as us. Thank you both for taking care of me along the way.”

The latter sentence was said to both of them.

Jian Chou withdrew her hand from Yushan Xing’s shoulder, then cupped her hands in salute to the two.

Jiang Wenchao immediately knew that his earlier feeling had been correct.

The axe.

Also raising his hand, he returned the salute: “We traveled together but never learned fellow daoist’s identity. Please forgive the discourtesy.”

Discourtesy?

Jian Chou didn’t feel there had been any discourtesy.

She was calm and composed, nodding slightly: “Farewell.”

After speaking, she turned and left. Light flashed from her brow as the Ghost Axe broke through the air. The moment Jian Chou stepped off the platform, it immediately flew under her feet, carrying her body toward the sky!

The crowd erupted in amazement, countless people turning to look, only seeing a dark light rising from the platform filled with countless teleportation arrays, soaring into the sky.

Ahead was Yashan’s massive, broad Lingzhao Peak!

Fudao Shanren’s figure was on the Sword-Drawing Platform, frantically waving at that dark light.

“Girl, girl!”

Below.

In the crowd, the dark red-robed young man was slightly surprised.

More than ten cultivators with long swords on their backs came to his side.

“Junior Brother Xia Hou…”

“It’s nothing.”

Watching that dark light disappear and land on Lingzhao Peak, the young man’s eyes narrowed slightly: So it was the Ghost Axe.

He raised his hand, touching the faint but sharp red mark drawn from his brow, his lips moving: “Heaven’s Line…”

On the platform.

Jiang Wenchao still stood there, looking up.

Yushan Xing was dumbfounded.

Completely dumbfounded.

He couldn’t help but slap his forehead, breaking into a cold sweat.

Yashan’s Great Senior Sister must have been ranked in the top hundred because she’s beautiful!

Beautiful?

Beautiful?

Yushan Xing was about to cry.

He really wanted to borrow a hundred times the courage to rush up, grab Fellow Daoist Jian Chou’s long legs, cry bitterly, repent, and wail: “Fellow daoist, I was wrong! Fellow daoist, I’ll never dare again! Fellow daoist, you’re not beautiful, not beautiful at all, not beautiful one bit – you’re the ugliest in the whole world!”