LABMY CH124

Under Jian Yuanbai’s intimidation, the Grand Elder was forced to smile reluctantly and say, “Your Excellency is a young prodigy. One day, you will surely become a figure who stirs the Ninefold Continent.”

Mu Jingzhuo didn’t even lift his head. Instead, he burrowed deeper into Jian Yuanbai’s embrace, feeling on the verge of breaking down inside. Stop talking, please, just stop talking.

At this moment, the scene appeared peaceful, with only Jian Yuanbai and the Grand Elder conversing. But only those with high cultivation knew just how many people were secretly transmitting messages through voice transmission.

And under this seemingly calm yet turbulent undercurrent, those who hadn’t understood what had happened gradually grasped everything as others kindly explained.

They suddenly saw the light, then found it hard to describe their feelings, and finally, they all silently agreed with the statement circulating in secret:

Are the ten thousand of us present… just part of a game between these two partners?

And they’re still hugging—hugging so tightly.

Jian Yuanbai was the highest cultivator present. Even without deliberately listening, he could hear all the transmitted messages. Instead of blocking them out, he listened with great interest.

Lowering his gaze, he affectionately looked at Mu Jingzhuo, who was oblivious to all of this due to his weaker cultivation. He didn’t expose what the others were thinking, allowing his Little Spoon to remain blissfully unaware and suffer less embarrassment.

Jian Yuanbai rubbed Mu Jingzhuo’s fluffy head, only to be rewarded with a harsh pinch at his waist. Maintaining a composed expression, he pulled the other person deeper into his embrace and turned to the Grand Elder, saying, “Now, let’s discuss the shattering of the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone and how we should coexist in the future. Shall we?”

With that, he raised his hand, and the dragon’s tail flicked, tossing out fifteen members of the law enforcement team. “These are your people.”

Lan Yi and the others from the enforcement squad clutched their chests, suppressing their churning blood and swallowing down the taste of iron at their throats. With a glance of terror at Jian Yuanbai, they staggered back behind the Grand Elder, their wet clothes adding to their pitiful appearance.

Jian Yuanbai smirked. “You should be grateful you didn’t manage to kill anyone here. Otherwise, today’s matter wouldn’t have been so simple.”

The Grand Elder said gravely, “Such a major issue is beyond our authority to decide. We must return to Immortal Spirit Island and report to the Island Lord. We will visit at a later date to discuss this matter in full.”

Jian Yuanbai waved his hand dismissively. “Suit yourselves.”

They had arrived with such an overwhelming presence, yet when they left, they were nothing but a bunch of drowned dogs retreating in disgrace.

As soon as the Grand Elder and his people departed, a deafening cheer erupted from the crowd. People shouted, laughed, and roared, expressing their excitement and exhilaration.

Somewhere in the crowd, someone suddenly shouted at the top of their lungs, “Sect Master Jian and Cultivator Mu are a match made in heaven!”

The person hadn’t thought much when they yelled it—only that Jian Yuanbai seemed to enjoy such remarks, especially after what had just happened. Plus, the two were still embracing each other at this very moment. But after shouting, they began to wonder if it might have been a bit inappropriate.

To their surprise, their words seemed to flip some kind of strange switch.

The burly men and muscular women in the crowd immediately joined in, loudly shouting all sorts of auspicious blessings.

To an outsider, it wouldn’t seem like they had just driven away an external threat—it looked more like they were celebrating Jian Yuanbai and Mu Jingzhuo’s bonding ceremony.

Mu Jingzhuo peeked out from Jian Yuanbai’s shoulder with half of his face, looking at the cheering crowd, his mind full of confusion.

Why?

Why, after driving off their enemies, weren’t they shouting about their victory but instead shouting about this?

He couldn’t understand it, but that didn’t stop him from feeling unbearably embarrassed. After today, he would shut himself away for ten years. Ten years—he would not take a single step outside Wuwang Peak.

Absolutely! Not!

Jian Yuanbai, who understood exactly why they were shouting this, pinched Mu Jingzhuo’s burning-red earlobe and chuckled. “See? I told you, no one will have any objections to us bonding.”

He made no mention of the real reason behind their outburst, burying his contributions and efforts deep in the shadows.

A muffled yet resentful voice came from within his embrace, “Shut—up!”

The approaching Human Emperor, the Sect Masters of Wenxian Sect, Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect, and Heavenly Demon Sect all simultaneously felt a wave of awkwardness wash over them.

Despite the thunderous cheering, they felt utterly out of place.

With such unfathomable power, Jian Yuanbai and Mu Jingzhuo’s relationship had somehow evolved into a spectacle unseen among any other Daoist partners.

The Human Emperor cleared his throat—a sound meant to ease the awkwardness and also to remind Mu Jingzhuo, who was still clinging to Jian Yuanbai, that they had arrived.

Yet Mu Jingzhuo did not let go. Instead, he clung even tighter, like a koala gripping a tree.

Having already thrown all shame to the wind, Mu Jingzhuo thought, The worst has already happened. At this point, nothing else matters. The only thing that matters is that I don’t want to make eye contact with anyone.

Seeing this, the Human Emperor sighed helplessly and faced the strange situation head-on, speaking in a bright and clear voice:

“Sect Master Jian, we are grateful for what you have done today.”

While the Asriga Empire was celebrating and expressing their gratitude, the Grand Elder and his group rushed back to find the Island Lord of Immortal Spirit Island as fast as possible.

The Island Lord spoke in a deep voice, “Are you saying that in that forsaken land, there is a man with unfathomable strength who single-handedly forced all of you to retreat? That his cultivation leaped from below Mortal Immortal to Mortal Immortal in an instant, then surged through three realms, reaching the Great Luo Golden Immortal stage in a single step?”

The Grand Elder nodded. “Yes, Island Lord.”

The Island Lord continued, “And this man withstood the four tribulations of Mortal Immortal, Earth Immortal, Profound Immortal, and Great Golden Immortal—all at once—without flinching?”

The Grand Elder nodded again. “Yes, that is exactly what happened.”

“Bang—!”

With a loud crash, the Island Lord slammed his palm against the table, his face dark with rage. “Have I been too lenient with you all? Have you grown so bold that you dare to mock me?”

The Grand Elder’s expression was grim. “This is no joke—it’s the truth.”

“I went out at the same time as the Law Enforcement Team, and the Recording Crystal I carried captured everything exactly as it happened. Island Lord, please take a look.”

The Recording Crystals on the Ninefold Continent were more sophisticated than those of the Asriga Empire. They not only recorded still images but could also capture entire scenes like a video.

The Island Lord watched the scenes recorded in the crystal. His expression gradually shifted from anger to deep solemnity. “There actually exists someone with such strength in this world.”

The Grand Elder asked, “Island Lord, what do you think of this person’s strength?”

The Island Lord turned his head to look at him, his expression dark and filled with dread. “In my opinion, this person’s strength is not inferior to that of an Immortal Venerable.”

Immortal Venerable—there was only one in the entire Ninefold Continent. The Island Lord himself was at the peak of the Immortal Emperor realm, but he had remained at this peak for a thousand years without making any progress.

After a moment of contemplation, the Island Lord stood up. “This matter is of great importance. Go and invite him at once.”

He paused. “No, I will go personally.”

On this day, the leaders of the six most powerful forces on the Ninefold Continent gathered. At first, the other five treated the matter lightly, but their attitudes gradually grew solemn.

A woman dressed in a long red gown with flowing sleeves said, “I believe this matter should be reported to the Immortal Venerable.”

“But the Immortal Venerable has not appeared for a thousand years. How could we possibly contact him?” Another person immediately refuted her.

The woman asked, “Then what do you suggest we do?”

After much discussion, the six ultimately reached a unanimous decision—to negotiate.

By the time the six of them arrived, the Imperial Council Hall of the Asriga Imperial Court was already engaged in a discussion. The Human Emperor and Jian Yuanbai were deliberating their next steps, but Mu Jingzhuo was absent.

At Mu Jingzhuo’s insistence, Jian Yuanbai had first sent him back to Wuwang Peak, the main peak of Wangyun Sect, allowing the extremely embarrassed Little Spoon to hide away like a small, frightened animal.

The six had crossed the Sea of Falling Waters, and those who were stationed there led them directly to the Asriga Imperial Court.

The Immortal Spirit Island was responsible for guarding the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone. With its shattering, a person of unfathomable strength had suddenly appeared in the Forsaken Land. As the Island Lord of Immortal Spirit Island, he was naturally the first to test Jian Yuanbai’s strength.

He took a step forward, and in an instant, the terrifying pressure of an Immortal Emperor swept through the entire palace of the Asriga Imperial Court. Countless people were caught off guard and forced to the ground, unable to move even a finger. Even Shi Yun, a Mortal Immortal, was in such a sorry state that she collapsed.

“May the esteemed Daoist of the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm be present?” the Island Lord called out.

Jian Yuanbai did not rise from his seat. He remained in the main position, lifted his eyelids slightly, and said indifferently, “Actually, I could also be at the Immortal Emperor realm.”

“So, you had best withdraw your oppressive force.”

The six who had seen the recordings in the crystal were all too familiar with these words, and their expressions changed.

Still intent on testing him, the Island Lord snorted coldly. “There are six of us Immortal Emperors. A single Immortal Emperor like you cannot stop us.”

“Oh?” Jian Yuanbai smiled, and the spiritual energy around him surged wildly. “Then what about an Immortal Venerable?”

His aura raged violently, and the six Immortal Emperors present had no doubt about the truth in his words.

Enduring four tribulations—Mortal Immortal, Earth Immortal, Profound Immortal, and Grand Luo Golden Immortal—without a scratch while still being able to converse casually… The six of them asked themselves honestly, and they all arrived at the same conclusion: they could not do it.

They could endure the tribulations, but they would inevitably be injured—severely.

So, if he claimed to be at the Immortal Venerable realm, they believed him. Their purpose in coming here was merely to confirm it in person.

“I believe you!” The Island Lord did not hesitate. He swiftly withdrew his oppressive force and said, “Why don’t we have a talk?”

He had assumed that the one they would be negotiating with would be Jian Yuanbai. However, to his surprise, it was the so-called Human Emperor who spoke with them instead. The six of them felt somewhat dissatisfied, but the man seated at the head of the hall, resting his chin on his hand with his long legs crossed, forced them to suppress their complaints.

The Human Emperor smiled, neither servile nor overbearing, and said, “We have planned for a hundred years. Breaking the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone was never intended as a challenge to the various forces on the Ninefold Continent.”

“We only seek the most fundamental fairness—the fairness of experiencing the same density of spiritual energy while living under the same sky.”

The Human Emperor understood that no matter how powerful Jian Yuanbai was, he was still just one person. The Asriga Empire had millions of people, and they could not rely solely on Jian Yuanbai’s strength to make unreasonable demands.

From the beginning, all they had ever wanted was to break this confinement.

At the end of the negotiations, it was decided that the Asriga Empire would be incorporated into the Ninefold Continent as one of its forces and that the region would be publicly recognized. However, for the next hundred years, outsiders would not be allowed to step foot in this land.

This century-long period would allow the people of the Asriga Empire to improve their cultivation so they would not be too easily bullied by the forces across the sea.

After finalizing a general agreement, further details would be discussed over time. Once the six from the sea departed, the Human Emperor turned to Jian Yuanbai and, in front of the gathered sect leaders, said:

“If the Asriga Empire is to be a recognized force and I am to be its Human Emperor, they will surely refuse to accept my leadership. So, I wonder if Sect Master Jian would be willing to establish a sect once more, give this force a new name, and take the position of its leader.”

The others echoed his sentiments. “That is indeed the case. We are weak, and the road ahead will be difficult. We hope Sect Master Jian will take the helm.”

“We hope Sect Master Jian will take the helm.”

“We hope Sect Master Jian will take the helm.”

Jian Yuanbai pondered for a moment before saying, “Nominally, I can be considered the leader, but you can treat me like a mascot, just like in Wangyun Sect.”

The others smiled wryly. What kind of terrifyingly powerful mascot was this?

At that moment, Jian Yuanbai stroked his chin, recalling the group of towering, muscular men and women by the coast. “As for the name of this force—”

“Let’s call it the ‘Warriors’ Sect.'”

The Human Emperor: ……

Everyone else: ……

The Human Emperor struggled to force out a response. “Sect Master Jian, are you serious?”

Jian Yuanbai nodded. “Look at all these burly men and women. Doesn’t ‘Warriors’ Sect’ suit them perfectly?”

The Human Emperor, his face utterly numb, looked at the self-satisfied Jian Yuanbai. If the difference in strength weren’t so vast, he would have liked to beat him up and crack open his skull to see if his brain was full of water.

What kind of proper force calls itself “Warriors’ Sect”?!