The Strongest Sect of All Times

After he learned from Li Luoqiu that the Xiao Family had assassins, Jun Changxiao chewed on his thumb, lost in thought. 

When he was attacked near Liyang City, he had guessed the Bei Familiy or Xiao Family. After seeing the Bei Family’s nameplates, he had temporarily removed the Xiao Family from consideration. 

Why?

Because Jun Changxiao felt that this type of identity exposure made it too obvious that this was a case of stolen and planted goods. 

During the Sect Martial Arts Competition, the Xiao Family had been clearly hostile — a normal person would have guessed that it was definitely they who had framed the Bei Family. 

Jun Changxiao had initially removed them from the suspect list because he believed that people with high aspirations would avoid such obvious framing. But now that he knew they had assassins, he had to carefully reconsider. 

Suppose the assassins were actually sent by the Xiao Family…

In order to create suspicion, they intentionally brought the Bei Family’s nameplates, then used some sort of technique to change their appearances?

Fuck. 

If that's true, this is psychological warfare!

Or, the attackers had been someone different, intentionally framing both the Bei Family and the Xiao Family?

Jun Changxiao’s thoughts were a little chaotic, his brain cells a little insufficient. 

“Huh,” he sighed. “Hall Master Li, this lord shall give you your first mission now.”

Li Luoqiu listened. 

Jun Changxiao considered for a moment, before saying, “Send people to Liyang City to monitor the Bei Family and Xiao Family. Watch their every move, especially that Great Elder Xiao.”

Whether or not this was psychological warfare, he would watch the suspicious Xiao Family. If it was them, they would naturally give themselves away. 

“Just observe, not kill?” Li Luoqiu asked. 

“Mhm.”

“Got it.”

Murdering people was troublesome; observing was very easy. 

Li Luoqiu gave the mission details to Venomous Snake, who quickly returned to Drizzle Hall and chose several gold-level assassins specialized in observation and covert operations. The group left the sect for Liyang City soon after. 

Drizzle Hall’s purpose was presented. 

“Sect Head.”

Li Luoqiu smiled, “Do you have time to teach me how to use the gun?”

…

On the mountain. 

Jun Changxiao moved slowly as he inserted the crystal core into a newly-bought Desert Eagle, filling up the magazine and loading the gun. He then flipped the safety off. 

“Did you see it clearly?”

“I saw it clearly,” Li Luoqiu said. 

She took out her Desert Eagle and followed what the sect head had done, actually loading a bullet and removing the safety. 

Bang!

With a pull of the trigger, a beam of light shot out. 

It accurately hit a piece of fruit of a tree dozens of meters away!

Li Luoqiu was a Fifth Stage Martial Master and could withstand the recoil, so she felt no discomfort. 

Sect Head Jun was dumbfounded. “Shoot again for me.”

Bang!

Li Luoqiu shot off another piece of fruit. 

“Fierce, fierce!” Jun Changxiao praised. 

But he wasn’t praising Li Luoqiu’s marksmanship… After the woman opened fire, the vibration from the recoil would cause her chest to tremble. 

“Shoot again!”

Bang!

Bang!

Li Luoqiu fired twice, her body trembling. 

Sure enough… A cultivated woman firing a gun was quite impactful. 

Li Luoqiu put down the gun and discovered that the place the sect head was looking wasn’t quite right. She wrinkled her brows, “Where are you looking?”

“Eh?” 

Jun Changxiao quickly raised his head and sighed with emotion, “The sky is very blue, also very vast.”

Li Luoqiu said, “Previously, outside the headquarters, there was another Invincible Might Cannon that the sect head used, can I try?”

“Okay.”

Jun Changxiao called for Xiao Zuiji and tossed the rifle to her. He then taught her how to use the 8x Scope, as well as how to crouch on the floor and how to fire.

“Got it,” Li Luoqiu said. 

Shua! Shua!

Jun Changxiao and Xiao Zuiji simultaneously retreated very far away. 

“Sect Head, are you not going to give her the shoulder pad?”

“Hall Master Li is a Fifth Stage Martial Master, she can definitely withstand the recoil.”

“Makes sense.”

The two people watched and were dumbfounded a second later. 

Li Luoqiu did not act according to how she had just been taught, picking the rifle up instead of setting it on the ground, pressed her eye near the scope and opened fire!

A slender and beautiful young woman holding a rifle in the wilderness was also quite a wonderful sight. 

“Hall Master Li, don’t—”

Bang!

Bang!

Li Luoqiu fired two shots at once. The bullets exploded forth, crushing a stone several hundred meters away. The recoil shook her body, launching her tumbling backwards. 

Shua!

Jun Changxiao rushed forward, spreading both arms so as to catch her. Inside, he was quite dumbfounded. This woman wasn’t satisfied with just one shot, but had to fire twice!

Putong.

Li Luoqiu and the rifle dropped to the floor, limbs akimbo. 

Jun Changxiao grimaced, “Hall Master Li, I apologize. This lord accidentally did not go far enough and failed to catch you!”

…

Li Luoqiu felt that crouching down to fire was too ungraceful, deciding to shoot standing up instead. Sure, it was elegant, but her shoulders and arms were the price, as the recoil caused them to tingle with numbness for the rest of the day. 

The next day. 

The disciples continued with the usual exercise and cultivation. 

The five new disciples also started the ‘either become stronger or die’ life in the sect. 

The most tragic was Li Shangtian, who was kicked into the Heavens by Li Fei’s Happy Football. 

Sun Bukong and Sima Zhongda crouched somewhere far away, looking at the guy who had been kicked through the gates and onto the training field as they trembled with fear. 

The only female among the new disciples, Ling Yuanxue, was the happiest. The senior sisters were very warm towards her, letting this shy character gradually loosen up. 

“Qingyang.”

Jun Changxiao stood outside the main hall and swept a glance at the disciples. 

“Where’s Zhou Hong?”

Li Qingyang said, “Sect Head, this junior brother is a little strange. After joining the sect, he has been motionless in the inner courtyard’s training area, not responding to anyone.”

“Is that so?”

Jun Changxiao walked over to the inner court. 

On the small training field, a Zhou Hong who hadn’t even changed into the sect uniform proudly stood. He grasped his sword sheath, his other holding the sword hilt, black hair fluttering behind him. 

This was a standard sword drawing motion because he seemed motionless, like a statue. 

Li Qingyang whispered, “Sect Head, after he ate dinner yesterday, he’s been standing like this. He was out here during the night too.”

Jun Changxiao tapped his chin, “This person is really a bit strange.”

Clang—

Suddenly, Zhou Hong unsheathed his sword. Sword glare appeared on the side, intertwining with each other and instantly forming an inescapable net of energy. 

“My god!”

Jun Changxiao and Li Qingyang were wide-eyed. 

Clang!

The sword was sheathed and the sword qi dispersed. 

Unsheathe, sheathe — seriously fast!

Jun Changxiao and Li Qingyang only heard the sound, but did not actually see the movements!

What was even more exaggerated was that the leaf fluttering beside Zhou Hong passed through that sword glare, but had not been cut, slowly falling to land on the stone. 

So quick and with so much sword qi, but the leaf had unexpectedly not been cut, this was absolutely the markings of a grandmaster!

Hu-hu!

At this time, a cool breeze blew past. 

The leaf by Zhou Hong’s foot was blown into the air, crumbling into dust as it flew away, which flew into Jun Changxiao’s and Li Qingyang’s faces. 

This… was not the movements of a mortal.

That fallen leaf had been hit by the sword glare, but because the sword had been too quick, there hadn’t been enough time for it to become ribbons before it reached the ground. 

Brushing the leaf bits off their faces, Jun Changxiao and Li Qingyang exclaimed, “Expert, expert, a super expert!”

Somewhere else, Ye Xingchen had also witnessed Zhou Hong drawing his sword. He muttered, “He created 23 swords in one breath. This child should have comprehended the quick boundary of the Sword Way; a rare Sword Way seedling.”

“Unfortunately…” he shook his head. “Although the Ironbone Sect has mysterious core techniques, fist arts, and energy-type martial skills, it does not have a high-tier sword technique. Practicing here would be wasting his life.”