Chapter 4: Your request is truly odd

Speaking of this, Zi Yuan's pretty face was full of solemnity.

On the contrary, Li Mu, the person concerned, felt completely unruffled inside and didn't take the matter to heart at all.

Haha!

I, myself, a respectable Third‑rank Refining Qi Realm.

If Li Mu doesn't go looking for trouble, that already counts as him being kind‑hearted—would he still fear others coming to trouble him?

Seeing that Li Mu didn't take her words seriously, Zi Yuan's willow‑like eyebrows tightened even more.

She paused, then her tone grew heavier.

"Xuan Yue Feng, as the leader of Ziyang's Four Peaks, has topped every Four Peaks Grand Competition."

"Therefore, the disciples of Xuan Yue Feng have always been arrogant and overbearing!"

"Last year, our newly recruited Personal Disciple from Longtan Peak was beaten severely by Xuan Yue Feng under the pretext of sparring and exchange, thus missing the Four Peaks Grand Competition."

"Now the Four Peaks Grand Competition is imminent."

"As my Personal Disciple from Longtan Peak, you must not have any more accidents."

Those words were spoken by Zi Yuan with earnest concern.

She was almost blunt enough to say, now that it's at this critical juncture, you must not die!

Over the years, Zi Yuan has already witnessed far too many youngsters like Li Mu—young, arrogant, and self‑important, coming from the secular world.

Perhaps.

To these youths, they truly are prodigies in the secular world, beings above ten thousand people.

But the same talent, when placed within the Ziyang Sect, is an entirely different matter.

Especially someone like Li Mu, who indeed possesses unparalleled comprehension!

However, comprehension only indicates great future potential; it shows nothing at present!

If Li Mu, driven by youthful arrogance, were to confront the Personal Disciples of Xuan Yue Feng head‑on.

Wouldn't that be a death sentence?

Who would have known.

Zi Yuan's warning fell upon Li Mu's ears, yet it completely baffled him?

My own senior sister…

Could she be joking with me?

Even if we truly need to be careful, it should be the disciples of the other three peaks who be careful, right?

I, a proud Third‑rank Refining Qi Realm, going to fight those newly recruited newcomers.

Isn't that just a father beating his son—one hits the other and they both stay silent?

However, looking at Zi Yuan's beautiful eyes, they were filled with genuine worry and unease.

Li Mu felt that his senior sister was not joking with him at all!

Could it be?

"Even if senior sister Zi Yuan is as strong as she is, she still can't see through my current cultivation!"

"Indeed…"

"What I have cultivated is the Chan Sect's first protective divine skill: the Eight‑Nine Xuan Technique!"

"Not seeing through me is normal!"

"Being able to see through me, that would be seeing a ghost!"

While Li Mu was pondering this, Zi Yuan had already taken him into the great hall.

After arriving in the hall, Li Mu instinctively scanned the people inside.

He saw.

In this hall, to the east, south, west, and north, stood a group of young men and women embroidered with the symbols of different peaks.

These are this year's Outer Peak disciples newly recruited by the Ziyang Sect's Four Peaks.

In front of them stood several individuals with strong aura, their true qi swirling around, vaguely forming the strange shapes of dragons, phoenixes, qilin and other auspicious beasts.

Even if these people stand here doing nothing, merely their emotional fluctuations and speech can cause the heavens and earth to change color and produce anomalies.

None of these people are anything other than Outer Peak elders!

Retracting his gaze from the Four Peaks disciples, Li Mu then looked up at the Ziyang Sect sect master at the front of the hall.

Above that, clouds and mist swirled, and Li Mu stared for a long time but could only see a vague, indistinct image.

Just as Li Mu was becoming absorbed, a shrill voice rang out.

"Sect Master!"

"In my opinion!"

"In this disciple recruitment assessment, Longtan Peak definitely cheated!"

The speaker was a teenage boy in a black Dao robe embroidered with the emblem of Xuan Yue Feng.

The black‑robed youth flicked his sleeve and took a big step forward.

He held his head high, stood in the center of the crowd with chest out, his brows showing unmistakable arrogance and confidence.

His aura, no longer concealed, erupted fully!

"First‑rank Refining Qi Realm!"

"Elder Qin Zhanglao, this prodigy not only passed the Personal Disciple assessment, but also broke through to the First‑rank Refining Qi Realm!"

"This is a First‑rank Refining Qi Realm at the age of fifteen!"

"With such talent, even compared with his older brother, he is no less!"

"If nothing goes wrong, the first place in this year's Four Peaks Grand Competition will once again go to Xuan Yue Feng!"

Standing at the front of the Xuan Yue Feng camp, Qin Siwu gazed at the hazy magical aura of the senior sect leader, then flicked his eyes toward the newly entered Great Hall's Zi Yuan and Li Mu, narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in his pupils, yet showed no expression and, feigning anger, said.

"Nonsense!"

"Qin Zhixiang!"

"This place is a sect stronghold; how can you be shouting and making a fuss here!"

"Stop speaking baseless things!"

"Grandfather!"

Qin Zhixiang straightened his chest; he didn't even glance at Li Mu with his direct gaze, instead fixing his eyes on Zi Yuan.

"Senior Sister Zi Yuan!"

"The Li Mu you brought here is what sort of person, I need not say more."

"Just a petty waste who luckily ascended from the secular world!"

"Instant enlightenment?"

"Immediate success?"

"Ha!"

"What even our Ziyang Sect's founding patriarch couldn't accomplish, how can a worldly waste achieve it?"

"It's simply the greatest farce under heaven!"

"In my eyes!"

"Zi Yuan must think this child's cultivation is shallow!"

"She only fabricated such a clumsy lie to swindle Ziyang Sect's resources!"

"He doesn't even have the strength to become a Personal Disciple of our Ziyang Sect!"

Vile words kept spewing from Qin Zhixiang's mouth, as if to attack Li Mu with the most disgusting language in the world.

His reckless behavior has a reason!

As a 'Fourth Generation Immortal', Qin Zhixiang's grandfather is an elder of Xuan Yue Feng!

At the same time.

His cultivation realm is also a First‑grade Refining Qi Realm!

Even if we look at the Outer Peak Personal Disciples of the Ziyang Sect who just entered this year, he is still an absolute strongman!

As for Li Mu?

According to the information he has, the opponent is nothing more than a waste from the secular world, right?

Lacking strength!

Lacking backing!

A mere mortal, what can he use to fight me?

Qin Zhixiang even hoped Li Mu would be so infuriated that he loses his senses and strikes him!

In that case.

He would then have ample reason to beat Li Mu to broken bones and fractures, ideally so that he cannot even participate in the Four Peaks Grand Competition!

"Swish!"

In the vast Great Hall, for a moment the silence was such that even the fall of a single silver needle could be heard!

Although everyone knows Xuan Yue Feng and Longtan Peak have long been at odds.

Whether Inner Peak or Outer Peak, there has always been constant friction and escalating conflicts!

What they didn't expect was that people from Xuan Yue Feng would wait until the Four Peaks Grand Competition to strike at Longtan Peak disciples.

Who would have thought.

Now Qin Zhixiang can't even wait for the Four Peaks Grand Competition; he immediately gives the newly appointed Longtan Peak Personal Disciple a harsh welcome!

"Sigh..."

"The Longtan Peak stage will probably be hard to get through!"

Although many present sympathize with Zi Yuan's situation, they really have little to say about it.

Every year.

Within the vast Ziyang Sect there are only four Personal Disciple slots each year!

To become a Personal Disciple,

Either you are exceptionally strong.

Or you are innately talented.

Regarding strength,

Li Mu is just a mortal who just ascended from the secular world, probably learning the cultivation core method on the spot.

What strength could that possibly give him?

As for talent?

Instant enlightenment, immediate success?

Not only people from Xuan Yue Feng doubt this test result, even they cannot believe it!

Especially, Qin Zhixiang suddenly caused trouble in front of the sect leader!

If Li Mu cannot prove he has the strength to be a Personal Disciple!

Then the days of Longtan Peak will surely become even harder!

"What did you say?"

Zi Yuan saw Qin Zhixiang utter a waste with his mouth open and close, thus belittling their Longtan Peak Personal Disciples.

Even though she is cold‑tempered.

At this moment, the phoenix eyes, filled with murderous aura, also clenched the pure hand!

Li Mu knows how important Longtan Peak is to them; no one understands it better than Zi Yuan!

Therefore, even if today we must completely tear the face with Xuan Yue Feng, we will not yield!

However.

At that moment, a slender hand with distinct knuckles reached out and gently pressed her shoulder.

Zi Yuan turned her head to look at Li Mu's calm face, wanting to tell him that everything would be handled by herself.

The dispute here is not something a junior like him can meddle in!

His youthful vigor will only bring him harm!

"Li Mu!"

"Three years east of the river, three years west of the river…"

Zi Yuan had just begun to say some admonishing words to keep Li Mu from acting rashly.

But before she could finish speaking,

beside them, Qin Zhixiang's shrill shouting rang out again.

"That's right, Li Mu!"

"Listen to what your senior sister said; it's so reasonable!"

"A waste should have the awareness of a waste!"

"If you disagree!"

"Then you can fuck me!"

"I beg you to fuck me!"

This was clearly meant to deliberately enrage Li Mu.

As the undisputed top newcomer Personal Disciple of Ziyang Sect, Qin Zhixiang is regarded highly wherever he goes and would never dare to offend anyone.

Moreover!

Behind him is a great‑grandfather who serves as an elder at Xuan Yue Feng; if one offends this "Immortal Fourth Generation", moving within Ziyang Sect would become impossible.

Seeing Li Mu remain silent, Qin Zhixiang suddenly strode forward, pointed a finger at Li Mu's chest with a heavy jab.

"Dare?"

He said.

He laughed, patting the Dao robe of a Xuan Yue Feng Personal Disciple on his own body.

"Of course you don't dare!"

"You're just a waste, not a stupid fool!"

"Just now I publicly displayed my First‑rank Refining Qi Realm cultivation, and now you still dare to …"

Before Qin Zhixiang could even utter the final "si"!

"Bang!"

A muffled thud was heard!

The Qin Zhixiang who had just been standing tall and bragging.

His body suddenly, like a round rolling ball, left the ground and slammed heavily into a stone pillar of the hall, spraying blood everywhere!

And everyone in the hall froze in place.

It was seen that Li Mu, at some unknown moment, had already appeared at the spot where Qin Zhixiang had been standing, still holding the kicking pose.

He slowly retracted his leg and said coldly,

"Fool!"

"I've lived this long."

"I've never seen such a strange request as yours!"