Chapter 661

Upon hearing this.

Jiang Zhiwei withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, turned without the slightest hesitation, and prepared to leave immediately.

She had no thoughts yet on joining any faction.

Simply because she disliked being forced to do things she detested, losing her freedom.

At this moment, silence spoke louder than words.

Seeing Jiang Zhiwei's choice, Ning Zhengqi raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with astonishment!

The name of his Tianjian Sect echoed throughout the Nine States' sword realm, a sacred ground in the hearts of countless sword cultivators!

It was the strongest sword sect within the Yuehua Empire, without exception!

Under these circumstances, any sensible person would know how to choose.

How could any sword cultivator possibly refuse?

Could the other not understand what this choice truly meant?

Just as Ning Zhengqi was overwhelmed with confusion,

Gongsun Lanying, who had watched for a long time, had already reached her limit!

Especially since her own talent was far inferior to Jiang Zhiwei's, and she could only rely on her background, never receiving such attention from her senior brother.

Thinking of all this, she couldn't help but feel envy.

Her expression grew increasingly hostile.

She then glared fiercely at Jiang Zhiwei and sneered:

"Hmph! You're truly ungrateful!"

"What manner of person is my senior brother? He has lowered himself to personally invite you into our sect— you don't even show gratitude, yet you dare refuse and betray his kind intentions?"

"Moreover, how illustrious is the reputation of our Tianjian Sect? It is the sword sanctuary that people from backwater regions dream of!"

"Countless cultivators beg their fathers and mothers, plead and grovel, just to secure an entry slot— yet now we offer it to you willingly, and you choose to ignore it? You're utterly foolish!"

As her words fell silent,

Jiang Zhiwei's expression remained unchanged, clearly not giving these words a second thought.

She stepped forward calmly, preparing to leave the place.

Yet upon seeing this, Gongsun Lanying took it as the other fearing her background, and became even more emboldened!

She hurled more mocking words.

Then she shifted tone: "Heh, backwater regions remain backwater regions— even if you suddenly strike it rich, you still can't hide your narrow-mindedness."

"Cangwu Jiang Clan? Such a minor family might barely pass in your Da Qin, but in my eyes, it's easily wiped out."

"I wonder what nonsense your elders fed you to make you so attached! I suspect they're all no good— every last one of them short-sighted; your clan chief especially..."

Before she could finish, an unexpected event erupted!

Slap!

A sharp crack rang out!

Instantly, Nie Wusheng, Feng Zhangyue, and Ning Zhengqi all froze in shock!

In their line of sight,

Gongsun Lanying lay sprawled on the ground, clutching her reddened right cheek with both hands.

Her expression held no anger—only utter disbelief.

She never imagined the other would dare strike her!

At that moment, Jiang Zhiwei slowly withdrew her hand.

Her expression remained cold, but her eyes turned razor-sharp, brimming with intense killing intent!

"You wish to humiliate me— Jiang Zhiwei will not hold it against you."

"But if you dare humiliate my Jiang Clan, or insult our clan chief— that is absolutely unacceptable!"

"This time, it's merely a lesson."

"If there's a next time, Jiang Zhiwei will spare nothing— with this sword, I will make you bleed five paces!"

With that, she cast a cold glance at Gongsun Lanying: "You should be grateful you didn't meet my elder brothers."

"Had you met them, and dared humiliate my Jiang Clan or insult our clan chief, they wouldn't be as merciful as I— they'd give you no second chance to speak foolishly!"

"Even the first time, you should already be dead..."

At this moment, Jiang Zhiwei's tone turned chillingly cold, sending a shiver down the spine!

She didn't care about their identities— only whether they had insulted her family and clan chief!

This was her inner boundary— no one could cross it!

As Jiang Zhiwei's words faded,

Gongsun Lanying instantly felt as if plunged into a ten-thousand-zhang icy abyss, her entire body freezing, as if her blood would solidify!

She wanted to retort, but fearing the other would truly kill her, she suppressed her terror and turned to her senior brother for help.

She firmly believed that if her senior brother intervened, he would surely teach this insolent bitch a lesson!

Thinking of this, her eyes grew even more venomous, eagerly anticipating what came next.

Yet her expectations were dashed.

Ning Zhengqi shook his head, refusing to intervene for Gongsun Lanying; instead, he turned to Jiang Zhiwei and bowed: "Thank you, Young Lady, for your mercy. My junior sister has rarely left the sect and has been pampered within its walls— she has many shortcomings. She has offended you greatly; please forgive her..."

Though her junior sister's cultivation base was low, only the Ocean Realm,

She could easily endure a single slap.

She wasn't injured— only her face was damaged.

She is still young, and unable to distinguish right from wrong.

As a Sun Wheel realm cultivator and the Sect Master's personal disciple, how could he fail to distinguish right from wrong?

Since it was his own junior sister who was in the wrong, he naturally would not let her continue down that path of error!

Along with Ning Zhengqi's words.

Gongsun Lanying's body stiffened, her eyes falling into a daze!

She never dreamed that, in front of outsiders, her senior brother had actually chosen not to help her!

Thinking of this, her heart was instantly filled with grievance.

Coupled with her senior brother's refusal to take her side, she grew increasingly afraid of Jiang Zhiwei, that terrifying woman.

The result was that she couldn't hold back and actually burst into tears on the spot!

Watching the young Miss of the Gongsun family suffer a setback, Feng Zhangyue could not help but let out a soft chuckle.

He then looked toward Ning Zhengqi, and could not help but admire even more the eye Sect Master senior brother had for picking disciples.

This kid had indeed inherited senior brother's clear-cut, good-versus-evil temperament.

Only, once they returned, if today's matter spread, it was likely to arouse the displeasure of Old Ghost Gongsun.

Feng Zhangyue shook his head, no longer thinking about the matter, and simply turned his gaze back to Jiang Zhiwei.

On the other side.

Faced with Ning Zhengqi's reaction, Jiang Zhiwei could not help but feel a touch of surprise.

At the same time, she also understood that within this Heavenly Sword Sect, not everyone was the sort to bully others with their power like Gongsun Lanying.

Thinking of this, her view of the Heavenly Sword Sect actually improved quite a bit.

Not long after, when Ning Zhengqi had apologized repeatedly.

So as not to let his Master miss out on a fine talent, and to find himself a good junior sister with boundless potential.

After much deliberation, he once again issued an invitation: "You have roamed Great Qin, testing your sword beneath the heavens — surely it was to elevate your own sword Dao realm."

"But how barren is the sword Dao world of Great Qin? Sword Marquises are naturally few in number, and now that several months have passed, judging by your current realm, I fear you have already become hard-pressed to find a match!"

"And the sword Dao standards of the other eight nations are even worse than Great Qin's — so what then? How will you go about finding worthy opponents one after another?"

"And my Heavenly Sword Sect is the strongest sword Dao power within the Moonlight Imperial Dynasty! Its disciples are numerous, and the count of sword cultivators reaches into the hundreds of thousands! None but those of the finest aptitude may enter!"

"Among them, those who have comprehended Sword Intent and advanced to Sword Sect far surpass the combined total of the nine nations!"

"Sword Marquises and Sword King-level experts are likewise not few in number!"

"Not to mention, my Sect still has a treasure ground like the Sword Tomb, which contains numerous Mysterious-grade and even Heaven-grade treasured swords, as well as a great deal of the comprehension and insight left behind by generations of Sword Kings. If you wish to advance swiftly, why not consider joining my Heavenly Sword Sect?"

"Moreover, with the prestige of my Heavenly Sword Sect, we will surely be able to aid the clan behind you. Once you advance to a true disciple, there are no restrictions on your freedom — should you wish to return to your clan, you may do so at any time."

"As for the Sect's rules, because the Founding Patriarch disliked needless formalities, they were set extremely simply: one must not betray the Sect's interests or do anything harmful to the Sect. Of course, fellow disciples are forbidden from killing one another — but if it is in self-defense and there is just cause, the punishment may be waived."

"The Founding Patriarch once said: A swordsman must be unbending rather than yield, prefer to snap than to bend, fear nothing — my heart is like a sword, and the sword's heart is like me!"