"Elder Su has actually... become the Nineteenth Elder of the Sacred Land??"

"If I'm not mistaken, doesn't each honorary elder of the Sacred Land need at least Half-Step into Dao Integration in cultivation?"

"Lin Duo applied to the Sacred Land several times, but it seems he was never approved by the Saintess!"

"This... Could Elder Su be the youngest elder of the Sacred Land in the entire Twenty-One Provinces? The Nineteenth Elder?"

The Sacred Land Disciple holding a long spear felt his pupils shrink instantly, staring dumbfounded at the scene before him, at the Golden Holy Decree in Elder Liu's hand!

How is this possible?!

His face twitched violently for a moment, then the next instant, his complexion turned purple, and a trickle of cold sweat ran down ominously. He felt his throat suddenly fill with a sense of dryness.

Ignoring the uproar around him, Liu Changqing narrowed his eyes as he approached Su Bei, saying amiably, "Elder Su, from now on, we are fellow elders of the Sacred Land."

"..."

Su Bei raised his eyebrows slightly, took the decree handed to him by Liu Changqing, and nodded as he said, "I must have troubled Elder Liu to make this special trip..."

Liu Changqing's eyes twinkled as he looked at the scar-faced man lying in a pool of blood, then at the Sword Sect Female Disciples whose complexions had already turned deathly pale, and said thoughtfully, "Elder Su, what exactly happened here?"

Su Bei's gaze fleetingly swept towards the Sacred Land Disciple.

In an instant, the Sacred Land Disciple felt his back drench in cold sweat and his limbs turn ice-cold. He gulped, looking at Su Bei with a sycophantic expression as he stammered, "Elder Su... It's all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!"

Unhurried, Su Bei gently slid the Qingping Sword into the new scabbard given to him by the Sword Maiden and said in a low voice, "Oh? A misunderstanding?"

"If I recall correctly, what did you mean by 'apprehend this person'?"

Liu Changqing squinted at the Sacred Land Disciple, just about to say something, when he heard Su Bei speak expressionlessly, "Is this how the disciples of the Sacred Land dispense justice?"

"Bullying the weak? Attempting to establish authority without distinguishing right from wrong?"

"What use are such vermin who tarnish the reputation of the Sacred Land?"

"..."

Su Bei snorted coldly, took the Sword Maiden's hand, and turned away, no longer looking at the Sacred Land Disciple.

Seeing Su Bei's actions, Liu Changqing narrowed his eyes, figuring that this female disciple seemed to hold a significant position in Su Bei's heart.

After learning the full story, he personally approached the Sword Maiden, saying warmly, "I apologize for the distress you've experienced. Indeed, the Sacred Land did not handle this well, and we will provide compensation for you."

The Sword Maiden, who had never been spoken to so calmly by such an important figure—she was merely a female disciple from the sword-washing pond—felt her heart race as if it would leap out of her chest. She subconsciously took a step back, then tilted her head up to see Su Bei's gentle gaze.

She then exhaled a sigh of relief, bit her lip, and gestured towards Elder Liu, saying, "The Sword Maiden thanks Elder Liu. All is well now. I just hope that such incidents won't occur again..."

Liu Changqing smiled but said nothing.

Perhaps he still didn't quite understand why Su Bei was so angered by this matter. However, since Su Bei had become an elder of the Sacred Land, he knew a proper resolution had to be offered!

He stood up, looked at the Sacred Land Disciple, his face stern and emotionless, and said coldly, "You. Go to the Ice and Fire Cave for ten years."

At that moment, the disciple felt his body go limp, his face filled with despair, a chill enveloping him as all strength left his body.

—The Ice and Fire Cave: to enter was to face death or emerge crippled.

His eyes pleaded towards Su Bei for mercy, but unfortunately, Su Bei did not spare him a single glance from beginning to end.

The disciple suddenly laughed, a tragic smile touching the corners of his mouth. So, in Su Bei's eyes, I was nothing more than an ant, never worthy of his direct gaze from start to finish.

Soon, amid the whispering and murmuring of the surrounding onlookers, other Sacred Land Disciples dragged the man away.

The remaining disciples then dragged away the scar-faced man, who was half-dead, his chances of survival uncertain.

With the matter settled, Su Bei bid farewell to Elder Liu and, holding the Sword Maiden's hand, walked with the Sword Sect Disciples towards the Sword Sect's residence.

The crowd's eyes couldn't help but follow Su Bei, observing the man in the white robe embroidered with begonias who seemed rash in his actions but appeared to have everything under control.

Yet, their faces were still filled with puzzlement. Why would this man go to such lengths to intervene on behalf of those ant-like existences? They weren't even official disciples.

Su Bei paused his steps, his back to the crowd of onlookers, feeling their gazes—cultivators ranging from Golden Core to Refining Void.

The breeze lifted a corner of Su Bei's long robe, and he gently waved his wide sleeve.

The sunlight was serene, sprawling across Wu City.

Su Bei lifted his head. The Qingping Sword hanging at his waist, perhaps because of the blood it had shed, exuded a sinister charm. Then, his calm words echoed across the entire sky:

"In the Sword Sect."

"Whoever enters the mountain gate, regardless of their background or origins, is a disciple of our Sword Sect."

"Those who offend the Sword Sect shall be punished, no matter how far they may be!"