The setting sun extinguished its last ray of light.

Above the sky, a sword glided past, its distance from the ground so far that it appeared as nothing more than a speck to those looking up from below.

The whooshing wind rushed past her ears. Li Zijun sat on the sword, her hair blown into disarray, small hands gripping Su Bei tightly. She squinted, unable to open her eyes against the strong wind.

This time was different. Previously, while investigating the source of the Evil Qi and seeking a solution, Su Bei had taken his time, stopping frequently, which greatly slowed his pace. But for this Buckle Immortal Gate, time was pressing. It would begin in another three to five days, so Su Bei was traveling hurriedly.

Along the way, besides urging Li Zijun to cultivate for her Foundation Establishment, Su Bei would occasionally tell her about the temperaments of her several senior martial sisters.

After all, Li Zijun was a disciple he had taken on outside the Sect. Although they had met before, a formal meeting might still be awkward.

Li Zijun was gentle and extremely clever. Knowing the temperaments of her senior martial sisters would help her get along with them.

However, what troubled Su Bei the most were the issues involving the Sword Maiden and that Mo Fan who had suddenly popped up from nowhere.

So much has happened in the Sword Sect during my absence. It seems it's time to discipline these newly joined disciples.

Su Bei sighed.

He couldn't claim absolute power over the Sword Sect, but his position within it was definitely not one an ordinary Elder could compare to. Even in the Twenty-One Provinces, he held considerable weight. Furthermore, with his status as the Nineteenth Elder in the Sacred Land, his position could truly be said to be lofty.

If I were the protagonist in one of those novels, reaching my current status would probably mean the story is nearing its end…

Li Zijun, clinging tightly to Su Bei's waist, heard her master muttering to himself and asked with curiosity, "Master, what are you talking about?"

Su Bei patted her small hand and smiled affably, then lifted his gaze towards the distance.

"We should reach South City by tomorrow."

"Are you tired, my disciple?"

"There's no need to rush on the road today. Let's find a place to rest."

Li Zijun rested her head on Su Bei's back and nodded softly.

The flying sword gradually shrank, then descended from the sky, landing in a grove and startling a flock of birds.

A bonfire was lit, shining brightly.

Stars like sunken pearls in the deep sea glimmered with soft light.

Su Bei handed the roasted meat to the three women. Propping his chin on his hand, his eyes reflected the flickering light of the bonfire.

"Speaking of which, what are the cultivation levels and innate talents of the Sword Sect disciples participating in this Buckle Immortal Gate?"

"How were they selected?"

Dan Wulan fanned the heat from a roasted pig leg, took a careful bite, and said, "When you were away from the Sword Sect, Husband, the Sect held a grand competition. There were a total of fifty spots for the Buckle Immortal Gate."

"Aside from the Sword Maiden, all were selected from the top-ranked disciples..."

Upon hearing this, Su Bei nodded with a smile, already having a rough guess about the ostracism the Sword Maiden faced.

In the end, it was all due to the dissatisfaction of the Sword Sect disciples. The Sword Maiden hadn't demonstrated corresponding strength. Though such favoritism exists in every Sect, her meek nature and feelings of guilt naturally made her an easy target for bullying.

Just then, Ji Nanjue, who had been staring at the bonfire, her gaze flickering slightly, seemed to think of something. She raised her head to look at Su Bei, her expression serious, and asked, "Su Dudu, this Buckle Immortal Gate, this grand competition for Sect Disciples of the Twenty-One Provinces—do all Sects participate?"

Su Bei nodded. A hint of puzzlement flickered across his face, wondering why Ji Baoer was asking such a basic question. But then, as if he had realized something, his eyes also narrowed.

Taking a deep breath and twirling the wooden stick in his hand, he gave Ji Nanjue a meaningful look. "Does that mean this Buckle Immortal Gate will gather the most talented and highest-cultivated disciples from the entire realm?"

Dan Wulan initially didn't understand the riddle the two were hinting at. However, Su Bei's next words instantly sent a chill down her spine:

"Evil Cultivators."

Su Bei narrowed his eyes and used his forefinger to lift the single black strand of his hair. "If we can think of it, couldn't those long-plotting Evil Cultivators have thought of it too?

"This is a rare opportunity, with geniuses from all Twenty-One Provinces gathered here. With just a little interference, it might be impossible to catch them all at once, but to eliminate half of them...

"That would certainly be far more impactful than their current secretive scheming."

After pondering carefully, Dan Wulan clutched Su Bei's arm, shook her head, and said, "It can't be. If that happened, wouldn't the Evil Cultivators be exposed to the entire world?

"The reason they are so audacious is precisely because they operate in the shadows, their actions highly secretive. So far, there hasn't been any news of outstanding disciples from the Great Sects falling victim to them.

"Moreover, this Buckle Immortal Gate competition is happening in South City, right under the South Emperor's nose, with Sects from all over the realm present. How could they dare?"

Ji Nanjue, however, couldn't hide her worry. She stood up, faced Dan Wulan, and said, "A few months ago, I would have agreed with you. But during the time you were away, Husband and I passed through Xiegu City—that's where we saved Zi Jun. Do you know what happened there?"

Dan Wulan frowned and shook her head, indicating she didn't know.