The expression was quite displeased.

Just as he was about to retort, he noticed that Chen Shan's expression had lost its previous levity, taking on a certain seriousness and earnestness. From this moment on, he displayed the rigor and composure befitting the Chief Disciple of Qingxia Peak.

"You shouldn't have won."

"Even when you could still control the battle, you should have decisively forfeited. Given your realm, even surrendering would have been seen by the sect as you caring for the newly admitted junior disciple from Swordmaster Peak."

"Everyone naturally knows who is stronger or weaker. No one really thinks you couldn't win. Besides, even if you were defeated, what does it matter?"

"You're still among the top ten. Are you afraid someone will take the Glazed Lamp from you? Even if someone does, you can always trade something in exchange. You're all from the same sect; who would make things difficult for you?"

"I heard Jiang Feng risked his life to enter the top ten not just to represent Swordmaster Peak but also to get something for himself. Given his young age and the resources he has, how can he compare with someone as seasoned as you?"

"So, he had no choice but to give his all. If I were you, I would have chosen to forfeit while in control to give Swordmaster Peak a favor."

"Foolish beyond measure."

He shook his head.

If it were mere horsing around among brothers, he definitely wouldn't have refuted, but if things got serious, he wouldn't say a word, as Gu Miyun clearly knew his brother was absolutely right.

"I won't surrender, but I will suppress him and then stop, leaving it to the elders to decide."

Wei Jie, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

In Purple Cloud Palace, Dragon Head, Qingxia, Zhu Ming, and Swordmaster are four peaks steeped in history. Swordmaster Peak has only Liu Tangxi left as its sole disciple since it faced calamity years ago, although they weren't born during the disaster, and the elders never mentioned it.

But judging from the elders' attitude, the sect undoubtedly treats Swordmaster Peak unfairly, as Liu Tangxi needs vast cultivation resources and Spiritual Spring to reopen the mountain gate and recruit disciples.

Our master, with his stingy nature, gave away nearly a quarter of Qingxia Peak's cultivation resources without a word, letting his disciples struggle rather than keep them.

These few are not fools. After living in the sect for decades, even if the elders never openly discussed the topic, some insights can be gained through documents and witness accounts.

These three are the future leaders and rulers of the sect. Hence, when they speak seriously about the matter, it essentially reveals their future stance.

The chief of Zhu Ming Peak might seem a bit wooden, yet his approach is undoubtedly wise: don't lose, don't get hurt.

With a steady, deep voice, he spoke slowly, "Lao Gu, you underestimated your enemy."

"Even a lion needs to exert full effort to catch a rabbit. I knew you didn't want to embarrass them due to your realm advantage, yet he gives it his all."

"By the time you realized it, Jiang Feng had Thunder Essence within him. His Thunder Technique is praised even by the Master. If he can maintain that state, he wouldn't fall behind even against the Nascent Soul Stage."

"Yet you kept looking at him merely as at the Core Formation Stage. After his match with Junior Sister Yun, you should have treated him as your equal in realm."

"By the later stages, you were powerless to strike, aura and mindset; he was leading in every aspect. Moreover, it seems Jiang Feng has some cultivation technique not recorded in the Purple Cloud Palace."

"With layers upon layers and the Violet Firmament Sword Technique taught by Master Liu, a hundred Sword Qi arose. Not to mention you, even if the sect's steward came, they'd have to strategize for a moment, avoiding the sharpness."

"From that point, the whole battle was entirely out of control. Even winning, all you could rely on was brute strength, forcefully overpowering by cultivation realm and physical prowess."

"His final magic treasure was something I've never heard or seen before. Lao Gu, among us three, only you could withstand it unscathed."

"If it were us two, though we could handle it, we would suffer some damage."

He nodded.

Facing the criticism from the other two chiefs, he naturally had no grounds to rebut. It indeed boiled down to him being overzealous during this match, and meeting some worthy opponents over recent years had been rare, making life somewhat dull. So encountering a good opponent, he couldn't help but get carried away.

What Chen Shan and Wei Jie said just now was very right. Actually, after the martial gathering ended that day, Gu Miyun already understood what he should have done, though now there indeed is a bit of...

"Regret?"

Chen Shan merely lifted his eyelids.

"Yes."

Admitted very frankly.

"Right after the fight, I regretted it. Initially, I just wanted to test him to see how deep his abilities ran, for future use within Phoenix Heavenly Cave, to make him our surprise soldier. You also know, an adept capable of crossing realms can exert enormous impact in a completely enclosed environment like Phoenix Heavenly Cave."

"That's very true."

This viewpoint was widely agreed upon, as you always need to find a way to probe deeply. But as the three were still discussing the martial gathering, a noisy commotion arose in the distance.

"Here they come, look, they're coming."

"Seems like he doesn't look very well."

"Nonsense, after a match like that, can he look good? Now even being able to get out of bed is already fortunate."

"Such a big deal, making us wait so long for him..."

"If you could go from Core Formation Stage to fight Nascent Soul, making the sect wait three days and nights wouldn't be a problem, right? Want to mess with Chief Gu?"

As they saw the figure approaching in the distance, everyone couldn't help but discuss it. Though some felt displeased, most were filled with admiration and awe.

After this Nine Peaks martial gathering, Jiang Feng's title finally changed from "someone with some skills who wins women's hearts" to "someone with excellent skills who also wins women's hearts."

Anyway, the ideological steel stamp has been branded on him.

"Everyone, I sincerely apologize. I've been undergoing rehabilitation training for the disabled recently, inadvertently delaying the time. My apologies to all."

Don't hit someone with a smiling face.

He arrived, immediately cupping his hands to express his apology. Moreover, Jiang Feng's walking pace was slightly slow, clearly not fully recovered, and the numerous disciples naturally wouldn't hold these small matters against him.

"Senior Brother Gu, Senior Brother Chen, Senior Brother Wei, congratulations on securing the top three positions! It's truly a joyful occasion."

The first thing he did was go over to congratulate them.

Throughout the process, Liang Yu accompanied Jiang Feng, occasionally supporting him as he walked. Chen Shan and Wei Jie, naturally smiling, returned the congratulations, while Gu Miyun...

"Junior Brother Jiang, congratulations on placing ninth. Had you not met me, you might have reached the top four. It's my fault for not holding back, my apologies."

"Ah, wasn't it me being reckless? What's it got to do with Senior Brother Gu? Don't worry, I haven't held any of it against you. This match was truly exhilarating for me."

No one would resent an opponent after a fair duel, whether it be him or Jiang Feng, or any of the other sect disciples, none would think that way. Between men, simple and straightforward.

This also reveals character; everyone likes dealing with forthright people like this. Nonetheless, Gu Miyun soon glanced around, noticing Liu Tangxi's absence, lowered his voice.

"Junior Brother Jiang, when you're at Swordmaster Peak, is Master Liu also guiding you like this?"

He pointed to his own face.

Looking closely, it was only then apparent that Gu Miyun's still fairly handsome face had two noticeably red marks, resembling whip lashes.

This scene was undeniably amusing, even Liang Yu standing by couldn't resist a chuckle, mainly because Liu Tangxi had been visiting Dragon Head Peak each day recently, claiming to guide sect disciples in martial arts.

In reality, just going to bully kids.

"Let me tell you, she hits me even harder than this..."

A few people quietly conversed, but the sect's disciples had already gathered, and soon, a seemingly unfamiliar elder suddenly appeared in front of the Yuan Convergence Building.

"All disciples, heed my command. Those whose names are called, enter in order. Do not crowd, do not fight."

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