"Sect Master, shall we ring the bell?" a disciple stepped forward, looking respectfully at Sun Xiaoshan.
"Ring the bell? For such a small matter, why ring the bell?" Sun Xiaoshan was speechless.
"A small matter?" The dozen or so true disciples' eyes widened upon hearing Sun Xiaoshan's words.
Although they knew Sun Xiaoshan had annihilated over ten surrounding sects, those were all ninth-grade sects, with their highest strength at the peak of the Enlightenment Realm.
But now, several eighth-grade and seventh-grade sects were arriving! These were in no way comparable to ninth-grade sects!
"They are just a bunch of insignificant weaklings. To ring our Qingyue Sect's bell for them, is this a catastrophe or what? What a joke?"
Seeing their expressions, Sun Xiaoshan immediately reprimanded them.
The sect's great bell was only to be rung under three circumstances, and the number of rings, determined by the Sect Master, corresponded to the level of importance.
In short, this bell was only used for great joy, immense sorrow, or impending doom.
And now these true disciples were saying they should ring the bell? This would pull everyone in closed-door cultivation out of their meditative state. How many breakthroughs would this interrupt?
It seemed he needed to establish a principle for this matter next time, otherwise, if they were in charge in the future, wouldn't they just ring it for fun?
The thirteen true disciples were bewildered by Sun Xiaoshan's words. It was the first time they had heard someone describe the elite disciples of a seventh-grade sect as 'insignificant weaklings.'
While they knew Sun Xiaoshan was powerful, having annihilated over ten ninth-grade sects, they didn't expect him to be this arrogant.
"That, son, the opposite side seems to be led by several elders from the Beikui Sect. However, strangely, they haven't launched an attack on us immediately. It's as if they are waiting for someone."
Sun Dashan seemed startled by his son's boldness and quickly reminded him. Didn't he see his father was almost scared to death? And you're calling them insignificant weaklings? Doesn't that mean your father is even worse than insignificant weaklings?
"Xiaoshan... was that your old man who came back just now?" Before Sun Xiaoshan could ponder further, a female voice came from outside.
"Holy cow!"
Sun Dashan shivered at the sound of that voice.
"Mother, it's Father, he's back, but he's back a bit in a sorry state." Sun Xiaoshan hadn't expected his mother to show up at this moment.
"You heartless thing, what's going on? Did you just leave after you were done with me? I'm telling you, Sun..."
Before anyone could be seen, Luo Meiyun's signature loud voice pierced through the walls. However, the moment she saw the dozen or so true disciples present, all her fierce words were swallowed, and everything came to an abrupt halt.
"Uh... you're all here. I need to talk to Dashan about something. Dashan, look at you, your clothes are torn, so careless. Come on, let's go back, I'll mend them for you properly."
Luo Meiyun was indeed worthy of several Oscar nominations in Sun Xiaoshan's heart. The speed with which she shifted her emotions was even faster than Sun Dashan's thoughts. She was pulled to the doorway by Luo Meiyun before she could even react, and didn't even have a chance to send a signal for help to Sun Xiaoshan.
"Sect Master! I believe it's very necessary to let the Supreme Elders know about this. This way, even if there's real danger, we'll have time to react," a newly promoted true disciple said seriously.
Boom...
A massive pressure erupted on Sun Xiaoshan, and before the thirteen true disciples could even react, they were all forced to their knees before him.
"I don't want to hear another word of this from you after today. What is your position to question the Sect Master's decision!" Sun Xiaoshan was also angered. Being repeatedly questioned about his decisions, even with Ye Yun's composure, he couldn't help it.
These true disciples were not like those disciples who followed the elders and lacked insight. For over ten years, Sun Xiaoshan's position in the Qingyue Sect had been unshakable. Otherwise, Dongfang Dao would not have passed on the Sect Master position to him.
Many of these newly promoted true disciples were people Sun Xiaoshan had known when he was a core disciple. However, in just over ten years, Sun Xiaoshan had ascended to the position of Sect Master, high above them, while they remained at the tail end among the true disciples.
"Sect Master, spare my life. This disciple was blind and ignorant. I beg the Sect Master to spare my life..."
The thirteen true disciples were pinned to the ground by Sun Xiaoshan's might. Other than their mouths, they could move nothing else. Their bodies felt as if they were being pressed down by a huge rock, utterly immobile.
"Just because your own strength is pathetic, it doesn't mean everyone else's is! You don't think those barbarians are powerful? Then come with this Sect Master and take a look! Let you know if those barbarians are insignificant weaklings in my eyes!"
With that, Sun Xiaoshan summoned them into the air, grasping them as if with a giant net of true essence, and flew south with them.
The few true disciples being carried by Sun Xiaoshan dared not resist in the slightest, and were thus brought along by him.
Meanwhile, about a hundred kilometers from the southern border of the Tianyu Kingdom, countless figures were in motion. On the ground were groups of soldiers from the Kui Mei tribe of the mortal world, and on the hills tens of miles away, powerful cultivators stood in large numbers.
"Elder Xiao, with winter approaching, I wonder when Saint Son Han will arrive."
He Lin had completely shed her icy goddess demeanor and had become somewhat... alluring. This transformation was difficult for even the stoic Elder Xiao to adapt to.
"The Saint Son will come after he emerges from seclusion. I just don't know where the Sect Master has gone. Our army has been here for three days, but we haven't seen a single person."
Elder Xiao uncomfortably turned his gaze towards the tens of thousands of military tents dozens of miles away, trying his best not to look at the female elder's face.
Gathering elite disciples from several affiliated sects to assist in the battle was a token of loyalty from Elder Xiao and Elder He Lin to Su Yan. Although there were only a mere million cultivators, the scale of the operation was far greater than Su Yan mobilizing thirty million mortal soldiers.
This action alone was considered lenient, as it led to them being removed from their supervisory positions in the main sect. If these disciples were unharmed, it would be fine. But if there were significant casualties, they would have no choice but to follow Han Shi and leave.
There was no other way. Previously, Elder Du had led hundreds of thousands of disciples from the Beikui Sect, but somewhere along the way, they had encountered a powerful being and were all annihilated. This left the Beikui Sect with no spare disciples.
Camp was set up, and for three days, a million cultivators waited for Su Yan's arrival. These cultivators had no idea that their two elders had sent them here simply as a token of allegiance to the Meng Tian Saint Son, who was behind Su Yan.
"You two, why did you summon so many cultivators?" Just as Elder Xiao and Elder He were becoming impatient with waiting, a figure appeared before them.
"Sect Master, you've finally arrived. Has Saint Son Han arrived?" He Lin immediately rose to greet Su Yan upon seeing him. Elder Xiao, on the other hand, appeared much calmer.
"I'm asking you, why did you summon so many disciples from the affiliated sects?" Su Yan's face was filled with anger.
At this moment, a small, seemingly fragile boat slowly drifted from the south, swaying precariously, and instantly appeared above the heads of several people.