Chapter 250 - 158: The Rumor-Plagued Beardless Sect, A Battle to Establish Authority

Chapter 250: Chapter 158: The Rumor-Plagued Beardless Sect, A Battle to Establish Authority

Across Scripture Peak, among the countless Holy Pavilion Collection Towers, a massive number of Beardless Sect disciples, along with dozens of elderly figures standing mid-air, fixed their gazes intently on the figure in white. Their eyes tracked the young man’s every movement.

Being stared at by so many people as if he were a monster made even Jiang Hao feel a bit embarrassed. Doing his best to maintain a smile, he offered a slight bow to the dozens of seniors in the sky.

"Qin Fan greets the Elders."

Faced with Jiang Hao’s courtesy, the group of Pill Hall Elders simply continued to stare at him in sheer disbelief, seemingly with no intention of responding. It was as if time had frozen across Scripture Peak; only their tracking eyes remained in motion.

Left with no choice, Jiang Hao could only awkwardly take his leave. When he passed by Mu Yunshang and her nine companions, he even gave them a stiff, perfunctory nod. However, the way the ten of them looked at him had drastically changed.

Just as Jiang Hao stepped out of the open area and was about to take to the skies, Mu Yunshang finally snapped out of her daze, becoming the first to react.

"Eldest Brother," she called out subconsciously before remembering something and quickly adding, "Eldest Brother, the ten of us are untalented, but we wish to seek some guidance from you. We hope you won’t be stingy and will offer some pointers to your junior brothers and sisters."

Although her heart was still reeling from the shocking display of his Alchemy Dao attainments, Mu Yunshang had not forgotten their purpose for following him here. The Eldest Brother of a sect could not convince the masses solely through terrifying talent in the Alchemy Dao. The Alchemy Dao was one thing, but the only way to truly subdue peerless freaks like them was through sheer power—the kind of strength that demanded respect in a world where the strong ruled.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hao reflexively turned around and couldn’t help but look at the young woman.

Despite entering the Beardless Sect, becoming a nominal disciple, and even taking the seat of Eldest Brother, Jiang Hao hadn’t actually had the time to properly observe the sect’s disciples. Now, looking Mu Yunshang straight in the eyes, he felt a flicker of surprise.

She was an extraordinarily ethereal young woman of unparalleled elegance and breathtaking beauty. She exuded a pure, noble aura, untainted by the vulgarities of the mortal world. A peerless young woman who had shed her mortal trappings was truly different; even just standing there, she exuded the aura of a Fairy Wushuang of this world.

"Did you just say you wanted some pointers from your senior brother?" Jiang Hao asked calmly.

Clearly, the opportunity Master Beardless had mentioned for him to establish his dominance had arrived. Jiang Hao wasn’t opposed to this. After all, having accepted the identity of the Beardless Sect’s Eldest Brother, some things were inevitable.

Hearing this, a trace of confidence returned to Mu Yunshang’s beautiful eyes. Raising her porcelain chin, she declared, "Not simple pointers, but—a formal challenge."

"Oh?" Jiang Hao feigned a look of confusion, though he showed no intention of agreeing.

The moment Mu Yunshang finished speaking, Jun Yichen and the other eight beside her immediately snapped back to reality, instinctively seizing the opportunity.

A young man with a seemingly brash personality blurted out, "Senior Sister, why beat around the bush? Eldest Brother, to put it bluntly, we want to challenge you."

"That’s right. As the Beardless Sect’s Eldest Brother, how can you command respect without asserting your dominance? We are just trying to help you out, Eldest Brother."

"A title without merit holds no authority. Qin Fan, accept our challenge. If you can defeat the sword in my hand, I will acknowledge you as Eldest Brother. Otherwise, hand over the position."

The ten of them chimed in one after another. Each had a different temperament; some were tactful, while others were bluntly straightforward.

With those words, Scripture Peak became so quiet one could hear a pin drop. The already silent world plunged into an absolute, deathly stillness. For a moment, many disciples whose eyes still held endless shock stared fixedly at the figure in white. The Beardless Sect’s top ten peerless freaks had issued a simultaneous challenge. They wondered if the young man would dare to accept it.

Seeing this, Jiang Hao smiled faintly, shook his head in resignation, and then turned to leave.

Mu Yunshang and the other nine couldn’t help but stare blankly at this scene, mistakenly assuming he was backing down or simply lacked the courage to accept. However, just as the ten of them were about to press the issue, Jiang Hao’s calm voice rang out across Scripture Peak.

"Tomorrow at noon, your senior brother will await you all at the Beardless Dojo. If I prove to be no match for you, I, Qin Fan, will gladly hand over the position of Eldest Brother."

With that said, Jiang Hao shot into the sky, flying straight toward Great Ming Peak.

Mu Yunshang and the others were slightly taken aback by his response. An indescribable feeling inexplicably welled up in their hearts. He had clearly agreed, and their goal had been achieved. But for some unknown reason, after experiencing that brief exchange, something just felt... off.

At the same time Jiang Hao departed, the dozens of Pill Hall Elders kept their eyes glued to the spot in the sky above the Beardless Sect where the young man had disappeared. The sheer horror in their eyes hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

"Could you tell? What Pill Master realm is he roughly at?" a Beardless Sect Pill Master Elder asked with a dry mouth, instinctively seeking answers from the mighty Pill Masters beside him.

In truth, many of the Pill Master Elders already had an answer in their hearts; they simply didn’t want to believe it. As fellow Alchemy Masters, they possessed a keen insight that ordinary people lacked. Just by observing the information revealed when the other party drew upon the Fire of Heaven and Earth, they could roughly estimate his attainments in the Alchemy Dao.

As soon as he finished speaking, another Beardless Sect Pill Master Elder replied, his eyes filled with shock. "Based on the range of the Fire of Heaven and Earth he just drew upon, it isn’t hard to conclude... He is at least at the realm of a Fifth-Tier, Ninth Grade Pill Master."