"Audacious!"
Cui Zhijian, the fifth elder of the Hua Shan Sect, was the first to jump out, pointing a finger at Zhang Xian'er and cursing, "Don't you know what kind of occasion this is? You, a mere slip of a girl, dare to be so insolent here. Which sect do you belong to? Speak up honestly! You're so ill-mannered; I bet you're from one of those insignificant, low-tier sects."
Cui Zhijian's words finally made the members of the various sects present react. They exchanged glances, all feeling that the fifth elder of the Hua Shan Sect was being excessive. However, they also thought this young girl was indeed clueless, speaking so freely without regard for the occasion, as if the Hua Shan Sect didn't provide her with food.
Cui Zhijian, looking at the insignificant, low-tier sects standing in the corner of the great hall, pointed at Zhang Xian'er and sternly shouted, "Whose disciple is this? Come and take her away quickly! Do you want me to have someone throw her out?"
"She is a senior from the 'Xian' generation of my Long Hu Mountain. Does your Hua Shan Sect intend to throw her out?"
In response, Zhang Xuanliang, the visibly annoyed sect leader of Long Hu Mountain, glared angrily at Cui Zhijian, the fifth elder of the Hua Shan Sect, and coldly snorted, "Are you going to throw this old bone of mine out as well?"
"What? Long Hu Mountain's 'Xian' generation..."
Zhang Xuanliang's words instantly stunned all the sect leaders and masters present. They looked incredulously at Zhang Xian'er, who was unkempt and continuously eating an apple, finding it hard to believe that such a young girl was from the 'Xian' generation of Long Hu Mountain.
After all, the various sects addressed each other by seniority. The 'Xian' generation of Long Hu Mountain was only surpassed by the 'Tian' generation, followed by Zhang Xuanliang's 'Xuan' generation, and then Lin Yiping and Zhao Yixia's 'Yi' generation.
"Are you saying our Long Hu Mountain is an insignificant sect?"
Equally displeased and enraged were Lin Yiping and Zhao Yixia, along with Zhao Xuyan and Zhang Xingyue, the young disciples of Long Hu Mountain. Each of them glared fiercely at Cui Zhijian, who dared to show disrespect to their ancestor Xian'er.
"You scoundrel, Cui Zhijian! Haven't you apologized to Sect Leader Zhang and the senior from Long Hu Mountain's 'Xian' generation yet?"
Sect Leader Shi Yizhen of the Hua Shan Sect, having regained his senses, kicked the fifth elder Cui Zhijian, sending him tumbling to the ground. He was completely bewildered, never imagining that this young girl was a senior from the 'Xian' generation of Long Hu Mountain.
"Sect Leader Zhang, I was blind. I apologize to you..."
Cui Zhijian, quickly getting up, apologized to Zhang Xuanliang and Zhang Xian'er with a ninety-degree bow, his voice trembling with fear. "Please be magnanimous and forgive my transgression..."
Watching the fifth elder of the Hua Shan Sect, who moments ago was arrogant and domineering, pointing at Zhang Xian'er and threatening to throw her out, only to become as submissive as a dog apologizing in the next second, made Wan Yunting, Gu Luotang, Zhou Ruoxi, and the others shake their heads in lamentation...
"Oh, when did you get here?"
Zhang Xian'er completely ignored Cui Zhijian, pushed aside Shi Yizhen and Liu Bing, and walked towards Wan Yunting, who was standing beside Zhong Yulong. She said, "You didn't say a word when you arrived. I thought you had gone home."
Seeing Zhang Xian'er speaking to Wan Yunting so familiarly, and judging by her words, their relationship seemed quite close. This left many people from the various sects present filled with doubt.
Zhang Xuanliang, seeing that his martial aunt Zhang Xian'er was ignoring the fifth elder of the Hua Shan Sect, waved his hand and said, "Forget it. My martial aunt Xian'er will not stoop to arguing with people like you."
Cui Zhijian listened, his face filled with excitement, and he bowed repeatedly to Zhang Xuanliang, "Thank you, Sect Leader Zhang, for your forgiveness..."
"Get out to the outer sect! Don't come back in here to embarrass yourself."
Shi Yizhen's face was grim and furious as he berated Cui Zhijian, calling him a pig's head. He had almost implicated the entire Hua Shan Sect in offending Long Hu Mountain.
After all, Long Hu Mountain was a first-class sect among the Taoist schools. Although the Hua Shan Sect was also first-class, its strength among the various sects was far inferior to that of Long Hu Mountain.
Over there, Wan Yunting smiled at Zhang Xian'er and said, "How could I not attend such a martial arts conference? On the contrary, why did you run back from my house?"
Zhang Xian'er tossed the apple core she had finished into a trash can in the corner of the distant hall with speed and accuracy. She gave Yun Ting a sidelong glance with her peach blossom eyes and said, "Your dad asked me to go back. He said to wait for you to come home and then have me come find you. Who knew you'd run off here now."
"Alright, I understand." Wan Yunting nodded with a smile.
Zhong Yulong, standing beside them, had been observing Zhang Xian'er. He smiled and said, "I never expected the Heavenly Master's disciple to be so pure and innocent. It's truly rare."
These words caused Zhang Xian'er to cast a sideways glance at Zhong Yulong with her peach blossom eyes. "Old man, do you know my master?"
Suddenly, Zi Qing, who had been sitting there in a daze, spoke up, "Do not disrespect my master!"
"Oh, so you're here too."
Zhang Xian'er tilted her head, looked at Zi Qing sitting behind Zhong Yulong, and smiled, "This old man is your master? He's not much!"
"Hey, don't think you can act unruly just because you have high seniority in Long Hu Mountain and disrespect my master," Chong Ling'er glared and sternly admonished Zhang Xian'er.
Zhang Xuanliang finally reacted and scurried over, pleading with Zhang Xian'er, "Martial Aunt Xian'er, this is Sect Leader Zhong of the Wu Dang Sect. Do not be rude to him. Speak properly..."
"Isn't he just the sect leader of Wu Dang..."
"Xian'er!"
Just as Zhang Xian'er was about to continue disrespecting Zhong Yulong, Wan Yunting spoke and rebuked her. Zhang Xian'er's small face twisted, her peach blossom eyes glanced sideways at Wan Yunting, and finally, she pouted her small lips and waved her hand, "Forget it, I'll give you face."
Saying that, Zhang Xian'er turned around and said with renewed dissatisfaction, "When will we be served? I'm really hungry..."
"Soon, soon. We'll go have lunch right away."
Sect Leader Shi Yizhen of the Hua Shan Sect quickly said to Zhang Xian'er with a smile, and he also signaled the elders around him to arrange for people from other sects to leave the great hall and head towards the square behind. To entertain the various sects, the Hua Shan Sect had already set up a banquet.
Facing their naive and straightforward martial aunt Xian'er, Zhang Xuanliang felt helpless. He quickly said to Zhong Yulong, "Old Zhong, I'm truly sorry. My martial aunt Xian'er is naturally like this. I hope you can forgive her."
"It's fine."
Zhong Yulong naturally didn't mind and smiled, "I can see that your Heavenly Master cherishes this disciple very much."
Zhang Xuanliang looked at Zhang Xian'er, who was leaving with Wan Yunting and the others, and nodded. "Our Heavenly Master never took disciples in his life, but upon meeting martial aunt Xian'er, he broke his rule and took her as his personal disciple, bestowing upon her the 'Xian' generation. He valued her innocent and straightforward nature, and she will even inherit my position as sect leader in the future!"
Zhong Yulong, along with Zhang Xuanliang, Abbot Renxin, and others, also headed out of the great hall. Shi Yizhen personally led them. Upon hearing Zhang Xuanliang say that Zhang Xian'er would one day take over as the sect leader of Long Hu Mountain, he was also astonished.
But what surprised them more was that with Zhang Xian'er's rude and direct demeanor just now, could she really take over the position of sect leader of Long Hu Mountain?
However, Zhong Yulong seemed to have perceived something and nodded with a smile, "When the Dao awakens in one's heart, one will naturally ascend to immortality!"
Upon hearing this, Abbot Renxin, who was beside him, nodded. Only Shi Yizhen, Liu Bing, and the sect leaders and masters of other sects, who did not understand Zhong Yulong's words, were perplexed.
Could it be that this Zhang Xian'er from Long Hu Mountain's 'Xian' generation harbored some hidden great power?
Wan Yunting, leading Gu Luotang and Zhou Ruoxi, Qi Miaomiao and Duan Yingying, Yang Jingyi and Nun Yunbai, were personally led by the second elder of the Hua Shan Sect to arrange their accommodations. They were assigned rooms in a three-story building and two small courtyards.
The ordinary disciples resided in the rooms of the three-story building, while the small courtyards were for sect leaders or elders to reside in.
Wan Yunting was naturally assigned a small courtyard with four rooms. Yang Jingyi lived in one room with her daughter, Wan Yunting and Gu Luotang shared another, Qi Miaomiao and Xu Lingwei shared a third, Qi Wu and Li Zihang shared the fourth. Lin Dachun and Zhao Xuewu, Wang Zhuyu and Tang Doudou, along with Huang Shaoqing and other disciples, could only stay in the dormitory rooms.
The adjacent small courtyard was for Zhou Ruoxi and Nun Yunbai to stay in. After settling their belongings, they all came out together and, guided by disciples of the Hua Shan Sect, arrived at a square. Dozens of tables had already been set up for a banquet, and disciples from various sects had already taken their seats, drinking and feasting.
In the spacious dining hall nearby, the sect leaders, masters, and elders of the various sects were dining. Zhong Yulong, Zhang Xuanliang, Abbot Renxin, Yuan Gaowu, Liu Bing, and Shi Yizhen were seated at one table.
Then, seeing Wan Yunting, Yang Jingyi, Gu Luotang, and others, as well as Zhou Ruoxi, Nun Yunbai, and the others arrive, Shi Yizhen immediately waved and called out, "Master Wan, Sect Leader Zhou, come over here..."
Originally, Wan Yunting and Zhou Ruoxi would have simply found an empty seat and sat down to eat together. But seeing Shi Yizhen call out, he and Zhou Ruoxi exchanged glances. Yang Jingyi and Nun Yunbai said, "You two go over. Interact more with those sect leaders."
"Okay..."
Zhou Ruoxi nodded. Wan Yunting asked Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao to follow Yang Jingyi, and then he, with Zhou Ruoxi, went towards the sect leaders and elders like Shi Yizhen and Zhong Yulong. Zhang Xian'er naturally followed, pulled out a chair, and sat down next to Zhang Xuanliang. Seeing the dishes on the table, but no one touching them, Zhang Xian'er naturally did not stand on ceremony and began to eat.
This stunned Liu Bing, Yuan Gaowu, and several other sect leaders. Zhang Xuanliang was embarrassed and quietly reminded his martial aunt Xian'er, but Zhang Xian'er paid him no mind and ate like a starving ghost.
Accustomed to Zhang Xian'er's ravenous eating style, Wan Yunting shook his head and smiled. He sat down next to Zhou Ruoxi, smiled and nodded to greet the sect leaders and abbots present, poured himself a cup of wine, and raising it, said with a smile, "Esteemed Sect Leaders and Abbots, Sect Leader Zhou and I are the younger generation. Allow us to toast you first."
Zhou Ruoxi also smiled and raised her wine cup. Zhong Yulong, Zhang Xuanliang, Abbot Renxin, and others saw this and also smiled, raising their wine cups or tea cups. They first clinked cups with Wan Yunting and Zhou Ruoxi...