The Silent Elders

After completing the mission, Zhou Ziming went to submit it along with Li Qingxuan and Wang Shengnan.

However, this mission came to the attention of the Sect Elders.

The demon in the mission possessed extraordinary strength, yet Zhou Ziming and his companions had actually managed to complete it.

Three Disciples at the third level of Qi Cultivation could actually slay a demon at the sixth level of Qi Cultivation?

This could not help but raise suspicions.

Thus, the three of them were brought in for questioning.

“The three of you are merely Outer Sect Disciples with meager strength. How could you kill a demon at the seventh level of Qi Cultivation?”

Li Qingxuan remained silent.

Wang Shengnan also remained silent.

Zhou Ziming, however, crossed his arms over his chest.

“I killed it with my Flying Sword!”

Everyone: “...”

Do you think we don't know you used a Flying Sword?

What we are questioning right now is your strength.

At this moment, the Elder of Xiao Jiang Peak glanced at a Disciple nearby, who instantly understood the signal.

The Disciple spoke up directly: “We aren't asking what you used to kill it!”

“We suspect right now whether you used some improper means!”

Zhou Ziming didn't waste any breath.

“I, Zhou Ziming, swear upon the Great Dao: if I used any improper means, may I die instantly and my Dao vanish!”

As soon as Zhou Ziming finished speaking, a beam of golden light descended from the heavens.

It then landed upon Zhou Ziming's body.

Zhou Ziming was perfectly fine.

Everyone fell silent.

Zhou Ziming himself didn't quite understand the fuss.

All those tropes about being framed or set up—this is a cultivation world, for goodness' sake.

If the Heavenly Dao isn't working, can't you just swear to the Great Dao? The Heavenly Dao might have issues, but the Great Dao does not.

Is it a genuine drop in IQ, or does the author just not allow it?

When you swear to the Great Dao and the Great Dao bears witness, who would dare to question it?

Try questioning it and see what happens!

However, what Zhou Ziming never expected was...

There really was such an idiot.

That Disciple from Xiao Jiang Peak actually raised an objection.

“Why didn't you swear to the Heavenly Dao instead of the Great Dao? I see you are just faking it. If you swore to the Heavenly Dao, you would surely be exposed!”

Zhou Ziming looked at the Disciple in shock.

He couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

“Brother, you are truly brave!”

Sure enough, as soon as the Disciple finished speaking, a bolt of purple divine lightning carrying heavenly might crashed down.

The roof of the Sect's Main Hall was blasted straight through.

Not even a speck of the questioning Disciple remained; he was instantly annihilated under that purple divine lightning.

Zhou Ziming looked around and spoke with an overbearing air.

“Who else questions me? I'm asking, who else?”

The group of Elders remained silent.

Right now, the roof of the Sect's Main Hall was still letting in a draft!

The scorched smell of the person who questioned him was still wafting through the air—who else would dare to question him?

The female Peak Master of Xiao Jiang Peak narrowed her eyes.

“Fine, we have no more objections regarding that matter. However, I am still curious: how exactly did you do it?”

Zhou Ziming glanced at the female Peak Master of Xiao Jiang Peak with a look of bafflement.

“It's simple. I'm at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation. It was a total crush of raw strength!”

As soon as these words were spoken, all the Elders stood up.

“What? The ninth level of Qi Cultivation?”

“If I recall correctly, this fellow has only been in the Sect for half a year!”

“And if my memory serves, his cultivation talent was mediocre. How could his progress be so rapid?”

The Xiao Jiang Peak Master raised another question.

“Setting aside the demon slaying, are you sure your Cultivation Level didn't...”

Zhou Ziming couldn't be bothered to explain.

“I swear to the Great Dao...”

The group of Elders and the Sect Master: “...”

The Xiao Jiang Peak Master's face turned ashen.

But there was nothing she could do.

Zhou Ziming was upright and unafraid of any scrutiny.

No matter what doubts you raised, he would just swear to the Great Dao.

The Xiao Jiang Peak Master took a deep breath.

“Fine, we won't speak of that either. I ask you this: since you clearly finished slaying the demons, why did you also kill nearly six hundred innocent people, some of whom were even Mortals!”

Zhou Ziming looked at the other Elders.

He found that the other Elders were also watching him.

Zhou Ziming asked, “Do you really want me to say?”

The crowd remained non-committal.

Zhou Ziming didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he asked a question in return: “Xiangyang City isn't exactly close to the Huan Ling Sect, but it isn't far either. Moreover, Disciples often go down the mountain to Xiangyang City. Honestly, it's quite hilarious.”

“Our Huan Ling Sect considers itself a righteous path and frequently visits Xiangyang City, yet there were still demons there?”

“If there are, then there are—I could overlook a mistake in intelligence. But the key is that this mission was assigned to specific personnel. If we had died, this matter would at most be considered a lapse in oversight by the Sect. But if we complete the mission, it becomes a Sect investigation.”

The Xiao Jiang Peak Master interrupted: “This has nothing to do with why you killed six hundred people. We are asking why you killed those six hundred people.”

Zhou Ziming rolled his eyes.

“See, getting impatient again!”

Zhou Ziming paused for a moment before continuing, “To put it simply, for demons to appear right under the Sect's nose, is the Divine Beast guarding the Huan Ling Sect turning a blind eye, or is he just blind?”

“Why don't we bring the Divine Beast in for questioning as well?”

Everyone: “...”

Zhou Ziming then said, “I investigated a few things, but well, these things are very dirty and not suitable to be spoken of publicly. I’m not someone who doesn’t understand the ways of the world, so I took it upon myself to clear out some vermin. Wouldn't you agree?”

The Xiao Jiang Peak Master's face was livid.

Zhou Ziming continued to press, “If you don't believe me, ask the Guardian Divine Beast. I caused such a huge commotion; the Divine Beast must have seen it. If he couldn't even see that... well, the implications of that would be quite hard to guess!”

Zhou Ziming smiled.

But to the Xiao Jiang Peak Master, this smile looked more like mockery.

Mockery of her incompetence.

The Xiao Jiang Peak Master stopped speaking as well.

The other Elders remained silent too, looking instead toward the Sect Master.

At this moment, the Sect Master was still sleeping.

“Sect Master!”

Someone called out, and only then did the Sect Master suddenly snap awake.

“Hmm? What's wrong? Is it over?”

Everyone was utterly speechless.

The Sect Master looked at the perfectly fine Zhou Ziming and suddenly became interested.

“Oh, you haven't been fra—”

The Sect Master stopped mid-sentence when he saw the expressions on the Elders' faces were not quite right.

The Sect Master shut his mouth and quickly looked at the Recording Crystal.

The more he watched, the more the Sect Master found it fascinating.

“Wonderful~”

The Elders' faces were dark.

The Sect Master coughed once.

“Ahem, well, since the misunderstandings have been cleared up, the rewards that should be given must be given. Moreover, Zhou Ziming did well; he is hardworking and very upright. Although his Aptitude is a bit poor, diligence can make up for lack of talent. I announce that Zhou Ziming is promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple and shall enter Demon Suppressing Peak!”

The Peak Master of Demon Suppressing Peak was a burly man.

Hearing that Zhou Ziming was coming to his peak, the burly man wasn't very satisfied, but since the Sect Master had spoken, he couldn't say much.

However, the Sect Master looked at Li Qingxuan and Wang Shengnan, and his eyes couldn't help but light up.

“Pure Yang Physique and Great Yin Physique!”

As soon as the Sect Master finished speaking, the other Peak Masters could no longer sit still.

They each looked toward the two of them.

Then, they began to compete fiercely for them.

In the end, the two of them also chose Demon Suppressing Peak.