"Junior Brother Luo, watch your words... I’ve interacted with Junior Brother Bai several times. I know his character well. He is by no means a coward."

Pei Dongyong stood up. As a veteran Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Elder, his words carried some weight.

"Perhaps he ran into some trouble on the way here. A delay of a day or two is perfectly normal."

Pei Dongyong knew very well that Luoo Qiuzhen hadn’t just brought this up casually; he had long been prepared to make trouble.

The Elders who chimed in to support the attack were either motivated by jealousy or were part of the Talisman Hall’s faction.

Bai Zichen had risen too quickly. He was young, had a good disposition, and his future was limitless.

There would always be people with ulterior motives who wanted to see him stumble.

Furthermore, his relatively close ties with the Law Enforcement Hall’s faction had also made the other side wary.

"You can know a person’s face, but not their heart. Senior Brother Pei, what you’ve seen is just the surface. Who knows what he’s really like on the inside?"

Ma Ming cut in, his voice sinister.

"Hall Master, Senior Brother, this is a crucial moment in the reclamation war. If an Elder flees before battle, the impact will be terrible... Our Law Enforcement Hall must investigate this strictly to make an example of them. I am willing to take on this responsibility and will submit an investigation report within three days."

Senior Brother Zhang’s beard trembled with rage. He pointed at Ma Ming and said, "Junior Brother Ma, what is this nonsense you’re spouting? Sit down!"

Seeing an Elder from the Law Enforcement Hall turn against his own, several Talisman Hall Elders revealed meaningful smiles.

"The Law Enforcement Hall has its own procedures."

Liang Yu looked up, his gaze as sharp as lightning, and swept it across everyone present, pointedly ignoring Ma Ming.

"To speculate wildly about a junior brother’s state of mind based on a one-day delay and no evidence is not the way of the Law Enforcement Hall. After this battle, if Junior Brother Bai still hasn’t arrived and cannot provide a convincing reason, he will naturally be dealt with according to the law."

Liang Yu was keenly aware that half of Luoo Qiuzhen’s attack was aimed at him.

No matter the reason, he could not back down easily.

Besides, Bai Zichen was a junior he thought highly of, one he was even thinking of recommending to Ancestor Yang after the reclamation war.

"Senior Brother Liang, that explanation might not fly... The final assault on Monkey Mountain is in three days. If word gets out, what will the Cultivation Families and Loose Cultivators think?"

’Thinking of my own highly anticipated closed-door disciple who is currently in seclusion attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment,’ Luoo Qiuzhen decided to add more fuel to the fire.

Core Formation resources were precious. Whichever promising junior the two Ancestors were willing to support, the Sect’s resources would naturally favor heavily.

With the Qingfeng Sect’s resources, trying to focus on cultivating three or more young Elders at the same time would not yield the best results; the chances of Core Formation for all of them would drop significantly.

’If I can push one person out, Su Li’s hopes for the future will increase.’

"Elders, Junior Martial Uncle Bai has arrived outside the camp."

A Steward reported from outside the door, interrupting the discussion.

"Perfect timing. Summon him in for questioning at once."

Luoo Qiuzhen’s eyes lit up, and he immediately made the decision.

Pei Dongyong glanced over worriedly, hoping the fallout wouldn’t affect Liang Yu.

’But since Bai Zichen has come,’ he thought, ’it’s just a one-day delay, which isn’t a major mistake.’

The accusation of fleeing from battle out of fear would naturally fall apart.

"Greetings, Senior Brothers. This junior has arrived late. I apologize to you all."

Bai Zichen walked into the command tent, feeling the assessing gazes on him, and realized he had become the center of attention.

"Junior Brother Bai, let me ask you. You were supposed to reach Monkey Mountain in five days. Why are you over a day late?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Since the Law Enforcement Hall showed no intention of speaking, Luoo Qiuzhen took the lead in questioning him personally.

"I ran into a Tier Two Demon Beast on my way here, which caused the delay. I rushed as fast as I could and thankfully arrived before the final assault, so I didn’t miss anything important."

Bai Zichen blinked. ’What is this, a public interrogation?’

’As far as I can remember, I’ve never had any dealings with the Talisman Hall. There’s no reason for any animosity.’

’Did I get dragged into this because of their power struggle with the Law Enforcement Hall?’

"The day Senior Brother Gu assigned us our tasks, you made excuses and didn’t show up. Later, you found another reason, claiming you needed to practice a Cultivation Technique, and refused to travel with us on the Wind Shuttle."

Lan Hong shot to her feet, her face frosty, and spoke with agitation.

"And now it’s because you ’ran into a Demon Beast’? How could there be such a coincidence? The way I see it, you were simply a coward, too scared to participate in the reclamation war."

"After hiding for a few days, you got scared of the Sect’s punishment under the Law Decree, so you finally dragged yourself to Monkey Mountain!"

These words actually earned the agreement of several Elders with ulterior motives.

"Junior Sister Lan’s analysis makes sense. That’s very likely the truth."

"He’s a young man, after all. He’s only ever focused on his Cultivation within the Sect and has rarely fought a life-or-death battle against a Demon Beast. It’s understandable he’d lose his composure when faced with a grand scene like the reclamation war."

"Junior Sister Lan reached Foundation Establishment even later than him, so why isn’t she afraid? Yesterday, she and I drove away a Tier Two White Ape and saved the lives of several Cultivators from the Liuu Family..."

"We Sword Cultivators are defined by our unyielding ferocity; we would rather break than bend... Otherwise, I’m afraid one could practice for decades and never hope to achieve a breakthrough in the Sword Dao."

Luo Guangwu said with a stony face, putting on the air of an arrogant Sword Cultivator.

’Are these people out of their minds?’

Bai Zichen couldn’t for the life of him understand how being just one day late could lead them to spin such elaborate tales.

What was even more ridiculous was this Brother Luo, posturing like some Sword Dao senior to lecture him.

But seeing the concerned look in Pei Dongyong’s eyes and the hint of worry beneath Hall Master Liang Yu’s calm and profound expression, he began to understand that he’d been swept into a vortex.

"Whether or not I ran into a Demon Beast can be determined with a simple inspection... This Golden-Winged Thunder Roc hasn’t been dead for more than ten hours. You are all welcome to verify the wounds."

Bai Zichen opened a storage pouch, and the Demon Beast Materials inside came tumbling out onto the floor.

It was all the various parts of the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc’s body. The thick stench of blood instantly filled the entire hall.

"Is that really a Golden-Winged Thunder Roc?"

"Nonsense! Can’t you see those obvious golden feathers? The only Tier Two Flying Demon Beast we’re likely to run into around here is the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc."

"So he ran into a Golden-Winged Thunder Roc! A delay of a few days is completely normal then. Who doesn’t know that beast’s flight speed is astonishing and that it’s the most difficult to deal with!"

"Old Huang, if you with your meager skills ran into a Golden-Winged Thunder Roc, you wouldn’t just be a few days late... Our Junior Brother Bai here killed it with his sword, all by himself! I wonder if those ’unyieldingly ferocious’ and ’fearless of Demon Beasts’ colleagues of ours have any record of single-handedly killing a Tier Two Flying Demon Beast?"

Senior Brother Zhang’s old face bloomed into a smile as he mocked the few who had been the most vocal earlier.

"How is that possible?"

Lan Hong was stunned on the spot, her face instantly turning pale.

Luo Guangwu’s face twitched. He lowered the golden longsword he was holding and forced an ugly smile.

In the forty-plus years since his Foundation Establishment, he had killed many Tier Two Demon Beasts and could be considered rich in practical combat experience.

But he had almost always cooperated with others and rarely acted alone.

At the Foundation Establishment stage, a Demon Beast of the same tier often had the upper hand against a Cultivator, relying on its powerful physique.

Moreover, being alone deep within Black Mountain was too risky. If one were to fall into a Demon Beast Group, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could perish.

Not to mention a notoriously troublesome Flying Demon Beast like the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc. Luo Guangwu wouldn’t even entertain the thought of seeking one out to fight.

Pei Dongyong took two steps forward, picked up a piece of the beast’s flesh, and sniffed it. "It hasn’t been dead long," he said. "The meat is still warm, and the Spiritual Power hasn’t even dissipated."

"If anyone still doesn’t believe it, they can come forward and inspect it themselves."

As Pei Dongyong spoke, his gaze was fixed on Luoo Qiuzhen.

"Haha, Junior Brother Bai truly is skilled... To think you could even slay a Golden-Winged Thunder Roc! In a few more years, we old fellows will have to step aside for our betters!"

Luoo Qiuzhen was truly a figure of the Hall Master level; his ability to swallow his pride was admirable.

"Alright, since Junior Brother Bai’s lateness was for a valid reason and not to avoid battle, this matter is not to be mentioned again."

Liang Yu’s words were decisive, putting an end to the discussion in the hall.

"Junior Brother Bai, you were not assigned a task previously... but with your strength, ordinary Tier Two Apes are no match for you. You will have free rein during the battle. Intervene wherever the situation is most critical."

"These Demon Beast Materials will lose Spiritual Power if left out for too long... If you have no use for them, you can find Junior Brother Zhang to sell them. The Sect is currently buying them back in large quantities."

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Liang."

Bai Zichen had just been wondering how to deal with the Demon Beast Materials on him. He couldn’t have asked for a better way to offload them.

The Elders filed out of the hall, needing to relay the details of the battle in three days to the Cultivators in their respective areas.

But almost every one of them came to greet Bai Zichen before leaving, trying to make an impression.

If the previous impression Bai Zichen had left on his fellow sect members was that of someone whose Cultivation progressed with incredible speed and who had a limitless future...

...now, he had added the labels of outstanding combat prowess and unrivaled in Combat.

"Junior Sister Lan, don’t overthink it. No one is a saint; everyone makes mistakes."

Longx Longx held Lan Hong’s hand, comforting her junior sister.

Both women were slender, with slim waists, long legs, and curvaceous figures.

Walking side by side, they formed a beautiful sight.

But Lan Hong’s facial features were plain and her looks were average; it was only her cold and aloof temperament that stood out.

In contrast, Longx Longx’s beautiful face was fair and flawless. The curve of her high-bridged nose was slightly sharp, and her thin lips added to her stunning, ice-queen beauty.

Among the Female Cultivators of the Qingfeng Sect, Longx Longx was a renowned beauty.

She was even known as the "Ice Mountain Beauty" in several of the surrounding commanderies.

"But you need to change your temper. Being so rash will cause you great trouble in the future... That Junior Brother Bai has a great future ahead of him. Don’t let yourself be provoked by a few words and foolishly rush to the front line again."

Longx Longx was only a few years older than Lan Hong. The two had been True Disciples together for a period of time.

In that generation of True Inheritance, they were the only two female disciples, so their relationship was fairly good.

However, Longx Longx later succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment in one go, while Lan Hong failed to cross the Celestial Chasm and languished for all these years.

It was only in recent years, after establishing a connection with Gu Xisheng, that she managed to gather enough Sect Contribution points again and succeeded on her second attempt at Foundation Establishment.

"We’re both at the Early-Stage of Foundation Establishment. I refuse to believe that Bai Zichen has three heads and six arms. How powerful can he possibly be..."

Lan Hong’s pretty face was filled with resentment, a look of indignation on it.

"Just wait until the reclamation war is over. With his contributions in overall planning and logistical support, it’ll be a simple matter for Senior Brother Gu to have the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall promoted to a full Hall. At that time, for a mere ordinary Elder like him..."

"Silence! What is this nonsense you’re spouting here?"

Longx Longx’s gaze turned cold. She let go of her arm and put some distance between them.

"I’ll pretend I never heard that. You’d better come to your senses too, Junior Sister... before someone else overhears and you bring ruin upon both others and yourself."

Longx Longx decided in her heart, ’From now on, I need to keep my distance from Lan Hong.’

’Back when we were part of the True Inheritance, I never realized her character was so unbearable.’