171: The candidate for the leader of the Five Mountains, it's time to change!

"Sigh!"

Daoist Tianmen sighed in his heart and could only step forward.

"Headmaster Yue, although my Junior Martial Uncle has a loose tongue and has offended you, everything can be discussed. Now that you have cut off his tongue in public, though I do not wish to be your enemy, I must seek justice for him."

Daoist Tianmen looked at Ning Yuan with a solemn expression and said.

"Senior Brother?"

Ning Zhongze couldn't help but look at Ning Yuan.

Senior Brother's actions today had also surprised Ning Zhongze somewhat.

However, thinking back to the time at Ping Yizhi's residence when her Senior Brother suddenly drew his sword and killed Mrs. Ping Yizhi, today's actions were exactly the same.

It was just that one was dead, while the other only lost his tongue.

"Yuji Zi insulted me so; taking half his tongue is already a light punishment. As the Sect Leader of Mount Tai, it is only natural for Daoist Tianmen to seek justice for him."

"However, if you want revenge, Daoist Tianmen, you'll have to wait, because Yue's business is not yet finished."

After Ning Yuan finished speaking to Daoist Tianmen, his gaze fell upon Zuo Lengchan. "Zuo Lengchan, you have insulted me repeatedly. Even a clay man has three parts of fire; since you have humiliated me so today, I shall experience Your Excellency's high-level moves."

Ning Yuan's eyes were fixed on Zuo Lengchan.

The two stared at each other for a moment; Zuo Lengchan's gaze couldn't help but flicker.

He wasn't prepared for this yet.

Holding this assembly was intended to join forces with others to deal with Yue Buqun and put pressure on Mount Hua.

But in the current situation, if they didn't fight, it seemed it wouldn't be very convincing.

Thinking of this, Zuo Lengchan suddenly laughed loudly. "Very well, I shall force out your Evil-Exorcising Swordplay, with Great Master Fang Zheng and Daoist Chongxu as witnesses."

As soon as the words fell, Zuo Lengchan suddenly drew his sword.

Clang!

The longsword in Ning Yuan's hand also suddenly unsheathed.

"Zuo Lengchan, using a sword in front of me will only make you lose faster."

Ning Yuan no longer hid his strength; his level of swordplay was so high that perhaps only Feng Qingyang in the entire world could compare.

Others were no longer his match.

After dozens of moves, Zuo Lengchan fell into a disadvantage.

"Headmaster Yue's swordplay is truly brilliant."

Daoist Chongxu's expression was grave. "This swordplay vaguely shows traces of Mount Hua Swordplay, yet it far surpasses it. However, it doesn't seem to be that particular swordplay..."

Chongxu looked toward Fang Zheng.

The two exchanged a look, both feeling puzzled.

They had seen the Nine Swords of Dugu before and originally thought Yue Buqun's strength had increased because he obtained the Legacy of the Nine Swords of Dugu, but now it seemed that was not the case.

But this only made them more confused.

"Could it be as Zuo Lengchan said, that Yue Buqun has cultivated the Evil-Exorcising Swordplay?"

Chongxu was suspicious in his heart, while Fang Zheng shook his head.

Although Shaolin had long lost the Sunflower Manual, he could still see traces of Mount Hua Swordplay within the opponent's techniques, so he could be certain it was not any other swordplay.

"The Jianghu has never seen such swordplay, and Mount Hua has never had such a technique. Could it be that Yue Buqun created this swordplay himself?"

A thought occurred to Fang Zheng.

On the other side, Abbess Dingxian and Mr. Mo Da also looked grave.

"Headmaster Yue's swordplay attainment has actually reached such a height. It seems to have improved significantly since last time—it's like night and day. What on earth is going on?"

Abbess Dingxian muttered to herself in a low voice.

"Excellent swordplay, excellent swordplay!"

Mo Da's cloudy eyes also lit up at this moment, staring unblinkingly at the two combatants.

Ning Yuan integrated the Seven-String Formless Sword into his swordplay. The whistling sound from the longsword and even the clanging of clashing weapons became channels for transmitting Internal Energy, directly affecting his opponent's Internal Energy flow.

"Zuo Lengchan, you are nothing more than this!"

Ning Yuan shouted loudly, thrusting his sword directly at Zuo Lengchan's throat. Zuo Lengchan felt his Internal Energy stagnate, its flow no longer smooth, and he hurriedly channeled Qi into his palm.

"Frost Palm!"

Zuo Lengchan shouted in anger and struck out with his palm. Instantly, the cold air condensed into ice, and Ning Yuan's longsword was immediately frozen. With a jolt of True Qi, the ice on the sword shattered, and the blade thrust down once more.

Zuo Lengchan dodged clumsily; the clothing on his shoulder was shredded, and blood seeped out.

His face was filled with fear.

"Yue Buqun, you!"

Zuo Lengchan was somewhat terrified; whether in terms of Internal Energy or swordplay, he was being firmly suppressed.

They hadn't seen each other for just a few months, yet the other party's strength had made such progress, which Zuo Lengchan found hard to believe.

Zuo Lengchan's defeat also shocked everyone present.

After all, they hadn't seen Yue Buqun's prowess before.

There were only occasional rumors saying that Yue Buqun could face Zuo Lengchan head-on and that his strength had increased greatly.

Even if someone occasionally said Yue Buqun could defeat Zuo Lengchan, most people treated it as a rumor and wouldn't believe it.

Zuo Lengchan's strength and power had long been established in everyone's hearts; otherwise, the people of Mount Song would not have been so arrogant. Even if others couldn't stand it, they could only swallow their anger.

"Headmaster Yue actually defeated Zuo Lengchan?"

Abbess Dingxian stood up in shock, her face full of astonishment. "When did Headmaster Yue's strength undergo such a change?"

Although there had been rumors, seeing it with her own eyes now, she still found it hard to remain calm for a long time.

Mo Da was also visibly moved. "The Gentleman Sword's cultivation is actually so profound that even Zuo Lengchan's Frost Palm is no match for him. How did he do it?"

Mo Da also possessed deep Internal Energy, but he didn't feel he could surpass Zuo Lengchan; this was why he avoided Mount Song whenever possible.

Even regarding his Junior Brother Liu Zhengfeng's matter, he had been unable to intervene and could only watch as Mount Song acted like a bully.

But now... "Does the Mount Hua Zixia Divine Skill have such power?"

Fang Zheng and Chongxu exchanged a look, doubt surfacing in their hearts.

Shaolin and Wudang were both great sects with long-standing Legacies, and their relationship with Mount Hua was not a matter of just a year or two.

They were very familiar with Mount Hua's martial arts.

Although the Zixia Divine Skill was widely renowned, it was ultimately only a second-rate Cultivation Technique, far from being able to compare with the ultimate techniques of great sects like Shaolin and Wudang.

But now, the other party relied on this technique to make such progress in such a short time, which naturally raised suspicions.

It was hard to believe.

"Everyone has seen it now!"

Zuo Lengchan suddenly spoke loudly at this moment. "You are all well aware of Yue Buqun's former strength. His current power clearly exceeds the scope of normal growth."

"Zuo Lengchan, why can't my Senior Brother's strength become stronger? If you want to target our Mount Hua, you should at least find a better reason."

Ning Zhongze scolded in dissatisfaction.

"If it were just a slight improvement in strength, I would naturally have nothing to say, but has Yue Buqun's growth been just 'a little'?"

Zuo Lengchan snorted coldly. "I do not know what kind of progress allows a person's Internal Energy to grow so rapidly in just a few months, several times stronger than before, and reach such a height in swordplay."

"Alliance Leader Zuo, what exactly do you mean by these words? Just speak plainly."

Abbess Dingxian said.

In truth, she was also full of doubt.

"In this world, there is probably only one Cultivation Technique that can make one's power grow so quickly, right?"

Zuo Lengchan suddenly said.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was first stunned, then quickly realized.

"Could Alliance Leader Zuo be referring to..."

Daoist Tianmen frowned and spoke.

"Exactly."

Zuo Lengchan nodded slightly and shouted sternly: "In this world, only the Star Absorbing Skill of the Demonic Cult's previous leader, Ren Woxing, would have such power!"

At these words, everyone present changed expression and turned to look at Ning Yuan.

The Star Absorbing Skill was too terrifying. Ren Woxing had brought too much pressure to this Jianghu back then; even after being missing for over ten years, the mention of his name still inspired fear.

"That's impossible; Ren Woxing has been missing for over ten years, how could Headmaster Yue obtain the Star Absorbing Skill?"

Abbess Dingxian immediately voiced her opposition.

"Indeed, Alliance Leader Zuo's words are a bit alarmist."

Mo Da also nodded in agreement.

Shaolin's Fang Zheng and Wudang's Chongxu both frowned and remained silent.

"Zuo Lengchan, from the moment we entered today, you have been constantly slandering my Senior Brother. Even now you show no remorse and even claim my Senior Brother cultivated the Star Absorbing Skill. How can you utter such lies?"

Ning Zhongze's eyebrows shot up, her face filled with anger.

Ning Yuan, however, remained calm and instead clapped lightly. "Zuo Lengchan, well said. First you said I cultivated the Evil-Exorcising Swordplay, and now you say I cultivated the Star Absorbing Skill. I wonder when you will say I cultivated the Sunflower Manual?"

Ning Yuan had a playful look on his face.

In his heart, however, he was somewhat suspicious, because what Zuo Lengchan said was quite a coincidence, making him think Zuo Lengchan really knew he had met Ren Woxing.

But thinking carefully, this news shouldn't have spread yet.

Zuo Lengchan snorted and didn't answer directly, instead saying: "I'm just stating a possibility. As for whether it's true, only you, Yue Buqun, know in your heart."

Zuo Lengchan indeed didn't know that Ning Yuan and Ren Woxing had actually met; he was just talking nonsense and pinning labels on him.

But this time, he really was a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse—he was right.

Although Ning Yuan hadn't cultivated the Star Absorbing Skill, it was actually not much different.

"I'm saying this just for everyone's reference. Besides, can Headmaster Yue explain why his martial arts have advanced by leaps and bounds?"

Zuo Lengchan said indifferently.

Since he was no match in force, he could only try other ways to win over the support of the other sects as much as possible.

Fang Zheng and Chongxu also looked at Ning Yuan in confusion.

"Zuo Lengchan, Ren Woxing has been missing for over a decade, and no one knows if he is dead or alive. Where would my Senior Brother get the Star Absorbing Skill? Do you think anyone will believe such a question?"

Ning Zhongze spoke in dissatisfaction.

"It is precisely because Ren Woxing disappeared that it indicates someone might have obtained his Legacy!"

Zuo Lengchan said meaningfully.

At these words, even Abbess Dingxian couldn't help but show a look of hesitation, looking toward Ning Yuan.

"Headmaster Yue, why don't you tell us what ultimate technique you've cultivated to dispel Sect Leader Zuo's doubts?"

At this moment, Yuyin Zi chimed in.

Now he wasn't in a hurry to seek justice for his Senior Brother Yuji Zi anymore.

In any case, they were constantly pressing Yue Buqun now.

Facing everyone's suspicious gazes, Ning Yuan remained composed and said indifferently: "The Jianghu is vast; how could you, Zuo Lengchan, know everything? As far as I know, the Shaolin Great Restoration Pill can enhance one's power. Besides that, there are many miraculous medicines in the Jianghu with similar effects, and even the laba congee of Xia Ke Island can make one a top expert upon consumption."

"Alliance Leader Zuo, I think you should open your eyes to the Jianghu!"

"Sophistry! Medicinal Pills and miraculous drugs that can enhance power have long disappeared from the Jianghu. What do you mean by opening my eyes? Do you think my Mount Song Disciples haven't searched for them over the years?"

Zuo Lengchan naturally didn't believe it.

"Whether you believe it or not is your business; the mouth is on your body, and no one else can decide for you."

Ning Yuan said.

Then he looked at the others. "Could it be that you all are also willing to believe Zuo Lengchan's nonsense and think that I have cultivated the Evil-Exorcising Swordplay Manual or the Star Absorbing Skill?"

Ning Yuan asked directly.

"Of course we don't believe it."

Abbess Dingxian immediately stated her position.

Mo Da also nodded slightly. "I naturally believe in the character of the Gentleman Sword."

"Hmph."

Hearing the two state their positions, Zuo Lengchan couldn't help but snort coldly. "Since there's nothing more to say, then this meeting ends here."

Zuo Lengchan flicked his sleeve, intending to leave.

But Ning Yuan raised his hand to block Zuo Lengchan's path.

"Yue Buqun, what do you mean?"

Zuo Lengchan asked, staring at Ning Yuan with anger.

"Zuo Lengchan, your business is finished, but Yue's business has just begun."

Ning Yuan said indifferently.

"Oh? You have business too?"

Zuo Lengchan's heart tightened; he narrowed his eyes and asked.

"Sect Leader Zuo mobilized such a force today and slandered me so, yet you don't give me an explanation. If you leave just like this, wouldn't it seem as if I were afraid of you?"

Ning Yuan met Zuo Lengchan's eyes.

"You want me to give you an explanation?"

Zuo Lengchan gritted his teeth secretly, his face cold.

"No, I simply feel that Sect Leader Zuo is perhaps no longer suitable to hold the position of Five Mountains Alliance Chief."

Ning Yuan said expressionlessly.

Hearing this, Zuo Lengchan's face suddenly changed. "Yue Buqun, you want to be the Alliance Chief?"

Zuo Lengchan shouted in shock and anger.

Although he had known this day would come, he hadn't expected the other party to bring it up at this time, not waiting for a single moment.

Everything he had done before was to prevent Yue Buqun from raising this matter in advance.

He didn't expect that right after his failure, while Yue Buqun was still the center of public opinion, the other party would dare to mention the sensitive issue of the Five Mountains Alliance Chief.

He didn't care about the impact at all, nor did he give him any time.

"Sect Leader Zuo, you are mistaken. It's just that over the years, you have led Mount Song to harbor filth and commit all sorts of evil, ruining not only Mount Song's name but also the reputation of our Five Mountains Sword Sect. Now you have even made things difficult for me, making wild guesses and spreading rumors—this is likely not what an Alliance Chief should do."

"Rather than letting you continue to ruin the reputation of our Five Mountains Sword Sect, it's better to re-elect an Alliance Chief and restore our prestige."

Ning Yuan said indifferently.

But this made Zuo Lengchan even more shocked and angry. "Yue Buqun, you are indeed ambitious. I see you've wanted to be the Alliance Chief for a long time. Don't forget, you haven't even cleared your own name yet; don't even think about being the Alliance Chief."

Zuo Lengchan threatened coldly.

"Whether I become the Alliance Chief is not important. What's important is that our Five Mountains Sword Sect must make a change now. We can no longer allow you to act unscrupulously alone and let the Five Mountains Sword Sect become your one-man show, continuing to harm the Martial Forest."

"If this continues, I fear that one day, the reputation of our Five Mountains Sword Sect will become a synonym for evil, just like the Demonic Cult, feared and hated by everyone."

"Great Master Fang Zheng, Daoist Chongxu, both of you are renowned figures of our Righteous Path, what do you think?"

Ning Yuan said, looking at Fang Zheng and Chongxu.

"This..."

Fang Zheng and Chongxu exchanged a look, frowning. After a moment, they said: "Headmaster Yue, we are outsiders; it would be inconvenient for us to interfere in the internal affairs of the Five Mountains. It would be better to ask for the opinions of Abbess Dingxian, Mr. Mo Da, and Daoist Tianmen."

Daoist Chongxu said.