When the Elders heard Tian Ao’s words, they were stunned. The dissatisfaction on their faces vanished in an instant, replaced by gazes of utter disbelief as they stared at him.

It was no wonder they reacted so strongly to the mention of the Hehuan Sect. In recent years, with the rise of the Hehuan Sect, the Elders of the Celestial Spirit Sect hadn’t had a single good night’s sleep. Although the Hehuan Sect was merely a newly-ascended, second-rate power that the Celestial Spirit Sect could have eradicated without much effort, they were, for some reason, unable to do so.

For one, the Hehuan Sect was located near Divine Martial City, an area that had been a disputed territory between the Celestial Spirit Sect and Fallen Valley for years. If the Celestial Spirit Sect rashly dispatched its Law Enforcement Team, it would be a direct provocation to Fallen Valley, essentially declaring ownership of the land. This would inevitably antagonize Fallen Valley and could even trigger a full-scale war between the two sects.

The political landscape of the Northern Domain was in constant flux, with new powers emerging like mushrooms after a rain. Even as the overlord of the Northern Domain, the Celestial Spirit Sect was feeling the pressure. If they truly went to war with Fallen Valley, the Sect would be severely weakened. All the while, countless hidden factions were coveting the "large cake" that was the Celestial Spirit Sect. It simply wasn’t worth it for the insignificant Hehuan Sect!

But if left unresolved, the Hehuan Sect was like an annoying fly that simply couldn’t be swatted away. Worse, they were continuously abducting women from the Celestial Spirit Sect’s territory, leading to a flood of petitions. To resolve the issue, the Celestial Spirit Sect had once secretly dispatched a small team to handle it, but they were soundly defeated and driven back by the Hehuan Sect. As a result, the Hehuan Sect had become a thorn in the Elder Council’s side—one that was agonizing to leave in.

"You’re saying that boy can resolve the matter with the Hehuan Sect?" the leading Elder asked with a frown. This man had an imposing air and was the oldest among them—he was the Grand Elder of the Celestial Spirit Sect.

"That’s right. The Second Elder is aware of this as well. And judging by the date, they should be back in the next day or two!" Tian Ao said with a peculiar laugh.

"Grand Elder, the Sect Leader is correct. Those disciples did indeed go to resolve the matter of the Hehuan Sect. If they’ve succeeded, then according to the agreed-upon timeline, they will be back in the next two days," the Second Elder stood up to corroborate.

Hearing this, the Grand Elder fell silent. If those three disciples could truly deal with the Hehuan Sect, then the Third Elder’s proposal was not without merit.

"Grand Elder, you can’t possibly believe those three greenhorns can handle the Hehuan Sect, can you? We previously dispatched an Elder at the Spirit Aspect Tier to lead a team, and they failed! That Elder was even seriously injured. If he failed, what can three disciples at the mere Spirit Marquis Tier possibly do? I say this is just a ploy by the Third Elder to secure that slot!" Seeing the hesitation on the Grand Elder’s face, the Fourth Elder of the Celestial Spirit Sect hurriedly spoke up.

At the Fourth Elder’s words, all eyes turned to him. It was well known that the Fourth Elder held an old grudge against the Third Elder. In fact, the Fourth Elder should have originally been the one promoted to Third Elder. However, with the arrival of Jun Luohua, the previous Sect Leader had promoted Jun Luohua directly to the position without a second thought, leaving the Fourth Elder stuck in his original rank. Since then, the Fourth Elder had made a point of opposing the Third Elder at every turn.

This time, however, many found themselves agreeing with the Fourth Elder. They all knew about the mission to send an Elder to lead a team to annihilate the Hehuan Sect. In the end, that Spirit Aspect Tier Elder and dozens of disciples had all returned with grave injuries. If even an Elder couldn’t accomplish the task, how could a mere three disciples possibly succeed?

The Grand Elder’s brow furrowed as well, and he turned to Jun Luohua with a questioning look.

"Whether my three disciples can handle the Hehuan Sect is something you’ll just have to wait and see. We will have our answer soon enough!" Jun Luohua replied, his expression as calm and nonchalant as ever, completely unbothered by their doubt.

"Hmph. They are merely three Spirit Marquis Tier disciples. What waves could they possibly make? You actually have hope for them? Don’t be surprised when those three not only fail the mission but also expose the Celestial Spirit Sect’s involvement. When that happens, you can deal with the trouble yourself. We won’t be cleaning up your mess!" the Fourth Elder said coldly.

"You look down on my three disciples that much? Very well. How about we make a bet?" Jun Luohua said, looking at the Fourth Elder as a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"A bet? Hahaha, fine!" the Fourth Elder sneered.

Hearing the Fourth Elder agree, Jun Luohua gave a light laugh and said, "We’ll bet on whether or not my three disciples can successfully eradicate the Hehuan Sect. If they fail, I, Jun Luohua, will leave the Celestial Spirit Sect and never again set foot within its territory!"

Upon hearing Jun Luohua’s words, everyone present was stunned. They stared at him in shock, their minds reeling. ’This wager... isn’t it a little too high?’

"Of course, if my three disciples succeed, then I’ll have to ask you, Fourth Elder, to leave the Celestial Spirit Sect. What do you say? Do you dare to accept?" Jun Luohua paid no mind to the crowd’s astonishment, his tone shifting as he pointed at the Fourth Elder.

"Why wouldn’t I dare! Hmph. I just hope you don’t lose too disgracefully!" the Fourth Elder agreed without a moment’s hesitation. ’A task that even a Spirit Aspect Tier Elder couldn’t complete, yet he thinks three insignificant disciples can? It seems this Third Elder is far too confident!’

"Enough! Two Elders making a bet out of spite! What has this council come to! We will speak no more of this for now. Let’s first finalize the details of the competition for the slots!" Just as Jun Luohua and the Fourth Elder sealed their bet, the Grand Elder slammed his hand on the table, his voice a low growl.

The Grand Elder still commanded considerable authority within the Celestial Spirit Sect. Everyone immediately reined in their emotions. The Fourth Elder shot Jun Luohua a cold glare before sitting back down as well.

Seeing that everyone had settled down, the Grand Elder’s expression softened. He was about to discuss the rules for the competition over the slots, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, the doors to the meeting hall were abruptly kicked open and a disciple stumbled in frantically.

"What is the meaning of this! Do you not know this is the meeting hall? Go to the Law Enforcement Hall and receive your punishment!" The Grand Elder, having just managed to get the other Elders to focus, was interrupted by the disciple and roared in fury.

"No, Grand Elder! There are three disciples here—they say they’re disciples of the Third Elder and are requesting to see him. They said it was an urgent matter, which is why I came to report it!" the disciple hastily explained.

Hearing the disciple’s words, the Elders in the meeting hall were stunned. They all fixed their gazes on the disciple, looking as if they wanted to eat him alive.

"What did you say? The Third Elder’s three disciples?" The Grand Elder shot to his feet, his eyes blazing as he stared at the disciple.

"Ye-... yes... That’s what the three of them said," the disciple stammered, his legs beginning to tremble. He was utterly bewildered. ’What on earth had those three done to provoke such an intense reaction from the Sect’s top leaders?’