In the meeting hall, the murmurs that the Grand Elder had just suppressed rose once more. Everyone turned their gazes to the Third Elder, Jun Luohua. Seeing the serene expression on her face, they couldn’t help but feel a flicker of admiration. ’So Jun Luohua knew all along that her three disciples could complete this mission.’ At the same time, they glanced over at the Fourth Elder. Seeing his sullen face, they found the situation rather amusing.

"Go. Bring the three of them in," the Grand Elder said in a deep voice after a moment of deliberation.

"Yes, sir!" The disciple accepted the order and scrambled out. ’The Elders in this meeting hall are all crazy,’ he thought. ’If I stay any longer, I feel like I’m going to lose it too.’

A short while after the disciple left, Shen Haoran appeared at the entrance of the meeting hall with Murong Wanqing and Han Xu. When they saw the room packed with Elders, the three of them were visibly stunned and took a moment to process the scene.

"Brother Haoran, why such a huge reception?" Murong Wanqing whispered, glancing at the Elders inside the hall.

"Don’t tell me this is all to welcome us," Han Xu guessed.

"In your dreams. I’m afraid we’ll have some trouble to deal with today." Shen Haoran swept his gaze across the Elders’ faces; their expressions betrayed their thoughts.

Hearing Shen Haoran’s words, Murong Wanqing and Han Xu were both startled. Their expressions immediately turned serious as they followed closely behind Shen Haoran into the meeting hall.

"Disciples Shen Haoran, Murong Wanqing, and Han Xu greet our Teacher, the Sect Leader, and all the Elders!" The three of them announced as they walked into the hall and bowed in salute.

Looking at the three before them, the faces of all the Elders—except for Jun Luohua, the Second Elder, and Tian Ao—were a strange sight. ’These three before us... one is a Tier Five Spirit Marquis, one is a Tier Six Spirit Marquis, and the strongest, the young woman, is only a Tier Seven Spirit Marquis. Did these three really wipe out the Hehuan Sect, a second-rate power?’ The Elders present found it hard to believe.

"The Third Elder says the three of you annihilated the Hehuan Sect?" the Grand Elder asked, taking the lead. His tone was filled with doubt.

Although the Grand Elder hid the doubt in his eyes well, it did not escape Shen Haoran’s notice. Shen Haoran replied nonchalantly, "That’s right. The Third Elder gave us a small task. It was just the Hehuan Sect. There’s no need for all you Elders to be so concerned."

Hearing Shen Haoran’s words, Tian Ao’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch. ’A small task? "Just" the Hehuan Sect? Do you have any idea how long this "small task" has been a thorn in the side of the Elder Council? They were on the verge of tearing off all pretenses and mobilizing the entire Sect to annihilate them. And now, you come along and make it sound like some trivial chore you can just brush aside. Are you trying to piss these Elders to death?!’

As expected, upon hearing Shen Haoran, several of the Elders’ faces darkened. His words, combined with his casual expression, seemed to mock them.

"Hmph! A mere Spirit Marquis disciple dares to spout such arrogance! Even a team led by an Elder from our own Sect couldn’t touch the Hehuan Sect. How could the three of you possibly annihilate them? Talk is cheap!" one of the Elders said coldly.

"Oh? So you don’t believe me? Then feel free to make some inquiries. The Hehuan Sect was a second-rate power, after all. The news of an entire sect being massacred overnight is bound to make waves. A few simple questions should clear things up, shouldn’t they?" Shen Haoran said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

’Overnight? The entire sect massacred?’ Hearing Shen Haoran’s words, the Elders were stunned once again. The Grand Elder then turned and whispered a few words to a disciple behind him. The disciple nodded and left the meeting hall. Not long after, the disciple hurried back, a grim look on his face.

The disciple then whispered a few words into the Grand Elder’s ear. As he listened, the Grand Elder’s expression grew more and more incredible. Down below, Shen Haoran watched the Grand Elder’s constantly shifting expression with a faint smile playing on his lips. ’Even I could figure out with my eyes closed that the Grand Elder sent that disciple to verify my story. And it looks like he’s just gotten the results.’

Indeed, after hearing the disciple’s report, the doubt in the Grand Elder’s eyes vanished completely, replaced by sheer disbelief. He couldn’t help but size up Shen Haoran with a new sense of curiosity.

"You’re Shen Haoran? You’ve done exceptionally well! You and your two companions can all participate in the upcoming tournament for the qualification spots!" the Grand Elder declared with a laugh. By dealing with the Hehuan Sect, Shen Haoran had removed a thorn from his side. This could be considered a significant contribution to the Celestial Spirit Sect.

However, hearing the Grand Elder’s words, the other Elders were taken aback. The Fourth Elder, in particular, voiced his dissatisfaction. "Grand Elder, wasn’t this a matter to be discussed later? Besides, giving such precious spots to three brats who just barely squeezed their way into the Sect? I vehemently disagree!"

The Grand Elder seemed to have anticipated the Fourth Elder’s objection and stated calmly, "I just received a report. The Hehuan Sect, located in the territory of Divine Martial City, was wiped out overnight. Their Sect Leader, Chen Hutian, and their six great elders are all dead. The Hehuan Sect has been completely erased from the Northern Domain!"

"What?!" Hearing the Grand Elder’s announcement, the other Elders couldn’t help but cry out in shock. They had all suspected the trio of lying. After all, how could a second-rate power like the Hehuan Sect be annihilated by three Spirit Marquis Tier disciples? Now, hearing the Grand Elder’s words, they all turned to stare at Shen Haoran’s group once more.

"Hmph! Even if the Hehuan Sect was wiped out, it doesn’t necessarily mean they did it! They are merely Spirit Marquis Tier disciples. How could they possibly kill Chen Hutian? He was a Spirit Emperor Powerhouse! With their strength, forget the Hehuan Sect’s Leader, even one of their Elite Disciples could have killed them!" the Fourth Elder retorted, still unconvinced.

"Oh? So, the Fourth Elder doubts our strength?" Hearing this, Shen Haoran raised an eyebrow, looking at the Fourth Elder with a provocative glint in his eyes.

"Hmph, doubt it? You know your own capabilities. Do I even need to?" the Fourth Elder said with disdain.

"In that case... Third Elder, I wonder, would it be permissible for me to take action and... teach this Fourth Elder a lesson?" Shen Haoran asked Jun Luohua softly, a devilish smile spreading across his face.

BOOM...

The moment Shen Haoran’s words fell, the entire meeting hall erupted. ’What did they just hear? A Tier Five Spirit Marquis disciple was actually threatening to teach a Sect Elder a lesson? Heavens, this world has gone mad! They had lived for so long and had never seen anything so insane.’

However, what truly threw them into disarray was Jun Luohua’s response. She simply took a light sip of her green tea and said calmly, "Fine. But remember to show some mercy."

’Show some mercy... show mercy... mercy...’ They couldn’t have heard that right, could they? A disciple makes an outrageous threat to teach an Elder a lesson, and his own Teacher tells him to show mercy? ’Don’t this master and disciple pair have any idea of the Fourth Elder’s strength? This isn’t a fight between equals!’