Chapter 308: Humiliation

“Haha…”

In the endless void, a massive warship swiftly moved forward.

Lin Fan stood there, overlooking the entire land, laughing maniacally.

“This is the world meant for me!”

After leaving the sect, Lin Fan felt incredibly excited, having even taken the sect leader’s warship with him.

After settling matters at Jiuxiao Sect, Lin Fan planned to travel around in this warship.

In Lin Fan’s eyes, the warship was already extremely fast—much faster than any he had ridden before. In the blink of an eye, it could cover ten miles.

He just didn’t know the principle behind the warship. If he could figure it out, Lin Fan wouldn’t mind building one himself.

Gazing determinedly ahead, Lin Fan thought about visiting Jiuxiao Sect first, and then searching for fragments of the Supreme Token and the forbidden grounds of that old dog, Qisheng.

…

Jiuxiao Sect.

Over the past month, Jiuxiao Sect had been in a state of depression, with many disciples losing hope for the future.

The sect leader was dead.

The Grand Elder was also dead.

Once the largest sect in the Western Extreme Lands, it had completely declined.

Some disciples left Jiuxiao Sect, uncertain of their future and seeking new paths elsewhere.

Others remained loyal to Xin Feng, determined to work hard to restore Jiuxiao Sect’s former glory.

“Senior Brother, the ceremony for the new sect leader is about to begin,” Feng Xiaoling said with some concern. Although the future of Jiuxiao Sect might be bumpy, he believed his senior brother could definitely lead the sect back to prosperity.

“Hmm,” Xin Feng nodded. The sect could not remain without a leader, and this heavy burden had left him struggling to breathe at times.

Looking at his senior brother, Feng Xiaoling hesitated, holding back what he wanted to say. “Senior Brother, given the current situation, perhaps we should not hold the ceremony. Our scouts have reported that many sects have ulterior motives.”

Xin Feng gazed into the distance. His once-sharp aura had changed.

“Junior Brother, although Jiuxiao Sect has declined, it is still a major sect. The ceremony must not be canceled. As for those sects, we will eventually have to face them, so let them come,” Xin Feng said solemnly.

“But Senior Brother, if the Saint Sect supports you, considering Lin Senior Brother’s relationship with you, maybe…” This was what Feng Xiaoling had been thinking all along.

Xin Feng shook his head. “Junior Brother, you must remember, Jiuxiao Sect owes far too much to the Saint Sect.”

Feng Xiaoling didn’t know what to say and finally just nodded. He understood what his senior brother was thinking and why he made this decision, but the current situation was still not good…

“Have the representatives from other sects arrived yet?” Xin Feng asked.

“They have been arriving one after another.”

…

At the entrance of Jiuxiao Sect.

Jiuxiao Sect disciples were busy welcoming representatives from one sect after another. Major sects from the Western Extreme Lands had all come.

“Senior Brother, I’m a bit nervous,” said a disciple at the entrance, clearly uneasy.

He had never experienced such a situation before, but Jiuxiao Sect was no longer as powerful as it once was.

“Junior Brother, don’t be nervous. Just display our气势 (qi shi—aura or presence),” another disciple replied.

At that moment, a group of people arrived at the entrance of Jiuxiao Sect.

“Grandmaster Hongyun Sect leads disciples to attend the ceremony for the new sect leader, presenting the gift—a ten-year-old Zhu Guo (cinnabar fruit).” The disciple responsible for receiving guests and announcing arrivals would normally make such an announcement after receiving gifts.

But this time, upon seeing the gift, his heart trembled.

This was clearly not a congratulatory gesture—it was meant to humiliate.

The Jiuxiao Sect disciples gathered at the entrance, their faces dark with anger upon hearing the announcement. A ten-year-old Zhu Guo? This was pure humiliation.

“What? Is this how Jiuxiao Sect treats guests? We have come to offer our congratulations, and we have presented our gift. Are you going to leave us standing at the entrance?” The Hongyun Sect leader expressed dissatisfaction.

Hongyun Sect disciples also began to grumble.

“Hmph, even in this state, they dare to be so arrogant.”

“Does Jiuxiao Sect still think highly of itself? Our presence here is already showing enough respect.”

“Don’t tell me they think the gift is too small. This ten-year-old Zhu Guo is the most generous gift our sect leader has ever given to a smaller sect.”

…

The Jiuxiao Sect disciples listened, burning with anger inside. When had Jiuxiao Sect ever suffered such humiliation? Previously, which of these sects dared to speak like this?

But thinking about Jiuxiao Sect’s current state, the disciples clenched their fists, swallowing their anger.

“Hu Sect Leader, please come inside,” a former elite disciple of Jiuxiao Sect stepped forward to greet them.

“Hmm,” Hu Sect Leader of Hongyun Sect nodded. “You know how to behave.”

The elite disciple forced a bitter smile. When had any of these sect leaders dared to act so brazenly?

There were a total of thirty-eight sects attending the ceremony, and Hongyun Sect was the last to arrive.

Outside the coronation hall, representatives from each sect sat in their designated places. The thirty-eight sect leaders chatted freely, making no effort to keep their voices down, as if they wanted Jiuxiao Sect to hear every word.

“Master Yang, what did you bring as a gift?”

“Just a box of ordinary jewels.”

“Master Yang is generous. I brought a ten-year-old Zhu Guo.”

“Haha, Master Hu, that’s a bit stingy. My box of jewels could buy two of your Zhu Guos.”

“Hehe, Master Hu isn’t stingy at all. A ten-year-old Zhu Guo is a fine gift. I’m just a bit short on funds, so I brought some gold.”

…

The sect leaders chatted among themselves, while the Jiuxiao Sect disciples standing nearby wore grim expressions.

It felt like slap after slap across their faces, causing them deep pain.

Once the dominant sect in the Western Extreme Lands, Jiuxiao Sect had now fallen to such a state.

They knew these visitors had ulterior motives—they weren’t really here to offer congratulations.

Now Jiuxiao Sect was like meat on a chopping block, at the mercy of others.

Great Heaven-level experts…

Jiuxiao Sect once had countless Great Heaven-level experts, but now there wasn’t a single one left. It was truly ironic—now even a minor sect could surpass them.

Watching the arrogant manner of the visiting sect leaders, the Jiuxiao Sect disciples burned with rage.

What angered them even more was that disciples from those sects also pointed fingers at them, treating them with utter contempt.

Those disciples had low cultivation levels—killing them would be as easy as squashing an ant. But now they could act so boldly only because Jiuxiao Sect had no powerful experts left to protect it.

If the sect leader and elders were still alive, would any of the sects present dare to act so recklessly?