What are you using to guarantee this?

The hall was initially completely silent.

Immediately afterwards, bursts of undisguised sneer erupted.

Liu Quan burst out laughing, his hand holding the teacup trembling, completely unaware that tea had splashed onto the back of his hand.

"Hahaha! This is utterly ridiculous!"

Liu Quan pointed at Zhou Lingxuan and laughed so hard he almost fell over.

"Chen Baichuan, is this the person you're risking your life to protect? A piece of trash who can't even protect himself dares to boast that he'll protect you?"

Li Yuan knelt on the ground, his shoulders shaking violently, his face turning red from trying to suppress his laughter.

He raised his head and looked at Zhou Lingxuan with disdain.

"Old man, have you been spending too much time in the abandoned hall? Has your brain been fried by the subterranean fire? This is the Hall of Enforcement! The place in the Heavenly Sword Pavilion where rules are most strictly observed! Do you think this is your backyard, where just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can jump out and interrupt?"

The Fourth Elder and the Fifth Elder exchanged a glance, shook their heads repeatedly, their faces full of absurdity.

The disciples of the Enforcement Hall and the managers of various halls around them rolled their eyes, whispered among themselves, and pointed and pointed at each other without any restraint.

"Is this old man scared out of his wits?"

"A completely incompetent steward, barely able to save himself, dares to jump out and plead for mercy?"

"Elder Chen risked his life to protect him, but he just walked right into the line of fire."

"Why don't you just obediently wait to be punished as a result of collective wrongdoing? Where do you get the nerve to spout such nonsense?"

"They're really asking for trouble! Don't they even know where they are?"

Liu Quan put down his teacup, his face suddenly darkening, his tone full of mockery and murderous intent.

"Zhou Lingxuan, who do you think you are? Who gave you the right to speak here?"

"Before the Second Elder, you, a mere servant, don't even have the right to kneel and speak, yet you dare to stand and beg for mercy?"

"Guards!" Liu Quan suddenly raised his voice, "Drag this old bastard away, break his legs, and pull out his tongue. Let him learn his lesson!"

Two burly disciples from the Enforcement Hall immediately stepped forward and reached out to grab Zhou Lingxuan's shoulders.

Zhou Lingxuan stood still, his posture upright and his back straight.

He didn't even try to dodge; he simply looked quietly at the Second Elder above, without the slightest hint of panic on his face.

Having lived for over a hundred years and worked as a blacksmith for a hundred years, what storms haven't I seen?

To him, the faces of these people were nothing more than the raucous revelry of clowns.

Since he dared to stand up today, he must have absolute confidence.

The Second Elder sat on a large rosewood chair, his brows slightly furrowed, and obvious displeasure was evident on his face.

An outer gate servant is certainly not qualified to interrupt in this situation.

He was about to wave his hand to have Zhou Lingxuan dragged away when a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

This old man...

The Second Elder stared at Zhou Lingxuan's aged face, his memories surging.

Several months ago, the Heavenly Sword, the sect's most prized artifact, appeared, startling the entire sect.

The one who caused that strange phenomenon was this useless old man whose lifespan was about to end!

At that time, the entire sect believed that it was the ancestral master manifesting his power and sending down chaotic golden light.

Although the old man's physique and cultivation level remained unchanged after absorbing the golden light, and he was still a cripple, the fact that he could activate the Heavenly Sword itself exuded an eerie aura.

The Heavenly Sword Pavilion has been established for a thousand years. Those who can summon the Heavenly Sword are all exceptionally talented individuals.

Even if such a person is useless in cultivation, they are definitely extraordinary.

The Second Elder glanced again at Chen Baichuan, who was lying on the ground with his face covered in blood.

What kind of temper does Chen Baichuan have?

Arrogant and conceited, he looked down on everyone, not even the Fourth and Fifth Elders.

Yet this arrogant man, just now, actually sacrificed his cultivation and took all the blame upon himself in order to protect this old servant.

This is very unusual.

There must be some explanation for why Chen Baichuan protected him even when he was about to die.

Could it be that this old man is hiding some secret that even I haven't figured out?

"Wait a minute."

The Second Elder spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it instantly suppressed all the noise in the hall.

The two disciples from the Enforcement Hall froze in mid-air and quickly retreated, not daring to even breathe.

Liu Quan was stunned; the sneer on his face froze, and he was completely taken aback.

"Second Elder, this old bastard is spouting nonsense; keeping him around is just an eyesore..."

"Shut up." The Second Elder glanced at Liu Quan, his tone calm but carrying a strong sense of oppression.

Liu Quan felt a chill run down his spine and quickly lowered his head, not daring to say another word. He just glared fiercely at Zhou Lingxuan.

The hall fell silent once more.

All eyes were on the Second Elder and Zhou Lingxuan.

The Second Elder leaned forward, crossed his hands on the table, and looked down at Zhou Lingxuan.

"You want to plead for mercy?" the Second Elder asked authoritatively.

"Yes." Zhou Lingxuan met the oppressive aura with neither humility nor arrogance, his back ramrod straight.

"On what grounds do you have?" the Second Elder retorted, his voice echoing through the hall. "What makes you, a useless hall steward with no cultivation, have the audacity to plead for an elder who has committed a grave taboo of the sect?"

Everyone in the hall pricked up their ears, eager to hear what the old man would say next.

Chen Baichuan lay on the ground, so anxious that he kept pounding the ground.

"Old Zhou! Are you crazy! Shut up! This is none of your business!" Chen Baichuan roared hoarsely, another mouthful of blood gushing from his mouth.

He desperately tried to signal Zhou Lingxuan with his eyes, urging him to leave immediately.

Zhou Lingxuan ignored Chen Baichuan and looked at the Second Elder instead.

"I have something in my possession," Zhou Lingxuan said calmly, as he discussed a trivial family matter.

"Oh?" The Second Elder raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Zhou Lingxuan shook his head.

"Some things are of great importance and should not be heard by others."

Zhou Lingxuan took a step forward and looked directly at the Second Elder.

"This old man wishes to speak with the Second Elder alone."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall.

"Insolence!" Liu Quan stood up abruptly, pointing at Zhou Lingxuan and cursing, "Who do you think you are! You dare to demand a private meeting with the Second Elder?"

"How dare you, an ant, dream of seeing the Second Elder's precious daughter!"

Li Yuan echoed, his face filled with righteous indignation: "Second Elder, this old scoundrel is definitely stalling for time. He might be hiding some kind of weapon, plotting something sinister! We absolutely cannot agree to his demands!"

The Fourth Elder and the Fifth Elder shook their heads repeatedly, feeling that the old man was simply indulging in wishful thinking.

How dare a lowly outer sect servant make demands of a Nascent Soul stage expert?

This isn't just audacious, this is utter madness!

Zhou Lingxuan turned a deaf ear to the accusations and insults from the crowd.

Despite the disdainful and mocking gazes fixed on his back, he remained unaffected, simply standing there quietly, awaiting the Second Elder's reply.

The Second Elder stared at Zhou Lingxuan, a strange light flashing in his deep, unfathomable eyes.

The old man was too calm.

Faced with the pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator and the reprimands of a hall full of elders and deacons, he didn't even catch his breath, yet he remained expressionless.

This level of composure is something that even a Golden Core cultivator might not be able to achieve, let alone a lowly servant with no cultivation.

The Second Elder's curiosity was completely piqued.

He wanted to see what earth-shattering words this guy, who didn't have a trace of spiritual energy fluctuations, could utter.

"it is good."

The Second Elder nodded slightly and uttered a single word.

The noise inside the hall suddenly stopped.

Liu Quan's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

"Second Elder! This..."

"Do I need you to teach me how to do things?" The Second Elder glanced at Liu Quan coldly.

Liu Quan trembled with fright and quickly swallowed the rest of his words, his face turning extremely pale.

Li Yuan collapsed to the ground, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

The Second Elder stood up and flicked his sleeves.

"Come with me."

He turned and walked towards a side door on the side of the main hall.

Zhou Lingxuan strode forward and followed at a leisurely pace.

As Zhou Lingxuan passed by Chen Baichuan, Chen Baichuan grabbed his trouser leg tightly.

"Old Zhou...don't go..." Chen Baichuan's face was covered in blood, his voice weak but filled with deep worry, "They'll kill you..."

Zhou Lingxuan stopped and looked down at him.

"Just lie there, you won't die."

After saying that, Zhou Lingxuan gently broke free from Chen Baichuan's hand and strode towards the side door.

Behind the side door was a dark passage.

The walls on both sides are inlaid with spirit stones that emit a faint glow, casting shadows on the passageway.

Zhou Lingxuan followed the Second Elder through the passage and arrived at a secret room.

The second elder raised his hand and cast a spell, causing the heavy stone door to slide open to both sides with a rumble.

The secret room was small and simply furnished, with only two stone chairs and a stone table.

The walls were covered with intricate soundproofing patterns, exuding a mysterious aura.

The Second Elder was the first to enter the secret chamber, followed closely by Zhou Lingxuan.

"boom!"

The heavy stone door slammed shut behind them, sealing it tightly and cutting off all outside exploration and sound.

The air inside the sealed room instantly became stagnant.

The Second Elder turned around, and the pressure from his Nascent Soul stage cultivation instantly vanished.

He didn't sit down, but stood by the stone table, his eyes wide open, staring intently at Zhou Lingxuan.

That gaze was extremely penetrating, piercing straight into Zhou Lingxuan, as if trying to see right through him.

"Speak."

The second elder stood with his hands behind his back, his voice echoing in the enclosed space.

"What can you offer to protect him?"