A cold glint appeared in Meng Hao's eyes.
Surrounding him were disciples from several sects of the State of Zhao. From the west gate of the city, the white-robed cultivators from the mountain that day had appeared. If he alarmed the old monsters in the city, he would have no way to leave.
The disciples from the sects of the State of Zhao were invigorated when they saw the people from the Zi Yun Sect rushing over.
Being able to befriend these people would greatly elevate their status within their own sects, which would be very beneficial for their future development.
At first, they thought these people were too arrogant to pay them any mind, but unexpectedly, they were actually approaching.
"Could it be that Senior Brother Sun can really call those people over?"
"Perhaps so."
Senior Brother Sun was a blood relative of an elder of the Qu Shui Sect, and his cultivation was not low.
Even the disciples of the Zi Yun Sect would have to be somewhat polite to him.
The disciples from the State of Zhao, with fawning smiles, looked towards the man holding a fan, causing him to lift his head high, a look of undisguised smugness on his face.
He secretly thought that if this matter spread, his status within his sect, and even within the cultivation world of the entire State of Zhao, would greatly increase.
To him, Meng Hao, who stood before him, was no longer worth paying attention to.
He hurried forward to greet the approaching cultivators of the Zi Yun Sect.
Behind him, the other disciples also followed, their expressions excited.
Meng Hao narrowed his eyes slightly, drew his iron spear, and turned to leave.
"Fellow Daoist brothers of the Zi Yun Sect, I, Sun, have prepared a banquet at Feng Tian Tower. Along with the brothers from the various sects of the State of Zhao, we would like to invite all Daoist brothers to be our guests!"
Sun Hua excitedly looked at the disciples of the Zi Yun Sect, a hint of smugness on his face, and shouted loudly. Then he clasped his hands and bowed in salute. However, none of the Zi Yun Sect disciples paid him any attention and simply rushed past him.
This left Sun Hua and the disciples from the sects of the State of Zhao stunned.
Just then, a leading disciple among the Zi Yun Sect members let out a hearty laugh.
"Fellow Daoist ahead, please stop. Fellow Daoist has just returned from that precious mountain, correct? Your demeanor is truly extraordinary. We witnessed it at the foot of the mountain, and our hearts are truly filled with admiration.
I am Tian Shui Yin, a disciple of the Zi Yun Sect. I pay my respects to Fellow Daoist.
May I ask for Fellow Daoist's esteemed name?"
"We didn't expect to meet Fellow Daoist here, haha! If Fellow Daoist has time, we, the disciples of the Zi Yun Sect, would like to host a banquet to entertain Fellow Daoist."
More than ten Zi Yun Sect disciples all had considerable cultivation, but the one who spoke had the highest cultivation, reaching the eighth level of Qi Condensation. With a smiling face, he quickly stepped forward, blocking Meng Hao's path.
Every word he spoke was very polite. After getting close, he clasped his hands in salute.
This person's actions caused the other Zi Yun Sect disciples to stir as well. They clasped their hands in salute towards Meng Hao, their expressions utterly respectful.
Meng Hao's eyebrows furrowed, then quickly returned to normal. His face also broke into a smile, and he clasped his hands in return.
He slowly spoke his name, knowing that even if he didn't, these people would easily be able to investigate it.
This scene unfolded before the eyes of the disciples from the sects of the State of Zhao, leaving them aghast, their eyes wide with disbelief. Especially Sun Hua, whose face was filled with grievance.
He knew that these white-robed disciples were all disciples of the great Zi Yun Sect in the Southern Domain, each one arrogant and unrivaled.
Yet, this group of people stood before Meng Hao with such politeness, and in the eyes of some, even reverence appeared.
Sun Hua didn't understand what had happened, but he knew that anyone who could make those disciples of the Zi Yun Sect act so courteously must possess extraordinary qualities. Thinking of this, cold sweat naturally broke out on his forehead. He secretly thought himself lucky that he had only probed earlier and not truly made a move; otherwise, it would have been difficult to save face.
Not only Sun Hua, but also Zhou Kai, who was among the crowd, was extremely astonished. He secretly regretted only using the opponent's name when they first met. Now it was too late to curry favor, but a hint of respect shone in his eyes.
"Senior Brother Meng truly lives up to his reputation as an inner sect disciple. When I met him during the pill distribution, I offered him spirit stones, but he merely brushed them off like a gentle breeze. Now that the sect has disbanded, outer sect disciples like us are scurrying around like dogs whose homes have burned down, yet he can stand here, commanding the wind and rain, making the disciples of the great sects from the Southern Domain treat him with such respect!" Zhou Kai felt deeply emotional.
Inside the Bai Zhen Pavilion, the woman Qiao Ling also watched with wide eyes, utterly surprised to see the Zi Yun Sect disciples surrounding Meng Hao. Later, she saw Meng Hao calmly conversing with them, his demeanor completely different from when he stood before her, which made her even more interested in Meng Hao.
"Brother Meng, this iron spear must be the supreme treasure you used to deal with the demonic beasts on the mountain before, right?" Tian Shui Yin glanced at the iron spear Meng Hao held in his hand but found nothing unusual. In his memory, the scene of Meng Hao wielding this spear, charging across the mountain, terrifying the demonic beasts, their bodies exploding, flesh and blood splattering, reappeared.
"Indeed, Brother Meng's performance on that treasure mountain that day filled me, Lu, with immense admiration and respect. I see this spear is no different; Brother Meng shouldn't deny it." Lu Song, standing beside him, laughed heartily and interjected.
A peculiar glint appeared in Meng Hao's eyes, but he quickly regained his normal expression, smiling and nodding. "That day on the mountain, I, Meng, was indeed holding this iron spear." Meng Hao did not deny it.
"This iron spear can be considered a supreme treasure. I witnessed with my own eyes how it injured the demonic beasts on the mountain. Brother Meng's might at that time is still very clear in my memory." Lu Song continued, his gaze at the iron spear now burning with fervor. He glanced at Tian Shui Yin, and the eyes of the two met, both carrying ill will, for deep down, each of them was determined to possess this iron spear.
The conversations between the few people reached the ears of the cultivators from the State of Zhao, who then turned their attention to the iron spear. Previously, these people had sought trouble because of rumors that Meng Hao possessed a supreme treasure. Now, each of them was convinced that the opponent had gained fame by relying on this iron spear, which was why the Zi Yun Sect disciples were so courteous.
A sharp glint appeared in Sun Hua's eyes. He took a few steps forward, glancing at the iron spear several times. "However, it must be said that at that time, Brother Meng completely disrupted our trial and took away many pills, spirit stones, and magical artifacts from the mountain." Lu Song smiled and shook his head, appearing not to care too much. "This matter..."
Meng Hao also smiled in response, his body involuntarily retreating a few steps.
"It's nothing. The treasures on the mountain all belong to Old Monster Song. That old man said that whoever has the ability to take them, they will belong to that person. Brother Meng was able to acquire it, and I, Tian, also feel happy for you. It's just... Brother Meng, can you sell this iron spear to me? My Purple Cloud Sect will pay a worthy price!"
Tian Shuiyin took a step forward, staring at the iron spear in Meng Hao's hand as he asked.
The iron spear was in Meng Hao's hand, so he had no way to examine it clearly. His cultivation had not yet reached Foundation Establishment, and he lacked spiritual sense, so he couldn't discern its true nature.
"This..." Meng Hao hesitated slightly.
"Brother Meng! This iron spear is truly very important to us. Please, Brother Meng, grant us this favor!" Lu Song's eyes gleamed. He knew that he first needed Meng Hao's agreement to exchange it, and only then could he contend with Tian Shuiyin, who had now also stepped forward, calmly speaking to Meng Hao.
"Old Monster Song is inherently ruthless. Brother Meng has taken many treasures from the mountain that he cherishes. If it weren't for Elder Wu of my Purple Cloud Sect speaking up for you, Brother Meng might have encountered great danger." Tian Shuiyin finished speaking and took another step forward, his imposing aura seemingly meant to intimidate, his words containing undisguised threats.
At the same time, the disciples of the Purple Cloud Sect standing around had now spread out as if to surround Meng Hao, their eyes flashing with a sharp glint, determined to obtain the iron spear.
"This spear is just an ordinary item." Meng Hao held the iron spear in his hand, looked at the surrounding people, then at Tian Shuiyin and Lu Song, and slowly said.
"Brother Meng, please don't joke like that. I am certain I am not mistaken. That day on that mountain, Brother Meng indeed held this spear. There is an indentation on the spear's body; I personally saw it." Lu Song chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the iron spear as if confirming his words.
Meng Hao was slightly startled, not expecting this person to be so meticulous. Even he, the owner, hadn't noticed any marks on the spear's body. He glanced over and indeed saw an indentation. His expression did not escape Lu Song's gaze, which made him even more certain that it was true. He smiled, a hint of coldness in his eyes. Although killing was forbidden, he had many other methods he could employ.
"Even if this spear is an ordinary item, we still want to buy it. Brother Meng doesn't need to deny it anymore. We hope Brother Meng won't make things difficult for us. Otherwise, even if Brother Meng possesses a supreme treasure, our Purple Cloud Sect is one of the five great sects in the Southern Domain, with power far beyond your imagination. Moreover, it's not that we want this spear, but Elder Wu wants it." Tian Shuiyin spoke, his words now containing more coldness.
The turn of events made the cultivators from the State of Zhao look at each other, then fall silent. Their gazes at Meng Hao now held a few more traces of mockery. Especially Sun Hua. He smiled as he watched the events unfold before him, secretly thinking that it was good to let these people probe first, so he could stand back and reap the benefits. In his eyes, even if Meng Hao possessed a supreme treasure, he might not dare to offend these Purple Cloud Sect disciples.
"If I, Meng, am unwilling to exchange it, will you seize it?"
Meng Hao's expression changed, and a hint of coldness entered his eyes.
"Our sect will naturally not seize your treasure, but you must understand, offending us will bring you no good. Moreover, if we truly wanted to seize it, we wouldn't need to lift a finger."
Lu Song laughed heartily, turning to look at the disciples from the State of Zhao. He nodded slightly, and his action immediately invigorated the disciples from the State of Zhao.
"Brother Meng, Tian sees your spirit on this treasure mountain and doesn't wish to beat around the bush. Today, you must sell this iron spear. Even if you don't want to, you must sell it!" Tian Shuiyin said coldly, his sharp gaze fixed on Meng Hao as he spoke decisively.
Meng Hao thought to himself, these people are looking for trouble. He naturally wouldn't pretend to be merciful, but he put on a show of difficult deliberation. At the same time, he took a few steps back, his expression grim.
After a long while, he gritted his teeth, raised his head, and his eyes were streaked with blood.
"Well said, you disciples of the Ziyun Sect. If you are determined to buy it, then name your price." Meng Hao flicked his sleeve, plunging the iron spear straight into the ground. His expression grew even gloomier, revealing a look of heartbroken reluctance.