?Mobile reading The disciple approached the master's room and announced loudly, "Master, Dong Qingkuan, the abbot of the Xiaoyao Sect, would like to see you!" Diao Miao, the master, opened the door and expressed his bewilderment, "Dong Qingkuan? What could he possibly have come for? He's actually quite bold to come here—last time he was thoroughly let down, and now he shows up with such confidence. How thick is his skin!" The disciple wiped his brow, sweating slightly. The incident where the master was let down was no longer a surprise within the Diao Miao Sect—it had become a well-known story. In fact, the sect deeply worried about the master's intelligence. Otherwise, why had all the other abbots received tangible benefits, while Diao Miao only received a check that was certain to go unpaid? The other sects, right next door, were happily distributing pills and magical artifacts, celebrating as if it were the New Year. Meanwhile, the Diao Miao Sect remained as quiet and uneventful as ever. The disciple, somewhat embarrassed, added, "Abbot Dong appears very mysterious. He says he has something important to discuss with "Master's important matters—doesn't he want to play tricks on me again?" the缥缈真人 said with a sigh. The disciple added immediately, "Also, Master Dong's hair and beard seem to have thinned considerably—quite different from how he looked at the Gathering of the Celestial Immortals. At first, I thought he had simply changed his appearance, but upon closer inspection, I realized it must have been an unexpected incident..." The缥缈真人's eyes lit up. "You mean he got hit?" "Very likely. Otherwise, who would let their image deteriorate so badly—hair like it's been chewed by a dog, beard so comical, and especially the eyebrows, one side fuller, the other thinner—utterly ridiculous!" the disciple said with a cheerful smile. "Quick, take me to meet the honored guest! How could we possibly neglect our guest? Woohoo, hahaha!" Indeed, wherever there's a clumsy person, there will always be a few friends who thrive on creating chaos—this remains true in the realm of cultivation. Just as the two had left, another disciple approached the gatekeeper and asked, "Where is Master? Someone just delivered something important, saying it must be seen by Master personally, and that not seeing it would surely be regretted!" The younger brother replied, "Master has gone to the front to receive Dong the Gatekeeper. It seems, too, that not seeing him there would be a regret!" "Really? Then I must hurry over there—should it indeed be a good time for a laugh, I’ll surely give Master another one!" As the saying goes, 'If the beam at the top is crooked, the beams below will follow suit.' With such a clumsy Master, the disciples have been shaped over time, and their intelligence is hardly exceptional. In the main hall, Changmiao the True One managed to suppress his laughter, adopting a serious demeanor and asking, "Dong the Gatekeeper, having come so far, what brings you here?" "Dong Qiankun was just about to offer a few polite remarks when the other immediately adopted a look of surprise and exclaimed, 'Dong brother, what’s happened to you? Your hairstyle looks so unusual—your eyebrows and beard too! Are you trying to emulate the plump-pig style of the mundane world?' Dong, flushed with embarrassment, couldn’t bring himself to admit that he’d been beaten and thus invented a plausible excuse: 'I’m truly ashamed. During my alchemical process, the furnace temperature became too high, and by accident, I burned off both my eyebrows and hair. Honestly, it’s just a minor incident—nothing serious at all!' 'Indeed?' Clearly, the real master, Piao Miao, didn’t believe him. How could one claim that the furnace temperature was too high when, as the head of the sect, he’s a master alchemist himself—this excuse sounded rather awkward and forced. 'Yes, truly—people stumble and horses stumble too. To have such a small matter concern Piao brother so deeply is truly most humbling,' he said, holding his ground with a composed demeanor." The Immortal of Ethereal Clarity narrowed his eyes. "You really know how to flatter yourself! Do you think I care about your little matters? Are you my cousin or my son-in-law? Fine—since you won't tell me the truth, don't be surprised if I don't hold back my words." "Master Piǎo Miǎo interrupted him, asking, 'Why are you targeting him? The young man is indeed bold, but hasn't done anything truly intolerable. In fact, I find him quite admirable!' Gong Qinkuan's face immediately fell. He hadn't done anything wrong against him—on the contrary, he had wronged him too many times. If it weren't for him, Master Gong would have already been the Grand Champion of the Immortal Realm by now, and certainly wouldn't have suffered such a brutal beating later. 'Master Piǎo, Qin Feng will inevitably become a major threat to our Immortal Realm in the future. My actions are simply preventive, driven by a sense of responsibility toward all of us,' he continued, citing logic. 'Think about it—he's a young, energetic man with an impressive rank that's quite intimidating. Can someone like that remain content and composed? His performance at the Gathering of the Celestial Immortals already shows that he won't. Wouldn't you have to wait until the Piǎo Sect suffers damage at his hands before you finally realize this?' Though the remark may sound somewhat cutting, it does carry a certain truth. Young people are generally restless, especially when they feel they possess the talent to cause upheaval—often seeking to accomplish something truly remarkable. The last time the disciples competed for the lotus platform beneath the earth, the True Person of Pi Miao was among them. Strictly speaking, from that moment on, the Pi Miao Sect and Qin Feng have been adversaries. That young man has already dared to create trouble for Dong Qiankun—how could he possibly show leniency toward the Pi Miao Sect? Thinking this, his brows slightly furrowed. Seeing that the other had absorbed his words, Dong Qiankun seized the momentum and urged, "Therefore, for the peace and harmony of the immortal realm, I believe we should eliminate him before he even takes root. This is a matter of great significance—everyone must come together. Brother Pi Miao, you've always been wise and upright. I'm certain you'll stand with me, correct? That's why I've come to you first!" A soft, well-placed compliment landed like a breeze, and the飘渺真人 felt most refreshed, immediately eager to agree. Just then, a disciple stepped forward from outside and announced, "Master, someone just delivered an item—said it's very important, that without seeing it, one would regret it!" This disciple had been quietly observing from outside for a long time, hoping for something entertaining, only to be deeply disappointed. Now, he was eager to reveal the real excitement. Upon hearing this, the飘渺真人 replied without hesitation, "Then bring it in. After all, Dong the Master of the Sect is here too. Let's all gather and see what's so special about this item."