From the entrance of the sect to the entrance of the Hundred Refinements Great Hall…

Nangong Ling and the other two were scolded by Dao Lord Scarlet Star the entire way. Although they were lambasted and their faces were covered in saliva, none of them dared to wipe it off.

Without Nangong Ling and the other two pestering him, Su Zimo watched the commotion from the side and was happy to relax.

Dao Lord Scarlet Star naturally asked him about the entire incident as well.

However, Su Zimo insisted that he knew nothing and casually brushed it off, saying that he was already on the spirit vessel when he woke up.

Dao Lord Scarlet Star led Su Zimo’s group of four to the entrance of Hundred Refinements Great Hall before stopping his lectures to take a breather.

“Master, you’re tired too. We know we were wrong. Quick, drink some water.”

Ru Xuan was the best at pleasing Dao Lord Scarlet Star. She hurried over and retrieved a steaming cup of tea from out of thin air before handing it over.

Dao Lord Scarlet Star harrumphed and took the cup of tea, downing it in one gulp. He said in a displeased manner, “I’ll teach you guys a good lesson after this period of time!”

Nangong Ling and the other two exchanged glances – they knew that this episode had come to an end.

The three of them heaved a sigh of relief and pulled up their sleeves in unison, wiping the saliva off their faces.

“It’s good that you’re fine. The Thousand Crane Tea Party is in a month’s time and you’ll have a chance to redeem yourselves,” Dao Lord White Flames chuckled and tried to smooth things over.

After some thought, Dao Lord Scarlet Star turned around and frowned at Su Zimo. “Junior brother, although you’re young, you’re still their senior!”

“Why did you go along with their nonsense? Don’t you know how to stop them?”

Su Zimo had just taken out the Heaven Slaying Sword Art and was prepared to continue comprehending it. Unexpectedly, Dao Lord Scarlet Star turned around and started lecturing him.

“All you do all day is read that stupid book. What are you able to get out of that?”

After lecturing Nangong Ling and the other two, it was clear that Dao Lord Scarlet Star was still angry. He continued, “As their Uncle-Master, you have to study hard and be a role model. You can’t just idle around and read useless books all day!”

“Erm… ”

Su Zimo was completely stumped.

This was the first time he heard someone refer to the Heaven Slaying Sword Art as a useless book.

Su Zimo knew that Dao Lord Scarlet Star was concerned about Nangong Ling and the other two. That was why he was now a target of the latter’s lecture – it was not out of malice.

Su Zimo did not take it to heart and merely smiled without defending himself.

However, Nangong Ling and the other two could not take it anymore.

Liu Hanyan stood out hurriedly and said, “Master, you can’t blame Uncle-Master for this. I wanted to go to the Wind Cloud Gathering and Senior Brother Nangong and Junior Sister Ru Xuan accompanied me. Uncle-Master tried his best to stop me, but I was too stubborn…”

“It’s not your fault, junior sister.”

Nangong Ling added, “Junior sister will be taking part in the Weapon Refinement Competition in a month’s time. She’s under too much pressure and that’s why she wanted to take a breather.”

“Furthermore, Little Uncle-Master did try his best to stop us in this matter. I was the one who kept causing trouble and he followed us because he was worried that we would be in danger.”

After what happened in Wind Cloud City, Nangong Ling watched as Su Zimo crippled Cheng Peng who was ranked 15 on the Phenomenon Ranking.

Thereafter, he had even suppressed Jian Wuzong who was ranked third on the Phenomenon Ranking to the point where the latter could not even draw his sword – Nangong Ling’s impression of Su Zimo had changed drastically!

At that moment, he even stood out to speak up for Su Zimo.

Dao Lord Scarlet Star frowned slightly.

His disciples had always respected the seniority hierarchy and had never disobeyed him in the past.

Even when he reprimanded them earlier on, none of them rebutted.

To think that now, he had merely made a few remarks about Mo Ling but the few of them could not take it.

Dao Lord Scarlet Star looked at Su Zimo meaningfully and thought to himself, “Seems like this junior brother of mine is rather capable.”

He knew his three disciples the best.

All of them were prideful. None of them would respect an Uncle-Master who appeared out of the blue and was younger than them; furthermore, the latter’s cultivation realm was similar to theirs as well!

To think that in just two months, his three disciples were already starting to defend their Uncle-Master!

Ru Xuan jumped out as well and said straightforwardly in a huff, “Master, you’re not allowed to reprimand Little Uncle-Master! Do you know that if not for him, the three of us would have been bullied to death in Wind Cloud City!”

At that point, Ru Xuan’s eyes reddened and she was almost in tears.

Dao Lord Crimson Star had been to Wind Cloud City. However, he merely had a rough gist of things and did not know the details.

Before he could ask, Ru Xuan had already recounted the battles in Wind Cloud City in tears.

Two paragons on the Phenomenon Ranking were defeated; two assassins of Hidden Death Sect were captured and killed; more than ten Sword Sect cultivators were slain with a single slash – that battle report was shocking enough by itself.

Coupled with Ru Xuan’s exaggerated narration, even Dao Lord Scarlet Star and Dao Lord White Flames felt their blood boil with excitement!

Dao Lord Scarlet Star’s brows gradually relaxed and his gaze towards Su Zimo softened.

Liu Hanyan took out a black stone from her storage bag and handed it over. “Master, this is the stone.”

Dao Lord Crimson Star received it.

A single sweep of a Dharma Characteristic’s spirit consciousness was enough to detect it.

“It’s a Lava Crystal indeed,”

Dao Lord Scarlet Star and Dao Lord White Flames exchanged glances and nodded.

Ru Xuan continued, “Although I don’t know why you guys are in such a hurry to collect these top-grade spirit materials, without Little Uncle-Master, this stone would have been snatched away long ago.”

“Yes, Mo Ling did a good job on this matter.”

Given his status, there was no way Dao Lord Scarlet Star would apologize to Su Zimo. Therefore, he chuckled and said, “Cough, as expected of my junior brother. You’ve truly done the sect proud!”

Nangong Ling and the other two finally smiled.

Unexpectedly, Dao Lord Scarlet Star seemed to have thought of something and suddenly turned around. Glaring at Ru Xuan and the other two, he scolded, “Uncle-Master is Uncle-Master! What do you mean by Little Uncle-Master! In what way is he little?!”

“Look at the three of you! You have no manners at all! Change your ways from now on, do you hear me?!”

“Got it,”

Nangong Ling and the other two did not dare to rebut and gave a feeble acknowledgement.

Gripping the Lava Crystal, Dao Lord Scarlet Star turned and walked into the hall, intending to hand the stone over to Dao Lord Extreme Fire first.

In the depths of the hall, in a spirit pool filled with immortal qi, an Essence Spirit with a red glow sat upright.

Just as Dao Lord Scarlet Star placed the Lava Crystal at the side, he heard Dao Lord Extreme Fire say indifferently, “You were quite the man earlier on.”

“Ah?

When Dao Lord Scarlet Star heard that Dao Lord Extreme Fire’s tone did not sound right, he chuckled dryly. “Grandmaster, you must be joking. I’m merely teaching juniors a lesson.”

“Who are the juniors?”

Dao Lord Extreme Fire asked again.

“A-All of them!”

Dao Lord Crimson Star felt a chill run down his spine and his gaze wavered without confidence.

Dao Lord Extreme Fire’s Essence Spirit walked out of the spirit pool slowly and said coldly, “Mo Ling is my disciple! He’s in the same generation as your master, Tianxin! You dare to refer to him as your junior brother?”

“Ah?

Dao Lord Scarlet Star was shocked.

In that case, he would have to address Mo Ling respectfully as Uncle-Master!

“How dare you teach your Uncle-Master Mo Ling a lesson! Are you trying to defy the hierarchy and go against the ancestry?!” Dao Lord Extreme Fire berated.

With a thud, Dao Lord Scarlet Star knelt on the ground in fright and wanted to cry.

This was great. Although he delivered the stone personally, not only did he not receive any praise, he was lambasted and even had an Uncle-Master now…