C57 Jiang Su Humiliated a Great Power!

The Secretary responded promptly: "It's still quite early. Only Jiang Hee has stopped by."

Murong Yun had initially come to the First Devil Sect's Compendium Pavilion to recuperate, and thus, he paid little attention to the sect's affairs. His interest lay solely with matters concerning the Female Ruler, so he was unaware that Elder Chiu Yue had recently accepted a new disciple, one who possessed the Ancestral Dragon Martial Spirit.

"How could it be him?" Murong Yun furrowed his brow, giving Jiang Su a thorough once-over.

Jiang Su didn't strike one as particularly gifted. What could possibly make the Thousand Arts Bell respond to him? Was it charmed by his looks?

Upon learning that the Female Ruler hadn't arrived, Murong Yun, lacking any enthusiasm, circled past Jiang Su and the Secretary to take a seat behind the long desk.

They acted as though Jiang Su was transparent.

Jiang Su opted for patience, considering he was a relative of his wife.

The Secretary found himself in an awkward position, caught between two formidable figures he dared not provoke.

"Please ascend to the second floor, select five tomes for your perusal, and after an incense stick's duration, I will assess your understanding," the Secretary instructed.

Jiang Su nodded in acknowledgment and made his way upstairs.

The first floor of the Compendium Pavilion housed a sparse collection of books, leaving ample space. In contrast, the second floor was densely lined with bookshelves, each aisle barely wide enough for two people to pass. The selection of books was vast.

Jiang Su randomly chose five books, all related to sword cultivation, and settled beside a bookshelf to begin reading.

The Compendium Pavilion buzzed with activity. The Secretary's announcement outside had quickly spread, and numerous Outer Sect disciples were now aware that their Eldest Senior Brother, Jiang Su, was tackling today's challenge there.

Given the notorious difficulty of the Compendium Pavilion's challenge, few disciples ever managed to succeed, and many had lost the desire to try.

But today was different—the Eldest Senior Brother had arrived!

A throng of male and female cultivators swarmed the Compendium Pavilion, their conversations filled with eager speculation.

"Eldest Senior Brother has come to take on the Compendium Pavilion's challenge. I wonder if he'll be able to pull it off?"

"Are you kidding? Eldest Senior Brother is incredibly strong. He'll definitely conquer the challenge!"

"But the Compendium Pavilion's challenge is notoriously tough. The few who've managed to succeed were obviously cheating. They spent years secretly studying, then chose those five books on purpose when the challenge came around!"

The noise was becoming unbearable. Murong Yun, seated at the end of the long table, gave a sharp rap on the surface, silencing the room instantly.

The crowd turned to see that it was none other than Lord Murong Yun himself, who was residing in the Compendium Pavilion for his health.

Rumor had it he was the Female Ruler's uncle. After sustaining injuries in a Secret Realm, he had come here to convalesce.

The attendees promptly paid their respects to Murong Yun.

With a softened expression, Murong Yun nodded. The room fell silent, everyone waiting for the Secretary to log the challengers' details before allowing them upstairs.

"Who is this Jiang Hee? The juniors refer to him as Eldest Senior Brother, so he must be Elder Chiu Yue's disciple. But why would Elder Chiu Yue take him on? Aside from his looks, he seems to have no merit," Murong Yun mused.

He was curious to see whether this Jiang Hee could actually meet the challenge.

Murong Yun's anger flared when he remembered how Jiang Su had been favored and wed by the Female Ruler, all because of his appearance.

Jiang Su, a prince who was out of favor, had ascended to the status of Ancestral Master of the First Devil Sect simply because of his good looks. With the Female Ruler's affection, he commanded respect from all across the Ten Devil Domains.

At this thought, Murong Yun seethed with rage. He almost wished that all the handsome male cultivators in the Cultivation World would vanish!

That detestable man who had influenced the Female Ruler's Ascension!

In a stern voice, he declared, "I'll personally assess Jiang Hee later. If there are any issues, Chiu Yue can come to me."

The Secretary couldn't help but worry for the Eldest Senior Brother. Murong Yun, despite his injury from the Secret Realm, was a formidable Nascent Infant Sword Cultivator. Moreover, as a relative of the Female Ruler, he could make things difficult for Jiang Su with impunity.

Suddenly, a buzz of excitement erupted from the stairwell!

"Is that the Eldest Senior Brother? Has he already completed the challenge? He's incredible!"

"It's been a few days since we've seen Eldest Senior Brother, and he looks even more dashing."

The Secretary and Murong Yun glanced at the incense stick, noting that only a third had burned down.

How could this be?

In such a brief span of time, not even the mightiest could have read through five cultivation tomes so swiftly!

Murong Yun scoffed, "It seems our assessment is unnecessary. Who knows which worthless books he chose?"

Jiang Su, having finished the five sword manuals, descended the stairs to find the Secretary.

But the staircase was jam-packed, with a throng of vibrantly dressed female cultivators shrieking in excitement.

"Excuse me, could you make way, please?"

He was eager to claim his reward from the Secretary, with the books on the upper five levels still awaiting him.

The female cultivators, suppressing their adoration, parted to allow Jiang Su through.

Approaching the Secretary, Jiang Su presented the books and inquired, "How should I proceed with the examination?"

The Secretary, upon seeing the five volumes, was taken aback.

These were the most challenging sword cultivation manuals from the first five levels of the Compendium Pavilion!

Even Jiang Su's own master might not have managed to read them all in such a short time.

Murong Yun, recognizing the titles of the books, sneered, "You're merely at the Foundation Stage, yet so presumptuous. I've mastered these manuals already. How about we test each other with the sword techniques they contain? I won't use my full power, just the swordplay."

Jiang Su bristled at the memory of Murong Yun's earlier disdain. He could stomach one insult, but repeated affronts were too much to bear. If not for the fact that Murong Yun was a relative of his wife, they would have come to blows long ago.

The crowd sensed Jiang Su's fury.

Upon hearing Murong Yun's challenge, a number of female cultivators rallied to Jiang Su's defense. Yet, with Murong Yun being the Female Ruler's cousin, they dared not provoke him.

They had no choice but to suppress their feelings, eagerly awaiting Jiang Su to deliver a severe and personal rebuke to Murong Yun.

Jiang Su's voice was icy as he said, "Fine."

The Secretary, overwhelmed by the sword's oppressive aura, felt an urge to kneel. He regretted not taking the day off; if trouble brewed here, he'd struggle to justify it to his superiors.

"Follow me," the Secretary said, his face pale, as he escorted them to the open area in front of the Compendium Pavilion. The crowd quickly formed a large ring around the space, and disciples hurried over, all for a glimpse of Jiang Su.