Xu Xiaoshuang said nothing. She knew that at a time like this, no words of hers would be of any use; only deeds could express her resolve. For Leng Leng's sake, she would sooner die than yield.

"Fine, then I'll grant your wish." A savage killing intent surged abruptly from Xue Jianming's body. The sight genuinely startled everyone present; even the likes of Hong Qingyuan and Chi Qianqiu changed countenance. Had this creature gone mad? Did he truly dare to burst out and kill someone in the council hall?

Compared with the shock of the crowd, Xu Xiaoshuang herself bore the brunt of it. Facing the oppression of a consummate Golden Core expert at close range, she, a mere early-stage Golden Core cultivator, stood in dire peril. Should the man make his move, it would not take a second strike to kill her.

Yet Xu Xiaoshuang did not yield an inch.

Xue Jianming could not help but laugh. Then, in truth, he drew his longsword and thrust it straight at Xu Xiaoshuang's throat. The strike was extraordinarily swift; Xu Xiaoshuang had no time to dodge, and Hong Qingyuan and the others were too far away—even had they wished to intervene, it was unrealistic now. In the eyes of all present, she was already as good as dead.

For a time, the way everyone looked at Xue Jianming shifted again and again. Before, they had merely thought him arrogant; now they felt a genuine shudder in their very bones. Killing on the spot over a single disagreement—this creature was simply a devil!

By now no one paid Xu Xiaoshuang any further mind. She was shrouded in the shadow of death, and no one could save her from beneath Xue Jianming's sword, for Hong Qingyuan—the one capable of doing so—had already given up trying.

In the end, Xue Jianming's sword halted midway.

Everyone froze at once, each of them finding it somewhat inconceivable. Had this creature's conscience discovered itself?

But in the next instant, understanding dawned on them. Xue Jianming's face was now exceedingly grim—nothing at all like a man whose conscience had moved him to stop of his own accord. In truth, his longsword had not been withdrawn by him at all. It had been blocked in midair by a thin layer of ice.

That was right—nothing but a thin layer of ice. At first glance, it seemed a film of frost that a single finger could poke through, yet it had stopped Xue Jianming's longsword dead in its tracks.

"Who in the hell is it?" Xue Jianming all but roared these words. He had, after all, truly intended to kill Xu Xiaoshuang before the crowd and establish his authority with blood. That was why his strike had held nothing back at all, save for his trump card killing move—and yet it had still been stopped by a thin sheet of ice. How was he supposed to swallow that?

"I am." A faint voice came from beyond the door, and with it walked in a figure that made every eye in the hall twitch. The temperature of the entire council hall plunged in an instant. The newcomer was none other than Bing Wushuang.

"You... aren't you in secluded cultivation?" Xue Jianming was struck dumb. The reason he had deliberately chosen this moment to make his move was, apart from the fact that today was the elders' council's regular meeting day, chiefly that Bing Wushuang was in seclusion—at such a time, no one could bar his path. Otherwise, no matter how overbearing and domineering he acted, it would all be for naught. He might frighten the likes of Hong Qingyuan, but could he frighten Bing Wushuang?

"I come out for a stroll when I please. Is that any business of yours?" Bing Wushuang shot him a flat glance. Then he looked at Xu Xiaoshuang, and only after seeing that she was unharmed did he turn back and continue, "Drawing your sword to kill before all the high-ranking members of the elders' council—you seem quite full of yourself."

"I..." Xue Jianming was momentarily choked. By rights, he and Bing Wushuang were experts of the same rank and shared the same background; there was no reason he should fear the man. But in truth, Bing Wushuang's long-standing strength was deeply rooted in his heart, and by instinct he did not believe he could overcome Bing Wushuang—especially after that move just now, which could well be called peerless. He truly lacked the confidence to stand before Bing Wushuang.

Suddenly, Xue Jianming's expression changed. The look he turned on Bing Wushuang was both shocked and furious. What had just happened brought to mind an exceedingly humiliating yet entirely logical possibility: the man had by now fully digested and absorbed the Spirit-Sense Grass, and was now the legendary strongest Golden Core expert!

It had been only half a month from start to finish. But information about things like the Spirit-Sense Grass was exceedingly scarce, and no one knew how long it took to absorb half a stalk of it. Half a month was entirely possible—otherwise, what had just happened could not be explained at all. As consummate Golden Core experts of equal rank, on what grounds could the man so effortlessly block his attack?!

The strongest Golden Core expert—that was the only reasonable explanation.

"What? A moment ago you were drawing your sword to kill at the slightest provocation, and now so quickly struck dumb, unable to speak?" Bing Wushuang walked forward on his own, heedless of everyone's reaction, and sat down directly in the empty seat beside Hong Qingyuan.

From first to last, his attitude toward Xue Jianming was less contempt than disregard, as though he did not take this consummate Golden Core expert seriously at all.

The taste of being ignored instantly enraged Xue Jianming, who snarled through gritted teeth in a low voice, "That's my seat!"

"Your seat?" Bing Wushuang was taken aback. He turned to Hong Qingyuan beside him and said, "Does he hold some special post, that he even has a seat of his own?"

"It was just approved today. He is the new standing deputy sect master," Hong Qingyuan explained. Inwardly, he was as astonished as everyone else, thinking to himself that Bing Wushuang really was Xue Jianming's nemesis. Last time he had choked Xue Jianming into silence, and this time, when Xue Jianming flew into a rage on the spot, he had once again casually pinned him down. It was nothing short of miraculous.

"Standing deputy sect master? What the hell is that?" Bing Wushuang was somewhat baffled. The term had been conjured out of thin air by Xue Jianming for his own benefit; before this, the Snow Sword Sect had no such post at all—it had never even been heard of.

"Hmph. The standing deputy sect master ranks below the sect master and is the number two figure in the entire elders' council. Is this a seat you can sit in as you please? Bing Wushuang, you shouldn't be so utterly contemptuous of others!" Xue Jianming snorted coldly.

At these words, Hong Qingyuan and the others all wore strange expressions. Contemptuous of others—you of all people dare say such a thing?

"Is that so?" Bing Wushuang neither confirmed nor denied it, and went on looking at Hong Qingyuan. "May I ask—who proposed that he be made this so-called standing deputy sect master?"

Everyone turned to look at Xue Jianming in unison. No one spoke, but their gazes said everything.

"You proposed it yourself?" Even Bing Wushuang, who as a rule showed no expression, could not help turning somewhat peculiar now. He remarked, "Conjuring a title of standing deputy sect master for yourself—how thick is your face, anyway?"

"I am worthy of the name. Is that any business of yours!" Xue Jianming craned his neck and gave an angry snort, then strode up to him and curled his lip. "Hurry up and get out of my seat!"

[The 515 event is almost here. I hope we can keep pushing for the 515 red envelope rankings, and that on May 15 the red envelope rain can give back to readers and promote the work. Even one yuan is love—I will definitely keep updating well!] (To be continued.)