This immortal was clearly ordinary, yet he was unusually confident.

After the duel ended, Zheng Zhuang and Zhang Weijian returned to the Sword Heart Palace hand in hand.

The onlookers stood silently in place. Ye Qiujin found an open space on the back mountain and sat down cross-legged. She seemed to have gained a lot and couldn't wait to verify what she thought.

The other elders glanced at her enviously, then returned to their respective caves, hoping to strike while the iron was hot and perhaps gain some insights.

Although Ye Ling'er was eager to know the final outcome, she also knew that she couldn't disturb Ye Qiujin right now.

She glanced in the direction of the Sword Heart Hall, thinking that her brother and master must be having a pleasant conversation, and that she shouldn't disturb them, so she could only helplessly head to her cave.

Seeing that all the elders had gone back to their secluded cultivation, the other disciples could only hurriedly disperse as well.

Due to the significant difference in their levels of understanding, only a few people were able to grasp the essence of the technique and benefit greatly from it; most disciples simply watched the spectacle.

But this did not stop people's gossip. A duel between Nirvana Realm cultivators was enough for most people to brag about for a lifetime.

"Who won?"

"That goes without saying, it's obviously the sect leader. The sect leader must have shown mercy at the last moment, otherwise..."

"Hey, you don't understand. The fact that they both stopped at the same time clearly shows that they had some reservations, so there was no real winner and it was barely a draw."

"That makes some sense, but how can you speak for outsiders?"

"Seriously, where did this guy come from? I've never heard of him before."

"Didn't you see that sword radiating murderous intent? Not long ago, two mortal kingdoms fought a great war..."

"You mean... he's that demon who slaughtered tens of thousands of lives, and he actually dared to show up directly at the Divine Sword Sect..."

"Ahem, if you can see that, how could the sect leader and elders not know? Didn't you see the sect leader greeting them with a smile? I'm afraid there's more to it than meets the eye!"

"..."

Inside the Sword Heart Hall.

Zheng Zhuang and Zhang Weijian sat facing each other, with a table full of various dishes.

Zheng Zhuang was slightly disappointed. Although the dishes were full of spirit and the meats were mostly rare birds and animals, the cooking methods were rather rough, which was a waste of ingredients.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Cultivators naturally focus on cultivation, and how many people can give up cultivation to study cooking?

"What? These dishes don't suit your taste, fellow Daoist?" Zhang Weijian asked, puzzled, noticing Zheng Zhuang's unusual expression.

“Well… how should I put it? Look at this chicken, its meat is firm, and its skin is thick and glossy. It’s a rare delicacy. But I guess it’s been growing for quite a while. If it’s stewed with mountain delicacies, it will definitely be incredibly delicious. It can also be steamed…” Zheng Zhuang shook his head.

Zhang Weijian was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Zheng to not only have superb swordsmanship, but also be knowledgeable about food? At our level of cultivation, we have long since abstained from grains, and we can satisfy our appetites occasionally. Why bother with so much?"

"You often don't eat?" Zheng Zhuang asked in surprise, then sighed, "That takes away a lot of fun."

“Otherwise, I think cultivation is a joyful thing and shouldn’t be bothered by worldly affairs. Haha, if you’re not satisfied with the food, come and try my Divine Sword Sect’s unique ‘Sword Wine.’” Zhang Weijian picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for Zheng Zhuang.

"Slightly tingling in the throat, cool on the palate, yet warming in the stomach, indeed quite good." Zheng Zhuang took a sip, nodded, and then added, "However, I believe that cultivation is about cultivating the mind. After all, people as single-minded as Brother Zhang are a minority. Wouldn't it be better to have more enjoyment without harming oneself?"

"But if one does not adhere to one's true nature, how can one attain enlightenment and realize the truth?"

"Brother Zhang, do you think it's more important to understand your heart or to guard it? In my opinion, the reason why your final sword strike wasn't perfect is because you are a person with 'feelings'!"

Zhang Weijian remained silent. In fact, he understood the meaning behind Zheng Zhuang's words very well. He also knew that it was because he couldn't let go of Ye Qiujin that the "Nine Forms of Divine Sword" had never been perfected.

"On that day, with a single sword strike, tens of thousands of lives were reduced to ashes. Brother Zhang, do you think I was compassionate or heartless?"

"This... seems heartless but is actually compassionate?"

"No, it seems to be affectionate, yet it is actually heartless!"

Zhang Weijian seemed to be deep in thought. After a while, he stood up, raised his glass, and said:

"Thank you!"

Zheng Zhuang quickly picked up his wine cup, and the two drank it down in one gulp. Then they looked at each other and smiled, feeling like kindred spirits.

Zheng Zhuang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had relied mostly on the "Sword of the Primordial Spirit" to get here, and his understanding and knowledge were definitely inferior to his opponent's.

Fortunately, I had accumulated some "experience" from reading novels before. People like Zhang Weijian have a firm belief in the Dao and cannot be swayed by a few words. So I said a few seemingly plausible words, and sure enough, he understood on his own.

As for what he realized, only he himself knows.

"I will be staying at your esteemed sect for some time, and there will be plenty of opportunities to communicate with Brother Zhang. Please feel free to do as you please, and I wish you success."

Zheng Zhuang noticed that Zhang Weijian seemed a little distracted and roughly guessed what he was thinking.

"Ah... Haha, Brother Zheng understands me best. Then I won't be coy. I owe Qiu Jin too much. Now that my heart is at peace, I feel a little... Haha." Zhang Weijian cupped his hands and walked quickly out of the hall.

Zheng Zhuang smiled wryly. This fellow, a sect leader, turned out to be a complete novice when it came to matters of the heart.

Then he realized that even after all this time since he transmigrated, he was still single.

Qin Qianqian's face involuntarily appeared in his mind, and then the scene changed, with Ye Chuxue and Ye Ling'er also appearing.

He sighed inwardly. With his unparalleled good looks, it was normal for him to be admired. He would just let things take their course.

Just then, Qi Zhengqi entered, binding Qi Haoran, and bowed obsequiously to Zheng Zhuang, saying:

“Senior Zheng, I have been busy with sect affairs and have neglected to discipline my son, which has led to this grave mistake. I hope you will consider my son's youth and ignorance and forgive him…”

"Are you teaching me how to do things?" Zheng Zhuang's expression turned slightly cold.

Qi Zhengqi gritted his teeth and knelt down with Qi Haoran: "No, no, I didn't dare. I had a son late in life, and he's my only son. If you're angry, senior, I'm willing to take the blame for him and let you do whatever you want with me."

"Father! No, Senior Zheng, I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong, it has nothing to do with you..."

Zheng Zhuang waved his hand. He had seen too many of these kinds of melodramatic scenes on TV in his previous life, and the two actors' acting skills were really not good.

He had a good impression of the Divine Sword Sect, and besides, he had just enjoyed drinks with Zhang Weijian. It would be unreasonable for him to turn against them now.

"Alright, I'll cut off one of your arms. I just hate it when someone tells me what to do. The victim in this matter is Ling'er, so let her decide everything."

Qi Zhengqi and Qi Haoran breathed a sigh of relief. In the end, Ye Ling'er had not actually suffered any real harm. She would at least remember their camaraderie as fellow disciples and be able to save her life.

"Thank you, senior. We will go and apologize to Junior Sister Ling'er right away and make sure she is satisfied."

Watching the two figures leave, Zheng Zhuang's gaze turned cold. Even if Ye Ling'er was willing to forgive them, these two could not be allowed to live!

The reason we're keeping them calm now is simply because we're worried they might do something desperate.

Not long after the two left, Zhang Weijian returned with Ye Qiujin, beaming with joy.

When Zheng Zhuang saw his smug look, he knew without guessing that his good deed was done.

It felt like someone who had just found their first girlfriend and wanted the whole world to know.

"Congratulations, Brother Zhang!" Zheng Zhuang said with a smile, cupping his hands in greeting.

"Haha, I have to thank Brother Zheng for this. You should stay here a few more days and drink my and Qiu Jin's wedding wine before you leave!"

Zhang Weijian smiled smugly, while Ye Qiujin glared at him from behind.

"Fellow Daoist Zheng, you flatter me! My junior brother, the sect leader, and I..." Ye Qiujin bowed somewhat embarrassedly.

Zheng Zhuang waved his hands repeatedly, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "No need to say more, I understand! Congratulations!"

Ye Qiujin blushed slightly and secretly pinched Zhang Weijian's waist.

Zhang Weijian did indeed let out an exaggerated cry of pain, which made Zheng Zhuang secretly shake his head. This guy didn't have the demeanor of a leader at all; he was just a naive young man who had just fallen in love.

After a few rounds of joking around, Zhang Weijian finally spoke seriously:

"Brother Zheng, are you alright?"

Zheng Zhuang sighed and said, "Actually, the reason I came to the Divine Sword Sect this time was to ask about the Dao injury. Although I have successfully suppressed it, I still cannot fully heal it."

"A Dao injury? Fellow Daoist Zheng's cultivation is so profound, how could he be injured?" Ye Qiujin asked in surprise.

"The sins of killing are too great, and Heaven cannot forgive them, haha." Zheng Zhuang laughed indifferently.

Ye Qiujin then realized what was happening and said angrily, "Fellow Daoist Zheng, in order to avoid the suffering of countless lives and the backlash of the Heavenly Dao, those people actually slandered you as a demon."

"Actually, although those people have transformed into demons, they are not necessarily beyond saving. It was just that the situation was urgent at the time, and we had no choice but to do so. However, I, Zheng, do not regret it at all," Zheng Zhuang sighed.

“What you say is absolutely right, my brother. If I were in your shoes, I would have made the same choice. The real culprits are those who turned them into demons.” Zhang Weijian nodded.

“That’s different. If it were you, Brother Zhang, people would say that the leader of the Divine Sword Sect was displaying great power and eliminating demons to protect the righteous path.”

"Haha, if you're willing, brother, why not join my Divine Sword Sect?"

"Forget it then!"

Ye Qiujin was silent for a while before speaking: "Actually, we had been paying attention to the Demon God Sect for a long time, but they were not strong enough to attract our attention. We never expected them to cause such a big commotion."

“That’s right. To ordinary cultivation sects, they are nothing. If I hadn’t lived in the mortal world for so long, I probably wouldn’t have noticed them. But the number of divine messengers is large, which is a huge threat to ordinary people. However, after the last great battle, they went into hiding. Even if we wanted to eliminate them, we didn’t know where to start,” Zheng Zhuang said with emotion.

"Don't worry, my brother, I will gather the disciples to gather information. This kind of evil cult must not be tolerated," Zhang Weijian said fiercely.

Zheng Zhuang nodded, paused, and said, "I do have something I'd like to ask Brother Zhang for a favor. After the war between the two countries, demons have proliferated throughout the land. Although I managed to kill some along the way, I am ultimately outnumbered and outmatched. I hope Brother Zhang will rally the righteous forces of Cangzhou to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path. Also, I suspect that the Qingtian Sect is behind this."

"What makes you say that, Fellow Daoist Zheng? As the number one righteous sect in Cangzhou, how could Qingtian Sect collude with such demons? What benefit would they gain from doing so?" Ye Qiujin asked in surprise.

Zhang Weijian pondered for a moment and said, "It's not impossible! Most of the disciples of the Divine Sword Sect are devoted to their cultivation within the sect and don't care much about worldly affairs. The Sky-Supporting Sect is different from us. They are not confined to one corner but have strongholds in various places. If you say they know nothing about the development of the Demon God Sect, I will be the first to disbelieve it. But I really can't imagine what benefit it would bring them?"

He paused for a moment and continued, "However, what you say makes sense, my brother. As righteous cultivators, it is time for us to contribute. I will summon all my fellow cultivators to go down the mountain to eliminate the demon in the name of the Divine Sword Sect."

Zheng Zhuang nodded: "As for whether the Qingtian Sect was involved or not, I will definitely go and find out for myself after I recover from my injuries."

“Yes, my brother, you should recuperate within the Divine Sword Sect. We’ll go together then. With the two of us joining forces, what is there to fear from the Sky-Supporting Sect?” Zhang Weijian slapped the table with an air of magnanimity, then stroked his beard and said somewhat apologetically, “However, I’m afraid the sect’s elixirs may not be sufficient to treat your injuries. I’ve read in the sect’s ancient texts that when one is injured by the Great Dao, even the finest natural treasures are useless…”

Zheng Zhuang said nonchalantly, "It's alright. I gained some insights from sparring with Brother Zhang, and with the abundant spiritual energy here, I should be able to make some progress. As for when I will be fully recovered, let's take it one step at a time!"

Zhang Weijian nodded: "Why don't you cultivate here in my Sword Heart Hall, my good brother? This is where the successive sect leaders have cultivated in seclusion, and the spiritual energy here is the most abundant. We can often spar and exchange ideas, and we can also..."

“Let’s leave it at that, after all, I’m an outsider.” Zheng Zhuang glanced at Ye Qiujin, then said to Zhang Weijian with a half-smile, “I don’t know your past, but I do know that it wasn’t easy for you two to come together. I think you should have a good ‘exchange’ during this time…”

Ye Qiujin glared at Zheng Zhuang with some embarrassment and annoyance, while Zhang Weijian just kept grinning foolishly to the side.

Finally, Zhang Weijian personally led Zheng Zhuang to choose an excellent cultivation cave, and then they couldn't wait to head towards Ye Qiujin's cave.

Zheng Zhuang chuckled and shook his head. Luckily, he had chosen a relatively secluded place; otherwise, he didn't know how much dog food he would have had to eat.

He carefully looked around. This place was different from the Peach Blossom Courtyard in the mortal world, and also different from the cold and lonely ancient tomb. It had a unique flavor.

He chose to stay temporarily in the Divine Sword Sect, firstly because it was indeed a rare place for quiet cultivation, and secondly because it was the first time he had ever seen a real cultivation sect, and he was quite curious about it.

In addition, he had lived in the mortal world for a long time and knew very little about the affairs of the cultivation world. As the second largest sect in Cangzhou, the Divine Sword Sect had a long history and must have a lot of ancient books and the like. He could take this opportunity to read them and broaden his knowledge.

He smiled and thought to himself that he had to study even after transmigrating. Oh well, he would familiarize himself with the environment first and go in a few days!

He sat down cross-legged, intending to reflect on the lessons learned from the battle, when a voice suddenly rang out:

"Brother, save me!"