No one had ever seen Fudao Shanren with such an expression.

Even Zhao Zhuo, Kunwu’s senior disciple who had followed Real Person Hengxu for over seven hundred years, couldn’t help but be stunned for a long moment when he saw that faint light coming from Yashan’s direction in the distance, before stepping forward to greet him.

“I pay my respects to Fudao Shanren.”

Still wearing the same dirty Daoist robes, with grizzled hair messily covering his head and scattered over his shoulders, he looked no different from the usual unkempt Fudao Shanren.

Only now, every wrinkle on his face was filled with ice-cold frigidity.

Transforming into a beam of light, he landed on the Sea of Clouds Plaza floating above Kunwu’s main peak, but seemed not to hear Zhao Zhuo’s greeting at all, walking directly toward the magnificent Zhutian Great Hall at the far end.

The Celestial Stars Grand Formation, which had already stopped operating, still transformed into streams of mercury-like radiance, flowing in the high places of the great hall, behind Real Person Hengxu, further accentuating his immortal bearing and proud bearing.

His whisk hung low in his hand. He had been silent for quite some time.

The moment Fudao Shanren stepped into this hall, he turned around, looking at the other party. After a long silence, he finally let out a long sigh: “Mountain rain approaches, wind fills the tower…”

Great chaos was imminent, storms would arise.

People like these two, who had stood proudly at the pinnacle of Shijiu Zhou for so long, could be said to have long reached the realm where external things couldn’t disturb their hearts.

Only when it involved Yashan and Kunwu, saying they weren’t moved would truly be false.

Especially since Kunwu had lost a late Nascent Soul stage elder, while Fudao Shanren had lost his beloved disciple…

At this moment, no emotional fluctuation could actually be seen on his face.

But such an expression…

Real Person Hengxu had seen it eleven cycles ago.

“Ever since your disciple Jian Chou and my disciple Xie Buchen explored the Hidden Realm together and didn’t return, our two sects have harbored grudges and haven’t communicated for long. But in facing the Extreme Region and investigating the Snow Region, we were both wrong…”

Twenty-three Kunwu people—gone just like that.

Real Person Hengxu looked toward the floating clouds drifting in the sky.

This hour was still quite early.

The brilliant morning sun had just emerged from the eastern mountains, yet it cast a faint bloody tinge over this vast land of the Central Region’s Left Three Thousand.

At this time, Real Person Hengxu’s features were filled with deep solemnity and compassion.

Worrying about the world’s suffering, taking the protection of the righteous path as his duty.

This was everyone’s impression of Kunwu’s head, this was everyone’s impression of Kunwu, and this was everyone’s impression of Real Person Hengxu…

Fudao Shanren had been watching him for a long time.

He should have understood the feelings in the other’s heart at this moment, yet what surfaced in his mind was that same solemnity and compassion on Hengxu’s face from eleven cycles ago.

“Hahaha…”

So several mocking laughs suddenly emerged from his mouth without reason, then as if encountering something amusing, he laughed while shaking his head.

“Hengxu, oh Hengxu, we’ve known each other for so many years—who doesn’t know who? Why put on such an act in front of me?”

“…”

Those eyes that penetrated heavenly secrets and were deep yet peaceful slowly looked over. Real Person Hengxu’s expression didn’t change at all, only his brow became slightly colder.

“Fudao, in your mind, do I also count as one of those despicable and shameless people?”

“Hahaha, what kind of monster you are, Hengxu—don’t you know yourself?”

Fudao Shanren waved his hand, laughing even more fiercely, as if not taking Real Person Hengxu seriously at all, and seeming not the least bit sorrowful for his seventh disciple who had perished in the Snow Region.

Only the hand behind his back had quietly clenched into a fist.

He walked forward, only saying: “Let’s talk about the Snow Region Esoteric Sect matter instead. Besides the information our previously sent people gathered, my disciple Jian Chou also brought back some news…”

As he spoke, he had already boldly walked past Real Person Hengxu.

When Real Person Hengxu turned to look, he saw that he had already sat carelessly on the steps above the great hall, pulling out a gourd of wine from his bosom and slowly drinking.

Only today, the fine wine wasn’t paired with chicken legs.

So Hengxu suddenly remembered that young disciple named Yu Zhifei on the One Person Platform over two hundred years ago.

Sky-blue robes flowing in the wind, handsome features carrying four parts confidence, three parts humility, and three parts restrained high spirits…

Perhaps harboring grudges over the Hidden Realm incident at Qingfeng Nunnery was the most wrong thing their two sects had done in these eleven cycles.

“Senior Sister surely knows that in recent years, the Snow Region’s Esoteric Sect has not only produced the Sacred Son Jiye, but has also experienced frequent internal strife. The new and old factions within are like the Northern Region’s Yin Sect and Yang Sect—incompatible as fire and water.”

“Kunwu and Yashan are the pillars of the Central Region.”

“After realizing these things, to prevent repeating the tragedy of eleven cycles ago, both sects sent people there. Only in these years, our two sects have secretly harbored grudges, so we acted separately without coordination…”

In the blink of an eye, it had been two days, yet Zheng Yao’s words from the council hall that day still echoed endlessly in her ears.

Jian Chou sat cross-legged in her room, looking at the black iron long sword lying flat on her knees.

Twenty-one treasure lotus flower patterns were solemnly struck on the sword body, easily distinguishing it from other long swords, possessing a unique Buddhist meaning hidden within worldly smoke and fire.

It must be a sword with great origins.

But at this moment, Jian Chou truly had no heart to comprehend it.

The scene of more than ten precious swords losing their masters and flying back to the armory appeared before her eyes again, also making her once again begin to contemplate the ins and outs of this matter…

Undoubtedly, the people were sent out by Yashan’s side.

But no one had thought it would eventually go wrong, much less imagined such a major incident would occur.

Because what they were investigating wasn’t the Esoteric Sect’s interior, but merely wandering around the periphery.

The Snow Region’s Esoteric Sect was located in the extremely cold regions of the Northern Region’s plateau.

Although it claimed to be a branch that split from Buddhism and went far to the Northern Region, the various rules within the sect were greatly different from the original Central Region Buddhism.

The core of their entire sect was called the Sacred Hall, built at the highest point of the Snow Region’s sacred mountain.

The legendary Sacred Son Jiye resided within the Sacred Hall.

The surrounding subsidiary palaces were where Esoteric Sect dharma kings with profound cultivation and core disciples lived year-round. As for ordinary disciples and other believers, most lived below the sacred mountain.

The so-called “periphery” referred to areas beyond a three-hundred-li radius centered on the sacred mountain.

This region was sparsely populated.

Not only might you not see a single person within three to five li, even in areas with settlements, most inhabitants were ordinary people. Even if there were cultivators, their cultivation basically didn’t exceed Golden Core.

So logically speaking, a group from Yashan’s side, led by Yu Zhifei who was at Nascent Soul stage, was unlikely to encounter trouble.

Taking ten thousand steps back, even if something did happen, communication spirit pearls would immediately relay information to the sect.

Yashan’s current sect master and various elders were all present, not to mention Fudao Shanren. No matter how you calculated it, nothing major could go wrong.

But who could have expected…

Only when those dozen swords flew back to the armory did everyone know something had happened—meaning so many Yashan cultivators, even with Yu Zhifei present, not one person could send even the slightest message to the sect when trouble struck!

It was said Kunwu’s side was the same.

This situation had only two possibilities.

Either the situation was so urgent that they had no time to react before being completely wiped out; or the people hadn’t yet met with trouble but for some reason couldn’t send messages.

But regardless of which it was, thinking carefully made one’s heart run cold…

Especially since yesterday, after multiple verifications by Yashan’s various elders, they finally confirmed: roughly from the time Yashan and Kunwu disciples met with trouble, all wind messages and thunder messages sent to the Snow Region could no longer arrive.

Above the entire Snow Region, there seemed to be a tight barrier covering it, isolating everything from the outside world.

That is to say, what exactly was happening inside could no longer be simply detected from outside.

Jian Chou’s impression of the Snow Region’s Esoteric Sect had never been good.

In her eyes, starting from the Extreme Region, this so-called Esoteric Sect had been shrouded in a thick, bloody shadow.

Now, this shadow had transformed into a terrifying gloom pressing on her heart.

Fudao Shanren had been at Kunwu for two days, but regarding his discussions with Real Person Hengxu, he hadn’t mentioned a word, only sending back a thunder message telling Zheng Yao to bring people to participate in this session’s Small Gathering as scheduled.

“Senior Sister, we should depart.”

Just as she was thinking, steady knocking sounds came from outside the door.

Jian Chou withdrew her thoughts from contemplation and forced herself to relax her tightly furrowed brow, though her complexion still wasn’t very good.

“I understand.”

She responded, then took a deep breath, sheathing the Burning Lamp Sword at her knees in its shark-skin scabbard, stood up, and opened the door.

Standing outside was Bai Yin.

Snow-white robes painted with ink wash landscapes created an elegant and carefree appearance, only his facial expression was no different from Jian Chou’s, both carrying an indescribable depth and heaviness.

Compared to Jian Chou, he had cultivated for about the same time as Yu Zhifei, and they were both ranked later, so they spent more time together in daily life.

A junior brother who had once been together day and night was suddenly gone like this…

Even with deep cultivation, who could remain unmoved? Moreover, all of Yashan’s disciples were people of sentiment.

Seeing Jian Chou emerge, he forced a smile before saying: “Senior Brother Kou, Senior Brother Shen, and the other two junior brothers all said they wouldn’t go to Kunwu, but would stay to guard the sect. So for this Small Gathering, it’s still Sect Master Senior Brother taking Senior Sister and me together to Kunwu.”

This was a troubled time—they always needed to leave some people just in case.

Jian Chou understood, so she only nodded.

She raised her eyes to look beyond the cliff. The new generation of Yashan disciples going to participate in the Small Gathering had all gathered on Lingzhao Peak, while the slightly plump figure standing on the high Sword Drawing Platform was Sect Master Zheng Yao.

Whether because she hadn’t seen him for two days, or perhaps because she’d been too dazed these past days, she actually felt Zheng Yao looked somewhat thinner.

Jian Chou sighed softly in her heart, only saying: “Let’s go down too.”

After speaking, she transformed into a flowing light, landing directly on the Sword Drawing Platform. Bai Yin followed closely behind her, soon landing as well and standing beside her.

The two together paid respects to Zheng Yao: “We pay our respects to the Sect Master.”

“Mm, everyone’s here. Let’s depart.”

Zheng Yao’s mood was obviously not very good either, so unusually, he didn’t say much.

He stood on the high Sword Drawing Platform, back to the solitary and lofty Yashan, facing due east. His palms faced each other, left index finger and right ring finger slightly bent, but middle fingertips touched each other. In the blink of an eye, he had formed a mysterious hand seal.

In that instant, sixteen dark golden rays of light shot out from Zheng Yao’s hand seal like falling stars, landing in various directions and corners of Lingzhao Peak, immediately splashing up golden ripples.

Then, the Sword Drawing Platform beneath their feet and Lingzhao Peak below the platform began trembling violently.

The mysterious scene she had missed due to Black Wind Cave training appeared magnificently before Jian Chou’s eyes.

In the violent trembling, the entire Lingzhao Peak actually rose tremblingly!

Higher and higher it rose, higher and higher…

All disciples standing on Lingzhao Peak also rose accordingly, their vision immediately becoming vast, able to see mountains and rivers in the far distance.

Jian Chou’s eyes couldn’t help but show some shock, while Bai Yin beside her had seen this many times, so he only watched calmly.

Seeing Zheng Yao form another hand seal, the entire broad Lingzhao Peak, like a flat flying vessel, sped toward the east!

Cloud layers ahead were swiftly pierced through.

The fierce wind coming head-on was blocked outside the transparent ripples rising above the entire Lingzhao Peak. Everyone stood safely, and in moments had already flown away from Yashan.

Looking back, the high Huanqiao Peak was already in the clouds and mist, no longer clear.

Throughout the entire journey to Kunwu, whether Zheng Yao, Jian Chou, or Bai Yin, none spoke a word, only silently watching famous mountains and great rivers flash by beneath their feet, remaining silent.

Even the ordinary disciples on Lingzhao Peak rarely laughed and chatted.

The “strange phenomena” that appeared in the armory two days ago had been witnessed by more than just one or two people. Even though Yashan’s various elders felt it wasn’t appropriate to let them know what had happened, how could they hide it?

Anyone with even slight understanding of Yashan knew the rules of Yashan’s armory. What had occurred was clear at a glance.

Only they hadn’t yet been told the full circumstances of the matter.

Because even the sect master and various elders weren’t clear on the ins and outs.

Perhaps this would be the most somber Small Gathering ever?

Seeing Kunwu approaching, with the familiar Nine Head River bay ahead, this thought suddenly arose in Jian Chou’s mind.

Like previous years, this year’s Small Gathering still attracted widespread attention.

The previous Small Gathering thirty years ago had unexpectedly been won by a Wuyi Sect disciple who ascended the One Person Platform, causing heated discussion.

This year, even more people anticipated whether this Small Gathering would produce some different variables.

For instance, Yashan’s genius disciple Fang Xiaoxie, who had only entered the sect for less than ten years but had already formed his core; for instance, Fengmo Sword Sect’s master’s newly accepted direct disciple Feng Yun…

And for instance, that Kunwu unprecedented genius who had missed the Small Gathering twice—Xie Buchen.

The Small Gathering’s rules allowed two types of people to participate.

First, cultivators who had joined the three thousand sects within the Central Region within thirty years, regardless of cultivation level; second, regardless of how long they’d been disciples, as long as they hadn’t participated in the Small Gathering before and their cultivation hadn’t exceeded Golden Core, they could also participate.

Xie Buchen had been at Kunwu for over sixty years.

Ten days to Foundation Establishment, two years to Core Formation; after the Hidden Realm battle at Qingfeng Nunnery, his life and death were unknown; recently, news had spread of his re-forming his core, and his name hung high on the Third Heaven Tablet!

That meant he could still participate in the Small Gathering.

Only no one knew whether Xie Buchen would still participate.

Even Zhilin Sou, who knew Shijiu Zhou like the palm of his hand and was nearly omniscient, when writing this Small Gathering’s record of outstanding figures, couldn’t determine Kunwu’s attitude. In the end, he could only write this sentence beside the three characters “Xie Buchen”:

“If he enters, he will surely ascend the One Person Platform; if he doesn’t enter, he’s still at the One Person Platform.”

That is to say, in Zhilin Sou’s judgment, whether he actually ascended the One Person Platform didn’t matter to Xie Buchen at all. Because this person’s strength was sufficient to reach the top—he didn’t necessarily need the One Person Platform to prove it.

But the more this was the case, the more people paid attention to him.

If Xie Buchen also participated, wouldn’t this year’s Small Gathering be very interesting to watch?

So today, outside Kunwu’s Nine Head River bay, like previous years, enormous crowds had gathered.

Light continued emerging from transmission arrays on the shore.

Cultivators from the Central Region and even the Northern and Southern Regions continuously arrived amidst the excitement, anticipating the Small Gathering’s beginning.

When Yashan’s Lingzhao Peak flew high over everyone’s heads, countless gazes looked up, naturally causing another round of excited exclamations.

“Yashan has arrived!”

“Look, is that female cultivator the legendary Yashan Senior Sister Jian Chou?”

“Wow, there’s also Bai Yin who’s been traveling outside for many years!”

“So this is Yashan…”

…

Zheng Yao heard it all but didn’t look down once, only controlling Lingzhao Peak to fly directly over Nine Head River bay and enter Kunwu’s territory.

Then he suspended Lingzhao Peak in mid-air.

At this time, a graceful figure in light purple robes appeared before everyone, looking as she respectfully bowed, her posture somewhat alluring.

“This junior pays respects to Yashan’s Sect Master Zheng. Kunwu has been waiting for a long time.”

It was actually an acquaintance.

Gu Qingmei.

They had formed enmity in the Slaughter Red Small Realm, met at the Small Gathering sixty years ago, and had no contact since.

If not for seeing her now, Jian Chou would almost have forgotten she knew such a person.

Now she examined the other party, who also glanced at her.

Not having met for sixty years, Gu Qingmei looked much more mature, at least the arrogant air on her face had restrained considerably.

Only…

The moment she looked over, Jian Chou still keenly caught the hatred that flashed in her eyes, and the faint murderous aura at the corners of her eyes and brows.

It seemed she hadn’t forgotten that old grudge?

A smile crossed Jian Chou’s lips, but in that flash of lightning, another scene suddenly surfaced in her heart—

By the Western Sea, Qian Que wielding his golden abacus was struck down by someone’s palm, then a sword pierced through his shoulder…

It was a light purple figure holding a mercury long sword.

This was what she had seen when her consciousness wandered at that cave entrance where she encountered the Nine-Head Bird’s remnant soul in the Extreme Region.

At the time she had also seen Qu Zhengfeng, Lu Xiangleng, Xiahou She and others, unsure whether it was illusion or reality.

But after returning to Shijiu Zhou, every scene she had witnessed then had corresponding facts.

So then…

What was the current situation of Qian Que with his golden abacus?

Jian Chou gazed at Gu Qingmei standing in mid-air, and that faint smile at her lips slowly faded away.

Zheng Yao had also heard about the grudge between this Kunwu pampered daughter and his senior sister, and quite disliked Gu Qingmei in his heart.

But on the surface, he showed nothing, only saying: “Thank you for your trouble, junior. May I ask where Sect Master Hengxu and Uncle Fudao are currently?”

“In the Zhutian Great Hall, currently discussing matters. Please, Sect Master, come forward.”

Gu Qingmei smiled as she replied thus.

Zheng Yao nodded, but turned to Jian Chou saying: “We’ve arrived at Kunwu. I need to go to the Zhutian Great Hall for discussions. Sister Jian Chou, come with me.”

Asking her to go together?

Jian Chou was slightly surprised.

Gu Qingmei’s eyes widened immediately, feeling displeased, and couldn’t help reminding: “Master Uncle only said to invite Sect Master Zheng forward, he didn’t—”

The remaining words suddenly stopped abruptly.

Only because the usually smiling Zheng Yao suddenly turned his eyes toward her, looking at her directly like this, his gaze deep and carrying an indescribable coldness.

In this instant, Gu Qingmei couldn’t say a word.

But Zheng Yao acted as if he had done nothing, beckoning to Jian Chou: “Senior Sister, let’s go.”

Jian Chou was actually somewhat hesitant.

She had originally wanted to take the opportunity to ask about Qian Que’s matter, but since Zheng Yao called her over, he must have his reasons.

Moreover, she indeed wanted to see how Fudao Shanren was currently.

So after only a moment’s consideration, she nodded, bid farewell to Bai Yin, and followed Zheng Yao.

Where Lingzhao Peak was suspended wasn’t far from Kunwu’s main peak.

Though Jian Chou was only at late Nascent Soul stage, keeping up with Zheng Yao’s normal speed wasn’t a problem.

Moments later, the two landed on the Sea of Clouds Plaza.

So the figure ahead naturally entered Jian Chou’s sight.

Ethereal cloud qi, under sunlight’s illumination, scattered faint rainbow light.

The ground was snow-white, carved with green pines, auspicious clouds, and immortal cranes.

Cool breezes came from under the dome, with cloud qi rolling above, momentarily making one feel in a fairy realm.

Xie Buchen wore azure robes, standing tall within it, his cool and elegant features carrying a touch of scholarly air from the past, refinement revealing some aloofness.

Looking at him, he seemed untainted by any worldly dust, like an immortal.

Seeing Zheng Yao and Jian Chou arrive, he stepped forward slightly, bowed slightly, and said calmly: “I’ve met Sect Master Zheng. Master and Elder Fudao are in the hall, having waited for you long.”