Facing the flattery of the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects’ sect masters and elders, Yun Bao not only turned a deaf ear but completely ignored them, not sparing them any face at all. Though the various sect masters and elders felt their pride wounded, none dared say a word, and could only continue to fawn over the other Immortals from the Immortal Dynasty.
What was strange was that Yun Bao, such a lofty envoy of the Immortal Dynasty, ignored the sect masters and elders yet conversed quite amiably with the Blackhearted Lord.
Everyone knew that Yun Bao had been torn apart alive by the Chixiao Sovereign back in the day, and could be said to bear a deep-seated hatred for the Chixiao people of the Chixiao Sect.
Yet now, he was chatting and laughing with Zhou Taihe, a Chixiao Earth Fiend.
Those with keen eyes immediately guessed that the rumors of Zhou Taihe secretly colluding with the Immortal Dynasty were likely true.
Moreover, Zhou Taihe appeared very composed. At least, when facing Immortal Dynasty envoy Yun Bao, he wasn’t fawning and flattering like the sect masters and elders of the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects. Instead, he was neither haughty nor humble, as if conversing with a friend.
In fact, Zhou Taihe and Yun Bao were indeed friends.
And they were not just friends, because they were both men of the Immortal Dynasty’s Third Prince.
“Before coming to Yanluo, the Third Prince sought me out and asked me to relay a message to you.”
Zhou Taihe quickly asked upon hearing Yun Bao’s voice, “Did the Third Prince have any instructions?”
“Do as you wish. Pay no heed to the rest.”
Zhou Taihe’s heart stirred, and he immediately cupped his hands respectfully. “I will never be able to repay the Third Prince’s favor in raising me up!”
“As long as the Third Prince is here, you need fear nothing. The Third Prince will back you in all matters.”
“After this matter concludes, Taihe will personally journey to the Immortal Dynasty to pay my respects to the Third Prince.”
Yun Bao then asked, “I hear Yanluo Kingdom has recently produced another Dao criminal named Gu Tianlang?”
Zhou Taihe knew Yun Bao was particularly sensitive to the name Gu Tianlang. After a moment’s thought, he nodded slightly in reply.
“I hear this Gu Tianlang commands immense reverence from the Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephants of you Chixiao people?”
Zhou Taihe responded, “Though I have not witnessed it personally, several Chixiao people who follow me had their Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephants forcibly extracted by him.”
“You haven’t seen that person?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Zhou Taihe did not respond.
“Are you afraid that person is the real Gu Tianlang?”
Zhou Taihe still did not respond, only his expression turning somewhat unnatural. This naturally did not escape Yun Bao’s eyes. He chuckled, patted Zhou Taihe’s shoulder, and said, “I told you, do as you wish. Pay no heed to the rest. As for this Gu Tianlang in Yanluo, if he is a fake, so be it. But if he is the real Gu Tianlang…” He paused here, took a deep breath, and after a long while, continued, “I will surely make him wish for death but find it beyond his reach!”
Recalling the events of that year, even now, Yun Bao could barely contain the fury in his heart.
That was his disgrace.
A disgrace from his previous life, and a disgrace in this life as well.
After reincarnating, the reason he had not changed his name was precisely to tell the world that he, Yun Bao, had reincarnated—not only reincarnated, but had also achieved the status of a True Immortal in the Immortal Dynasty. In the future, he would certainly be more than just the Mighty Immortal. If he ever encountered Gu Tianlang again, he would definitely wash away the disgrace of his previous life!
Perhaps sensing a powerful killing intent persistently enveloping him, Yun Bao turned and looked over. Over there were Hei Fo, Blackwater, and the other Chixiao people. Seeing Dong Laohu, he showed no surprise, because the first purpose of his descent into Yanluo Kingdom was to test the Yanluo royal family, and the second purpose was to slaughter Hei Fo and the other Chixiao people.
“Heh, truly, enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road.”
Yun Bao looked at Hei Fo and the other Chixiao people, smiling faintly. “Gentlemen, I trust you’ve been well.”
Dong Laohu narrowed his eyes, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, looking every bit the malevolent black fiend Buddha. His tone was also quite bold. “Of course we’re well, damn it!”
“Heh, Dong Laohu, back then you were severely wounded by me, nearly reduced to ashes. Yet you still managed to cultivate into a Wandering Immortal, and a twelve-tribulation one at that. That does make me look at you in a new light.”
Yun Bao’s voice was not loud, but everyone present heard it clearly.
Upon hearing that Dong Laohu was actually a twelve-tribulation Wandering Immortal, they were all greatly astonished.
Because most people’s impression of Old Master Hei Fo remained in the Ancient Era. They also knew he was already a nine-tribulation Wandering Immortal back in the Ancient Era. In the Present Era, few had seen him take action—to be precise, almost no one had—only knowing that Old Master Hei Fo’s business ventures were vast.
No one had ever imagined he was already a twelve-tribulation Wandering Immortal.
It must be understood that the path of a Wandering Immortal is a road of endless tribulations with no return.
Every tribulation is like a mountain difficult to surmount, and encountering the ninth tribulation is especially akin to scaling a heavenly barrier.
The tribulations of a Wandering Immortal are notoriously difficult to pass among all calamities.
This is why many Wandering Immortals remain stuck at the ninth tribulation.
Firstly, because they cannot pass it, and secondly, because they dare not.
It is rumored that the terror of the tenth tribulation after the ninth is more than ten times greater than that of the ninth tribulation. The vast majority of nine-tribulation Wandering Immortals perish at the tenth tribulation.
This is the case for ordinary Wandering Immortals.
But one must remember that Old Master Hei Fo is also a Chixiao person, possessing the violent and savage Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephant fortune. The difficulty of a single immortal tribulation he faces surpasses that of three or four tribulations for an ordinary Wandering Immortal. No one had ever imagined he was already a master of the twelve-tribulation level!
The strength of a nine-tribulation Wandering Immortal is already comparable to that of a True Immortal.
For a twelve-tribulation Wandering Immortal, coupled with the possession of the violent and savage Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephant fortune, it was impossible to imagine just how terrifying Old Master Hei Fo’s strength must be.
However.
The people of the Immortal Dynasty did not seem afraid. At least, Yun Bao was not afraid. If he were, he wouldn’t be so composed. Moreover, from his demeanor, he didn’t seem to hold Old Master Hei Fo, a twelve-tribulation Wandering Immortal Chixiao person, in any regard.
“You were torn apart alive by the Sovereign, yet you managed to reincarnate and cultivate into a True Immortal. I was merely severely wounded by you back then. What’s so strange about me cultivating into a Wandering Immortal?”
With this one sentence from Dong Laohu, the originally lively atmosphere in the venue instantly turned tense.
Everyone knew about the incident where Yun Bao was torn apart by the Sovereign, but no one dared mention it, because everyone knew this was the matter Yun Bao was most sensitive about. Now, not only did Old Master Hei Fo dare to mention it, he did so right in front of Yun Bao, blatantly stating it before the entire crowd.
For a moment, the venue became deathly quiet.
The several thousand Immortal officials from the Immortal Dynasty all glared fiercely at Old Master Hei Fo and his band of Chixiao people. Especially the more than two hundred Immortal Nobles led by Liuguang Que and Long Qianren, they were all itching to move, as if with a single word from Yun Bao, they would not hesitate to charge over and tear Old Master Hei Fo to pieces.
Yun Bao stood calmly in the venue, hands clasped behind his back.
There was no trace of anger on his face. On the contrary, he still appeared utterly composed, even with a faint smile hanging at the corner of his mouth, as he simply gazed at Old Master Hei Fo.
The sect masters and elders of the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects were also very nervous, as were Tang Yunqi and Tang Yunhao of the Yanluo Royal Family. No one knew what would happen next.
And just at that moment, a playful, teasing voice reached everyone’s ears: “Today is the Yanluo Temple Fair, the liveliest day of our Yanluo. What is everyone standing around blankly for?”