Shangqing Sect.
The Deliberation Hall.
At this moment, over a hundred people had gathered—or to be more precise, over a hundred Immortals. These Immortals were all the heads of various major sects and great clans from the Divine Land.
There was the Sect Master of the Great Vehicle Sect.
And the Sect Master of the Pure Yang Sect.
The Patriarch of the Cloud-Above Dragon Clan.
The Patriarch of the Liuguang Clan.
These sects and clans were all behemoths that shook the Divine Land. Eight of the Divine Land's Ten Great Sects had come, along with eighteen of the Twenty-Four Immortal Clans. Countless other miscellaneous sects and clans had also arrived.
It was no exaggeration to say that the majority of the powers representing the Divine Land were here.
Their reasons for coming were simple. The first was to congratulate the Lady Sect Master on her emergence from seclusion.
The identity of Lady Sect Master Ye Tianlan was not limited to being the head of Shangqing Sect. She was also the Palace Mistress of the Immortal Dynasty's Kun Palace, an Immortal Sect Master personally bestowed by the Nine Heavens, and the only female Immortal Sect Master in this world. Her status was of the highest nobility, virtually unmatched.
Given this, how could the various sects and clans dare not come to offer their congratulations?
Of course.
Aside from congratulating the Lady Sect Master, their visit to Shangqing Sect was also for the sake of Monarch Chixiao.
News of Monarch Chixiao's return had long since spread throughout the world. Upon hearing that the Lady Sect Master would be emerging from seclusion and that he intended to pay a formal visit to the mountain, the various sects and clans had come immediately. They all wanted to know whether this Monarch Chixiao was real or fake.
Within the hall, many Deliberation Elders of Shangqing Sect were also present.
However, the person presiding was a woman who did not appear to be very old.
This woman was dressed in solemn white ceremonial robes. Her beauty was chillingly exquisite, like an icy rose carved atop a celestial mountain—noble and holy, dignified and majestic. She sat upright with a grave expression.
This woman was named Yun Wan.
She was both a Deliberation Elder of Shangqing Sect and its Storage Master disciple. She was also the personal disciple of the Lady Sect Master and, during the Lady Sect Master's seclusion, had been appointed Deputy Sect Master of Shangqing Sect, acting on behalf of the Sect Master.
Yun Wan was a true Nine Heavens Fairy Maiden.
For it was said that she had been born an Immortal, a congenital Immortal, a Nine Heavens Fairy Maiden.
Yun Wan was also a true pride of heaven.
For it was said she possessed a unique Mandate of Heaven.
The Heavenly Dao.
This was the head of the Three Thousand Great Daos, the Dao that governed heaven and earth, an existence even Immortals dared not and could not touch.
One could imagine just how sacred and noble a Mandate of Heaven must be.
When the Lady Sect Master first appointed Yun Wan as Deputy Sect Master to oversee Shangqing Sect's affairs, many of the sect's Deliberation Elders and even the Ancestors of the inner council had opposed it. In their view, while Yun Wan was indeed a Nine Heavens Fairy Maiden and possessed the Mandate of Heaven, she was ultimately too young and lacked experience, making her unsuitable to govern Shangqing Sect.
However.
After the Present-Ancient Era began, as Yun Wan implemented one bold reform after another, Shangqing Sect developed and expanded at a rapid pace. Its prestige, power, and influence all reached unprecedented heights, sometimes even capable of affecting the Immortal Dynasty's decisions. As a result, no one within Shangqing Sect opposed Yun Wan anymore, and all held her in the highest esteem—at least, the younger generation did. Some of the more senior Elders, even if inwardly unconvinced, dared not voice their dissent openly.
"Regarding the matter of Monarch Chixiao, I presume you are all aware of the Immortal Dynasty's stance," Yun Wan's voice was as clear and cool as her appearance.
But it was merely cool—not haughty, not cruel, and not absolute.
The representatives of the various sects and clans present exchanged glances. They were indeed already aware of the Immortal Dynasty's stance, and they also knew it was an edict descended from Cloud End, forbidding the Immortal Dynasty from having any conflict or dispute with Monarch Chixiao.
As for why Cloud End would issue such an edict, they did not know. This was also one of the reasons for their visit. Beyond that, they wanted to know what stance Shangqing Sect would take.
As if aware of the various sects and clans' purpose in coming, Yun Wan spoke: "Our Shangqing Sect will abide by the Immortal Dynasty's wishes."
Hearing this, the expressions of the representatives from the various sects and clans all grew complex. For their purpose in coming was twofold: they wanted to know whether this Monarch Chixiao was real, and if he was, they all wished to seize this opportunity to seek vengeance and redress past grievances.
In the Ancient Era, almost every major sect and clan in this world, with the exception of Shangqing Sect, had been slaughtered by Monarch Chixiao, suffering catastrophic disasters. Some died, some were injured, some perished entirely. Were it not for the revival of all things in the Present-Ancient Era, these sects and clans would likely have long ceased to exist.
If Monarch Chixiao had died three hundred years ago, that would have been the end of it.
But now, Monarch Chixiao had not died after all. They all wanted revenge, to wash away the shame of those years, and to rid the world of this scourge.
Originally, with the Immortal Dynasty taking the lead, they had nothing to fear. But now Cloud End had issued an edict, forbidding the Immortal Dynasty from having any conflict with Monarch Chixiao. This left them shocked, utterly unable to accept it, and unwilling to let it go.
Fortunately.
There was still Shangqing Sect.
As long as Shangqing Sect was willing to take the lead, even without relying on the Immortal Dynasty, they would not be afraid.
Yet to their surprise, Shangqing Sect also intended to abide by the Immortal Dynasty's wishes.
What were they to do now?
After all, this was Monarch Chixiao, the overlord who had shaken the world in the Ancient Era.
If the Immortal Dynasty would not step forward, and Shangqing Sect would not step forward either, none of the other major sects or clans dared to take the lead.
Could they just let it go?
The various sects and clans were truly unwilling.
At that moment, an old man stepped forward. "Deputy Sect Master Yun Wan, regarding the matter of the Immortal Dao sinner Gu Tianlang, should our Shangqing Sect not deliberate further?"
The speaker was a Shangqing Sect Deliberation Elder named Lei Ze. He said, "In the Ancient Era, Gu Tianlang, relying on his heaven-defying fortune, ran rampant across the world, unleashing great slaughter. He caused catastrophic disasters for the various sects, leading to the destruction of countless sects. Later, for his own selfish desires, he overthrew the Immortal Dynasty, allowing demons and devils to bring calamity upon the world. Countless cultivators met tragic deaths."
"Elder Lei Ze speaks truly! Gu Tianlang is steeped in evil, a scourge upon the world. The crimes he has committed are monstrous, unforgivable, intolerable to both heaven and earth!"
Immediately after, an old woman also stepped forward. She, too, was a Shangqing Sect Deliberation Elder, Elder Furong. Her expression seemed somewhat agitated as she said, "Deputy Sect Master Yun Wan, although this old woman does not know why Cloud End issued such a strange edict, the matter has come to this, and we can only accept it. Since the Immortal Dynasty does not wish to uphold justice for the people of the world, but our Shangqing Sect, as the number one sect under heaven, must stand up this time. We must seek justice for those who died tragically at Gu Tianlang's hands in the Ancient Era, and for all people in the Present-Ancient Era, we must rid the world of this scourge, Gu Tianlang!"