The ones who answered the call were a trio.
A slovenly, slightly unkempt old man.
A youth dressed in white robes, his face carrying a smile as gentle as a breeze, followed by a short, rotund fatty.
It was precisely Huode, Gu Qingfeng, and Fei Kui.
Huode was a very straightforward man. He never hid his joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. For those he disliked, he was never stingy with sarcastic mockery. This was true for Jinde, for Shui De, and even more so for Cangsong True Person, who had abandoned the Yunxia Sect all those years ago and instead defected to the Bingxuan Sect.
"Huode! You!"
Although they hadn't met for a hundred years, Cangsong True Person recognized Huode at a glance. Faced with Huode's humiliation, Cangsong True Person wanted to erupt in anger but restrained himself. He merely snorted coldly, flicked his long sleeve, turned his back with hands clasped behind him, and said disdainfully, "I never thought that after so many years, you would still be so detestable."
"Aiyo! Brother Cangsong, detestable already?" Huode grinned, walking over with a chuckle. "Have you eaten too much soft rice?"
"Hmph!"
Cangsong knew Huode's sharp tongue was formidable. He simply turned his back, disdaining to engage further.
Just as Huode and the other two entered the great hall, the woman from the Bingxuan delegation sitting in the seat of honor, who had been resting with her eyes closed, finally opened them. Her gaze swept past Huode and Fei Kui, landing on the man in white robes. It seemed she was probing something, yet also seemed puzzled.
After Gu Qingfeng entered the hall, he strode directly towards the high platform and sat down on that rather imposing, wide glazed chair. At the same time, Fei Kui hurried over, first taking out a plate of delicious-looking fruit from his storage bag, then producing a jar of thousand-year-old Ice-Fire Aged Vintage and pouring a cup of fine wine.
Gu Qingfeng leaned back, ate a piece of fruit, crossed his legs, and squinted slightly, watching Huode and Cangsong trading verbal barbs. He looked like an idle, good-for-nothing young master enjoying a spectacle or listening to a tune.
Cangsong seemed to notice this as well. He let out a soft sound of surprise first, then sneered, "I never thought that after I've been gone for so long, the Yunxia Sect has truly become more and more devoid of rules. A junior dares to sit on the glazed chair that only the Yunxia Sect Head is qualified to occupy. Huode, you all really disappoint me greatly!"
Having said that, Cangsong True Person seemed to realize something. He looked at Gu Qingfeng and asked, "It seems my eyes are dull. Presumably, you, junior, are that Gu Qingfeng who obliterated the Three Elders of Yunxia at the Heir-Selection Ceremony a few days ago?"
"Correct."
Gu Qingfeng, originally bored and hoping for some good show, hadn't expected the Bingxuan Sect to send so few people. Instantly losing interest, he ate a Scarlet-Leaf Demonic Fruit, nodded, and asked, "That's me. So what?"
"Oh?"
Cangsong released his divine sense, probing forth.
All cultivators possess spiritual auras.
After Foundation Establishment, there is the aura of the foundation.
After establishing a True Body, there is the aura of the True Body.
After opening the Purple Mansion, there is also the aura of the Purple Mansion.
If one contains a Great Nature Color Spirit, there is also the aura of the Great Nature Color Spirit.
However, Gu Qingfeng's body had no spiritual aura whatsoever. Not even a tiny bit. At the very least, Cangsong couldn't detect anything. It wasn't just him. From the moment Gu Qingfeng walked into the great hall, Ziyun True Being had also released her divine sense to probe. Similarly, she couldn't detect anything.
This somewhat puzzled her. Because even if a person conceals their spiritual aura perfectly, there would still be some slight flaw. But this person actually had not a trace of spiritual aura, as if he weren't a cultivator at all.
Gu Qingfeng simply sat there on the chair, glancing at the people from the Bingxuan Sect with an idle gaze. Just as he picked up his wine cup, suddenly, a figure instantly appeared before him.
This person wore a set of violet-blue robes, his face icy cold, his brow brimming with an air of arrogant solitude. When he appeared, he held a frost-ice short sword in his hand, the tip pointing at the center of Gu Qingfeng's brow, separated by mere millimeters.
This man was none other than the genius mentioned by Cangsong True Person, the one who had obliterated the River Dao Ghost with a single move — Qin Wanli.
No one expected him to suddenly attack, and his speed was as fast as lightning, arriving almost in the blink of an eye. In an instant, the frost-ice short sword in his hand was already pointed at Gu Qingfeng's brow.
Gu Qingfeng remained seated, legs crossed. His expression held no emotional hue — no panic, no loss of composure. There was only calmness. A calmness so profound that even his eyebrows and eyes didn't so much as blink. Holding that cup of fine wine, without even a pause, he directly drank it down in one gulp.
"You're feigning calm."
Qin Wanli's icy eyes stared at Gu Qingfeng, as if somewhat uncertain whether the other party was feigning calmness, hadn't reacted yet, or truly feared nothing.
He watched. Ziyun True Being not far away also watched.
They tried to discern something from Gu Qingfeng's face. Unfortunately, they could see nothing.
There was no panic of someone who had just reacted.
Nor did it seem like feigned calmness.
Could it truly be that he feared nothing?
No!
Absolutely impossible!
He should be feigning calmness!
Absolutely!
Gu Qingfeng didn't even glance at him. Unhurriedly, he peeled the skin of the Scarlet-Leaf Demonic Fruit and said leisurely, "So? Want to kill someone?"
"If I wished to kill you, you would already be a soul beneath my sword."
As his words fell, Qin Wanli vanished with a *swoosh*, reappearing instantly on his chair. He continued polishing that frost-ice short sword with the shimmering, flowing-light gauze and said disdainfully, "Feigning calmness might conceal the panic in your heart, but it cannot conceal your strength. Your reaction is too slow...
So slow it makes me lose even the interest to kill you."
Gu Qingfeng let out a soft chuckle, shook his head, and continued drinking.
Was it truly feigned calmness? Was his reaction truly too slow?
The coldly arrogant and conceited Qin Wanli might think so, but his master, Ziyun True Being, did not believe that was the case.
As for whether Gu Qingfeng was truly feigning calmness or truly feared nothing,
she couldn't tell.
She neither believed it was feigned calmness, nor did it seem like he feared nothing.
Because she understood that no matter how much a person feigns calmness, it's impossible to conceal it so perfectly.
She understood even more clearly that no matter how confident a person is, facing danger, it's impossible to have absolutely no reaction.
What exactly was it?
She didn't understand, and she couldn't figure it out.
She was like this. Ren De couldn't tell either. Fei Kui couldn't tell even more. Only Huode knew.
What feigned calmness, what fearing nothing — it was all nonsense.
The reason Gu Qingfeng had no reaction was simply because Qin Wanli hadn't stirred any killing intent. That was all.
As for why Gu Qingfeng didn't bother with him, the reason was even simpler. For a little kid who hadn't stirred any killing intent, he couldn't be bothered to pay attention. He'd rather spend that time taking a sip of wine.
Of course.
He also knew that this was because Gu Qingfeng was in a good mood. If he were in a foul mood, just try moving against him?
He'd beat you to death.
Worried that the Bingxuan Sect might stir up more trouble, and even more concerned that they might truly make Gu Qingfeng uncomfortable later,
Huode stood up and asked, "Ziyun True Being, what business brings you here today?"
"In a few days, our Bingxuan Sect will hold the Grand Ceremony for the succession of the new Sect Head. We have come specifically to invite all of you to attend."
"New Sect Head?"
Huode's expression froze, as if he hadn't expected them to say this. He asked, "As far as this old man knows, your Bingxuan Sect hasn't even established an Heir Apparent disciple, right? How can there be a new Sect Head already?"
"The establishment of the Heir Apparent and the succession of the Sect Head will be held on the same day."
Good heavens!
Huode was inwardly quite shocked. All these years, he had been busy with the affairs of the Yunxia Sect and wasn't too familiar with the situation over at the Bingxuan Sect. Hearing now that the Bingxuan Sect planned to hold the succession ceremony for the Sect Head on the same day as the establishment of the Heir Apparent, he was very curious. He wondered what kind of disciple the Bingxuan Sect had who was so remarkable.
"May I ask who the new Sect Head of your esteemed sect is..." Before Ziyun True Being could answer, Cangsong True Person beside her responded, "Leng Yanqiu."
Leng Yanqiu?
Huode was very unfamiliar with this name; he hadn't heard of it. However, Ren De beside him, upon hearing the name Leng Yanqiu, couldn't help but change expression drastically, exclaiming in shock, "Leng Yanqiu is a disciple of your Bingxuan Sect?"
"Of course."
Seeing Ren De's shocked expression, Cangsong True Person was very pleased.
"Senior Brother, who is Leng Yanqiu?"
Huode asked.
"She's the young woman who annihilated Feihe Ridge with a single sword a few years back."
"Annihilated Feihe Ridge with a single sword?"
Huode scratched his head, thinking carefully. After a moment, as if he remembered something, his expression also changed drastically. He remembered. He finally knew who Leng Yanqiu was. Not only did she annihilate Feihe Ridge with a single sword, but she also wiped out over a thousand people from a sect that was on Feihe Ridge at the time.