Within the crimson light beam, Xiao Jinr resembled a lost little girl, lonely, helpless, panicked, and terrified. She paid no attention to anyone else, instead gazing up at the bloody full moon in the night sky connected to the pillar of light, murmuring softly.
"Why is it like this..."
"Jin'er only wished for you all to let Big Brother go..."
"Why must you insist on this..."
"I don't want to hurt anyone, and I won't hurt anyone...
I don't want to...
Please, I beg you, don't do this..."
No one knew who Xiao Jinr was speaking to. She seemed to be talking to herself.
Watching the pitiful Xiao Jinr within the crimson pillar, Sect Master Ye Tianlan asked softly, "What do you make of this?"
Who was the Sect Mistress speaking to?
The crowd was puzzled.
It wasn't until they noticed an unremarkable man floating in the air that they understood.
This man appeared utterly ordinary. He possessed neither any cultivation base nor any extraordinary fortune. His looks couldn't be called handsome, and as for his bearing, it didn't seem particularly noble either. Everything about him gave off a sense of extreme plainness, ordinary as a cup of plain water, without any flashy or special qualities.
However.
The dozen or so people behind him were vastly different by comparison. Each one was a profound and unfathomable reincarnated being, and the aura of Turbid Breath emanating from them grew increasingly terrifying. Moreover, the Turbid Breath on these individuals wasn't merely simple Reincarnation Turbid Breath; it also included Sinful Breath, Demonic Breath, Heavenly Mandate Breath, and more...
Others might not be able to tell, but Zhen Ting and Zhen Yang knew that the identities of these people were utterly terrifying. They were either ancient demonic overlords or monstrous kings, each bearing the Mark of Judgment left by the Tribunal.
Looking across Shangqing Sect—no!
Even in this entire world, there was only one person who could command these former demonic overlords and monstrous kings: the Grand Reservoir Qin Yang, who had been lying dormant within Shangqing Sect's inner sect.
What kind of existence was Qin Yang?
No one knew.
Zhen Ting didn't know.
Zhen Yang knew even less.
What heaven-defying abilities this Grand Reservoir possessed, they were also unaware.
But there was one point they understood very clearly: the existence of Grand Reservoir Qin Yang was beyond their imagination and far beyond their ability to provoke. Leaving aside everything else, just the demonic overlords and monstrous kings behind him—each one, if brought out individually, was a master who could rampage across the world.
Given this.
How dare they provoke him?
Qin Yang did not immediately respond to Sect Mistress Ye Tianlan's question. Standing with his hands clasped behind his back in mid-air, he slightly furrowed his brows, his gaze fixed on Xiao Jinr within the crimson light beam. A flicker of something unusual passed through his calm eyes, as if he, too, was quite puzzled. After a long moment, he raised his head again to look at the bloody moon in the night sky, shook his head, and softly replied with just two words: "I don't know."
Like Sect Mistress Ye Tianlan.
Ever since Xiao Jinr had arrived at Shangqing Sect, Qin Yang had also been keeping an eye on her.
It wasn't because Immortal Su Hua was the little girl's sister, nor because Lord Chixiao was her brother.
It was because Xiao Jinr's very existence was something Qin Yang couldn't see through, which was why he had been observing her in secret.
However.
Qin Yang had never imagined that Xiao Jinr would be the Calamity Star descending upon the Present-Ancient Era.
Moreover, the Calamity Star had descended so abruptly.
There had been no prior signs whatsoever.
As for what exactly was going on, Qin Yang couldn't deduce it for the time being.
As time passed bit by bit, the leaders of various major sects across the world arrived one after another. For a time, the area around Shangqing Sect was packed with people; looking out, there were crowds everywhere, and still, large numbers of people were rushing in from all directions. After all, the descent of a Calamity Star concerned the safety of all living beings under heaven; no one dared to be negligent. Even those reclusive senior experts who had been in seclusion emerged, hurrying over one after another.
Not just them.
People from the Immortal Dynasty also arrived at the first opportunity.
And many Immortals came in succession, numbering in the thousands—both True Immortals and Upper Immortals—but the most eye-catching were the several Golden Immortal elders from the Immortal Dynasty.
Golden Immortal.
This was an existence even more revered than Luo Tian Immortals.
Even a Luo Tian Immortal who had cultivated the Luo Tian Immortal Realm to Great Perfection was not worth mentioning before a Golden Immortal.
Because those who cultivated to the Golden Immortal realm possessed Immortal Bodies that could almost be called indestructible, tempered a thousand times over. The power of the Immortal Body alone was enough to make Luo Tian Immortals despair. Even more terrifying was that the Immortal Spirit of a Golden Immortal was 'undying.' In other words, upon reaching the Golden Immortal realm, one could attain eternal life. As long as they didn't encounter a terrible calamity, they generally would not die.
Among the leading Golden Immortal elders from the Immortal Dynasty this time was one whom everyone recognized.
His surname was Xun, given name Daolin.
He was the Patriarch of the Haoran Xun Clan, an Immortal family, and also a senior of extremely good reputation in this world, with prestige so high that he had been jointly called one of the Twin Elders of the World alongside Elder Zhen Jue of Shangqing Sect during the Ancient Era. This was because they were both truly for the country and the people, virtuous and highly respected senior experts. It was no exaggeration to say that if not for Xun Daolin's repeated dissuasions during the Ancient Era, the lives of cultivators back then would have been even more difficult. It was Xun Daolin's earnest persuasion that allowed many cultivators to survive during the resource-scarce end of the Ancient Era.
Although the Haoran Xun Clan was an Immortal family and had always been loyal to the Immortal Dynasty, they had never tyrannized others like other Immortal families. On the contrary, they had always upheld the principles of righteousness. That the Haoran Xun Clan had been able to persist all along was entirely due to having a Patriarch like Xun Daolin, who embodied unwavering righteousness.
Upon arriving at the scene, Xun Daolin immediately inquired about the situation. Zhen Ting gave a rough account. At this point, the leaders of the various major sects all believed that the Calamity Star Xiao Jinr should be executed immediately. The Immortal Dynasty elders thought the same, including Xun Daolin.
He had cultivated for an extremely long time, and his seniority in this world was exceedingly high. Not to mention the leaders of the major sects, even old-timers like Zhen Ting and Zhen Yang, who had cultivated for tens of thousands of years, had to address him as 'Senior' when they saw him.
Having lived long, he had naturally experienced much. And having experienced much, he knew better than anyone what the descent of a Calamity Star signified.
However, when Zhen Yang mentioned that Xiao Jinr's big brother was Gu Qingfeng, Xun Daolin was stunned on the spot. And when Zhen Yang added that Gu Qingfeng doted on Xiao Jinr very much, Xun Daolin, who had originally decided to act, immediately abandoned that thought.
He knew Gu Qingfeng.
Not only did he know him, but their relationship was quite good.
Moreover.
He had always admired Gu Qingfeng.
Therefore, when the Immortal Dynasty launched its large-scale campaign to suppress Gu Qingfeng back then, Xun Daolin had done everything he could to prevent it. In his efforts to help Gu Qingfeng, he had not only broken with the Immortal Dynasty but had almost gotten his entire clan killed by the Immortal Dynasty.
He had shown kindness to Gu Qingfeng. And precisely because of this kindness, when Gu Qingfeng later stormed into the Immortal Dynasty, he had spared the Immortal Dynasty from complete annihilation out of consideration for Xun Daolin's face.