Gu Qingfeng did not utter a single word, which left Dan Lei and the others feeling very uncertain, unsure of his attitude. After pondering for a moment, Dan Lei spoke up again.
"The three juniors, Xuan Yun and the others, were ignorant of the heavens and earth and offended the Great Old Master. It is this old one's failure in discipline. Here, this old one first offers an apology to the Great Old Master."
Dan Lei cupped his fists and bowed his head in apology. Liu Kaiyun and Bai Teng also followed suit, bowing in apology.
"Xuan Yun, what are you three still standing there for?"
Dan Lei turned around, glaring at Xuan Yun and the other two, and roared angrily, "Come over and apologize to the Great Old Master!"
Xuan Yun and the other two exchanged glances. Although they were very unconvinced in their hearts and extremely unwilling, given the current situation, they dared not say anything. They could only brace themselves, walk over, cup their fists, and offer their apologies.
"You have no sense of propriety at all! An apology must be sincere. Kneel!"
Dan Lei's furious roar caused Xuan Yun and the other two to turn pale with shock. They knew that since their elders had stepped in today, an apology was unavoidable. However, they never expected Dan Lei would actually make them kneel to apologize.
Not only did they not expect it, but even their companions Liu Kaiyun and Bai Teng, as well as everyone present including Mu Lingyao and Immortal Huadie, were taken aback.
In the Dual-Pole Celestial Domain, it was not uncommon for elders to step in and apologize when juniors caused trouble. However, it was usually just an apology; rarely would a junior be made to kneel in apology.
Because kneeling carried too much meaning. It concerned not only the junior's dignity but also the face of the family behind them.
Once they knelt, the significance changed entirely.
In the minds of most people, although this Great Old Master seemed mysterious, bizarre, and eccentric, and his ascent to the eighty-first layer of the Tower of Stolen Gold was enough to prove he was once an unfathomably powerful expert, that was only in the past. After all, he had lost all his cultivation—this was an ironclad fact. No matter how mysterious, bizarre, or eccentric he was, he couldn't stir up much trouble.
Moreover, the Prestigious Bai Family and the Golden Crow Liu Family were immortal clans, and the Lotus Secret Realm had been passed down since ancient times, filled with countless experts.
Was kneeling really necessary?
Once they knelt, how could Xuan Yun, Liu Feng, and Bai Yufei ever hold their heads high again?
Xuan Yun was already unconvinced. Hearing Dan Lei order him to kneel made him even more displeased. Just as he was about to speak, before he could utter a word, Dan Lei roared again, "Kneel!"
This Dan Lei was a Star-Residing Golden Immortal. Although he had not yet achieved the Five Luminances Unity, he had cultivated for tens of thousands of years, and his cultivation was profound and unfathomable. Such a mighty roar truly shook Xuan Yun, causing his blood and qi to churn and his head to spin. Staring at the solemn Dan Lei, Xuan Yun's face turned ashen. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the words died on his lips. Steeling his heart, he turned around, glared furiously at Gu Qingfeng, gritted his teeth, and knelt on one knee.
Seeing Xuan Yun kneel, Liu Feng and Bai Yufei looked toward their own elders, Bai Teng and Liu Kaiyun. The two glanced at Dan Lei's stern expression and immediately made Liu Feng and Bai Yufei kneel as well.
Nearby, witnessing this scene, Mu Lingyao secretly transmitted a message to Immortal Huadie, asking, "Old Senior Dan Lei is actually making Xuan Yun and the others kneel in apology? What game is he playing? Is he that afraid of the Great Old Master?"
"The Great Old Master is mysterious, eccentric, bizarre, and unknown—truly unfathomable. Old Senior Dan Lei has no choice but to be wary," Immortal Huadie transmitted back in a secret message. "However, that's only one reason. By making Xuan Yun kneel in public, he is putting on a show both for the Great Old Master and for everyone present, letting the entire crowd know the sincerity of their apology. This is a strategic retreat to advance, seeking an overwhelming favor and offering an overwhelming courtesy."
Hearing Immortal Huadie's explanation, Mu Lingyao seemed to gain some understanding. "I see. That way, when the time comes, the Great Old Master won't have the face to insist they fulfill the bet and kowtow ten million times. This Dan Lei truly lives up to being an old senior—his methods are quite clever. But..." Mu Lingyao glanced at Gu Qingfeng, finding this fellow still sitting idly in his chair without a word, and asked, "What do you think the Great Old Master will do? Will he just let it go?"
Immortal Huadie also looked at Gu Qingfeng, shook her head, indicating she didn't know and couldn't guess.
Mu Lingyao asked again, "If the Great Old Master insists they fulfill the bet, what will Dan Lei and the others do?"
"I think Old Senior Dan Lei would definitely not allow it. Their low posture, cupping fists in apology, and making Xuan Yun and the others kneel are all for show. If the Great Old Master really forces them to fulfill the bet and kowtow, it would make him seem petty. That way, even though the Great Old Master originally had the right on his side, he would appear unreasonable and unforgiving. And they could seize this opportunity, using the pretext that the Great Old Master is petty or even bullying, to refuse to fulfill the bet. Even if they end up taking action against the Great Old Master and a fight breaks out, when word spreads later, no one would blame the Lotus Secret Realm, because everyone present witnessed them going so far as to kneel in sincere apology."
Mu Lingyao truly hadn't expected such an ordinary apology to contain so many tactics. She said indignantly, "Indeed, with age comes cunning! They are too despicable! Isn't this forcing the Great Old Master to accept whether he wants to or not?"
"That's why I said they are making a strategic retreat to advance, seeking an overwhelming favor, offering an overwhelming courtesy, and making an overwhelming apology."
Sure enough.
After Xuan Yun, Liu Feng, and Bai Yufei all knelt on one knee before Gu Qingfeng, Old Senior Dan Lei stepped forward. Still cupping his fists and bowing his head in apology, he said, "Great Old Master, the three juniors offended you earlier. Although they were ignorant of the heavens and earth, they meant no harm. This old one and the others have already reprimanded them, and they have realized their mistake. We hope the Great Old Master will forgive them this once, considering their youth and ignorance."
Then, Liu Kaiyun and Bai Teng also stepped forward to apologize. Following them, others from the Lotus Secret Realm, the Golden Crow Liu Family, and the Prestigious Bai Family all joined in unison to apologize on behalf of Xuan Yun and the other two.
Witnessing this scene, the crowd began to murmur.
In everyone's view, since Dan Lei, Liu Kaiyun, and Bai Teng had already swallowed their pride, lowered their posture with bows and respectful titles, and even gone so far as to make Xuan Yun and the others kneel in apology, their attitude could not be more sincere. Not only was their attitude sincere, but they had also given the other party ample face.
Anyone else would probably not pursue the matter further; doing so would be somewhat unreasonable.
After all, Dan Lei and the other two were prominent figures in the Dual-Pole Celestial Domain, representing the ancient Lotus Secret Realm, the Prestigious Bai Family, and the immortal Golden Crow Liu Family. Even if one didn't give face to Dan Lei and the other two, one had to give face to the Secret Realms and families behind them. Not doing so would not only show a lack of magnanimity but also a lack of tact. If relations soured, and they crossed paths again in the future, what if their own juniors offended these people? That would be troublesome.