"Madam, please don't act impulsively for now. Follow my lead in everything. Rest assured, no matter what, I will seek justice for our precious disciple today. Regardless of what powerful background that old Daoist and that so-called Worthy One have, I, Jinyan, will make them pay the price!"
After giving a few instructions, Jinyan Xianshi leaped forward, appearing above High Immortal Qingqing's Xuantian Vessel. Standing with his hands behind his back, he shouted loudly, "Jinyan and his wife from the Wuling Immortal Realm have come to visit. We request that Immortal Lixin and High Immortal Qingqing deactivate the formation and show yourselves."
As his voice fell, the radiant light enveloping the Xuantian Vessel shimmered slightly, rippling away like flowers on water before vanishing. Immediately after, everyone saw three figures on the deck of the Xuantian Vessel.
One was a woman with a pure, beautiful countenance and an ethereal aura, dressed in white robes.
Another was a stunningly beautiful woman with fiery red lips.
And one was a man in white robes, unremarkable in appearance.
They were none other than High Immortal Qingqing, Immortal Lixin, and Gu Qingfeng.
High Immortal Qingqing stood quietly to the side.
As for Gu Qingfeng, he was still reclining in his chair, one leg crossed over the other resting on the table, his head tilted slightly. He held a handful of bright red fruits in his hand, taking occasional bites, and from time to time, he would pick up a wine cup to take a sip.
Beside him, Immortal Lixin stood like a maidservant, pouring wine for Gu Qingfeng.
Witnessing this scene, Jinyan Xianshi, Wuhua Xianzi, and the other powerful Immortals from the Wuling Immortal Realm were all shocked and pale. They had initially thought Old Zhu's words might have been somewhat exaggerated, but now it seemed they were not. Although it wasn't exactly as Old Zhu had described—with Immortal Lixin personally giving massages and High Immortal Qingqing playing music—the fact that Immortal Lixin stood by his side serving wine was enough to speak volumes.
As for Mo Baiyu and the others who had personally witnessed Immortal Lixin massaging Gu Qingfeng earlier, seeing this scene now still left a very unpleasant taste in their mouths, their eyes filled with endless jealousy and resentment.
They simply could not understand. This fellow had no cultivation to speak of, no destiny, essentially nothing to his name. Look at him from any angle, no matter how you looked, he didn't resemble a figure of importance in the slightest. They couldn't fathom why Immortals of such esteemed status as Immortal Lixin and High Immortal Qingqing would show him such deference.
They couldn't figure it out.
The powerful Immortals from the Wuling Immortal Realm who saw this scene were equally baffled, all feeling that this matter was simply too incredible.
"This junior Qingqing pays her respects to the esteemed seniors from the Wuling Immortal Realm."
Although Qingqing possessed a noble status, a powerful background, and was a renowned peerless High Immortal in the Great Wasteland, she was not like those arrogant disciples from the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands who looked down on everyone. On the contrary, Qingqing had always been gentle, moving, well-mannered, and reasonable. It was precisely because of this that so many immortal prodigies and High Immortals in the Great Wasteland admired her deeply.
"Jinyan Xianshi, Wuhua Xianzi, it has been a while."
Immortal Lixin, holding the wine pot, looked at the couple Jinyan and Wuhua and asked indifferently, "To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"
Both being famed Immortals from the ancient era, Immortal Lixin and the couple Jinyan and Wuhua could not be considered friends, nor did they share any deep connection, but they were acquainted with each other, barely counting as nodding acquaintances.
Jinyan and Wuhua did not state their purpose for coming, nor did they mention a single word about the incident where their precious disciple Yuanwu had been beaten. They merely exchanged pleasantries with Immortal Lixin, clearly intending to first probe the situation before making a decision.
From the moment they arrived, Immortal Lixin had known it was about Yuanwu being beaten. However, since Jinyan and Wuhua did not bring it up, she couldn't be bothered to point it out either.
After exchanging pleasantries for a moment, Jinyan Xianshi smiled faintly and said, "It seems there is an honored guest on the vessel today. May I inquire, who is this Fellow Daoist..." Immortal Lixin glanced at Gu Qingfeng but said nothing, not daring to casually introduce his identity.
"The surname is Great, the given name is Old Master."
Gu Qingfeng replied with a grin.
"Oh? Great Old Master?"
Jinyan Xianshi pressed further, "May I ask which clan's Great Old Master you are?"
"I'm not from any clan."
"In that case, are you the Great Old Master of an Immortal Realm? Which Immortal Realm might that be?"
"Not that either."
The title 'Great Old Master' was a lofty, grand, and ancient honorific. Since time immemorial, it had been equally renowned between heaven and earth alongside the honorific 'Niangniang'.
Not just anyone could bear it—even those blessed by Heaven's Mandate could not necessarily shoulder it.
In the ancient era, those qualified to be honored as Great Old Master or Niangniang were either overlords dominating a heavenly domain, world sovereigns ruling over a realm, major figures of the Three Thousand Great Daos, or renowned celebrities throughout the Great Wasteland, as well as masters of the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands.
However, in the present era, the standard for the honorifics Great Old Master and Niangniang had somewhat lowered. Any Immortal Realm master with a bit of fame might be honored as Great Old Master or Niangniang. For example, the master of the Wuling Immortal Realm was honored as the Great Old Master of Wuling. Additionally, some masters of ancient, hereditary Immortal Clans were also honored as Great Old Master, such as Lei Lie, master of the Haolei Clan, who was also honored as Great Old Master.
Of course.
Even though the weight of the honorifics Great Old Master and Niangniang in the present era was not as heavy as in the ancient era, not just any master of an Immortal Realm or clan could be honored as Great Old Master.
The master of the Wuling Immortal Realm could be honored as Great Old Master because the Wuling Immortal Realm had been passed down since ancient times and was now one of the major Immortal Realms dominating the Lingluo Heavenly Domain.
And the Haolei Clan to which Lei Lie belonged was also an ancient, hereditary clan with considerable influence in the Great Wasteland.
Hence, they were honored as Great Old Master.
However.
It couldn't be ruled out that some masters of minor Immortal Realms or small clans presumptuously used the title Great Old Master for themselves.
Hearing that Gu Qingfeng was neither the Great Old Master of an Immortal Realm nor of a clan, Jinyan Xianshi did not give up and continued to press, "Could it be that you are the World Sovereign Great Old Master of a realm?"
Gu Qingfeng picked up a cup of fine wine, took a sip, and shook his head unhurriedly. "Wrong again."
"Is that so?"
Opposite him.
Jinyan Xianshi stood with his hands behind his back in mid-air, his eyes fixed intently on Gu Qingfeng as he asked, "If you are not the World Sovereign Great Old Master of a realm, could it be that you are the Overlord Great Old Master who dominates a heavenly domain?"
"Sorry, wrong again."
"Neither an Immortal Realm, nor a clan, not a realm, not a heavenly domain... could it be that you are a Great Dao Old Master?"
"Wrong again."
Gu Qingfeng shifted his posture, looking at Jinyan Xianshi with a chuckle. "You're underestimating me too much. With my bearing, my temperament, my strength, how could I be just any ordinary Great Old Master? Guess bigger, go all out."
"Guess bigger? Heh!"
Jinyan Xianshi let out a cold laugh. "Your tone is far too arrogant. Since ancient times, throughout the myriad heavens and worlds, no Great Old Master has ever been greater than the Three Thousand Great Daos."
"If you say that, it only shows your vision is too narrow and you lack experience."
"Oh? It seems I, Jin, am ignorant and ill-informed. Since your tone is so grand, I would like to seek your counsel today—exactly what kind of Great Old Master are you, that you could be greater than the Three Thousand Great Daos?"