What did he mean by 'heard'?
Everyone knew Old Sen was once a member of the Chixiao Sect.
"What do you mean, sir?"
Old Sen stared at Gu Qingfeng, his voice grave as he inquired.
"Senior Old Sen, why bother talking nonsense with him!"
True Being Yubing, leaning on her cane, her mouth twisted, eyes glaring, her entire body trembling, shouted furiously, "Quickly invoke the Crimson-Letter Token, summon the Crimson-Letter Sect, and erase this man!"
"Sir..." Old Sen was about to speak when Gu Qingfeng, standing opposite him, suddenly raised his hand slightly. His five fingers condensed and derived, light flickering at their tips as spiritual incantations manifested. In an instant, a profound and mysterious pattern appeared in his palm.
"Since you are from the Chixiao Sect, do you recognize this?"
This pattern was bizarre, resembling some kind of coalescing profound mystery. But what profound mystery it was, no one knew. It looked like rolling thunderclouds, yet also like a raging, towering sea—grand and imposing, utterly astonishing.
What profound mystery?
Unknown!
No one knew.
Of the countless people gathered outside the mountain villa, not a single one recognized the profound mystery of this pattern. Not to mention them, even Liu Piaopiao and Wei Qing did not recognize it either.
Everyone was puzzled, unsure what trick Gu Qingfeng was playing.
What baffled them even more was Old Sen's reaction.
Old Sen, with his white hair and beard, his expression grave, upon seeing the strange profound mystery coalescing in Gu Qingfeng's palm, froze on the spot like a statue. His expression was one of profound shock, his eyes filled with disbelief as if he had seen a ghost or a god.
No!
Not like seeing a ghost or god.
Seeing a ghost or god should evoke fear, but Old Sen's expression was not fear—it was more like agitation.
What was Old Sen so agitated about?
Unknown!
No one knew.
The crowd didn't know, Liu Piaopiao didn't know, Wei Qing didn't know, and even Old Sen's disciple, Second Master Hai, wore a look of utter confusion.
At this moment, Old Sen's expression was extremely complex, filled with boundless agitation and boundless shock.
He was so agitated his entire body trembled, so shocked he even stopped breathing.
Just as everyone was wondering in astonishment, an even more shocking scene unfolded.
Old Sen actually...
Actually thumped to his knees on the ground.
Old Sen's kneeling was too sudden, so sudden that no one dared believe their eyes.
Why?
Why did Old Sen kneel?
This Gu Qingfeng had killed so many people in the mountain villa, beaten your chief disciple half to death, destroyed most of the villa, and even shattered the Dazang Dragon-Elephant Formation! This is a grave disrespect to the Monarch!
Not only did Old Sen not invoke the Crimson-Letter Token, but instead...
Instead, he knelt to him!
Why!
Just why?
Could it be that Gu Qingfeng has a powerful background?
No!
Impossible!
The Crimson-Letter Sect controls the underground order of this world, daring even to annihilate the Immortal Court. What background could possibly make the Crimson-Letter Sect afraid?
Could it be that Gu Qingfeng possesses terrifying strength?
No!
Even more impossible!
When the Crimson-Letter Sect kills, they never care about how strong or numerous the enemy is—they only ask where the enemy is.
Why!
Just why!
At this moment, everyone stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, faces filled with terror, their hearts screaming 'why' in madness.
Yes!
Everyone—Liu Piaopiao was, Wei Qing was too.
"Mas... Master..." Beside him, Second Master Hai, seeing Old Sen like this, was so frightened he was at a loss. He was Old Sen's disciple, having followed him in cultivation for over a hundred years. In his memory, his master had always been calm and composed, as steady as Mount Tai even when facing heaven-shattering events. But now, this young man opposite him had merely coalesced a strange pattern, and without saying a word, his master knelt on the ground.
He had just opened his mouth to ask when Old Sen, kneeling on the ground, spoke.
"Kneel."
Old Sen's voice trembled, indistinguishable whether from agitation, shock, or fear.
What!
Second Master Hai was stunned.
"Kneel!"
Old Sen's voice came again, even more trembling. Second Master Hai didn't understand, but he didn't dare ask further. With a thump, he too knelt on the ground.
This...
"Senior Old Sen! You... Why are you doing this! Why are you kneeling to this little beast! Why!"
Beside them, True Being Yubing nearly tore her throat shouting. Now that the Bingxuan Sect's Sect Head was in seclusion, True Being Yubing was helpless. She had been counting on Old Sen to invoke the Crimson-Letter Token and then erase this man, but she never could have imagined Old Sen would inexplicably kneel on the ground.
"Senior Old Sen, why are you doing this! This little beast..."
"Insolence!"
Old Sen suddenly raised his head, radiant light flashing around him as vast spiritual power erupted. He swung his hand and slapped, instantly smashing True Being Yubing's head to pulp.
Dead!
True Being Yubing was dead, killed by Old Sen with a single slap.
Why?
Why did Old Sen kill True Being Yubing? She had only asked a question—where was the insolence?
If there was any, it was only calling him a 'little beast' once.
Could it be that just because True Being Yubing called this white-clad man a 'little beast', Old Sen killed her like that?
Unknown!
No one knew.
Witnessing this scene, everyone was dumbfounded.
After killing True Being Yubing, Old Sen hurriedly knelt back on the ground, head bowed, his body still trembling.
No one knew why Old Sen knelt.
No one.
Opposite, Gu Qingfeng still stood there, hands clasped behind his back, his white robes fluttering sharply in the night wind, his black hair dancing wildly across his cold, stern face. His expression remained as indifferent as ever, his eyes as deep and dark, his demeanor as serene, his back as lonely under the moonlight.
Facing the kneeling Old Sen, he seemed utterly unmoved.
Not even a hint of surprise, his brow didn't even twitch. He didn't even glance at Old Sen, merely gazing at the Lunar Seed on the table.
He stood.
Old Sen knelt, Second Master Hai knelt.
Wu Han and Wen Huayu also knelt, though they were already stupefied, utterly terrified by this scene, their consciousness blurred by fear.
Outside the mountain villa, on a hill.
Wei Qing stood, his handsome face wearing an extremely grave expression, his eyes filled with endless confusion.
"Young Master, why would that Wan Sen... What kind of person is this Gu Qingfeng!"
Elder Hui frowned, eyes wide, throat choked as he asked.
Wei Qing did not respond.
Because he wanted to know the answer to that question too.
"Old Sen doesn't seem to know Gu Qingfeng. He only knelt after seeing the profound mystery Gu Qingfeng coalesced. What significance does that profound mystery represent?"
Elder Hui asked again in a choked, deep voice.
Wei Qing still did not respond.
Similarly, he wanted to know the answer to that question too.
"Wan Sen is from the Crimson-Letter Sect, meaning he's from the Chixiao Sect. If he kneels, then the other party must also be from the Chixiao Sect. Could it be that Gu Qingfeng was once a major figure in the Chixiao Sect?"
Elder Hui muttered, speculating, then shook his head. "But that doesn't make sense either! Gu Qingfeng is neither a reincarnated person nor someone who seized a body for rebirth. His cultivation is only at Foundation Establishment—how could he be from the Chixiao Sect?"
"Could it be that Gu Qingfeng's cultivation was once very high? Maybe his foundation was destroyed for some reason, and he's cultivating anew? That's impossible too! If his foundation was destroyed, his physical body would surely deteriorate—how could he still have a chance to rebuild his Foundation Establishment? This defies all logic!"
"His surname is Gu..." Wei Qing murmured.