As the two were speaking, a group of twenty to thirty people walked in from outside.
Seeing these people, Immortal Lixin and High Immortal Qingqing were startled, quickly rising to their feet. These were all elders from Eternal Life Pavilion. The leading white-haired elder was not only a senior of Eternal Life Pavilion but also the renowned master of Floating Life Emperor and High Immortal Qingqing's grandmaster.
His Dao title was Kaishan.
He was an ancient senior who had cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years.
He held immense prestige within the Great Wasteland.
Those following behind Elder Kaishan were also powerful experts from Eternal Life Pavilion. In terms of cultivation and strength, they were all profoundly inscrutable, each a celebrated and formidable figure of great renown in the Great Wasteland.
"Grandmaster, why have you all come?"
Neither Qingqing nor Lixin had expected elders from Eternal Life Pavilion to arrive, let alone that Grandmaster Kaishan, who had long withdrawn from worldly affairs, would come in person.
"With such a major event occurring, how could this old man possibly sit still?"
As soon as Elder Kaishan finished speaking, the group of Eternal Life Pavilion elders behind him couldn't help but scold them.
"What is the matter with you two? How did you get yourselves entangled in such a huge affair?"
"Do you have any idea how many people outside are looking for you two right now?"
"You've utterly disgraced the face of our Eternal Life Pavilion! Massaging, playing music, kneeling... How could you two possibly do such things that tarnish the prestige of Eternal Life Pavilion?"
Facing the reprimands of the elders, High Immortal Qingqing lowered her head, remaining silent. Immortal Lixin also knew she had brought great shame upon Eternal Life Pavilion this time and pleaded, "Uncle-Masters, we already know we were wrong. Could you please stop scolding us?"
Besides, you weren't there at the time. You don't know how terrified Qingqing and I were. We had no choice but to massage him and play music. After all, it was You Di."
"You Di, so what?
Are you that afraid of him?
As disciples of Eternal Life Pavilion, how can you be so cowardly, so afraid of death that you would forsake the reputation of our Eternal Life Pavilion?"
"Uncle-Master, it's easy for you to talk standing there without feeling any strain. The incident didn't happen to you. If you had seen You Di, who knows how terrified you would have been."
"You dare speak to your Uncle-Master like that, Lixin? You made a mistake, and now you think you have a point, is that it?"
Just as Lixin was about to retort, Elder Kaishan shouted, "Enough! At a time like this, what's the point of all this bickering!"
Elder Kaishan was famously authoritative. No one in Eternal Life Pavilion, high or low, dared act recklessly in his presence. He glanced at Qingqing and said, "Qingqing, this old man asks you: is the immortal sword you have been nurturing all this time truly, as the rumors say, the Five Elements Cloud-Water Sword forged by You Di in the past?"
Qingqing nodded, then manifested the Cloud-Water Sword.
The Cloud-Water Sword radiated with watery brilliance, emitting low hums, like the sea churning with towering waves, giving people a suffocating feeling.
"Such formidable power!"
The elders of Eternal Life Pavilion were all seasoned experts and powerful figures cultivated over many years. When Qingqing manifested the Cloud-Water Sword, they could all clearly sense its immense power.
One elder asked, "Qingqing, when we saw your immortal sword before, it didn't seem to possess such formidable power, did it?"
"Before, the sword spirit of the Cloud-Water Sword paid me no heed, and I couldn't awaken it. On the way here, we encountered You Di...
and the sword spirit of the Cloud-Water Sword awoke..."
"Is this truly the Five Elements Cloud-Water Sword forged by You Di in the past?"
"This..." Qingqing forced herself to reply, "It should be. Inside the sword spirit's world, there are many residual traces of judgment from various Great Daos, and the sword spirit itself acknowledged it is the Cloud-Water Sword."
At this moment, Elder Kaishan held the Cloud-Water Sword, closing his eyes as if sensing it.
No one spoke further; they all stared at Elder Kaishan.
As for You Di, they might have all seen him, but none had ever laid eyes on the Five Elements Sword he forged in the past.
However.
There was one person who had seen it.
That person was Elder Kaishan.
He had not only seen the Five Elements Sword forged by You Di in the past but had also once crossed swords with You Di. His impression of the Five Elements Cloud-Water Sword forged by You Di back then was extremely profound.
"Old Master, how is it?
Is this immortal sword truly the Five Elements Cloud-Water Sword forged by You Di?"
Elder Kaishan opened his eyes. Without speaking, he returned the Cloud-Water Sword to Qingqing, then shook his head and let out a deep sigh. "It seems everything is true. He has returned. You Di...
has truly returned from death."
If they had harbored even a sliver of doubt about whether You Di was truly back before,
then when Elder Kaishan uttered these words, the last trace of doubt in their hearts completely vanished.
"This is terrible. If You Di has returned, then this matter is truly immense, far too immense. The peaceful Great Wasteland will descend into chaos from now on."
"No need for the future; the Great Wasteland is already in utter turmoil. I heard that after the news spread, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao immediately issued a Great Dao decree. This time, nine out of ten, something major is going to happen."
Eternal Life Pavilion was one of the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands. These elders naturally understood what You Di's return signified, and they were all deeply worried.
"The Nine Heavens have already issued a Great Dao decree?"
Qingqing asked, "What decree?
Why was it issued?"
"You Di's existence threatens the Present-Ancient Era. What do you think the Nine Heavens issued a Great Dao decree for?"
"So you mean... the Nine Heavens have already issued a decree, preparing to eradicate You Di?"
"That should be the case."
"Heavens!"
Upon hearing this, Qingqing felt as if the sky and earth were spinning. Deep inside, she felt guilty and remorseful, because she believed that if she hadn't picked up You Di's Five Elements Cloud-Water Sword, his identity wouldn't have been exposed because of her today.
"Don't speak nonsense about things you don't know!"
Elder Kaishan glared at the Eternal Life Pavilion crowd and scolded, "Who told you the Nine Heavens intend to eradicate You Di?"
"Old Master, didn't you say the Nine Heavens have already issued a decree?"
"This old man did say the Nine Heavens have issued a decree, but I never said the decree was to eradicate You Di."
"Old Master, does that even need saying?
If the Nine Heavens are about to issue a decree, it's definitely to eradicate You Di."
"What do you know!
This time, only the Immortal Dao law enforcers of the Nine Heavens received the decree. If the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao truly intended to eradicate You Di, then the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens, the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, the various immortal mansions, the various immortal dynasties, and the various immortal realms would all receive the decree. If that day ever comes, the Immortal Dao itself would not be far from death."
"Old Master, what do you mean by that?"
"The Nine Heavens are no longer the Nine Heavens of old. The Immortal Dao is no longer the Immortal Dao of old. The Nine Heavens Immortal Dao has long been corrupted by a bunch of profit-blinded people, forgetting their original intent, arrogantly believing they dominate heaven and earth, acting as they please."
Elder Kaishan shook his head with a sigh, as if harboring extreme disgust towards the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao. "Let us hope they can learn from the lessons of the Ancient Era and remember them. Otherwise, the incident from the Ancient Era where You Di burned the Nine Heavens will repeat itself. I heard the Ancestors of the Nine Heavens have awakened this time. Let us hope these Ancestors aren't as incompetent and foolish as the people of the Present-Ancient Era. Let us hope so. Otherwise, when the time comes, it will be the countless sentient beings of the Myriad Heavens and Worlds who suffer the calamity."