"Later, the Founding Ancestor of the Bingxuan Sect left behind the Bing Xuan Heart, passed down the position of Sect Head, and then mysteriously vanished."
"I heard that back then, many experts from other sects also tried to seize the Bing Xuan Heart. Unfortunately, although their Founding Ancestor disappeared, the new Sect Head who fused with the Bing Xuan Heart was also incredibly powerful, beating those people to a pulp."
"I heard that by the time of the third-generation Sect Head, the Bing Xuan Heart was once snatched away by a powerful expert, but that expert was frozen into an ice sculpture the very next day..." "Since then, everyone knew the Bing Xuan Sect's Bing Xuan Heart was very mysterious and peculiar, but no one dared to try seizing it again. And the Bing Xuan Sect grew stronger year by year, becoming the number one sect in the surrounding region."
"To this day, no one still knows the identity or background of the Bing Xuan Sect's Founding Ancestor. Many call her the Ice-Profound Matriarch, and some say her name was Yun Nishang. As for whether the venerable one died or disappeared back then... no one understands that either."
"I remember you seemed to have said your Yunxia Sect and the Bingxuan Sect have a connection, that their Founding Ancestors were something like Senior Brother and Junior Sister or something."
Gu Qingfeng asked: "Since that's the case, doesn't your Founding Ancestor know her whereabouts?"
"Don't even mention it."
Huode waved his hand, took a sip of wine, and said: "When the Bingxuan Sect's Founding Ancestor disappeared back then, our Founding Ancestor also disappeared at the same time... still missing to this day."
Hmm?
Gu Qingfeng knew there must be a connection between the Bing Xuan Heart and the Yanyang Heart. He pondered that the Bingxuan Sect's Founding Ancestor and the Yunxia Sect's Founding Ancestor likely also had a connection. Now hearing Huode say that when Yun Nishang disappeared, the Yunxia Sect's Founding Ancestor also vanished, this matter really seemed quite complex.
"As for whether our Founding Ancestor and the Bingxuan Sect's Founding Ancestor were actually Senior Brother and Junior Sister, no one knows. It's all just wild guesses."
Bringing up the connection between the Bingxuan and Yunxia Sects, Huode also wore a look of confusion and melancholy, saying: "One has the Bing Xuan Heart, the other the Yanyang Heart. And both Founding Ancestors disappeared simultaneously. After disappearing, they both instructed their Sect Heads to pass it down generation by generation. And the Sect Heads of both sects can practice dual cultivation of yin and yang."
Taking a drink of wine, Huode let out a 'ha' and said: "Think about it, if they weren't Senior Brother and Junior Sister, would our Yunxia Sect and Bingxuan Sect's two Founding Ancestors have arranged these things?"
"And our Yunxia Sect was originally called the Yanyang Sect. Later, I heard Yun Nishang came once, and then our Founding Ancestor changed 'Yanyang' to 'Yunxia'. Listen to the name 'Yunxia'—it contains the character 'Yun'. The Bingxuan Sect's Founding Ancestor also has the surname Yun..."
"The two of them disappeared at the same time..."
"Tsk tsk..."
"If they weren't a loving Senior Brother and Junior Sister, would it be so ambiguous?"
Gu Qingfeng pondered carefully, nodding, feeling Huode's words weren't without reason.
The only thing that puzzled him was that he originally suspected he had karma with Yun Nishang. Investigating led to uncovering another mysterious figure—the Yunxia Sect's Founding Ancestor. What connection did this have with him?
After a moment of contemplation, he asked: "Who is your Founding Ancestor?"
Huode didn't even think, shaking his head crisply to answer he didn't know.
"Don't know? You don't even know who your Founding Ancestor is?"
"Ancestor, not only do I not know, you ask any of our few fellow disciples, who knows? Even if our Yunxia Three Elders were still alive, they wouldn't know either."
Huode wore a woeful expression, his complexion somewhat complex, as if also helpless: "Don't even mention our Founding Ancestor's identity and background, we don't even know our Founding Ancestor's name."
Gu Qingfeng held his wine cup, murmuring: "Quite bizarre!"
"Bizarre? Let me tell you, Ancestor, there's something even more bizarre than this."
Huode seemed to get interested, pouring wine for Gu Qingfeng while speaking with complex emotions: "If I said no one in this world has ever seen our Founding Ancestor, would you believe it? The older generation from three thousand years ago, the older sects—they never even met our Founding Ancestor's face, didn't even know what he looked like. How about that? Bizarre enough, right?"
"There's such a thing?"
Gu Qingfeng had successively ascended to the thrones of Immortal and Monster Kings in this world, ascended to the Celestial Realm and became the Nine Nethers Emperor. By all accounts, he was someone who had seen great scenes. But today, hearing Huode mention the matter of the Yunxia Sect's Founding Ancestor, he felt he had truly broadened his horizons.
A sect with over three thousand years of heritage, yet no one knows who founded it, what their name was, or even what they looked like. For three thousand years in the surrounding region, it had virtually no presence. This was just too bizarre.
"I heard our Founding Ancestor, after establishing the Yunxia Sect, took on one disciple—our Yunxia Sect's first Sect Head. Probably only that venerable one ever saw the Founding Ancestor. But for some reason, that venerable one never mentioned the Founding Ancestor, not even a single word. Even on his deathbed, he said nothing about the Founding Ancestor."
Gu Qingfeng listened.
Just listened.
Hearing Huode say so much, his own thoughts also began to grow chaotic, like paste, his mind full of riddles.
The matter of Yun Nishang alone was already giving him a headache.
Now another character even more mysterious than Yun Nishang had popped up.
What the hell kind of affair was this.
Closing his eyes, Gu Qingfeng pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling somewhat weary.
"Kid Gu, what you mentioned earlier, about Heavenly Edicts, Immortal Edicts, Demon Edicts, Buddha Edicts... have they really all appeared?"
Huode had seen records about this in some ancient texts, saying those with Heavenly Edicts served the Mandate of Heaven, those with Immortal Edicts served the Mandate of Immortals. In other words, Heavenly Edict holders worked for the Heavens, Buddha Edict holders worked for the Buddha Lord, Immortal Edict holders worked for the Immortal Lord.
Seeing Gu Qingfeng nod, Huode couldn't help but suck in a cold breath, shivering in fright. He only knew that after the Calamity, various reincarnated great powers, various treasure bodies, various immortal fates had appeared. He truly hadn't thought even these damn edict holders had shown up. This was just too damn terrifying.
"Are they all here for the Bingxuan Sect's Founding Ancestor?"
"Hard to say."
Gu Qingfeng shook his head: "Not easy to say. Some might be, some might not. If they are here for Yun Nishang, then your Yunxia Sect can't escape either. Thinking about it now, your Yanyang Heart falling into the hands of the Nine-Hua Alliance... someone might have already made a move long ago..."
"Maybe they started setting up the game long ago."
"This... is also too damn..." Huode grimaced, swallowing saliva, feeling his heart race. Suddenly, he remembered something else and asked: "Kid, you've offended both Immortals and Demons, and also offended the Heavenly Dao. If the Heavens settle old scores during the Calamity, then you definitely can't escape either, right?"
"Can't escape?"
Gu Qingfeng tilted his head back and drained his cup of wine in one gulp. Glancing at him, he sneered: "I've long been targeted."
"Targeted? By who? Edict holders?"
"By who?"
A playful smile curved at the corner of Gu Qingfeng's mouth. His narrowed eyes gradually opened as he looked up at the sky, laughing disdainfully: "The Mother of Nature."