From within the Bingxuan Sect, a procession of several dozen people emerged. Everyone focused their gaze and saw that they were all Elders of the Bingxuan Sect. The one who had shouted to stop them was an old woman with a sinister expression. Many in the crowd recognized her—she was the Great Elder of the Bingxuan Sect, True Being Yuhua.
Those familiar with the Bingxuan Sect knew that within the sect, the 'Han' generation were the Guardian Elders, the 'Wu' generation were the Supreme Elders, and the 'Yu' generation were the Council Elders. The Guardian Elders and Supreme Elders were in perennial Seclusion, so it had always been the Yu generation who handled all the affairs of the Yunxia Sect.
The women of the Bingxuan Sect were cold, ruthless, sinister, and vicious, with the Yu generation being the worst of all. The True Being Yubing who had been annihilated by Gu Qingfeng at Crimson-Letter Manor was one such example, and the True Being Yuhua before them was even more so.
Over the years, if anyone dared to provoke the Bingxuan Sect, or even just speak a single bad word about it, True Being Yuhua would, at the very least, cut out their tongue. In severe cases, she would exterminate their entire family. Things like flaying and skinning—True Being Yuhua had done them all. In her lifetime, she had also castrated quite a few men.
Within the Bingxuan Sect, True Being Yuhua was the lofty Great Elder whose word was law. Outside, she was a fearsome, inhumane old crone whom everyone dreaded.
"How dare you trespass upon my Bingxuan Sect?"
True Being Yuhua leaned on a dragon-headed walking stick that resembled bone jade. Her grayish-white hair was coiled high atop her head. Her expression was dark, her eyes like torches. A single sweep of her gaze sent shivers down one's spine. She led the Bingxuan Sect's Elders forward, staring at Wei Hong opposite her as if she didn't hold him in the slightest regard.
"So it's True Being Yuhua," Wei Hong said, coming to a halt. He placed his hands behind his back, squinted his eyes, and looked at True Being Yuhua with a faint smile playing on his lips. "We were passing by and noticed the Bingxuan Sect emitting a strange, radiant light. Might I ask what this light signifies?"
"Since it is a light emitted by our Bingxuan Sect, naturally it is the Bingxuan Radiance."
True Being Yuhua took two more steps forward, fixing her gaze on Wei Hong with an aggressive posture. She barked sharply, "What of it? Do you juniors have any objections?"
True Being Yuhua held no regard for Wei Hong and his group, and Wei Hong's side similarly held no regard for her. Seeing True Being Yuhua's attitude, someone from the Qianzheng Hall of the Nine-Hua Alliance immediately couldn't hold back and wanted to take action. Tension mounted between the two sides.
True Being Yuhua leaned on her dragon-headed walking stick, her expression arrogant, her words disdainful. "Ignorant juniors who don't know the meaning of death! If you dare to make a move at my Bingxuan Sect today, I'll ensure none of you return alive!"
"True Being Yuhua, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you please," Wei Hong glared at her, equally scornful. "Make sure we don't return alive? With just a few old fossils like you?"
As his words fell, a sudden change occurred within the area.
The radiant light enveloping the Bingxuan Sect abruptly condensed and transformed. Within it surged an incredibly pure Bingxuan spiritual essence. Simultaneously, the surrounding temperature dropped even lower, and the frost grew thicker.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Eighteen beams of light suddenly burst forth. With each beam's eruption, a figure materialized out of thin air. There were eighteen people in total. Each was enveloped in a rainbow halo, shimmering with crystalline ice radiance, appearing exceptionally majestic and dazzling.
These eighteen were none other than the famously renowned Eighteen Chief Disciples of the Bingxuan Sect.
The leader was a tall, slender figure dressed in blue-flowered robes, holding a White Bone Jade Flute. He looked exceptionally handsome and extraordinary, a wicked smile playing on his lips, his entire body shimmering with crystalline ice radiance.
Among the eighteen, his aura was the strongest, his radiance the most brilliant.
This person was precisely the head of the Bingxuan Sect's Eighteen Chief Disciples, Xu Xingchen.
When the Bingxuan Sect's Eighteen Chief Disciples appeared, the area immediately erupted into an uproar.
Because everyone knew that the Bingxuan Sect's Nine Disciples and Eighteen Chief Disciples had entered Seclusion ten years ago.
As for why they entered Seclusion, some said it was for the mysteries of the Bingxuan Heart, others said it was to contend with the Nine-Hua Alliance.
Now, ten years later, no one knew whether they had truly unlocked the mysteries of the Bingxuan Heart, or what gains the Bingxuan Sect's Eighteen Chief Disciples had achieved after a decade of Seclusion.
"Brother Wei, it's been ten years. I trust you've been well."
Xu Xingchen slowly descended. The air around him instantly crystallized into frost. With each step he took, the ground beneath him was instantly frozen solid.
He walked forward just like that, walking forward with a smile on his face, yet exuding an incomparable chill.
The closer he got, the lower the surrounding temperature fell, and the thicker the frost in the air became—it was truly bizarre.
"So it's Brother Xu! Congratulations on emerging from Seclusion!"
On the opposite side, Wei Hong appeared unchanged on the surface, but that was merely superficial. Internally, he was already shocked beyond words.
Both he and Xu Xingchen were among the first batch of geniuses after the Great Calamity, so they were acquainted. Of course, acquaintance was one thing; Wei Hong had never held Xu Xingchen in any regard. Even though Xu Xingchen, like him, had opened Four Bands of Purple Radiance, Wei Hong still looked down on him. Not only could he overwhelm him in cultivation, but also in actual combat prowess. Ten years ago, Xu Xingchen couldn't even withstand a single sword strike from Wei Hong.
Now, seeing Xu Xingchen again after a decade, Wei Hong was deeply astonished. He could clearly sense that Xu Xingchen possessed a very powerful spiritual aura—an aura that was profoundly mysterious and wondrous, akin to extreme ice and extreme cold, almost identical to the spiritual essence contained within the radiant light emitted by the Bingxuan Sect.
"Brother Wei, if I recall correctly, ten years ago, it seems I couldn't even withstand a single sword strike from you."
Xu Xingchen stopped, lowering his head, a smile on his lips. He didn't look at Wei Hong, merely toying with the White Bone Jade Flute in his hand.
His entire person gave off an intensely cold feeling—his presence, and even more so his voice, which sounded like a cold wind blowing into one's ears: "I wonder, ten years later today, would you dare to withstand a single sword strike from me?"
"Oh?" Wei Hong let out a light sound of surprise, feigning composure. His eyes fixed intently on Xu Xingchen, as if trying to see through him.
"Xu Xingchen, ten years ago you were Wei Hong's defeated opponent. Do you really think a decade of Seclusion can turn the tables?"
Wei Hong didn't speak; the one who spoke was another young man beside him. He was also from Qianzheng Hall, similarly possessing Four Bands of Purple Radiance. Many recognized him—his name was Wu Yang.
He looked at Xu Xingchen with extreme disdain, sneering coldly, "It's nothing more than the Bingxuan Sect. When it comes down to it, it's just a minor sect. What mysteries does the Bingxuan Heart hold? Hmph! Never mind whether you've unlocked them or not, even if you have, so what? Today, I, Wu Yang, will see exactly what you're capable of!"
Whoosh!
The arrogant young man named Wu Yang took a step forward. Radiant light shimmered around him—it was colored light, Four Bands of Purple Radiance.
Purple Radiance foundation, Purple Radiance true body, Purple Radiance dantian, Purple Radiance Golden Core!
Wu Yang unleashed his full power. His Three-Cycle Golden Core began to operate, and surging spiritual power erupted forth. Instantly, the colored flames around Wu Yang swelled several times in size, coiling upward like a fiery dragon, roaring and hissing.
Four Bands of Purple Radiance.
Three-Cycle Golden Core.
His strength was indeed terrifying.
Everyone could feel the might of Nature's Four Bands of Purple Radiance from Wu Yang's spiritual power, layer upon layer of profound and myriad mysteries.
"Xu Xingchen, I'll take your sword strike!"