The frigid light blooming from the Bingxuan Sect resembled mist, rain, and snow all at once.
The surrounding temperature plummeted abruptly. A piercingly cold gale howled forth, its wind scraping against faces like sharp blades, causing people's heads to ache as if splitting open. The crowd gathered around the Bingxuan Sect immediately circulated their spiritual power to protect themselves. Even so, those with weaker cultivation still fainted from the cold, while even those with higher cultivation felt their heads throbbing with intense pain.
No one knew what was happening.
Suddenly.
A streak of cold radiance shot out from within the Bingxuan Sect, soaring straight upward.
At the same time, a figure appeared alongside the cold light—a woman.
A woman clad in green robes, draped in rosy light, her entire body shimmering with a haze of frost and ice. Her features were beautiful, a cinnabar dot gracing the space between her brows, and a faint, ambiguous smile played at the corners of her mouth.
When she appeared, the Nine Direct Disciples and Eighteen Chief Disciples of the Bingxuan Sect all bowed respectfully, calling out in unison, "We welcome the Sect Head!"
Simultaneously, the many elders led by True Being Yuhua also bowed in greeting.
The Sect Head?
Could she be the legendary, peerlessly talented prodigy of the Bingxuan Sect, Leng Yanqiu?
Yes.
The woman was none other than Leng Yanqiu.
She stood suspended in mid-air, her figure appearing lofty and aloof amidst the rosy light. Her exquisite face wore an arrogant expression as she swept her gaze over the crowd, the smile at her lips seeming to deepen. She nodded slightly and said with a laugh, "I have not yet formally inherited the position of Sect Head. There is no need for such ceremony for now."
Having said that, she glanced at the people from the Nine-Hua Alliance and asked, "What has happened here?"
"Reporting to the Sect Head," True Being Yuhua, leaning on her dragon-headed cane, glared furiously at the somewhat panicked Wei Hong and his group not far away. "These little beasts from the Qianzheng Hall of the Nine-Hua Alliance dared to run wild at our Bingxuan Sect! They truly have no regard for their own lives!" She then roared at them, "You little beasts! Now that you see the Sect Head of our Bingxuan Sect, why aren't you kneeling in greeting!"
What!
Greet her?
Hearing this, Wei Hong and the others were both humiliated and enraged. Their faces alternated between green and white, their teeth gritted in anger. Yet, they only dared to be angry, not to speak out. Xu Xingchen alone was already enough to make them wary, and Xu Xingchen was merely one of the Eighteen Chief Disciples. Besides him, there were nine even more formidable Direct Disciples, and a Leng Yanqiu whose true strength was unknown to all.
How could this not make Wei Hong and his group wary? How could it not make them afraid?
At that moment.
A group of over ten people came speeding through the distant sky. At their head was a stern-looking middle-aged man. Seeing this man, the previously panicked Wei Hong and his companions immediately became excited. Without waiting for the other party to arrive, they rushed forward to meet him.
"We pay our respects to the Great Commander."
The newcomers were none other than more people from the Nine-Hua Alliance, and the man at the lead was none other than the Great Commander of the Qianzheng Hall, Li Tian!
"Great Commander, the Bingxuan Sect's audacity grows by the day! Just now, that Xu Xingchen even killed Wu Yang..." The appearance of Great Commander Li Tian surprised Wei Hong and the others, but it also bolstered their confidence. Without delay, he immediately recounted the situation, originally hoping that Li Tian would stand up for them. To his surprise, Li Tian didn't say a single word in response. He didn't even react after hearing the report.
"Great Commander..." Wei Hong was about to say something when Li Tian cut him off.
"Who gave you the gall to take action at the Bingxuan Sect?"
Huh?
These words not only stunned Wei Hong on the spot but also left the other members of the Nine-Hua Alliance bewildered. They stared wide-eyed at each other, looking back and forth, all utterly confused.
Now Wu Yang had been killed by someone from the Bingxuan Sect.
As the Great Commander of the Qianzheng Hall, not only did he not step forward to address it, but he was now instead reprimanding Wei Hong for taking action at the Bingxuan Sect?
How could this be?
Just as they were puzzling over this, Great Commander Li Tian's next words shocked and dumbfounded them even more.
"Hurry up and apologize to Sect Head Leng!"
Apologize?
This...
Wei Hong was completely dumbstruck, rooted to the spot like a statue.
"Is what I said still not clear enough? Hurry up and apologize to Sect Head Leng!"
Great Commander Li Tian was tall and imposing, clad in armor, his face stern and his eyes filled with a murderous intent. He roared, "Apologize!"
This furious roar caused Wei Hong and the others to tremble uncontrollably, their hearts quaking with fear. Not daring to delay any longer, they hastily bowed and offered their apologies to Leng Yanqiu. Afterward, Li Tian cupped his hands and said, "I have failed in my discipline. I hope Sect Head Leng will not take offense."
This scene truly left the surrounding onlookers dumbfounded.
In their impression, members of the Nine-Hua Alliance had always held themselves aloof and superior. Now, with one of their own killed, not only did the Nine-Hua Alliance not react with anger or action, but they actually came forward to apologize—and the one apologizing was none other than Great Commander Li Tian of the Qianzheng Hall!
On the other side, Leng Yanqiu didn't seem the least bit surprised. She still stood suspended in mid-air, her beautiful face wearing an arrogant expression, her eyes filled with contempt, that ambiguous smile still playing on her lips. She said lightly, "Commander Li, you are too courteous."
Li Tian raised his head, looked at Leng Yanqiu, and added, "Lord Qianhua asked me to convey to Sect Head Leng that he will definitely attend your sect's celebration ceremony three days from now."
"Very good."
Leng Yanqiu nodded, replying indifferently.
"I have other matters to attend to and must take my leave for now."
With that, Li Tian led Wei Hong and the others away in haste.
Watching this scene, the crowd gathered at the Bingxuan Sect wore expressions of shock and confusion.
They couldn't understand why the Nine-Hua Alliance would be so polite to Leng Yanqiu.
Could it be that the Bingxuan Sect's growing power was starting to make the Nine-Hua Alliance wary?
No!
Absolutely impossible!
At the very least, whether it was Wei Qing or Elder Hui, they both knew the Nine-Hua Alliance absolutely could not be wary of Leng Yanqiu.
Having infiltrated the Nine-Hua Alliance for a hundred years, they were deeply aware that the Alliance's strength far exceeded imagination. Never mind that Leng Yanqiu hadn't unlocked the Profound Mystery of the Bingxuan Heart; even if she had, the Nine-Hua Alliance wouldn't give her a second glance, let alone be wary of her.
As for why Li Tian would be so polite to Leng Yanqiu, Elder Hui might not understand, but Wei Qing knew clearly in his heart: there were people within the Nine-Hua Alliance who had been involved in the matter concerning the Mother of Nature all along. To be precise, even if the powerful expert behind Leng Yanqiu wasn't a member of the Alliance, they were certainly connected to the Nine-Hua Alliance.
"Elder Yuhua, has that Gu Qingfeng from the Yunxia Sect been found yet?"
True Being Yuhua shook her head, blaming herself. "This old one is incompetent! The Yunxia Sect vanished without a trace overnight. As for that little beast surnamed Gu... this old one truly doesn't know where he's hiding..."
"The Yunxia Sect vanished without a trace overnight? Heh..." Leng Yanqiu let out a contemptuous laugh, then summoned Xu Xingchen. In a stern voice, she commanded, "Xingchen, you and the others go investigate what happened. Hmph! A dog who doesn't know his own mortality, daring to kill people from my Bingxuan Sect! No matter who he is, I, Leng Yanqiu, will tear him to pieces! Dig three feet into the ground if you have to, but find him for me!"
"As you command."
Upon receiving the order, Xu Xingchen led the Eighteen Chief Disciples away.