Within the Nine-Hua Alliance, Qianzheng Hall.
In a garden, a man who appeared to be around thirty years old sat upright in a chair, holding an ancient book which he was perusing with great interest. He wore a light cyan robe, his features not particularly handsome, giving off an air of calm detachment. A faint, gentle smile graced his lips, as mild as a spring breeze.
This was Qianzheng Hall.
And the man was none other than the Hall Master of Qianzheng Hall, Si Qianhua.
He was also one of the more low-key and mysterious hall masters among the eighty-one hall masters of the Nine-Hua Alliance.
No one knew his cultivation level.
No one knew his true strength.
He had never fought anyone.
His speech and demeanor were quite refined, neither arrogant nor impatient, and unlike other hall masters who carried an imposing aura, he was very low-key. Always had been.
At this moment, he sat there properly, unhurriedly flipping through the ancient book.
Before him, a maidservant was carefully brewing tea. Several elders stood in the garden, one of whom, a white-robed elder, was reporting something.
"Sir, the news is basically confirmed. Ancestral Patriarch Zhu Xia of the Bingxuan Sect intends to have Leng Yanqiu form a Dual-Cultivation Dao Companion bond with that Gu Qingfeng from the Yunxia Sect."
"Heh..." Si Qianhua gave a faint smile, not looking up, continuing to peruse the book as he said softly, "This matter is becoming more and more interesting, more and more complicated."
He paused, picked up the fragrant tea, took a gentle sip, and continued, "At first, I thought the Bingxuan Heart and the Yanyang Heart were just ordinary spirit treasures, at most containing some slightly more profound mystical power. But as the investigation deepened, I realized things were not that simple."
"Behind one Bingxuan Heart lies a legend concerning the mysterious founding ancestor of the Bingxuan Sect, Yun Nishang... ice sealing a thousand miles, frost and snow swirling... I hear the Bingxuan Heart is a treasure of the Great Nature."
"As for the other Yanyang Heart, behind it also lies a legend—one about the Chixiao Monarch. It's said that the reason the Chixiao Monarch was able to dominate this world back then relied on the Yanyang Heart of the Yunxia Sect."
Si Qianhua spoke in a light, gentle tone, sipping tea and reading his book, smiling as he said, "And then, I don't know when it started, but a story began circulating within the Nine-Hua Alliance. It said that by fusing with the Yanyang Heart and then dual-cultivating with the Bingxuan Heart, one could obtain the power of the Great Nature and comprehend its true essence."
"However, it was only after I obtained a Taiyin Seed from that mysterious cave abode that I realized things were far, far more complicated than I had imagined."
Recalling the Taiyin Seed he had obtained earlier, Si Qianhua's originally relaxed tone gradually turned serious, his expression becoming rather puzzled. He pondered for a long while before shaking his head, as if there was something he couldn't be sure about. He asked again, "Regarding this matter with the Bingxuan Sect, has the Alliance taken any action?"
"After the news spread, Young Lord Wenyan and Young Lord Tianxiang both sent people to the Bingxuan Sect to persuade Ancestral Patriarch Zhu Xia. Both were refused. Later, Young Lord Luowen personally led people there, but he was also refused and even driven out in the end. In a rage, Young Lord Luowen finally issued a harsh threat, warning Ancestral Patriarch Zhu Xia that if she dared to have Leng Yanqiu form a Dao Companion bond with Gu Qingfeng, he would annihilate the Bingxuan Sect."
"Heh, these playboy young masters of the Alliance are truly amusing."
Si Qianhua shook his head with a smile. "Never mind the Yanyang Heart, even the Yanyang Seeds derived from it—whether they'll get a turn is still an unknown. Yet they're all scrambling to set their sights on Leng Yanqiu."
"I hear that at the end of the year, the Alliance will distribute some Yanyang Seeds. Presumably, their families are confident of obtaining one. Otherwise, these playboys wouldn't be fighting so frantically to form a Dao Companion bond with Leng Yanqiu."
The white-robed elder sighed. "Perhaps in their view, as long as they win Leng Yanqiu's favor and dual-cultivate with her later, they can obtain the power of the Great Nature and comprehend its true essence."
"Just a bunch of wishful-thinking, self-righteous playboys."
Closing the ancient book, Si Qianhua stood up and stretched. "What about Long Fei? Any movement on his side?"
"There's no news from Young Lord Long for now, but..." The white-robed elder pondered for a moment, then changed tack. "But I received word that the Bingxuan Sect's Jade Flower True Person went to see Young Lord Long."
"Is that so."
Si Qianhua merely uttered these two words softly, then fell silent.
"One must say Young Lord Long's methods are superior. He quietly drew Leng Yanqiu to his side without any fanfare. The two often interact, and by the looks of it, Leng Yanqiu also has intentions of dual-cultivating with him."
"Although Long Fei is young, his natural talent is remarkable, and his schemes run deep. He is a very promising young man."
"With Young Lord Wenyan, Young Lord Tianxiang, Young Lord Luowen, plus Young Lord Long Fei, tomorrow's Succession Grand Ceremony of the Bingxuan Sect will be quite lively. Only..." As the white-robed elder spoke, he seemed to remember something and couldn't help but voice his confusion. "Only, I've thought it over and over and still can't understand why Ancestral Patriarch Zhu Xia of the Bingxuan Sect insists on having Leng Yanqiu form a Dual-Cultivation Dao Companion bond with Gu Qingfeng? Is it just to follow the dying wish of the Bingxuan Founding Ancestor? But she clearly knows the Yanyang Heart isn't in Gu Qingfeng's hands, but in ours, the Nine-Hua Alliance."
"There is only one possibility."
"May I ask what the Hall Master refers to..."
"Ancestral Patriarch Zhu Xia believes that the one who will ultimately fuse with the Yanyang Heart must be Gu Qingfeng. Other than that, I really can't think of any other reason."
"This..." The white-robed elder's expression froze in astonishment. "On what basis does Ancestral Patriarch Zhu Xia think Gu Qingfeng alone can fuse with the Yanyang Heart?"
"That is an excellent question!"
Si Qianhua slightly closed his eyes, furrowed his brows, took a deep breath, and murmured, "Yes, on what basis does Ancestral Patriarch Zhu Xia think Gu Qingfeng can fuse with the Yanyang Heart? Perhaps I should ask, on what basis does that Gu Qingfeng qualify?"
Who was Gu Qingfeng?
What was his identity? What was his background?
This matter, Si Qianhua had been investigating all along. But after investigating for so long, he hadn't uncovered any information about Gu Qingfeng, not even a tiny bit. That person seemed to have appeared out of thin air. He carried no aura of turbidity, nor any aura of purity. He was neither a reincarnated person, nor a body-snatcher reborn, nor a person of destiny.
First, he had no precious physique.
Second, he had no bloodline.
He didn't even have a Great Nature Color Spirit.
His cultivation level was clearly not high, yet his spiritual power was abnormally powerful, and his physical body was terrifyingly formidable.
Old Sen of the Crimson-Letter Manor kneeling to him, the Yunxia Sect disappearing for several days then reappearing, Wei Qing's silence, Liu Piaopiao throwing herself into his embrace, plus the Bingxuan Ancestral Patriarch designating him as Leng Yanqiu's Dao Companion—all these things indicated that Gu Qingfeng's existence was extraordinary, mysterious, and bizarre.
So mysterious it made one wary, so bizarre that many experts of the Nine-Hua Alliance dared not rashly test him, even including him, a body-snatcher reborn.