"Old Monster Nan Qing."
Huo De puffed on his pipe, smiling as he spoke. "Long time no see."
"You...
you called...
him what?"
If each word spoken earlier had felt like a thousand pounds, then at this moment, each word uttered by the Jiangzhu Ancestor seemed to weigh ten thousand pounds. It was as difficult as a dying man's last words, a feeling of suffocation pushed to its extreme.
"You mean the kid Gu?"
When Huo De's voice reached him, the Jiangzhu Ancestor forced himself to endure the trembling in his heart, straining to ask, "The surname Gu? You said his surname is Gu?"
"That's right, the surname Gu."
Huo De's voice wasn't loud; it was casual. Yet, when it entered the Jiangzhu Ancestor's ears, it was no less than a thunderbolt striking his skull. Every inch of his skin trembled and twitched uncontrollably. His entire face turned deathly pale, completely twisted, his mind went blank, his thoughts froze, and his already shaky heart finally collapsed completely at this moment.
"Ancestor!
Ancestor!"
Xia Pan'er cried out, but the Jiangzhu Ancestor was already unresponsive. He lay paralyzed on the ground, his body rigid, pointing at Gu Qingfeng, his features contorted, eyes wide, mouth agape, consciousness utterly gone.
"Ancestor!
Ancestor, wu wu wu...
!"
Seeing that the Ancestor had stopped breathing, the young girl threw herself onto the Jiangzhu Ancestor's body, weeping and wailing.
Nearby, Shui Yunruo, Lan Feier, and Chen Yue stood, but they were merely standing. Their legs felt weak, their minds were in disarray. Gazing at the rigid form of the Jiangzhu Ancestor, the three women felt unsteady, swaying on their feet, because they realized the Jiangzhu Ancestor had actually...
actually been scared into unconsciousness.
Unconscious.
From fright.
A being who had cultivated for three thousand years, survived three longevity tribulations, whose Nascent Soul had already transformed, who could once wipe out armies with a wave of his hand—now he had been scared into unconsciousness. He had truly been scared into unconsciousness, his consciousness scattered, his heart-mind collapsed.
Heavens!
By the heavens!
The three women felt the world spin around them, staring in terror and horror at Gu Qingfeng in that space.
They had absolutely no idea why this was happening!
They completely could not understand how the Jiangzhu Ancestor could have been scared into unconsciousness by Gu Qingfeng.
The surname Gu?
What about the surname Gu?
There were plenty of people in the world with the surname Gu.
"Evil Demon!
You cannot!
You cannot harm my master!"
Earlier, Renshen had been beaten half to death by Gu Qingfeng, left with only a breath. Feihe already regarded Gu Qingfeng as an Evil Demon. Now, seeing this Evil Demon harming his master again, he knew he was no match. He had originally intended to beg the Jiangzhu Ancestor to act, but the Ancestor had inexplicably fallen unconscious. In his desperation, he looked towards the people gathered on Liuren Mountain.
"Fellow Daoists, I beg you to save the Old Master! Please, I beg you all!"
The tens of thousands from the Ten Great Sects and the Three Caves and Five Mountains gathered on Liuren Mountain weren't unwilling to act—they simply didn't dare.
This Evil Demon had caused countless casualties among the ten-thousand-strong Fenghui Sect with just three to five moves. Now, with just a few words, he had scared the Jiangzhu Ancestor into unconsciousness. How could they dare to make a move?
"Sir!"
Finally, Mingxin, the Hall Master of the Wind-Cloud Branch Hall, stepped forward, using the calmest tone he could muster to persuade, "I do not know who you are, nor what grudge you hold with Old Master Shi Tong. Your strength may be formidable, so formidable that none of us are your match. However, I still dare to advise you to stop immediately."
He paused, then continued, "Old Master Shi Tong once showed kindness to the Chixiao Sovereign and was hailed as the Sovereign's teacher. All of us in the Chixiao Head hold the Old Master in the highest respect. If anything happens to Old Master Shi Tong today, I can tell you with certainty that no matter who you are or what your status, the Chixiao Head will spare no cost to find you and avenge the Old Master!"
Seeing Gu Qingfeng remain unmoved, Mingxin, the Hall Master of the Wind-Cloud Branch Hall, was about to say more when he suddenly sensed someone approaching. He looked into the distance.
A group of over ten people shot through the void like meteors, whistling as they came.
There were elders and middle-aged men.
They all wore gray robes, their bodies surrounded by a layer of cold, sharp aura. Their radiance resembled both dragons and elephants, their presence astonishing, their majesty supreme. Moreover, the five leaders each had fierce expressions, resolute eyes, their entire beings exuding a stern, murderous intent.
The aura of these twelve was too powerful, dragon-like and elephantine, inspiring awe and fear.
Many in the area did not recognize these twelve.
But those who did, upon seeing them, revealed looks of excitement. For these twelve were none other than the Chixiao members stationed at the Wind-Cloud and Fire Cloud Branch Halls. The two leading elders were the old Hall Masters of the Wind-Cloud and Fire Cloud Branch Halls—Senior Ziyang and Senior Wei Xuan. Even Old Sen from Chixu Manor was among them.
"It's the Old Hall Masters!"
Upon seeing the two Old Hall Masters and the others, the members of the Wind-Cloud and Fire Cloud Branch Halls grew increasingly excited, rushing forward with immense enthusiasm. Not just them, but the people from the Ten Great Sects and the Three Caves and Five Mountains did the same.
For they all knew these twelve were true Chixiao.
Dragon-elephant majesty, murderous intent.
In this world, only Chixiao possessed such qualities.
No one in this world was unaware of what the two words 'Chixiao' represented.
At the end of the Ancient Era, they beheaded Immortal Demons, slaughtered ghostly fiends, guarded the four directions, and maintained peace in this world. It was no exaggeration to say that whenever people of this era heard the name 'Chixiao', a sense of reverence would arise from the depths of their hearts. Seeing a Chixiao member, they would feel immense respect and admiration.
"This Evil Demon earlier annihilated over ten thousand from the Fenghui Sect. We beseech you Chixiao Seniors to seek justice for us!"
"Seniors, this Evil Demon is cruel and inhuman. We beg you to quickly act and slay him!"
The people from the Ten Great Sects and the Three Caves and Five Mountains once again denounced Gu Qingfeng's crimes. When the Jiangzhu Ancestor had arrived, they had seen him as their lifeline, but the Ancestor had inexplicably fallen unconscious. Now, with over a dozen Chixiao members appearing, everyone believed this Evil Demon was surely doomed.
"Grandfather Ziyang, you...
you...
why did you only come now!"
Although Lan Feier was a heaven-favored daughter, she was, after all, a girl who had cultivated for less than twenty years. Her temperament, mental state, and experience were still very shallow. Witnessing Gu Qingfeng annihilate over ten thousand from the Fenghui Sect had truly given her quite a fright. Now, seeing the several elders from the Wind-Cloud Branch Hall, Lan Feier's heart-mind could no longer bear it. It instantly collapsed, and she threw herself into Senior Ziyang's arms, crying out.
"Grandfather Ziyang, he...
he..." Lan Feier pointed at Gu Qingfeng, about to say something, but to her surprise, Senior Ziyang gently pushed her into the arms of her master, Hall Master Mingxin.
This left Lan Feier utterly unable to believe it. Within the Wind-Cloud Branch Hall, aside from her master, Senior Ziyang had always doted on her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have addressed him so familiarly as 'Grandfather' without regard for seniority.
"Grandfather Ziyang..." Lan Feier stood there dumbfounded, as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Hall Master Mingxin also called out in astonishment, "Old Hall Master."
But Senior Ziyang paid no heed.
He only gazed at Gu Qingfeng in that space with a complex look filled with shock and doubt.