Gu Qingfeng knew that before the Calamity, some great powers had long begun making preparations, laying down schemes in secret, all for the purpose of seizing the opportunity when the world's origin was reborn after the Calamity to alter karma.
The matter of Yun Nichang of the Bingxuan Sect also proved this point.
The Yunxia Sect was merely a very weak sect. Although the Yanyang Heart it inherited came from Yun Nichang's hand, not many knew this secret. Even if they did know, they should have taken the Bingxuan Heart of the Bingxuan Sect along with it. Yet, they specifically only took the Yanyang Heart of the Yunxia Sect.
This made Gu Qingfeng suspect that someone had done it deliberately.
Moreover, it was someone who knew him extremely, extremely well. Otherwise, they couldn't have deduced that his first branch of karma was the Yanyang Heart. Add to that the inexplicable, immense spiritual pressure that struck like a solitary moon during the Liuren Mountain incident.
This couldn't help but make Gu Qingfeng think of one person.
Jun Xuanji.
This was a woman who gave him a headache, a woman he couldn't see through, and a woman who made him endlessly conflicted.
In this lifetime, Gu Qingfeng had never feared anyone. Jun Xuanji was the sole exception.
It wasn't exactly fear.
He just didn't want to see this woman again.
This woman wearied his heart and strained his spirit. If possible, he hoped never to see her again.
As for whether the mastermind behind taking the Yanyang Heart was Jun Xuanji, Gu Qingfeng couldn't be sure. He didn't even know if Jun Xuanji had already reincarnated.
He hoped not.
...
Changhong Great Domain, Taixuan Platform.
At this moment, the place was packed with people. As far as the eye could see, it was densely crowded everywhere, countless and uncountable. The scale was absolutely no less than a top-tier grand event. Even the area within a hundred miles of Taixuan Platform was a sea of people. One could imagine just how many there were, and more were continuously arriving from all directions.
It was the end of the year, and the significant centennial deadline was at the end of the month. Major sects, families, and associations from the Four Great Regions had all returned from their training journeys abroad, and those in seclusion cultivation had emerged one after another.
Despite the huge crowd, order was not chaotic.
Not only was it not chaotic, it appeared quite orderly.
Almost every sect, family, or association that arrived would first have their leading sect head or clan head find a spot, arrange their own people, then fly to the very center of Taixuan Platform.
Anyone who had listened to Fairy Su Hua expound the Dao before knew this was a rule established by Fairy Su Hua.
All sect heads must be responsible for everyone in their sect.
If disputes arose or anyone caused chaos, they were to leave immediately and would not be welcome next time. In other words, if anyone dared to cause trouble here, they would not only lose the qualification to listen to Fairy Su Hua's Dao lectures forever but would also be despised by everyone.
In fact, the consequences were far more severe. One must know that Fairy Su Hua was hailed as the contemporary goddess, with numerous admirers. If you caused trouble at the goddess's lecture venue, her admirers naturally wouldn't let you off. Such incidents hadn't happened just once or twice, but many times. Although Fairy Su Hua had explicitly stated that no one was allowed to pursue the matter, those who caused trouble at the lecture venue still met with no good end. Over time, no one dared to cause trouble at the venue anymore.
Therefore, anyone who came to listen to the Dao lecture at Taixuan Platform would behave very properly.
After all, no one wanted to lose the qualification to listen to the Dao, be despised by the masses, or face annihilation by a bunch of the fairy's admirers after she left.
The sun had just risen. It was early morning, still some time before the lecture. The gathered crowd chatted while gazing toward the very center of Taixuan Platform, the liveliest and most eye-catching place in the entire venue.
Almost all the notable figures from the Four Great Regions were gathered there. This was a kind of tacitly accepted rule.
Of course, the good spots should be reserved for the important figures.
Even if people arrived early, they very tacitly left the prime circle of spots closest to Taixuan Platform vacant, yielding them to the highly respected seniors.
Such as the giants and big shots from various great domains.
Such as the Elders from Yuqing Sect, Jinding Sect, and Qixing Sect.
Such as the Elders from Xiaoxian Valley, Yunxin Hall, and various hidden realms.
Such as the Huowu Family, the Murong Family, and other ancient clans.
Although the giants—those millennia-old Nascent Soul monsters—hadn't come, these present individuals were also extraordinary. They were the ruling figures of the major powers and the most famous people in the Four Great Regions over the past few centuries.
After the Calamity, most of the older generation ruling figures of the major powers chose to step down and enter seclusion. The newly ascended sect heads and elders were almost all their carefully cultivated successors.
Such as the Deputy Sect Head of Yuqing Sect, True Being Qianhua.
Such as the Grand Elder of Jinding Sect, True Being Gaofeng.
The Valley Master of Xiaoxian Valley, True Being Qingzhu.
And the Hall Master of Yunxin Hall, Xiao Shanrou.
Huowu Xue of the Huowu Family.
The Helm Master of the Dianyun Branch Hall, True Being Xingguang.
The Deputy Helm Master of the Leiyun Branch Hall, True Being Longsheng.
Before the Calamity, they were already renowned figures. For example, True Being Qianhua of Yuqing Sect, Gaofeng of Jinding Sect, and the Helm Masters of the Dianyun and Leiyun Branch Halls were among the famous Ten Hidden Dragons before the Calamity, each possessing extraordinary aptitude and Fortune.
As for Valley Master Qingzhu of Xiaoxian Valley, Hall Master Xiao Shanrou of Yunxin Hall, and Huowu Xue of the Huowu Family, they were among the Ten Phoenix Hairpins of the Four Great Regions before the Calamity.
Seven or eight of the former Ten Hidden Dragons were present today, and five or six of the Ten Phoenix Hairpins.
However, today's gathering wasn't limited to the Ten Hidden Dragons and Ten Phoenix Hairpins. There were also the Ten Lesser Hidden Dragons and Ten Lesser Phoenix Hairpins from after the Calamity.
The number one direct disciple of Yuqing Sect, the future Yuqing Sect Head, Huo Dong.
The number one direct disciple of Jinding Sect, the number one direct disciple of Qixing Sect, the young helm master of the Dianyun Branch Hall, Xu Jintong, and the young master of the Leiyun Branch Hall, Ma Zhengtian.
Almost all of the Ten Lesser Hidden Dragons had come.
Besides the Ten Lesser Hidden Dragons, many of the Ten Lesser Phoenix Hairpins were also present.
Such as Lan Fei'er of the Fengyun Branch Hall, the inheritor of the hidden realm Taixing Cave, Shui Yunruo, and the inheritor of the Huowu Family, Huowu Chenyue, among others.
Almost everyone knew that whether they were the Ten Lesser Hidden Dragons or the Ten Lesser Phoenix Hairpins, their cultivation strength might not match the old seniors, but their innate aptitude and Fortune were absolutely unique. Each possessed at least two or three types of acquired or innate Fortune, such as acquired Fortune like the Great Nature Colored Spirit, inherited sect seeds, or innate Fortune like Treasure Bodies, bloodlines...
And most importantly, whether acquired or innate, their Fortune was of the kind with immense potential.
Take Lan Fei'er, for example. Her Great Nature Ninefold Colored Spirit was a top-tier colored spirit. Her innate Treasure Body was the Sea Immeasurable Treasure Body. Many clearly remembered that during the last Dao lecture, Fairy Su Hua had publicly stated that Lan Fei'er's Sea Immeasurable Treasure Body had enormous potential. She was just still young and hadn't yet unleashed the power of the Treasure Body. As she gained deeper understanding of her own Treasure Body, once she comprehended the Sea Immeasurable Treasure Body fully, she would become extremely powerful.
Similarly, there was Huowu Chenyue's Phoenix bloodline. Her bloodline was the only one in the Huowu Family to have mutated, containing a much higher concentration of Phoenix heritage than the Phoenix bloodlines of other family members. Once comprehended, she would undoubtedly be remarkable.