"Hey, Xiao You, Xiao Lian, are you two little girls secretly talking bad about me again?"
Hmm?
Suddenly, a mischievous voice rang out. Xia Pan'er and Mu Xiaoyou turned around to see a big-eyed little girl who had appeared beside them at some unknown time. The girl looked to be about twelve or thirteen, dressed in a green silk dress, blinking her large eyes, appearing exceptionally clever and lively. Who else could it be but Jin'er?
"Wow! Jin'er!"
Xia Pan'er and Mu Xiaoyou were greatly surprised, and their surprise quickly turned to excitement and delight. They cried out, "Jin'er, when did you get here? I didn't see you!"
"Me? I've been here for a while. I saw you two sneaking around here earlier, so I came over to say hello. Who would've thought... hmph! You actually dared to talk bad about me."
"Hey, hey, Jin'er, weren't you with Sister Su Hua? How come you came alone? Where's Sister Su?"
Accompanying Jin'er were Master Wenzhu, Ouyang Ye, and Ouyang Feiyue, but Su Hua's figure was nowhere to be seen. Both Xia Pan'er and Mu Xiaoyou anxiously inquired. Not just them, but Chen Yue, Lan Fei'er, and Shui Yunruo nearby also wanted to know. They were all acquainted with Su Hua, and their relationships were not shallow. Learning that Su Hua had come to the Four Great Regions had made them very happy.
Unexpectedly, Jin'er began to play coy, saying she didn't know.
"Hey, you dead Jin'er, stop being so mysterious, okay? We all know Sister Su Hua came to the Four Great Regions on her first day to pay respects to Lord Chixiao, then went to Yunxia Sect, and left with you afterwards."
"Yeah! That's exactly right, but Sister Su Hua didn't stay long before leaving. Sister Su Hua said she still had matters to attend to..."
"Really?"
Mu Xiaoyou was skeptical.
"You dead girl, why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, ask my grandpa."
Master Wenzhu nodded in response, saying, "Immortal Su Hua has just arrived in the Four Great Regions, so she likely has many matters to attend to. However, since today is the day of the Dao lecture, Immortal Su Hua will surely arrive on time. Please wait a moment, young ladies."
As time passed bit by bit, more and more people arrived from all directions.
The sect heads of various major sects exchanged pleasantries with each other, their smiles not quite reaching their eyes.
Meanwhile, the heir apparent direct disciples of the various major sects were all engaged in fierce, arrogant competition with one another.
Young people, after all, were full of vigor and high spirits. When they had nothing better to do, they loved to compete and show off. Now that Immortal Su Hua was going to deliver a Dao lecture here, and nearly all the prominent figures of the Four Great Regions were gathered, this was a rare opportunity for any young person.
If one could win Immortal Su Hua's favor, fame throughout the world would be assured, and soaring to great heights was entirely possible.
Even if they couldn't win the Immortal's favor, receiving her praise or commendation would absolutely be enough to make a name for themselves.
Taking a step back, even if they couldn't win the Immortal's favor or her praise, merely being able to showcase themselves before such a large crowd would multiply their fame and prestige within the Four Great Regions in the future.
Of course.
No one would choose to establish their authority at the place where Immortal Su Hua was lecturing on the Dao.
But that didn't mean they wouldn't clash.
And within the venue, the most intense clashes were happening among four groups.
One group consisted of the direct disciples of various sects, led by Heir Apparent Disciple Huo Dong of Yuqing Sect and Heir Apparent Disciple Yan Juncai of Jinding Sect.
Another was a group of Taixuan Young Masters, led by Heir Apparent Disciple Tu Gao of Seven Stars Sect and Young Master Murong Xian of the Murong Clan.
Then there were the noble young masters, led by Young Master Wang He of the Huwei Family and Young Gang Leader Kou Cheng of the First Great Gang.
And finally, the Chizi Head group, led by Young Helm Master Ma Zhengtian of the Leiyun Branch and Young Helm Master Xu Jintong of the Dianyun Branch.
Most of these people were the Young Masters of the Thirty-Six Huage of the Nine-Hua Alliance, and also the inheritors of the Thirty-Six Giants of the Four Great Regions. Each possessed great status, great background, great fortune, and great opportunities.
Especially Huo Dong, Tu Gao, and Wang He—these three were the most prominent. They were both Huage Young Masters and members of the Ten Little Hidden Dragons of the Four Great Regions. They could be said to be the most well-known figures in the entire Four Great Regions since the Calamity began, and idols among the younger generation. Many people looked up to them and followed their lead.
Within the Four Great Regions, it was also these three who competed the most fiercely and violently. Since the Calamity began a century ago, the number of times these three had clashed was countless. Almost every few years, after emerging from seclusion, they would compete to determine who was superior.
Huo Dong, naturally, needed no introduction. Yuqing Sect was hailed as the greatest sect in the Four Great Regions, bar none. As the Heir Apparent Disciple of Yuqing Sect, his future was already boundless. After Yuqing Sect joined the Nine-Hua Alliance, it was like adding wings to a tiger. And since Huo Dong was the Heir Apparent Disciple of Yuqing Sect, whether in terms of cultivation, innate talent, or fortune, he could be described as terrifyingly strong.
His cultivation was at the Nascent Soul stage, with twelve transformations.
For cultivators, forming a Nascent Soul was difficult, but making the Nascent Soul undergo transformations was even harder than ascending to the blue sky. Yet Huo Dong had not only achieved Nascent Soul transformations but had reached twelve transformations. The so-called Nascent Soul transformations meant each transformation represented a new level of heaven; the more transformations, the more refined, powerful, and vast the Nascent Soul's spiritual power became.
It was no exaggeration to say that Huo Dong's cultivation level was not inferior to, and might even surpass, those Nascent Soul masters present who had cultivated for thousands of years.
Being able to become the Heir Apparent of Yuqing Sect, Huo Dong's strength was far more than this. In addition, he possessed the Nine-Layer Chromatic Spirit of the Great Nature Five Realms, acquired inheritance plus an innate treasure body. He inherited Yuqing Sect's Yuqing Lingdong, and his treasure body was the Flawless Body. Of course, as a Huage Young Master, he undoubtedly possessed a Taixuan Seed within him.
As for Huo Dong's current strength, no one knew for sure. It was only known that three years ago, he single-handedly severely injured over a dozen Nascent Soul experts and simultaneously beat an old Nascent Soul monster until he vomited blood and fled. His strength was truly terrifying.
What was most praised was Huo Dong's aptitude and comprehension. It was said that after he condensed his Golden Core back then, he achieved a minor revolution every three months, a major revolution every six months, and a breakthrough every nine months. In just a few short years, he perfected his Golden Core through eighty-one great revolutions.
After forming his Nascent Soul, it was heard he achieved a minor transformation every three years, a major transformation every six years, and a breakthrough every nine years.
This cultivation speed was astonishing and also what Huo Dong took the most pride in.
Huo Dong was like this, and Tu Gao was no slouch either. He was the Heir Apparent Disciple of Seven Stars Sect, and everyone knew that Seven Stars Sect was a sect fostered by the Nine-Hua Alliance, hailed as the direct lineage of the alliance. Because of this, Tu Gao was extremely arrogant, looking down on everyone, especially Huo Dong, the Heir Apparent of the number one sect, whom he regarded as a thorn in his side.
And Tu Gao, whether in cultivation, innate talent, or fortune, was not inferior to Huo Dong.
Among the Thirty-Six Huage Young Masters, these two also engaged in the most intense covert and overt struggles, both wanting to claim the position of leading Huage Young Master.
Besides these two, there was also Young Master Wang He of the Huwei Family. As everyone knew, before the Calamity, the Huwei Family was a graded family enfeoffed by the Immortal Court. Their ancestors had served the Immortal Court and were the renowned Tiger Might Generals of the ancient era. The Huwei Family was also a famous Immortal-Blessed Family that made a name for itself throughout the world in ancient times.
Although Wang He's branch was merely a collateral line of the Huwei Family, relying on its powerful background, it had been a hegemon of the Four Great Regions before the Calamity.