During the last Dao Lecture Assembly, Ling Feng had caused Tu Gao to lose face, and Tu Gao had held a grudge ever since. He had always wanted to find an opportunity for revenge, but Ling Feng's talent was too high, and his cultivation speed was simply too fast. Every time he emerged from seclusion, he made breakthrough progress. This time, he had been in seclusion for three years, and no one knew just how high his cultivation had reached.
Tu Gao was considering testing him, but just then, another voice came from somewhere.
"The Dao Lecture Assembly hosted by Su Hua Fairy is livelier each time."
The voice wasn't particularly loud or thunderous like when Ling Feng arrived, but everyone present could hear it clearly. It was very gentle, like a spring breeze, giving a comfortable feeling, with a tone as if chatting with an old friend.
Everyone looked over and saw over a hundred people majestically riding the wind towards them from mid-air.
If Ling Feng's arrival with a large group of Taixuan Young Masters had surprised everyone, then at this moment, when they saw this group of over a hundred people arriving, it was no longer surprise but shock.
Because without exception, all those arriving were elders, big and small, of the Nine-Hua Alliance. It was no exaggeration to say that these people controlled over half of the Nine-Hua Alliance. However, leading them was a young man with a smile on his face.
This young man was exceptionally handsome. Though he wore only a seemingly ordinary blue robe, he gave off a very noble feeling, especially with the composed and serene demeanor he naturally exuded, which was quite elegant. The smile at the corner of his mouth was also like him—calm and gentle.
When they saw this person, whether it was Huo Dong or Wang He, even the arrogant Tu Gao and the proud Ling Feng, their expressions all changed sharply in surprise.
They all knew this person.
His name was Situ Zhengnan.
He was one of the Twelve Kings of the Nine-Hua Alliance.
Those familiar with the Nine-Hua Alliance almost all knew that the so-called Twelve Kings were the twelve disciples of the alliance leader, Hua Xiong. Precisely because they were the personal disciples of Alliance Leader Hua Xiong, their status and position were unimaginable, absolutely surpassing any sect. Even the Qixing Sect, which claimed to be the direct lineage of the Nine-Hua Alliance, had to respectfully address these twelve as 'Young Masters'. Because of this, they were called Kings.
The Twelve Kings were very mysterious; few had seen them, and no one knew their cultivation strength.
This Situ Zhengnan was considered one of the more active among the Twelve Kings, but still, no one knew his true strength. They only knew that the elders of the Nine-Hua Alliance were extremely respectful towards him, and the people around him were all experts who had reincarnated through possession.
"It has been three years since we last parted in haste."
Situ Zhengnan landed on the Taixuan Platform, looked at Su Hua, and said with a faint smile, "Fairy, I trust you have been well?"
Su Hua nodded, responding with a smile.
Others might not know Situ Zhengnan's origins, but that didn't mean Su Hua didn't. She clearly knew that Situ Zhengnan's master, also the Nine-Hua Alliance Leader Hua Xiong, was a person dispatched by the Immortal Dynasty.
"I heard the Fairy is holding a Dao Lecture on the Taixuan Platform today. My master originally intended to come personally, but urgent matters called him away, and he truly couldn't make it back. He specifically instructed me to fully cooperate with the Fairy's lecture."
Situ Zhengnan, like a refined gentleman, said courteously, "Today, anyone from the Nine-Hua Alliance is at the Fairy's disposal."
"Thank you, but it's not necessary. Everyone is being very quiet."
"Oh? That's excellent."
With Situ Zhengnan's arrival, the major leaders and big shots from the Four Great Regions were almost all present, which also signaled that the Dao Lecture Assembly was about to begin.
Those who had attended previous Dao Lecture Assemblies knew that Su Hua Fairy would invite several locally respected Old Seniors to accompany her in lecturing each time. After all, there were simply too many attendees, and after the lecture, there were questions to answer. One person couldn't handle it all, hence the invitation of several Old Seniors to assist.
The Old Seniors invited for this Dao Lecture Assembly were similar to the last time.
Among them were the Deputy Branch Master, also the Grand Elder of the Thundercloud Branch, Real Person Long Sheng.
The Deputy Sect Head, concurrently Grand Elder of the Yuqing Sect, Real Person Qian Hua.
The Grand Elder of the Jinding Sect, Real Person Gao Feng.
And also the Grand Elder of Xiaoxian Valley, the Grand Elder of Cloud-Heart Hall, the Grand Elder of the Murong Family, and the Grand Elder of the Huwei Family.
These people were all Old Seniors with deep seniority in the Four Great Regions. They might not have acquired innate fortunes, but each was an old Nascent Soul monster who had cultivated for thousands of years, with vast and unfathomable cultivation. Whether in life experience, understanding of cultivation, or comprehension of the Immortal Dao, they were not something the young Hidden Dragons and Phoenixes could compare to.
Especially the Grand Elder of the Thundercloud Branch. He was Wei Jiaojiao's grandfather, an old Nascent Soul monster who had cultivated for four thousand years. He was already an Old Senior in the Four Great Regions back then. Later, after Lord Chixiao was judged and demons and monsters ran rampant, he joined the Chizi Head, leading the masses to slay many demons and monsters, establishing a mighty reputation. Though he wasn't a Chixiao Person who followed Lord Chixiao and bore no Dragon-Elephant Totem, due to his deep seniority and military achievements, he held high prestige in the Four Great Regions.
Wei Jiaojiao's arrogance and tyranny relied precisely on this old man. And those bullied by Wei Jiaojiao dared to be angry but not speak out, also because of this Old Senior's face.
Of course, those accompanying the lecture also included some Nine-Hua Alliance Elders who came with Situ Zhengnan.
As for the sect heads of various major sects and those so-called Ten Hidden Dragons and Phoenixes, they were not accompanying the lecture. They had cultivation, they had fortunes, they had strength, but their seniority was lacking, and their comprehension of the Immortal Dao was far inferior to those Old Seniors. This wasn't something that could be grasped overnight; it required daily accumulation over time.
"Shall I introduce a few of the lecture companions to the Fairy?"
Situ Zhengnan's voice came, and everyone felt very puzzled. Looking around the Four Great Regions, all the Old Seniors qualified to accompany the lecture were seated here. The other old Nascent Soul monsters from the major sects had not come. They didn't know who Situ Zhengnan wanted to introduce.
After obtaining Su Hua Fairy's agreement, Situ Zhengnan looked towards the crowd and smiled, "Elder Jin, since you've come, why not show yourself?"
Elder Jin? Which Elder Jin?
Everyone was very puzzled and looked over accordingly. In the crowd, they saw an old man leaning on a cane. The old man seemed somewhat gloomy.
Looking at this old man, everyone was even more puzzled inside, because no one recognized him.
"I wonder if Elder Jin would be willing to accompany the Fairy in lecturing?"
The gloomy old man's voice, like his person, gave a very gloomy feeling, "Young Master Situ jests. How could this old one be qualified to accompany the Fairy in lecturing?"
"Haha, Elder Jin is too modest."
Situ Zhengnan said with a faint smile, "If even a great being like Elder Jin, who has reincarnated through the cycles, is not qualified to accompany the Fairy in lecturing, then I ask, who in our Four Great Regions would dare claim such qualification?"