Wind-Cloud Branch.
In a garden, Lan Feier and Shui Yunruo stood guard over Little Jin'er.
Little Jin'er seemed to have suffered a great fright, her pretty face somewhat pale, yet her bright eyes held a stubborn determination.
Standing beside them was the hall master of the Wind-Cloud Branch, also Lan Feier's master, Mingxin.
In addition, twelve elders stood nearby.
These elders all wore simple robes, their faces weathered and etched with the marks of time. However, the intense, ferocious aura emanating from them made everyone present feel a deep sense of dread. Their eyes, filled with a murderous solemnity, were especially terrifying.
These twelve elders, standing like ancient pines, solitary peaks, radiating an overwhelming killing intent, were none other than the twelve Chixiao People stationed at the Wind-Cloud and Fire-Cloud Branches: Ziyang, Wei Xuan, Old Sen...
One had to admit, Chixiao People were truly Chixiao People. Even now, surrounded and watched by countless people from the Four Great Regions, not a trace of fear showed on their faces.
Indeed.
Who didn't know that these Chixiao People were the heroes and warriors of the Chixiao Sect from the Ancient Era? Back when they followed the Chixiao Monarch in his campaigns across the land, they had slain Immortals and Demons, slaughtered ghosts and monsters. They were masters who had waded through seas of blood. What kind of scene hadn't they witnessed? Let alone being surrounded by these people, even if surrounded by Immortals, they would show no fear whatsoever.
As time passed, more and more people from various major sects arrived from all directions. Their numbers were even greater than those at the previous Taixuan Platform.
However.
Whether it was the Yuqing Sect, the Zishan Sect, the Huwei Family, or the Murong Family, none of them made a move.
It wasn't that they didn't want to, but that they were wary.
Although they were all Daozun who had cultivated their Primordial Spirits, among the twelve Chixiao People, aside from Old Sen whose foundation had deteriorated due to injuries years ago, the rest were all Daozun. Moreover, their Primordial Spirits had been tempered with the blood of countless enemies, imbued with a bloodthirsty, ferocious aura. It was said that the divine abilities cultivated by the Chixiao People were also forged through countless battles—grand, sweeping techniques, each move aimed for a fatal strike.
Who didn't know that every Chixiao Person possessed a bloodthirsty aura? Who didn't know that every Chixiao Person harbored the Dragon-Elephant Spirit?
No one was unaware of how terrifying the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant was.
The dragon shakes the heavens, the elephant subdues the earth. The wrath of the dragon-elephant devours the sun and moon, consumes the stars. Its savage, domineering might forces all living beings to submit.
Although the Dragon-Elephant on the Chixiao People was merely the Dragon-Elephant Spirit, it was still born from the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant. Perhaps it couldn't shake heaven and earth or devour the sun and moon, but it was absolutely not something ordinary people could contend with.
The Dragon-Elephant Spirit, slaying Immortals and Demons, drinking from the Nine Heavens, defying the Heavenly Path—was this just empty talk?
Absolutely not!
At the very least, those who had lived through that era knew it wasn't just talk, but a real existence.
Unfortunately, the Daozun from these major powers present had all experienced that era. Precisely because they had experienced it, they were wary.
Of course.
This wasn't the main reason for their wariness. What truly made them wary were the two words: Chixiao Sect.
Those who had lived through that era knew that the Chixiao Sect and the Crimson-Letter Sect were two different concepts.
Every Chixiao Person might belong to the Crimson-Letter Sect, but that didn't mean the Crimson-Letter Sect was equivalent to the Chixiao Sect.
In the world today, most of the so-called Crimson-Letter Sect members were people gathered after the Chixiao Monarch was judged by the Immortal Dao and demons ran rampant, when the Old Master issued the Crimson Upper Seal Token and founded the Crimson-Letter Sect. People like Mingxin, the hall master of the Wind-Cloud Branch, and the various elders were among them, as were those like Lan Feier who joined the Crimson-Letter Sect after the great calamity.
To be honest, the big shots from the major powers didn't put these so-called Crimson-Letter Sect members in their eyes at all. Forget fighting, they wouldn't hesitate to kill them if needed.
As for the true Chixiao People, they avoided provoking them if possible.
The Chixiao Monarch might be gone, but those mighty leaders from the Chixiao Sect back then—those Heavenly Gang, those Earthly Fiends, those Banner Masters, those Incense Masters—were all still entrenched in this world, each a hegemon in their own right. Who knew what consequences provoking them might bring?
"You are all respected masters of the Four Great Regions," Ziyang said expressionlessly, his voice deep. "Yet now you join forces to bully a young girl who can't even tie up a chicken. Truly an eye-opener for this old man."
"Aren't you ashamed?"
"Ziyang, you should be aware that not long ago, our Yuqing Sect's Heir Apparent, Huo Dong, was brutally murdered by that Evil Demon surnamed Gu at the Yunxia Sect ruins," said the Sect Head of the Yuqing Sect. Though wary of the Chixiao People, he was only wary, not afraid. Moreover, he believed that neither his cultivation years nor his strength were inferior to Ziyang's. With sufficient confidence, his tone was naturally firm. "That little girl has the Soul-Link Bracelet refined by that Evil Demon surnamed Gu. I hope you will not interfere in this matter and hand the girl over to me."
"Don't you wrong my big brother! My brother is not an Evil Demon!" Little Jin'er retorted stubbornly.
"Little girl, whether that surnamed Gu is an Evil Demon is not for you to decide," the Yuqing Sect Head said, staring at Little Jin'er, a glint of killing intent in his eyes. "I advise you to hand over the Soul-Link Bracelet. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?" Ziyang countered.
"Ziyang, that Evil Demon surnamed Gu didn't just kill our Yuqing Sect's Heir Apparent, but the heirs of over forty sects across the Four Great Regions. You'd best not interfere in this matter, or it won't end well for anyone..." The Yuqing Sect Head's implication was clear: even if the twelve Chixiao People dared to interfere, they would not let it go.
After a pause, the Yuqing Sect Head added, "Moreover, I have consulted Elder Fang, the Incense Master. That Evil Demon surnamed Gu is not a descendant or successor of the Chixiao Monarch. You've all been deceived by him. Since that's the case, why protect an Evil Demon like him?"
To be honest.
The twelve Chixiao People, including Ziyang, had always believed that since Gu Qingfeng knew how to condense the Crimson Upper Seal Token, even if he wasn't a descendant or successor of the Monarch, he must be connected to the Monarch.
That's what they initially thought.
But after meeting Elder Fang, the Incense Master, they began to have doubts. Especially after meeting Su Hua and learning that after the great calamity, many people had imitated the Crimson Upper Seal Token so perfectly it could pass for the real thing, even veterans like the Great Overlord Wang Fu—who had followed the Monarch the longest—couldn't tell the difference.
Among them, only Old Sen had personally witnessed Gu Qingfeng condense the Crimson Upper Seal Token.
The key point was, back in the Chixiao Sect days, Old Sen had only seen the real Crimson Upper Seal Token two or three times.
Therefore, the more the twelve Chixiao People thought about it, the more suspicious they became.
Whether it was real or not, the twelve Chixiao People truly couldn't be sure.
Over the past few days, they had also been searching for Gu Qingfeng, but hadn't found him either.
Now, Little Jin'er had the Soul-Link Bracelet refined by Gu Qingfeng, which could locate him. However, the twelve Chixiao People hadn't done so. In their view, since Gu Qingfeng had killed so many heirs, showing himself would mean certain death. By then, even if they wanted to protect him, they couldn't. There were simply too many experts here today—aside from those present, a large number of Daozun were watching from the shadows.
Facing so many experts, the twelve Chixiao People might not fear them, but when it came to protecting a single person, none of them had that confidence.