In this world, regardless of gender, age, cultivation level, or fortune, most held some degree of reverence for Monarch Chixiao. Hearing Ding Rui's arrogant words now, many felt extremely displeased.
Especially the disciples of Wuse Mountain. Due to Liu Qingyan and Senior Kumu, Wuse Mountain shared deep ties with Monarch Chixiao. The Wuse Mountain disciples present immediately stepped forward to angrily rebuke Ding Rui. Among them, Qing Xi's junior sister, Qing Lian, did not mince words as she sarcastically remarked,
"Honestly, look at yourself. How dare you spout such nonsense here? If it weren't for the intervention of several of our Wuse Mountain's grand-uncles back then, forget your master, even your entire Hunyuan Gate would have been wiped out by the Monarch long ago. How could someone like you be here spouting such arrogance now?"
"So what if Monarch Chixiao was powerful? He was just a sinner of the Immortal Dao, ultimately judged by our Immortal Dao and reduced to ashes."
The one who spoke these words was not Ding Rui, but someone else.
Everyone looked over to see another group of people swaggering out from within the gardens, over a dozen in total.
As these people approached, the crowd immediately parted to make way, not daring to block their path.
For everyone knew these people came from the Immortal Office, and most were Immortal Office attendants.
So-called attendants were essentially the menial laborers of the Immortal Office.
However.
No one dared to call them that.
Everyone knew that not just anyone was qualified to be called an Immortal Office attendant. Among the attendants arriving now were some who had been famous experts in the Great Northwest during the Ancient Era, and others who were outstanding geniuses of the Current Era. Moreover, their cultivation levels were all at the Daozun realm.
Yet.
The handsome man leading them was even more remarkable.
He was none other than Wei Chaoqun, one of the Great Northwest's renowned Twenty-Four Immortal Prodigies of the Immortal Office.
This man's Nascent Soul had already taken form.
A formed Nascent Soul—such cultivation was absolutely rare in the Great Northwest. One must know that even the elders of major powers like Yaoyue Palace and Hunyuan Gate mostly remained at the Great Perfection Nascent Soul realm, not daring to attempt the transformation. Many old-timers in the Great Northwest who had cultivated for thousands of years were the same.
But once a Nascent Soul took form, its strength was unimaginable to ordinary people.
If that were all, he would still be far from deserving the title of one of the Immortal Office's Twenty-Four Immortal Prodigies.
It was said Wei Chaoqun possessed a staggering seventy-seven spirit hues, already approaching the great perfection of eighty-one hues—truly terrifying.
Moreover.
Beyond that, he had refined a Radiant Holy Ring within his body. Everyone knew what that was—it was hailed as the Immortal's Blessing. Those who possessed it were Immortal Officials, holding a status a cut above the rest.
Wei Chaoqun's appearance with over a dozen attendants was truly startling.
No one dared to refute his statement about Monarch Chixiao being judged by the Immortal Dao—firstly, because it was fact, and secondly, because he was an Immortal Official backed by the Immortal Office.
However, Qing Lian seemed unafraid, stubbornly saying, "So what if he was judged by the Immortal Dao? How do you know the Monarch won't reincarnate?"
"Heh, if Gu Tianlang could reincarnate, he would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?" Wei Chaoqun said, hands behind his back, a spring-like smile on his face as he walked from the crowd toward the stage. "Moreover, our Immortal Office, and even the Immortal Court, have been waiting for his reincarnation. We're not afraid of him reincarnating; we're afraid he doesn't dare to."
Qing Lian wanted to say more but was stopped by Qing Xi, who signaled her not to pay these people any mind or argue with them.
Though still fuming, Qing Lian said, "Senior Sister, aren't you the one who most admires the Monarch? Now that they're slandering him like this, not only do you not speak up for him, but you even stop me."
Qing Xi responded lightly, "What's there to argue about? Whether the Monarch is a sinner of the Immortal Dao or not, the world has its own answer in their hearts. Why bother debating with them?"
"Xier has truly grown up. Lian'er should learn more from your senior sister," Liu Qingyan said from not far away, adjusting her guqin. She raised a cup of wine, tilted her head back slightly, and drained it in one go. Her hazy eyes gazed at the empty cup as she murmured, "Besides, the Monarch passed away many years ago. What's the point of arguing about his rights and wrongs, merits and faults, truths and falsehoods now?"
Qing Xi's willow-like brows arched. "Master, why are you drinking again?"
"What?" Liu Qingyan looked at Qing Xi, smiling as she asked, "Is that not allowed?"
Qing Xi pouted. As a disciple, how could she say it wasn't allowed? But she knew her master only drank when unhappy. Since returning yesterday, her master had been sullen and unhappy. When Qing Xi asked the reason, her master wouldn't say, which worried her deeply.
"Ha! I completely agree with Daoist Qingyan's words." Another voice rang out. "A dead man long gone—arguing about his rights and wrongs, merits and faults truly holds no meaning."
Another group had arrived.
And this group's identity was equally extraordinary.
They were from the Crimson-Letter Sect's Changhong Branch Hall, and five or six of the famous Nine Dragons and Eighteen Elephants of the Changhong Branch Hall had come.
Five of the Eighteen Elephants, including Flying Eagle.
Leading them was one of the Nine Dragons, Chi Yu.
The Changhong Branch Hall was one of the three giants among all Crimson-Letter Sect branch halls in the Great Northwest.
Sitting in charge at the Changhong Branch Hall alone were over twenty Chixiao veterans. Beyond that, there were three old incense masters and an old banner master from the Chixiao Sect's Black Nether Banner back in the day.
The Nine Dragons and Eighteen Elephants of the Changhong Branch Hall were famous throughout the Great Northwest, each a one-in-ten-thousand genius with immense fortune.
Especially Chi Yu, one of the Nine Dragons.
His cultivation and fortune were on par with Wei Chaoqun, one of the Immortal Office's Immortal Prodigies. He was also a Daozun with a formed Nascent Soul, possessing over seventy spirit hues nearing great perfection—an extraordinary level. While Wei Chaoqun possessed a Radiant Seed for protection, Chi Yu had refined a Dragon-Elephant Seed within his body, no less than the Immortal Court's Radiant Holy Ring. Moreover, both men carried a mysterious and eerie aura of fortune about them. As for what kind of fortune it was, no one knew to this day.
Chi Yu's appearance leading a group from the Changhong Branch Hall was utterly shocking.
However, what shocked everyone wasn't their presence at the Wuse Flower Festival, but his earlier statement.
A dead man long gone?
Arguing about merits and faults held no meaning?
Was he talking about Monarch Chixiao?
Who in this world didn't know that the Crimson-Letter Sect of the Current Era evolved from the Chixiao Sect of the Ancient Era?
Who didn't know that the Chixiao Sect, which dominated the Ancient Era, was founded single-handedly by Monarch Chixiao?
Who didn't know that the name Crimson-Letter Sect was chosen precisely to commemorate Monarch Chixiao?
Chi Yu was, after all, one of the Nine Dragons and Eighteen Elephants of the Crimson-Letter Sect's Changhong Branch Hall. His grandfather was an old Chixiao veteran sitting in charge at the Changhong Branch Hall. How could he show such disrespect to Monarch Chixiao?
Regarding this, the crowd in the gardens murmured with clear disapproval.
Chi Yu seemed not to care. He smiled casually and said, "The legendary overlord Monarch Chixiao of his time is dead. The Chixiao Sect that dominated the Ancient Era is destroyed. The era that belonged to him ended long ago when he was judged by the Immortal Dao and reduced to ashes... The Current Era belongs to us, the young."
With a smile, he leaped up, flying onto the stage. Turning to face the crowd, he continued, "Moreover, there's one more point I hope everyone firmly remembers: the Chixiao Sect is the Chixiao Sect, and the Crimson-Letter Sect is the Crimson-Letter Sect. The Chixiao Sect was founded by Monarch Chixiao, but the Crimson-Letter Sect was not. The prestige and fame of the Crimson-Letter Sect in the Current Era today were not forged by Monarch Chixiao, but by us, through our own efforts!"