"I, Chiyu, will never believe in something like turning to ashes and then being resurrected from death."
Feiying also chimed in, "I heard that the real Young Lord Chiyan's mastery of the Musical Arts is unparalleled in the world. Not only could he evoke the artistic conception of a piece by playing 'Drunken Chant of the Azure Sea' on an empty zither, but he also knows all the melodies under heaven. It's said he even perfected Immortal Suhua's 'Little Green Flower Language.' Whether he's real or fake, we can test him with the Musical Arts."
"No rush. There are people who want the Mystic Tortoise in his hands more than we do, so there are also people more eager than us to find out whether he is truly Young Lord Chiyan or not."
Wuhen spoke unhurriedly, "Although not many know about the incident in the swamp lands, there are still quite a few. Li Qianhua of Blackwind Cave must know, Wei Chaoqun of the Immortal Office knows, Ding Rui of the Hunyuan Gate should have gotten the news too, and even Leng Yefei of the Yao Yue Palace has probably heard by now. The reason they haven't made a move yet is likely because they're waiting for their own forces, and some have already arrived."
Chiyu and Feiying looked around. Sure enough, whether it was the Yao Yue Palace or the Hunyuan Gate, they seemed to have brought quite a few people, and all were experts at the Daozun level.
"Not only that, but several reincarnated great powers have also arrived. I doubt they're here for the Five-Color Flower Festival."
Chiyu and Feiying exchanged a glance and hurriedly said, "Should we call some people over too?"
"Don't worry. I already notified the others as soon as that fellow surnamed Gu showed up. Barring any accidents, they should arrive soon."
Wuhen drank leisurely by himself. "All we need to do now is wait."
...
On the high platform, Elder Kumu and a group of Musical Arts masters were exchanging insights on musical artistry.
Down below, however, Daozun Xuanxin was frowning as he gazed at the sea of people in the garden, seemingly worried about something.
"Senior Brother, I've noticed you've been acting very strange today. Is something on your mind?"
Liu Qingyan, who was beside him, noticed the oddity and asked. Xuanxin glanced at her, then gathered the Eighteen Swords and Twenty-Four Young Heroes of Five-Color Mountain, leading them to a secluded pavilion. "Our Five-Color Mountain might face a major incident today."
Everyone was puzzled and didn't understand what he meant.
Daozun Xuanxin explained, "There's one thing I haven't told you. That man who calls himself Young Lord Chiyan possesses an indestructible Mystic Turtle Beast. According to Young Lord Chiyan himself, he drank the beast's blood, which is why his physical body is so powerful."
"Xuanxin, are you saying he's not the real Young Lord Chiyan? That he's an imposter?"
"Whether he is the real Young Lord Chiyan or not, I don't know. But that's not the key issue."
"Then what is the key issue?"
"Originally, not many people knew about this, and I thought it would stay that way. It seems I was negligent. These people have somehow gotten wind of the news, and it looks like they're all after the Mystic Turtle Beast in that Young Lord Chiyan's possession."
"Senior Brother, how did you figure this out?"
"Haven't you noticed the Yao Yue Palace, Hunyuan Gate, Tiger Might Family, and Immortal Office people increasing in number? And they're all bringing experts. At first, I was baffled too, but upon reflection, they must be after that Mystic Turtle Beast."
Little Qinglian asked, "Uncle Xuanxin, is it true that Young Lord Chiyan became so physically strong because he drank the Mystic Turtle Beast's blood?"
"I'm not entirely sure about that either. That's what he claimed, and the Mystic Turtle Beast in his hand is indeed indestructible. At the time, I, along with the Blackwind Twin Evils, Elder Fenglie, Miss Anran from the Immortal Office, and a reincarnated great power all attacked together, yet we couldn't even budge a single hair on that turtle. So, it's likely Young Lord Chiyan's formidable physique is related to the Mystic Tortoise."
Liu Qingyan frowned. "Moreover, I just noticed several reincarnated great powers. Could they also be here for that Mystic Turtle Beast?"
"Most likely."
Hearing this, the Eighteen Swords and Twenty-Four Young Heroes of Five-Color Mountain felt not only shock but also deep concern.
"If these people are really here to snatch the Mystic Tortoise from Young Lord Chiyan, it will inevitably lead to a great battle. Not only would the Five-Color Flower Festival be disrupted, but the Five-Color Garden would also be destroyed."
"This is the last Five-Color Flower Festival presided over by the Old Master. We can't let these people ruin it. Why don't we just drive that Young Lord Chiyan out? There's no need for our Five-Color Mountain to get involved in his affairs."
"Yes, yes!"
Little Qinglian said anxiously, "Since he's a fraud anyway, why should we care about his life or death?"
"There's no need to worry about that for now. They won't start a fight immediately."
Daozun Xuanxin said, "Whether it's the Yao Yue Palace, the Hunyuan Gate, or the Tiger Might Wang Family, they are all major powers in the Great Northwest. These individuals are also famous geniuses. Whether out of concern for their own reputations or their sect's honor, they wouldn't dare openly snatch treasures. Besides, with the Crimson-Letter Sect and the Immortal Office present, they certainly wouldn't dare brazenly seize another's spiritual treasure."
Gazing at the crowds whispering in the garden, Daozun Xuanxin continued, "Moreover, even if they had the guts, they wouldn't act rashly. Firstly, they fear Young Lord Chiyan's strength. Secondly, they fear his identity."
"Uncle, what identity does Young Lord Chiyan have? Isn't he just a fraud?"
"If he were merely a fraud, that would be one thing. But what if he isn't?"
"Senior Brother, you can't possibly believe that someone who turned to ashes can be resurrected from death, can you?" Liu Qingyan shot him a glance and asked, "Or do you believe he's truly the heir of Lord Chixiao?"
"I don't believe he is Young Lord Chiyan, nor do I believe he is the Monarch's heir. But..." Daozun Xuanxin sighed. "It's better to be safe than sorry. Nothing in this world is absolute. If he isn't Young Lord Chiyan, then so be it. But if he is, then the matter becomes grave. Think about it—someone who turned to ashes can be resurrected from death. I'm afraid only the Monarch's heir could possess such divine abilities, right?"
"Then what should we do?"
"Let's wait and see. If my guess is correct, these people will soon test whether Young Lord Chiyan is real or fake. We'll take that opportunity to see for ourselves whether this Young Lord Chiyan is genuine or not."
"Oh, right! I heard the real Young Lord Chiyan's mastery of the Musical Arts is unparalleled in the world, to the point even Immortal Suhua admitted she was inferior."
Little Qinglian said, "Senior Sister, in that case, why don't you test his Musical Arts skills? Then we'll know."
Qing Xi had the same thought.
In fact, ever since she learned that Gu Qingfeng was Young Lord Chiyan, she had wanted to spar with him in the Musical Arts. She had always been curious to see if the person even Immortal Suhua praised so highly truly possessed the rumored unparalleled mastery. Especially the rumor that the real Young Lord Chiyan could evoke artistic conception by playing 'Drunken Chant of the Azure Sea' on an empty zither—this intrigued her immensely.