Whether it was Wan Huaiyu or Qin Hao, both were low-key individuals. Since their reincarnation, they had never provoked any trouble, nor had they even been involved in any conflicts or disputes. They had always cultivated with utmost caution. Under ordinary circumstances, they naturally would not wade into this muddy water, especially when this muddy water involved a Young Lord Chiyan who made them extremely wary, even somewhat fearful.
Although, so far, they still dared not confirm whether the person at Xiao Zhe Manor was truly Young Lord Chiyan.
But neither of them was willing to gamble.
Old Senior Zhuo's relationship with both of them was quite good. The fact that they could cultivate peacefully within the Immortal Office was largely thanks to Old Senior Zhuo's help.
They did not want to stand by and watch Old Senior Zhuo provoke someone he shouldn't for the sake of a so-called Bedrock Xuanwu.
When Wan Huaiyu, Qin Hao, Elder Jin, and An Ran appeared,
the dozen or so reincarnated individuals from the Immortal Office did not take them seriously.
The reason was simple, and it had nothing to do with An Ran.
Rather, they all knew that Wan Huaiyu and the other two, back in the Four Great Domains, had on several occasions been extremely respectful towards Young Lord Chiyan, without exception bowing and greeting him upon meeting.
This was truly a disgrace to the status of a reincarnated being.
The other reincarnated individuals naturally also disdained associating with the three.
Not only them, but even the several dozen Daozun with Dao Heart or Spirit Transformation realms, like Tuofeng and Hei Ling, felt the same. Even Li Fu, Murong Tian, and the other Twenty-Four Pride Immortals were no exception, believing that Wan Huaiyu and the other two were utterly unworthy of being called reincarnated great powers. After all, their past lives were Immortals—how could they bow to a junior?
Just because he might be the heir of a Monarch?
If that was the reason, it was an even greater disgrace.
Who didn't know that Lord Chixiao had once overthrown the Immortal Dynasty of this world and was a sinner of the Immortal Dao?
How could a reincarnated being, whose past life was an Immortal, bow to the heir of a sinner of the Immortal Dao?
Especially Elder Jin, who at Wuse Mountain had actually knelt and begged for mercy from Young Lord Chiyan. Not only did he lose all face for the noble status of a reincarnated being, but he also completely tarnished the dignity of the Immortal Office, the Immortal Dynasty, and Immortals.
In their view, the three must have achieved only the status of False Immortals in their past lives.
So-called False Immortals refer to those who attained the Dao and became Immortals by obtaining great fortune, by sheer dumb luck.
Such Immortals were not few.
Especially in the late ancient era of this world, after Lord Chixiao overthrew the Immortal Dynasty, cleaved open the Immortal River, and bestowed spiritual rain upon the land, many people at that time obtained great fortune, their cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, soaring to attain the Dao and become Immortals.
This event was also famously known as the Immortal River Storm.
False Immortals, after ascending, held very low status and were despised by true Immortals. Later, when the Reincarnation Storm arrived, they were similarly looked down upon after reincarnation.
Although False Immortals were also Immortals, they had not step-by-step ascended to become true Immortals through solid cultivation, enduring the Three Disasters, Nine Tribulations, and Two Calamities. Therefore, their souls were not as sacred and radiant as those of true Immortals. Their understanding of the Immortal Dao might even be inferior to that of the Daozun of this world; some were even quite poor in the Ten Arts of the Immortal Dao.
This was no exaggeration.
Among the over one hundred reincarnated individuals cultivating in seclusion within the Immortal Office, more than half were False Immortals.
The most typical example was Young Master Toad, who was obliterated by Gu Qingfeng with a single move at Wuse Mountain.
In the eyes of ordinary people, he was a lofty reincarnated great power, someone ordinary folk dared not provoke.
However, that was only among ordinary people.
For individuals like the Twenty-Four Pride Immortals of the Immortal Office, or veteran Daozun like Tuofeng and Hei Ling who had cultivated for thousands of years, knowing that Young Master Toad's past life was merely a False Immortal, they had never taken him seriously. Young Master Toad's Ten Arts of the Immortal Dao were not only inferior to veterans like Tuofeng, but they couldn't even compare to the strongest among the Twenty-Four Pride Immortals, such as Murong Tian, Shentu Hao, or Han Feng.
Although Wan Huaiyu and Qin Hao were both relatively low-key, and no one knew the extent of their cultivation or strength, judging from their extremely respectful attitude towards Young Lord Chiyan, such behavior was likely something only False Immortals would engage in.
When Wan Huaiyu and the other two appeared, these people from the Immortal Office were particularly disdainful, not even deigning to give them a proper glance.
However, there was one exception.
It was precisely Old Senior Zhuo.
He was one of the few among the over one hundred reincarnated individuals stationed at the Immortal Office whose past life was a true Immortal. His understanding of the Immortal Dao was far deeper than others'. Coupled with his upright, generous character, and lack of the airs of a true Immortal, often lecturing on the Dao, his prestige within the Immortal Office and even the entire Great Northwest was extremely high. Not only did he not discriminate against any False Immortal reincarnations, but he also frequently offered guidance.
Of course.
His lack of disdain towards Wan Huaiyu was not because he knew Wan Huaiyu and the other were low-key, but because he treated everyone this way. He never put on the airs of a past-life true Immortal with anyone. This was also the reason why Wan Huaiyu and Qin Hao insisted on coming to persuade Old Senior Zhuo.
However, though they had the intention to persuade, Old Senior Zhuo had no mind to listen.
"You two have misunderstood. This old man came here not for that illusory Bedrock Xuanwu, but merely because I heard that Young Lord Chiyan is quite remarkable and wished to see for myself."
Wan Huaiyu trusted Old Senior Zhuo's character. He also believed the old senior was not after that Bedrock Xuanwu, but had been more or less coaxed into coming by the other reincarnated individuals, as well as Li Fu, Murong Tian, and the others. The old senior cultivated in seclusion within the Immortal Office; now that people from the Immortal Office had been killed, it was only natural, both emotionally and logically, that he would not stand idly by.
However!
Wan Huaiyu understood clearly in his heart: if the person at Xiao Zhe Manor was truly Young Lord Chiyan, whether Old Senior Zhuo was after the Bedrock Xuanwu was fundamentally unimportant. What mattered was that he would not stand idly by. As long as he stepped forward for the Immortal Office, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Old Senior, regarding the Immortal Office matter, once the three Estate Masters and the elders return, they will personally step forward to resolve it. Before the matter is fully investigated, it's better to... If you act blindly..." Wan Huaiyu was speaking when Old Senior Zhuo interrupted, "That's not the way to put it, Brother Wan. After all, we are guest elders of the Immortal Office. Now that people from the Immortal Office have been killed by this Young Lord Chiyan, how can we simply stand by and watch?"
Wan Huaiyu knew Old Senior Zhuo was both stubborn and righteous.
Righteousness wasn't a bad thing, but it was easily exploited.
At that moment, Qin Hao beside him spoke up, "Old Senior, the person at Xiao Zhe Manor possesses extraordinary power. His existence is also beyond our imagination."
As soon as Qin Hao finished speaking, before Old Senior Zhuo could respond, the others from the Immortal Office began to mock them.
"Well, if it isn't you two cowardly rats!"
"Hmph! As reincarnated beings, whether true Immortals or False Immortals, to actually bow to a youngster—you've completely shamed the face of us reincarnated ones!"
"It's fine if you're cowardly yourselves, but did you think we are as cowardly as you? To have the shameless audacity to come and stop Old Senior Zhuo—utterly disgraceful!"
The other reincarnated individuals standing beside Old Senior Zhuo looked at Wan Huaiyu and the other with disdainful sneers, their words filled with ridicule and sarcasm.