Upon hearing of the arrival of the Crimson-Letter Sect members, the Dharma Aspect Grand Venerables among the Nine-Star Immortal Officials inside the hall instantly grew alert. Many of them felt a jolt of apprehension, their tension palpable. However, seeing that none of these Crimson-Letter Sect arrivals were old Chixiao People, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
They had all lived through that era at the end of the Ancient Times, the era that belonged to the Chixiao People. The madness of the Chixiao People remained fresh in their memories, a source of deep-seated fear. Even now, the mere thought of it made many shudder with lingering dread, and quite a few still carried psychological scars.
Their fear of the Chixiao People, however, did not translate to fear of the Crimson-Letter Sect. Not only were they unafraid, they couldn't even be bothered to spare them a glance. A Crimson-Letter Sect without the Blood Fiend Dragon-Elephant Spirit was no different from ordinary cultivators in their eyes, and thus utterly beneath their notice.
A considerable crowd had also gathered around the Immortal Estate. Virtually every notable leader from sects, families, and guilds across the Great Northwest was present. Watching the helmsman of the Crimson-Letter Sect's Yunhua Branch Hall arrive with some Elders, they felt puzzled. They also thought these people were utterly ignorant of their own insignificance. How dare a mere Branch Hall, without a single Chixiao Person among them, barge into the Immortal Estate? They truly had no regard for their own lives.
One must remember, the Immortal Estate here was guarded by over a thousand Dharma Aspect Grand Venerables who were Nine-Star Immortal Officials, over a hundred Hundred Tribulation Elders, and dozens of Immortal Dynasty Nobles. Setting aside the others, the Immortal Officials of the Northwest Immortal Estate alone could wipe out everyone from this Yunhua Branch Hall cleanly.
Just as everyone was anticipating a good show, a scene that greatly astonished them unfolded. The helmsman of the Yunhua Branch Hall and several dozen Elders landed and, to everyone's shock, all knelt down in obeisance.
"Your humble official, Ma Xiang, pays his respects to the Noble Immortal Officials!"
This act of homage from Ma Xiang and the others left many in the hall utterly bewildered.
This Ma Xiang was the helmsman of the Crimson-Letter Sect's Yunhua Branch Hall, and a disciple of the old Chixiao People to boot. How could he be kneeling to the Immortal Officials of the Immortal Dynasty?
Wait!
He referred to himself as 'your humble official'?
Could it be that...
Whoosh!
A silvery-white radiance burst forth from Ma Xiang's body. The light swirled around him like stars, forming what seemed like a ring of starlight. No!
Not one ring, but four.
Witnessing this, the crowd was stunned. They could all see that the four rings of light around Ma Xiang were none other than the Radiant Protections of the Immortal Dynasty. For Ma Xiang to possess four of them meant he was already a Four-Star Immortal Official.
Heavens!
Ma Xiang, the helmsman of the Crimson-Letter Sect's Yunhua Branch Hall, had accepted an enfeoffment from the Immortal Dynasty at some unknown time. Moreover, judging by the Immortal Protections on his body, he had likely been refining them for quite a while.
When did this happen?
No one knew.
Even An Ran of the Northwest Immortal Estate was unaware. Not just her, but even her grandfather, An Qiongshan, the Estate Lord of the Immortal Estate, had no knowledge of this matter.
However, Murong Han, also an Estate Lord, showed no surprise whatsoever. Clearly, he had known about this all along. Watching the astonished expressions of the crowd, Murong Han appeared quite pleased with himself. "Esteemed Lords," he announced, "Ma Xiang and the Elders of the Yunhua Branch Hall accepted enfeoffment from the Immortal Dynasty a full ten years ago. They are now Four-Star Immortal Officials of our Immortal Dynasty."
Liuguang Jiaoying showed no surprise at the Yunhua Branch Hall's obeisance either, for he too had long been aware of this. Moreover, he knew that the Crimson-Letter Sect Branches that had accepted enfeoffment were not limited to just Yunhua.
Sure enough.
Not long after the Yunhua Branch Hall's arrival, another Crimson-Letter Sect Branch Hall's helmsman arrived with his Elders and knelt in homage.
Was that all?
Amidst the crowd's gasps of surprise, Crimson-Letter Sect Branch Halls arrived one after another. In total, nine Branch Hall helmsmen came with their Elders to kneel and pay respects. Like Ma Xiang, they had all long since accepted enfeoffment from the Immortal Dynasty and were Four-Star Immortal Officials.
This scene left many speechless with shock, An Ran among them.
Although she knew that Northwest Estate Lord Murong Han had been secretly trying to win over Crimson-Letter Sect Branch Halls, she had thought it was merely an attempt at persuasion. In her mind, the Crimson-Letter Sect had always been fundamentally opposed to the Immortal Dynasty; it was impossible for them to accept its enfeoffment. Furthermore, every Branch Hall had old Chixiao People overseeing it. Even if members of the Crimson-Letter Sect wanted to accept enfeoffment, they wouldn't dare.
But what she never could have imagined was that Crimson-Letter Sect Branch Halls had accepted the Immortal Dynasty's enfeoffment a full decade ago—and nine of them at that, from the helmsmen down to the Elders.
These were the helmsmen and Elders of Crimson-Letter Sect Branch Halls! Each one was either a disciple or a blood relative of the old Chixiao Person overseeing their Branch Hall. And now they had all accepted enfeoffment from the Immortal Dynasty. Did those old Chixiao People know?
The answer was certain.
They absolutely did not know.
If they did, these people likely wouldn't be alive.
Since the dawn of the Present-Ancient Era, most of those old Chixiao People overseeing the Crimson-Letter Sect had chosen to go into seclusion, cutting themselves off from the world. Who knows what they would think if they learned that their most trusted disciples had long ago accepted enfeoffment from the Immortal Dynasty.
Subsequently, another Crimson-Letter Sect Branch Hall arrived, numbering several dozen people.
An Ran looked up and recognized them at a glance. This was the Changhong Branch Hall overseeing the Star-Moon Great Domain, also hailed as one of the three most prestigious among the over eighty Crimson-Letter Sect Branch Halls in the Northwest.
Looking further, she saw Helmsman Ming Hui, over twenty Elders, and even the famed Nine Dragons and Eighteen Elephants of the Changhong Branch Hall—Gao Yuan, Lei Guang, and Qi Hang were all present. Even Wan Dongfang, the leader of the Nine Dragons whose cultivation had been crippled by Gu Qingfeng earlier, was there. So too were Wu Hen, Fei Ying, and Chi Yu, whose cultivation had been crippled at Wuse Mountain by Gu Qingfeng.
Could it be that...
Had Helmsman Ming Hui of the Changhong Branch Hall, along with the Nine Dragons and Eighteen Elephants, also accepted enfeoffment from the Immortal Dynasty?
No!
They had not.
At least, An Ran could see that these people bore no Immortal Protections of the Immortal Dynasty on their bodies.
But if they hadn't accepted enfeoffment, then why had they come?
She didn't know.
And she didn't dare to think too deeply about it.
"Changhong Branch Hall Helmsman Ming Hui pays his respects to the Noble Immortal Officials!"
After Ming Hui knelt, the over twenty Elders of the Changhong Branch Hall and the Nine Dragons and Eighteen Elephants also knelt to the ground. Ming Hui clasped his hands and said, "We have long harbored the intention to submit to the Immortal Dynasty, though we have not yet formally accepted its enfeoffment. We beseech the Noble Immortal Officials to bear witness!"
As his words fell, Immortal Estate Lord Murong Han rose to his feet and declared, "I report to the Esteemed Lords, Ming Hui has indeed long since pledged allegiance to our Immortal Dynasty. It is merely due to the lack of a suitable opportunity that he has not yet formally accepted the Immortal Dynasty's enfeoffment."
Watching this scene, An Ran could scarcely believe her eyes. The Nine Dragons and Eighteen Elephants of the Changhong Branch Hall were all descendants of the old Chixiao People! Wan Dongfang, leader of the Nine Dragons, and Helmsman Ming Hui—one was a descendant of Old Man Huo Toutuo, and the other was his direct disciple. And Old Man Huo Toutuo had been one of the banner lords of the Chixiao Sect's Black Nether Banner back in the day. How could the descendants and disciples of Old Man Huo possibly submit to the Immortal Dynasty?
"Although I hold the position of Helmsman of the Crimson-Letter Sect's Changhong Branch Hall," Ming Hui proclaimed, clasping his hands, "my heart has long belonged to the Immortal Dynasty. The Immortal Dynasty governs this world with the Radiant Great Dao, bestowing grace upon all under heaven—a path I have yearned for over many years. I beseech the Noble Immortal Officials to accept us."
He continued, "From this day forward, we are no longer members of the Crimson-Letter Sect. If the Immortal Dynasty seeks to eradicate the Crimson-Letter Sect, we are willing to serve as the vanguard for the Immortal Dynasty!"
Wan Dongfang, leader of the Nine Dragons, whose cultivation had been crippled, was in a very weak state. Nevertheless, he too clasped his hands and declared, "I...
am also willing to uphold righteousness by severing familial ties, and personally execute those Chixiao criminals!"