Hong Tianduan froze, turning to look toward the exit of the Cyan Nether Sword Tower.
From the exit, Hong Yu, dressed in a white Sword Robe, slowly walked out. A calm, faint smile touched his lips. "Third Elder," he said, "what are you doing here? Don't tell you were waiting for specifically?"
Although the Third Elder had supported him with ulterior motives, Hong Yu still held a favorable opinion of him, as he lived by the principle of repaying every kindness many tis over.
But the Third Elder just stared dumbly at Hong Yu, speechless.
After arriving at the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, he had also inquired about Hong Yu through various channels. When he heard the rumors, Hong Tianduan had been quite shocked.
The talent he displayed upon entering the Sword Sect, which was enough to grant him direct entry into the Inner Sect; the ti he thrashed Chen Xing in the Task Hall; his brilliant performance during the Sect mission in Liger Ravine; and even his breathtaking genius during the Outer Sect promotion tournant—all of it struck Hong Tianduan's heart like heavy mountains.
Even though he had already held Hong Yu in high regard, he had never expected Hong Yu to achieve so much in just a few short months.
But…
Undeniably, while Hong Tianduan was shocked, he also suspected that the rumors were likely exaggerated.
Only now, seeing Hong Yu with his own eyes, did he fully understand. The rumors weren't exaggerated at all; if anything, they seed to have downplayed the truth.
Hong Tianduan himself had a Mid-Stage Earth Soul Realm Cultivation. But when he looked at Hong Yu, he felt that the young man before him was a colossal mountain, one that could only be looked up to, never climbed. An invisible pressure caused the blood in Hong Tianduan's veins to slow by half a beat.
"Third Elder, what are you spacing out for? It's been over half a year. You don't recognize anymore?" Hong Yu said with a grin.
"Uh? Ah!"
Hong Tianduan finally snapped back to reality. He gave an awkward laugh to hide his shock, sighed lightly, and lanted, "I really don't recognize you anymore! I can't believe that in just a few months, the little guy from before has grown to such a level. Even an old man like is far from being your match!"
The mont the words left his mouth, Hong Tianduan regretted them.
Although there was no direct evidence that Hong Tiande had died at Hong Yu's hands, anyone with a discerning eye could piece together so clues from the traces left behind.
'Hong Tiande's strength was comparable to my own. If Hong Yu killed him over half a year ago, how could I possibly be his match?'
He didn't dwell on it for too long. His expression turned slightly serious as he said, "Hong Yu, I was waiting for you here because I have sothing to tell you."
"What is it?"
Hong Yu paused, his brow furrowed.
Hong Tianduan's serious expression made him feel a pang of unease. He pressed, "Did sothing happen to Yaoyao?"
"Yaoyao is doing very well under Master Xue's shelter. For the past six months or so, she's been learning the Alchemy Technique from him. I hear she's making excellent progress."
Hong Tianduan shook his head, then relayed what he had discovered last night.
Hong Yu was taken aback. "You're saying that at the foot of Cyan Cliff Peak, you overheard soone say they were going to control two people to hold in check?"
"Yes!"
Hong Tianduan thought for a mont and said, "One of them seed to refer to the mastermind as so 'Senior Brother Guo'."
"Senior Brother Guo? Guo Fei?"
Hong Yu's gaze darkened. He frowned in thought. 'Control two people? Who could they control? Wait…'
Hong Yu's expression changed abruptly.
He glanced at Hong Tianduan. "Third Elder, you head to the Inner Sect first. I'm going back to Cyan Cliff Peak for a mont. I'll be there soon!"
"Alright!"
Hong Tianduan nodded decisively.
Hong Yu spun around and shot away, his speed so fast that Hong Tianduan was left stunned for a long mont.
...
'Guo Fei, I hope this has nothing to do with you. Otherwise…'
Hong Yu sprinted all the way.
He executed the Seven-Star Step without pause, like a teor streaking across the dawn sky, heading straight for Liu Liyun's stone house on Cyan Cliff Peak.
As soon as he arrived outside the stone house, Hong Yu shoved open the Stone Gate.
When he saw the scene inside, his entire body trembled. A powerful montum erupted from him, like that of an enraged king.
Inside the stone house, there was no sign of Liu Liyun or Gao Zijie. Only the faint scent of dicine lingered in the air.
"Hm?"
Hong Yu's eyes narrowed. He flashed forward and swept his hand over the stone bed, discovering a piece of white paper.
As his gaze swept over the paper's contents, Hong Yu's expression turned incredibly grim.
Written on the white paper were the words: Junior Brother Hong, don't forget our arranged battle. Make sure you're not late!
"Guo Fei, so it really was you…"
Fire spewed from Hong Yu's eyes. As Star Fire surged in his palm, the white paper instantly turned to ash.
If he still didn't understand by now that Guo Fei was behind Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie's disappearance, he might as well go find a block of tofu and smash his head against it.
Hong Yu's eyes glinted as he pondered how to handle this matter.
'Report it directly to the Sect?'
'That's clearly the worst option.'
'Setting aside whether the Sect would even investigate thoroughly for my sake, just alerting them would inevitably tip off my enemies. If that happens, Guo Fei and his cronies might get desperate and decide to get rid of the bodies. That's a result I absolutely cannot accept.'
'Besides, Guo Fei's note left no real openings. Even if I presented it as evidence, no one would believe it.'
Thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning. Hong Yu realized with frustration that the only way to resolve this was to deal with Guo Fei directly.
'If there were enough ti, I could ask the Wind and Snow Association for help.'
'But the Inner Sect Disciple promotion tournant is about to start. There's simply no ti to find soone from the Wind and Snow Association to help.'
At this thought, Hong Yu gritted his teeth, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes. "I can only take this one step at a ti. I'll deal with it when I run into Guo Fei during the promotion tournant."
"However, I just hope he doesn't do anything too drastic by then. If Lao Liu and Zijie are missing even a single hair, I'll have no choice but to fight Guo Fei to the death!"
His words sounded calm, but they carried a chilling and grim fury.
This ti, Hong Yu was truly enraged!
...
DONG! DONG! DONG!
Three successive, resounding, and prolonged bell chis echoed mightily throughout the sprawling Cyan Nether Mountain Range.
The ringing of the bells signified the official start of this year's Cyan Nether Sword Sect Inner Sect Disciple promotion tournant!
Over three hundred thousand people from all over the Cyan Nether Sword Sect gathered at the Cyan Nether Main Peak, where the Inner Sect was located!
The Cyan Nether Main Peak was magnificent and grand, its vast area astonishingly large—comparable to the total area of three Shishui Cities.
Legend had it that the Cyan Nether Main Peak originally did not exist within the Cyan Nether Mountain Range. It was said that the founder of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, the Sword Demon who once dominated the Southern Ten Nations, had used his Cyan Nether Sword to hew ten massive peaks from tens of thousands of miles away and transport them here. Then, with his imnse power, he refined the ten great mountains, fusing them into one.
He then used the Cyan Nether Sword again to slice away the uneven peaks, forcibly carving out the thousand-ter-high Cyan Nether Main Peak, with a flat top comparable in size to three Shishui Cities!
Standing before the towering Cyan Nether Main Peak, even the lofty experts of the Fengyue Kingdom's Royal Family couldn't help but feel a sense of overwhelming pressure, as if gazing up at an insurmountable mountain.
The fact that the Cyan Nether Sword Sect could beco the Fengyue Kingdom's National Guardian Sect was a testant to its strength and heritage, which were indeed far beyond the secular world.
It was feared that even if all the Noble Families of the Fengyue Kingdom united, they would likely still be no match for the Cyan Nether Sword Sect!
Experts from all over had gathered here. During the Inner Sect Disciple promotion tournant, they were all assigned to spectator seats and would have no extra ti to interact with the disciples from their families. Only after the tournant ended would the Sword Sect grant all disciples a three-day leave, a ti for reunions.
Since they couldn't interact much with their own disciples, the major families shifted their focus to building relationships with other families.
The Hong Family had once been obscure, only gradually entering the sights of the Fengyue Kingdom's upper echelons after the appearance of the Four Kings.
Even the experts from the families and factions within the Royal Capital showed great favor to the mbers of the Hong Family.
This left the Wang Family and the Cao Family, who were seated right next to the Hong Family, with a sour taste in their mouths.
Patriarch Wang looked at the bustling Hong Family, then at his own deserted section, and muttered sourly, "Ma Le Gobi, my son Wang ng will get into the Inner Sect sooner or later! When he does, they'll all have to co over and lick my toes."
As he spoke, Patriarch Wang's gaze continuously swept over the Sword Sect disciples gathering below, searching for the figure of Wang ng.
Wang ng was the only disciple from the Wang Family to have entered the Sword Sect in several decades.
Patriarch Wang had poured his life's blood into him, waiting for the day he would enter the Sword Sect and, like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, transform completely. Over the past few days, he had tried every ans to contact Wang ng, but despite asking thousands of Outer Sect Disciples, not a single one knew who Wang ng was.
This left Patriarch Wang feeling exceptionally frustrated and dejected.
He could only wait for the Inner Sect Disciple promotion tournant, hoping to find a trace of his son then.
Unfortunately…
He was destined to be disappointed yet again.
Patriarch Cao, who was beside him, witnessed everything and sneered inwardly: 'Your cowardly son wants to enter the Inner Sect? What a joke!'
The Wang Family was one of the three great families of Shishui City.
Coupled with their family's typically domineering behavior and the few tis they had screwed over the Cao Family, Patriarch Cao was quite displeased with him.
Now, seeing Patriarch Wang's strange expression, he was secretly delighted!
His amusent turning to other thoughts, Patriarch Cao recalled what his son, Cao Bo, had said. His gaze toward the Hong Family now held a trace of envy and jealousy. 'It was one thing for the Hong Family to produce the Four Kings, but to think that an unknown disciple from a side branch, Hong Yu, would also have such talent. Ai, it seems the Hong Family is destined to dominate Shishui City in the future…'
Just then…
"Everyone, thank you for taking the ti from your busy schedules to grace our Sect and attend the viewing ceremony for this Inner Sect Disciple promotion tournant. I am Inner Sect Elder Li Tie, and on behalf of the Sword Sect, I welco you all!"
A mighty voice slowly rang out as a figure gradually appeared on the central arena stage.
This was, shockingly, a Celestial Soul Realm expert!
He was dressed in a black robe, his face as hard and chiseled as if carved by a knife. It was none other than the Black Robed Elder who had made a bet with Elder Bai on the high tower that day.
Elder Li Tie's eyes, as deep as a starry sky, glinted. He smiled faintly and said, "This year, the performance of the Sword Sect's Outer Sect Disciples has been outstanding, and their strength has seen a great improvent compared to previous years. Likewise, among the Inner Sect Core Disciples, many geniuses have risen forcefully, like cots. This session of the Inner Sect Disciple promotion tournant is destined to see even more geniuses display their brilliance and claim their glory!"
Li Tie paused, then continued, "And now, I declare—the Cyan Nether Sword Sect's new Inner Sect Disciple promotion tournant…"
"…officially begins!"
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