The Golden Crow hung high in the heavens, casting boundless golden radiance over the mountains and rivers.
By the Jiangyue River.
The moonlight was soft and bright, and the river scenery was as captivating as a painting.
At one corner of the riverbank.
A figure in black suddenly leaped down from the massive arena. With a single slap, he sent Taiyi and Huanglong flying, then said coldly, "What the hell are you barking about here?"
As his words fell.
Once they saw who had arrived, the Interception Sect erupted into cheers.
"Senior Disciple Brother is back!"
"Hahahaha! Senior Disciple Brother truly is mighty! Thousands of years ago, he went up Yuqing Peak and beat up Chan Sect Immortals like Guangchengzi, Chijingzi, Juliusun, and Taiyi. He beat them so badly that for one or two thousand years, they didn't dare clash with our Interception Sect. Whenever they saw us, they retreated! Now that Senior Disciple Brother has returned, he is still just as fierce—one slap sent Huanglong and Taiyi flying! Senior Disciple Brother is incredible!!"
"You know, just the bearing Senior Disciple Brother showed when he slapped two people away at once is probably something I could never comprehend even if I spent my entire life trying!"
"One day, I'll slap two people flying with one hand too!!"
"Look! After Senior Disciple Brother returned, every one of those Chan Sect scoundrels has an awful expression, yet none of them dares say a word!!"
"Exactly! Huanglong and Taiyi were shouting so loudly just now, but now they don't even dare fart..."
Seeing that Qingyuan had returned.
The Interception Sect disciples who knew him were beyond excited.
Their faces were filled with wild delight.
One after another, they began praising him.
As for the disciples who had joined the Interception Sect only after Qingyuan had set out to travel the Primordial Wilderness.
They studied Qingyuan carefully.
The longer they looked.
The more awed they became.
Senior Disciple Brother wore black robes. His refined, jade-like face was paired with deep, sword-like eyes resembling a sea of Primordial Stars. His sharply defined, coldly handsome features carried the pride of a disciple from a great sect. His black hair was swept behind him by the wind, dancing like a mad demon's, making him seem even more free and uninhibited. His tall, slender body stood as firm as the backbone of heaven itself. Simply standing there, he was like a Sea-Calming Divine Needle, giving people an indescribable sense of security!
Handsome.
Senior Disciple Brother was simply too handsome! That cold, proud bearing, along with the splendor of sending two Chan Sect Personal Disciples flying with one slap, was something they could never learn in their lifetimes!!
Even most of the Interception Sect disciples who had once resented Qingyuan.
Felt reverence rise in their hearts after witnessing Senior Disciple Brother's bearing.
On the Chan Sect's side.
Guangchengzi and the others, who had once been pinned to the ground and beaten savagely by Qingyuan, inexplicably felt fear when they saw his return. Their legs trembled slightly. Juliusun had even planted more than half a foot into the ground, ready to use Earth Escape and flee at any moment.
Lingbao, Yuding, Daoxing, Qingxu, and the others who had never met Qingyuan.
Were likewise shaken by such bearing.
Descending from the heavens, turning around the Interception Sect's losing situation, intimidating the entire scene by himself—even their Senior Disciple Brother did not dare speak?
Daoist Randeng frowned slightly as he watched, his heart stirred as well.
This man was blessed with quite a fine appearance!
Since the time he had been born at the Heaven-Opening, he had seen countless heroes and outstanding figures, yet he had never seen anyone with such temperament and looks. He was truly a rare sight in the Primordial Wilderness—graceful and handsome beyond compare. Was this the bearing of the First Disciple of Intercepting Sect?
Randeng instinctively looked toward the Chan Sect immortals.
Old ones, short ones, fat ones, thin ones... all of them were still trembling. What was going on? Were they afraid?
Why did every last one of them look so unbearable to behold??
Daoist Randeng gathered his emotions.
He raised his head and looked at the Youth in Black before him. Rarely, he revealed a smile. "You must be Nephew-Disciple Qingyuan, correct? I am Randeng. Several hundred years ago, I was fortunate enough to enter Senior Brother Yuanshi's tutelage and join the Chan Sect. I now serve as the Chan Sect's Vice Sect Leader. Nephew-Disciple, you truly deserve to be the First Disciple of Intercepting Sect. Your bearing is extraordinary!"
Duobao, standing atop the arena, felt somewhat displeased.
Why had Randeng ignored him when he had come over to greet him respectfully?
Yet when Qingyuan arrived, slapped two Chan Sect Inner Sect Disciples flying, and even called him Old Lamp, Randeng suddenly became so talkative?
Qingyuan ignored Daoist Randeng.
He wiped the hand he had used to hit them.
Then he turned toward Guangchengzi and said, "It has been many years since we last met. It seems Junior Brother Guangchengzi's skin is itching again. Do you need your senior brother to rub it for you?"
"Y-you..."
Guangchengzi had been humiliated in front of everyone.
His old face flushed red.
Yet he did not know what to say.
Daoist Huanglong came back to his senses and instinctively opened his mouth to argue, but when he saw Qingyuan's sharp gaze, he shrank his neck and pretended to admire the scenery.
True Person Taiyi saw that Qingyuan had arrived and hummed a little tune, pretending not to see him.
This scene left the Chan Sect Inner Sect Disciples who had joined later utterly shocked. They could not believe their eyes.
How could they know.
That Qingyuan had dealt with the Chan Sect immortals on Yuqing Peak last time, and Venerable Yuanshi had not voiced a single objection!
"Nephew-Disciple Qingyuan, I was saying..."
Daoist Randeng was somewhat displeased that Qingyuan was ignoring him.
But as soon as he spoke, Qingyuan interrupted him. "Junior Brother Guangchengzi, I would like to ask what exactly happened. Why has such a commotion broken out by the Jiangyue River?"
"I..."
"Nephew-Disciple Qingyuan, why don't you listen to me first..."
"Junior Brother Guangchengzi, will you give me an explanation? Why did today's matter arise?"
"Qingyuan... Senior Disciple Qing, actually, I..."
"Enough!!!"
Having been interrupted time and again by a junior, Daoist Randeng could endure no longer. His aura erupted as he thundered, "Qingyuan!! No matter what, I am your elder. As the chief disciple of the Interception Sect, how can you lack even basic manners? You have interrupted me again and again. You are also an Innate Divine Being—how can you be so rude?"
Boom!
The aura of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal erupted, vast as the heavens and deep as an abyss, shaking the universe.
Even though it was only a trace, every living being present, no matter how wild or unruly, fell silent, their faces filled with awe and fear!!
Yet Qingyuan, who had witnessed the aura of Nine Infants, the Quasi-Saint of the Demon Heavenly Court.
Was not crushed by it.
He held his head high, stared at Daoist Randeng, and sneered. "Old Lamp, you still know what manners are? Then what are you doing now? Can what you have done truly be called manners?"
"You are one of the Innate Demon Gods born from the Heaven-Opening of the Primordial Wilderness, one of the Three Thousand Guests of Zixiao Palace. You belong to the same generation as my master, Sect Master Tongtian, and the others. You also joined the Chan Sect founded by my Second Martial Uncle, Venerable Yuanshi, becoming its Vice Sect Leader. How exalted is your position? How many people in the Primordial Wilderness hold a higher position than you? And how fortunate you are to have become the Vice Sect Leader under my Second Martial Uncle, able to remain beside a Saint and hear the sacred Dao!!"
"But since joining the Chan Sect, what have you done?"
"As the Chan Sect's Vice Sect Leader, not only have you failed to guide the Chan Sect disciples in cultivation or temper their hearts, not only have you failed to preserve the relationship between the Chan and Jie Sects, you have repeatedly disregarded your status and dignity to attack juniors. Can this conduct be called manners? Not only have you indulged the Chan Sect's Twelve Immortals in clashing with the Disciples of the Jie Sect, you have even worsened such behavior!!"
"Do you not know that the green lotus, lotus leaf, white lotus, and lotus root mean the Three Sects were originally one family?"
"Taiqing, Yuqing, and Shangqing were originally one whole, true brothers whose bonds remained even if their bones were broken. Yet today, you are indulging and even provoking discord between the Saint brothers. What exactly are your intentions?"
Boom!!
Those sharp, piercing words entered Daoist Randeng's ears.
His expression changed drastically. His body trembled violently from fear and an indescribable emotion, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily. "Y-you, what nonsense are you spouting!! I am merely protecting my disciples from being bullied by outsiders. How could it be as unbearable as you claim?"
"Hahahahaha! Unbearable? What part of your actions deserves praise?"
Qingyuan laughed arrogantly beneath Randeng's aura. "You set up an arena here and made the disciples of the Chan and Jie Sects clash, even demanding that blood brothers determine who was superior and who was inferior. No matter who won or lost, it would damage their relationship. Is this how a Chan Sect Vice Sect Leader should act?"
"You truly are the shame of the Innate Demon Gods, the bottom of the Three Thousand Guests of Zixiao Palace. You are utterly contemptible!!!"
"You... you!!!"
Daoist Randeng's face reddened. He had actually been provoked to the point that the blood around his heart flowed backward.
He pointed at Qingyuan furiously.
Qingyuan slapped away the pointing hand and rebuked him with contempt. "Shut up! You white-haired wretch, gray-bearded old thief! You are an Innate Demon God, one of the Three Thousand Guests of Zixiao Palace, yet you shamelessly attack juniors and destroy the brotherly bond between my master and his brothers. And you still dare make grand claims here! How can there be someone as brazen and shameless as you in this world? It truly fills one with shame and fury!!!"
"Y-you-you!!!!!"
Daoist Randeng's face turned crimson with rage. He angrily flicked his sleeve, turned around, and fled the scene in panic.
This sight.
Left everyone present utterly dumbfounded.
A mere Minor Golden Immortal had cursed a Grand Unity Golden Immortal into leaving???
"You are too arrogant!!"
"That's right! What you said about Teacher Randeng may be true, but how are we supposed to settle the matter of you injuring Senior Brother Taiyi and Senior Brother Huanglong just now?"
Yuding, Lingbao, and the others who had joined the Chan Sect later indignantly criticized him.
Qingyuan ignored them and instead looked toward Guangchengzi. "Junior Brother Guangchengzi, will you leave on your own, or shall I send you away?"
Guangchengzi's expression was ugly. He took a deep breath and said, "We're leaving!"
"Senior Disciple Brother, this..."
"Leave!!"
Without looking back, Guangchengzi flew away.
The Chan Sect immortals looked at one another. In the end, they left unwillingly.
Afterward.
The Interception Sect disciples erupted into cheers like crashing mountains and roaring seas.
So this was Senior Disciple Brother?
He was way too fierce!!!!
Before you continue