Gu Yu's eyes lit up. "Brother Wuji!"
"Xu Wuji... it's him!"
That name alone was enough to make the Righteous Nine Sects hold their breath. He had slain three Devil Dao holy sons single-handedly, and his savage record had struck fear into his generation.
Though the Heavenly Dao Pavilion had never explicitly named an overall leader among the three factions, it had long placed him at the summit of the Righteous Dragon-Tiger Ranking. He seemed poised to become the foremost figure among them all.
Feng Qingyun's expression darkened. He was the only person of the Righteous Dao who had truly fought Xu Wuji.
The shadow of that battle had yet to fade.
Xu Wuji might be even stronger than the rumors claimed. If he did not fall, he would become the next True Person Nine Yang, a peerless figure who would dominate a generation.
Bamboo rustled as a tall young man strolled out through the shifting light of the grove.
He wore an old, plain Daoist robe, his hands tucked into its broad sleeves. His hair hung loose and unkempt.
His face was utterly ordinary, and his tired, listless eyes looked as though nothing in the world could interest him.
Yet as he appeared, every Dao Dominion Sect disciple straightened unconsciously. The gazes gathering on him held deep respect—and a measure of fear that kept them from looking him in the eye.
"Senior Brother Wuji!"
They saluted him one after another, but the young man did not so much as lift an eyelid as he walked past.
Only when he heard Gu Yu's affectionate "Brother Wuji" did Xu Wuji look up. A genuine smile touched his face. "Gu Yu."
"Brother Wuji, did your trip go smoothly?"
Xu Wuji stepped into the clearing, speaking as casually as though the matter were