"Senior, I know I was wrong..."
The Heavenly Cripple Sword Venerable's face turned deathly pale, his lips trembled slightly, and he unconsciously murmured something.
The sharp, sword-like aura that once surrounded him had vanished, replaced by a deep-seated fear, like a startled rabbit, completely devoid of his former domineering presence.
This bizarre scene left everyone present stunned.
Even more surprisingly, the moment the Heavenly Cripple Sword Venerable, the suffocating and terrifying pressure receded like a tide, disappearing without a trace, as if it had never existed.
The Heavenly Cripple Sword Venerable suddenly looked up, his gaze sweeping over the Immortal Venerable Yuxuan with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, then over the several elders who were standing by in a state of high alert, and finally looking into the misty depths of the Spirit Void Heavenly Palace, as if trying to find the source of that gaze.
However, all that could be seen was a misty sea of clouds and a majestic celestial palace.
That will came abruptly and left completely, leaving no trace, as if it were just a nightmare he had.
But the Heavenly Cripple Sword Venerable knew that it was no illusion!
"Senior Tiancan? What's wrong?"
Immortal Venerable Yuxuan seemed to have guessed something and asked with a smile.
"Cough cough."
The Heavenly Sword Venerable coughed lightly, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart. When he looked at the Jade Profound Immortal Venerable again, his eyes were filled with complex emotions, and his previous aggressive aura had long since vanished.
He took a deep breath, forced a very strained, even somewhat awkward smile, and said in a dry voice:
"Uh... Fellow Xuandao, I apologize for my abrupt words just now. Please forgive me. Upon reflection, I realize that I only had the advantage of age; it wasn't a real victory, not a real victory at all. I'll take my leave now!"
Having said that, before Immortal Venerable Yuxuan and the others could react, Heavenly Cripple Sword Venerable's figure flickered, and he transformed into a sword light in a somewhat disheveled manner, tearing through the void and fleeing into the distance without looking back, at an astonishing speed.
The people from the Spirit Void Heavenly Palace were left looking at each other, completely bewildered.
Immortal Venerable Yuxuan frowned, gazing in the direction where Heavenly Cripple Sword Venerable had disappeared, somewhat puzzled.
The domineering and composed demeanor on the face of the Heavenly Cripple Sword Venerable vanished, replaced by a barely concealed panic.
The only thing that could cause such panic on the other side is that someone unexpected has made a move.
Could it be one of the patriarchs of his Spirit Void Heavenly Palace?
Countless disciples in the distance stared in disbelief, discussing amongst themselves, all noticing the strangeness of the situation.
But in any case, the other party slunk away.
"It seems this Heavenly Cripple Sword Venerable isn't as bad as the rumors say..."
"Yes, I think he's a nice person. For him to say something like that, he probably feels he won unfairly, right?"
"Look, this is the foundation of my Spirit Void Heavenly Palace. Not just anyone can come and flaunt their power."
"Could it be... that some reclusive senior has made a move?"
An elder whispered a guess, his tone tinged with uncertain reverence.
If that were true, wouldn't these younger generations be disgracing their ancestor?
Immortal Venerable Yuxuan remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. His gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on the depths of the clouds. His tone carried a hint of solemnity and a subtle sense of awe. "Please do not make wild guesses."
The ancestor went to the Daluo Heaven to discuss the Dao some time ago and will definitely not return anytime soon.
Today's events... are strange.
He paused, then continued, "Regardless of which senior made the move, their intention was to uphold the dignity of my Heavenly Palace."
This matter should be put aside for now; there's no need to investigate it further, nor should it be publicized, to avoid creating further complications.
He couldn't be sure who had made the move, but the sight of the Heavenly Cripple Sword Venerable hastily departing was undeniable.
Could there be other powerful figures within the palace whom he is unaware of?
It's not impossible.
After all, the Spirit Void Heavenly Palace has a history of countless years and has produced countless geniuses. Who knows, some unknown person might be an unparalleled expert.
Upon hearing this, everyone solemnly agreed.
Although his curiosity grew even stronger, he understood that this matter concerned the secrets of the Heavenly Palace and should not be discussed further.
After this incident, both the elders and the disciples felt proud of the unfathomable depth of their sect.
In the world of cultivation, it doesn't matter how many geniuses there are, as long as the ancestor is reliable.
Having a powerful ancestor is enough to handle all troubles.
A powerful prodigy will only cause big trouble for the sect.
Meanwhile, in a grand hall within the Shenghuang Immortal Domain.
In stark contrast to the ethereal immortal aura of the Spirit Void Immortal Domain, this place is permeated with a dense Yao Qi. The golden light casts shadowy reflections on the totems carved on the walls, adding a touch of solemnity.
"Waste!"
A cold, angry rebuke, like a thunderclap, resounded in the empty hall.
At the head of the table sat a dignified man dressed in a black jade-scale robe, his face ashen.
He appeared to be middle-aged, with a single, eerie strand of crimson hair hanging down from each side of his temples. He had a pair of small yet sharp horns on his forehead, and golden flames flickered in his eyes as they opened and closed, exuding an imposing aura without anger.
It was none other than the Fire Baleful Intent Demon Venerable, the core elder of the Demon Court, who was stationed in the Shenghuang Immortal Domain and responsible for infiltrating and expanding into the surrounding Human Race Immortal Domain.
In his well-defined fingers, a communication Jade Slip had turned to dust and fell through his fingers.
" The Demon Court granted him the opportunity to be baptized in the Sanctification Pool, and this is how he repays me?"
Not only did they fail to suppress the arrogance of the Spirit Void Heavenly Palace, but they were also frightened away, becoming a laughingstock in the process!
His voice wasn't loud, but it contained a chilling anger, and the oppressive aura emanating from him made the several powerful demons in the hall secretly frown.
At the lower end, a woman dressed in a snow-white fur coat, with a beautiful face and charming demeanor, gently set down her teacup and said softly:
"Please calm down, my Tiancan. Tiancan is arrogant and aloof, but his Sword Dao is fierce. The fact that he was startled and fled is not necessarily because he was cowardly, but most likely because he encountered an unexpected event."
She raised her alluring eyes, which gleamed with wisdom:
"According to our inside sources at the Spirit Void Heavenly Palace, there were no obvious energy fluctuations or powerful figures appearing at the time."
Tiancan's expression suddenly changed, as if his soul had suffered some kind of invisible blow.
To be able to so easily intimidate a Sword Master at the Peak Taiyi without revealing the slightest trace, the level of the person who made the move must be...
She didn't finish her sentence, but all the demons in the hall understood its meaning.
Only the Daluo can achieve this!
The Fire Baleful Intent Demon Venerable's pupils contracted slightly. After a moment of silence, he coldly snorted:
"Hmph, the Daluo of the Spirit Void Heavenly Palace are either in the Daluo Heaven or in seclusion."
Could it be that they are secretly harboring a Daluo, unknown Sword Immortal?
"Anything is possible."
The alluring woman nodded slightly.
"Whichever it is, it means that our assessment of the strength of the Spirit Void Heavenly Palace has been seriously flawed."
Applying further pressure at this point would likely backfire and could even provoke unpredictable backlash.
The atmosphere inside the hall grew even more somber.
A powerful demon clad in heavy armor couldn't help but speak up:
"Are we just going to let it go like this?"
"Of course not."
The Fire Baleful Intent Demon Venerable interrupted him, a flash of blood-red light disappearing from his eyes.
"It's good to know that Spirit Void Heavenly Palace has such a profound foundation."
"But the strategy needs to change. Pass down the order to temporarily halt the frontal advance into the Spirit Void Immortal Domain, consolidate our forces, and strengthen the areas we already control within the Spirit Void Immortal Domain."
He stood up and said coldly:
"Since overt suppression is not working for the time being, let's try another approach."
Increase efforts to win over other wavering forces and cut off any potential external support from the Spirit Void Immortal Domain.
I'd like to see just how deep the waters of the Spirit Void Heavenly Palace really are!
In fact, many people tried to predict this matter by counting on their fingers, but unfortunately, they couldn't predict anything.
On the other side.
Several streaks of light appeared one after another, and outside the Myriad Phenomena Garden, Li Taiqing, Nangong Wenjian, and the others who had gone to watch the battle returned.
The excitement still lingered on their faces.