The sound was still echoing over the ruins when several silver-white sword lights pierced through the broken palace walls and landed one after another in front of the main hall.
The young man at the head of the group wore a white robe and carried a sword; he was tall and slender.
His aura was contained, and he landed without stirring up a speck of dust, yet Qin Hao, Yue Chenzhou, and the others simultaneously narrowed their eyes.
Xiao Yihan, the Holy Son of the Heavenly Edict Sect.
Si Yunshu, dressed in a sky-blue long dress, followed closely behind.
The seven core disciples of the Heavenly Edict Sect landed separately, naturally occupying advantageous positions, and subtly forming an offensive and defensive formation with Xiao Yihan.
Discussions immediately broke out on the periphery.
" Xiao Yihan actually came too."
"This person ranked second in the previous Seven Sects Grand Competition, only losing to Li Tianxing of the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect. Now, several years later, his cultivation level is probably unfathomable."
" Si Yunshu is not to be underestimated either. It is said that she cultivates the lost swordsmanship of the Heavenly Edict Sect, and her actual combat strength may not be much weaker than Xiao Yihan's."
Xiao Yihan ignored the surrounding chatter.
His gaze swept past Qin Hao and the others, landing on Chu Yunfei, a hint of undisguised scrutiny flashing in his eyes.
His demeanor was calm and composed.
The Divine Sea is not revealed.
Even the sword intent was completely hidden within his body.
If he hadn't already known, he would have found it hard to believe that the young man in black before him was the one Qin Yangui personally ordered to befriend.
Xiao Yihan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "I am Xiao Yihan of the Tianyu Heavenly Edict Sect. I greet Brother Chu. Recently, Brother Chu's name has resounded throughout the capital, and Junior Sister Si speaks highly of you. Meeting you today, I can see that you indeed possess extraordinary bearing."
Si Yunshu had been calm and composed.
Upon hearing these words, a rare blush rose to her fair cheeks, and she couldn't help but glance at Xiao Yihan.
When did she begin to praise him so highly?
It was simply a matter of truthfully informing them of Chu Yunfei's battle record and the Supreme Elder's orders.
To outsiders, however, this reaction took on a different meaning.
Qin Hao's already gloomy face turned even uglier.
As the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Edict Sect, Si Yunshu always behaved with propriety in front of the geniuses of various sects.
Now, Xiao Yihan has only mentioned Chu Yunfei once, and she has shown this kind of expression.
It's Chu Yunfei again!
Why are these women of noble birth all entangled with this outcast of the Azure Mystic Sect?
Chu Yunfei glanced at Si Yunshu but did not expose the teasing in Xiao Yihan's words.
He returned the greeting with a cupped hand and smiled, "So it's the Holy Son Xiao of the Heavenly Edict Sect. It's a pleasure to meet you. Holy Maiden Si once helped me out of a predicament in the Imperial City, and I've always remembered that kindness."
The blush on Si Yunshu's face quickly faded, and she regained her usual elegance.
"Young Master Chu, you flatter me Li Tianxing's sneak attack with his Divine Sea Realm cultivation level is beneath his dignity. I merely spoke a few words of justice."
Xiao Yihan sensed that the two had a prior connection, and his interest deepened.
The Supreme Elder's high regard for Chu Yunfei went far beyond a simple friendship.
However, Si Yunshu consistently refused to reveal the full details.
It now seems that there must be some connection between Chu Yunfei and the Heavenly Edict Sect that he is unaware of.
" Xiao Yihan!"
Qin Hao's cold, deep voice interrupted their pleasantries.
His long sword was still sheathed, and azure spiritual energy flowed slowly around him, while his gaze was fixed on Xiao Yihan's face.
"My Cangyun Sect and Puppet Sect have an unresolved blood feud with Chu Yunfei. This matter has nothing to do with your Heavenly Edict Sect. If you've come only for the ruins, I welcome you. But if you want to meddle in personal grudges, you'd better think carefully about the consequences."
Although Qin Hao was furious, he did not directly break off relations.
The overall strength of the Heavenly Edict Sect is second only to the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect, and its foundation is far superior to that of the Cangyun Sect.
Xiao Yihan was the second-ranked prodigy among the younger generation of the seven sects.
He was unwilling to create another formidable enemy without absolute certainty of victory.
Xiao Yihan turned around, the smile on his face not disappearing, but his eyes had dimmed a bit.
" Qin Hao, I've already heard from Junior Sister Si about the blood debt you speak of. The elders of the Cangyun Sect ambushed and killed a junior, but they were outmatched and ended up dead. Now you want to rely on your numbers to gang up on one person in the secret realm. Such behavior is truly disgraceful to the Seven Sects."
He raised his hand and pressed it against the long sword in his bosom, the hem of his white robe being gently lifted by the sword's intent.
"As for your claim that this matter has nothing to do with the Heavenly Edict Sect, I disagree. If you want to deal with Brother Chu, you should first ask whether the Heavenly Edict Sect agrees."
Seven disciples of the Heavenly Edict Sect stepped forward simultaneously.
The sword intents clashed, and the surrounding air suddenly tensed.
The Rogue Cultivator on the outskirts were invigorated.
The fact that the Cangyun Sect and the Puppet Sect had previously joined forces to oppress everyone had already fueled their anger.
Now that both the Divine Martial Sect and the Heavenly Edict Sect have expressed their stances, the balance of power is no longer one-sided.
"Brother Xiao is right."
Wu Changge stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Xiao Yihan.
Crimson blood surged from his body, and the gravel beneath his feet cracked under the pressure.
"Brother Chu is an opponent I, Wu Changge, acknowledge, as well as a friend. If you fight him fairly, I will not interfere. But if you try to overwhelm him with your sect's numbers, my Divine Martial Sect will not allow it."
Wu Mingyue and the Divine Martial Sect then stood behind Wu Changge.
Unlike her brother, she wasn't as direct; she simply looked calmly at Qin Hao, the silver spear already in her hand.
The situation suddenly became extremely tense.
Qin Hao's gaze swept over the crowd one by one.
Chu Yunfei's strength is unknown.
Wu Changge and Wu Mingyue are at the Divine Sea Realm First Level.
Si Yunshu reached the Divine Sea Realm Second Layer.
Xiao Yihan concealed his aura, but judging from his previous strength, he was at most at the Divine Sea Realm Third Level.
The number of core disciples in the two sects is roughly the same as theirs.
Judging from the lineups alone, the two sides are roughly evenly matched.
Their side also had Puppet Sect war puppets, as well as second-rate forces affiliated with the two sects, giving them significantly more manpower.
However, those Rogue Cultivator were clearly more inclined to side with Chu Yunfei at this moment.
Even if they manage to win a war, they will inevitably suffer heavy losses.
Qin Hao was furious.
He couldn't understand why Chu Yunfei, who was clearly just an outcast expelled from the Azure Mystic Sect, had people standing up for him wherever he went.
Ling Xueyao is like this, Wen Jiao is like this, and now even the Divine Martial Sect and the Heavenly Edict Sect have stood by his side.
On what grounds?
Yue Chenzhou's expression was equally grim.
He originally thought that the Divine Martial Sect only had a mutual respect with Chu Yunfei, and that Wu Changge might not be willing to get involved when it came to a real conflict between sects. But the truth was quite the opposite; this stubborn and reckless man was more determined than anyone else.
Yin Hanmei stared coldly at Xiao Yihan.
The three corpse puppets inside the black wooden coffin behind her had fully awakened, but they still couldn't gain much advantage against the combined forces of the Heavenly Edict Sect and the Divine Martial Sect.
Qin Hao's gaze shifted for a moment, then his peripheral vision suddenly fell on Situ Shuang'er on the broken stone platform.
"Saintess Situ"
Qin Hao suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Before Nangong Wuhen entered the secret realm, he had already reached an agreement with my Heavenly Sword Sect Cangyun Sect and Puppet Sect on behalf of the Heavenly Sword Sect. I could not hold it against you for standing by and watching. Now that Nangong Wuhen has not yet arrived, only you can represent the Heavenly Sword Sect here."
He raised his hand and pointed to the central main hall, his tone softening slightly. "As long as the Heavenly Sword Sect joins forces with us, the treasures within will be shared among the three sects. Seventh-grade spiritual herbs, Heaven-rank spiritual artifacts, and other inheritances will all be available to all three parties. What do you say?"
All eyes turned to Situ Shuang'er.
She was accompanied by only two disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Although their numbers were small, their individual combat strength was not to be underestimated.
If the Heavenly Sword Sect joins the Cangyun Sect, the newly formed balance will be broken once again.
Situ Shuang'er's expression remained unchanged.
She glanced at Qin Hao, then swept her gaze over Chu Yunfei, and said coldly, "What agreements Nangong Wuhen has with you is none of my business. If you wish to join forces with him, discuss it yourselves when he arrives. This Holy Maiden has no interest in meddling in your personal grudges."
Qin Hao's brows furrowed suddenly.
Situ Shuang'er continued, "As for your suggestion of dividing the treasure equally, that's laughable. Just now you wanted the Cangyun Sect and the Puppet Sect to each take half, but now that the situation is unfavorable, you're turning around and using the opportunity you haven't even gotten your hands on to win over the Heavenly Sword Sect."
"It's not your place to pre-determine who gets to own the treasures in the palace."
Several snickers immediately rang out nearby.
Qin Hao's face alternated between pale and flushed.
Not only did Situ Shuang'er refuse him, but she also mocked him in front of everyone.
How dare a newly appointed saintess be so ungrateful!
" Situ Shuang'er, don't forget that you are also a member of the Heavenly Sword Sect."
" Chu Yunfei and the Heavenly Sword Sect are sworn enemies. Are you unwilling to fulfill your promise now because you still cherish the old marriage agreement?"
Situ Shuang'er's eyes suddenly turned cold.
The Ice Soul Sword emitted a soft hum, and a chilling aura rapidly spread along the stone platform.
" Qin Hao, if you dare to spread nonsense about this matter again..."
"I'll kill you first!"