Bestowing the Title... True Lord

"What I mean is----" The eyes of True Youquan Blood Sea True Lord, which were as cold as ice for eternity, narrowed slightly at this moment, and his brows furrowed.

"Besides the World-Honored One—"

His voice carried a slight heaviness.

"And there is another being—a being above the True Lord —who is also secretly coveting and intending to seize control of Xuanhuang?"

The mere thought itself caused the three Dharma Body present to feel a slight unease.

Even without his true form descending, a single World-Honored One, relying solely on the pre-arranged seals and incarnations, almost completely manipulated all the True Lord of the Xuanhuang, imprisoning the All Wonders Heaven for fifty years!

If such terrifying beings exist, there is more than one of them.

Wouldn't the Xuanhuang Home Realm be in a precarious situation, surrounded by enemies on all sides?

It's practically hanging by a thread, on the verge of collapse at any moment!

Seeing the solemn expressions on the three people's faces, Qi Yun did not answer immediately. Instead, he slowly raised his eyes and looked into the depths of the void, as if he were staring at some indescribable being from the Unseen.

After a moment, he withdrew his gaze, his expression so calm it was unsettling, and spoke softly, uttering a sentence that shook the three Dharma Body to their core: "In fact—"

"And there's more than one."

And there's more than one!

Even a World-Honored One is so difficult to deal with.

If it were two or three—those above the level of "True Lord"—and if they joined forces to devise a plan targeting Xuanhuang—

An unprecedented, overwhelming pressure, as if the entire world were about to collapse, caused even the three of them, with their current status and temperament, to feel a chill and tremor in their hearts.

"The Xuanhuang Home Realm —a special realm."

Qi Yun's voice rang out again, breaking the suffocating silence.

Those beings "above the True Lord," for some reason, want to destroy Xuanhuang.

"However, due to the limitations of the Xuanhuang Home Realm, it is impossible to directly descend in person and perform the deed."

"That's why we need to lay out numerous contingency plans, incite chaos within the Xuanhuang realm, create boundless carnage, weaken the essence of this world, and then seek that fleeting opportunity to achieve our ultimate goal."

Qi Yun paused briefly, giving the three time to process the information, before continuing, "This process may be very short, if the plan is ingenious, it can be a single, decisive strike; or it may be very long, requiring a long period of preparation and waiting."

"At least from the beginning, it seems that because of me, the World-Honored One has suffered repeated setbacks in several important backup plans of Xuanhuang and has already failed."

The other True Lord are currently "still observing."

After offering a brief explanation, Qi Yun stopped exploring the topic further.

He raised his hand and pressed down gently, and an invisible Daoist intent spread out, diminishing the invisible gaze that might be drawn by the conversation.

"Those beings are all terrifying beings who transcend cause and effect and are detached from worldly affairs." Qi Yun lowered his voice.

Even without directly mentioning their real name or title, excessive discussion and deep speculation may stir up ripples of the Unseen and attract unnecessary attention.

"Just knowing is enough; having a general idea is sufficient."

Upon hearing this, the three Dharma Body were all startled and nodded in unison.

Next, Qi Yun explained in detail to the three of them many possible situations and precautions that needed to be taken after he left.

And some emergency communication and response methods. The three Dharma Body listened very attentively, nodding from time to time, and memorizing every instruction.

After everything was settled, Qi Yun waved his hand and said, "Go, everyone prepare yourselves."

When I reap the Dao Fruit of my cultivation, I will summon you.

"We will obey your decree!" The three bowed again, and then their figures gradually faded away, like ink paintings merging into the void, disappearing without a trace.

The Green Mountain Daoist Temple has returned to its quiet state.

Qi Yun sat alone under the withered tree and slowly closed his eyes.

The chaotic, colorful energy that had been flowing around him gradually subsided and calmed down.

Time flows quietly through this secluded mountain village.

On this day, as the sun rose, its golden rays bathed the green hills.

"Call out"

"Shu99"

"Call out""

Three beams of divine light, each a different color yet all incredibly refined, pierced the sky from three different directions, flying directly to the sky above the Green Mountain Dao Field, before settling down from the clouds and landing steadily on the bluestone platform in front of the temple.

The divine light faded, revealing three figures.

The leader, dressed in a black Daoist robe, had a gaunt face, three long wisps of beard, and a calm gaze that carried an undisguised tension. He was none other than Daoist Qianxin.

The second person, dressed in brocade robes and a jade belt, was tall and imposing, but at this moment he kept adjusting his collar and cuffs, and even couldn't help but tug at the sleeve of the Daoist Qianxin beside him, and whispered, "Fellow Daoist, do I look alright? Is there anything impolite about me?"

It was Situ Huaji.

The Daoist Qianxin's sleeves fluttered slightly as he was tugged at. He frowned, took a deep breath, and shook his head with feigned composure, saying in a low voice, "Situ Daoist Situ! You and I are both True Person who have achieved Foundation Establishment and are renowned in our region!"

Such panic! How could you be so disorderly! Do not lose your manners before the True Lord!

As he spoke, he subtly concealed his left hand, which was trembling slightly from nervousness, further into the depths of his wide sleeve.

Standing at the back True Person Ling glanced at the two obviously uneasy "clowns" in front of him, shook his head helplessly, took a deep breath, and suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart. "Alright, let's not linger here and keep the True Lord waiting."

The three of them said no more, straightened their clothes, and with a complex mix of trepidation, excitement, and awe, they climbed the simple bluestone steps in front of the Daoist temple, one step at a time.

The mountain path was quiet and secluded, with only the sound of footsteps and slightly hurried breathing.

Before long, the simple wooden door of the Daoist temple came into view.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard of the Daoist temple, beneath the withered old tree that had lived for countless years, a peaceful scene came into view for the three of them—

Qi Yun, dressed in an ordinary gray coarse cloth Daoist robe, sat opposite a young Daoist who was also simply dressed and had a clear face.

Between the two was a simple stone table, on which sat a pot of tea and two rough earthenware teacups, steaming gently.

The two men remained calm and spoke in hushed tones.

The moment I saw Qi Yun -

"Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"

Almost simultaneously and without hesitation, the three of them knelt down on the ground!

Their foreheads pressed against the cool bluestone ground, their bodies trembling slightly with tension and excitement, their voices hoarse from the effort, yet clear and respectful as they shouted in unison, "Disciples pay their respects to the Hunyuan Great Luo True Lord!"

May the True Lord live a long and prosperous life, and may the Great Way flourish forever!

The sound echoed in the silent Daoist temple.

Upon hearing this, Qi Yun exchanged a smile with the young Daoist opposite him.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on the three people kneeling at the courtyard gate, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips.

"Alright, get up." His voice was calm, carrying a power that involuntarily soothed the mind.

"Thank you so much, True Lord!"

The three felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and respectfully kowtowed once more before carefully getting up.

But after getting up, he still kept his head down, eyes downcast, not daring to even breathe loudly, let alone look directly at Qi Yun.

After all, the person in front of them was no longer the "Little Friend Qi" or "Fellow Daoist Qi" they had some acquaintance with back then, and who could even be called brothers.

He is a true and Hunyuan Great Luo True Lord, who ascended to the throne, wielded the Primordial Unity, crushed the incarnation of the World-Honored One with a single move, and whose name resounds throughout the heavens!

It is one of the supreme beings standing at the very pinnacle of the Xuanhuang world and even the wider world!

The natural pressure and awe brought about by this huge difference in status made it impossible for them to maintain a normal mindset.

Qi Yun looked at their extremely reserved appearance and couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.

He reached out and picked up the rough pottery teapot on the stone table, then took three clean teacups and personally filled them with tea.

"Come and sit down." He gestured to the stone benches beside the stone table.

The three exchanged glances, hesitated for a moment, and then cautiously moved to the stone table, only daring to sit down with half their buttocks touching the edge of the stone bench, their bodies ramrod straight.

Do you know why I have summoned you here today?

Qi Yun pushed three cups of tea in front of them and asked casually, his tone as relaxed as if he were having a casual chat.

Upon hearing this, the three looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

In the end, it was the oldest and most composed Daoist Qianxin respectfully replied, "Reporting to True Lord —we are foolish and ignorant, and truly do not know what Your True Lord has summoned us for."

But please, True Lord, give us your guidance; we disciples will gladly die for you!

Situ Huaji and True Person Ling nodded repeatedly.

Seeing their nervous expressions, Qi Yun couldn't help but smile. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then slowly said, "Actually, it's nothing serious."

"It's been so long since we've seen each other, I've missed a few old friends." His gaze swept across the three faces, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes. "I'd like to catch up with you all."

"Catch up... reminisce?" The three of them were taken aback, and their tense nerves involuntarily relaxed a little.

Was it just a reunion?

A look of relief appeared on the faces of the three of them, and their bodies relaxed slightly.

Just then, Qi Yun put down his teacup, looked at them calmly, and continued, "Furthermore, I intend to help the three of you achieve your goal."

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The teacup that Daoist Qianxin had just picked up fell onto the stone table with a "clatter," splashing tea everywhere. He was completely unaware of it, his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

The slight smile of relief that had just appeared on Situ Huaji's face instantly froze.

True Person Ling's usually cool and composed face was now wide-eyed, and he couldn't utter a sound.

Help—help us—become the king?!

Those few words, spoken so casually, were like a world-destroying divine thunderbolt striking down from the heavens, exploding fiercely in the depths of the three people's Sea of Consciousness, shattering all their thoughts, all their perceptions, and all their emotions in that instant!

The Daoist temple was silent, save for the rustling of the mountain wind through the withered branches and the frantic pounding of three hearts that had nearly stopped beating from the extreme shock.