Chapter 1615: What Kind of Hero Are You?
"Haha, Purple Cloud Valley Master, you surely have arrived early!"
In a newly built grand hall of the Xuanyin Hall, a figure burst into laughter, walking towards another elder in a silver robe, drawing the attention of many who looked on thoughtfully.
Upon seeing them, everyone recognized the two figures. The one speaking was the Family Head of the Zhao Family, Zhao Gujin, and the elderly man in silver robes was naturally Duan Zixiao, the Valley Master of Sky Thunder Valley.
For some reason, recently, Sky Thunder Valley and the Zhao Family have been quite close. Could it be due to their shared compromise towards Yun Xiao that day?
To be honest, since the battle of Stepping Heavenly Stone, after many forces conceded to Yun Xiao, entities like Sky Thunder Valley, Zhao Family, or Thunder Sound Mountain and Killing Heart Sect have noticeably felt the alienation from others.
Thunder Sound Mountain and Killing Heart Sect are fine; one is a Buddhist Zen Sect, skilled in covert operations, not frequently interacting with others.
But Sky Thunder Valley and the Zhao Family are different, a hegemon of the Southern Domain and a powerful family in the northeast of the Outer Domain, both led by extremely ambitious individuals.
However, since conceding to Yun Xiao, both Duan Zixiao and Zhao Gujin saw their grand ambitions vanish instantly.
Their formerly allied sects and families avoided them like they were venomous snakes, fearing any association might make them adversaries of Yun Xiao, a risk they were unwilling to take.
Didn’t you see that Thunder Sound Mountain was forced to self-isolate for ten years, and Killing Heart Sect even promised to kill whoever Yun Xiao wanted without charge, quite the costly price?
Though Sky Thunder Valley and Zhao Family haven’t suffered any direct losses on the surface, these few months have made them clearly see reality.
Any sect or family with enmity against that demon youth has been shunned by the major forces on Tenglong Continent, leaving the two to their own company.
On the other side, Master Ouyang of Shenxiao Sect and Li Yunfan, the Island Master of Ling Kong Island, long-time friends, gathered together with pleased smiles on their faces.
"Master Ouyang, congratulations! I heard the news that your beloved disciple has broken through to the Middle Stage of the Earth Bending Realm at Lianyun Mountain. Truly something to celebrate!"
The first to speak was Li Yunfan, the Island Master of Ling Kong Island, not particularly known for intelligence, and upon hearing his words, Ouyang Wuantong showed not only more joy but also a slight peculiarity.
"Didn’t your disciple Beiche also gain guidance from Yun Xiao and improve in the Array Formation Technique? Joyous occasion indeed!"
When it comes to intelligence sensitivity, Shenxiao Sect is naturally second to none. Just from Li Yunfan’s words, Ouyang Wuantong cupped his hands in response.
On that day at Lianyun Mountain, the news was naturally relayed by Nie Xiaosheng to his sect master, allowing Ouyang Wuantong to not only know what happened but also that Yun Xiao had already left Lianyun Mountain.
"Will he... come?"
Thinking of this, the image of a coarse-clothed figure carrying a wooden sword flashed simultaneously in both Ouyang Wuantong and Li Yunfan’s minds. Without that demon youth, this grand wedding at Xuanyin Hall would certainly lose much of its excitement.
As time went on, whether it was the Valley Master of Sky Thunder Valley, the Family Head of the Zhao Family, or the Sect Masters from Shenxiao Sect, their anticipation shifted from the present wedding to another person.
"The auspicious time has come!"
Just as everyone was in their places, a clear voice suddenly echoed at the entrance of the grand hall, making many feel a vague sense of familiarity.
"It’s Lady Xue!"
With sharp eyes, Hou Tianlie, Mountain Master of Demons Mountain, recognized the slightly frail-looking girl at first glance and couldn’t help but exclaim. Secretly remarking, this Xuanyin Hall truly acts unconventionally.
For a father to marry while his own daughter, Xue Ningxiang, chants, was never within anyone’s expectations.
Yet the father and daughter of Xuanyin Hall did just that, with an air of naturalness. At this moment, the visiting leaders of various dominant powers didn’t know what to say.
Although they didn’t quite understand, no one uttered a word, for now, besides Master Xuanyin, Xue Tianao being a Heavenly Realm expert, even Lady Xue had recently broken through to the Lingyun Realm Early Stage.
A girl who suffered from Innate Pulse Cutting, who could only wait for death in her first eighteen years, had risen to power in just a few short years, outpacing even these leaders of first-class forces, which was truly awe-inspiring.
Amidst Xue Ningxiang’s chanting, Hall Master Xue Tianao entered the hall carrying Lian Yuluo, whose head was covered with a bright red wedding veil, with a trace of helplessness on his face. He glared slightly resentfully at his precious daughter but ultimately remained silent.
Presumably, Xue Ningxiang made this decision on her own, unbeknownst to Xue Tianao and Lian Yuluo, who felt extremely surprised at this girl standing at the doorway singing.
"Bow to heaven and earth!"
"Bow to the ancestors!"
"Husband and wife bow to each other!"
"Ceremony complete!"
Xue Ningxiang showed not a hint of embarrassment, walking through the entire wedding process under the astonished eyes of the crowd. Unlike the usual practice, as the Master and Vice Hall Master of Xuanyin Hall, they did not enter the bridal chamber immediately after the ceremony but chose to stay instead.
In front of all the spectators, Xue Tianao directly lifted the red veil off Lian Yuluo’s head, revealing a face with a hint of world-weariness, yet exuding mature beauty, captivating everyone’s gaze.
"As my father gets married today, Ningxiang thanks everyone for attending the ceremony!"
Before Xue Tianao could speak, Xue Ningxiang jumped out first, but her words felt somewhat awkward, making everyone momentarily uncomfortable.
If the newlywed had been Xue Ningxiang herself, and Xue Tianao as the father had said, "My daughter’s wedding, thank you all for attending," it would have been more fitting.
A normal wedding, due to Xue Ningxiang’s unexpected intrusion, took on a different meaning, leaving everyone at a loss for words.
"This girl!"
Xue Tianao was in high spirits and chose not to hold a grudge against Xue Ningxiang. His gaze, however, shifted to another place, with a special glint in his eyes.
"Chairman Qian, Dean Qing, I wonder if Elder Lu and Yun Xiao will be attending?"
Xue Tianao’s gaze turned toward two influential figures from the Meridian Refining Master Association. Hearing his words, everyone perked up their ears, as the names mentioned were indeed renowned.
In fact, before Yun Xiao and Lu Yanji left, the Meridian Refining Master Association had already received the wedding invitation from Xuanyin Hall but hadn’t had the chance to inform Yun Xiao.
So these two left around the same time as Yun Xiao and the others, and given their speed, if they were coming, they should have arrived by now.
"Well... we do not know either!"
Qian Sanyuan’s expression was quite forlorn. As these words were uttered, everyone felt disappointed, thinking that witnessing that person’s charisma again was something that could only occur on Nine-layered Dragon Cloud.
Qingmu Wu and Qian Sanyuan knew that Lu Yanji was likely to inform Yun Xiao about the event, but they couldn’t fathom that person’s intentions.
"Yun Xiao, you wicked guy, clearly promised to come, yet you failed to keep your word. What kind of hero are you?"
Hearing Qian Sanyuan’s words, both Xue Tianao and Lian Yuluo showed their disappointment. In contrast, Xue Ningxiang shouted angrily, causing Duan Zixiao and Zhao Gujin to feel alarmed.
On today’s Tenglong Continent, there wouldn’t be more than a handful who dared to openly curse Yun Xiao in public like this.
At least for people like Zhao Gujin, even in private, they dared not show Yun Xiao the slightest disrespect, as they were all aware that the young man could easily crush them with a mere finger.
"Lady Xue, I am your savior after all. Is this how you treat your savior?"
As Xue Ningxiang struggled with her anger and complex thoughts, seeking something to throw, a gentle voice suddenly echoed from the hall entrance, making everyone instinctively turn their heads.
"It’s Yun Xiao, he’s really come!"
Seeing him, everyone was visibly excited, even the Killing Heart Sect’s Sect Master, known for his composure, trembled violently.
Qian Sanyuan and Qingmu Wu stood up abruptly from their seats, thinking they might never see this person again on Tenglong Continent, only to be unexpectedly granted a reunion.
Upon seeing the old figure beside the plainly dressed youth, both of them felt at ease, recognizing him as the old Chairman of the Meridian Refining Master Association: Lu Yanji.
"It seems the President was the one who informed him!"
Qian Sanyuan quickly thought through the situation, guessing the truth. After all, the matter of the Xuanyin Hall’s wedding invitation was unknown to Yun Xiao, but Lu Yanji was certainly aware.
In any case, these two were headed to Chongxiao River, making Xuanyin Hall a mere stop along the way. Qian Sanyuan and Qingmu Wu just hadn’t expected Yun Xiao to arrive after them.
At the hall entrance stood not only Yun Xiao and Lu Yanji, but several others like Ling Wan and Xu Hongzhuang, who also stepped into the hall.
As this group entered and the leaders of the many sect families sensed their formidable auras, they collectively drew a sharp breath.
Not every sect’s intelligence was as timely as that of Shenxiao Sect’s Ling Kong Island. For example, Zhao Family Patriarch Zhao Gujin, who was unaware that Xu Hongzhuang and the others had all broken through to the early stage of the Lingyun Realm.
This force was far stronger than the former top four powers—so strong that if they wished to dominate Tenglong Continent, it would likely be effortless.