Simultaneously, before a violently warping, pitch-black spatial rift in the Secluded Land, a figure radiating a terrifying aura suddenly descended. The moment he appeared, heaven and earth seemed to lose their color, and all things fell into silence.
The one who appeared was a middle-aged man with a stern face, but at this moment, a smile played on his lips. Even the aura he exuded carried a hint of scorching intensity.
One could not fathom what had transpired to make an expert of the Innate Realm so agitated.
At this moment, more than a dozen figures appeared successively behind the middle-aged man. Each of them possessed an exceptionally potent aura, at least reaching the Origin Realm.
Among them were two peak experts of the Soul Origin Realm.
This formidable force, let alone in the Mortal World, could dominate one side even within the entirety of the Secluded Land.
"Greetings, Sect Master!"
Those individuals knelt behind the middle-aged man, their expressions respectful.
"Are all present?" the middle-aged man asked in a deep voice.
"Replying to the Sect Master! Except for the Grand Elder who remains to guard the sect, all other elders and true disciples are here!" A stooped old man stepped forward slightly, bowing. "May I ask what instructions the Sect Master has for suddenly gathering us?"
The stooped old man glanced at the spatial rift before him, seemingly guessing its purpose.
After all, passing through that rift meant leaving the Secluded Land and stepping into the Mortal World.
And in the past, no one would have dared to approach this place. This was because the spatial rift had always been guarded by two protectors of unfathomable strength.
But now, with the complete disappearance of the ancestral teachings' restraint.
This place was no longer guarded.
"Second Elder, there were matters that were inconvenient to discuss in detail before, to avoid leaks!" the middle-aged man smiled faintly and said, "But now, it is time to tell you the purpose of this expedition!"
"We shall heed the Sect Master's command!"
All of them roared in unison.
Several minutes later.
"Wh-what! Spirit! There are spirits in the Mortal World!"
"Heavens! This... how is this possible?"
"If our Yun Sect obtains that spirit, doesn't that mean..."
"The Eight Great Sects! No! Henceforth, it will be the Nine Great Sects!"
"Our Yun Sect is about to rise!"
"..."
After hearing the purpose of their expedition, everyone in the Yun Sect went wild. They never imagined that this time, they were going to capture the legendary... spirit!
No wonder they were so excited.
"Enough! Be quiet!"
As the middle-aged man's imposing aura erupted, everyone instantly calmed down. He then said sternly, "This matter concerns a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for our sect. I will not allow any mistakes, understand?"
"Yes!"
All the elders and disciples were brimming with energy, their gazes fixed ardently on the spatial rift ahead. As long as they crossed this rift, they would see the true form of the legendary spirit.
"Let's go! We depart!"
The middle-aged man waved his sleeve and prepared to lead the crowd into the Mortal World.
However, a sudden, playful voice interrupted his advance.
"Sect Master Yun, where are you planning to go?"
Huh?
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhan frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
As expected, when he turned around, dozens of figures had appeared behind him, less than a thousand meters away, at some point.
The number of people was more than double their own side. And each of their auras was no less potent than that of the Yun Sect's elders and disciples.
"President of the Yun Duan Chamber of Commerce, Zhu Youfu, and the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Pavilion... Yan Tiandu!"
The moment he saw this group, Yun Zhan's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately recognized two familiar faces.
However, this was not what surprised him the most.
What truly astonished him was that Zhu Youfu, the president of the Yun Duan Chamber of Commerce, and Yan Tiandu, the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Pavilion, were not the leaders. Instead, they were positioned behind a woman in a black dress.
The woman's face was cold and her eyes gleamed with a faint luminescence. Although her appearance was not breathtakingly beautiful, she was undeniably of the enduring type. Her figure was perfectly proportioned, with harmonious curves that were not ostentatious but just right.
Even more commendable was the innate heroic spirit she seemed to possess. With every step, she exuded a dignified and valiant air that made one sigh. https:/
"Yan You'er!"
After observing for a moment, Zhan Tian finally recalled the woman's name.
Yan Tiandu's daughter.
"President Zhu! Pavilion Master Yan!"
Zhan Tian suppressed all his doubts and appeared calm, cupping his fists and smiling, "What a coincidence!"
Coincidence!
Was it truly a coincidence?
Yun Zhan himself did not believe it.
"Sect Master Yun, this is no coincidence!"
The one who responded was neither Zhu Youfu nor Yan Tiandu, but Yan You'er, who stood before them.
Her gaze merely glanced at Yun Zhan before passing over him, looking at the disciples and elders behind him. She said indifferently, "May I ask what the Yun Sect is doing with the strength of the entire sect?"
"Hmm?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhan's brow furrowed deeply, his expression turning grim.
Since when did a mere young girl dare to speak to him like this?
"Pavilion Master Yan, it seems your pavilion needs to improve its education of younger generations in etiquette!" he said coldly, his face darkened.
"Sect Master Yun, there is something you may not be aware of!" Yan Tiandu said calmly at this moment. "I am no longer the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Pavilion." He looked at his daughter and smiled, "You'er is the new Pavilion Master of our Heavenly Pavilion."
"Wh-what?"
The moment these words were uttered, the atmosphere of the entire scene fell into dead silence.
What had they heard?
The position of Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Pavilion... had changed hands.
When?
And it was so young... Yan You'er?
What had happened?
Everyone on Yun Zhan's side was stunned.
But they were unaware that this was just the beginning of the shock.
"By the way! There is one more thing that I believe Sect Master Yun is also unaware of." Zhu Youfu also stepped forward, reintroducing his identity. "The Secluded Land no longer has the Yun Duan Chamber of Commerce, nor the position of its president. Now..." He also looked at Yan You'er and smiled with a nod, "I am merely the Vice President of the Heavenly Pavilion Chamber of Commerce."
Heavenly Pavilion Chamber of Commerce?
"???"
At this moment, Yun Zhan felt as if the world was spinning, his head buzzing, and his mind went blank.
He had only been in seclusion for less than three days, and upon emerging, everything had changed.
His initial excitement vanished completely at this moment.
He even felt a trace of fear.
Was the Yan You'er before him still the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Pavilion he knew? No! The daughter of the former Pavilion Master?
And the subservience of the Yun Duan Chamber of Commerce was simply unbelievable.
One must know that the Yun Duan Chamber of Commerce alone was no less powerful than his Yun Sect. Yet now, they had directly submitted to the Heavenly Pavilion.
"This..."
For some reason, at this moment, Yun Zhan felt an invisible hand clenching his throat from the shadows.
"This... is indeed not a coincidence!"