"Greetings, Supreme Elder."
Once they saw who had arrived, all the members of the Chu Heavenly Clan present hastily cupped their fists and bowed in respect. Even someone of Chu Xuan Zhengfa's stature was no exception.
Upon seeing the old man's appearance, Chu Feng needed no one to tell him who it was. He was not merely a Supreme Elder of the Chu Heavenly Clan — he held another identity as well.
He had to be the grandfather of Chu Haoyan.
Because the two of them — grandfather and grandson — bore a striking resemblance, especially that arrogant, loathsome look in their eyes. They might as well have been carved from the same mold.
"Chu Feng, this is Lord Pu Ze, one of the seven Supreme Elders of our Chu Heavenly Clan."
"Show your respect at once!"
Right then, an elder from the older generation shouted sternly at Chu Feng.
Chu Feng was not a man devoid of manners. Though the other party had clearly not come with good intentions, they were still his elder. Cupping his fists, Chu Feng gave a bow of courtesy.
"Lord Pu Ze, has something happened?" Chu Xuan Zhengfa asked.
"Youyuan, you explain it to them," Chu Haoyan's grandfather said, waving his hand.
At that moment, a figure shot up from the crowd and soared to the sky above.
This was also an old man, and his cultivation was formidable — a Venerable Realm expert. Chu Feng could vaguely sense that his strength surpassed Chu Xuan Zhengfa's, and might even rival that of Chu Haoyan's grandfather.
This was a supreme-elder-level powerhouse of the Chu Heavenly Clan.
Most likely a Second Rank Venerable.
Yet this old man's attire was somewhat at odds with his level of power.
He was hunched and stooped, leaning on a walking stick, as though without it he could barely stand upright. The stick itself was crude, nothing more than a random wooden branch picked up off the ground — even when Chu Feng observed it carefully, he could not detect anything special about it.
As for the old man's clothing, it was plain in the extreme: a simple hemp-fiber robe. What was more, the robe was patched and mended all over, covered in darns, as if it had been worn for many years. At a glance, it looked rather like a beggar's garment.
That said, the robe, though tattered, was immaculately clean — not a speck of dust on it.
Most importantly, this old man had a kind face, his expression gentle and warm.
Set against the brutish, hard-jawed visage of Chu Haoyan's grandfather, this elder seemed approachable to the extreme and gave off a very pleasant impression.
"Greetings, Lord Youyuan."
Upon seeing this elder, Chu Xuan Zhengfa and the rest of the Chu Heavenly Clan members bowed once more in salute.
It was clear that this old man, too, held a distinguished status — but he was probably not a Supreme Elder of the Chu Heavenly Clan. Rather, he held some special identity.
This time, without needing anyone to prompt him, Chu Feng cupped his fists and bowed of his own accord.
"Ahem, ahem." Lord Youyuan cleared his throat twice before waving his hand. "I've said it many times — when you see me, there's no need to bow. We are all family; there's no need to be so formal."
At that, Lord Youyuan smiled and continued, "I have come here from the Nine September Divine Domain, bringing back some rather important news."
"As you all know, the Nine September Divine Domain is about to open. It has now been confirmed that the date of its opening is three days from now," Lord Youyuan said.
"Three days? That soon?"
Hearing these words, many of the younger generation of the Chu Heavenly Clan present became instantly excited.