No wonder
What Lower-Order Open Heaven could possibly withstand such power?
But even though they had guessed that
The entire Jing Hong Region had only one Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator. The old master of the Jing Hong Pavilion had single-handedly suppressed the Jing Hong Region for thousands upon tens of thousands of years, ruling over it as king, dominating the region with no one daring to defy him — which spoke volumes about the might of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven.
Even if they had truly sought aid from the Jing Hong Pavilion beforehand, the Pavilion likely wouldn't have waded into these murky waters. The old master's lifespan was nearly spent — why would he offend another Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator for the sake of Blood Hong Continent?
Yun Xinghua's mouth was full of bitterness as his gaze fell upon the young man standing before the woman.
Though the young man's aura was restrained, he was clearly only at the Emperor Sovereign Realm. Yet Yun Xinghua didn't dare underestimate him in the slightest — instead, his expression grew even more solemn.
For no other reason than the fact that this young man stood a full step *ahead* of even that Sixth-Order Open Heaven woman!
What did that mean? It could only mean that the young man's status was even higher than the woman's — one could even say that this Sixth-Order Open Heaven woman was merely his attendant!
Cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead. Yun Xinghua had a vague feeling that they had provoked some terrifying existence this time.
Suppressing the tremor in his heart, Yun Xinghua cupped his fists politely and said in a deep voice, "Yun Xinghua of Blood Hong Continent greets you both. May I ask how I should address you?"
A mere Emperor Sovereign was obviously not qualified to call himself a True Lord, yet no one present found anything amiss with the title.
Yun Xinghua's brows furrowed slightly, his mind filled with doubt. The
Never before had he been so subservient when facing an Emperor Sovereign Realm cultivator. But when your fists weren't as big as the other fellow's, there was no choice but to lower yourself.
"Don't you know in your heart what Blood Hong Continent has done? Why bother asking when you already know the answer?"
Yun Xinghua's expression was strained as he forced out a smile. "I humbly ask this madam to enlighten me. I have been in closed cultivation and only emerged recently. I am not well-informed about matters in the outside world."
"Are you certain?"
Under her gaze, Yun Xinghua felt as though he were being watched by an ancient savage beast, as though his life could be snuffed out at any moment. Cold sweat from his forehead slid ceaselessly down his cheeks.
The pressure bore down like a mountain. His mind raced, trying to figure out how to defuse the crisis before him.
Just then, the scholarly-looking Open Heaven cultivator stepped forward and said in a measured voice, "Chief, I'm afraid today's matter may be related to Elder
"How so?" Yun Xinghua feigned ignorance and looked over with a suspicious gaze.
The scholar said, "Just now, I thought I heard
"Is that so?" Yun Xinghua frowned and swept his gaze around before bellowing, "Where is Elder Gu? Step forward and speak!"
The scholar said, "Chief, Elder Gu is already dead. His soul lamp suddenly went out earlier. I was preparing to report this, but I didn't get the chance."
"What?" Yun Xinghua's face drained of color. "Elder Gu is dead?"
"Not only Elder Gu — the soul lamps of several other Executive Hall Masters have all gone out as well."
Yun Xinghua's face turned deathly pale, his voice tight with anguish. "How can this be?"
After mourning for a moment, he looked up at