185: The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets' Schemes

Inside a guest room at Qixuan Pavilion in Xiyue City, Su Mengyao curled up in the corner of the bed, hugging her knees with a pitiful look on her Face.

Recalling the cold and heartless way Shen Lian had treated her, she felt an inexplicable pang of heartache.

"Did I really do something wrong? Will Revered Master abandon me?"

"If Revered Master doesn't want me anymore, where should I go?"

For a moment, Su Mengyao was in a state of turmoil, unsure of what her future and destiny held.

Shen Lian's resolute and cold Face kept appearing in her mind.

She hurriedly shook away those chaotic thoughts, trying hard to stabilize her emotions.

"No, when Revered Master returns, I must apologize to him properly and never provoke him in the slightest again."

Just as she made up her mind, Shen Lian's voice suddenly echoed through the Void Realm.

"I have only been away for a single day, and you have become so lazy?"

"Su Mengyao, get out here!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Su Mengyao felt an inexplicable sense of relief and immediately opened the door to welcome him.

She saw that Shen Lian was already sitting at the stone table in the inner courtyard, sipping tea in a leisurely manner.

Su Mengyao immediately stepped forward and knelt before Shen Lian, saying repeatedly, "Revered Master, this Disciple knows she was wrong. You can hit me or scold me, just please don't drive me away. In the future, I will listen to you and won't make you angry again."

Shen Lian set down his teacup and gave a soft huff.

"Do I look like I am angry?"

Su Mengyao was stunned and hurriedly said, "It is good that Revered Master is not angry with this Disciple."

Shen Lian: "Save the nonsense. The matters in the Spirit Realm have been dealt with; it is time to leave."

Su Mengyao: "Yes. Then, Senior Sister..."

"Du Bingyan has already become the Sect Master of Medicine King Valley. She has many things to handle, and you have many things to handle as well. Follow me back to the Chess Sword Pavilion first."

Upon hearing that they were returning to the Chess Sword Pavilion, Su Mengyao's expression changed suddenly: "Revered Master, why are we returning to the Chess Sword Pavilion?"

"That is not a question you should be asking. Study what I have taught you well. You have wasted quite a bit of time during this period, and your Sword Intent has made no progress. From now on, you must pull yourself together and not let me see you looking so decadent again."

"Understood, Revered Master."

Su Mengyao finally breathed a sigh of relief. To her, the fact that Shen Lian was not ignoring her was the best feeling.

The netherworld chariot materialized from within Shen Lian's body and immediately carried the two of them, speeding toward the entrance and exit of the Spirit Realm.

...

Inside Tianji Pavilion, in Tianshu Hall, Old Man Tianji set up a Daoist field, sat cross-legged in the center of the Eight Trigrams, and quietly awaited the arrival of his distinguished guests.

Suddenly, a cold wind swept through.

"You have finally arrived."

Old Man Tianji slowly opened his eyes.

He saw a handsome Cultivator standing before him, dressed in snow-white robes with pale hair.

"Wen Guhong of the Shengyun Immortal Realm greets Old Man Tianji."

Wen Guhong bowed to Old Man Tianji. His demeanor was elegant and orderly, making one feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

Old Man Tianji: "Mister Wen, please take a seat so we may converse."

"Hmm."

Wen Guhong acknowledged this and sat alone on the chair that had been prepared on the side.

The moment he sat down, a ball of scorching flames swept in from outside Tianshu Hall.

Unlike the cold air of Wen Guhong from before, the newcomer brought with them a torrent of raging flames.

Old Man Tianji flicked his horsetail whisk, and with just a gentle tap of his finger, the instantly surging torrent of flames vanished into nothingness.

"Old Man Tianji, Tie Xinkuang pays his respects!"

As the flames dissipated, a burly figure appeared in Tianshu Hall, with his chest exposed and his hair disheveled.

He was the Sect Master of the Divine Flame Sect, Tie Xinkuang.

After Tie Xinkuang paid his respects to Old Man Tianji, he immediately shifted his gaze to Wen Guhong, who was sitting on the side.

"So, you iceberg are here too. I thought nothing could pique your interest. It seems that the supreme techniques in the Tianji Martial Canon have also tempted you."

Wen Guhong replied indifferently: "My Disciple, Ren Tianxing, was murdered. As his Revered Master, I must find the murderer and avenge my Disciple. Is there a problem with that?"

Anger of Iron Heart scoffed: "You have seventeen Disciples under your command, and I have never seen you teach any of them seriously. I already inquired clearly when I came. Your Disciple, Ren Tianxing, died more than a month ago. At that time, neither you nor the Shengyun Immortal Realm reacted. Now that Old Man Tianji is using the Tianji Martial Canon as a bargaining chip, you arrived even faster than I did. If you say you care about your Disciple's safety, I wouldn't believe it even if you killed me."

Wen Guhong replied coldly: "Do I need you to believe it? Anger of Iron Heart, you have provoked me time and again, merely because you lost to me by one blade three hundred years ago. That was because your skills were inferior to mine; who else can you blame?"

Anger of Iron Heart immediately revealed a nine-ringed saber with a flaming blade.

"I still find it hard to forget that blade. For three hundred years, I have been studying how to break your Cross Blade Path. Now I have achieved some success. Do you want to spar with my Red Lotus again?"

Wen Guhong smiled slightly: "Using force inside Tianji Pavilion—only a brainless brute like you would dare to suggest that."

"Who are you calling brainless?"

"What do you think?"

"Wen Guhong!"

Seeing that both sides were evolving from a war of words to a life-and-death struggle, Old Man Tianji spoke up in time to stop them: "Alright, you two are both long-renowned Revered Masters of the Primordial Continent. Please give this old man some Face. For today, put aside your personal grievances and discuss together how to deal with the future Devil Head of the Jianghu."

Since Old Man Tianji had spoken, Anger of Iron Heart had to give him some Face. He put away Red Lotus, glared at Wen Guhong, and sat on the opposite side of him.

"Hahaha, it seems I have arrived a step late."

Just then, a hearty laugh rang out from outside Tianshu Hall.

Looking closely, they saw a handsome Cultivator dressed in simple, tight-fitting clothes, with a bone age of no more than a few hundred years, stepping into Tianshu Hall.

"This Junior, Ren Guyun, on the orders of Sect Master Lord Yunwu, has come specifically to pay respects to Old Man Tianji."

Old Man Tianji looked at Ren Guyun with satisfaction and muttered to himself: "Not bad. Young Friend Ren is so young, yet he already possesses the cultivation of a half-step Immortal Realm. He is truly a worthy high Disciple of Lord Yunwu. I wonder why Lord Yunwu did not come himself?"

"My Revered Master, Lord Yunwu, is currently in secluded cultivation at a most critical moment, so he specifically ordered this Junior to participate in Old Man Tianji's invitation on his behalf."

"Young Friend Ren, there is no need for such formalities. Please take a seat."

"Thank you, Senior."

Ren Guyun bowed and then sat elegantly beside Wen Guhong.

After the three of them sat down, Old Man Tianji raised his hand to set up a soundproof Barrier outside the hall, then slowly said: "Everyone, thank you for giving me the Face to come to Tianji Pavilion. I will not say much more. Here, I would like to ask you all to eliminate a great future scourge of the Primordial Continent."

Wen Guhong: "Shen Lian?"

Old Man Tianji nodded: "Indeed."

After speaking, he swept the horsetail whisk in his hand.

Suddenly, a scene appeared before everyone of Shen Lian single-handedly challenging tens of thousands of Xuan Sect Disciples at Tianji Mountain, finally emerging victorious and standing at the Peak.

"What cruel methods, what a vicious personality. This Shen Lian is actually this arrogant?"

Wen Guhong frowned slightly.

Anger of Iron Heart: "This brat had better not let me run into him. Otherwise, I will definitely make him taste the power of my Red Lotus Decapitation."

Ren Guyun, however, stared at the image repeatedly without saying a word, seemingly pondering something.