Chapter 478: Eve of the Grand Assembly

The forceful "invitation" from Tianlan Hall has stirred up winds and clouds across the Tianlan Continent. Regardless of their stance toward Tianlan Hall, all factions have begun preparations to guard against it, and time has slipped away quietly amidst this turbulent situation.

On this day, Mingwang City, which is already at the core of the Tianlan Continent, is even more bustling and lively than usual.

On the high platform in the center of Mingwang City, two rows of seats are arranged opposite each other, their gray-white stone material exuding a sense of weightiness. Below the platform, the crowd is surging, with pairs of nervous, expectant, and excited eyes cast toward the towering platform under the azure sky.

Especially since this grand assembly was initiated by the mysterious and powerful Tianlan Hall, it naturally sowed seeds of doubt in the hearts of everyone in Tianlan, with all sorts of speculations gathering in their minds.

At this time when the crowd is gathered, many who care about the world naturally cannot help but exchange so-called "inside" information.

"It's the first time in so many years that our Tianlan Continent has been this lively!" Such an exclamation suddenly rang out from the crowd.

Once these words were spoken, they drew immediate agreement from the people nearby.

First-rate factions possess their own spheres of influence and rarely meet under normal circumstances, let alone at a moment where everyone is gathered like this; calling it a grand event is perfectly appropriate.

Someone echoed, "After all, it is an invitation issued by the number one faction; other factions must surely give them face."

Then they clicked their tongue.

"However, Tianlan Hall actually only invited factions of the first rate and above. I wonder what kind of changes this assembly will cause to the continent's situation."

Hearing this, many people lowered their heads in silence, their expressions dark and unclear, as were the spies from other uninvited factions in the crowd.

Only a few figures remained indifferent, the aura they emitted clearing a spacious area around them.

As things stand, everyone is clear that some unknown scheme is hidden behind this unprecedented assembly.

The participating factions occupy more than two-thirds of the high-end combat power of the Tianlan Continent; any slight fluctuation among them could set off monstrous waves across the entire continent.

As people caught in the middle, those with insufficient power or factions can only pray that this storm will not harm the innocent.

The only ones who can truly remain calm and steady as a mountain are those few experts who are extremely confident in their own strength.

At this moment, an untimely voice rang out.

"Could it be that Tianlan Hall is preparing to unify the Tianlan Continent?"

"Hmm?"

Cold glares shot over immediately.

"Ah haha, just saying it casually, you all don't need to worry."

Sensing the many unfriendly gazes, the speaker immediately said with a sheepish laugh.

"How could that be? After all, the other factions aren't pushovers, right?"

After the crowd's gazes dissipated slightly, this person slowly merged into the crowd and gradually retreated toward the periphery.

Regarding the departure of the former, others did not pay much attention, and the former's words did not stir much of a ripple in their hearts.

In everyone's minds, even if Tianlan Hall is the dominant power, there is no possibility of them becoming enemies with the entire continent; it is just that the haze of the assembly hanging over their heads is becoming increasingly heavy and profound.

"Dong~"

"Dong~"

"Dong~"

"..."

By noon, a melodious bell chime made the crowd, which had already quieted down slightly, noisy once again. Their gazes crossed the blinding sunlight to look at several distinct, colorful streaks of light on the horizon.

Brilliant as gold, scorching as fire, cold as the moon, translucent as snow...

As the "streaks" drew closer, the figures of the representatives from each family came into view, sparking bursts of exclamations.

However, at this moment, the former paid no heed to the gazes of others, but instead locked firmly onto their opponents, twisting and turning in the air, scrambling to be first. Amidst the interlacing light and shadows, they erupted into shocking collisions, fighting their way down onto the high platform.

"Boom!"

"Whoosh!"

"Pfft!"

"..."

The distinct figures appeared on the stone chairs, and a cursing voice was the first to ring out.

"Old man Yang, you just wait. Next time, I will definitely dismantle your old bones."

These crude words did not make the crowd displeased or confused; instead, they felt it was only natural, simply because the other party was the Blazing Flame Sect Sect Master, Yan Lie, the man who claimed he would always be "I."

As for the one called "old bones," it was a thin, frail little old man whose aura was almost non-existent, the kind who would make one worry he might tremble and fall after taking two steps.

However, anyone who knew the other's identity would never truly mistake him for a helpless old man.

On the contrary, in terms of pure strength, perhaps this old man is the true number one person on the Tianlan Continent.

Yang Jiuxiao, Sect Master of the Taiyue Sect, who has integrated arrays into his body, is the only Nine Palaces Realm body cultivator on the Tianlan Continent. He is a being whose fists can collapse mountains and whose feet can split the earth, and he is also one of the most senior experts on the Tianlan Continent.

Regarding Yan Lie's harsh words, Yang Jiuxiao just smiled slightly, calmly picked up a teacup from his side, and sipped it leisurely.

What is the bearing of an old senior?

This is it!

Little brat, you aren't good enough!

"Old man Yang..."

Although there wasn't a single word spoken throughout, Yan Lie still felt a faint sense of contempt; he had been looked down upon!

Yet, it was just one person outputting unilaterally while some old man sipped tea easily...

Setting aside the rather amusing interaction between the two for now, the most eye-catching thing was the conversation on the other side.

One person was dressed in white as snow, a semi-transparent white veil covering that thought-provoking, peerless face. Her dark eyes swept casually over the cursing Yan Lie, paused slightly, and then she closed her eyes to meditate without saying a word, her temperament ethereal and otherworldly, like a fairy in the clouds.

The other person wore a water-blue long dress, her figure petite, like a young girl who had not yet grown up. Her clear eyes were full of smiles as she watched the farce on the field, playing with a jade-green hairpin in her hand. Her every gesture revealed lightness and agility, like an elf who had just entered the mortal world.

"Sister Qiu, guess how long that guy Yan Lie can hold out today?"

Suddenly, the young girl asked the white-clad woman beside her with a smile.

The white-clad woman was the Palace Master of Qingyun Palace, named Qiu Hanxue.

Hearing this familiar form of address, Qiu Hanxue opened her eyes, a flash of helplessness crossing them, and she routinely corrected her:

"Sect Master Ling, in such a formal occasion, please do not be so casual with your address."

She had already given up on the idea of changing the other party's way of addressing her, and continued to lower her own bottom line.

The Sect Master of Yuyi Sect, Ling Long, was a recognized existence who was old in years but young at heart; who could have imagined that this existence, whose appearance and behavior completely matched those of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, was actually an "old person" over a thousand years of age?

Even with a calm mindset, being called "Big Sister" by such a person still left a faint sense of discomfort in Qiu Hanxue's heart.

However, just as Qiu Hanxue had guessed, Ling Long skillfully ignored the former's prompt.

"Big Sister Qiu, let's talk about that later; tell me about them first."

The object referred to by "them" was exceptionally clear; Qiu Hanxue subconsciously looked at Yan Lie, who still hadn't stopped, her tone mixed with an imperceptible trace of disgust.

"If there are no surprises, I estimate it will take half an hour before it settles down."

Hearing this, Ling Long smiled with her eyes narrowed.

"I guess it will take an hour this time."

The clashes between Yan Lie and Yang Jiuxiao were always accompanied by the former's ultra-long verbal output, and time after time, they broke the bottom line of everyone's perception.

"An hour?"

Completely led into Ling Long's rhythm, Qiu Hanxue looked up at the sky and shook her head, saying:

"An hour? The others should probably be here by then too."

With her train of thought guided back to this grand assembly, Ling Long also reined in her lively, girlish image, her slightly immature little face carrying a trace of solemnity.

"I wonder what understanding Big Sister Qiu has of that Hall Master Liu?"

"I have no understanding." Qiu Hanxue shook her head, her tone indifferent.

"In the worst-case scenario, it is nothing more than death."

The sharp killing intent that flashed through her eyes for an instant made Ling Long, who was constantly observing her, feel a palpitation; it was clear that she had come to attend the assembly prepared for a fight to the death.

"Hey, someone else is here."

Several figures rudely crashed into everyone's perception; Yan Lie stopped his verbal output, Yang Jiuxiao set down the teacup in his hand, the two of them—Qiu Hanxue and Ling Long—stopped their conversation, and all attention was focused on the several streaks of light on the horizon.

(End of this chapter)