To be called "boy" by someone at his age left the First Sir staring in disbelief, utterly speechless.
Yet, his perpetually death-like mask of a face had begun to twitch faintly, a clear indication of the storm of shock raging within his heart.
'He can hear my voice transmission, but why does he claim to be a Spirit Transformation cultivator? I am already at the pinnacle of Spirit Transformation; eavesdropping on a transmission should be fundamentally impossible. Hasn't the Desolate Moon Continent lost many of its cultivation methods since the great war with the Demon Clan tens of thousands of years ago? How could he possibly recognize the 'Sun and Moon's Annual Rings' art at a glance? But the most terrifying thing is that he saw through the exact amount of lifespan I've consumed. Not even my two junior brothers are aware of this. Who in the world is he?'
A torrent of questions echoed relentlessly in the First Sir's mind. However, his long years spent surviving in the Chaotic Flow Space had taught him the value of silence. The various variant beasts in the Chaotic Flow Space wouldn't answer any questions; they offered only endless killing intent. One either remained silent or erupted with violence to slay the opponent.
The gray-robed elder was undoubtedly far older than himself, which would explain his vast experience and knowledge. The strange part was, if he was so formidable, why was he still in the Spirit Transformation stage?
Just then, Daling and the other three cultivators burst out from the golden light, their figures landing a thousand feet away alongside the First Sir. At this moment, however, Daling, Zhantian, and Su Changyang were all ancient and decrepit.
Yuandu's Nascent Soul was showing signs of dissipation, and he had already fallen into a coma, carried out by Daling.
The three of them no longer possessed the slightest air of Spirit Transformation cultivators. It was likely that if they were to face Tu Tai now, even with their combined strength, they would not be his match.
Even so, Tu Tai and the First Sir did not dare to underestimate their opponents. As long as a Spirit Transformation cultivator was not dead, a desperate, life-or-death struggle would be terrifying.
When the four appeared, they formed a triangular standoff with the gray-robed elder, the First Sir, and Tu Tai. Daling and the others eyed the gray-robed elder with uncertain gazes. They had no idea who this suddenly-appeared, immensely powerful figure was, having never seen him before.
The man's Spirit Power was unfathomably deep. Even with their cultivation, they couldn't sense a single trace of his realm's aura.
Moreover, even though the man had already released his power to control the so-called "Lesser Realm-Breaking Pearl" in his hand, they still couldn't sense it. This was the true gap between Daling's group of four, Demon Marshal Tu Tai, and the First Sir.
On the other side, the shock of the First Sir and Tu Tai continued to mount. When they saw the Lesser Realm-Breaking Pearl appear in the gray-robed elder's hand, their cultivation level was such that their Divine Sense was incapable of probing it.
Though their eyes could clearly see the Lesser Realm-Breaking Pearl in his hand, their Divine Sense was blocked by an invisible barrier.
Demon Marshal Tu Tai wanted to activate it at all costs. Even though the Lesser Realm-Breaking Pearl was so close to them, no longer in its optimal detonation position, he still wanted to open the Devil's Cliff Crevice as much as possible.
The First Sir had the same thought, but whenever their Divine Sense approached within a hundred feet of the elder, it would be deflected by an formless power.
The elder's bizarre appearance left even Daling and his companions unsure if he was friend or foe. Such a person might attack the Demon Clan one moment, but could just as easily turn on them and launch a vicious assault the next. He was just like them—eccentric and extreme, acting solely based on personal whims.
"Senior Brothers, have any of you ever heard of this senior?"
Daling sent a voice transmission. They had witnessed the previous scene and knew their transmission likely wouldn't escape the gray-robed elder's senses, but they simply didn't want the First Sir and Tu Tai to hear.
As expected, the moment Daling's voice sounded in the minds of Su Changyang and Zhantian, the gray-robed elder glanced over at them, seemingly by chance.
"No idea!" Zhantian was as cold and detached as ever.
A moment later, Daling and Zhantian realized they hadn't received a reply from Su Changyang. Just as they turned to look at him with suspicion, they saw him staring, dumbfounded, at the gray-robed elder.
'Not good!' Daling and Zhantian thought simultaneously. Su Changyang's offensive behavior could enrage the mysterious gray-robed elder in the next instant.
Su Changyang's once-black hair was now covered as if by snow, and his skin was riddled with brown spots. The Essence Blood they had just lost would likely take three to four hundred years of seclusion to recover.
Just as Daling and Zhantian were about to warn him, a look of excitement suddenly appeared in Su Changyang's eyes. This expression was noticed by everyone else.
While even the First Sir and Tu Tai were somewhat dazed, Su Changyang took a step forward and flew toward the gray-robed elder.
This sent Daling and Zhantian into a panic. They knew Su Changyang to be a sinister and deeply calculating man, but his actions were often extreme. Yet now he was acting so recklessly.
Zhantian, having lost his usual composure, hastily sent a voice transmission. "Old ghost Su, what do you think you're doing? Stop right now!"
Beside them, Daling also sent an urgent, secret transmission. "Brother Su, don't be rash!"
In just a few moments, so many drastic changes had occurred. A single misstep now could plunge the entire Desolate Moon Continent into a state of eternal damnation. It was no wonder the two were so anxious. The First Sir alone was already more than they could handle. If this mysterious gray-robed elder was added to the equation, they would have no path but certain defeat.
However, Su Changyang paid them no mind at all. With a single flash, he was in front of the gray-robed elder.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, he bowed respectfully. "Junior Su Changyang pays his respects to the Chimei Emissary!"
"Oh? You're a sharp little one, figuring out this old man's identity so quickly. We were not supposed to meet, and yet, here we are!"
The gray-robed elder merely nodded at Su Changyang, uttering a strange sentence.
But their exchange was heard by all. The anxious expressions on Daling's and Zhantian's faces froze abruptly. Then, the ever-solemn Zhantian's face filled with emotion. He even looked at Daling with a trace of joyful surprise. "Senior Brother, the legendary Chimei Emissary of the Malevolent Spirit Sect actually exists?"
"Amitabha. This old monk had only heard of it from my Master. There are records in the scriptures, but…"
"The… the legendary guardian of the Malevolent Spirit Sect… who protects the sect's prosperity… and ensures it never declines. But he hasn't been seen for a very long time. I… I thought it was just a smokescreen… put out by the Malevolent Spirit Sect…"
Yuandu's Nascent Soul trembled faintly. As a Nascent Soul entity, his senses were sharper. He had already begun to regain consciousness when Daling brought them near the gray-robed elder. He sensed an unrivaled, world-shaking power emanating from the man.
The three of them did not use voice transmission; their words were subconscious verifications blurted out after hearing the conversation between Su Changyang and the gray-robed elder.
With the hearing of the First Sir and Demon Marshal Tu Tai a thousand feet away, they naturally heard everything clearly. After their failed attempts to activate the Lesser Realm-Breaking Pearl, they hadn't dared to act rashly. Both were powerful figures in the world; they understood the wisdom of waiting to see how things developed when facing an unknown, terrifying existence.
Hearing the conversation between Daling's group, and connecting it with what he knew about the relationships between the four sects, a doubt arose in the First Sir's mind.
'Chimei Emissary? Weren't these four great sects fighting for tens of thousands of years? If the Malevolent Spirit Sect possessed such an almighty being, why didn't they just wipe out the other three sects and unify the Desolate Moon Continent?'
In truth, the same question had also risen in the minds of Daling and the others after they learned the gray-robed elder's identity.
Meanwhile, Su Changyang's demeanor grew even more respectful, a bitter look on his face. "If I had known Senior truly existed, we wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble to find that old wolf."
Hearing this, the gray-robed elder shook his head slightly, letting out a nearly inaudible sigh. He had made it look easy dealing with the two Spirit Transformation cultivators, but in reality, it hadn't been that simple.
First, his opponents had been careless.
Second, he had borrowed a sliver of power from his main body to appear here silently, without anyone noticing, catching his opponents completely off guard to succeed in one strike.
The gray-robed elder's gaze left Su Changyang and turned back towards the First Sir and Tu Tai. The matter at hand was to deal with these two.
At that moment, a voice, grating and filled with gritted teeth, suddenly rose from the silent ground below. Despite its tone, the voice was exceptionally pleasant to the ear, though it seemed particularly out of place in the silence.
"So it was you, Gu Jiuqi?"
When Great Master Liaoyuan's group of three cultivators and one demon risked their lives to delay the enemy Spirit Transformation cultivators, the battle below had erupted once more. But most of the attention was focused on the four Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, because the outcome there could render their own fight meaningless in an instant.
Even Li Yan and all the other cultivators who had been ordered to fall back, though they were rushing rearward, kept most of their attention on the sky.
When they sensed the four Late-stage Nascent Soul masters were on the verge of self-detonating the moment they made contact, panic had seized Li Yan and the others' hearts. They couldn't understand why, even at this critical juncture, their own Spirit Transformation cultivators had yet to appear.
'Is this great battle going to be a failure?' This was the fearful thought in many people's minds.
Even those with strong wills like Yan Longzi and Wei Zhongran had already sensed the final moment was upon them.
But with the sudden appearance of the gray-robed elder, who with a mere wave of his hand brought the two previously arrogant Spirit Transformation cultivators crashing down to earth, the newly ignited battle below once again fell into a deathly silence.
Even Li Yan and the others, upon seeing the gray sphere resting in the elder's hand, temporarily halted their retreat toward the Devil's Cliff Crevice.
The instant Li Yan saw the gray-robed elder, he froze in mid-air, petrified. He had seen this elder before—twice, in fact.
"Martial… Martial Uncle Gu?"
Li Yan's lips moved, producing a barely audible sound.
This man was none other than the gray-robed elder who guarded the Treasure Pavilion on Little Bamboo Peak. The first time he had met him was when Li Wuyi took him to choose a cultivation method. The second time was after Li Yan reached Foundation Establishment and went to light his Soul Lamp. Each time he saw the man, he had a drowsy, sleepy look about him. This had left a deep impression on Li Yan.
'Isn't… isn't he a Golden Core cultivator?'
His heart filled with doubt, Li Yan scanned the few people from Little Bamboo Peak in the distance. In his mind, the gray-robed elder was just a Golden Core cultivator whose lifespan was nearing its end. He had likely given up all hope of reaching Nascent Soul Formation and had thus taken on a leisurely post to live out his remaining years.
When Li Yan's gaze swept over Li Wuyi and the others, the looks on their faces, as if they had seen a ghost, told him everything.
Every disciple from Little Bamboo Peak had met this "Martial Uncle Gu." They had to go through this half-dead old man to receive their cultivation resources. Even Li Wuyi only knew that "Martial Uncle Gu" was an old-timer from Little Bamboo Peak from a long, long time ago.
Li Yan grew more and more curious. Finally, when his gaze quickly landed on Wei Zhongran, he saw Wei Zhongran exchanging a look with his Martial Mother, Zhao Zhi, not far away. However, the astonishment in their eyes made it clear that they, too, had no idea of the gray-robed elder's true identity.
In truth, Wei Zhongran and Zhao Zhi only knew that this Martial Uncle Gu had been guarding the "Treasure Pavilion" since their Master Dacen was the Peak Master. Martial Uncle Gu was just a cultivator whose lifespan was nearly exhausted. He never fought with anyone and preferred to be alone. His personality was very withdrawn, and he had entered Little Bamboo Peak many, many years before Wei Zhongran.
But because of his reclusive nature, he never socialized and almost never left the "Treasure Pavilion," let alone being seen anywhere else outside of Little Bamboo Peak. So, after a period of curiosity, Wei Zhongran had stopped paying him any mind, assuming that Martial Uncle Gu had simply lost all hope and wished to live out the rest of his days in peace.