Difficulties

Qing Huan Xiang could no longer be bothered to speak, having long seen through everything.

Gui Shoutian was even more direct, refusing outright on the spot!

"Star Lord, we are powerless to assist in this matter. We take our leave!"

As the two turned to leave, Nangong Yifang's face turned livid with anger. Finally, he slammed the table and rose, unleashing his thunderous wrath!

"Scoundrels!"

"With a great matter at hand, how can you simply leave as you please!"

As the curses fell, the two old men's figures halted.

They slowly turned their heads, a cold glint appearing in their eyes!

Nangong Yifang was now in a towering rage, having completely shed his superficial calm. Arrogantly, he stood up, slamming the table!

"How dare you!"

"Although you are the masters of your respective clans, you should know that there is always a higher sky! This lord hails from the Child Star, blessed by heavenly mandate, and my cultivation is far beyond what you natives of Lan Star can compare to!"

"Today, you dare defy celestial majesty? This is rebellion! If I do not teach you a lesson, you will have no respect left for the great ones of the Child Star!"

Qing Huan Xiang and Gui Shoutian coldly watched this display, their faces filled with disdain and chill.

If it were the past,

they indeed were no match for this Star Lord and had endured for the sake of the greater situation.

But now,

watching this Star Lord, supposedly under the protection of a "great personage from the Child Star," fly into a rage, their hearts were utterly unperturbed. They felt no anger, only finding it somewhat ridiculous.

The once-fearsome aura and cultivation, even the unfathomable background, now seemed like the prattle of children—ignorant and shallow.

Even that air of superiority was like a clown's performance, no longer carrying any pressure at all.

Calmly watching the Star Lord's great anger and the surge of his cultivation,

Qing Huan Xiang's eyes were placid, no longer holding the repressed resentment of the past. Gui Shoutian felt as if he were watching a child putting on airs, only able to sigh helplessly in his heart.

Nangong Yifang remained completely unaware, immersed in his long-held sense of superiority.

He still mobilized his cultivation, unparalleled in Lan Star. A sky-full of black energy pressed down, its terrifying pressure blotting out the surrounding radiant light, instantly turning day into night!

With this move unleashed, no living being could survive!

Just as a cold light flashed in his eyes,

he saw Qing Huan Xiang slowly wave his long sleeve, without any other movement. The heavens and earth had already cleared, not a trace of the strange phenomena remaining!

"Whoosh..."

A gentle breeze swept by.

Nangong Yifang stood dumbfounded, his face full of disbelief!

His powerful strike had been effortlessly dissolved?

How was this possible!

Widening his eyes to stare, he saw the two old men looking perfectly calm, as if nothing had happened at all. Their composed eyes held not a flicker of surprise...

Serene and unfathomable.

Instantly!

Nangong Yifang's eyes trembled with shock, completely awed by their demeanor!

He never would have thought

that the Lan Star natives he once looked down upon would, after many years, have become so powerful upon meeting again. He even felt as if he were in the presence of lofty seniors, the pressure in his heart multiplying!

This reversal of heaven and earth was too much for Nangong Yifang to accept all at once.

But such were the facts!

These natives he never paid heed to had become unimaginably strong. Tens of thousands of years were not too long for them, yet these two had seen their cultivation skyrocket, surpassing his own by multiple times.

Myriad shocks coursed through Nangong Yifang's heart. When he spoke again, his voice was full of tremor, even trembling slightly!

"Impossible..."

"This is impossible!"

"How have you suddenly become so strong?!"

Seeing that Nangong Yifang had finally recognized the reality and likely wouldn't put on airs or pester them further,

the two couldn't be bothered to say more, casually uttering a word as they prepared to leave.

"There is always a higher sky, and beyond a man, there is another man."

The identical phrase echoed once more, causing Nangong Yifang's heart to twinge.

His face suddenly flushed with shame, as if struck by a great blow.

But when he saw the profound mystic arts the two used to part the void, all his emotions were instantly suppressed. Only an intense fervor remained in his eyes, as if he had glimpsed a heaven-sent opportunity!

In that moment, he understood.

He hurriedly spoke, his tone already several times more respectful!

"You two..."

"You two fellow Daoists, please wait!"

Hearing this familiar form of address, Qing Huan Xiang and Gui Shoutian turned back in puzzlement.

"Is there something else?"

Before they could ask more, Nangong Yifang was already approaching with an apologetic smile, gesturing respectfully to the side.

"Fellow Daoists, it has been so long since we last met. Why leave in such a hurry? It was my loss of composure earlier. Let us speak no more of what just happened. Please grant me the honor of staying for a seat and a brief conversation..."

This Nangong Yifang was indeed a figure of stature, truly capable of picking up and putting down.

As the saying goes, one does not strike a smiling face.

Seeing the Star Lord suddenly see the light and act so humbly, and with no deep-seated hatred between them, Qing Huan Xiang and Gui Shoutian gave him a little face.

They sat down once more.

Before they could speak, Nangong Yifang had personally brewed his treasured tea crystals.

The fragrance was refreshing, soothing the heart and mind.

Both the treatment and attitude were worlds apart from before!

After the tea tasting was done,

Qing Huan Xiang had already guessed something and asked calmly, watching him.

"Star Lord, the three of us have known each other for tens of thousands of years after all. If you have something to say, speak frankly. No need for such roundabout ways."

Hearing this, Nangong Yifang actually looked nervous.

"Since that's the case, I shall speak shamelessly..."

"The two of you have experienced a meteoric rise in cultivation; you must have encountered a heaven-defying opportunity, right? I offended you greatly earlier. I hope you can forgive me. If you two can overlook past grievances and allow me to share in this opportunity, from now on I am willing to honor you as my superiors!"

Hmm?

As his words fell, Qing Huan Xiang and Gui Shoutian exchanged puzzled glances.

They spoke in turn, full of surprise.

"Star Lord, you hail from the Child Star with its limitless resources. What need do you have for other opportunities?"

"Indeed, the Child Star is so formidable. How could you..."

His once superior origins now sounded somewhat painful to hear, even carrying a hint of mockery. But Nangong Yifang didn't mind, only letting out a long, bitter sigh, his eyes filled with anguish.

"Ah..."

"Fellow Daoists, you are unaware.

Although I hail from the Child Star and hold the position of Star Lord of Lan Star, appearing infinitely glorious and exalted, in truth, I am merely a discarded piece..."

"You think I can command the wind and rain in Lan Star, under the protection of great personages from the Child Star, destined to ascend to the Great Dao in the future?"

"In reality, I am just a discarded piece obeying others' orders. I must painstakingly manage the overall situation of Lan Star while constantly currying favor with the great ones of the Child Star. For tens of thousands of years, I've trodden on thin ice, with no chance of returning to the Child Star. My life is doomed to stop here!"

"With no one else here now, I need not maintain the Star Lord's facade. To speak truthfully, this Star Lord position is a chicken rib—utterly bitter and unbearable. If I had any other choice, would I have endured this suffering until now?"

After this outpouring of emotion, the two were stunned.

They never imagined the infinitely glorious Star Lord was actually a pitiable figure?

Every family truly has its own hard-to-recite scripture.

Hearing this candid speech, they finally understood why Nangong Yifang suddenly had the idea to follow them away.

But faced with such a request, the two found themselves in a dilemma.

They could only first discuss privately via voice transmission.

"This Nangong Yifang is indeed a figure of stature. The Master is by nature open-minded and unrestrained. Shadow Island has always kept its doors wide open. Given that he has some cultivation, perhaps it wouldn't be unacceptable for him to go?"

"All who sincerely wish to join Shadow Isle are naturally welcome. That said, we must still gauge this individual's sincerity—to see if he truly has a heart for redemption and is genuinely willing to pledge loyalty to Shadow Isle."

"Indeed, you speak wisely, brother. We must never allow someone with an inflated opinion of themselves to enter Shadow Isle and tarnish the Master's good name."