Peerless Elegance of Fellow Daoist

Central Continent, Xiaoyun Palace.

As one of the Eighteen Immortal Sects, Xiaoyun Palace was generally considered quite active in the outside world, at least possessing the full confidence to establish its presence in the Eastern Sheng Divine Continent.

It was just that Xiaoyun Palace had its own deep foundations. To firmly hold a position among the Eighteen Immortal Sects, it naturally possessed sufficient strength. Unfortunately, it ultimately lacked a fierce reputation in the outside world. It lacked the kind of living legends that would make people instinctively ponder upon hearing their names: Do I really want to clash with this person?

Figures like Bai Xuanling of the Tianyan Sect, Huang Miao of the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect, Taiyuan of the Taidao Sect, and the Buddhist Venerable Runan.

Individual heroism had always made for the best stories. It made people's blood boil and was naturally passed down in legends.

After all, even if eighteen people ganged up on one and won, it would only make people feel that it was a vulgar group brawl.

Xiaoyun Palace was roughly in this state of being strong, but lacking the reputation of having absolute top-tier cultivators. They had a reputation, but naturally, it fell short of the sects housing those aforementioned cultivators who had forged peerless names for themselves.

However, even so, as one of the Eighteen Immortal Sects that had stood tall to this day, Xiaoyun Palace's prestige was ultimately not something ordinary immortal sects could even look up to.

Just a single glance at their bright crimson sect uniforms was enough to deter almost all returning gazes.

Among the Eighteen Immortal Sects, none were truly weak.

The world's greatest cultivators were all within the Eighteen.

Those capable of joining the Eighteen Immortal Sects were the absolute cream of the crop among cultivators.

As one of these top-tier cultivators, Ye Antao had just completed a minor mission assigned by the sect and was leading her squad back from the outside.

Ye Antao's expression remained full of youthful vigor. Time seemed to have never worn away the vitality in her heart, and her cultivation base had also climbed from the Nascent Soul realm to the Soul Formation realm.

This level of cultivation was already sufficient to serve as the chief leader of an externally dispatched squad.

Flying on her sword, Ye Antao gazed at the sect from afar and suddenly asked in a strange tone:

What day is it today? Is that grand formation the Burning Heaven Universal Array?

It shouldn't be any special day, right? The Dao Rhyme Bell hasn't been rung either. Could it be a test of the grand array? a squad member responded.

Ye Antao remained silent, her eyes looking with slight curiosity at the swirling crimson array. According to rumors, this was a grand array that would only be activated during the most critical moments.

Since joining Xiaoyun Palace, she had only heard of it in rumors and had never actually seen it.

However, thinking about it carefully, it perhaps made sense.

A grand array could be left inactive for a century, or even hundreds of years.

After a long time, they had to test if it could still be used and if there were any issues that needed fixing.

If something went wrong during a truly critical moment, then they would truly be doomed.

Ye Antao slowed down her sword flight slightly, her eyes filled with shock as she carefully observed every detail of the Burning Heaven Universal Array and every small ritual track manifested by the flow of spiritual energy.

This was a complex and beautifully ordered aesthetic of the highest extreme.

She was lucky today, so she should take a closer look.

Who knows, the next time she could see it might be during another verification a hundred years from now.

But no matter how beautiful something was, it eventually had to end, and no matter how far the journey, there was a destination.

Ye Antao put away her spiritual sword and stepped inside the sect's array. What greeted her was not a welcome, but a Mahayana realm elder hovering high in the sky, his divine sense sweeping down unceremoniously.

This was somewhat unusual.

Ye Antao first cupped her hands and bowed to the Mahayana elder, then led her squad toward their own peak. Along the way, she grabbed a fellow disciple and began to inquire curiously.

I was away from the sect for the past few days, Daoist friend. What is the situation here?

The fellow disciple, seeing that he was stopped by Ye Antao, a cultivator who had quite a reputation in Xiaoyun Palace, opened his mouth and answered:

I heard an extraordinary figure has arrived. Fearing something might go wrong, they activated the grand array. As for who came, I don't know. Also, the sect is under martial law recently. You'll understand some things once you return to your peak.

Ye Antao cupped her hands in thanks, then led her squad toward the peak.

The fellow disciple walked two steps, suddenly remembered something, and turned around to say something, but saw that Ye Antao's figure was already far away.

He suddenly remembered that the main peak where Ye Antao resided had the strictest martial law. It seemed the big shot was right there.

He had wanted to give another reminder, but seeing that she had already gone far, he dismissed the thought.

After all, Ye Antao belonged to the main peak. It couldn't be that just because a big shot arrived, she wouldn't even be allowed to return to her own peak.

Ye Antao was unaware of the fellow disciple's intended reminder.

She only wanted to know what kind of big shot had arrived at Xiaoyun Palace, capable of making the sect deploy even their trump card grand array.

At the foot of the main peak.

Ye Antao and the others began to prepare for the sudden extra inspection.

Just what kind of big shot came? Putting aside the activation of the grand array, we actually have to be inspected before going up the main peak. Ye Antao crossed her arms, looking at the top of the main peak, and guessed,

Could it be that the only living True Immortal, Bai Xuanling, has arrived? I reckon only that True Immortal King of Hell would cause the grand array to be opened just in case.

Give me a hint, is it Bai Xuanling who came?

The disciple responsible for the inspection was also a Soul Formation cultivator of the main peak. Facing Ye Antao's inquiry, he could only smile bitterly:

Little Ye, don't make things difficult for me. If you want to know, you might be able to see for yourself once you go up the peak.

Ye Antao chuckled twice and didn't press further.

This kind of inspection naturally wouldn't stop Ye Antao. After passing the inspection and listening to some instructions, Ye Antao's squad was finally able to ascend the main peak.

Flying was temporarily forbidden on the main peak.

Ye Antao and the others could only walk all the way up.

On the way, the group chatted casually.

They also started blindly guessing what big shot had arrived.

Ye Antao was enthusiastic and didn't put on airs. She also liked to chat about interesting things and never snitched, so she was quite popular on the main peak.

The group chatted all the way, unanimously believing that the big shot who arrived must be Bai Xuanling.

Until the group reached the top of the peak.

The moment Ye Antao reached the peak, she looked toward the entrance of the main hall, which was guarded by a group of elders. The playful smile originally on her face instantly stiffened, and at the same time, she hoped her eyes were playing tricks on her.

She saw a group of people standing at the entrance of the main hall.

Besides their own Sect Master, Yun Xiao, the contemporary core disciple of Xiaoyun Palace who was rarely seen, was also standing at the hall entrance.

Secondly, what truly made Ye Antao find it somewhat unbelievable were the three people conversing with the Sect Master.

The currently acknowledged Child of Destiny — Chu Xingchen.

The contemporary core disciple of the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect — Xu Jin.

The contemporary core disciple of the Taidao Sect — Daoist Yuyang.

Chu Xingchen's expression was still considered polite, but the gaze he directed at Yun Xiao contained highly obvious disdain and scrutiny.

Yun Xiao similarly had a cold face, his expression somewhat resistant.

Although she didn't know what had happened, it was very obvious that the awkwardness of this situation was comparable to telling someone else's emotional gossip, only to realize the person involved had been listening behind her the entire time, and she only found out when she turned around after finishing the story.

Seeing this, Ye Antao unhesitatingly chose to turn around and walk toward a hidden spot on the side, while silently praying in her heart: Please don't see me.

Although she didn't necessarily think Chu Xingchen still remembered her, if she was recognized at this moment and he even greeted her, she would purely shatter right there on the spot.

She didn't want any part of this kind of occasion!

But sometimes, whatever you don't want is exactly what tends to come.

"Oh! Isn't this Fellow Daoist Ye?!" Chu Xingchen's pleasantly surprised voice boomed loudly.

"It has been a long time, Fellow Daoist! I wonder if you still remember me?"

Ye Antao desperately wanted to keep walking and pretend she hadn't heard a thing.

However, several streams of divine sense had already locked onto her.

Ye Antao had no choice but to stop in her tracks, feeling the shocked gazes of her team members behind her. They were clearly thinking: Who would have thought that you, our leader, actually knew such a supreme figure and had even interacted with him!

Although it felt pretty good to be looked at with such awe.

But... the price was probably going to be a bit too high.

Unable to feign ignorance any longer, Ye Antao stood in place, forced a rather insincere smile, cupped her hands in a traditional greeting, and replied:

"Chu... Sen... uh... Fellow Daoist Chu still remembers me?"

Chu Xingchen laughed heartily:

"Of course I remember! Fellow Daoist's outstanding elegance is truly hard to forget!"

Ye Antao was completely at a loss for what to do:

"Uh... heh... hehe..."