If one were to choose the strongest among the South Hong Seven Sons, there might be quite a bit of controversy.
But if one were to select the proudest, that would undoubtedly be Su Hongxiu.
At this moment, the Heavenly Sword Daozi stood amidst the clouds with clasped hands, lifting her gaze towards the figure in black robes above the long staircase.
Her sharp eyes flickered uncertainly, and her gaze slowly fell upon the Purple Jade Rainbow Bridge.
It was unclear how much time had passed, but Su Hongxiu finally parted her red lips to exhale a breath, yet she couldn’t fully alleviate the shock in her heart.
Her pride had always been largely drawn from the very path she had walked herself, one that could be called an almost perfect Return to Void path.
The reason it was nearly perfect,
was because before her, there had been a precedent from the Nanyang Sect, the predecessor Li Xuanqing, who was capable of forging a supreme Heavenly Palace even at the ninth layer of Return to Void.
Compared to him, Su Hongxiu was still lacking one layer.
But after all, Li Xuanqing was a genius from a long-gone era, and now was no longer his time. Even those world-shaking tales had gradually submerged in the river of time.
She would not be affected by a personage from legend.
However, at this moment, a truly perfect Purple Qi Rainbow Bridge had appeared directly in front of her without any signs.
Su Hongxiu found herself flustered for a while, unable to regain her senses.
Fortunately, she was not the only one showing such a look; all the cultivators present were immersed in the awe of the purple rainbow, unable to extricate themselves for a long time.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Suddenly, Su Hongxiu noticed that the pretty girl by her side seemed different from everyone else.
Logically speaking, with the girl’s cultivation, she wouldn’t even qualify to sit here, let alone share a table with Su Yushang, but the girl had a Unity Realm Stage master and was the designated heir of the Treasure Flower Sect, her status equivalent to a Daozi.
At the moment, while others were fixated on the Purple Qi Rainbow, only this Fairy Bao Hua was staring blankly at the figure sitting atop the staircase.
Fairy Bao Hua seemed to forget she was in such a solemn and respectful place, instinctively rubbing her eyes. Her clear and moist eyes grew wider, and her breathing quickened significantly.
She seemed to have found the young man she had been longing for.
But she vehemently denied the thoughts at the bottom of her heart.
They shared the same face, but in Fairy Bao Hua’s memory, the youth was a Loose Cultivator who had to focus all his energy to face a fifth-layer Return to Void demon, not someone who looked down indifferently from above, overseeing many of the powerful beings of Southern Hong.
Even as a giant of the Unity Realm Stage, her master was positioned below him at his side.
"Who is he? No... who is the Sect Master of Nanyang?"
Fairy Bao Hua forced herself to calm her emotions, but her words were still a bit incoherent.
Su Hongxiu was startled, needing to utilize a secret sound transmission technique even to utter that name in such a condition so as not to seem disrespectful, "Shen Yi."
Hearing this familiar term,
Fairy Bao Hua suddenly clenched her sleeves. She indeed heard those Loose Cultivators calling the young man ’Senior Shen’, but she never imagined that the weight of ’Senior’ could be so heavy, heavy enough to be something she had to look up to.
No wonder she couldn’t find any information no matter how hard she looked.
If you focus on the ground in front of you, how can you see the Nanyang in the sky?
But... how could such a high-status being deign to personally go to the Treasure Flower Sect to request elixirs?
With his status, he wouldn’t even need an Imperial Edict. If he merely expressed a wish, the Treasure Flower Sect would send the elixirs to him at the fastest speed possible.
"So he’s been teasing me the whole time."
Fairy Bao Hua bit her lip, hung her head, and her face turned slightly pale.
So-called... the Return to Void fourth layer needed no mention.
It was only because Shen Yi was one of those who had ascended the White Jade Capital that, to him, the events of that day were nothing more than child’s play.
She had fled the sect with the desire to wander among mortals, only to become part of someone else’s wandering.
No wonder Shen Yi didn’t bother to ask her name when he left.
When an Immortal enters the mortal realm, whether doing good deeds or punishing evil, how could they truly care about a village woman by the roadside?
"His situation is somewhat special, you might be overthinking it,"
Su Hongxiu seemed to guess something. Considering Sect Master Shen’s habit of wandering about, it wasn’t strange to meet a young maiden from the Treasure Flower Sect.
Most likely, the girl had misunderstood something.
In consideration of the face of the Sect Master of the Treasure Flower Sect, she unusually reminded softly, "After the assembly is over, I’ll explain it to you."
Fairy Bao Hua nodded lightly, once again setting her gaze on Shen Yi’s face.
Neither his expression nor his features had changed... And indeed, less than a year had passed, so any change would’ve been strange.
He wasn’t consciously trying to exude any sense of majesty or dignity.
He just needed to sit there quietly, and people would feel it an offense even to gaze at him directly.
The shock of the Purple Qi Rainbow Bridge might linger for a long time.
But everyone present was of steady meditation and after completing their respects, they soon lifted their heads, forcefully repressing the strangeness in their hearts to continue advancing the Seven Sons Grand Assembly.
Of course, there were quite a few people with an odd look on their faces.
The various Daozi were the most stimulated group, whereas those direct disciples and elders who had originally coveted the Union Dao treasure lands had suddenly become much more resigned.
When one’s virtue is insufficient for their position, the Nanyang Treasure Land is a lush and tantalizing feast.
But when Shen Yi’s accomplishments are on par with, or even surpass those of other Daozi, the Nanyang Treasure Land is something that naturally should belong to him.