Zheng Fa watched with wide eyes as many cultivators revealed a look of interest on their faces.
Clearly, the reputation of the secret elixir from the Supreme Dao was immense.
However, Lady Xuanhua sighed inwardly. She finally understood why the atmosphere just now felt so strange:
People from the Jiushan Realm are not wordy, but they impart Secret Techniques in casual conversation, and would readily give away Qingjing Bamboo, almost without distinguishing between us and them, seeking only the betterment of Jiushan Realm.
But these people from Xuanwei Realm...
Their words are prettier than one another.
Their voices louder than one another.
But their thoughts, completely different, are all about strategizing and guarding against each other.
She sat among them and suddenly felt sick of it, even wanting to return to the Jiushan Realm.
She suddenly paused, perplexed... had she naturally used the word "return"?
Zheng Fa also watched Mingde Master, who was explaining and offering benefits.
Given his previous attitude, it was clearly not for the sake of these people from the Xuanwei Realm, but because of the Divinity Transformations of the Xuanwei Five Sects—after all, the Netherworld Immortal was trouble stirred up by the Supreme Dao.
Therefore, Mingde Master looked only at Yaochi’s God Transformation when he spoke.
After pondering for a moment, Yaochi’s God Transformation nodded gently and asked, "Do you have confidence, Master?"
Mingde Master smiled, and above his head, the Qingyun clouds slowly revealed themselves.
Zheng Fa watched the clouds and vaguely saw divine figures sitting among them, overlooking everyone in the great hall. A chill crept over Zheng Fa’s skin, as if he had encountered an absolutely insurmountable presence.
Was this... a higher realm of the Supreme Dao?
Master Cheng Kong did not possess such might.
Mingde Master seemed to have a certain intent to show off his power. He saw everyone in the hall silenced, then smiled contently as a piece of Qingjing Bamboo flew out of the Qingyun.
This Pure Bamboo was only as long as a forearm, with half of it yellowed and withered, looking pitiable.
But Yaochi’s God Transformation’s eyes lit up, joyfully saying, "This Qingjing Bamboo seems to have gained some vitality?"
"Indeed!" declared Mingde Master proudly, "This bamboo is particularly effective against the Great Freedom Demon Sect. Qin Mu has gone to great lengths trying to destroy it, but he doesn’t know that his efforts have been in vain. With this treasure, this scoundrel surely won’t escape with wings!"
Yaochi’s God Transformation pondered for a moment and then nodded, seemingly convinced.
The others seated lower saw her change in stance, then looked at the elixir bottle, the divine figures in the Qingyun, followed by the Qingjing Bamboo, and they all fell silent.
Mingde Master, knowing that today’s decisions had been definitively settled, recognized the acknowledgment of Yaochi’s God Transformation was actually for the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Roots that naturally suppressed the Great Freedom Demon Sect, greatly increasing their chances of victory.
His gaze turned to the Qingjing Bamboo with three more points of satisfaction.
Mingde Master swept his eyes across the hall again and, seeing no further opposition, his expression grew more complacent.
Were those few people from the Jiushan Sect?
Mingde Master’s gaze landed on the faces of Zheng Fa and others and felt their expressions were somewhat strange—strange enough to make him uncomfortable.
He furrowed his brows, didn’t think too deeply, and took the opportunity to start arranging the pursuit of the Netherworld Immortal.
"The Netherworld Immortal is likely hiding in the East Sea County in Liang Province. Tomorrow we set out and we must not let him get away."
Seeing his certainty, everyone naturally nodded. Mingde Master assigned the tasks and then allowed everyone to leave.
Looking at the retreating figure of Zheng Fa, the expressions of those people from Jiushan Sect surfaced in his mind again, and he turned to ask Master Cheng Kong, "Did you see the expressions of those people from Jiushan Sect just now?"
Master Cheng Kong was taken aback, then nodded gently, as if he had been paying attention to the people from Jiushan Sect all along.
"Why do I feel that their expressions look familiar?"
"They are very familiar."
Master Cheng Kong replied.
"Have you seen them too?"
"...I have seen them." Master Cheng Kong said slowly, seemingly hesitant, "That’s the look you have, Master, when you look at these cultivators from Xuanwei."
"An inability to hide disdain, just like looking at country bumpkins."