Chapter 32 Reinstating the Holy Son?
Just as the atmosphere in the plaza grew increasingly restless and the Disciples of the various peaks were on the verge of conflict.
"Dong—!"
A heavy, distant bell toll, as if coming from ancient times, suddenly resounded across the heavens and earth!
The bell's chime contained a strange Devilish Qi, instantly suppressing all the clamor in the plaza, clearing the minds of tens of thousands of Disciples, who simultaneously quieted down and cast their gazes in unison toward the highest obsidian viewing platform.
Before long, waves of incomparably powerful pressure approached from all directions in the sky!
The first to appear was a streak of dark black light, soaring with intense blood Qi!
The person who arrived was none other than Tu Gang, the peak master of War Demon Peak; he was like a blood-drenched Vicious Beast descending from the heavens, slamming heavily onto the viewing platform.
His Physique was burly and sturdy, and his entire body radiated an intense, thick scent of blood that could not be dispersed.
His face was rugged, his beard like halberds, and blood-red light flickered within his giant, copper-bell-like eyes, carrying undisguised cruelty and arrogance.
Almost simultaneously, a streak of light suffused with a pink halo flew onto the viewing platform, transforming into a figure.
It was Old Ghost Yu Mo, still maintaining that handsome, bewitching, and pale, sickly appearance, his waist-length white hair swaying without any wind.
He lounged lazily on his throne, a wisp of pink mist lingering at his fingertips, his bewitching gaze fixed on a certain direction in the distance, his tongue unconsciously licking his pale lips; the aura he exuded was strange and dangerous, causing the few peak masters who had just arrived nearby to slightly frown and subconsciously move a little further away.
On the other side, the peak masters of the Demon Medicine Peak, Qingtian Peak, and the remaining powerful figures of the Sect appeared one after another and took their respective seats.
Their auras were either obscure, soaring with Evil Qi, or cold as an abyss, making the Disciples below afraid to even breathe.
Just then, two brilliant rays of light suddenly lit up the sky!
One was crimson like blood, the other icy blue like the moon!
Two peerlessly elegant figures arrived side by side, instantly becoming the absolute focus of the entire scene!
Vice Sect Master Luo Hongyi was still wearing a flame-like "Phoenix fire-colored" long dress, covered by a black brocade robe with red-gold trim, her hair tied up in a high bun, her stunningly beautiful face bearing an air of control, majesty, and composure.
Her Phoenix eyes swept calmly across the plaza, and every Disciple touched by her gaze felt a sense of awe, lowering their heads to show reverence.
But deep within her eyes, there was a hint of solemnity.
Because just the day before, the two Pavilion Guardians had suddenly paid a visit together, solemnly proposing to restart the Saint position that had been abandoned for hundreds of years!
When she first heard this news, she was also full of surprise.
Because this matter was of great importance; the Saint position was no small matter. The prerequisites not only required Cultivating one of the nine supreme arts of the Modian Pavilion but also required extraordinary talent and strength. If proposed, it would completely break the delicate balance currently within the Sect.
Tu Gang and his ilk, along with those neutral factions, would never easily agree, and from then on, the Sect would likely no longer be peaceful.
Her gaze inadvertently swept over her Junior Sister beside her, and she sighed inwardly: 'Oh Junior Sister, Junior Sister, Senior Sister is truly blessed because of you; our Heavenly Demon Sect can finally be considered to have successors!'
Meanwhile, Luo Li, who stood shoulder to shoulder with her, was completely unaware of this. Today, she wore a relatively formal ice-blue palace dress that symbolized the majesty of a peak master, with layered skirts embroidered with intricate ice flower patterns in silver thread, shimmering with light.
Her ink-black hair was tied into an elegant and noble flying immortal bun, adorned with little ice crystal beads, making her cold and peerless face appear even fairer and more translucent, like a goddess from the Nine Heavens fallen to the mortal world. It was completely out of place in this plaza filled with Devilish Qi, yet it exuded a sacred majesty that made people afraid to profane her.
However, her current state was not very good.
Because she discovered that the annoying Wicked Disciple she hadn't seen for a few days still hadn't appeared. For some reason, there was always an indescribable sense of disturbance and... emptiness in the bottom of her heart.
At this moment, she sat upright on the high platform, receiving the gazes of countless people below—some reverent, some admiring, some infatuated. Her face remained cold and indifferent, as if nothing occupied her heart, yet that inexplicable concern deep within her heart lingered like spider silk, unable to be shaken off.
'I wonder where this Wicked Disciple has run off to again? Hmph, does he not know how many people in the Sect are watching him? I will settle the score with him when he returns!' She forced herself to look away, no longer thinking about that Rebellious Disciple who could always easily disturb her state of mind.
The various powerful figures on the high platform had arrived one after another, their invisible auras colliding with each other, making it hard for people to breathe.
The tens of thousands of Disciples in the plaza below held their breath; there was excitement, nervousness, anticipation, fear... various emotions intertwined, and the atmosphere was suppressed to the extreme, like the dead silence before a storm.
A melodious yet dignified voice instantly broke the calm on the scene, as if it came from the Nine Serenities, clearly echoing in the ears of every Disciple.
Although the voice was not loud, it made people feel a sense of awe, and they straightened their backs involuntarily.
Vice Sect Master Luo Hongyi on the high platform rose slowly.
In a flame-patterned Phoenix long dress, her stunning face bore indifference and majesty, her Phoenix eyes sweeping over the dark crowd below, and everyone touched by her gaze felt reverence and lowered their heads.
"The re-establishment of the heavenly demon ranking is a grand event for our Sect, and also an opportunity for you to leap over the dragon gate," Luo Hongyi's voice was clear and dignified. "The rules remain the same: draw lots to determine the order, and decide victory on the arena. The winner advances, the loser retreats, and life and death are determined by fate. Now, begin drawing lots."
As her voice fell, without seeing any movement, she lightly waved her sleeves.
In the center of the plaza, above the massive arena covered in ancient blood patterns, a giant, slowly rotating pitch-black wheel suddenly appeared.
On the wheel were densely packed countless points of light, each representing the Qi imprint of a participating Disciple.
This was a special Magic Treasure of the Sect; apart from being tougher, its only function was for the grand competition's lot drawing. The process of drawing lots was open and transparent, with the wheel running and matching automatically, largely preventing human manipulation, but for those in charge and those with high cultivation, it was another matter entirely.
Countless gazes instantly focused on the slowly rotating wheel. Nervousness, anticipation, prayer... various emotions permeated the crowd below.
Luo Hongyi watched the wheel with a calm gaze, and no one noticed that deep in her eyes, a faint smile flashed.
Just yesterday, her usually cold and stubborn Junior Sister had rarely asked her for a favor. After some questioning, it turned out to be for that brat Xiao Ming, inciting her to secretly control the grand competition's lot drawing. At first, she naturally refused, but her usually cold Junior Sister pestered her, and in the end, even resorted to acting spoiled, so she eventually softened and agreed.
"Forget it..." Luo Hongyi sighed inwardly, her powerful perception suddenly radiating out like the most precise tentacles, silently probing and circling the wheel extremely secretly. When it began to rotate and the Qi was at its most chaotic, she gently nudged the "links" corresponding to Xiao Ming, Lin Fan, and several other top-tier Disciples in the Sect.
"Oh Junior Sister, Junior Sister, Senior Sister can only help you this much." Luo Hongyi withdrew her consciousness, her expression remaining normal. Although she also regarded Xiao Ming highly, knowing he had extraordinary talent and a Heaven-Defying Physique, in Luo Hongyi's view, Xiao Ming was ultimately at a disadvantage in terms of Realm. One must know that there were other Geniuses in the Sect capable of fighting above their Realm, and some Disciples participating in this grand competition had even half a foot stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm.