34: Chapter 34 It's him!

Ever since the spirit boat of the Zhouwu Dynasty landed, Ancestor Zhou Huaixu had been standing at the bow.

His gaze frequently drifted toward the interior of the spirit boat, his expression carrying a hint of anticipation and a touch of reverence.

Using that word to describe Ancestor Zhou Huaixu, who was at the Peak of Undergoing Tribulation, was truly incongruous.

Yet, the facts were exactly so; Dan Qingzi could see it clearly: that old fellow was indeed waiting for someone, and he was waiting with an incredibly humble posture.

"I heard that an extraordinary figure has arrived with the Zhouwu Dynasty."

Dan Qingzi spoke slowly, his voice low, "Even Ancestor Zhou Huaixu has to treat them with reverence."

"An extraordinary figure?" The Elder frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and shook his head.

"In the Southern Wilderness... no, in the entire Xuanhuang World, people who can make Ancestor Zhou Huaixu treat them with reverence can probably be counted on one hand."

Dan Qingzi did not respond.

He recalled a piece of news he had received a few days prior, which said that during the Great Family Ranking Battle of the Zhouwu Dynasty, Ancestor Zhou Huaixu had bowed to a young man in white, calling him "Senior."

At the time, he had simply assumed it was an exaggeration, but seeing Ancestor Zhou Huaixu's current demeanor, that rumor was likely not without basis.

Meanwhile, on the spirit boat of the Qingyang Sect, Sect Master Yang Lietian sat upright, his gaze fixed heavily in the direction of Ancestor Zhou Huaixu.

Beside him, Grand Elder Yuan Qingzi stroked his beard, his expression thoughtful.

"Yuan Qing, what do you think?" Sect Master Yang Lietian suddenly asked.

Grand Elder Yuan Qingzi pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Someone who can make Ancestor Zhou Huaixu this respectful either possesses strength far surpassing his own, or has a background that forces him to be respectful. Either way, it is worth our vigilance."

Sect Master Yang Lietian nodded slightly, his gaze growing deeper.

The opening of the Purple Bamboo Forest was imminent, and he had not wanted to invite trouble, but Ancestor Zhou Huaixu's behavior made him feel vaguely uneasy.

On the spirit boat of the Piaomiao Sect, Sect Master Yun Qingyao reclined on a soft couch, holding a spirit fruit in her hand and nibbling on it slowly.

She was exceedingly beautiful, dressed in a snow-white gown, her long dark hair cascading freely, her languid posture exuding an indescribable charm.

"Sect Master, over at Ancestor Zhou Huaixu's side..." an Elder beside her spoke in a low voice.

Sect Master Yun Qingyao waved her hand, cutting her off.

"What is the rush? What is meant to come will come."

She took a bite of the spirit fruit, the juices melting on her tongue, yet a sharp glint flashed in her eyes.

"I would like to see just what kind of sacred being could make that old antique bow his head."

On the spirit boat of the Nanli Dynasty, Imperial Lord Yang Potian stood with his hands behind his back, his expression somber.

Beside him, Grand General Yang Zhirong stood with his hands hanging down, his expression grave.

"Zhirong, is the young man in white you spoke of the one who makes Ancestor Zhou Huaixu so respectful?" Imperial Lord Yang Potian asked in a deep voice.

Grand General Yang Zhirong nodded, "It is he. I saw it with my own eyes; there can be no mistake."

Imperial Lord Yang Potian was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "When he appears later, point him out to me."

Grand General Yang Zhirong bowed in acknowledgment.

On the spirit boat of the Xuanyuan Dynasty, Imperial Lord Xu Hongyuan and National Preceptor Xu Daozi stood side by side. Neither spoke, their gazes fixed intently on Ancestor Zhou Huaixu.

After a long while, Imperial Lord Xu Hongyuan suddenly asked, "National Preceptor, do you think that Senior will come today?"

National Preceptor Xu Daozi thought for a moment and nodded slightly, "Most likely. The Purple Bamboo Forest opens once every hundred years, and even the other four regions have sent people. If that Senior has any interest in the Southern Wilderness, he should not miss it."

Imperial Lord Xu Hongyuan did not ask further, his gaze returning to the distance.

On the spirit boat of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Sect Master Jian Wuji sat cross-legged with an ancient sword laid across his knees. The sword's body was archaic, and faint sounds of sword humming could be heard.

He kept his eyes closed, seemingly uninterested in everything around him.

However, the Grand Elder beside him, Mo Wenjian, knew that the Sect Master was not uninterested, but rather waiting for the person who made Ancestor Zhou Huaixu so respectful to appear.

After all, the connection between Sect Master Jian Wuji and Ancestor Zhou Huaixu was not shallow.

Mo Wenjian swept his gaze over the dense crowd of Cultivators on the plain, sighing inwardly.

Being able to make the seven top powers of the Southern Wilderness simultaneously focus on one person—in his hundreds of years of life, this was the first time he had ever seen such a thing.

Just then, Ancestor Zhou Huaixu suddenly moved.

He had been standing at the bow with his hands behind his back, but now he turned around and bowed slightly toward the interior of the spirit boat, his posture respectful, even carrying a hint of caution.

"He is here."

Dan Qingzi's gaze narrowed, his voice low.

Sect Master Yang Lietian rose abruptly, a sharp glint shooting from his eyes.

Sect Master Yun Qingyao put down the spirit fruit, her languid posture wiped away, replaced by a touch of seriousness.

Imperial Lord Yang Potian's pupils constricted, and he said in a deep voice, "Zhirong, is it that person?"

Grand General Yang Zhirong's gaze was fixed tightly on the direction of Ancestor Zhou Huaixu.

A moment later, he nodded violently, "Yes! It is him! That young man in white!"

Imperial Lord Xu Hongyuan and National Preceptor Xu Daozi exchanged a glance; neither spoke, but their gazes grew increasingly grave.

Sect Master Jian Wuji still had his eyes closed, but the ancient sword on his knees suddenly let out a clear, resonant hum, as if reminding its master that the main person had arrived.

Everyone's gaze was focused on the cabin door of the Zhouwu Dynasty's spirit boat.

The cabin door opened, and a figure walked out slowly.

His white clothes were whiter than snow, his black hair like ink, his face like jade, and his eyes like stars.

His steps were composed, his expression indifferent, as if the thousands of gazes on the plain were not worth mentioning.

It was Jiang Changge.

Ancestor Zhou Huaixu hurriedly went up to meet him and made a deep bow, his posture respectful to the extreme.

"Senior, the Purple Bamboo Forest is about to open. This Junior dares to ask you to move to the bow of the boat, so that you may better view the grand spectacle of the Secret Realm opening."

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of the powerful figures on the nearby spirit boats.

Senior—the weight of this word, spoken by Ancestor Zhou Huaixu, who was at the Peak of Undergoing Tribulation, was enough to make anyone look on with astonishment.

Jiang Changge nodded slightly, not saying much, and strode toward the bow.

Behind him, Lu Jinghan, Lin Yanzhou, Zhou Tianchen, Qin Muchuan, and Su Fuguang filed out one by one, lining up behind Jiang Changge.

The five Disciples had varying levels of cultivation, but each carried an extraordinary aura; one could tell at a glance that they were not ordinary people.

On the plain, after a brief silence, an outburst of whispering broke out.

"Who is that young man in white? Why is Old Ancestor Zhou so respectful to him?"

"Senior? Did I hear that right? Old Ancestor Zhou called him Senior?"

"Are those five young people his Disciples? They all have such an extraordinary aura; it seems their origins are not simple."

"Even Old Ancestor Zhou has to treat him with such reverence; could that young man in white's cultivation be above the Undergoing Tribulation stage?"

The whispers rose and fell, filled with curiosity, shock, doubt, and a touch of indescribable awe.

On the Medicine King Valley's spirit boat, Dan Qingzi fixed his gaze on Jiang Changge, his brows furrowing slightly.

He could feel that there was not a single ripple of spiritual energy on the young man in white, as if he were just an ordinary person.

But how could an ordinary person make Ancestor Zhou Huaixu so respectful?

There was only one explanation—that young man in white's cultivation was far above his own, to the extent that he could not perceive it at all.

Thinking of this, Dan Qingzi felt a shock in his heart, his eyes revealing an expression of disbelief.