309: Chapter 309 The Grand Ceremony Concludes

"Holding the Core Formation ceremony today is both an affirmation of your past efforts and an expectation for your future."

The Sect Head paused and continued, his eyes full of expectation: "I hope that in the future, you can guard against arrogance and rashness, concentrate on your cultivation, improve your cultivation level, uphold the Sect's principles, and become a pillar of my Heavenly Sword Sect as soon as possible."

"Your Disciple will keep the Sect Head's teachings in mind!" Hu Nan bowed and replied, his tone firm and expression solemn.

Seeing this, the Sect Head showed a satisfied smile. With a slight flick of his wrist, a snow-white inner armor appeared in his palm.

This inner armor had a warm texture, with complex defensive runes carved on its surface, emitting a faint spiritual light. It was indeed a mysterious grade high grade defensive Magical Artifact.

"This is the mysterious grade high grade defensive Magical Artifact, the 'Golden Silk Inner Armor'. I bestow it upon you today."

Hu Nan hurriedly took the Golden Silk Inner Armor with both hands and bowed again: "Thank you for the reward, Sect Head!"

Seeing this, the guests below the stage clapped and praised him, offering auspicious congratulations.

Meanwhile, Qin Changsheng was not paying attention to the Core Formation ceremony above.

His gaze had been fixed on Shen Bing the entire time.

He found Shen Bing to be very unusual.

After Shen Bing arrived at the ceremony, she hadn't paid any attention to the direction of the high platform from start to finish. She hadn't even listened to a single word of the ceremony's proceedings. Clearly, she had no interest in this Core Formation ceremony.

The ceremony proceeded in an orderly fashion. After the Sect Head's speech, the Elders took turns offering encouragement, and the guests presented gifts once more. The entire scene was bustling, with applause and congratulations echoing incessantly.

Hu Nan remained on the high platform, handling everything calmly with a gentle smile, responding to the expectations of the Elders and guests one by one.

Before long, when the ceremony was only halfway through, Qin Changsheng noticed Shen Bing suddenly stand up. She whispered a few instructions to the Disciples beside her and then, without staying any longer, she moved quickly toward the direction of the Qingyun Tower.

Qin Changsheng glanced at the ongoing Core Formation ceremony and quietly stood up to follow Shen Bing.

Fifteen minutes later, Qin Changsheng followed Shen Bing to the front of the Qingyun Tower.

He saw Shen Bing enter the Qingyun Tower in a hurry.

Qin Changsheng followed her inside, but he could not find any trace of Shen Bing within the Qingyun Tower.

It seemed as if Shen Bing had disappeared inside the Qingyun Tower.

...

Night fell.

The Heavenly Sword Sect's Core Formation ceremony concluded. The guests dispersed, and the noisy Sect gradually returned to its usual tranquility.

Qin Changsheng also returned to his small courtyard.

At this moment, Qin Changsheng's eyes were also filled with doubt.

He repeatedly recalled the various details of the day. Shen Bing had come to attend the Core Formation ceremony in the name of the Flowing Fire Sect.

She didn't bring Wang Cheng or Shen Hu, showed no interest in the ceremony, and instead secretly sneaked into the Qingyun Tower.

"The Empress!" A possible figure flashed through Qin Changsheng's mind.

Aside from the Demon Empress, no one else could make Shen Bing act so cautiously.

Although he guessed that the one Shen Bing wanted to meet was the Empress's Reincarnation, he knew nothing about this mysterious Empress.

He didn't know the Empress's true identity, what she looked like, or what Realm her cultivation had reached.

What puzzled him even more was why the Empress wanted to meet Shen Bing.

What did the Empress want the Yao Race to do?

Was it directed at the Heavenly Sword Sect, or other forces?

Or was it directed at the Human Race?

Countless questions swirled in his mind.

However, Qin Changsheng soon calmed down.

After all, Qin Changsheng possessed many Golden Traits as well as the Heavenly Dao Trait.

With so many traits, no matter what plot the Yao Race had, he could easily thwart it.

...

Liuhuo Hall.

"Greetings, Father!" Shen Bing respectfully bowed to Shen Guhong.

Shen Guhong slowly raised his hand, gesturing for Shen Bing to rise, before asking, "Did the Soul-Severing Sword kill Hu Nan?"

"Father, the Soul-Severing Sword did not appear!" Shen Bing replied.

"He didn't appear?" Shen Guhong was stunned for a moment.

He had considered the possibility of the Soul-Severing Sword being killed by Hu Nan, or by an expert from the Heavenly Sword Sect.

He just never expected that the Soul-Severing Sword wouldn't show up at all.

"This person is extremely vengeful and hates Hu Nan to the bone!"

"If he didn't appear at Hu Nan's Core Formation ceremony, he must have been killed by Hu Nan!" Shen Guhong said.

"But the Soul-Severing Sword was at the Second Layer of Golden Core..." Shen Bing was somewhat shocked.

"Nothing is impossible!" Shen Guhong stood up and continued to ask, "Did you see the Empress during your visit to the Qingyun Tower? Does she have any instructions?"

What he cared about most was the meeting with the Empress. This concerned the future plans of the Yao Race and whether they could unify the Southern Region.

Shen Bing nodded slightly and slowly replied, "Replying to Father, I have seen the Empress."

"However, the Empress wore a mask from beginning to end, concealing her full appearance. I did not see her true face."

As she spoke, the scene inside the Qingyun Tower reappeared in her mind.

The Empress sat atop the pavilion, surrounded by a vast and hidden aura. The mask covered her face, revealing only a pair of cold and sharp eyes. Her tone was indifferent yet carried an unquestionable authority, and her every move exuded the presence of a top-tier powerhouse.

In front of the Empress, she felt like a new recruit seeing a general.

Hearing this, Shen Guhong didn't show any surprise. He nodded slowly: "That's normal. The Empress's actions are mysterious and unpredictable; she has always been unwilling to show her true face. Such caution is also to avoid leaking her identity and inviting unnecessary trouble."

He knew clearly that the Empress was one of the top existences in the Cultivation World and had many enemies, all of whom were secretly spying on her whereabouts.

Moreover, the Empress was a reincarnated body.

She had been re-cultivating all along, and her cultivation level was not yet very strong.

"Since you've seen the Empress, did she mention when she would order our Yao Race to counterattack the Human Race?"

Counterattacking the Human Race was Shen Guhong's lifelong wish and the expectation of the entire Yao Race.

For all these years, the Yao Race had been suppressed by the Human Race and restricted everywhere. Now, with a top-tier powerhouse like the Empress backing them, he was naturally eager to launch a counterattack and wipe out their past humiliation.

However, Shen Bing shook her head slightly: "Father, the Empress did not order an immediate counterattack. She told me that the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth has not yet arrived!"

"Her cultivation has not fully recovered either!"

"Furthermore, there are still many top-tier powerhouses within the Human Race!"

"Now is not the best time for a counterattack. We must wait patiently. When the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth breaks out, the laws of heaven and earth will be in chaos, and the Human Sects will be too busy looking after themselves. That will be the day our Yao Race launches a massive counterattack against the Human Race and seizes dominance over the Cultivation World."

Shen Guhong nodded slightly upon hearing this.

"So that's how it is. The Empress's considerations are indeed thorough. When the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth breaks out, the Human Race will inevitably fall into chaos. To protect themselves, the major Sects will certainly be suspicious of each other and fight incessantly. At that time, if our Yao Race strikes while they are vulnerable, we will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Previously, he only thought about counterattacking as soon as possible, ignoring the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth. Now, hearing the Empress's arrangements, the restlessness in his heart gradually calmed down. The Empress's foresight was far beyond what he could compare to.

Shen Bing looked at Shen Guhong's expression and added, "The Empress also instructed to open the Tianyuan Secret Realm next year!"

"Why?" Shen Guhong was somewhat puzzled.

This Tianyuan Secret Realm was a Secret Realm controlled by their Yao Race.

Every few decades, the younger generation of their Yao Race would enter the Tianyuan Secret Realm to seize treasures.

"The Empress has four trusted generals under her command who were previously heavily injured in a great battle, and their Divine Souls were damaged. Now they need to use the method of Possession and Rebirth to restore their combat power!"

"And opening the Secret Realm is to allow qualified people to enter, serving as Possession vessels for the four generals," Shen Bing replied.

Shen Guhong's eyes were filled with gravity upon hearing this.

Shen Guhong was also very familiar with those four generals.

Their combat power was extremely formidable.

They had followed the Empress in battle all their lives and had achieved countless military merits.

However, in the end, they died to protect the Empress.

If these four could achieve Rebirth through Possession, the strength of their Yao Race would definitely increase significantly.

For the Yao Race, this was definitely a great thing.

After a moment of silence, Shen Guhong said, "Fine, you go and rest first!"

"I will handle the matter of the Tianyuan Secret Realm!"

"Yes, Father." Shen Bing bowed in response, then turned and slowly exited the hall.

Inside the hall, Shen Guhong pondered for a moment and then said, "Someone, come in!"

"Present!" A Disciple hurried in.

"Go and call in Wang Cheng, Liu Xinbing, and those others at Foundation Establishment Perfection," Shen Guhong said.