Of course, Cheng Qian couldn't just stand there and let others hack him. Without drawing his frost blade, the sword wind mixed with broken ice had already swept out, forcefully knocking away the opponent's sword attack.

He looked over in bewilderment and annoyance, intending to see who had such a big hole in his brain.

However, when Cheng Qian saw the person clearly, he suddenly fell silent - the person was one of the two Yuanshen cultivators who followed the playboy that day.

So... who is that idiot on the Pegasus carriage?

Zhuang Nanxi had not yet lowered his fist in front of his chest when he encountered such a sudden change. He was stunned for a moment and asked, "Grand...Grand Elder, what's going on?"

The short and fat monk was knocked back more than ten steps by Cheng Qian's sword and fell to the ground, rolling in the dirt. Before he could stand up, he interrupted and said, "Grand Elder, this man is the one who harmed the young master!"

The Great Elder narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this, and studied Cheng Qian for a moment, as if he were observing a horse. He then said, "More than a month ago, when the Hall Master was in seclusion, my young master left home without permission and did not return for many days. We searched everywhere for him, and finally got news that he had appeared in southern Xinjiang a few days ago. However, when I brought people to check, I discovered that among all the followers who followed the young master, only this useless thing was left..."

The short and fat monk was already old, and when he was pointed at and called useless, his face turned green, but he dared not say a word. As a Yuanshen monk, he was like a frightened chicken in front of the great elder.

The Great Elder did not even look at the short and fat monk, and said to Zhuang Nanxi in a cold voice: "I haven't asked my dear nephew who this person you brought is."

"Young Master? Could it be... Young Master Bian?" Zhuang Nanxi frowned upon hearing this and glanced at Cheng Qian. Although he saw that Cheng Qian was neither guilty nor afraid, he still became worried secretly.

One of the Four Saints, Bian Xu, the head of Xuanwu Hall, lived in the extreme north and had been away from the world for many years. Among the Four Saints, except for the weird Xu Yingzhi, he was the least fond of causing trouble. He was respectful and humble all his life. No one had ever heard of him doing anything immoral or moral. He was not as eye-catching as the master of Qinglong Island, the world's master. Unfortunately, he lost his integrity in his later years and was ruined by his only son, Bian Xiaohui.

If children are all debts, then Bian Xiaohui, the young master of Xuanwu Hall, must be a loan shark.

Bian Xiaohui's mother was attacked while she was pregnant, and she almost died. He was the child who was cut out of the coffin after his mother died, and he almost died. He was nurtured in Xuanwu Hall with various spiritual objects for a full ten years before he was born. The hall master was exhausted for this child, and loved him more than his life after he was born, so that Bian Xiaohui could get whatever he wanted since he was a child.

Unfortunately, the only thing missing is cultivation.

He was born with a deficiency and was physically weak. He could not digest most of the elixirs he took, and would cry for help if the training was a little bit hard. Over the past hundred years, his peers had made their own achievements in terms of concentration and flying swords, but he had achieved half the result with twice the effort no matter what he practiced. He was flattered in front of others and ridiculed behind their backs. Over time, his temperament became more and more perverse.

This time, he didn't know who had instigated him, but Bian Xiaohui was convinced that he had made no progress in his practice and that it was because his innate skills were incompatible with the Xuanwu Hall's skills. Feeling resentful that he couldn't defecate and blamed the toilet, he left home secretly with a group of useless followers, traveled thousands of miles to southern Xinjiang, intending to try his luck at the Suzaku Tower.

Bian Xiaohui had planned it all out. The idea that the Suzaku Tower was only open to "destined people" was probably just a gimmick. At this time, who was qualified to enter the tower depended on who had the bigger fist, right?

At worst, he would kill those who dared to be more unlucky than him one by one, and it would be his turn at the end.

Bian Xiaohui was surrounded by countless sword-controlling monks and two Yuan Shens. It should be no problem for him to crush a group of rootless and unorganized cultivators. Unexpectedly, the heavens did not fulfill his wishes. The unlucky child could not even drink cold water. He failed to enter the tower and died in a foreign land by chance.

Zhuang Nanxi had obviously heard a lot about Bian Xiaohui's character, and when he recalled the three brutal swords that Cheng Qian used to break the magic cultivator's restrictions in the dark prison in the Demon City, he felt worriedly that this might be true.

Given Bian Xiaohui's lack of tact, he might really anger this senior who has a bad temper, and be chopped by a sword... It is really not uncommon.

On one side was an old friend whom he could not afford to offend, and on the other side was his lifesaver. Zhuang Nanxi felt like he was in a difficult position, so he could only smile and apologize: "I think there is some misunderstanding here. This Senior Cheng fought against the Demon City alone and killed the leader of Huanxi Sect with a sword, which saved our lives. How could he be a person who kills innocent people?"

The elder ignored him, his sleeves fluttering, and in a blink of an eye he was five steps away from Cheng Qian. He stared at Cheng Qian and asked, "Do you recognize me?"

This was like a tone of accusation. Zhuang Nanxi was afraid that Cheng Qian would explode on the spot, so he hurriedly persuaded him in a low voice: "You two can talk it out."

Cheng Qian was silent for a moment - the firewood that was chopped by Mr. Bian was indeed chopped by his senior brother himself. Of course, he was actually dead when he was possessed by the inner demon, so the senior brother was not the murderer... But the culprit of the inner demon was his fourth junior brother who was dedicated to ruining the family, and the Fuyao faction could not escape this blame anyway.

Oh my God, who knew that Bian Xu, such a fierce father, could give birth to such a lame lapdog son?

The revenge for their son’s murder was standing in the way, and they were planning to find the master of Xuanwu Hall to get the secret code for the ground lock... When Cheng Qian thought of this, he suddenly felt heavy in his heart.

The master's mountain-sealing order seemed to contain some kind of curse, so that every time they had a little hope, they would be pushed back into the abyss.

Even though Cheng Qian was extremely determined, he couldn't help but feel a little hesitant at this moment - was the fate of the Fuyao Sect really over? Was it... that no matter how much they struggled, it would be useless?

The short and fat monk shouted at the side: "They are the only ones who have entered the Suzaku Tower. The young master had an accident in the Suzaku Tower. If it's not them, who else could it be?"

Cheng Qian glanced at him coldly. Both of them were obviously Yuanshen cultivators, but the short and fat man felt like a frog being stared at by a snake and shivered involuntarily.

Cheng Qian neither admitted nor denied it, but slowly said: "This fellow Taoist is a Yuanshen cultivator, and he can't even force his way into the Suzaku Tower, how dare he do that to your young master..."

Cheng Qian paused for a moment. Although his tone was polite, a hint of incongruous sarcasm flashed through his eyes and eyebrows: "...How did someone who is not very good at cultivation enter the Vermillion Bird Tower when it was not opened?"

The short and fat monk was startled when he heard this.

Cheng Qian continued, "Besides, there were 30 or 40 of you following your sect's young master. May I ask how he managed to slip away right under your noses?"

Hearing this, the Great Elder turned to the short and fat monk and asked unhappily, "What's going on?"

The short and fat monk was speechless for a moment. He was indeed to blame for this matter and his palms were sweating.

Seeing that he had stopped him, Cheng Qian spoke in an orderly manner, "On the way to Southern Xinjiang, we did have a conflict with your sect's young master over some trivial matters, but it was unlucky to hurt someone when we were out on the road, so neither side insisted on it. We just met and then went our separate ways. Fellow Daoist, tell me in front of the Heaven and Earth, is that right?"

The short and fat monk: "This..."

Monks who study the ways of heaven and earth, yin and yang, cause and effect, have always taken their oaths seriously. Even if they are truly shameless and have no taboos, they will always stumble involuntarily before saying anything "to the heavens and the earth."

Zhuang Nanxi watched coldly and could not help but carefully look at Cheng Qian, feeling a little surprised. He first thought that this man had such a powerful cultivation at such a young age, and looked a little cold, as if he did not understand the ways of the world. He did not expect that when he was questioned like this in person, he could still calmly plead his case in public, showing a great deal of sophistication.

At this point, Cheng Qian frowned, gathered his sleeves, and said with a bit of arrogance, "Since I have already let him go in person, why should I go to such great lengths to kill him in the Vermillion Bird Tower? Who knows who he is, his son or grandson? Do I have to do it secretly to kill a mere initiate?"

Although the Great Elder felt that there was some truth in what he said, his expression still darkened - he couldn't stand others being so proud of their cultivation in front of him.

Cheng Qian said, "I did see your sect's young master in the Vermillion Bird Tower, but he had already become a puppet of the inner demon and was dead. Great Elder, if you have time, why don't you ask your own disciples why you didn't know that your young master was possessed by the inner demon?"

As soon as these words came out, the short and fat monk suddenly realized that he was guilty of a greater crime. He immediately thought about it and shirked responsibility by saying, "The Vermillion Bird Tower has stood for a hundred years. How come the Vermillion Bird Tower collapsed and the earthen dragon turned into a dragon right after you entered? How do you know if you have any connection with that demon cultivator?"

This is simply nonsense.

Even Zhuang Nanxi couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward and said, "Great Elder, I guarantee for this Senior Cheng that with his character, he will never have anything to do with those demons. Southern Xinjiang is in turmoil right now, and demons of all sizes have come out in droves to wreak havoc on the world. Our top priority is to unite against the enemy, so how can we make enemies with each other in private? I was also deeply saddened to hear about Young Master Bian's affairs. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, why don't we discuss how to resist the dragon and pay for the blood debt with blood?"

This young man from Baihu Villa must have read some books. He speaks in a very coherent way and is very able to stir people's hearts.

It seemed that a conflict was resolved in just a few words.

After hearing his words, the elder's expression eased a little. He glanced at Cheng Qian and snorted coldly, "In that case, it is the disciple who neglected his duty."

The Great Elder is now over a thousand years old, and is the top power in the mortal world. Because he is tired of worldly affairs, he has become an idle elder in Xuanwu Hall. The four saints have to give him some respect when they see him. This old man is used to being the only one in charge, and he always thinks that "God is the boss and he is the second". How can he take Cheng Qian, a junior who is over a hundred years old, seriously?

After Cheng Qian's explanation and Zhuang Nanxi's mediation, the elder basically believed his words, but he still felt uncomfortable. The reason was that Cheng Qian's attitude towards him was neither humble nor overbearing. In these years, who was not respectful to him, afraid of breathing wrongly? How powerful could this kid with a mere hundred-year-old soul be? How dare he ignore Xuanwu Hall with his cultivation?

The Great Elder naturally looked down on Bian Xiaohui, just like he looked down on a domesticated mixed-breed dog, but no matter how arrogant the beast was, it could not be kicked by outsiders.

Although Cheng Qian was not the murderer, he seemed to have given Bian Xiaohui a beating.

The great elder said, "Forget it. Since your crime is not punishable by death, I will give you a light punishment to teach you young people a lesson!"

Before he finished his magnanimous speech, Cheng Qian felt a powerful true energy that he had never seen before pressing down from the air. The force was controlled very subtly - it might not crush him to death, but it would definitely make him kneel down and spit out blood.

Cheng Qian felt that he had been very polite, but he did not expect that there are people in the world who take advantage of their seniority and are shameless.

He didn't even try to dodge and took the blow head-on.

The two people's true energy collided in mid-air. Although neither of them used their full strength, a circle of flying sand and rocks still arose around them.

Zhuang Nanxi knew how bitter the Great Elder's face was and how unreasonable he was. If Cheng Qian had been hit hard and only suffered some minor injuries, the matter might have been over. But he refused to buy it.

Zhuang Nanxi immediately cried out inwardly, "Oh no!"

As expected, the great elder was counterattacked and became furious. He laughed in anger and said, "Good boy, I'll see how long you can be so arrogant!"

He took a deep breath, and immediately showed no mercy, determined to show Cheng Qian his true colors.

Zhuang Nanxi exclaimed: "Senior!"

Cheng Qian has always been able to retreat and give in, but he just doesn't know what it means to be "forced to retreat". The frost blade circled upwards with a "hum", and the two men's true energy collided head-on again.

This time, the real action happened. All the monks around, including Zhuang Nanxi, suffered.

The ground shook violently and a crack a mile square appeared. The soft soil in the crack was instantly covered with ice, and the originally thriving grass leaves were suddenly covered with frost like jade.

The scorching heat that lasted even in autumn in southern Xinjiang suddenly died down, and it seemed as if an Arctic ice field had been artificially opened up here.

Fortunately, Zhuang Nanxi was smart and when he saw that something was wrong, he mobilized all the true energy in his body.

However, even so, his whole chest was still shaking violently, and he was unable to raise his head due to the howling cold wind, as if he had encountered a natural disaster.

The Great Elder and Cheng Qian each retreated about three or four feet away. Cheng Qian's face seemed whiter than the frost and snow on the ground, but the Great Elder was even more embarrassed. He suddenly bent down, covered his face with his sleeves, and choked and coughed up blood. His temples seemed to be covered with a layer of frost in an instant. He was seriously injured!

The whole place was silent, everyone was shocked.

Zhuang Nanxi previously thought that Cheng Qian had just entered the Yuanshen stage. Even when he saw his powerful sword moves, he thought he was just a sword cultivator... Who knew that he could be on par with the Great Elder and even seemed to be slightly better!

What kind of realm is this?

Cheng Qian's realm was far from as high as he had imagined, and this time it was completely equivalent to cheating.

Cheng Qian impulsively fought with the other party with his true energy, but as soon as they came into contact, he realized that he was too arrogant - for a top-notch person like the Great Elder to deal with him, it could be said that he was bullying the weak. The depth of the old man's true energy was beyond Cheng Qian's imagination. Just when he thought that he would be seriously injured if not killed this time, suddenly, an invisible force behind him took away a lot of the Great Elder's true energy pressure.

Cheng Qian was startled at first, then he felt a lightness behind his head and his long hair suddenly spread out. Cheng Qian seemed to sense something and caught the broken white satin hairband. After a quick inspection, he indeed caught a bit of the puppet talisman's aura that was about to dissipate.

It turned out that this thing took up a small portion of his true energy and saved his life.

Cheng Qian secretly said that he was lucky, and stroked the broken hairband with his fingertips. He knew who put it on him without thinking too much. Cheng Qian's heart suddenly softened, and he thought: "Empress Yan is very troublesome."

But then he frowned again and thought, "Oh no! Once the spell is broken, he will definitely feel it. Am I going to make him anxious again?"

Thinking of this, Cheng Qian suddenly became a little restless and wondered how he could get out of this situation as quickly as possible.

"Great Elder!" Several Xuanwu Hall monks who were quick to see the opportunity rushed forward, scrambling to show their courtesy and wanting to lend a hand, but they didn't expect that their flattery would backfire.

The great elder shouted angrily: "Get out!"

He swung his sleeves violently, without being able to distinguish friend from foe, and blew away all his lackeys.

The Great Elder had not had an opponent for many years, and he absolutely refused to believe that this young man's cultivation was higher than his. He was so angry that he almost went insane. He thought that his talent was already rare in the world, and he was outstanding. He had practiced hard for thousands of years, and never slacked off for a single day. How could an unknown cultivator injure him with a single palm strike?

That's absolutely impossible!

Unless this person has practiced some evil martial arts!

The great elder shouted angrily: "Where did you come from, you devil? Do you think you can get away with it by hiding your blood and energy?"

The short and fat monk hiding far away saw the sudden change in the wind direction and took the opportunity to fan the flames, saying, "I have long said that he is suspicious, Great Elder. The Southern Border Demon Dragon must be related to him!"

Cheng Qian finally understood what it meant to "if you want to accuse someone of a crime, you can always find a pretext for it."

He was not a kind and reasonable person. He had not wanted to offend Xuanwu Hall before only for the sake of his sect. Now the anger that he had barely suppressed finally rose to his throat.

Cheng Qian sneered, "What a move! I wonder if that long-tailed turtle spirit at the entrance of your sect can tell whether he is black or white!"

The Great Elder shouted angrily: "Set up the formation! Capture this man and see what he can do with his sharp tongue on the Immortal Locking Platform!"

Immediately, people around shouted "Yes" in unison.

I don't know when the outer area has been surrounded by the disciples of Xuanwu Hall in black robes. There are a total of 7749 people, all of whom are Yuanshen and quasi-Shen, and their true essence is intertwined to form a net.

This "Great Tianyan Formation" is the most powerful formation that Xuanwu Hall has ever held. Looking around the world, apart from Xuanwu Hall, who else can gather nearly fifty such masters to serve as chess pieces in the formation?

The forty-nine black-robed monks shouted in unison: "Come on!"

Cheng Qian heard a buzzing sound in his ears and his chest seemed to be hit hard. Even though his body was made of spirit-gathering jade, all the meridians in his body seemed to be crushed. The boundless sword intent of the Frost Blade Sword was forced out all at once by this formation. The two sides were fighting each other. This formation was not as brutal as the heavenly calamity, but it was more ruthless than the heavenly calamity.

Cheng Qian risked being injured by the true energy of the formation and used all his strength to activate the Frost Blade Sword. The ferocious creature rolled into an indestructible whirlwind in the air and knocked a hole in the true energy net of the Great Tianyan Formation. At the same time, Cheng Qian took a deep breath and bit his teeth until they bled.

However, the Great Tianyan Formation was linked together, and in a flash, the flow of true energy had quickly blocked the hole, and the Frost Blade was entangled tightly, as if a beast had its limbs tied and its sharp teeth tied, and it could not break free no matter what.

Cheng Qian suddenly grabbed the hilt of the sword, and attacked left and right, but he could not find a glimmer of hope. Even if the sea was surging, it could not resist the net of heaven and earth. The net of the Great Tianyan Array was getting tighter and tighter.

The white satin headband that he had just secretly hidden in his sleeve seemed to have psychic powers. Even though the puppet talisman had been destroyed, it still faithfully exerted its last bit of remaining pure energy, which slowly flowed along his wrist into his meridians, like someone's nagging and unyielding protection.

In an instant, Cheng Qian suddenly remembered the time when he was young and practiced sword with his senior brother.

The frost blade in his hand suddenly slipped out, and in the gap when he was entangled by the Great Tianyan Formation for the last time, a sword energy contained in the tip of the sword suddenly burst out, passed through the big net exactly, and hit a big tree next to it. After the branch trembled slightly, it suddenly grew wildly and produced crystal clear ice flowers of various sizes.

A dead tree has spring back.

The branches covered with ice flowers swept out, and the two black-robed monks who were setting up the formation were thrown into the sky together without paying attention. A huge hole was torn from the outside to the inside of the Great Tianyan Formation, and this time it could never be repaired.

The last move of the Fuyao wooden sword, the move of returning to nature and bringing back spring to a dead tree, actually corresponds to a glimmer of hope.

Help him break out of the formation at this time.

However, at this moment, Cheng Qian suddenly felt a chill on his waist. He looked down in disbelief, and saw a small insect the size of a fingernail lying on the spot where his clothes had been torn by the Great Tianyan Array and his skin was exposed.

The great elder was not far away, making a strange gesture with his hands and looking at him with a vicious smile.

Who could have known that the top powerful being, the great elder beside the Four Saints, would actually launch such a shameless sneak attack?

A strange numbness rose from the place where the insect bit him, and quickly spread throughout his body. Cheng Qian seemed to be frozen, and fell stiffly along with the frost blade. A stream of true energy from the Great Tianyan Formation hit him hard on the back, and his eyes went dark -