“Perhaps, even if I were to concede, you still wouldn’t get what you want.”

Li Muyang glanced at a certain spot in the void, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

What did the Sword Immortal mean by this?

Was this a concession or not?

The powerful figures exchanged glances, unable to fathom the deeper meaning behind Li Muyang’s words.

“As long as the Sword Immortal steps back, we are willing to cooperate,” said an old ancestor from a Sacred Ground.

The implication was clear: if they could see the Emperor’s weapon fragment and study it together, the Sword Immortal could take the lead in other matters. They could find a way to spare Wu Junyan’s life, even if it meant destroying his foundation and then rebuilding it together.

Compared to the Emperor’s weapon fragment and that ancient, sealed history, any amount of resources was worth it.

“You old things, shamelessly trying to snatch the fortunes of the younger generation.”

Li Muyang pointed his sword at the crowd and cursed.

“For the pursuit of the Great Dao, losing face is a small price to pay.”

The crowd really didn’t want to fight to the death with Li Muyang.

If it came to that, it was uncertain whether Li Muyang would die, but some of these old fellows would definitely end up buried in the starry sky.

No one wanted to be the unlucky one, so they naturally sought a peaceful resolution.

After hundreds of rounds of fighting, they hadn’t been able to suppress Li Muyang, so they wanted to negotiate and see if they could resolve the matter without further conflict.

“Old friend, stop watching the show from the sidelines. He’s your man, can’t expect me to protect him for you!”

Li Muyang, tired of arguing with these old geezers, shouted loudly into the void.

At this, everyone was shocked and looked in that direction.

Who was the Sword Immortal talking to?

Everyone’s heart skipped a beat, their bodies tensing involuntarily.

Could someone the Sword Immortal called an old friend be an ordinary person?

In the minds of these old fellows, Sword Immortal Changgeng was a lone wolf with no close friends, right?

“Sword Immortal, it’s been many years. How have you been?”

A man dressed in plain white cloth, slightly hunched, with a dark, wrinkled face, emerged from a hidden void and slowly walked forward, covering thousands of miles with each step.

“Who is he?”

The cultivators watching from afar didn’t recognize him at first glance.

“Dugu Old Ancestor!”

The core elders of the Linghe Sect were shocked and hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects.

Dugu Changkong, the Supreme Ancestor of the Linghe Sect, a true living fossil, had lived for nearly thirty thousand years.

The lifespan of a Mahayana cultivator was about thirty thousand years.

In other words, Dugu Changkong was nearing the end of his life.

“Old Ancestor, why have you come?”

Among the hundred powerful figures, there were naturally strong members from the Linghe Sect. Several of them looked at Dugu Changkong with a mix of shock and reverence, asking in confusion.

“That child is a disciple I took in hundreds of years ago.”

Dugu Changkong glanced at Wu Junyan within the prayer bead barrier, his voice slightly hoarse.

“What?”

The core elders of the Linghe Sect and the surrounding sect members were stunned.

So, all this time, they had been fighting their own people.

Realizing this, several powerful figures from the Linghe Sect opened their mouths in embarrassment.

This was too humiliating!

The powerful figures of the Linghe Sect were stunned for a long time, thinking to themselves that it was fortunate they hadn’t caused too much trouble. Otherwise, they would have become a laughingstock.

So, the Emperor’s weapon fragment would belong to the Linghe Sect. There was no need to fight; they should protect Wu Junyan well!

Inside the prayer bead barrier, Wu Junyan’s previously indifferent expression changed. His mouth opened slightly, his eyes flashing with a strange light, extremely excited, unable to calm his emotions.

“Old Wu, you have a master?”

Chen Qingyuan had never heard Wu Junyan mention this and was quite surprised.

Wu Junyan kept his eyes on Dugu Changkong, his gaze filled with reverence and a hint of lingering nostalgia.

Daochen Buddha’s child, watching the scene from the side, took a deep look at Wu Junyan, then at the powerful figures in the starry sky, silently reciting scriptures to maintain his composure.

“Wu Junyan has such a background.”

Many people from the Northern Wilderness were stunned.

“I remember something. It’s said that when Wu Junyan was young, a celestial crane visited his home. Perhaps that crane was a spirit beast from the Linghe Sect.”

Many people in the Northern Wilderness knew about this. Celestial phenomena often occurred in the world, but who would have connected it to the top Sacred Ground of the Imperial Province, the Linghe Sect?

“Wait, according to seniority, shouldn’t we call Wu Junyan our Martial Uncle or even Grand Martial Uncle?”

Several core elders, who had lived for thousands of years, felt very awkward at this realization.

Dugu Changkong had immense prestige in the Linghe Sect. The current Holy Lord and many core elders had all benefited from his teachings.

“Master Ancestor, we didn’t know he was your disciple. Please forgive us.”

An elder gritted his teeth, ready to be punished.

Although these Linghe Sect elders had peak Great Vehicle combat power, they didn’t dare disrespect the venerable Dugu Old Ancestor. Not just because of his strength, but also because of his teachings.

“Though he is my disciple, he has no connection to the Linghe Sect.”

After saying this, Dugu Changkong slowly walked towards Li Muyang.

He looked frail, as if he was on the brink of death.

What did he mean by that?

The people of the Linghe Sect were bewildered, and the surrounding cultivators couldn’t understand his words.

Dugu Changkong was the Supreme Ancestor of the Linghe Sect. How could his disciple have no connection to the sect?

“You’ve aged, looks like you don’t have many years left.”

In a different scene, Li Muyang and Dugu Changkong stood close to each other, their eyes meeting. Old friends reunited, they smiled happily.

“Indeed.”

Dugu Changkong was much older than Li Muyang and couldn’t deny his age.

“You lost to me by one move back then. Now, I probably can’t beat you.”

Li Muyang glanced at Dugu Changkong and could tell that his strength was no less than his own peak.

In other words, Dugu Changkong had already reached the divine bridge.

“I only benefited from my ancestors. How could I compare to the Sword Immortal?”

Dugu Changkong sighed, belittling himself.

But it was true. Without his ancestors’ legacy, no matter how talented Dugu Changkong was, he wouldn’t have reached this point.

“Your disciple’s matter, you handle it.”

Li Muyang chuckled, stepping back into the void to drink and watch.

Did I just hear that right?

The Sword Immortal said he couldn’t beat the Linghe Sect’s Supreme Ancestor now. Impossible!

From his words, it seemed they had fought long ago, and the gap in strength wasn’t large.

Although Dugu Changkong had a great reputation, he hadn’t reached such heights, had he?

The cultivators from various sects felt a chill, sensing something ominous.

The people of the Linghe Sect were even more bewildered. How could they not know that Dugu Old Ancestor had once fought the Sword Immortal?

“Child, I’m very pleased you’ve come this far.”

Ignoring the crowd, Dugu Changkong turned to Wu Junyan, his face full of kindness.