Chapter 1518: Master Hall Headquarters Elder Qu

In the main hall of the Ice Palace, the Grand Elder sat in the principal seat, gazing at a jade token in her palm. Beside her, an elder sat quietly.

The Grand Elder put down the jade token and looked over.

Seeing that she had finished, the elder lifted his eyelids and looked at her. "You should understand now, shouldn't you?"

"I understand!" The Grand Elder nodded, her expression grave.

"It's good that you understand. The reason I came here specifically is to impress upon you: there must be no mistakes this time! This concerns the human race; there's no room for the slightest carelessness. Otherwise, not only will your Ice Palace be unable to bear the consequences, but no one will be able to endure it!"

The elder stood up, his hands clasped behind his back, and spoke with a sense of profound compassion, "Success or failure rests on this one endeavor. I hope it doesn't fall apart because of you at the last moment!"

"Rest assured, I have confined her in the Clear Brahma Hall and left a Sky Binding Lock within her body. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she will surely yield within three days... As long as her constitution is stimulated, there will be no delay!" The Grand Elder also rose and clasped her fists.

"That's good!" The elder responded, then turned. "I'll head back now. I await your good news..."

He had only taken two steps when a faint voice drifted in from outside. It wasn't loud, but it pierced directly into their ears, making it impossible to ignore.

"Master Teacher Yang Xuan, seeking an audience with the Grand Elder of the Ice Palace!"

"Yang Xuan?" The Grand Elder's pupils contracted.

The elder, not far away, stopped at the sound of the voice, a hint of surprise on his face, as if he couldn't quite believe it. "Why is the Grand Supreme Elder here?"

"Elder Qu, this..." The Grand Elder quickly looked at the elder before her, full of doubt.

"The Grand Supreme Elder has always been elusive; even the Guild Master doesn't know his whereabouts. I'm not entirely sure why he'd suddenly appear here. Quickly, let him in..." Elder Qu nodded.

"Alright!" Knowing that someone of such stature had personally arrived, the Grand Elder dared not delay. She rushed to the main hall's entrance. "This humble one, You Ruoxin, Grand Elder of the Ice Palace, respectfully welcomes Master Yang!"

As soon as her voice fell, a figure slowly descended from the sky. His flight wasn't fast, yet he perfectly evaded all the surrounding defensive formations, as if he had a pair of eyes that could see every dangerous aura, predicting them in advance.

You Ruoxin immediately lowered her head. As the head of the Ice Palace, she knew how formidable the grand formation surrounding the hall was. For such a powerful formation to be like child's play in front of the other party, allowing them to enter at will without even triggering an alarm, their strength was truly terrifying.

The figure landed on the ground. Only then did Grand Elder You Ruoxin slowly raise her head to examine the person before her. He had a somewhat sallow complexion and appeared to be around thirty years old. His eyes were deep, unreadable, and from the aura he exuded, his strength was indiscernible. Even with divine perception, he felt empty, making it impossible to gauge his true power.

"You are not Master Yang, who exactly... are you?" Her eyebrows shot up, and her eyes narrowed. Although she had never personally seen Master Yang Xuan, she had heard the rumors: he was said to be around fifty years old with a white beard. This person was completely different; they were clearly two separate individuals.

"What? This old man travels the continent, taking on countless guises. Must I inform you of every identity beforehand?" "Master Yang's" expression darkened, and a formidable aura emanated from him, seemingly threatening to collapse the entire hall.

"I wouldn't dare!" You Ruoxin didn't dare to retort. Filled with doubt, she turned to look at Elder Qu inside the hall, only to see him stepping out.

"Grand Supreme Elder does travel the world, but when visiting as a Master Teacher, he always reveals his true appearance. You are not Master Yang. Who exactly are you? Do you know the gravity of impersonating a peak Master Teacher from the Master Teacher Pavilion?" Elder Qu looked over. You Ruoxin hadn't seen the true Yang Xuan from the headquarters, but he had! The person before him, both in appearance and aura, was completely different from the one he had seen. How could he possibly be Master Yang? If he truly were, then his own eyes would be useless!

"Hmm?" Seeing who was speaking, "Master Yang's" heart sank. The person before him wore the robes of a Master Teacher, and the nine stars on his chest badge shone brightly, bearing the words "Headquarters." It was clear he came from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Why would a nine-star Master Teacher from the headquarters suddenly appear in the Ice Palace? This "Master Yang" was, of course, Zhang Xuan. After bringing Zhao Ya into his folded space, he had asked for the location and then flew straight here without concealing his tracks. He had thought that, with the miraculous nature of Heaven's Path True Qi and his extensive experience in disguises, he could immediately awe the other party and make them believe he was Yang Xuan. He never dreamed he would directly encounter a Master Teacher from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. What kind of situation was this? This was truly an inauspicious start! Someone from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters must have seen the real Yang Xuan. He had just put on his disguise and was already exposed... How could he keep up the pretense?

Though filled with tension, Zhang Xuan showed no outward sign. He flicked a finger, and a streak of sword qi instantly shot towards Elder Qu. This sword qi carried the profound essence of speed; it seemed unbound by time, appearing before Elder Qu the moment it left Zhang Xuan's fingertip, aimed directly at his glabella.

"Hmm?" Unexpected that the other party would strike directly after being exposed, Elder Qu's expression darkened. He flicked a finger, and a light membrane appeared on his body. He expected the opponent's sword gleam to strike it, but to his surprise, as soon as it touched the light membrane, it vanished without a trace, as if it had never appeared. This sword gleam had no offensive power at all; it was a deliberate probe! Its speed was so astonishing that even he hadn't perceived it.

Narrowing his eyes, Elder Qu was about to reprimand him when he saw the "fake Master Yang" across from him furrow his brows and glare coldly, a telepathic message resounding in his ear: "Qu Buping, have all the meridian distortions caused by your cultivation of the River Flow Art been healed? Or have the hidden injuries you sustained during your battle with Emperor Bai Yu been eliminated? What gives you the audacity to doubt this old man?"

"Ah?" The words he was about to speak got stuck in his throat, and Elder Qu froze. The River Flow Art was a cultivation technique he had created. Its true energy surged like a mighty river, possessing infinite power. However, it had a particular flaw: prolonged bursts of power would cause the meridians to become distorted from the strain. It was like a river channel; when the water volume increased and constantly scoured the banks, the banks and levees would inevitably deform and no longer match their original construction. For a Master Teacher at the nine-star level, every detail concerning their cultivation and physical condition was a top secret that could not be leaked, as it could otherwise jeopardize the safety of the entire human race... The person before him had spoken out his condition in one breath, even knowing about the hidden injuries he sustained years ago during his battle with Emperor Bai Yu from the Spirit Beast race... Could it be that he truly was Master Yang? But his appearance and demeanor were completely different!

Just as he was in doubt, he heard the voice transmit again. "This old man recently had a breakthrough in cultivation, undergoing a complete transformation. My appearance and demeanor have changed drastically. It's not your fault that you don't recognize me!"