Chapter 2070: The Temple Visitor

"How dare you act so brazenly in Stargaze Palace... Do you wish to ignite a war between our two sects?" The woman's face flushed with anger, her teeth clenched. She hadn't expected the newly appointed Sect Master Liu of Sevenstar Pavilion to be so unreasonable, disregarding the prestige of both sects and directly seizing her.

Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow, took a step forward, and scoffed, "I sincerely came to visit Palace Master Du, yet you fobbed me off with someone else. Your rudeness came first, so how can you now accuse me of acting brazenly? What, are you trying to bully Sevenstar Pavilion because you think we have no one?"

No matter what, he had arrived representing Sevenstar Pavilion, presented his visiting card, and observed all proper etiquette. The result... it would have been one thing if the other party simply didn't appear, but using a fake person to fob him off was simply too much! No wonder they didn't allow Elder Kui Xiao to come in and had set up a screen! It was clearly an attempt to bully him, taking advantage of the fact that he had just succeeded as Sect Master and didn't know the real Du Qingyuan.

"You..." The woman trembled, wanting to speak but unable to utter a word. In this matter, they were indeed in the wrong.

"Where is your Palace Master? Have her come out to see me, and this matter will be dropped! Otherwise, even if it's brought before the Sect Masters of other major sects, I will still be in the right!" Zhang Xuan scoffed, his hands clasped behind his back. He merely wanted to inquire about information; he didn't want to blow things out of proportion or cause devastation for the two sects. However, the other party was clearly going too far!

The woman gritted her teeth, remaining silent.

"If you won't speak, then don't blame me for being impolite..." Zhang Xuan waved his hand. The four Celestial Beasts instantly surrounded her. As overlords of the ocean, each of these four beasts was stained with blood. Their aura surged forth, causing the woman's face to turn pale and her breathing to become ragged.

"Sect Master Liu, please calm your anger!" Just then, a voice rang out, and an old woman, with the cultivation of a peak Immortal Lord and dressed in coarse linen, flew into the hall. She came before Zhang Xuan and bowed deeply. "I am Zhao Yue, the Grand Elder of Stargaze Palace. This is Chu Yin, the Palace Master's direct disciple. Please forgive any offense given!"

Zhang Xuan frowned.

"The Palace Master, she is not in the palace today due to an urgent matter! In the past few days, the six major sects have been arriving one after another. If they were to learn this news, we feared unnecessary complications might arise. That is why... we had her temporarily disguise herself. We hope you will understand!" Grand Elder Zhao Yue cupped her fist.

Zhang Xuan looked on, puzzled. The Palace Master being absent from the sect normally wouldn't be a big deal, would it? Simply stating the truth would suffice, so why impersonate her? Doing so could easily erode the trust of other sects in Stargaze Palace, proving counterproductive! Moreover, even if the six major sects were to arrive one after another, with the Palace Master absent, the many elders and the sect's foundation would still be present, so no major changes should occur! It's not as if other sects would dispatch troops to attack just because the Sect Master isn't there!

"The reason we resorted to this desperate measure is truly due to an unspeakable secret... We hope Sect Master Liu will understand!" Seeing his confusion, Elder Zhao Yue gave a wry smile.

"An unspeakable secret?"

"Please forgive me for not being able to elaborate. Since the Palace Master is not here, Sect Master Liu, please return for now. This time, Stargaze Palace has been discourteous. When the Palace Master returns, she will certainly explain everything in detail and personally visit Sevenstar Pavilion to apologize!" said Grand Elder Zhao Yue.

"Very well!" Seeing the other party's sincere attitude, Zhang Xuan paused, then finally nodded. He had only come to inquire about Luo Ruoxi's whereabouts and did not wish to be an enemy of Stargaze Palace. Since the other party had said this, pressing the issue further would only make him seem petty. With a wave of his hand, the celestial beasts were immediately stored back into their beast pet bag. "Farewell..." With that, he leaped up, soaring straight outwards.

Returning to the previous hall, he saw Elder Kui Xiao looking at him with great anxiety. "I sensed energy fluctuations over there just now; what happened?" He had been restless, fearing that this person might cause trouble with Palace Master Du Qingyuan.

"Let's talk about it when we get back!" Zhang Xuan offered no explanation. The two then left Stargaze Palace.

They hadn't flown far when Zhang Xuan stopped. "Sect Master..." Seeing his odd expression, Elder Kui Xiao looked at him, full of questions: "What exactly happened just now? Did you see Palace Master Du? And what about those energy fluctuations?" Surely, they hadn't started fighting, had they? Sect Master, you said before you wouldn't act rashly...

"I didn't see Palace Master Du!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan recounted the events in detail.

"Palace Master Du wasn't in the sect, and a disciple impersonated her to meet you?" After hearing the full account, Elder Kui Xiao was stunned. A Sect Master often being absent from the sect wasn't unusual; for instance, the Sect Master of Sevenstar Pavilion wouldn't always be at headquarters if he was here... But why would they have someone impersonate her? Something was clearly wrong! A major sect that had stood for countless years should not make such a foolish decision under normal circumstances!

"I just find it a bit strange, Elder Kui. You should return to Sevenstar Pavilion's residence first. I want to go to Stargaze Palace again and investigate!" Zhang Xuan said. From every perspective, Stargaze Palace seemed odd. He couldn't feel at ease without understanding what was going on. This Palace Master Du was the only person who knew about Luo Ruoxi's arrival; no matter what, he had to find her.

"I'll come too!" Elder Kui Xiao was also a little worried.

"I'm concerned about unforeseen circumstances. Sevenstar Pavilion still needs you to be in charge..." Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Very well, Sect Master, be careful!" Hearing this, Elder Kui Xiao did not insist further. This was Stargaze Island, and Stargaze Palace held the home advantage. With such bizarre situations occurring... Sevenstar Pavilion indeed wouldn't be very safe without a Half-God realm expert stationed there.

Without another word, Zhang Xuan leaped, landing in an deserted alley below. When he emerged again, his appearance had changed completely, utterly different from his previous "Liu Yang" disguise. His disguise complete, he once again flew towards Stargaze Palace. With his aura concealed, making it difficult even for Half-God realm experts to detect him, let alone the people of Stargaze Palace, it wasn't long before he returned to the previous grand hall. With a flicker of his body, he quietly flew inside and hid himself on the rafters of the room.

The elders who had been injured earlier were all gone, and all traces of the fight had been thoroughly removed. Only Grand Elder Zhao Yue and her disciple Chu Yin remained.

"Grand Elder, I told you this wouldn't work... If Sect Master Liu could see through it, others surely will too!" Chu Yin said, her face filled with worry. "I can imitate Master's voice, but her demeanor and prestige are something I simply cannot emulate, no matter what..."

"I know you can't imitate it, but right now there's no other choice. This is our only option; every minute we can stall is a minute gained, every hour is an hour!" said Grand Elder Zhao Yue.

"I know... So what should I do?" After a moment of hesitation, Chu Yin gritted her teeth.

"This is a jade talisman imbued with the Palace Master's true qi. When the time comes, you only need to hold it in your palm and activate it, and your body will exude the aura of a Half-God realm expert, identical to the Palace Master! The reason Sect Master Liu saw through you just now was because he directly attacked. As long as you can stall them and prevent them from making a move... it should almost be a success!" said Grand Elder Zhao Yue.

"I'll do my best!" Chu Yin nodded, gripping the jade tablet in her palm. Her aura indeed changed instantly, as if she had transformed into a different person in a flash—inherently aloof, exuding a power that no one dared to approach or contend with.

"Just like this. In a while, no matter what happens, remain calm. If it comes down to it, I can also help you answer..." Grand Elder Zhao Yue said. Before her voice had fully faded, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a mighty aura abruptly appear in the courtyard in front of the hall. Her face fell, and the Grand Elder's voice trailed off. She hastily motioned for Chu Yin to go behind the screen.

"May I ask, how has Palace Master Du considered the matter?" Just as they finished these preparations, a faint voice rang out, and then several figures slowly walked in through the hall's entrance. There were five in total. The one leading them was a middle-aged man in a gray robe. His cultivation was as vast as the ocean, giving off an unfathomable aura.

"They..." Peeking through a gap in the rafters, Zhang Xuan looked at the group. His eyebrows furrowed, and his body involuntarily trembled. "Are they from... the Divine Temple?"