The moment the two spoke, some of the other eight Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples also vaguely recalled Li Yan.
They had heard of Li Yan's name, not because he was particularly dazzling within the Malevolent Spirit Sect, but because Little Bamboo Peak had so few disciples. Unlike the other peaks, which could have thousands or even tens of thousands of members, anyone who paid even a little attention would have firmly memorized the names and even the appearances of the few from Little Bamboo Peak.
"Hehehe, it seems the two Senior Brothers still remember me. Greetings to all Senior and Junior Brothers!"
Li Yan felt a sense of relief; it was best to avoid getting entangled here. As he spoke, he flipped his right hand, and a black token, which seemed to be neither metal nor iron, appeared in his palm.
After sensing Zhu Gaotai and the others' Divine Senses sweep over it, Li Yan quickly put the token away.
Although they had recognized him, Li Yan knew these were extraordinary times, so he took the initiative to show them his token.
As expected, upon seeing Li Yan's token, "Senior Brother Xia" and the others confirmed it was genuine and nodded to themselves. However, they were still somewhat puzzled by Li Yan's sudden arrival.
"Where has Junior Brother Li come from? Could it be that something important has happened on your end, requiring you to deliver a message in person?"
"Senior Brother Xia" had the highest cultivation here and was the leader of these ten individuals. However, he might have been thinking in the wrong direction and misunderstood the situation.
There were far too many disciples in the Malevolent Spirit Sect. Although they had not seen Li Yan for a long time, this was quite normal among cultivators.
They were not from the same peak as Li Yan, nor were they direct martial brothers, so they were unaware that Li Yan had actually been away from the sect for over two years.
Their current assignment was to handle registration here at the Sword-Washing Pavilion, which was, in fact, just one of many gathering points.
Seeing Li Yan suddenly appear now, they naturally assumed that some important matter had occurred within the sect or at Li Yan's assigned post, and he was here to deliver a message personally.
Li Yan glanced around before speaking to "Senior Brother Xia" in a low voice, "Is Senior Brother Xia in charge here? I have something to discuss. Could we speak in private?"
Many cultivators were currently watching them. Aside from the three Golden Core cultivators and a few nearby cultivators who had overheard their conversation, only some observant individuals in the distance, like those in Hua Siwang's group, were still looking over. This, of course, included Hua Siwang himself.
However, Hua Siwang had already turned back and was striding towards the Jingtu Sect's registration area up ahead. With his cultivation, he had naturally heard their conversation clearly. All he needed to know was that Li Yan had not been lying.
'Li... Yan, Little Bamboo Peak. That damn bastard, he fooled me this whole way. Something about being a disciple of the "Infinite Wanderer" named Jianghai. If I get the chance in the future, I'll have to teach this kid a lesson,' Hua Siwang muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, the group on this side, including the three Golden Core cultivators, had now figured out Li Yan's identity. They had also been misled by "Senior Brother Xia's" words and were finally convinced that this person was a messenger from the Malevolent Spirit Sect.
They had paid no mind to Li Yan before, so they only noticed him when he walked over. They hadn't realized he had come from Hua Siwang's group and had not teleported here alone.
Since that was the case, they all chose to remain silent. They had no desire to get involved in the internal affairs of the Four Great Sects. If there was something they needed to know, someone would naturally arrange the relevant tasks for them.
Hearing Li Yan's request, "Senior Brother Xia" knew he did not want to speak under so many watchful eyes. He turned to the others and gave instructions.
"The rest of you, continue with your duties. I have something to discuss with Junior Brother Li."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaotai and the others smiled and nodded at Li Yan before returning to their work.
"Senior Brother Xia" looked around, then gestured for Li Yan to follow him. Soon, the two disappeared around a bend at the foot of the mountain.
After they left, the square quickly returned to normal. However, the remaining Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples, regardless of what others thought, began to ask Zhu Gaotai in curious whispers.
"Which peak is this Junior Brother Li from? Why have I never seen him before?"
"I feel like I've seen him somewhere before, but I only find his face a bit familiar. I can't quite place him right now. Junior Brother Zhu, since you recognize him, why don't you tell us?"
The gazes of all eight focused on Zhu Gaotai in an instant. Zhu Gaotai gave a wry smile to the last cultivator who spoke. "Senior Brother Nian, you've definitely seen him before. Back then, at least half of the people here would have had to address him as 'Martial Uncle'."
Zhu Gaotai's words stunned the few newly advanced Foundation Establishment disciples from Never-Parting Peak. One of them said, "That's not so strange. A few of us only reached Foundation Establishment a short time ago. Of course there were plenty of disciples who established their foundations earlier. But this person doesn't look very old, does he?"
Zhu Gaotai glanced around and saw many people watching them. He picked up a Jade Slip and began to activate a manual. "Let's get back to work first. Otherwise, Senior Brother Xia might be displeased when he returns." Hearing this, the others also began to busy themselves. Only then did Zhu Gaotai add in a low voice, "This person is the eighth disciple of Little Bamboo Peak—Li Yan. A little over two years ago, he was still in the Qi Condensation stage. The title 'Martial Uncle' at that time was merely a formality. That's the main point."
"Is that so? He's that eighth junior brother from Little Bamboo Peak who is rarely ever seen?" At this point, the others had also picked up their Jade Slips and started working, but they continued to whisper in astonishment.
The cultivator Zhu Gaotai had called "Senior Brother Nian" finally showed a look of realization. "No wonder he looked so familiar! Back during the battle for the Secret Realm, this Junior Brother Li's performance was spectacular. I watched several of his fights for a spot in the secret realm. His poison skills were truly remarkable..."
He abruptly stopped talking. The Malevolent Spirit Sect forbade speaking of the three great poison physiques to outsiders. A few people here had either been in seclusion or were away on other matters and had not witnessed the arena battles for the Secret Realm spots.
"But it's only been two years. How did he reach the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment ? If I remember correctly, he shouldn't have been in Foundation Establishment for very long either," "Senior Brother Nian" suddenly muttered in confusion. They had long since determined Li Yan's current cultivation level from the aura he exuded.
"Alright, let's get to work. We shouldn't pry too much into others' private matters."
Zhu Gaotai suddenly interjected. Li Yan had once saved his life in the Secret Realm. Although he, too, was surprised by Li Yan's sudden appearance and found his cultivation level unbelievable, the thought of the terrifying Fragmented Poison Body made him unwilling to discuss the matter further, lest he expose Li Yan's secret.
On the other side, after Li Yan and the other man rounded the foot of the mountain, "Senior Brother Xia" stopped as soon as he saw they were alone and turned to face Li Yan, who had followed him.
"Elder Hua is at the summit. For her to send Junior Brother Li personally, the news must be of utmost importance. Does Junior Brother Li wish for me to take you to Elder Hua right away?" "Senior Brother Xia" felt his guess was correct. After all, it was Martial Uncle Hua presiding over matters here.
Seeing "Senior Brother Xia's" solemn expression, Li Yan realized the man had mistaken him for a messenger sent to deliver critical news.
Only half a cup of tea's time had passed since Li Yan left Hua Siwang's group. He hadn't had a chance to explain many things, and his appearance had been abrupt, so this outcome was to be expected.
At the same time, Li Yan understood the meaning behind the other's words. The person in charge of the Malevolent Spirit Sect's affairs here was apparently Elder Hua. If Li Yan remembered correctly, this Elder Hua was the plain-looking, cold woman from Never-Parting Peak. He had heard that she was one of the elders who had once wanted to use him to study the Fragmented Poison Body. He never expected to run into her here.
Li Yan quickly explained, "I think Senior Brother Xia has misunderstood. I didn't come from the sect or any other mission post. I left the sect two years ago.
I was originally on a mission assigned by my master. On my way back to the sect, I was conscripted by the Jingtu Sect and brought here. When I saw you and the other senior brothers here, I naturally came over. I just wanted to ask you all where my master is now.
Also, are my senior brothers from Little Bamboo Peak still in the sect? Where can I find them?"
Li Yan's words were a mix of truth and falsehood, but he figured the other party wouldn't actually go and verify every single word with his master.
As soon as Li Yan finished speaking, "Senior Brother Xia's" brow furrowed, and a sharp glint flashed in the depths of his eyes. He silently slid back a large step, instantly increasing the distance between them.
"Oh? So, Junior Brother Li has been away from the sect for a long time? In that case, please take out your token and let me inspect it carefully."
At that moment, the aura around "Senior Brother Xia" began to surge faintly. This sudden change first stunned Li Yan, but then he recalled what he had heard from other cultivators along the way and understood why "Senior Brother Xia" had suddenly turned hostile.
Before, they had confirmed his token. Now, however, the concern was whether he had been possessed by a member of the Demon Clan and was impersonating someone. He had heard other cultivators mention such incidents happening in many sects within the cultivation world over the past two years.
Li Yan gave a helpless smile and reached for his Storage Pouch again. But as his hand moved toward the pouch, the aura around "Senior Brother Xia" surged even more violently, as if he might attack at any moment.
Only when he saw that Li Yan was indeed taking out a token did his expression relax slightly. Still, his face remained grave and stern, his eyes fixed on Li Yan like two sharp blades. Li Yan felt that if he made any sudden movements, the other man would likely strike first.
After slowly guiding the token towards "Senior Brother Xia" with his Spirit Power , Li Yan's heart grew heavier.
'The fight against the Demon Clan has reached such a state of paranoia. This far exceeds my initial estimations. I never thought the situation would become so severe.'
After carefully taking the token into his hand, "Senior Brother Xia" did not pick it up directly. Instead, he wrapped his palm in Spirit Power, first probing it with his Divine Sense . After confirming there was no issue, he began to meticulously inspect Li Yan's token.
He examined it for a full several dozen breaths. Gradually, his expression began to relax. First, he confirmed that Li Yan's sect token was genuine, not a fake. Although they had already determined this earlier, he could now be truly certain.
Second, he did not sense any abnormalities from the token, especially not the legendary black energy that did not belong to the "Five Elements Power."
"Go ahead and activate the token!" "Senior Brother Xia" tossed Li Yan's token to the side, where it floated in mid-air, and then addressed Li Yan.