"Not just in comparison to members of the Qiao family."
"One Sage, One Ancestor, and Five Peerless Ones; these are the titans of martial arts in Jiu Province that have emerged under the pressure of the two great Immortal Gates over the decades."
"Even when compared to any generation of the strongest martial artists in ancient times, they surely do not seem any weaker!"
The previously intense discussion gradually softened, and after the argument, they surprisingly reached this kind of agreement.
Qiao Mu listened quietly.
At sixty-nine thousand years old, he naturally had no interest in fighting.
He mostly just listened quietly, occasionally chiming in to stir the pot:
"So who is the Wuji Empress? What stories are told about her that can compare to those of Millennium Master Xue Changhe?"
"A hundred years ago, Earth Sword Immortal was the strongest in the world, unbeatable on Earth, with unmatched talent. The immortal demon king, who shares his name, seems to have learned from the Spear Saint from a hundred years ago, and the Spear Saint was also defeated by Earth Sword Immortal… So where does this immortal demon king come from? What remarkable achievements does he have?"
He repeatedly interjected to stir up the discussion.And with his provocation like this.
The curious tea drinkers around him were quickly stirred up as well, spending nearly half an hour recounting the remarkable achievements of the Wuji Empress and the immortal demon king.
"The martial arts skills of Empress Wuji have reached perfection. With one hand, her strength is like water and fire, moving like thunder breaking through the sky, leaving only a strange sight of a white rainbow piercing the sun. Her lightness skill might have surpassed that of the Qiao family member from back then…"
"Then there’s the Human Flying Immortal Qiao Feixian, whose flying spear is extraordinary, and wherever he goes, ‘no immortal does not fly’…."
The titles of One Sage, One Ancestor, and Five Peerless Ones are earned through battles; their rise to fame often happened during times of great danger, just like the notable battle of a saint from Kuafu Mountain in the Western Province.
Thanks to these helpful people’s explanations, Qiao Mu gradually began to understand the events that had happened over the past fifty years.
A high-quality martial artist trained in spiritual refining can mislead others’ instincts. If Qiao Mu puts his mind to it, even with a face like this, he can make people feel no doubt.
Everyone else was unaware of anything wrong, except for Storyteller Clairvoyance, who frowned slightly and realized who the instigator was, the lines on his forehead subtly opening.
Just as he opened his eyes, Qiao Mu also raised his gaze at the same time, causing Clairvoyance to feel a slight shock, and the strange eye on his forehead closed again.
The purpose of Tide Listening Building is to avoid trouble. Although he does not know the other party’s background, he will not create unnecessary complications.
"I see…" Qiao Mu listened to the explanations and looked sincerely convinced.
"It seems I underestimated these seven martial arts masters."
This statement surprised Clairvoyance a little and changed her view.
Usually, troublemakers are very stubborn.
However, this person surprisingly became fully convinced in the end, which not only surprised him but also made the nearby tea drinkers comfortable for almost half an hour.
Some people said earnestly, "Young man, the seven great martial arts masters today are active in different regions of Jiu Province, helping many lives and, therefore, have different supporters."
"What you just said might be fine in Yan City, but it wouldn’t be so easy to settle outside."
"I see, I see," Qiao Mu said with a slight smile.
"Learning comes in stages, and each skill has its own specialization."
"Though Xue Changhe and Wu Mingkong trained in martial arts at Peach Blossom Villa when they were young, they are not necessarily inferior to their teacher."
"If blue comes from indigo and is even better than indigo, it is certainly a fortunate thing."
"In my opinion, these seven great martial artists are just as impressive as the members of the Qiao family from back in the day."
The tea guests nodded in agreement.
"These days, there are not many young people who listen to the words of their elders."
Just then, the wind suddenly picked up.
The sound of the wind outside the tea house grew stronger, bringing with it a refreshing coolness.
Whoosh!
A loud sound broke through the sky.
A bright white streak appeared in the sky, floating like a ribbon, swaying gently in the wind.
This extraordinary omen startled the tea drinkers who were chatting in the teahouse.
"A white rainbow crossing the sun! This is a sign that the Wuji Empress is either traveling at full speed or fighting with all her might…" Clairvoyance, who had very sharp eyes, opened them wide and shouted in surprise.
Everyone was immediately shocked.
Their astonishment was not about the white rainbow crossing the sun.
In the last few decades of constant war, the Wuji Empress was not a warrior who worked in isolation; many among them had seen such scenes from afar.
But where is this place?
Yan City!
The closest great city to Peach Blossom Villa!
Could it be that there is a great enemy in Yan City or nearby at Peach Blossom Villa that has caused the Wuji Empress to hurry?
"It’s mostly the Soul Predicting Path!" Someone who understands analyzed seriously.
"Although the two great Immortal Gates are not closely connected, they still understand that if one falls, the other cannot sit by and watch Long Life Gate be destroyed."
"In my opinion, it’s likely that the Yanshen Great Taoist Lord has come here, and this Nan Province paradise may soon fall apart…."
But at that moment.
Several figures flew over from the other side of the street and landed in front of the tea house.
The person in the front is the Earth Sword Immortal, who has a wooden sword and a stone sword at his waist.
"This is the place," the Earth Sword Immortal looked around the tea house, finally stopping at Qiao Mu’s back.
"Blood Lotus Dual Sword Immortal?" The people in the tea house suddenly froze.
Although Yan City is near Peach Blossom Villa, making it more likely to meet extraordinary beings than other places, how could such a person be seen casually?
Their surprise had not yet faded when they saw several people walking behind the Earth Sword Immortal.
First was the Millennium Master Xue Changhe, dressed in a bright red robe.
Then came two beautiful young women, like precious gems.
The person on the left made Qiao Mu feel slightly dazed, as she resembled Qiao Canxue from his memories, but her presence was sharp and cold like a blade, with a gleaming halberd behind her.
The person on the right was also like a beauty from a painting; Wu Mingkong had grown up, and the slight childishness she once had was gone. She had a graceful figure and a proud demeanor, like a sharp sword, making it hard to look at her.
The Earth Sword Immortal led the way, with the three following closely behind.
Their gazes all fell on Qiao Mu at the back of the crowd, momentarily frozen and speechless.
Fifty years is a long time.
Moreover, the one who returned was Qiao Huo, who had already become calm and steady. This was another elder from the Qiao family, making them feel a sense of closeness, yet they didn’t know what to say.
Although he was not young anymore, in terms of age and experience, he had already become a master in the martial world of Jiu Province.
However, when he saw a member of the Qiao family again, for some reason, he felt the same awkwardness he had felt as a young student in the presence of a teacher.
"This…" The other tea guests naturally noticed the strange atmosphere as well.
The Earth Sword Immortal led the way, followed by the other three: Millennium Master Xue Changhe, Human Flying Immortal Qiao Feixian, and Wuji Empress Wu Mingkong.
Just a moment ago, they had been excitedly discussing the One Sage, One Ancestor, Five Peerless Ones, and among them, four were right here.
"With four towering pillars of martial arts from Jiu Province arriving together, what could this mean…?"
At this moment, even the dullest person noticed something unusual and turned their gaze to Qiao Mu at the back of the crowd.
The four martial arts giants remained silent, and the almost full teahouse became completely quiet, with no one daring to speak, letting confusion swirl in their minds like a raging tide.
The old storyteller Jiang Chen trembled slightly at the table.
When he just talked about Xue Changhe’s story, he mentioned the mysterious person who seemed to be a member of the Qiao family. However, when he spoke, no one truly believed him. Now, he had already suspected a little in his heart…
At this moment, dozens or even hundreds of pairs of eyes in the tea house were wide open, but no one, including the four extraordinary people, spoke up. It was silent for a time.
This slightly tense atmosphere naturally caught the attention of the Earth Sword Immortal, who had entered the tea house first.
He looked around and saw the strong confusion in the eyes of the tea drinkers as they looked at Qiao Mu, and he understood something.
He thought for a moment and suddenly shouted somewhat dramatically:
"Congratulations to the Qiao family’s martial ancestor, who broke through the void fifty years ago and returned to Jiu Province from beyond the heavens!"