Aiden Zhou gritted his teeth, staring hatefully at You Han across the platform.
But he was powerless to do anything about it.
He couldn't activate the array formation against You Han—not right now, at least.
"Master Lin from Seacrest—even if he’s a dog, he’ll be the first dog to die by my hand."
Aiden glared at You Han. "Once I’ve dealt with Master Lin from Seacrest today, you’re next!"
"You Han!"
Aiden’s voice was cold and menacing.
You Han glanced at him, couldn’t be bothered to respond, and simply walked to a spot on the round platform and sat down cross-legged.
Lucy Bai and the elder took seats on the other side.
Aiden sat down in front of Yvette Locke.
The circle divided into three.
Three factions stood in a tense balance.
Everyone fell silent.
All were waiting for the three grandmasters to emerge from seclusion.
Soon.
The air temperature around Coldspire Peak suddenly dropped.
Chill swept across the area.
A cold aura began to spread across the entire platform.
Waves of pitch-black smoke gathered from every inch of soil, stone, and grass on Coldspire Peak, converging toward the summit.
A vast and terrifying pressure instantly filled the air.
Between heaven and earth, everything suddenly seemed barren and desolate.
A suffocating aura permeated every corner.
Yvette Locke glared, her eyes instantly turning into molten lava. Her Fire-Spirit Mortal Body transformed instinctively, trying to block the pervasive cold.
But it was completely useless.
The chill only grew stronger, filling everyone with despair.
Aiden Zhou's face turned pale; Lucy Bai and the elder also looked uneasy.
Meanwhile, You Han rose from his seat and knelt respectfully toward the ground.
"Respectfully welcome Master out of seclusion."
You Han spoke, his words clear and direct.
Soon, countless streams of cold and black qi gathered before him.
Gradually, they condensed into a human figure.
He stood there, tall and thin, clad in black, exuding an aura of dominance and contempt for the world.
"Am I, You Mingdao, the first to arrive today?"
"Zhou Tiantong and Phoenix Bai, how much longer will you stay in seclusion before showing yourselves?"
You Mingdao stood there, scanning the crowd with his dead, withered gaze.
Under his gaze, Aiden Zhou couldn’t even lift his head.
Lucy Bai tried to stay calm and met his gaze, but after a few seconds, the bone-deep chill forced her to look away.
The elder kept his head lowered from the moment You Mingdao appeared.
You Mingdao!
He was the most mysterious of Hong Kong's three grandmasters.
Whenever people mention Hong Kong’s three grandmasters, they always think of Zhou Tiantong. As for the other two, You Mingdao and Phoenix Bai, they are rarely discussed.
Firstly, Zhou Tiantong is closely connected with the Lee family of Hong Kong, making his reputation spread throughout the city.
Secondly, most people don’t even know the true identities of the other two grandmasters.
Only the true powerhouses of Hong Kong know the identities and strength of the other two grandmasters.
"Phoenix Bai."
Lucy Bai’s heart skipped a beat when she heard You Mingdao say the name. She frowned and glanced at the elder beside her.
"Grandmaster’s surname is Bai?"
She asked.
This was the first time Lucy Bai heard her grandmaster’s name. Until now, she only knew her grandmaster was one of the three grandmasters, but not the name.
"Her name is Phoenix Bai."
The elder nodded. "Grandmaster rarely concerns herself with worldly affairs. It’s been decades, except for that one time she made an exception for you. Otherwise, she only appears during the Dao discussions."
"That’s why I’ve rarely had the chance to hear Grandmaster’s name myself."
The elder’s explanation made Lucy Bai nod. "Grandmaster is known as Master Phoenix."
While they were talking.
The black aura and chill around You Mingdao solidified.
His body became fully visible, his aura surging like a rainbow, making him seem even stronger.
He glanced over at Yvette Locke, who was tightly bound, and squinted.
"Interesting, a natural fire body?"
You Mingdao saw through Yvette Locke’s constitution at a glance and shook his head. "Too bad, you haven’t matured yet. Still too weak."
"Otherwise, you wouldn’t have lost here and become a prisoner."
You Mingdao looked at her. "Are you interested in acknowledging me as your master?"
"Call me ‘Master’ once, and I’ll grant you a great opportunity. How about it?"
He spoke, his gaze toward Yvette Locke filled with genuine appreciation.
Hearing this, Aiden Zhou’s expression changed. He wanted to say something.
Yet in front of You Mingdao, he didn’t dare utter a single word, not even a hint of protest.
"I already have a master."
Yvette Locke glared at him. "Much stronger than you!"
She snapped viciously.
Although Evan Lin never formally acknowledged her as his disciple, just a few pointers from him changed her entire cultivation path.
"Having a master isn’t a problem."
You Mingdao shook his head. "Once your master dies, you’ll have no master. Then you can reconsider."
At that moment, a distant, ethereal voice drifted over: "You Mingdao, speaking to her like that, bullying the younger generation, is beneath your status."
Black flower petals floated in the air, swaying in the wind.
That empty, desolate voice contained not a shred of emotion—so pure it was impossible to tell if it belonged to a man or a woman.
As the voice rang out, heaven and earth shifted.
The sound of iron chains rattling echoed from beneath the earth, reverberating across all of Coldspire Peak.
Boulders and trees trembled.
Thunderous booms shook the mountain, echoing in everyone’s ears.
"Grandmaster has come out of seclusion."
The elder’s face lit up with excitement.
He and Lucy Bai both looked in the same direction.
You Mingdao turned coldly toward the source of the voice. "Phoenix Bai, we’ve been old friends for years. Why must you always embarrass me on Dao-discussion day?"
"Every Dao-discussion, you insist on making things difficult for me."
"Besides, what does me taking a disciple have to do with you?"
You Mingdao’s voice was cold.
Meanwhile, You Han remained kneeling, not daring to rise.
With You Mingdao silent, he didn’t dare get up.
As You Mingdao finished speaking, the black petals in everyone’s eyes thickened.
The petals in the air turned to drifting ash.
After the ash fell, the sound of chains grew even louder.
The colossal bronze coffin standing between heaven and earth trembled violently.
One chilling sound after another echoed from Coldspire Peak’s slopes.
The mountain began to crumble, rocks crashing down, thunderous booms rising.
It was as if all of nature was solemnly welcoming the return of a supreme being.
Heaven and earth fell silent and reverent.
The world grew solemn.