"That's right. Even if you don't want to reveal your name, shouldn't you at least show us your face? Otherwise, anyone could wear a mask and claim to be 18 years of age. In that case, wouldn't our rules be for nought?"

"An 18-year-old who has broken through to the Sage State cannot stay unknown forever. Everyone has to be convinced in order for Yin Yang Hall to be promoted to the second stage."

Mo Shans.h.i.+'s words had struck a chord among the disciples of the various sects. After all, no one in the Holy Region had ever heard of an 18-year-old master of the Sage State.

The sudden appearance of such a young master of the Sage State in Yin Yang Hall was hard to believe.

After all, even the Fang Zhengzhi who had wreaked havoc in the Holy Region a while back had only reached the Rebirth State.

"Old Mo, are you doubting the credibility of Yin Yang Hall?" Dao Hun stood up and spoke in a hostile manner.

"I wouldn't dare to. If your disciple is really 18 years old, I will offer you my apologies. Hallmaster Dao, is your disciple hiding something? Hehe… or is he so ugly that he dare not show his face?" Mo Shans.h.i.+ chuckled coldly.

"You…" Dao Hun could feel a rising anger.

The disciples of the various sects remained silent. Even Mu Qingfeng did not speak. Everyone was getting more and more suspicious.

"Xiu, since Valley Master Mo is willing to get on his knees and apologise to you, why don't you remove your mask!" Dao Xin spoke out in a calm but cold voice.

"Get on his knees in apology?"

"Did Valley Master Mo say that?"

"Don't you remember?"

The disciples from the various sects were slightly baffled upon hearing Dao Xin's words.

Mo Shans.h.i.+ was stunned as well.

However, he recovered himself quickly enough. Dao Xin was raising the stakes. Fine, he would follow her lead!

"Alright, I'd like to see what this 18-year-old master of the Sage State looks like!" Mo Shans.h.i.+ gritted his teeth. There was no backing down now. After all, he was the one who had stirred up the matter. If he back-pedalled now, he would become a laughingstock.

Of course, if the youth in the Yin-Yang mask turned out to be 18 years old, he would become a laughingstock as well. Nevertheless, he had already placed his bets and could not afford to be indecisive.

Mo Shans.h.i.+ was in a good mood until he saw the youth in the Yin-Yang mask nod his head curtly. He began to feel anxious.

"Click!"

The Yin-Yang mask had been taken off, revealing a face that was very young and very indifferent. His features looked as though they had been chiselled out of stone and his expression was as cold as ice. There was no light in those dark eyes of his.

"What?!" Mo Shans.h.i.+ exclaimed in surprise. The youth before him was too young. His youth was indisputable.

The members of the Heaven Dao Pavilion, Ling Yun Tower and Shadow Sect let out a collective gasp as well.

"Yan Xiu?!"

"It's Yan Xiu!"

"It's actually Yan Xiu?!"

The disciples of the Heaven Dao Pavilion knew who Yan Xiu was. After all, they had all witnessed everything that had happened at the Heaven Dao Pavilion a few months ago.

Ping Yang, who was standing at the Ling Yun Tower camp, recognised Yan Xiu too. However cold and indifferent he looked, she was certain that it was Yan Xiu.

"How did Yan Xiu end up in Yin Yang Hall? Besides, he seems to be a high-ranking member. What is going on?" Ping Yang blinked in confusion at first before her excitement took over.

"Come over here, Yan Xiu. Let me see if you're really at the Sage State!"

"His name is Yan Xiu? Who is Yan Xiu?"

"If he is Yan Xiu, then he would really be around 18 years old. Yan Xiu is the oldest grandson of the Yan family, the lord of Western Liang in the Great Xia Empire, the current Prince Yan!"

"The Great Xia Empire's Prince Yan of Western Liang? Could it be that person who had crossed into the Holy Region together with Fang Zhengzhi…"

"That's right. Yan Xiu is older than Fang Zhengzhi by only a few months and had taken part in the examinations held by the Heaven Dao Pavilion together with Fang Zhengzhi. However, he had just broken through to the Rebirth State half a year ago!"

The disciples of the various sects engaged in a discussion among themselves after they had heard Ping Yang's shouted words. After all, Yan Xiu was the newly appointed Prince Yan of the Great Xia Empire and his name had come up often in the intelligence gathered by the informants of the various sects.

"Yan Xiu?! This kid is Yan Xiu!" Mo Shans.h.i.+'s face had changed for the worse.

18 years old!

An 18-year-old master of the Sage State!

Mo Shans.h.i.+ did not want to believe that it was true. Nevertheless, it was true that the youth was Yan Xiu. There was no doubt.

"Xiu, is it you? Xiu, come here…" Yan Qianli rushed forward unthinkingly but was held back by a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Old Yan, something's wrong!" The Heavenly Oasis Saint scrutinised Yan Xiu from head to toe with mixed emotions.

"What's wrong?"

"If he really is Yan Xiu, do you think that he would have ignored you?"

"This… Xiu naturally would not… wait a minute. Xiu previously mentioned that he was 18 years old but he had actually turned 19 last month. Why would he say that he is 18 years old? Could it be that he doesn't remember…"

"That's right. Something must have gone wrong with Yan Xiu's memories!"

"Do you mean that Xiu doesn't recognise me at all?"

"It must be so. Otherwise, considering Yan Xiu's personality, he would not have joined Yin Yang Hall nor regard you as a stranger." The Heavenly Oasis Saint replied with certainty.

"If this is the case, then I'll…" Yan Qianli hardened his gaze and tried to shake the arm of the Heavenly Oasis Saint off his shoulder.

"Old Yan, don't be ras.h.!.+" The Heavenly Oasis Saint exerted more force on Yan Qianli's shoulder as he looked around them.

"Now is not the time to clash with Yin Yang Hall. On the bright side, Yan Xiu is alive, isn't he? As long as he lives, there was be plenty of opportunities to settle this in the future!"

"…" Yan Qianli was silent for a moment before he nodded.

"You're right. As long as Xiu is alive, I will be able to set my heart at ease!"

"Still, I had not thought that Yan Xiu would have broken through to the Sage State in only a matter of months. Your grandson is pretty scary!" The Heavenly Oasis Saint glanced at Yan Xiu again and let out a sigh.

"His Sage State… I had not recognised it upon first sight. On hindsight, the dark energy bears a resemblance to the Dao of Asura, but yet it isn't!" Yan Qianli replied.

"Not the Dao of Asura?"

"Mm. If I had to describe it, it looks more like… the Fallen Asura! However, although Xiu's eyes were dark, they weren't clouded over like he was under the control of the Fallen Asura." Yan Qianli was perplexed.

"It can't be Yan Xiu controlling the Fallen Asura, right?"

"I don't know. No one in the Yan family has ever done that. Still, it doesn't mean that it's impossible!" Yan Qianli shook his head. Then he nodded.

"Let us continue to observe before we come to a conclusion." The Heavenly Oasis Saint pulled Yan Qianli to his side and threw a few glances towards the Yin Yang Hall camp.

At the Yin Yang Hall camp, Dao Xin was looking over at the Shadow Sect camp. Her lips curled up into a smile underneath her white face veil.

"The best pill cultivator in the Holy Region sure lives up to his name. However, I wonder what Dao Hun did to revive Yan Xiu and to help him break through to the Sage State." Mu Qingfeng did not know what to feel.

"The fact that Yan Xiu is alive means that that shameless thief can set his heart at ease." Chi Guyan was not replying to Mu Qingfeng. She only gazed at Yan Xiu and whispered underneath her breath.

she was intelligent and could tell that Yan Xiu had changed in some ways. Nevertheless, she held her tongue. As the Heavenly Oasis Saint had mentioned, there was hope as long as Yan Xiu was alive.

…

Yan Xiu's ident.i.ty was quickly confirmed by the others.

An 18-year-old expert of the Sage State showed the rest what it meant to be a prodigy, a steamroller.

Yan Xiu's big reveal elicited both happiness and sadness.

The happy people included Ping Yang, Chi Guyan and everyone else from the Shadow Sect. Although Yan Xiu did not respond to Ping Yang's greetings, it did not curb her enthusiasm in any way.

As for the sad people…

Mo Shans.h.i.+ was feeling troubled indeed.

"Valley Master Mo, what are you waiting for? Are you going to go back on your word? I want to see how the Valley Master of Fu Xi Valley is going to make a fool out of himself!" Dao Hun had spoken. He stared at Mo Shans.h.i.+ with cold and unsmiling eyes.

"Dao Hun, you're too much!"

"Yeah, since when did our Valley Master say that he was going to go down on his knees to apologise? It was you people who put words into his mouth!"

"If you want our Valley Master to go down on his knees, you need to get past us first!"

The disciples of Fu Xi Valley were infuriated upon hearing Dao Hun's words and brandished their weapons in a show of anger.

"Is Fu Xi Valley going to go back on their word? We, the Yin Yang Hall, will fight it out with you until the end!"

"Untrustworthy cowards, do you think Yin Yang Hall is afraid of you people?"

"That's right, come at us!"

The disciples of Yin Yang Hall unsheathed their weapons as well. The blades of their sword gave off a cold light that suppressed even the atmosphere on the Heaven's Peak.

"Stop!" Mu Qingfeng could stay silent no longer.

"Hallmaster Dao, I had called everyone to this meeting so as to discuss matters concerning the people of the world. From today onwards, the Five Sects have to work together in order to achieve our common objectives, not squabble over minor issues like these. I'd like to implore you to give me some face and allow Valley Master Mo to bow in apology instead of going down on his knees."

"I'm fine with that. All I'm worried about is Valley Master Mo losing his credibility in the martial arts fraternity. That wouldn't be a good thing, would it?" Dao Hun sat down slowly and lifted his teacup up to his nose for a sniff. He did not drink it.

"Dao Hun, Dao Xin, I'll remember this!" Mo Shans.h.i.+ gritted his teeth. He went up to Yan Xiu and bowed deeply to him.

"I, Mo Shans.h.i.+, sincerely apologise to Yan Xiu!"

Having offered his apology, Mo Shans.h.i.+ walked back to the Fu Xi Valley camp in a huff.

It was clear that Mo Shans.h.i.+ was fuming. His face had turned a dark red.

"Hmph." Dao Hun harrumphed. He had expected this to happen. After all, how could the Valley Master of f.u.xi Valley be expected to go down on his knees in front of all these people?

If Dao Hun had forced the matter, not only would it not be resolved but more people were going to die.

Mu Qingfeng shook his head gently at the scene. He had gotten used to the conflicts between the Five Sects.

Fortunately, the Five Sects always managed to practise restraint at the right times, which allowed them to coexist with each other for so long.

Seeing that the minor conflict had been resolved, Mu Qingfeng flashed a look at the Heaven Dao Pavilion disciple who was doing the emceeing.

"Now that the ident.i.ty of the Yin Yang Hall contender has been revealed to be Yan Xiu, his victory stands valid and Yin Yang Hall will progress to the second stage of the tournament. Next up, we have Ling Yun Tower versus Fu Xi Valley!" The Heaven Dao Pavilion disciple announced.

"Mother, am I up next?" Ping Yang blinked at Qian Yu with her big bright eyes.

"Mm." Qian Yu was silent for a moment as she looked at Yan Xiu go back to his seat and nodded gently.

"That's great, it's finally my turn!" Ping Yang had gotten excited and she leapt into a fighting arena in a flash of light. She wore a long red dress covered by the Red Flame Flower Armour. As she flipped over her palm, the Blazing Qilin Spear appeared in her hands.

"I am Ping Yang from Ling Yun Tower, 16 years old!"