After a moment, the elder stopped his steps, and a series of Dharma Seals were cast from his hands. The barren desert before them suddenly transformed, revealing an immensely vast forest.

This kind of skill left Xu Fan marveling in amazement.

Thankfully, Xu Fan encountered these two halfway; otherwise, if he had to search for the entrance in this desert by himself, he might never have found it before the relic closed again.

"Hmph! Is such a method really worth fussing over? Quickly, follow up!"

Seeing Xu Fan's amazed expression, Aniu's disdain was palpable, now assuming the role of Xu Fan's leader, he coldly commanded Xu Fan.

Xu Fan shrugged his shoulders, said nothing, and silently followed behind Aniu, heading towards the interior of the forest.

Upon first entry, the narrow path made the forest seem somewhat eerie and desolate, but after walking a little further, it opened up suddenly, as if another world had appeared, and the three found themselves at a valley entrance.

Reaching this point, the sound of voices was suddenly heard within the valley, with hundreds of people forming small groups, clearly delineating their positions. Surprisingly, half of them were foreign cultivators of different skin tones, appearing quite novel.

The arrival of the three was like a drop of water merging into the sea, not causing the slightest ripple.

Whether it was the arrogant Aniu or the high-standing elder, both retracted their auras, standing quietly in a corner.

At the same time, Aniu turned around, secretly admonishing Xu Fan in a low voice, "Remember! Never shout loudly! And don't get into conflicts! No one can protect you otherwise!"

Xu Fan had already decided to act low-key, so why make trouble for himself? He nodded to Aniu, sat cross-legged, and quietly waited for the relic to open.

After about the time to drink a cup of tea, more groups of people entered consecutively, filling the valley almost completely. Despite the cold, proud gazes of many, there was an almost palpable silence, maintained by an unspoken agreement.

The entire valley entrance was eerily quiet.

After waiting a little longer, when no more people came, a voice finally drifted up.

"Ahem, everyone's here, shall we begin?"

In the center of the valley, an elder in Taoist attire stood up, breaking the silence first.

Though Aniu's grandfather had an air of sage-like grace, compared to this Taoist elder, he was clearly outmatched! Moreover, this Taoist elder's every move seemed to carry a special charm, captivating all.

Upon hearing this voice, the hundreds of people who were already silent became even more eerily quiet...

"Isn't the Taoist group a bit too eager? The Buddhist sect hasn't even entered yet…"

A black-faced elder rose with a frown, gazing at the Taoist elder, breaking the silence, his booming voice carrying a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Hahaha! The Buddhist sect? They're probably not coming!"

The two elders seemed to have some sort of old grudge, subtly opposing each other now, while all the juniors around sat in fearful silence, too afraid to utter a word.

Such powerful entities were like gods fighting; even the most brilliant juniors dared not act out in front of these two.

The seniors beside the juniors only closed their eyes, silently observing in a meditative state.

Beside Xu Fan, Aniu looked scared stiff, while Aniu's grandfather lowered his voice, quietly explaining the identities of the two to Aniu.

"Aniu, this Taoist elder is a powerful figure in Taoism, extremely strong, with few rivals in the Zhiwei Realm. If you meet a Taoist disciple in the future, even if you can't become friends, you mustn't offend them!"

"This black-faced elder is a formidable figure in an organization called 'Three Gods.' These two represent top-tier forces; do not offend any of their disciples!"

Previously arrogant in front of Xu Fan, Aniu now seemed like a student, nodding fearfully, though it was unclear how much he absorbed.

"Not coming? Taoist, what do you mean by this?"

Not only did the black-faced elder suddenly become tense, but the expressions of many elders from major forces also changed dramatically.

The Buddhist Sect is one of Huaxia's top entities, influencing many matters with its every move. Hearing that the Buddhist Sect would not join this year's relic, many speculated about various implications.

"Hehe, Brother Black, all these years have passed, and you still can't keep your cool?"

Among the hundreds present, only the Taoist elder remained completely composed.

"What is the Buddhist Sect? If they don't show up, they naturally have their reasons. Could it be I forced them not to come?"

Boom!

Before the Taoist elder could finish speaking, the black-faced elder's face darkened, and an immensely terrifying aura surged forth, flooding the entire valley.

With the black-faced elder's actions, everyone became immediately tense; many foreign cultivators were utterly bewildered, adopting defensive stances, not understanding what had transpired.

Ani was so frightened that he sat down abruptly, looking at the two elders with eyes full of terror.

The supreme powerhouses could shatter an enemy's resolve with mere presence alone! Aniu, merely a junior at Vajra Realm, was naturally flustered when faced with such beings.

In fact, Aniu wasn't the only one so embarrassed; most juniors attending the relic were utterly overwhelmed, and even many of the accompanying seniors lost their composure.

Yet the Taoist elder remained as calm as ever.

"Hehe, alright, stop teasing. Since you want to know the reason, I'll tell you."

"The Buddhist Sect suddenly underwent a drastic change yesterday. As for what exactly happened and how severe it was, I don't know."

The Taoist elder's words were essentially meaningless, yet surprisingly effective.

The tension had arisen because people feared a conflict between the Taoists and Buddhists, or suspected some Taoist conspiracy. But now, with the Taoist elder's attitude clear, it was as reassuring as could be.

"Hmph!"

The black-faced elder snorted coldly through his nose, clearly displeased with the Taoist elder, but opted to let it go.

"Anyone else? Anything to say? Feel free to speak up now!"

"If there's nothing else, let us begin, and open the relic together!"

Anyone could understand that the black-faced elder's words were just venting; what could be more important at this gathering than opening the relic?

However, just as the elders were about to stand and announce the opening, a cold voice inconveniently rang out.

"Wait a moment!"

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