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**
As they made their way forward, the closer they got to the center of the plaza, the more obvious it became that the people or groups gathered near the central area were far stronger.
Meanwhile, those lingering on the outskirts were clearly the weakest bunch. It was hard to tell whether this formation was intentional or just a natural occurrence.
Along the way, their group drew plenty of curious glances — and not without reason. With Xian'er, Medusa, Yun Yun, and Nalan Yanran, each stunningly beautiful in their own way, their presence alone was enough to turn heads.
However, no one dared to act rashly.
Forget the group's overall strength — just the man leading them, Wei Yang, exuded a faint yet overwhelming Saint's pressure. That mere aura was enough to make most people's gazes turn clear and filled with respect, even awe.
The teams that had gathered here were all fairly strong. Many came from all sorts of backgrounds — the righteous, the wicked, and everything in between. Most were proud and rebellious by nature, but pride depended on who they were facing, didn't it?
Unlike Xiao Yan, who seemed to attract grudges like a magnet, Wei Yang rarely encountered anyone bold enough to provoke him. Those who did usually didn't live long enough to regret it few ever made it past the night.
That was why Wei Yang had so few enemies. After all, being his enemy usually meant a short life. Even the mighty Hall of Souls, after suffering a heavy loss at his hands, had chosen to quietly back off.
They had no choice — the price they paid was far too great, even for them.
Wei Yang's expression was calm as he led his group straight through the crowd. Under countless colorful gazes, they swaggered their way toward the plaza's central area.
Upon arriving, they saw at the very center a massive stone platform, several hundred meters wide and about two meters high.
At this moment, there were also some people seated cross-legged upon it. Their numbers were far fewer than those below, but every single one of them radiated a powerful and intimidating presence — clearly a cut above the rest.
Sweeping his gaze around, Wei Yang spotted a few familiar faces. Aside from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, among one of the groups sat a woman in light green clothes — a peerless beauty with her eyes closed in meditation.
It had been a long time since he last saw her. He could still remember when he was weak, back in Wu Tan City, the very first time he saw that woman, whose aura was as pure as a lotus — he had turned around and left immediately.
Beside him, Xiao Yan's gaze also landed on the green-robed woman, his eyes softening slightly. The eldest daughter of the Gu Clan — Gu Xun'er.
Wei Yang's group's arrival naturally drew the attention of those seated upon the stone platform.
Instantly, numerous gazes turned their way. When those eyes fell upon Wei Yang, they carried different emotions — some were solemn, some curious, some friendly, others wary or even hostile.
Hmm?
A faint glimmer flashed across Wei Yang's eyes, as black flames quietly burned within his pupils, making them resemble two tiny black suns.
Hmph.
A low, almost imperceptible sound escaped his lips. The next instant, those many probing gazes instantly withdrew, no one daring to continue staring.
"This guy really is as overbearing as the rumors say."
"So he's Wei Yang? To think he's silently reached the Ban Sheng realm… terrifying!"
"No wonder they call him the strongest prodigy of this era. That cultivation speed is just insane!"
Some of those who'd suffered a small backlash didn't seem upset. Instead, they squinted slightly, silently sighing in their hearts.
It was clear that Wei Yang's sudden breakthrough to Ban Sheng had left everyone deeply astonished. Ban Sheng — that was a step countless people dreamed of, one even many from the older generation could never reach.
As those atop the high platform exchanged their own thoughts, Wei Yang slightly turned his head and said calmly, "You all can go."
He was speaking to Yun Yun and the others.
Hearing this, the women were momentarily stunned before nodding in understanding. Quietly, they moved off to the side to find seats for themselves.
They knew full well that they were already lucky enough to have followed Wei Yang here to the Ancient Region Stage. If they tried to follow him up onto the central platform as well, that would be overstepping their place.
That spot wasn't one a minor sect like the Flower Sect was qualified to step onto. Without the strength to match it, going up there would only invite ridicule.
Although the strength of Yun Yun and the others wasn't particularly outstanding, their connection to Wei Yang allowed them to remain near the stone platform in the center of the plaza — and no one dared to voice any objection to it.
Soon after, Wei Yang led Xiao Yan and the other four onto the central stone platform. Those already on the platform quietly shifted their positions, voluntarily making room for the five of them.
The area Wei Yang's group settled into happened to be near the Gu Clan's side. At this moment, the members of the Gu Clan also stood up one after another.
"Brother Xiao Yan, you've come," said the woman in green robes, her beautiful eyes lighting up with a touch of joy as she was the first to speak.
"Xun'er." Xiao Yan's face broke into a warm smile.
"Hehe, Brother Xiao Yan," a silver-robed man greeted with a cheerful grin.
"Brother Gu Hua," Xiao Yan replied with a smile and a nod.
He and this man were on good terms. They had once entered the Heavenly Tomb together to cultivate, and in a way, they could be considered comrades-in-arms.
Gu Hua was one of the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Gu Clan and served as one of the four commanders of the Black Abyss Army. Then, Xiao Yan clasped his hands and greeted Gu Qingyang and the others politely.
"Hehe, Brother Xiao Yan, aren't you going to properly introduce us?" said another young man — Gu Qingyang — with a faint smile, his eyes resting on Wei Yang's group.
Hearing this, the members of the Gu Clan all turned their gazes toward Wei Yang. Their expressions carried a trace of solemnity, and none of them showed even the slightest hint of arrogance.
After all, compared to the man before them, these so-called geniuses of the Ancient Clans had little to boast about.
"This is Wei Yang. I'm sure you've all heard of him," Xiao Yan said with a grin. "He's my best brother and also my senior brother. We grew up together."
"We've heard much about you, Mr. Wei. It's an honor to finally meet you in person," said the Gu Clan members respectfully, clasping their hands in greeting.
"Greetings, everyone. The geniuses of the Gu Clan truly live up to their reputation — dragons and phoenixes among men. I've merely seen a glimpse of your strength and can already tell you're worthy of your heritage as one of the Ancient Clans." Wei Yang smiled and nodded slightly.
"Mr. Wei flatters us. Compared to you, we wouldn't dare call ourselves geniuses." The members of the Gu Clan all smiled politely, speaking with genuine humility. The two sides exchanged a few pleasantries, and the atmosphere quickly became warm and harmonious.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
He still remembered how, back in the day when he had visited the Gu Clan alone, he had been looked down upon and challenged in every possible way. The difference in treatment was like night and day.
It just went to show — people always judged based on strength. Even the Gu Clan was no exception.
Were the geniuses of the Gu Clan proud and arrogant?
Of course they were. But when they faced someone even more powerful and exceptional, that arrogance would naturally vanish — otherwise, they would only end up humiliating themselves.
As Wei Yang once said, when you're strong enough and outstanding enough, no matter where you go, what you'll hear are words of praise, and the people you meet will mostly be friendly.
"Mr. Wei, it's been a long time," Gu Xun'er said with a soft smile.
"Miss Xun'er, indeed it has been a long time," Wei Yang nodded slightly.
Since their brief encounters in Wu Tan City, it had already been over ten, nearly twenty years. Back then, their interactions had been nothing more than a few polite nods — a casual acquaintance at best.
Wei Yang had always preferred to keep a low profile around this little rich lady. Whenever he visited the Xiao Clan, he would handle his business swiftly and leave right after — he never even stayed for a meal.
As for Gu Xun'er, naturally, she hadn't paid much attention to a young man from such a small place. In all of Wu Tan City, perhaps even across the entire Northwestern Region, only Xiao Yan could have caught her eye back then.
Now, meeting again after so many years, things were completely different.
"To think, back then I had eyes but failed to see true talent," Gu Xun'er said playfully, her eyes glimmering with amusement. "To have overlooked someone as extraordinary as Mr. Wei — truly, it's quite embarrassing."
In truth, her heart was filled with mixed emotions. Who could have imagined that the seemingly insignificant young man she met all those years ago would one day achieve such astonishing heights?
Wait — no, thinking back carefully, when she first met Wei Yang, he was only a Six-Star Dou Shi, wasn't he?
Gu Xun'er couldn't help but recall their first meeting, outside the Xiao Clan's marketplace in Wu Tan City. Wei Yang had been just a passerby — plain clothes, unremarkable strength — a background character easily overlooked.
Back then, even if someone had told her that twenty years later this very same person would become a Ban Sheng and a Tier 8 Alchemy Grandmaster, she would have never believed it.
Xiao Yan's progress alone was already shocking enough, but Wei Yang's achievements were downright absurd. At least in this era, there was no one who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Even someone as proud as Gu Xun'er had no choice but to concede defeat.
"Miss Xun'er, you jest," Wei Yang said with a faint smile.
**
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