Chapter 1365: Chapter 1365: Who Dares to Cross the Line?

Step, step, step...

Just as the tension in the field was reaching a boiling point, a series of orderly and urgent footsteps suddenly came from the outskirts. Immediately, the surrounding crowd automatically parted to make way, revealing a team of distinctly uniformed guards.

"The Refining Cloud Mountain guards have arrived. I suppose there won’t be a fight now, will there?"

Among them, a sharp-eyed Meridian Refining Master of Earth Rank Middle Level immediately noticed those neatly aligned guards, showing a slightly disappointed expression and murmuring to himself.

With that person’s reminder, others also recognized the Refining Cloud Mountain guards maintaining the trade fair and promptly shifted their gaze over.

No matter what, this was, after all, the territory of Refining Cloud Mountain. Had those guards not come, it would have been one thing, but since they appeared here, it meant they had detected the disturbance and intended to intervene.

However, compared to the many ordinary Cultivators watching, Gu Huashan’s expression remained haughty,

After all, he was a genuine Heavenly Rank Low-Level Meridian Refining Master, his cultivation had reached Floating Life Realm Peak, and he was a formidable figure of the older generation, surely not putting those guards in his eyes.

And indeed, the strongest among these Refining Cloud Mountain guards was only at the Middle Stage of the Earth Bending Realm. Such cultivation, in Gu Huashan’s eyes, was evidently somewhat inadequate.

However, what the Refining Cloud Mountain guards relied on was not their Earth Bending Realm cultivation, but the support of the Meridian Refining Master Association behind them. In this place, even a Mortal Realm Third Stage disciple of Refining Cloud Mountain was not someone many dared to offend lightly.

"Within the trade fair, fighting and killing are strictly prohibited!"

A dozen guards swarmed in, led by a man appearing to be in his forties or fifties, exuding a vast aura, having reached Middle Stage of the Earth Bending Realm, his tone somewhat grim.

This Guard Leader of Refining Cloud Mountain was named Dai Ming. With cultivation at the Middle Stage of the Earth Bending Realm, he held a certain status among the Refining Cloud Mountain guards, so the higher-ups dispatched him to maintain the stability of this trade fair.

Although the Middle Stage of the Earth Bending Realm was amply insufficient compared to many experts here for the Meridian Refining Conference, the experts, proud of their status, would not arrive early, and none would dare recklessly cause a stir with the Meridian Refining Master Association present.

But today’s situation was somewhat different. When Dai Ming patrolled this area according to routine, he was immediately drawn by the crowd gathered and simultaneously sensed a formidable wave from inside.

As the guard leader responsible for this trade fair’s stability, Dai Ming naturally wouldn’t stand by. Guiding the guards, he rushed into the crowd’s center, and at first glance, he noticed Gu Huashan and his disciple.

"Is that... the Huashan Old Monster?"

As the Guard Leader at the trade fair, Dai Ming was quite well-informed. At first sight of Gu Huashan’s appearance, he recognized this renowned reclusive Old Monster, feeling his heart clench with apprehension.

Dai Ming had some understanding of this Huashan Old Monster’s character. Even ten years ago, as a reserve guard in the Seeking Origin Realm, he witnessed how arrogant and overbearing this old man was.

Dai Ming knew clearly, in the absence of the President, even the Vice President Qian Sanyuan and the Dean of the Sky Poison Institute, Qingmu Wu, likely weren’t matches for this Old Monster in singular combat.

"Who dares to provoke the Huashan Old Monster so foolishly?"

Thus, with a sharp reprimand, Dai Ming had already planned to make peace, thinking if no deaths occurred, it was okay for Gu Huashan to bully others a bit, not intending to overly pursue the responsibility of a stronger character like the Huashan Old Monster.

"Hmm?"

However, when Dai Ming shifted his gaze to the other side and saw a thinly clothed, slim youth, his whole body couldn’t help but tremble fiercely, eyes flickering with a trace of barely concealed excitement.

"Is it Lord Yun Xiao?!"

As one of the Guard Captains of Refining Cloud Mountain, Dai Ming held a decent rank within the Meridian Refining Master Association. Regarding Yun Xiao’s deeds, his ears had practically grown calluses hearing about them recently.

But since Yun Xiao returned from Impermanence Island, he remained unconscious. When Dai Ming was dispatched to maintain the trade fair, there had been no news about Yun Xiao.

Yet, Dai Ming never imagined that today, within this trade fair, he would encounter that legendary figure, reflexively using honorifics even in his mind’s whispers.

Truly, the things Yun Xiao did on Slaughter Spirit Battlefield and Impermanence Island were too shocking to the world. Dai Ming thought to himself that even if there were ten of him, they wouldn’t withstand a finger’s crush from that young man.

This was someone capable of slaying Silver Grade Heavenly Spirits, and surviving encounters with Holy Grade Heavenly Spirits!

Throughout Refining Cloud Mountain, whether in Dai Ming’s heart or in the eyes of the young talents like Ye Ku Si Mo, Yun Xiao had long been regarded as an idol, admired and venerated from the bottom of their hearts.

Originally, Dai Ming had intended that if Gu Huashan was bullying a stranger or an ordinary Meridian Refining Master with no reputation, he would naturally consider siding with Gu Huashan.

But now, upon seeing that the one confronting Gu Huashan is actually Yun Xiao, he instantly changed his mind, and a boundless confidence began to rise in his heart.

In fact, although Dai Ming is the Guard Captain of Lianyun Mountain, his actions here are quite restrained, as Heavenly Rank Meridian Refining Masters frequently come to join the Meridian Refining Conference.

Masters of such level wouldn’t even pay attention to him, a mere Middle Stage Earth Bending Realm guard.

Therefore, Dai Ming has suffered quite a few losses at the hands of these exalted Heavenly Rank Meridian Refining Masters, sometimes having to turn a blind eye if they weren’t too excessive.

Upon seeing Huashan Old Monster for the first time, Dai Ming realized this matter could not be resolved easily; he almost regretted mingling in this affair, as he could do nothing against Gu Huashan and might even face humiliation.

However, at this moment, upon seeing the young man standing upright in coarse clothing, Dai Ming felt as if he had taken a calming shot, immediately gaining confidence, knowing that Lianyun Mountain’s reputation would not be tarnished this time.

"Are you the Guard Leader of this trade fair? This kid used strength to injure my disciple. How do you think we should handle this?"

While Dai Hua’s thoughts were swirling, Gu Huashan suddenly spoke, causing those who knew the details to sneer inwardly, thinking that this Old Monster’s face was truly thick!

In fact, it was Xu Ban who used strength to bully Lin Xuanhao, and if not for the timely arrival of that coarse-clothed young man, Lin Xuanhao might have lost his life.

Unexpectedly, Huashan Old Monster shamelessly shifted all the blame onto that coarse-clothed young man, presuming that these onlookers dared not speak the truth.

The cultivators around indeed remained silent at this moment, as the reputation of Huashan Old Monster was well-known for holding grudges. Anyone targeted by such a Heavenly Rank Expert at the Peak of Floating Life Realm would likely live in fear thereafter.

At least, this is what Huashan Old Monster thought in his heart; he believed that the onlooking cultivators wouldn’t dare to speak out, and even Lianyun Mountain’s Guard Leader would likely refrain from causing trouble for him.

This coarse-clothed kid dared to injure his disciple, and must pay the price. If these Lianyun Mountain guards didn’t handle the matter, Huashan Old Monster would personally seek ’justice’.

"Gu Huashan, this is Lianyun Mountain’s territory; it’s not for you to dictate what I should do!"

Unexpectedly, just as Gu Huashan’s cold voice faded, the Guard Leader turned around directly, with a tone so rigid that Huashan Old Monster and the many onlooking cultivators were all stunned.

These Meridian Refining Masters who had been revolving around the trade fair for days had some understanding of Lianyun Mountain guards’ temperament; faced with a real Heavenly Rank Meridian Master, they wouldn’t be too serious.

Especially an Old Monster like Gu Huashan, who had a possibility of winning the Meridian Refining Conference, they would look the other way, sometimes not even appearing at the scene.

Unexpectedly, today, the usually peace-loving Lianyun Mountain guards were quite atypical, knowing well it was Huashan Old Monster, yet showing no sign of compromising, looking ready to handle official business.

"Boy, do you know who I am?"

Upon hearing Dai Ming’s shout, Gu Huashan’s anger surged instantly; given his age, Dai Ming was indeed just a boy in front of him, though his tone already carried a trace of gloom.

"The trade fair belongs to Lianyun Mountain, and no one is allowed to disrupt it. Whoever dares to break the fair’s rules is an enemy of our Meridian Refining Master Association!"

Backed by Yun Xiao, Dai Ming had infinite confidence, standing tall and straight; he believed that today he could finally raise his head with pride.

"Good, good, good, a mere Middle Stage Earth Bending Realm guard dares not to take me, Gu Huashan, seriously. It seems today, I ought to teach the Meridian Refining Master Association a lesson!"

Already furious, Gu Huashan was, at this moment, even more enraged, his frail figure trembling slightly with anger, his cold voice carrying a hint of killing intent.

Gu Huashan, known as Huashan Old Monster, had an extremely eccentric temperament, fearing neither heaven nor earth. Usually, low-level cultivators, upon recognizing his identity, wouldn’t dare to speak or breathe loudly.

Unexpectedly, today in the Lianyun Mountain trade fair, first encountering a young man around twenty years old who injured his disciple, followed by the emergence of the Guard Leader at Middle Stage Earth Bending Realm, who also dared not to regard him seriously.

Gu Huashan prided himself on his noble status, thinking that even if he killed someone at the trade fair, Lianyun Mountain wouldn’t be too serious.

At most, he wouldn’t participate in the Meridian Refining Conference again; with his cultivation at the peak of Floating Life Realm, could anyone possibly detain him?

In fact, Gu Huashan had such arrogance because he heard from certain channels that the President of the Meridian Refining Masters Association was in long-term retreat; hence there might be no one left in Lianyun Mountain who could be his opponent.