The leading group consisted of only three people. At the forefront was an old man with hair as white as snow, his face ancient and simple, carrying a massive bronze sword case on his back. Merely standing there, the air within three feet of him seemed to be shredded into pieces by invisible blades, and even the drifting Soul Fireflies would automatically split in two when they approached him.

"Green Nether Sword Sect, Mountain-Severing Sword Venerable," Qin Yi explained to Su Ming.

Behind Mountain-Severing, two young swordsmen had eyes sharp as lightning, sweeping over the Cloud Hidden Sect disciples below. Their gazes carried undisguised scrutiny and a hint of concealed arrogance.

The other group was a middle-aged, beautiful woman dressed in a flowing cloud, wide-sleeved array robe, holding a jade ruyi scepter. Her bearing was dignified and graceful. Her gaze fell upon the Torch Platform and the entire valley's grand formation, her eyes flashing with brilliant light. Her fingers quickly performed calculations within her sleeve, as if silently deducing the mysteries of this formation.

"Mysterious Mechanism Sect, Mysterious Array Real Person. An expert at playing with formations. Be careful your True Seal fluctuations aren't detected by her."

The final group was a plump, round-faced man with a beaming smile, looking like a wealthy gentleman from the mortal world. However, those small eyes of his shone with a sharp light, focused more on observing the equipment and the vigor of the young Cloud Hidden Sect disciples.

"Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Manager Jin. That man is an abacus turned spirit. Probably estimating how much more supplies the Cloud Hidden Sect will need to buy after this battle is over."

Su Ming's gaze brushed over these people briefly before settling on the end of the elder line.

There, the usually drowsy-looking old man guarding the Transmission Pavilion had also made a rare appearance today.

Su Ming felt a sense of reassurance in his heart.

The memorial ceremony entered its final phase. The entire assembly fell into silent mourning.

This should have been the most solemn and dignified moment, yet an abrupt voice shattered the silence.

"Reporting to the Sect Leader and esteemed Seniors!"

From the line of True Disciples of the Heavenly Sword Peak, a burly young man suddenly stepped forward. His voice was infused with spiritual energy, causing the surrounding mist to churn.

"With the heroic souls before us, this disciple's heart aches and his head pounds! We, the disciples of Cloud Hidden, should take this as encouragement, temper our cultivation, and with the swords in our hands, slay all the evil demons of the world to avenge this blood feud!"

These words were impassioned and stirring, causing many hot-blooded disciples to nod frequently.

His voice rose higher, each word like a nail hammered into the ground: "I hope all fellow disciples will strive together and not stray onto the wrong path!"

Su Ming's expression remained calm; even his eyelashes didn't flutter, as if Wang Gang had merely commented on the pleasant weather.

But Ling Shuang, standing in front of him, moved.

She didn't draw her sword, nor did she speak. She simply took a half-step forward with her left foot.

*Crack—*

A crisp sound of freezing rang out.

Centered on Ling Shuang, within a ten-zhang radius on the black Soul-Calming Jade stone ground, a thick layer of dark blue frost instantly crystallized!

That wasn't ordinary ice, but "Ice Soul" containing an ultimate sword intent.

A bone-piercing chill and a sharp, fierce sword intent erupted instantly. The temperature in the air plummeted, and even the dancing Soul Fireflies were frozen mid-air. The Heavenly Sword Peak disciples nearby instantly turned pale, their protective spiritual lights fluctuating violently, forcing them to retreat several steps.

Wang Gang, bearing the brunt of it, felt a terrifying chill surge from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head, as if an ice sword was pressed against his throat. The next words he was about to utter got stuck hard in his throat.

Ling Shuang slowly raised her eyes to look at Wang Gang.

Her gaze was faint, yet colder than the valley's bitter wind.

She uttered only two words:

"Clamor."

Two words, spoken lightly and casually, yet they struck like a heavy hammer on a drum, causing Wang Gang's face to flush red. His protective spiritual light even emitted a cracking sound as if unable to bear the pressure.

On the observation platform, Mountain-Severing Sword Venerable, who had originally seemed listless, suddenly had a brilliant light erupt in his eyes. He couldn't help but murmur in admiration, "What pure 'Ice Soul Sword Intent'! This girl has already grasped the essence of the Sword Dao!"

Mysterious Array Real Person also raised an eyebrow slightly, giving a meaningful, half-smiling glance towards the Cloud Hidden Sect Leader.

The scene fell into another kind of dead silence.

Wang Gang was caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat, fine beads of cold sweat seeping from his forehead. He never expected that Ling Shuang, who was always known for being quiet and speaking little, would dare to be so forceful even in front of the Sect Leader.

"Enough."

Sect Leader Yun Miao's calm voice broke the stalemate.

His gaze swept impassively over Wang Gang, then looked at the unfaded frost beneath Ling Shuang's feet. He slowly spoke, "When mourning heroic souls, sincerity of heart is sufficient. The hundred arts of cultivation are all methods to protect one's Dao; there is no distinction of superiority or inferiority."

"Wang Gang, step back."

His tone was flat, carrying no trace of anger, yet it held an unquestionable authority.

Wang Gang's face alternated between red and white, feeling a burning sting on his cheeks. He gritted his teeth, bowed, and saluted, "This disciple... obeys the command."

He lowered his head and retreated back into the line. Behind his lowered eyelids lay full of unwillingness and resentment.

Sect Leader Yun Miao turned to the observation platform and gave a slight nod. "Apologies for the unsightly scene, fellow Daoists. Young people's temperaments are not yet settled and still require tempering."

Mysterious Array Real Person's lips curved slightly as she transmitted her voice to the disciple beside her, "The Cloud Hidden Sect's interior is not a monolithic block either. That female sword cultivator from Formation Peak is formidable. As for that young disciple who was targeted... is that Su Ming? His aura is deep and steady, his expression unchanged even if Mount Tai collapsed before him. He doesn't seem like a frivolous or opportunistic sort."

Throughout it all, Su Ming kept his head bowed and eyes lowered, as if in mourning. In reality, he was operating the Like Water Art within his body at full capacity, elevating his spiritual awareness to its peak.

He "heard" the jealousy and provocation hidden behind Wang Gang's words; he "saw" the varied expressions on the faces of the disciples from the other peaks around him; and he even more keenly "sensed" the faint, almost imperceptible spiritual sense scans from the several visiting grand figures.

Especially that Mountain-Severing Sword Venerable. His spiritual sense was like a blade, lingering precisely over his Dantian for a full three breaths. And that Mysterious Array Real Person, her spiritual sense was as fine as a spider's web, attempting to analyze the nearly undetectable spiritual energy rhythm around his body.

Su Ming understood clearly in his heart.

This Passing of the Flame Memorial was not merely a commemoration; it was also a confrontation without smoke or fire.

It was a display of strength, a declaration of stance, and an invisible struggle for resources and the right to speak. And he, because of that True Seal and becoming Xuanheng's disciple, had already been placed at the edge of this vortex.

This was the price of being a True Disciple.

A tree that stands out in the forest will be battered by the wind. But fortunately, in this forest, there were still tall trees to block the wind for him.

Looking at Ling Shuang's still straight and tall back in front of him, a warm current surged in Su Ming's heart.

The memorial ceremony concluded. Sect Leader Yun Miao left with the distinguished guests from other sects.

The disciples began to withdraw in silence.

...

Upon returning to Gazing Star Cliff, Su Ming immediately activated all his formations.

Following Lin Yu's instructions, he even specifically set up a "Void Concealment Array" to seal both the black egg and the Xuantian ring inside a lead box that isolated spiritual energy.

Only after completing all this did Lin Yu's phantom slowly materialize.

This time, he wasn't teasing as usual. His expression was more serious than at any moment before.

"Su Ming, the situation is more severe than I imagined."

Lin Yu paced back and forth in the meditation room. Although there was no sound of footsteps on the ground, his anxiety was clearly evident.

"During today's memorial ceremony, that old man from the Sword Sect, Mountain-Severing, deliberately swept his spiritual sense over you at least three times. Each time, he paused slightly over your Dantian and Consciousness Sea. That feeling... it was like a hunter examining a prey's weaknesses."

He paused, his voice low. "That woman from the Mysterious Mechanism Sect is even more terrifying. Her spiritual sense was like quicksilver pouring into the earth, seeping into every crevice. She was trying to analyze the natural flow of spiritual energy rhythm around your body. If it weren't for the dual concealment of the Aura Concealment Art and the Xuantian ring, your true situation would have been exposed to her long ago."