Wu Long laughed a little and then sighed, shaking his head.

“What? Nothing to say? Or do you intend to speak with your sword? At least that would be more respectable than tucking your tail in!”

The Grand Elder who spoke up continued to press his line while the arguments all around began heating up, threats flying every other sentence.

*Clap!*

A thunderous clap resounded in the canyon, instantly causing silence as only its echoes reverberated in the canyon. Wu Long’s hands held together after that clap becoming the center of attention.

“Haa~, so much farce. If you’d made it till I haven’t returned, this battle could have started, but now there would be no battle, and thus it is just a useless waste of time and empty words and threats…”

He then looked straight into the eyes of Wen Mei.

“… isn’t that right? Gu Zhen?”

He then spoke a name that made all the important-looking people on the other side to freeze while confusion appeared in many eyes behind them.

Wu Long’s eyes captured shock and disbelief appearing in Wen Mei’s eyes, as a smile touched his lips at seeing that.

“Hahaha, well, that is certainly true. I can’t deny it…”

A calm voice resounded as a man’s figure stepped down on the snow from somewhere, instantly melting it into steam that completely vanished.

“L-lord Gu!”

Wen Mei as well as the people who froze earlier immediately bowed their heads but he just waved them off with a hand while continuing to look at Wu Long.

“…but still, wasn’t it a nice bit of drama? So many feels, so many emotions…”

He mused as he spoke, the two sides freezing in his presence.

“I must admit, while I saw it coming, I had no way of stopping it. But more than that, I never expected you to appear personally”

“Hahaha, why not? Although, you’re right, this is unexpected for me as well. My subordinate was supposed to handle it…”

Gu Zhen’s eyes reflected Wu Long’s face for a moment, slightly narrowing, before he continued.

“…but he seems to have found some other more important task. So I had to come personally. But I am even glad it happened, as I got to see such a spectacular drama”

“Lord Gu, would you allow this humble one a word?”

Wen Mei once more bowed toward the man whose expression slightly soured from his conversation with Wu Long being interrupted.

“What is it?”

“We can still win this…”

“Are you stupid?”

He spoke casually, as if not meaning to offend, which only hurt even more. Wen Mei bit her lip, still looking down in a bow.

“Haa~ some Palace Master this is… I guess this wraps it up”

Wu Long shook his head at that sight, causing her to flinch but still not move or change her posture as a drop of blood appeared on the spot she bit her lip at. Meanwhile he turned to Gu Zhen as the latter nodded with a satisfied look.

Both sides realized that this was the end of the conflict, the side opposing Wu Long and his allies becoming disgruntled and unreconciled but not raising a single voice of complaint.

“…although…”

But then, Wu Long’s gaze turned to the side, and the next moment his figure disappeared as he grabbed the neck of a smug-faced man from the other side, raising him into the air.

“Kh!”

“Disciple Guo!”

“Let go of him if you treasure that hand!”

“You seem to have escaped with an intact life and become conceited. Do you want war to start after all, youngster?!”

The Grand Elders and Elders of the Profound Martial Arts Valley exclaimed in unison as they bared their weapons, causing both sides to raise theirs instantly turning the situation tense once again.

‘What is he doing?!?!’

Qiu Yilao widened her eyes as she inwardly screamed, but seeing her Disciple next to her slightly nod decided to wait and see.

“Khh! Kh!”

The previously smug expression on the face of the Core Disciple disappeared like a small puff of smoke in a blizzard, replaced by terror as he looked at Wu Long, grabbing onto his wrist with both hands before becoming paralyzed by a right amount of electricity running through him.

“… I do have unfinished business with this one”

Wu Long calmly finished his phrase from before as he motioned to his side to calm down while Gu Zhen motioned the same to his.

“L-Lord Gu! He… he grabbed our Core Disciple! It is an open provocation!”

“It may be a provocation, but there won’t be a war over this little man… will there?”

Wu Long looked at Gu Zhen, and the latter looked back intensely.

The silence that fell down on the canyon felt deafeningly loud and the few seconds it lasted felt like years, as the two looked each other in the eyes.

“Who decided that? …”

Gu Zhen’s whole demeanor became slightly menacing, making the tension in the atmosphere rise to a new level as both sides prepared to attack, small sparks of static electricity beginning to appear here and there.

“… ah, nevermind”

He then suddenly made a completely relaxed pose with a ‘just kidding’ expression, making a hand gesture dismissing the issue and immediately loosening the tension.

“L-Lord Gu! We-…”

One of the Grand Elders tried to protest but was immediately shut down by a mere look from the man.

“Find another Core Disciple, that one’s trash anyway”

Gu Zhen coldly threw his words to them as Guo Dinshan’s eyes full of fear finally revealed complete and utter despair after the slight hope that glimmered in them earlier when the tensions rose.

“Your answer?”

“O-of course, Lord Gu. Thank you for your infinite wisdom”

The Grand Elder had no choice but to make a pleasing smile and bow once again.

“So there you go, you can have him”

Gu Zhen then turned to Wu Long somehow in an even more elevated mood as his figure then started rising into the sky with the words, “I will be seeing you”.

The man flying away smiled more and more and then finally unable to hold it in began laughing with delight.

“Hahaha! Of course you can have that consolation prize! Ahaha! A suitable trophy for you after this defeat. Haa~ still, it is so satisfying to win over someone worthy rather than throwing pearls to the pigs who cannot appreciate it…”

He mused in an elevated mood while Wu Long’s eyes on Guo Dinshan flashed with appreciation.

‘Haha, I just knew you had your use. And I’m glad I let you go back then.

Nothing makes a defeat more convincing than wanting to keep one’s pride by at least petty means. Otherwise he might’ve suspected a ruse’

He inwardly chuckled while the Grand Elders of the man whose neck he held gave him another menacing look, and turned, their whole small army moving to occupy the Frozen Garden Palace.

“I will be seeing you later”

Wen Mei vengefully said wiping off a drop of blood, her mood extremely sour as she stared daggers at him and then turned to leave with the rest.