A profound light flashed across Master Mu's eyes as he chuckled silently.

If Gu Ruoyun could survive under Grand Lord Hong Lian's pressure, it would prove that this woman has the right to make the Mu family serve her! If she were to die in Grand Lord Hong Lian's clutches, the Northern Block Territory would simply revert to their previous configuration.

Nevertheless, out of all the possibilities Master Mu had considered, he never thought that Grand Lord Hong Lian would turn out to be Gu Ruoyun's father!

...

In the Medicine Manor, the atmosphere of the entire place changed as soon as that flash of red robes had entered the manor.

The change was not very obvious but Grand Lord Hong Lian was a Martial Saint after all. Just how accurate were his senses? He had immediately seen through the patterns in the atmosphere.

"An illusion?"

Grand Lord Hong Lian furrowed his grim brows. He instantly stretched his mental state. A constant surge of energy was then released into the surroundings of his red robes, engulfing the space around him.

Boom!

Boom, boom, boom!

The powerful energy slammed into the atmosphere but could not shift the illusion.

"This must be an illusion created from a formation. However, what makes me curious is that who could possibly have the ability to create such a powerful illusion? Even the full extent of my power cannot break it!"

Grand Lord Hong Lian laughed bitterly at the thought of this. He never thought that it would be so difficult just to see his daughter. Which father in this world would have to endure such agony?

At this moment, Gu Ruoyun, who was seated in the great hall, sensed a strange movement. Her eyebrows knitted together as she said, "It seems that someone has entered the formation."

"That's right." The Vermillion Bird nodded. "That person should be a Martial Saint so he had entered the formation upon his arrival in the Medicine Manor. Besides, that person's scent is rather familiar."

"Their scent is familiar?"

Gu Ruoyun was stunned. The Vermillion Bird has not met a lot of people from the First City, she had mostly encountered those from Wind Valley alone! Could it be that the members from Wind Valley have arrived?

The Vermillion Bird furrowed her brows. After a long pause, she relaxed them. "That scent is very familiar with yours, Master."

"..."

Gu Ruoyun was stunned. A Martial Saint whose scent is similar to mine. Could it be...

Suddenly, a possibility appeared in her mind's eye. Gu Ruoyun rose to her feet with a whoosh. Her initially delicate and pretty features were filled with excitement as she rushed out without any warning...

Grand Lord Hong Lian, who was deep inside the formation in the courtyard, was searching for a way to break out of the illusion. However, at that moment, the ripples in the atmosphere disappeared instantly and everything returned back to its initially peaceful and quiet state.

A face that he had longed for day and night then appeared before his eyes.

"Yun'er."

Grand Lord Hong Lian's expression moved a little as he stared at the woman in green who was standing in the courtyard. His grim, black eyes softened and became very gentle in an instant. The cold lines at the corners of his lips gradually softened as well.

"Father is here to see you."

Gu Ruoyun took bigger steps and the crowd watched as she threw herself into Grand Lord Hong Lian's arms, holding the man in red in a tight embrace. Her tensed heart slowly relaxed.

"Father, you've finally arrived."

Ever since she found out that Old Man Jiang had reported her perilous incident to her Master, she knew that her father would have immediately rushed over from the Red Lotus Territory. However, she never thought that he would arrive so quickly.

After all, this news had to be sent out from the Northern Block Territory. Considering the distance from the Red Lotus Territory to the Northern Block Territory, even someone traveling at the speed of a Martial Saint would need a month to traverse that distance.