The young man looked at Zhou Fu beside him, "Sir, may I escort you to the waiting lounge? There's tea and some entertainment facilities there."
Zhou Fu nodded and followed the young man towards the lounge.
Stomp, stomp, stomp...
Yu Daoheng walked forward with heavy steps.
From time to time, gazes swept over Yu Daoheng, some with surprise, some with admiration, and some with hostility.
Yu Daoheng scanned the crowd and finally fixed his gaze on a young man with his back to him.
This was someone he could never forget. It was none other than his sworn brother, Zhang Xiaoqiang!
The seating arrangement was also very particular. Facing the main entrance were the sect leaders of the three major sects.
Beside them, at the forefront, were the nine members of the Black List (the first and second positions on the Black List had been vacant for a hundred years).
Behind the Black List were the sect leaders of some first-rate sects and the top ten experts on the Heavenly Ranking. Zhang Xiaoqiang was among them.
Further back were sects with weaker strength, their positions becoming progressively further back.
Nanjing Shuo (seventh on the Black List) smiled when he saw Yu Daoheng arrive. He got up to greet him and teased, "Young Master Yu, the Gathering of Heroes is just waiting for you."
Yu Daoheng smiled faintly, "My apologies, Master Nan. This junior is late."
"No matter," Nanjing Shuo waved his hand and led Yu Daoheng to a seat behind the Black List members.
Yu Daoheng was slightly surprised to find his seat so far forward.
It was likely that Nanjing Shuo had personally arranged the seating for the Gathering of Heroes.
This row of seats was not a simple matter. It had to ensure that weaker sects were convinced and that stronger sects did not feel slighted.
Arranging him here was not without reason. As a peerless prodigy, he had the standing to occupy such a position.
Zhang Xiaoqiang's seat was on the far right, while Yu Daoheng's was on the far left.
Yu Daoheng looked at the people in front of him.
Among them were some old acquaintances and a few new faces.
He had met the sect leaders of the three major sects and figures like Hao Tian Quan and Wang You Xian Gu.
However, there were others whose names he had heard but had never seen before.
For example, Ding Han, who had defeated Tang Jun Sheng, the tenth on the Black List, and completely replaced him.
This was Yu Daoheng's first time seeing this person. There was also Ge Zhou, eleventh on the Black List, known as the Wandering Man.
Li Tianxiang, ninth on the Black List, and the current sect leader of the Formation Sect.
This was also Yu Daoheng's first time meeting him.
Chen Shanhe, fourth on the Black List. Although Yu Daoheng had not met him before, he had had a minor conflict with his son.
He had felt Chen Shanhe's hostility earlier, though it wasn't too obvious.
However, what surprised Yu Daoheng was that Meng Da Long had also come.
This fellow rarely showed himself, and those who didn't know him might think he was dead.
Meng Da Long turned and glanced at Yu Daoheng behind him, a smile on his face.
Yu Daoheng understood what he meant and returned a polite smile, nodding.
It had been less than a month since he had promised him something.
Yu Daoheng looked at the others, feeling a sense of awe.
This Gathering of Heroes truly had hidden talents. Except for the first, second, and fifth positions, all the Black List experts were present.
Putting aside the first and second positions, Yu Daoheng was more curious about who the fifth on the Black List was.
There was very little information about the fifth on the Black List in the martial world. Other than knowing that he was a powerful figure from two generations ago and that his surname was Yu, there was no other information.
There wasn't even a photograph of what he looked like.
Since he also shared the surname Yu, Yu Daoheng had privately investigated who this person was but could find no information at all.
Ding Han casually glanced at Yu Daoheng sitting behind him and then looked at Nanjing Shuo beside him, "Brother Nan, is this the recently renowned Young Master Yu of Jiangdu in the martial world?"
Nanjing Shuo smiled faintly and asked, "Is Brother Ding also interested in Young Master Yu?"
Ding Han smiled and said, "After all, I've just entered the Black List and don't know who I can afford to offend and who I can't."
Hearing this, Nanjing Shuo teased, "Brother Ding has already ascended the Black List, and you still don't know who you can't offend."
"Brother Nan is joking. The Black List is just a false reputation. As the saying goes, true masters are found among the common folk," Ding Han shook his head and smiled.
He had also heard of Yu Daoheng's deeds. How could he, who could fight Huang Yong to a draw, be someone he could deal with?
He heard that at the Fengtian Assembly, he had offended Chen Shanhe's son again.
This小子 had offended two Black List experts at once, but the problem was that neither of them dared to seek revenge in Jiangdu.
This was not something ordinary people could achieve.
Nanjing Shuo glanced at Zhang Xiaoqiang on the far right and said, "Brother Ding should pay more attention to that小子. I see some hostility in his eyes towards you."
Ding Han smiled faintly, with a hint of disdain, "This martial world is ultimately decided by strength. The positions on the Black List are held by those who are capable."
Although Ding Han was humble, it didn't mean he was timid, otherwise, he wouldn't have challenged Tang Jun Sheng.
The victor becomes king, the vanquished becomes a bandit – an eternal truth.
There are no eternal kings; one generation of newcomers replaces the old. He might be on the Black List today, but there was no guarantee he would hold his position tomorrow.
He couldn't blame anyone for this; he could only blame himself for being too weak.
In fact, the battle between Ding Han and Tang Jun Sheng was somewhat questionable.
At that time, Tang Jun Sheng's strength was greatly diminished, and he had also broken a leg.
Ding Han's victory might have had some element of luck, but who could he blame for that?
If anyone was to blame, it was Tang Jun Sheng for breaking his own leg. Ding Han had merely seized the opportunity.
After about twenty more minutes, the sect leader of the Celestial Masters' Hall, the foremost of the three major sects, suddenly spoke, "Since most people have arrived, let's begin."
The current sect leader of the Celestial Masters' Hall was named Li Shaochen, known as Master Li.
Although this person was over fifty, not a single strand of his hair was white, and his physique was even better than that of a strong man in his prime.
On the right, the sect leader of the Spirit Medium Sect appeared too aged, looking at least a hundred years old.
Perhaps it was because he had used too much of his lifespan to invite spirits.
Finally, the sect leader of the Five Buddhas Temple on the left appeared rather ordinary. He held a string of prayer beads and looked no different from an ordinary person.
If there was any difference, it was the aura on his face and the fact that he had a large bald head.
Upon hearing Li Shaochen speak, the previously clamorous scene instantly quieted down.
Yu Daoheng couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Was this the influence of the three major sects?
With just a single utterance, he could silence everyone present.
Everyone present, no matter how formidable they were usually, or how much they boasted of being the best in the world, were nothing more than obedient lambs here.
Even these Black List experts dared not utter another word.
There was a saying in the martial world, half in jest: "Whether the martial world is chaotic or not, the three major sects decide."
This was initially thought to be a jest used to highlight the status of the three major sects.
But now, it seemed to be more than just a jest.