Beside them, Tang Yuniang, who was eating various immortal fruits with her head down, quietly listened to the conversations of the people around her.
Occasionally, she would lift her head to look at the dark-skinned young man in the crowd on the high platform, then glance at her own sect master.
From her experienced perspective, she always felt that the relationship between her sect master and this young man with heaven-defying magical power was more than just that of fellow sect members.
Ever since she had followed Bai Rou's method nine years ago, she had been very afraid at first that the Nascent Soul cultivator would suddenly show up at the Wood Flow Sect, accuse them of spreading falsehoods, and punish them.
In that case, their Wood Flow Sect might be directly driven out of this place.
But as the days went by, what she had feared never happened.
The deacon of Lord Lao Peak did not believe it at first, merely taking the puppet and saying he needed to report it to his superiors.
When Tang Yuniang went again, the other party really did stop suppressing the prices in future transactions.
Moreover, the attitude of the deacons there towards her had changed drastically. This had kept the sect's income very stable for the past nine years.
To this, Tang Yuniang was both happy and surprised. Her own sect master could actually leverage a relationship with a Nascent Soul cultivator.
However, this matter had revealed more things to Tang Yuniang, but she would not say anything, only continuing to speculate in her heart.
Tang Yuniang spent most of her time with her head down, eating, just listening to the conversation between Bai Rou and Sun Guoshu.
What Bai Rou and the others were talking about was no secret, so they didn't use voice transmission at all.
Therefore, Tang Yuniang, who was beside them, heard everything clearly. She immediately confirmed that her previous guess about the relationship between this Senior Sun and her sect master was wrong. There was absolutely no romance between the two.
'The Sect Master's gaze occasionally dodges when she looks at the stage...'
Tang Yuniang felt that the look in Sect Master Bai's eyes was familiar to her, very similar to the girls in the sect who had developed feelings for someone.
For a moment, her womanly curiosity began to stretch out infinitely...
If Bai Rou knew what Tang Yuniang was thinking at this moment, she would probably be even more flustered and would never bring Tang Yuniang with her again.
While Bai Rou's group was talking, several more streaks of glowing light landed below the high platform, attracting the attention of many.
This was because these people landed directly here, without any guidance from Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples.
The glow receded, revealing several figures.
"Li Wuyi!"
Not far away, Qiu Jiuzhen's gaze narrowed slightly. The auras of the few people who had arrived were all extremely condensed. The one in the lead was the handsome, graceful, and elegant young master—Li Wuyi.
Behind him was Li Changting in a red dress, her skin whiter than snow, and the increasingly curvaceous Miao Wangqing.
After them were Wei Chituo, and two handsome young men in purple and white robes whom Qiu Jiuzhen did not recognize.
'There really is no one ordinary on Little Bamboo Peak. Not only is this Li Wuyi a minor realm higher than me, but it looks like he's not too far from the Pseudo-Nascent Soul Realm either.'
'That Wei Chituo's cultivation is also no worse than mine. And those two young men, could they also be from Little Bamboo Peak...'
Qiu Jiuzhen's Divine Sense swept over these few people. Li Wuyi sensed it and also looked over, nodding slightly at her in acknowledgment.
Beside him, the moment Li Changting saw Qiu Jiuzhen, a charming smile appeared on her face. This was an old acquaintance.
"Yo, it's been many years since I've seen little sister Qiu. You've grown ever more radiant. Whoever becomes your Dao companion will surely have a life filled with joyous music!"
Over the years, due to some territorial issues in the South Sea of the Supreme Mystery Teachings, the Malevolent Spirit Sect and the Supreme Mystery Teachings had clashed in secret quite a few times.
And Qiu Jiuzhen herself had led people to fight with Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples several times. She was beautiful, but her methods were ruthless.
Many Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples had fallen at her hands, including quite a few Foundation Establishment disciples from Never-Parting Peak.
This had greatly displeased Li Changting. She had subsequently accepted several missions to go there, but had never run into Qiu Jiuzhen.
Although she had killed many Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Supreme Mystery Teachings and what seemed to be the Jingtu Sect and Ten-Pace Courtyard, she was still extremely frustrated.
Li Changting's voice was not loud, but some of the nearby cultivators heard it very clearly. Qiu Jiuzhen's brow furrowed, but before she could speak, the cultivators from the Supreme Mystery Teachings were having none of it.
"We are here to offer congratulations. Does the great Peak Master Li wish to pick a fight?" a Supreme Mystery Teachings Daoist shot up.
"Peak Master Li, this is not how you treat your guests, is it?" another person glared over.
"So much for your great reputation..." someone said with contempt.
"Yo, you little fellows are quite fiery. Flowers need to be watered! But you can only protect one flower..."
Li Changting was not one to be trifled with, but before she could finish her words, Li Wuyi tugged at her sleeve.
"Hehehe... It is an honor that you all could come to offer congratulations. You are all distinguished guests! We are all acquaintances, all acquaintances... She was just joking."
"Fellow Daoist Qiu, you know my wife's temperament. She's always speaking without a filter. Please don't take it to heart!"
"Changting, why are you talking such nonsense? Today is not the time for jokes!"
Li Wuyi first cupped his fists towards Qiu Jiuzhen, then shot Li Changting a glare that seemed full of displeasure.
A few people from the Supreme Mystery Teachings were about to press the matter further, when several gazes from the high platform swept over.
Instantly, both sides felt several invisible pressures enveloping them. The cultivators who were enveloped immediately found it somewhat difficult to breathe.
These pressures were released and then immediately withdrawn. It was clear that the brief dispute here had attracted the attention of the Nascent Soul cultivators above.
Li Yan had naturally seen Li Wuyi and the others as soon as they arrived, and had even sent Li Wuyi a voice transmission.
"Eldest Senior Brother!"
Li Wuyi smiled at him and also replied with a voice transmission.
"Martial Mother and Min'er couldn't make it. They are still in seclusion and haven't come out! Your Third Senior Brother went out a few years ago and we don't know where he is now, so he couldn't make it back either."
As for Zhao Min's situation, Li Yan had actually learned about it from Wei Zhongran last night. Zhao Min had been in seclusion since ten years ago and had not come out.
Li Yan didn't feel anything about this.
If she couldn't attend the Nascent Soul ceremony, then so be it. He himself didn't want to do any of these things, but he was caught in the middle of it and couldn't get away.
Sensing that they were being watched by the Nascent Soul cultivators, the people below immediately dared not continue their quarrel.
The group from the Supreme Mystery Teachings shot a fierce glare at Li Changting before sitting down one by one.
The baby-faced female Daoist, whose voice was like that of a yellow oriole, also had a puffed-up face. Hearing Li Changting's somewhat suggestive words, a blush appeared on her face, making her look surprisingly cute.
'Hmph, that female cultivator from the Malevolent Spirit Sect is so shameless, to say such things about her own senior sister. Senior sister is an unmarried maiden, as pure as ice and jade,' the female Daoist thought indignantly.
Li Changting, on the other hand, flicked her sleeve, freeing herself from Li Wuyi's grasp.
She had long wanted to face this Qiu Jiuzhen, but she also knew that it would not be possible today.
The Malevolent Spirit Sect did not have the righteous reputation of the other three sects. Their style had always been to do as they pleased, which resulted in the disciples of the sect having all sorts of strange personalities, being sinister in their actions, and always taking revenge.
Li Wuyi shook his head helplessly. Li Changting's temperament was simply unchangeable.
Time passed quickly like this, and after another half-stick of incense, the number of cultivators below the stage grew even larger.
Familiar faces to Li Yan from the Malevolent Spirit Sect, like Baili Yuan, Du Sanjiang, Chu Weili, Wang Tian, and Zuo Shengyan, had also arrived.
Among the Nascent Soul cultivators on the stage, some couldn't help but frown. The grand Nascent Soul ceremony was about to begin, yet many Nascent Soul cultivators from the major sects had not yet arrived.
Apart from those in death seclusion or traveling, many other Nascent Soul cultivators should have arrived by now.
With the hearing of these Nascent Souls, they could clearly hear the situation at the mountain gate, as well as the congratulatory announcements from the Malevolent Spirit Sect's reception disciples.
At this moment, the names of many first-rate sects had not yet been announced, which meant that not only had their Nascent Soul cultivators not come, but they hadn't even sent Golden Core cultivators.
'If in the end, none of these sects show up, it will be a solid slap in the face for the Malevolent Spirit Sect!'
Some people thought this, but their faces remained impassive.
Especially at this point, not a single cultivator from the Ten-Pace Courtyard had appeared, and Mo Qing's expression had also become somewhat unsightly.
And just at this moment, Mo Qing suddenly stood up and shouted loudly.
"Who dares to trespass into my sect!"
At the same time, the others on the high platform also showed strange expressions.
At this time, it was not far from the start of the Nascent Soul ceremony, and the streaks of light flying in the sky were becoming increasingly sparse.
But amidst Mo Qing's shout, a dazzling streak of light, without being guided through the Malevolent Spirit Sect's mountain gate, directly bypassed it, rushed into the inner sect area, and headed straight for Lord Lao Peak.
Today was the Malevolent Spirit Sect's Nascent Soul ceremony, and so many cultivators had come, so the sect's protective grand formation was not activated, to avoid arousing others' suspicion.
Anyway, with Nascent Soul cultivators presiding, the sect's disciples were not worried.
That dazzling white light rushed straight in without any obstruction, its speed astonishingly fast. When Mo Qing shouted, the dazzling white light was still a thousand li away.
Before Mo Qing's voice had faded, it had already flown to the sky above Lord Lao Peak in an instant. This left the disciples guarding the mountain gate, who heard Mo Qing's shout, somewhat stunned, not reacting at all.
As soon as the dazzling white light arrived above, a somewhat weak voice came from within the light.
"There... there are remnants of the Demon Clan ambushing us... pfft..."
As the person spoke, the dazzling white light quickly dimmed, revealing seven or eight figures standing on a huge flying sword. The one in the lead was a young woman in white.
Her figure was graceful, but her originally snow-white robe was now covered in shocking bloodstains. Her cold and beautiful face was now pale.
Before she could finish her sentence, her small cherry-like mouth opened, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. The young woman in white's body swayed in the air.
"Martial Aunt!"
"Martial Aunt!"
"..."
The few people behind her quickly stepped forward. These few people were all at the Golden Core cultivation level, and Wang Lang was among them.
But at this moment, they didn't look much better. Not only was each of them injured, but some of them looked very seriously injured. There were cracks in their spirit-treasure-grade clothes, and the flesh beneath was a blurry mess of blood and gore.
"It's Fellow Daoist Yuyuan..."
"Fellow Daoist Yuyuan, what happened!"
"Ambushed by remnants of the Demon Clan?"
For a time, several voices sounded from the high platform, some fast, some slow, and everyone stood up one after another.
Although the female cultivator called Yuyuan's voice had not been loud, everyone on and below the stage were cultivators, and they had all heard it very clearly.
Mo Qing and Wei Zhongran exchanged a quick glance, and then did not cast a sound-insulating restriction. At this point, everyone below had already heard the words "Demon Clan," and it was already useless to try to block it.
The cultivators from the sects and cultivation families below were now staring at this scene with looks of horror.
Yuyuan pushed away a female disciple who came forward to support her. Her body swayed again, and she flew down, stumbling as she barely managed to stand on the high platform.
The few white-robed sword cultivators behind her also landed one after another, looking at the seriously injured Yuyuan with anxious faces.
As soon as Yuyuan stood firm, a flash of light appeared in her hand, and several small jade bottles appeared in her palm.
The stoppers popped open instantly, and three or four medicinal pills flew into her mouth. Then, her beautiful eyes swept back and saw Wang Lang standing in front.
"You... you speak!"
Just these few words, and more blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Then, she sat down cross-legged on the high platform.
Wang Lang heard her and quickly stepped forward, bowing to Mo Qing and the others. But before he could finish his salute, he spoke anxiously.
"Seniors, we were ambushed on our way to the Malevolent Spirit Sect. The enemy was led by two Demonic Generals with more than ten Demonic Lords attacking at the same time."
"Martial Aunt Yuyuan was injured in a surprise attack by two Demonic Generals of the same rank!"
"In the end, she had to use a secret art to burn her essence blood to lead a few of us to escape. And... and Junior Sister Wu Shan and three junior brothers have... have fallen!"