Gathering information wasn’t particularly difficult, especially since Xie Lingyu had already registered Chu Xingchen for the banquet. The simplest way was to check the guest list.
The leader of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect didn’t wait long. The dispatched disciple soon returned with a slip of paper and handed it over. The leader glanced down at it.
Hmm?
A sect from Yuzhou City?
Specially invited by the Tianyan Sect?
Just these ten simple words?
Surely the sect’s name couldn’t just be "Yuzhou City," right? That would mean they hadn’t even gotten the name!
The leader of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect shot a questioning look at the disciple—Is this it?
The disciple nodded slightly—This is it.
The leader sent a mental reprimand: "Go back and investigate more thoroughly! Get the details!"
This batch of junior disciples was truly hard to manage—utterly incompetent!
The Ten Thousand Swords Sect disciple bowed and retreated once more.
But he wasn’t the only one. A disciple from another sect also bowed and stepped back, clearly having failed to satisfy his own leader as well.
Near the palace entrance, the two exchanged a glance, silently acknowledging their shared mission.
A sense of camaraderie flickered in their hearts.
Yet, they parted ways in different directions. Though they sympathized, duty came first.
As for these minor maneuvers, Chu Xingchen paid them little mind.
After all, he was genuinely here just for a meal.
Noticing Chen Baiqing’s longing gaze fixed on a pastry, he picked up his chopsticks, plucked the treat she’d been eyeing, and—under her grateful stare—popped it into her mouth.
Chen Baiqing savored the delicious pastry—Master is the best!
Chu Xingchen chuckled. "Eat as much as you like. Since we’re here, filling our stomachs is the priority."
Li Yingling and Li Xingtian obligingly joined in, sampling the appetizers on the table.
They didn’t have to wait long.
A handsome young man in imperial robes entered the hall, flanked by palace maids in red.
His gaze swept briefly across the room, noting the absence of one sect from the Central Continent. Unsurprised, he clasped his hands in greeting.
"Our humble kingdom offers but meager hospitality. I hope you will not take offense."
Chu Xingchen observed him.
[Target: Zhao Xuan]
[Cultivation: Qi Refining, Peak Stage]
[Purple Trait: Blessed by National Fortune]
[Blue Trait: Scheming Mind]
[Blue Trait: Imperial Majesty]
[White Trait: Patience]
[Gray Trait: National Fortune, Cultivation Restriction]
[Does not meet disciple recruitment criteria.]
Chu Xingchen instantly understood—this was likely the trade-off. To be emperor was to forsake immortality.
Scheming and patient, huh?
As Zhao Xuan finished speaking, the Tianyan Sect disciples were the first to rise, offering a slight bow to the emperor.
The other invited sects followed suit, standing briefly before sitting back down.
Not a single word of courtesy was exchanged.
To them, this was just a minor emperor from a backwater region. If not for sect regulations requiring attendance, these Tianyan Sect disciples would’ve long since returned to the Central Continent.
The empty table likely belonged to a sect already en route back.
Why waste time at a banquet when they could be cultivating?
The core disciples of Central Continent sects were on another level of dedication.
Zhao Xuan smiled faintly and nodded before proceeding to the head seat.
As he settled in, eunuchs began filing into the hall with trays of dishes.
Dancers glided in, their movements graceful, while musicians played softly in accompaniment.
This wasn’t Zhao Xuan’s first such banquet. He knew his role—a mere formality.
These Central Continent sects looked down on everyone. Expecting their respect was a fool’s hope.
The best he could do was avoid mistakes.
His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed something unusual—three sects staring intently at one.
This was a first. What was going on?
Following their gaze, he saw a striking young man feeding a little girl beside him, utterly indifferent to the scrutiny.
The two other disciples at the table ate quietly.
Zhao Xuan had memorized the seating chart.
This spot belonged to…
The Yuzhou City sect, specially invited by the Tianyan Sect?
He found it odd. A Tianyan Sect invitation wasn’t unheard of—perhaps they’d taken a liking to this sect. But why were the Tianyan disciples watching so keenly?
Almost as if amused?
The other two sects were even stranger. Why were they fixated too?
Were the dancers’ enchanting movements not captivating enough?
Something was off… very off.
This "special invitation" had to mean more.
Could this involve Central Continent affairs?
Otherwise, why would the other sects care?
And that composed young man, utterly unbothered by the attention—no way he was from some ordinary Yuzhou City sect.
Zhao Xuan’s mind raced until—aha!
This had to be a hidden piece placed by the Tianyan Sect, and a crucial one at that.
The Tianyan Sect’s intense gaze was a clear message: This sect is under our protection.
That was the only explanation.
Zhao Xuan sighed inwardly. Truly, these were turbulent times.
Chu Xingchen added another dish to Chen Baiqing’s bowl before finally looking up at the other sects.
Seriously, what’s with the staring?
He cupped his hands. "Fellow cultivators, is there something you wish to say?"
The Ten Thousand Swords Sect averted their eyes first, followed by the other sect.
Only the Tianyan Sect kept watching.
Their leader raised a wine cup toward Chu Xingchen.
"Merely admiring your exceptional bearing and talent. Truly, a dragon among men."
The flattery came out of nowhere.
But since this was Xie Lingyu’s sect, and they were being courteous, Chu Xingchen reciprocated with his own cup. "You flatter me."
"Not at all, not at all." The Tianyan Sect leader’s expression turned admiring. "Brother Chu accomplishes what others cannot. This cup is for you."
He downed the wine in one go.
Chu Xingchen drank as well before sitting back down.
Now he understood.
Were they… seriously misunderstanding things?
His relationship with Xie Lingyu was still purely platonic, wasn’t it?
No matter. Eat, leave, and avoid explanations—they’d only dig the hole deeper.
He served Chen Baiqing another helping.
Outside, the two investigating disciples bowed to Zhao Xuan before returning to their respective sects.
Soon, even more intense gazes locked onto Chu Xingchen’s table.
Their deeper inquiries had yielded… the exact same information as before.
They still couldn’t uncover the sect’s name.
All they had were the names of the people present—but if even the sect’s name was hidden, could these names be trusted?
The Tianyan Sect’s information control is truly impressive.
From his seat, Zhao Xuan observed everything and felt his theory confirmed.
His gaze lingered on Chu Xingchen.
If the Tianyan Sect was backing them, there had to be a reason.
If he couldn’t forge ties with the Tianyan Sect directly, perhaps this Yuzhou City sect was the key.
After some thought, Zhao Xuan saw an opportunity.
Showing goodwill couldn’t hurt, could it?
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
