Since this exchange conference was of a grand scale, it was expected to last for quite some time.
Some sects had already arrived at the Seven Stars Sword Sect ahead of schedule, engaging in friendly exchanges.
First among them was the Misty Cloud Sect, a unique sect composed entirely of women.
As such, they were highly popular within the Seven Stars Sword Sect.
Many male disciples yearned to join this sect, but unfortunately, they did not accept men.
Moreover, their status spoke for itself—despite being an all-female sect, the Misty Cloud Sect was far from weak.
Leading them was the senior disciple, Yao Hanmei, whose cultivation had reached the early Golden Core stage.
At the moment, she was organizing her sect's disciples to sell goods within the Seven Stars Sword Sect.
Naturally, they were selling skincare and beauty products, which were renowned throughout the cultivation world for their effectiveness.
In no time, most of the female disciples of the Seven Stars Sword Sect flocked to see the commotion, only to be "slaughtered" by the high prices.
The male disciples were no exception—even if they didn't use the products themselves, they could gift them to others, and thus, they too were "slaughtered."
"Big sale! Purple Mist Tears for only 198 spirit stones! It will make your skin smoother than ever!"
"This one suits you so well! Only 588 spirit stones—such a bargain!"
"Look at how beautiful you are, sister! I'll give you a special discount, just for you. Don't hesitate!"
Watching the crowd scramble to buy, Yao Hanmei couldn't help but flash a triumphant smile. She was making a killing.
Originally, Su Luo had no intention of joining the fray, but Little Yu was curious and had little exposure to disciples from other sects, so she wanted to take a look.
Seeing so many skincare and beauty products, Little Yu was amazed. She had never used such things before.
"Wow, these seem really impressive," Little Yu exclaimed, watching the disciples eagerly purchasing the products, which suggested they were highly effective.
Su Luo, however, was unimpressed. "Just look around casually. No need to buy anything—they're overpriced."
The Misty Cloud Sect couldn't let such remarks slide. Yao Hanmei approached with a sweet smile and said, "Brother, you're mistaken. These are genuine, high-quality products. I'm only making a modest profit."
Yao Hanmei even threw a flirtatious glance at Su Luo, though inwardly she was plotting to make him pay dearly later.
Su Luo had almost forgotten that he was somewhat handsome.
But Su Luo wasn't one to be easily swayed.
"Forgive my bluntness, but your Misty Cloud Sect has nothing good below 50 spirit stones."
Hearing this, the crowd erupted.
"You can't just say that! This product in my hand is only 32 spirit stones—gentle formula, smooth texture!"
"Let me show you what a real bargain is! 27 spirit stones, originally 99! Consider it a gesture of friendship!"
"My Purple Mist Tears are only 49 spirit stones!"
"Wait, wasn't that 198 just now?"
"I can't let this slide. Even if I take a loss, I'll prove that our Misty Cloud Sect has plenty of good products!"
In no time, the Misty Cloud Sect disciples began pulling out products priced below 50 spirit stones.
Su Luo, however, remained unmoved, scoffing at their efforts.
"Pfft. From now on, remember this: the Misty Cloud Sect has nothing good below 50 spirit stones."
It was just a basic baiting tactic, though Su Luo himself had fallen for it in the past, back in the real world.
At first, Yao Hanmei thought nothing of it. If Su Luo wasn't convinced, she'd just keep presenting products until he was.
But gradually, things took a turn for the worse. She was practically selling at a loss, and those who had already bought the products began to feel cheated.
Why did they pay 198 spirit stones when the price suddenly dropped to 49?
Chaos ensued.
Su Luo shrugged it off. "Not my problem. Bye!"
Yao Hanmei wasn't about to let Su Luo get away so easily.
She hatched a plan and turned to Little Yu. "Little sister, you have exceptional talent. How about joining our sect? Not only will you have access to all these skincare products, but we also offer abundant cultivation resources. Our sect is particularly suited for female cultivators..."
Yao Hanmei was no stranger to poaching disciples from other sects.
This was a hallmark of the Misty Cloud Sect—they loved recruiting female disciples from other sects.
With their strength, they could afford to be bold, and their sect truly was ideal for female cultivation.
Unfortunately, Little Yu merely nodded politely, expressing her apologies, before following Su Luo.
Yao Hanmei was left standing there, utterly bewildered.
"Damn it, I'll remember you," she muttered.
After leaving, Su Luo suddenly thought it might not be a bad idea to let Little Yu try some skincare products, satisfying her curiosity.
So, he gathered some materials and began crafting them on the spot.
Su Luo had some knowledge in this area and quickly finished the product.
When he handed it to Little Yu, she treated it like a treasure, reluctant to use it.
This amused Su Luo, who snatched it back and applied it to Little Yu's face himself.
Instantly, Little Yu's appearance was enhanced, as if she had activated a beauty filter.
It looked a bit ridiculous, but it was a novel experience.
Seeing this, both Su Luo and Little Yu burst into laughter.
......
The Radiant Heaven Sect had also been around for some time.
Their strongest disciple, the bald senior brother Ding Guanghua, was obsessed with challenging the Pure Martial Tower and had already reached the 90th floor.
However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't progress further.
If only he could use spiritual energy, things would go much more smoothly, and he was confident he could break through to the top. But alas, it wasn't allowed.
Once again, he failed the challenge and exited the Pure Martial Tower, gazing at the slogans above.
"This is not my end, but my beginning."
"Su Luo is the strongest."
These two slogans were said to have been left by those who had reached the top.
Even someone as proud as Ding Guanghua couldn't help but admire those who had achieved such a feat.
"It seems this won't be boring, especially with Su Luo claiming to be the strongest. I must meet him," Ding Guanghua thought, growing more excited as he returned to challenge the Pure Martial Tower once more.
......
Meanwhile, the Lunar Star Sect had clashed with disciples from the Seven Stars Sword Sect.
Lin Xuan stepped forward. "Is this all the tolerance you have? Picking fights and then bullying us?"
"Who's picking fights? You're the ones who provoked us first," the Lunar Star Sect disciples replied with a smirk, clearly up to no good.
Unfortunately for them, they had kicked an iron plate.
Once again, Lin Xuan delivered a satisfying face-slapping moment.
This was just a minor skirmish, as the Lunar Star Sect's top experts hadn't yet made an appearance.
But even this small incident ensured that the Lunar Star Sect would remember Lin Xuan, planning to humiliate him thoroughly during the exchange conference.
They had already intended to use every means to disgrace the Seven Stars Sword Sect.
The remaining sects continued to arrive, and while they were somewhat restrained, minor conflicts with other sects were inevitable.
Each sect was engaging in "friendly exchanges" in their own way.
As the exchange conference approached, these tensions only grew more intense.
The higher-ups had no intention of intervening—after all, what's an exchange without a little spark?
However, the Seven Stars Sword Sect was currently showing signs of weakness.
Some of the sect's elders lamented that each generation seemed worse than the last.
In the era of Nangong Xiyun, no other sect would have dared to act so arrogantly. They wouldn't have even dared to breathe loudly.
But alas, those days were gone.
Now, all the major sects had arrived, preparations were complete, and the sect exchange conference officially began.
The conference was divided into three main segments.
The first segment: classic one-on-one duels.
The second segment: a battle royale-style multi-person competition.
The third segment: cooperation and joint efforts to take down the Heavenly Demon Sect.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
