As for the golden-armored man's identity, he was an illustrious existence of formidable renown throughout the entire Spirit Realm.
The old man seated upon the throne was naturally Li Guanqi's grandfather, Su Xuan.
After tossing the sword casket to Li Guanqi, he had simply left him to his own devices.
Stroking the beard on his chin, the old man lightly tapped the armrest with a finger, sharp glints flickering in his eyes as who knew what thoughts crossed his mind.
"My precious grandson, your grandfather is only doing this to temper you...
"Only by walking the path with your own two feet can you tread it firmly."
With that, the old man rose slowly, exuding an imposing aura of natural majesty.
Looking up toward the heavens, he let out a cold snort and vanished from the hall.
***
Qingyun Continent, Star-Plucking Crossing.
This crossing was somewhat different from ordinary cloud boat docks.
Facing a boundless expanse of open sea, the air was exceptionally humid, thick with rich water-element spiritual energy.
Clad in a black robe, Li Guanqi concealed his presence and arrived in the sky above Star-Plucking Crossing.
The place resembled an unbroken chain of connected archipelagos, with pavilions, terraces, and towers dotting the islands, carrying a unique charm.
At the center of these islands lay a flat land spanning ten thousand zhang across, hosting an architectural sprawl that looked like a whole city.
In the center rose a tower soaring into the clouds!
Above the tower were dark teleportation passages extending in every direction, along with dozens of hundred-zhang platforms reaching outward.
Many people flew through the sky all around, and all kinds of cloud boats shuttled back and forth in midair; commerce clearly flourished here.
Li Guanqi's eyes flickered. Concealing his aura, he darted into the city of Star-Plucking Crossing.
The moment he reached the city gates, Li Guanqi snapped his head up, his eyes narrowing sharply.
Within the city, he sensed no fewer than five terrifyingly powerful auras!
Auras as deep and unfathomable as an abyss like those could never come from Soul Formation Realm cultivators!
It seemed Star-Plucking Crossing was far less simple than it appeared on the surface.
After briefly registering his identity information, he entered the city.
In a place like this, he still had to abide by the rules and could not afford to act recklessly.
Besides... if he didn't register his identity, how would the other party know he had arrived?
Hanging the jade slip at his waist, Li Guanqi walked leisurely down the street.
The calls of street hawkers filled his ears. Many shops had displays of monster cores harvested from the abundant aquatic monster races.
Li Guanqi took a glance; most looked fine on the outside but were rotten within—fair to look at, but completely useless.
Gazing at the sky-piercing tower in the distance, Li Guanqi hesitated no longer and dashed to the foot of the tower.
Covering an area several thousand zhang wide, the ground floor of the tower had thirty-eight massive gates, all standing open without guards stopping anyone, allowing free entry and exit.
Yet the tower had ninety-nine stories in total, and climbing higher grew increasingly difficult.
Those teleportation passages were merely on the thirty-odd floor.
Standing at the entrance, Li Guanqi looked up, and three large characters appeared prominently before his eyes: Star-Plucking Tower.
Just then, a sudden commotion broke out among the dense crowd on the first floor!
Li Guanqi furrowed his brows. In his perception, a faint, lingering pressure had suddenly appeared on the first floor.
As the clamor of the crowd buzzed ceaselessly in his ears, Li Guanqi understood who had arrived.
"Ahhhh! Song Yunshu of Star-Plucking Tower! She's so beautiful!"
"Heavens... why... why would she come down here?!"
"Truly worthy of being one of the Three Great Beauties of Qingyun! That face... that figure!"
Amid the successive cries of astonishment from the crowd, the packed hall parted down the middle to open a path about ten feet wide.
A voluptuous woman appeared in the distance.
She wore a tight-fitting black qipao with slits reaching high up her thighs, the fabric over her chest seemingly skimping on material.
Her cascade of raven hair draped behind her, exposing a slender, beautifully sculpted neck.
She had an oval face, peach-blossom eyes, a radiant face with pearly white teeth, and a high nose bridge.
A shimmering luminescence seemed to swirl between her brows and eyes, making it impossible to look away.
The woman glided forward with a swaying gait, possessing wide hips and a wasp-like waist.
Every step she took seemed to tread right upon a man's heartstrings—a woman born with seduction in her bones.
She looked barely in her early twenties, yet the pressure radiating from her was genuinely at the mid Soul Formation Realm.
Everyone in the hall held their breath, gazing greedily at her.
Yet unexpectedly, she walked straight toward a tall, upright figure draped in a black robe.
Stopping in front of Li Guanqi, a faint smile played at the corners of her lips.
Under everyone's stunned gazes, she actually bowed to him, her ethereal voice chiming softly.
"This humble woman is Song Yunshu. Greetings, young master."
Li Guanqi's heart remained as still as water. Beneath the black robe, his gaze rested calmly on Song Yunshu as he said quietly, "Don't waste time. Take me up."
Song Yunshu was taken aback for an instant, but maintained a natural smile.
Stepping aside with utmost courtesy, she gestured forward and whispered, "This way, young master."
In an instant, the eyes of every cultivator in the ground-floor hall converged on Li Guanqi.
They had no idea who Li Guanqi could possibly be to merit someone like Song Yunshu coming down in person to welcome him.
What was more, her demeanor was deeply deferential, as though she dared not provoke the black-robed man in the slightest.
Everyone's curiosity peaked!
Only after the two vanished into that special teleportation array did the crowd erupt into clamorous discussion.
"Damn! Who is that guy?! Does anyone know?!"
"Good grief, just what kind of faction does an important figure like that belong to, that even someone like Song Yunshu would personally come down to greet him?"
"Probably the Saint Child of some mysterious sacred ground or something like that?"
*Buzz—!*
As the glow of the teleportation array gradually faded, two figures materialized inside a tranquil study.
The study was enormous, extending more than thirty zhang in depth.
Outside the window lay a vast, mist-wreathed ocean, and the faint sound of crashing waves whispered in their ears.
Wisps of blue smoke curled from the tea table, the fragrance of sandalwood smelling delicate and refreshing, with the effect of soothing the spirit.
The woman bent down to remove Li Guanqi's shoes, but Li Guanqi hastily stepped back.
Song Yunshu looked up at Li Guanqi and chuckled softly. "How can we step up to the table and talk business without taking off your shoes?"
Li Guanqi replied quietly, "I'll do it myself."
After taking off his shoes, Li Guanqi sat down before the table himself.
A pair of snow-white, jade-like feet flashed before his eyes as Song Yunshu lightly hitched up her qipao and slowly took a seat across from him.
With practiced ease, she brought out an antique tea set and spiritual tea emitting swirling misty vapors.
Lowering her head to brew the tea, she spoke in a melodious voice, "Young Master Li, are you going to keep wearing that black robe and refuse to take it off?"
Li Guanqi shrugged. He found the woman before him rather difficult to deal with; she tried to seize the initiative at every turn.
Taking off the black robe, Li Guanqi smiled faintly. "Is Miss Song always this proactive?"
Hearing that, the woman's hands paused almost imperceptibly, and she looked up at Li Guanqi.
His handsome countenance paired with his commanding confidence made him undeniably striking.
Song Yunshu's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her eyes turned flirtatious as she spoke.
"If it is for Young Master Li, Yunshu does not mind being a bit more proactive."
Li Guanqi scoffed lightly, leaning back against his chair as he said softly, "Speak. What is this really about?"
Chapter 415