Savoring the delicacies before them, both Li Guanqi and Meng Wanshu felt a sensation they had not experienced in a long time.
Mortal grains and coarse cereals contained numerous impurities, which were best avoided by cultivators whenever possible.
Once a cultivator reached the Core Formation Realm, they entered the state of inedia; by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, they no longer felt hunger.
Thus, after reaching Core Formation, most cultivators hardly ever touched mortal food again.
Even if they did eat, it was usually medicinal dishes prepared from demonic beasts.
Cultivators who feasted with gusto like the two of them were truly rare.
Meng Wanshu ate with great relish as well, even abandoning a bit of her ladylike composure, though fortunately, they were in a private dining room.
Suddenly, Li Guanqi's expression shifted slightly. Right in front of Meng Wanshu, he retrieved the Guanyun Jade Pendant.
Soon, Ji Yuchuan's voice came through the jade.
"That Xuan Lin you mentioned—I've found him..."
"You found him? Then why didn't he reply when I sent him a transmission?"
"Sigh... The Xuan clan Xuan Lin belongs to could be considered an ancient clan in the Shenbao Domain."
"Yet for some reason, not long ago, the entire Xuan clan was wiped out overnight!!"
Li Guanqi frowned deeply, his tone turning cold. "Wiped out overnight?"
"When I met Xuan Lin, his strength was already formidable—on par with mine, even. How could an ancient clan like that be exterminated in a single night?"
Ji Yuchuan said helplessly, "I don't know. I went to the domain where the Xuan clan resided, but I couldn't find a single trace."
"Whoever struck did so with utmost stealth—swiftly, and with thunderous momentum!!"
Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes, his heart sinking at the words.
"Alright, I understand... Thank you for your trouble, Brother Ji."
"By the way, are you coming back?"
Ji Yuchuan was silent for a moment before speaking softly, "Probably not. But Xi Yunhuai will stay behind."
"Don't worry. He is him, and I am me."
"Of course, he's also somewhat different from that Li Congxin of yours. Xi Yunhuai exists because of my cultivation technique, unlike the Void Spirit you created by severing your three souls and seven mortal forms."
Li Guanqi nodded silently. He had not expected that now that everything was settled, the time had actually come for him and Ji Yuchuan to part ways.
Ji Yuchuan chuckled. "I'll accept Tang Ru. I like that chubby kid."
"Gu Li, however... I still need to think it over. As for what the others think, that is beyond my control."
The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth curved slightly. "Thank you for the effort."
Setting down the jade pendant, Li Guanqi looked up as Meng Wanshu asked softly, "What happened?"
"Did the lead on Xuan Lin go cold?"
Li Guanqi nodded and said somewhat helplessly, "There hasn't been any news about the Qilin Soul to this day, and Xuan Lin was the only person I thought might know."
"Yet now the Xuan clan was exterminated overnight. It's hard not to suspect someone behind the scenes is trying to kill me..."
A sharp glint flashed in Meng Wanshu's eyes as she gently consoled him, "Don't overthink it. It might not be aimed at you."
"Wiping out an Ancient Clan just to cut off your search for the Qilin Soul seems a bit unrealistic."
"Besides... very few people even know you need news of the Qilin Soul!"
Li Guanqi considered her words and realized she had a point. Setting down his chopsticks, he murmured, "I suppose I was jumping at shadows."
Meng Wanshu reached out and gently brushed his brow, smoothing away the habitual frown that creased his forehead from time to time.
Resting her chin on her hand, she smiled warmly at Li Guanqi and teased, "See? You look handsome like this."
Li Guanqi smiled with gentle warmth in his eyes. Listening to the bustling, lively clamor outside the window, he stood up and said with a chuckle, "Come on, let's go take a look too."
Meng Wanshu donned a white veil to conceal her face and took Li Guanqi's arm as they walked out of the restaurant.
With a flick of his finger, Li Guanqi sent a spirit stone into the innkeeper's palm and floated away.
The streets bustled with crowds, a surging tide of people all heading toward Qixia Academy.
Heads bobbed through the throng, everyone carrying offerings such as livestock, their faces beaming with joy.
Amid the din, Li Guanqi gathered the general gist of what was happening.
Supposedly, today's Immortal-Receiving Ceremony in front of Qixian Pagoda would bestow blessings; the better the offering presented, the greater the blessing received.
Li Guanqi's eyes flickered. He could not shake the feeling that this was far from simple.
After all, from the very beginning, the enemies he had faced hailed from the Immortal Realm, so he had always viewed immortals with the deepest suspicion and malice!!
He did not believe beings of the Immortal Realm would expend so much effort on such a thankless task.
Even for an immortal descending in a projection, the price required was beyond his reckoning.
Not to mention wasting immortal power to bestow blessings on common mortals.
Meng Wanshu had also noticed something amiss. It seemed... these people were far too fanatical.
Furthermore, almost the entire population of Qixia City had turned out!!
Even quite a few cultivators had been drawn here, rushing through the night...
"Brother Qi, something feels off..."
"Commoners alone would be one thing, but why are there so many cultivators mixed into the crowd?"
"What's more... from what I can sense, there are quite a few Soul Formation Realm cultivators among them, and even two in the Void Refining Realm."
Turning to look, she saw Li Guanqi narrowing his eyes, his expression solemn as his vast divine sense covertly swept over the surroundings.
Li Guanqi said in a deep voice, "Let's see what happens first and act when the time comes. I have a bad premonition."
Saying nothing more, Li Guanqi guided Meng Wanshu swiftly forward like a swimming fish, quickly arriving at the very front of the crowd.
They advanced toward Qixia Academy alongside the grand ceremonial procession!
At Qixia Academy in the northern part of the city, all the disciples looked solemn, donning their most dignified robes with grave expressions.
The academy's elders also wore solemn countenances, whispering among themselves.
"We must treat the immortal's projection with the utmost caution and reverence this time!"
"The last few times, our offerings weren't adequate. Fortunately, with the Pan family's assistance this time, we will surely satisfy the immortal! We definitely will!"
The elder's skin was waxy and withered yellow, his wrinkled cheeks densely covered in pitch-black spots the size of sesame seeds.
Li Guanqi's gaze seemed to pierce through the crowd, settling on the elder's face.
Hearing the elder's words, he frowned, wondering what had happened in the past.
Li Guanqi did not spot Xue Gui in the crowd. It seemed the spiritual tea Xue Gui drank yesterday had elevated his cultivation straight to the peak of the Soul Formation Realm!
He was likely still refining that power within the City Lord's Estate, leaving Li Guanqi with no one to ask about previous Immortal-Receiving Ceremonies.
Li Guanqi took out the face-changing bug and altered his appearance, turning into a sickly middle-aged man.
From who knows where, he managed to scrounge up a set of tattered, ragged clothes and slipped into them.
Meng Wanshu looked at him, baffled as to what he was doing, and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Brother Qi, what are you doing?"
Li Guanqi chuckled and whispered, "Wanshu, keep moving forward for now. I'm going to inquire about what happened during previous Immortal-Receiving Ceremonies."
Before his words had fully faded, a man's furious roar erupted from far back in the crowd: "Who the hell stole my clothes?!"
Meng Wanshu's gaze paused on Li Guanqi as realization dawned on her.
Covering her mouth to stifle a laugh, she said, "Alright, I understand."
Chapter 944