This royal traveling palace was integrated seamlessly into the natural landscape—with pavilions, towers, arched bridges, flowing water, and a small azure lake rippling gently, offering a new scene at every turn. Amid swaying spiritual trees, the upturned eaves and bracket sets were etched in pale gold against the fiery evening glow.
Guests packed the palace hall: graceful maidens in feathered robes, elders shrouded in hazy divine halos, and valiant men bearing silver wings on their backs. From humans to exotic races, all were dressed in magnificent attire, faces adorned with smiles, mingling in a harmonious atmosphere.
Yao Ruoxian looked at Qin Ming and brought up their past expedition into the Yin soil ghost path ruins. Clearly, she had connected the dots and realized she had once hired him.
Though she was the Fourth Princess of Great Yu, here she carried herself with gentle grace, for everyone coming and going was a cultivator backed by powerful backgrounds—some even bore identities that gave the Great Yu imperial clan pause.
"Every Great Reclamation into the depths of the night mist world sees prodigies rise rapidly. It is a time both cruel and glorious..." Incredibly lovely and possessing an enchanting smile, Yao Ruoxian invited Qin Ming to explore the realm of the Immortal Tomb alongside her.
She frankly noted that they had collaborated before and could now be considered well acquainted with each other's abilities.
Qin Ming smiled, nodded, and replied that he would give it serious thought.
The memory remained fresh in his mind: her cultivation surpassed many high-level immortal seeds, and when employing others she drove a hard bargain—accepting her day gold truly demanded putting one's life on the line.
On Yao Ruoxian's shoulder, the fiery-red four-winged bird was rolling its eyes. It held a deep grudge and had already realized this was the fierce youth who had once shaved its feathers with an iron arrow.
The host of tonight's banquet, the imperial uncle of Great Yu, was personally entertaining a group of old fellows—all rather formidable figures.
Hosting the other guests of the middle and younger generations naturally fell to Yao Ruoxian and other royals.
By now, Wu Yaozu and Xiang Yiwu had long since melted into the crowd and gone their separate ways.
After a brief conversation with Yao Ruoxian, Qin Ming wandered casually. He knew that if someone from the Helian family intended to cause trouble, now that he had appeared, they would surely seek him out.
Following several matches at Nantianmen, his reputation and standing had soared. Many banquet attendees recognized him and came over to chat.
Qin Ming clinked glasses with people now and then, responding with calm composure as he quietly waited for his target to appear.
"Should I call you Qin Ming, or address you as Li Ye?" An acquaintance appeared—none other than Tang Xumi, who had crossed paths with Qin Ming multiple times at the Luofu Immortal Mountain ruins.
He had already guessed that the youth surnamed Li beside Li Qingyue back then was almost certainly the Qin Ming of today.
"You still owe me a copy of the Divine Ape Classic!" Qin Ming no longer hid it.
"That was only an incomplete fragment. In the future, I'll gift you a complete extraordinary art," Tang Xumi replied with a smile.
"Congratulations on becoming an immortal seed. You achieved your wish." Qin Ming had a favorable impression of him; when he wanted to purchase the Overlord's Testament back then, Tang Xumi had even spoken up on his behalf.
"Before the Great Reclamation, I finally earned the qualification," Tang Xumi said. He too had weathered several twists and turns, ultimately clawing his way up through sheer strength.
"Qin Ming." An exceptionally striking woman approached. Dignified and elegant, a lustrous glow shimmered across her skin, lending her an otherworldly, sacred aura that made many youths wishing to approach feel inferior and quietly step back.
Her spiritual presence was exceedingly distinctive, capable of unsettling the minds of many young cultivators.
"Miss Zhao." Qin Ming recognized her.
Zhao Qingcheng held immense status among her esoteric sect peers, standing alongside Cheng Sheng as one of their most renowned divine seeds.
Wasting no words on pleasantries, she sent a secret voice transmission: "Qingyue says she will resolve those matters herself. Do not make any move."
Qin Ming knew Li Qingyue possessed outstanding ability, but this time was different from the past. Who could shake a behemoth like the Yuxian Sect?
Who would dare touch it? If the Yuxian Sect emerged in full force, it would be enough to suppress an entire region into dead silence, suffocating many under its weight.
Li Qingyue was most likely afraid he would act impulsively and bring fatal calamity upon himself.
Qin Ming sighed. "I know what to do. I am only in the second realm; I will not try to shake a giant tree like an ant. My appearance today is merely to test the pressure."
He figured that the old monster who had set foot into the seventh realm certainly did not even know who he was, having never cast his gaze upon a mere youth like him.
Even the grandmaster of the Yuxian Sect probably wouldn't know who he was without deliberately looking down.
If someone truly came looking for trouble, it would likely only be youngsters from the Helian family.
Zhao Qingcheng said little else. Coldly aloof and elegant, she departed once she had passed on the message, her black hair drifting as her graceful figure melted back into the crowd.
The palace hall was bustling with guests, clustered in groups of three and five, all discussing the Great Reclamation—the local customs of that land, as well as the various perils and opportunities.
The sun elves in the hall were exceptionally popular, surrounded on all sides; after all, who wouldn't want to hear more valuable information straight from the locals?
The immortal path naturally had multiple channels for gathering intelligence. Patriarchs had even traveled far in secret to conduct reconnaissance on site; otherwise, how would they dare venture deep inside?
Crystal chandeliers suspended high from the vaulted ceiling refracted blazing auspicious light, resembling a pouring sea of stars that illuminated the palace hall in splendid gold and jade.
Qin Ming spotted several familiar faces. Just then, a woman caught his eye: her hair raven-black, her gaze lively and shimmering, as if born with an easy smile. She swayed gracefully toward him.
"You shouldn't have come here," Wang Caiwei whispered.
Qin Ming was speechless. Did everyone assume his appearance was meant to stir up trouble?
"You shouldn't have come over either," he responded.
For he noticed Cui Chonghe looking their way.
From beginning to end, there had never been anything between him and Wang Caiwei. They had shared minimal interaction, yet he had unfairly taken the blame for so much.
"It's fine," Wang Caiwei said with a pursed smile.
What else could Qin Ming do? He raised his cup directly to the distinguished Cui Chonghe, then drained it in one gulp.
Cui Chonghe cast a calm glance over, gave no reaction, and resumed his conversation with the Great Yu prince.
Qin Ming spoke up: "Back in Chixia City, I received a manual wrapped in oiled paper."
"I sent it. The Five Thunders Viscera Refining Art," Wang Caiwei admitted openly.
"Thank you!" Qin Ming said.
Holding the translucent wine goblet with fair, jade-like fingers, Wang Caiwei took a gentle sip and said, "From what I know of Qingyue, she is gentle on the outside but unyielding within. She will not compromise. But this time will be extremely difficult for her. Even with her exceptional intellect and methods, she will feel utterly powerless. The Yuxian Sect is presided over by an expert who has one foot in the seventh realm, standing as if atop the clouds looking down on the world. People say it is easier to shake an immortal than to shake that sect—hard, hard, hard."
Qin Ming pondered. Qingyue likely wouldn't seek help or leverage from anyone. After all, if the main lineage of the Helian family was bent on having its way, asking anyone to intervene would be dragging them into the water, miring them in a dreadful swamp.
He now understood why Li Qingyue showed traces of exhaustion.
Wang Caiwei transmitted her voice secretly: "If this matter passes without making waves, all the better. But if it ultimately draws out the Helian family's old Heavenly Immortal, even if other patriarchs step forward, they will be suppressed."
"Heavenly Immortal?" Qin Ming froze.
With a grave look, Wang Caiwei said, "Yes. That is the honorific people use for him. It is best not to mention words like 'old monster' here; that is disrespectful, and even in a secret voice transmission, it might trigger something."
Qin Ming realized all the more how terrifying the old ancestor of the Yuxian Sect was—he truly possessed an aura that could overawe the contemporary world.
"Did Siqi come?" Qin Ming inquired about his close friend. That Departing Fire Classic, so vital to him, was gifted by Ning Siqi.
Wang Caiwei replied, "My cousin is in seclusion with the esoteric sect. The Ning family values him quite a bit and bestowed upon him a piece of divine matter that was purified by our ancestors."
After their brief exchange, she drifted away gracefully.
Afterward, Qin Ming caught sight of Pei Shuyan.
Strikingly handsome with an exceptional presence, he walked over.
When Qin Ming received the bronze ring, he had briefly wondered if Pei Shuyan would take action, given the deep roots the Pei clan possessed in the outer realm.
"When you have time later, let's talk," Pei Shuyan said.
"Sure!" Qin Ming nodded. At least for now, the other party showed no malice.
Pei Shuyan said, "Seeing Luofu's decline, people in the Yuxian Sect developed designs. What will the other great sects of the immortal path think? Before the Great Reclamation, things won't immediately erupt."
He was remarkably blunt to say such words.
Qin Ming asked via secret transmission, "After the Great Reclamation, would the Yuxian Sect dare? Could the old monster of the Helian clan be about to step fully into the seventh realm?"
"It is possible!" Pei Shuyan nodded gravely.
The palace hall was brightly lit and crowded with guests. Just then, a commotion stirred not far away.
"The Helian family puts on quite a display. Even that old imperial uncle is personally chatting with a junior," Pei Shuyan remarked.
What Qin Ming saw confirmed that the Helian family's standing was indeed extraordinary: a single youth had drawn out the upper echelon of the Great Yu imperial clan.
It was a youth dressed in white, remarkably handsome and mobbed by a crowd. The figure seemed to glow, and aristocrats as well as cultivators from various paths eagerly stepped forward to converse.
Following the battle on the moon, Qin Ming had recently shot to fame, yet compared to the person in white, he was overshadowed.
That area was packed tight, the young member of the Helian family extraordinarily popular.
Qin Ming recognized that this white-robed person had once looked down at him from a high-rise building.
A moment later, a young boy entered from the palace hall entrance, accompanied by a small retinue.
He was eleven or twelve at most, with jet-black hair, bright eyes, and handsome features. His attire was meticulously styled, his clothes and jade pendants suspected to be rare treasures that faintly radiated precious brilliance.
Qin Ming recognized him: this was the boy who, on the moon, had ordered people to clear Qin Ming and his companions out of their quarters.
Soon after, Qin Ming heard the white-robed person address him as Helian Mingxu.
If the Helian family didn't show up, fine—now two had appeared at once.
The white-robed youth and the boy instantly became the center of attention in the palace hall, like stars revolving around the moon.
Only after quite a while did the crowd around them gradually disperse.
Once the hall returned to normal, the white-robed youth stepped forward, walking directly toward Qin Ming.
The fair-faced, red-lipped boy Helian Mingxu frowned slightly, glanced over, and followed along, the fine jade pendants at his waist chiming softly.
Qin Ming had known that after days of seclusion, the moment he showed himself, the principal culprits wanting to exert pressure would come knocking.
He simply hadn't expected two of them to come at once.
The white-robed figure was tall and slender, with lustrous black hair, slender eyebrows, eyes like bright black gems, and well-chiseled features.
Though Qin Ming held no fondness for the Helian family, he had to admit this person was exceptionally good-looking.
"You are Qin Ming? Come follow me," the white-robed youth said, a faint smile playing on their lips.
Qin Ming had always been restrained with his emotions, but right now he nearly flared up. His very first contact with the Helian family gave him a taste of their sheer overbearing arrogance.
What kind of talk was this? Right upon meeting, this white-robed person wanted to "take him in"!
Beside them, the boy in splendid silken clothes, Helian Mingxu, raised his brow slightly, looking somewhat displeased.
The words and expressions of these two were truly outrageous beyond measure: one plainly stated the matter of taking him as an underling, while the other was already being picky, visibly dissatisfied.
This scene made Qin Ming want to grab them both, one in each hand, and crush them to death.
"What, you're unwilling? Follow me into the Immortal Tomb domain to excavate divine tombs, and you will receive plenty of benefits," the white-robed youth said.
As they spoke, they even covered their mouth with a hand and gave a soft chuckle.
Qin Ming was taken aback. What sort of 'creature' was this? Acting somewhat effeminate.
"Unwilling," he said flatly, feeling that the Helian family had gone far too far!
At the same time, Qin Ming circulated the Eye of the Newborn and peered forward closely.
"Hm?" He froze.
This white-robed person who reeked of cosmetics seemed to be... a woman.
He looked again and again: genuine and unmistakable, this was indeed a young woman.
Did this white-robed person seize men and bully women, wanting everything for herself? Qin Ming was thoroughly incensed!
Chapter 292