In the main hall of the Cold Wind Sect, the upper echelons had gathered, chatting and laughing as they toasted one another.
Numerous Cold Wind Sect disciples moved to and fro, clearing away cups and refilling wine for the higher-ups.
The hall was a scene of bustling festivity, all because distinguished guests were in attendance!
"Young Master Yang, you've reached the Eighth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm at just thirty years old. You truly are the greatest prodigy of the Nine Nether Sect! With you, how could the Nine Nether Sect not prosper for the next century?"
The Cold Wind Sect's Leader, Shen Yanyue, spoke slowly, her crimson lips gently parting.
She was dressed in an elegant gown, exuding the mature charm of an alluring beauty.
Beneath the high slit of her skirt, her creamy white thighs were faintly visible.
Many of the men felt their mouths go dry and their hearts stir, their gazes drifting toward her from time to time.
Beside Shen Yanyue sat an old man with stark white hair.
He was dressed in black robes, a mysterious and bizarre symbol emblazoned on his chest.
It was the symbol of the Nine Nether Sect, one of the three major sects in Lei Province!
This man was none other than the Third Elder of the Nine Nether Sect, Mu Shanhong!
Rumor had it that ten years ago, he had already broken through to a realm beyond Blood Coagulation. His cultivation was profound and unfathomable, and he had made quite a name for himself throughout the vast Lei Province.
He glanced at the beautiful, elegantly dressed woman beside him and smiled faintly. "Sect Leader Shen, you flatter me."
"Young Yang's talent is indeed extraordinary, but I imagine your esteemed sect's Saintess, Zhou Qingyue, is even more formidable. She has already broken through to the Ninth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, has she not?"
At his words, Shen Yanyue simply smiled without saying a word.
'The two of them aren't even comparable.'
'It's true that cultivators live much longer than mortals.'
'But Zhou Qingyue is already forty. Compared to Yang Yin, the Nine Nether Sect's greatest prodigy, who broke through to the Eighth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm at thirty, her own achievement is clearly far less impressive.'
"Saintess Zhou, a toast."
Seated below Shen Yanyue and Mu Shanhong, Yang Yin was currently engaged in lively conversation with Zhou Qingyue.
Though she was over forty, Zhou Qingyue's face had the youthful appearance of a girl in the bloom of youth. Her skin was so flawless it seemed it would break at a touch, and her beauty was otherworldly.
Furthermore, she was naturally seductive and practiced the arts of enchantment; few men could resist her allure.
No wonder Yang Yin was so utterly captivated, despite the decade-plus age difference between them.
"You're too kind, Young Master Yang." Zhou Qingyue's expression remained unchanged as she raised her cup and drained it, but a flicker of smug satisfaction crossed the depths of her eyes.
'Men in this world are all the damn same.'
'Not a single one can resist falling at my feet, not even a prodigy like Yang Yin!'
'Except for Ye Chen.'
The very thought of Ye Chen made Zhou Qingyue's blood boil.
'After all my years of painstakingly cultivating the arts of seduction, they had no effect on a virile young man.'
'It was such a blow to my confidence that I started to think my charms were fading.'
'I had hoped that by coupling with an exceptionally talented young man like Ye Chen, I could further my cultivation in the arts of seduction.'
'But who would have thought he'd find me too old and remain completely unmoved!'
'Damn him!'
An image of Ye Chen surfaced in Zhou Qingyue's mind, and her beautiful eyes instantly turned frighteningly cold.
'Hmph!'
'Well, no matter. He's a cripple now, completely worthless to me!'
'For now, I should focus on winning Yang Yin's favor!'
Zhou Qingyue reined in her thoughts and put on a bewitching smile.
"I heard that the man you were engaged to, Saintess Zhou, has become a cripple?"
Just then, as if remembering something, Yang Yin suddenly asked.
"You mean Ye Chen?" Zhou Qingyue laughed with contempt. "He was nothing more than a pawn that the Luoyun Sect was keeping in the dark."
"The Luoyun Sect poured all its resources into training him for the sole purpose of draining his very blood and bones to refine an elixir!"
"Is that so?" Yang Yin was somewhat surprised.
"Why? Could it be that you're worried I'm still hung up on my engagement to Ye Chen, Young Master Yang?" Zhou Qingyue said with a seductive smile.
"Of course not." At her words, Yang Yin shook his head and chuckled. "Never mind that he's a cripple. Even if he stood before me completely unscathed, what could he possibly do?"
"He'd dare fight me for a woman? I'd make him get on his knees and beg for forgiveness right then and there. You don't believe me?"
Yang Yin couldn't help but show off a little in front of Zhou Qingyue.
Zhou Qingyue covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "You truly live up to your reputation, Young Master Yang. So majestic. How could any of those common men ever compare?"
Hearing Zhou Qingyue's soft, flattering words, Yang Yin pretended to be unfazed, but his heart soared. A smug look appeared on his face.
Just then, a thin, gaunt figure suddenly strode in from outside the main hall.
The upper echelons of the Cold Wind Sect were busy toasting and drinking, so absorbed in the banquet that they failed to notice an extra person had appeared in the great hall.
It wasn't until the thick stench of blood wafted through the hall that everyone realized something was amiss.
"What's going on?"
Frowning, the crowd looked toward the entrance and quickly spotted Ye Chen's figure.
"Ye Chen?"
"It's you! What are you doing here?!" the crowd exclaimed, though their minds were filled with suspicion.
'Didn't the Luoyun Sect cripple Ye Chen's cultivation and lock him in the medicine garden?'
'How did he show up here in our Cold Wind Sect?'
"Ye Chen? What are you doing here!"
Just then, Zhou Qingyue slowly rose to her feet. She looked at Ye Chen, her gaze filled with ridicule and disdain.
"I heard you've been crippled. Did you suffer so much humiliation at the Luoyun Sect that you couldn't take it anymore? Have you come to seek my protection?"
"Sorry to disappoint you, but in case you didn't know, our engagement has been called off. It's been void for a long time!"
"After all, how could a cripple be worthy of being my husband?"
Zhou Qingyue crossed her arms, a cold sneer on her face.
At her words, the other disciples present turned to look at Ye Chen, their expressions full of gloating.
As for the upper echelons of the Cold Wind Sect, they merely regarded Ye Chen with cold indifference, not saying a word.
To think they had once been so full of praise and courtesy toward Ye Chen; now, it was as if they were completely different people.
Ye Chen, however, paid them no mind. His gaze swept coolly over the crowd, and his brow furrowed tightly.
'The Sect Leader of the Cold Wind Sect is here, but Xu Yingwu, the Sect Leader of the Luoyun Sect, is not!'
"Where is Xu Yingwu?" he asked calmly.
Seeing Ye Chen ignore her, Zhou Qingyue's face flushed with humiliation and embarrassment. 'Could it be he didn't come for me?'
Fuming, she pressed on, "Ye Chen, I'm speaking to you. Are you deaf?"
"Shut up." Ye Chen shot Zhou Qingyue a cold glance, not even bothering to waste his breath on the foolish woman.
Zhou Qingyue's expression flickered indeterminately.
The faces of the other Cold Wind Sect disciples also began to turn sour.
'How dare a mere cripple act so arrogant and insolent in the main hall of the Cold Wind Sect?'
Just as Zhou Qingyue, shaking with fury, was about to strike.
Yang Yin, who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines with a cold gaze, suddenly spoke.
"Boy, on your knees!"