The main seat was still empty.
Clearly, the guest of honor had not arrived yet.
On both sides of the hall, many of the Chen Family’s managers, stewards, and several well-known Guest Elders were already seated.
Zhou Kai swept his gaze across the room and soon spotted Chen Muhui sitting in a relatively secluded corner.
He was drinking alone, his expression dark and out of place amidst the lively atmosphere.
Zhou Kai walked over and plopped down in the empty seat beside him.
“What’s wrong? Who offended you this time? Your face is longer than a donkey’s,” Zhou Kai said casually as he picked up a wine pot and poured himself a cup.
Chen Muhui glanced at him and forced a faint smile. “Who else? I just feel stifled.”
“Oh?” Zhou Kai took a sip. “Go on. Cheer me up.”
Chen Muhui shot him a glare. “You just love watching others suffer.”
He lowered his voice. “Tell me this. We’re both Chen Family descendants. Why does Chen Xingze get such a grand welcome just because he’s returned? Look at this scale. Anyone who didn’t know would think some old ancestor just came out of seclusion.”
“What? Jealous?” Zhou Kai grinned. “Let’s just eat and drink well.”
“A little,” Chen Muhui admitted frankly, then lowered his voice further. “But it’s not just that. Do you know? To host this banquet, the Patriarch diverted the spirit stones originally prepared for several stewards.”
“More than ten years ago, our resources were double what they are now. Now everything’s being poured into him alone.”
Zhou Kai patted his shoulder. “Enough complaining. You’re still a direct descendant of the Chen Family.”
Chen Muhui gave a self-mocking smile. “Direct descendant? With my low-grade spiritual root, I’m lucky to get scraps. In a few decades, if I’m still stuck at the 3rd stage Qi Refining Realm, I’ll be pushed into the Branch Lineage.”
Zhou Kai raised a brow but did not continue the topic.
What Chen Muhui said was true. In a cultivation family, everything depended on strength and talent. Without value, one was naturally marginalized.
A commotion arose at the entrance of the hall. The previously noisy crowd gradually fell silent, and everyone turned toward the doorway.
Chen Rulong, the Chen Family Patriarch, walked in with a ruddy face, personally escorting a young man dressed in luxurious sapphire-blue robes.
The young man looked about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, tall and upright, carrying an imposing aura with every step.
It was Chen Xingze, the most outstanding descendant of this generation.
Behind him followed two cultivators wearing the attire of Celestial Spring Sect Inner Sect Disciples, their auras steady and restrained.
Zhou Kai silently examined Chen Xingze.
Handsome indeed, with solid cultivation. Yet the undisguised pride and sharpness in his eyes made him somewhat unpleasant to look at.
Zhou Kai’s thoughts churned, but his face remained calm as he raised his cup and watched quietly.
Chen Rulong reached the main seat and motioned for Chen Xingze to sit beside him. Clearing his throat, he announced loudly, “Everyone, today’s banquet is to welcome my son Xingze back from the sect!”
Appropriate words of praise immediately rose from the crowd.
Chen Rulong raised his hand for silence, his smile broadening. “Secondly, I have good news to announce. Xingze has lived up to the family’s expectations and successfully broken through his bottleneck a month ago. He is now at the 8th stage Qi Refining Realm!”
A wave of astonishment and envy swept through the hall.
The 8th stage Qi Refining Realm at twenty-five years old. With such talent, the Foundation Establishment Realm was within reach.
“Congratulations, Patriarch! Congratulations, Young Master!”
“The Chen Family will surely prosper! Young Master Xingze is truly heaven-blessed!”
“With Young Master Xingze here, how could our Chen Family not flourish!”
The hall filled with congratulatory voices.
Chen Xingze maintained a reserved smile, nodding slightly as he accepted the praise. The pride in his eyes deepened.
Zhou Kai stood with the others, raised his cup symbolically toward Chen Xingze, then sat back down.
He had never been interested in such scenes.
When the noise subsided, Chen Rulong continued, “After discussion by the elders, it has been decided that effective immediately, Chen Xingze will be promoted to Sixth Elder of the Chen Family and participate in family affairs.”
This decision was expected.
Another round of congratulations followed.
Chen Xingze stood and clasped his hands slightly in acknowledgment.
“Thank you for your kindness,” he said clearly. “Xingze will devote himself wholeheartedly to the family.”
Chen Rulong nodded with satisfaction. “Now that I’ve finished speaking, there are two more important matters. I’ll let our newly appointed Sixth Elder announce them.”
Chen Xingze stepped forward and swept his gaze across the hall.
“Everyone,” he began slowly, “first, the sect’s subordinate Desolate Spiritual Herb Grounds will open in half a month. I will personally lead a team of family cultivators into it to gather spiritual herbs and replenish the family treasury.”
Desolate Spiritual Herb Grounds?
Excitement and anticipation appeared on many faces below. Clearly, this was a good opportunity.
Chen Xingze paused, seemingly pleased with their reaction, then his tone shifted, and his expression grew serious.
“The second matter concerns the sect,” he said, his voice turning cold. “Just today, I received an urgent message. Two Celestial Spring Sect disciples were attacked and killed in the Hidden Beast Mountain region.” Get faster updates on novelping.com.
The entire hall was shocked.
“The sect suspects this matter is related to the Lone Swan Hall ‘Sword Fairy,’ Shen Hanyi,” Chen Xingze continued. “The sect has issued an order. Anyone who provides accurate information on Shen Hanyi’s whereabouts will be rewarded with 1,000 spirit stones. If she can be captured alive and handed over to the sect, the reward will be three Foundation Establishment Pills!”
The hall exploded into chaos.
1,000 spirit stones.
Three Foundation Establishment Pills.
To most present at the Qi Refining Realm, these numbers were astronomical. Especially the Foundation Establishment Pills, treasures countless cultivators dreamed of.
“Shen Hanyi? That genius sword cultivator from Lone Swan Hall?”
“Capture her alive? She’s at the 7th stage Sword Dominion Realm. They say her swordsmanship is unmatched at the same level. Capturing her alive is nearly impossible!”
“Three Foundation Establishment Pills… if we could get them…”
Many eyes burned with greed, breaths growing heavy.
Zhou Kai’s hand paused slightly on his wine cup, doubt flashing in his eyes.
The Celestial Spring Sect’s reaction was strange.
Just two Qi Refining Realm disciples dead, and they offered three Foundation Establishment Pills to capture Lone Swan Hall’s pride alive?
The reward was excessive. It was not worth such a price for merely two disciples.
Why insist on capturing her alive? And why make such a public announcement? Were they not afraid of completely enraging Lone Swan Hall and triggering a sect war?
Moreover, near Celestial Spring Sect stood another Nascent Soul Realm power, Abyssal Ravine Valley, watching closely.
Though Lone Swan Hall had few disciples, they were all elites. As a sword cultivator sect, they were renowned for their killing power. Their strength was not to be underestimated.
Unless… Shen Hanyi possessed something, or knew something, that Celestial Spring Sect was determined to obtain at any cost.
Zhou Kai felt the waters were far deeper than they appeared.
He glanced at Chen Muhui beside him and whispered, “Hey, what exactly is this Desolate Spiritual Herb Grounds?”
Chen Muhui was still stunned by the earlier announcement. After a moment, he lowered his voice to explain, “You’ve only been at Hidden Beast Mountain for ten years. It’s normal you don’t know.”
“The Desolate Spiritual Herb Grounds lies beneath a tributary of Celestial Spring called Little Spirit Creek, in a special underground region.”
“The spiritual energy inside is slightly denser than outside. It grows many 1st and 2nd grade spiritual herbs, and the variety is decent. Every fifteen years, Celestial Spring Sect allows subordinate cultivation families to send disciples to gather herbs once. It’s considered a benefit for affiliated families.”
“A benefit?” Zhou Kai snorted. “Sounds good.”
“Good my foot,” Chen Muhui scoffed. “Celestial Spring Sect is clever. They don’t care about the Desolate Spiritual Herb Grounds themselves. The herbs inside are too low-grade. They open it to us and set strict times, calling it ‘grace,’ but in truth, they’re just dangling bait.”
“And do you know why the Celestial Spring Sect always emphasizes that they won’t take a single herb from what we gather?”