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The entire venue fell so silent, you could hear a pin drop.
Shang Luoyu’s words surprised even the banquet's illustrious guests.
After all, although she was a peerless, legendary genius of the younger generation, she was still a junior of the Donghua Sword Sect. It seemed she had no respect for her elders!
The Cloudstone Venerate suddenly shot to his feet, his eyes flashing like cold lightning as he stared directly at Shang Luoyu. “Girl, your ego has only grown more and more inflated since obtaining the Celestial Xiezhi Sword’s acknowledgment.”
His words carried anger, and his bearing was majestic and imposing.
Shang Luoyu took a deep breath, stood, and bowed slightly at the waist. “I spoke without inhibitions and offended your dignity, Martial Great Uncle. I humbly request your forgiveness.”
She paused, then raised her head and met his gaze. “However, I heard a rumor that I’d like to ask you about, Martial Great Uncle.”
The Cloudstone Venerate’s brow furrowed, but he repressed his rage and said, “Speak.”
Shang Luoyu’s voice was cold and serious as she asked, “Martial Great Uncle, when you and Martial Aunt Lan Suo went to the Great Zhou’s Jade Capital, you once visited Su Yi. I wanted to ask what happened between you and Su Yi. What’s the nature of your relationship?”
Sometimes, a single rock could stir up a thousand waves!
The higher-ups in attendance all narrowed their eyes, and Qin Dongxu’s expression darkened. “Brother Fu, is this true?”
A hint of bewilderment flashed through the Cloudstone Venerate’s eyes. Their visit had been top secret, yet now, a junior like Shang Luoyu had openly revealed it. This made him realize that something wasn’t right.
After a moment’s silence, the Cloudstone Venerate said calmly, “It’s true. Su Yi once saved Lan Suo’s life. Both emotionally and rationally, it is only right that I paid him a visit to express my gratitude in person.”
Having said this, he fixed his cold gaze on Shang Luoyu. “Are you satisfied with this answer?”
Shang Luoyu swept her gaze across the other guests. “Martial Great Uncle, how are our Fellow Daoists supposed to interpret such an answer?”
Qin Dongxu, Clarifying Truth, Gu Qingdu, and You Changkong all furrowed their brows. The others all had different expressions as well.
“Hah? You’re using other people to pressure me?” The Cloudstone Venerate laughed coldly. He glanced at Qin Dongxu and the others and said, “Then I’m actually rather interested to hear your view of the situation.”
He stood there, sweeping his contemptuous gaze across the venue. It was obvious to everyone that this illustrious expert of the Great Qin’s Donghua Sword Sect was already well and truly enraged.
“Fellow Daoist, please, stay calm,” said Qin Dongxu with a laugh. “Brother Fu, we know why you don’t wish to join our alliance, and it’s understandable. However, please allow me to give you a word of advice: you’d best not have any further involvement in this expedition to the Sea of Chaotic Spirits.”
The Cloudstone Venerate’s combat power was shocking, and he occupied a lofty position in the Donghua Sword Sect. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Qin Dongxu didn’t want to offend him.
“Everyone is equally entitled to vie for whatever good fortune awaits us in the Immortals’ Sword House. Why should that exclude me?” said the Cloudstone Venerate with a cold snort.
Qin Dongxu furrowed his brow, and his expression was somewhat overcast.
However, Gu Qingdu of the Profound Moon Temple only laughed. “Fu Yunlang, you are, of course, welcome to get involved, but you’d better not let us discover that you’ve been colluding with Su Yi. Otherwise, well, I’m afraid none of them will agree!”
His tone carried a clear warning.
“That so? We’ll just have to wait and see.” The Cloudstone Venerate was in no mood to stay any longer, so he left directly, taking Lan Suo with him.
The other guests watched their departure, the prominent experts’ brows deeply furrowed. However, in the end, none of them said anything.
Their voyage into the Sea of Chaotic Spirits had yet to begin in earnest; it would have been foolish to cast aside all pretenses of cordiality with the Cloudstone Venerate at this stage.
"Who’d have guessed? The Cloudstone Venerate and Lan Suo are quite considerate. Even under such circumstances, they’d rather offend every influential character in attendance than become your enemy. How rare and precious!” After watching this entire scene play out, Hua Xinfeng couldn’t help but transmit to Su Yi.
Su Yi took a sip of wine. “Let’s go too. A banquet like this is just too dull.”
The guests were some of the top cultivators in the Great Qin, each loftier and of higher status than the one before

But in Su Yi’s eyes, they were nothing but a pack of paltry little Origin Dao cultivators. Even the topic of their discussion was utterly dull; nothing about this interested him.
As he spoke, he moved as if to get up, only for Hua Xinfeng to hurriedly pull him back into his chair. She transmitted at top speeds, “Young Lord Su, we can’t leave yet! If we do, we’ll miss a rare opportunity, the kind that only comes once in a millennium!”
Su Yi froze. “What do you mean by that?”
“Young Lord, Qin Dongxu and the others want to join forces to search for good fortune, but at the same time, all of them view you as their enemy,” said Hua Xinfeng. “Given the circumstances, why shouldn’t we join forces with them too?”
As she spoke, her voice filled with excitement. “So long as we infiltrate their camp, we can use their support to help us search for good fortune in the Sea of Chaotic Spirits. Then, once we find our target, we can catch them off guard and take them all out in one fell swoop!”
Her eyes sparkled. “When the time comes, the fortune hidden in the Immortals’ Sword House will be ours, as well as every treasure they have on them!”
Su Yi fell briefly silent. Then, he stuck up his thumb. “You're treacherous indeed."
Hua Xinfeng giggled. “You flatter me! I’m honored.”
“Then how do you plan to join them?” Su Yi asked with great interest.
“Watch this,” said Hua Xinfeng. She then took a deep breath, rose to her feet, and looked directly at Qin Dongxu. “Senior Qin, my older brother and I are willing to join your cause and hunt that scoundrel Su Yi alongside you!”
All eyes were instantly upon Hua Xinfeng, but many guests were visibly confused. Who is this woman?
Even Qin Dongxu was dumbstruck. He couldn’t help but say, “Please, forgive my ignorance. Might I ask your honorable name and surname, and who your master is?”
This only made the other guests even more confused. The level of tonight’s banquet is such that no ordinary person could possibly participate.
This is a guest qualified to attend, so why is it that Qin Dongxu, the host, doesn’t even know her name?
Qin Dongxu felt immensely awkward too. It was his elderly attendant who’d sent out the invitations. How could he possibly have guessed that there’d be unfamiliar faces present?
Earlier, he had just assumed Hua Xinfeng and Su Yi were juniors someone else had brought to the banquet with them; he had paid them no heed at all.
It was then that his elderly servant rushed up to his side and transmitted, “Your Excellency, that woman carried Lu Yun’s command token. That’s the second disciple of the Hiddensky Sect’s Pomegranate Flame Monarch! I checked, and the command token is no forgery. Thus, I allowed them to participate.”
Qin Dongxu’s pupils constricted. He nodded, but inside, waves coursed through his heart.
The Pomegranate Flame Monarch!
She was a mysterious and terrifying existence, and she hailed from the Great Xia. Most suspected that her cultivation was in the Spirit Dao!
The Pomegranate Flame Monarch had accepted three legacy disciples in the Great Qin. They were, respectively, her first disciple, Xu Yin, her second disciple, Lu Yun, and her third disciple, Ran Chongyang.
All three were peak-level experts within the Origin Dao, and each was more talented and monstrous than the one before!
If this young man and woman came here bearing the command token of the Pomegranate Flame Monarch’s second disciple, not even Qin Dongxu dared underestimate them.
Hua Xinfeng then smiled faintly and said, “Senior Qin, my name is Zhou Feng, and this is my older brother, Zhou Yi. We’re both from the Great Xia. It’s only natural that you wouldn’t know our origins.”
She casually created new identities for herself and Su Yi. Her words and expression were perfectly ordinary; the lies flowed out naturally.
“The Great Xia?” Numerous startled cries rang out.
Gu Qingdu, Clarifying Truth, You Changkong, and the other top experts were visibly caught off guard.
The Great Xia was far, far away from the Great Qin, and it was the true hegemon of the Azure Continent. Throughout the Great Qin’s history, it had always been extremely rare for cultivators of the Great Xia to visit.
When Hua Xinfeng announced their origins, it would have been hard not to attract attention.
Only Qin Dongxu looked enlightened. The Pomegranate Flame Monarch was from the Great Xia, and Lu Yun was her disciple. It made sense that these siblings from the Great Xia would come here bearing the Lu Yun’s command token.
“You wish to help us slay Su Yi?” Qin Dongxu asked warmly.
“Indeed,” said Hua Xinfeng. “Su Yi once offended Her Excellency, the Pomegranate Flame Monarch. Since my brother and I happened upon this opportunity, we naturally won’t remain uninvolved.”
The Pomegranate Flame Monarch!
When they heard Hua Xinfeng bring up this name, the illustrious guests’ expressions changed. They couldn’t help but wonder, Is this woman from the Great Xia working for the Pomegranate Flame Monarch?
Even Su Yi couldn’t help but glance at Hua Xinfeng. She’s piling on lies, one after another. She really dares use the Pomegranate Flame Monarch’s name to conduct her affairs? Isn’t she worried that the Pomegranate Flame Monarch will find out about this and get even?
“That
.” Qin Dongxu hesitated. The way he saw it, the Zhou siblings were strangers. He didn’t feel assured about letting them join in.
Too much was at stake during this operation. If something went wrong, the consequences were unimaginable.
But if he refused, it was highly likely h’d offend them.
Qin Dongxu even suspected that this young man and woman from the Great Xia had come here at the Pomegranate Flame Monarch’s behest. She might well have sent them here to participate in the hunt for good fortune!
If that were really the case, he really couldn’t refuse.
What if he offended the Pomegranate Flame Monarch? That would be terrible!
It was as if the Profound Moon Temple’s Gu Qingdu could read Qin Dongxu’s mind. “Miss, I’m afraid not just anyone can participate in our upcoming operation. If you say you’re acting on the Pomegranate Flame Monarch’s behalf, don’t you think you ought to display your strength and prove that you have the necessary skills first?”
He was probing them.
The other prominent guest nodded.
However, Hua Xinfeng’s brow furrowed, seemingly in displeasure.
“Fine,” she said, sounding resigned. “My brother and I are, after all, not from the Great Qin. It’s understandable that you don’t feel assured about us.”
She pondered momentarily. Then, her face filled with pride and self-confidence; it seemed she’d made up her mind. “How about this? Anyone who wants to try out our skills for themselves is welcome to step right up!”
Her voice spread throughout the entire venue. Numerous people looked askance at her, and all of them were stunned.
The implications were far too arrogant. She was obviously saying that anyone present could spar with her and her brother, no matter who they were. It seemed as if she weren’t the least bit afraid of any of them!
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Shang Luoyu said coldly, “Miss, it seems you’re just a Grain Avoidance cultivator, but you’ve got quite the mouth on you. Aren’t you worried that a defeat will leave your reputation in shambles?”
Hua Xinfeng smiled faintly, then pointed to Su Yi and said with the utmost confidence, “You’ve misunderstood. My elder brother shall fight on my behalf. Don’t let his Xiantian Martial Ancestor cultivation fool you; I’m not exaggerating when I say that he’s strong enough to fight the Great Zhou’s Su Yi to a draw.”
When they heard this, the entire venue was dumbstruck, and disbelief was written all over their faces.