Within the Pan Shi Dongfu, Yu Heyue sat cross-legged on a futon, cultivating in deep concentration.

Suddenly, his skin began to glow with a five-colored halo, shifting erratically between red, yellow, blue, white, and black. His aura became extremely unstable, at times raging and at other times wilting.

His brows were furrowed, sweat beaded on his body, and he gritted his teeth, struggling to stabilize the chaotic spiritual power within him.

Finally, his perseverance paid off.

With a muffled groan, he spat out a small mouthful of fresh blood, slowly opened his eyes, and exhaled a long breath.

After a period of meditation, someone reported from outside the door: “Master, the matter has been handled. The newcomer chose the twelve mid-grade spirit stones and, under my supervision, moved out of the Shi Quan Dongfu on the spot.”

“Mmm.” Yu Heyue forced himself to speak, nodding slightly. “The Fei Yun Da Hui is approaching, and similar situations may arise. You are responsible for this; do not let any unnecessary idle people rent dongfu here. I need peace and quiet!”

“Understood, Master.” The sound of the Foundation Establishment cultivator leaving came from outside the door.

Only then did Yu Heyue exhale another long breath, his entire being appearing weary.

He didn’t care who the newcomer he had ordered to be expelled was.

Being able to rent a dongfu here meant they had no connections in the Wan Xiang Zong. And what power could a mere young Foundation Establishment cultivator possess?

Indeed, there were many Foundation Establishment geniuses who could cross realms to fight Golden Core cultivators. But could he encounter such a genius?

The probability was too low.

Besides, would a genius cultivator easily bow for just twelve mid-grade spirit stones?

For most cultivators, moving out of a dongfu for a sum of money was a welcome offer.

Yu Heyue quickly cast this trivial matter out of his mind.

At Zui Xian Ju.

In a top-floor private room.

A round table made of千年锦鲤木 (qian nian jin li mu) glowed, reflecting like a mirror, subtly emitting a calming woody fragrance.

Shen Xi sat in the main seat, his slender fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of a warm jade cup. His cousin, Su Lingkou, looked out the window, her eyes bright and animated, captivated by a large group of flying shuttles racing.

It was night, and these shuttles, carrying cultivators, each emitted colorful lights, rapidly weaving between the mountain peaks with extraordinary agility.

Opposite the two sat a young cultivator.

He wore a dark blue robe with gold trim. His face was well-defined, and his eyes were peaceful and deep, like a secluded valley filled with ancient trees.

His surname was Lin, and his given name was Jinglong.

He glanced out the window and smiled, saying, “I remember that Brother Situ also enjoyed such competitions in his early years. Each time, his flying shuttle would rush to the very front, like a meteor streaking across the night sky.”

Shen Xi was also drawn into his memories. “Judging by the time, Brother Situ should be arriving soon.”

“When I was in Jiu Gong Xian Cheng, I already exchanged messages with Brother Situ about forming an alliance. It happened to be during your cultivation retreat, so now, we can discuss it first.”

Lin Jinglong nodded. Before Shen Xi could continue, he replied, “The Fei Yun Da Hui this time is a convergence of forces. All cultivators in Fei Yun Guo, if they have the intention and ability, will gather to compete for a high position to join the Wan Xiang Zong.”

“Although the three of us are exceptionally talented and the elites of our generation, going it alone might be risky.”

“An alliance is inevitable!”

Shen Xi smiled; Lin Jinglong’s response was as he expected.

Su Lingkou withdrew her gaze and took the opportunity to compliment Lin Jinglong.

Lin Jinglong picked up his jade cup and took a light sip of spirit tea. “However, to succeed, we must first gather strength. You, I, and Situ Xing can be the core. Besides that, we still need more arms.”

“After all, the tasks in the Fei Yun Da Hui are all accumulated from the Wan Xiang Zong’s usual work, and they are incredibly diverse. Uniting more talents makes it more likely to solve the most tasks as quickly as possible.”

“I have twenty-eight reliable people accompanying me on this journey north. Among them, three are at the late Foundation Establishment stage, five at the middle stage, eight at the early stage, and the rest are elite at the peak Qi Refining stage.”

Shen Xi leaned back in his chair and looked at Su Lingkou, who was sitting beside him. “Lingkou is my closest relative and is willing to stay by my side. I didn’t bring anyone else.”

Lin Jinglong said, “Every family has its own difficult challenges. The Shen family indeed needs to fully hold down Jiu Gong Xian Cheng.”

Shen Xi tapped his fingertip lightly on the smooth tabletop. “However, I have noticed a talented individual. His name is Ning Zhuo…”

Just then, the door to the private room silently opened, and a young man with an air of aloofness stepped in.

His silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, his dark blue magic robe shimmered with starlight, his nose was high, and his eyes were long and narrow. “Brother Shen, Brother Lin, I apologize for the wait.”

Shen Xi nodded, a smile on his face. “It’s good that Brother Situ has arrived.”

After Situ Xing sat down, he asked, “Just now, outside the door, I heard Brother Shen mention Ning Zhuo?”

“Ever since you sent me a message, showing interest in this person and wanting to invite him to join us, I dispatched someone to investigate him.”

“Just this evening, he had just rented a dongfu when he was expelled.”

“Oh?” A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Xi’s eyes.

Situ Xing explained, “The Golden Core cultivator Yu Heyue of Pan Shi Dongfu began assembling his team years ago, in preparation for making a big splash in this Fei Yun Da Hui.”

“He has driven away many cultivators who rented dongfu near him, and Ning Zhuo is the most recent example.”

“Yu Heyue sent someone to give Ning Zhuo ten mid-grade spirit stones, and he obediently moved out.”

“With such a disposition, how can he be our equal?”

Lin Jinglong remained silent, looking at Shen Xi.

Shen Xi frowned slightly. This news was unexpected, and he fell into contemplation.

Su Lingkou, meanwhile, hurriedly shook her magic bell, timely urging, “Shopkeeper, serve the dishes.”

Several attendants immediately entered in a line, breaking the awkward atmosphere, and presented a series of delicacies to the table.

There was Jin Yu Que She Geng.

In the fine white porcelain bowl, the soup was clear and golden, like melted sunlight, with delicate sparrow tongues floating within, tender as jade. Just smelling its aroma made one feel their spiritual power begin to activate and grow.

There was Bing Po Yin Lin Yu.

This rare spirit fish, taken from the depths of a ten-thousand-foot cold pool, had glistening silver scales all over its body, instantly frozen at its freshest moment by the finest ice-element magic.

The fish lay on a bed of century-old Xuan Bing, with slices of fish sashimi as thin as cicada wings, translucent and ethereal. Amidst the chilling aura, it seemed as if ice crystals flowed through the fish’s flesh.

And there was Cai Yun Ling Bao Fan.

The spirit rice itself came in three colors—Chi Xia Mi, Xuan Yu Jing, and Bi Yun He—each grain plump like a precious pearl. It was steamed in a specially made spiritual cauldron using dozens of types of spiritual spring water and enhanced with the steam of high-grade spirit stones. The rice grains were distinctly colored, imbued with a spiritual aura, as if tangible colored mist enveloped them.

Lin Jinglong savored the Cai Yun Ling Bao Fan. The gentle yet immense spiritual energy from the spirit food flowed continuously. After a while, he sincerely sighed, “As expected of Zui Xian Ju. Spirit food of this caliber can only be afforded by top sects.”

Su Lingkou praised the Jin Yu Que She Geng endlessly: “It melts in your mouth, your thoughts transform into birds, and your divine sense is like lightning—extraordinarily wonderful.”

Situ Xing ate the most Bing Po fish slices. Each slice of sashimi, when placed in the mouth, had an exquisite sweetness and icy chill that instantly exploded on the tongue, giving the diner a cool and refreshing taste sensation while also enhancing the soul’s foundation.

“Bing Po Yin Yu, cold but not harmful. This plate of spirit food alone has increased my human soul’s foundation by fifteen years!”

Situ Xing looked at Shen Xi. “This time, Brother Shen, you’ve gone to great expense, haha.”

Shen Xi smiled, first exchanging a few polite words, then brought up Ning Zhuo again, stating that he thought highly of this person and suspected there might be hidden circumstances.

Situ Xing let out a cold laugh. “Brother Shen, you know my nature. I, Situ Xing, detest foolishness the most and despise weaklings who lack self-awareness.”

“At seven, I cultivated Qi, and starlight surged from my breathing. At nine, I broke through the third level of Qi Refining—at which time, mediocrities were still identifying their meridians.”

“It only took me 140 days to cultivate the top-tier technique, Shen Hai Xing Jian Yin, and forge my Dao foundation.”

“I observe the stars at night and refine my essence and spirit during the day. By sixteen, my spirit and Qi merged, and my middle Dantian produced treasures like a surging galaxy!”

“At twenty-one, my Shen Hai spontaneously generated a divine intent to guide the star talismans. Now, at twenty-eight, I have formed a nascent Golden Core.”

Situ Xing swept his gaze over Su Lingkou, then paused on Shen Xi and Lin Jinglong’s faces. “Only the strong are worthy of standing beside me! Only elites are worthy of accompanying me. Some mere insignificant figures, whose temperament isn’t even up to par and are unworthy of attention, should not casually cling on and provoke my disgust.”

Shen Xi remained silent, and the atmosphere became awkward again.

This time, Su Lingkou also felt Situ Xing’s disdain and couldn’t help but feel a bit angry.

Seeing this, Lin Jinglong gave a wry smile and interjected, “Brother Situ is not wrong; Ning Zhuo’s retreat indeed shows weakness. However, Yu Heyue… is no ordinary Golden Core cultivator.”

“This person has late-stage Golden Core cultivation and primarily practices Ni Wu Xing Mo Gong. His combat power is outstanding. At one point, he was widely regarded as the cultivator most likely to gain a true disciple’s identity in the sect.”

“Now, with his lifespan nearing its end, he has long been accumulating power, waiting for this Fei Yun Da Hui to seize his last opportunity.”

“Ning Zhuo is merely at Foundation Establishment. Facing such an experienced old monster, and with the opponent using power to suppress him and spirit stones to clear the way, not a fight to the death, choosing to temporarily avoid the brunt… is also understandable.”

Situ Xing snorted, “What if he’s Golden Core? What if it’s Ni Wu Xing Mo Gong? If he dares to occupy it by force, I dare to draw my sword! Even if I’m no match, I’ll test the mettle of this Golden Core cultivator! Let him know that Foundation Establishment cultivators are not to be kneaded at will!”

“Without even this much courage and spirit, how can one contend in a Shura-like place like the Fei Yun Da Hui? How can he be worthy of Brother Shen’s special regard, and how can he be worthy of being our comrade?”

Shen Xi shook his head. “Brother Situ is as bold and resolute as ever, sharp and strong. But forgive my frankness, in the Foundation Establishment realm, how many can directly face a late-stage Golden Core cultivator?”

“Those who can achieve this, like the three of us, which one is not favored by heaven and earth, one in ten thousand?”

Lin Jinglong nodded. “Jiu Gong Xian Cheng is one of the top five great cities in Fei Yun Guo, yet in sixty years, only Brother Shen Xi has emerged as a genius capable of directly fighting a Golden Core cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage.”

“Cultivators like us are truly as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.”

Situ Xing snorted, no longer refuting. “Suit yourselves. But if it were someone I valued, there would be no such cowardly act!”

“Also.”

“The three of us are allied, but we still need to determine who is superior and who is inferior.”

“In my opinion, after this meal, let’s head to the Yan Wu Tang tonight for a good competition!”

Shen Xi and Lin Jinglong’s attention was immediately drawn.

Both had long harbored a desire to battle.

The three competed until dawn the next day.

As they parted, Lin Jinglong advised, “According to the established customs of the Wan Xiang Zong, for the three of us to form an alliance, besides recruiting people, we must also establish a mountain stronghold, encompassing all the dongfu on that peak.”

“Only by demonstrating such strength can others be inspired to join.”

“Yu Heyue did exactly that.”

Situ Xing nodded. “I will go and scout for a mountain peak and contact you by message in time.”

He had secured first place in the competition, full of vigor, his sword light like a star piercing the sky, vanishing in an instant.

Lin Jinglong and Shen Xi bowed in farewell.

Su Lingkou linked her arm with her cousin’s, a bit disgruntled. “Brother, you clearly let him win. Does Situ Xing really think he took first place? Hmph!”

Shen Xi shook his head. “His direct combat power is indeed outstanding. If I were to fully unleash my strength, I would need to set up formations in advance.”

“Losing to him was also part of my plan.”

“I intend to use him as a sharp sword to clear obstacles and brave the wind and waves.”

“Not just me, Lin Jinglong also has the same intention. I can also sense that he held back.”

Su Lingkou’s eyes immediately lit up. “So, you drawing with Lin Jinglong was also intentional?”

Shen Xi frowned slightly, sighed, and admitted, “Neither of us wanted the leader’s position, but both were interested in the second spot.”

“After competing, we both found that we would have to reveal more trump cards to secure a victory. But doing so would be overdoing it.”

“Thus, Brother Lin and I, by unspoken agreement, both held back at the same time.”

Just then, a flying message fluttered down, landing in Shen Xi’s hand.

Shen Xi unfolded the message, a faint smile on his face. He then handed it to Su Lingkou. “Let’s go, we’re going to meet Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo.”

Su Lingkou saw that the message only contained Ning Zhuo’s current location and asked, puzzled, “Brother, why do we still need to see this outsider? Situ Xing has clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with Ning Zhuo. Why should we risk souring our relationship with Situ Xing just to recruit an outsider?”

“After all, he is already our leader now.”

Shen Xi said, “I don’t believe Ning Zhuo is someone who easily backs down.”

“And do you think Situ Xing’s immediate criticism of Ning Zhuo was merely because he disliked Ning Zhuo’s retreat?”

Su Lingkou gasped, “Ah?”

Shen Xi’s gaze was profound. “He is using the opportunity to criticize Ning Zhuo to undermine my prestige. After all, in our last encounter, he failed to break through my siege formation within the agreed time.”

“If I easily give up on Ning Zhuo now, this might become a reason for him to suppress me in this temporary alliance in the future.”

Su Lingkou gasped again, a bit anxious. “Then what should we do?”

Shen Xi showed a faint smile. “Let’s go, perhaps we can give our friend a little help.”

Having been enlightened by Shen Xi, Su Lingkou now understood the current situation.

Wherever there are people, there are rivalries.

Even alliances among friends must have a hierarchy. Moreover, the relationship between Shen, Lin, and Situ was primarily competitive, with camaraderie being secondary.

Ning Zhuo had become a crucial point in the power struggle between Situ Xing and Shen Xi.

Su Lingkou worriedly said, “Alas, I hope Ning Zhuo can rise to the occasion.”