By Xixin Lake

Bi Changchun glanced at him indifferently and said, "The Demon Ghost Domain was originally created by the Myriad Sword Demon Lord. Some things about him have been passed down from generation to generation by the Punishment Envoy, and they will not be revealed to outsiders. You had the opportunity to know, but you gave it up. Even so, I can give you another chance. If you swear to take over as the next Punishment Envoy, I will tell you without you having to ask. Do you really want to know?"

"Uh..." Nong Zhu, who had been dawdling and acting spoiled, froze, her face twitching. After a while, she shrank back and said awkwardly, "I was just asking casually. If you don't want to answer, that's fine. Why take it so seriously?"

"Didn't you want to know?" Bi Changchun sneered. "I still trust the judgment of the previous Punishment Envoy."

Nong Zhu waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Forget it, forget it. That old thing is terrifying to even think about. You should just tell your precious disciple."

Asking him to put the shackles of the Demon Ghost Domain on a secret that has nothing to do with him would be a huge loss. He lives such a carefree life now, eating when he wants, sleeping when he wants, leaving when he wants, staying when he wants—the world is vast and he can roam freely as he pleases.

"Go and come back soon!" Bi Changchun coldly retorted, urging him to hurry up and get things done, instead of dawdling around.

"Hmph!" Nong Zhu got up unhappily, tugging at her clothes as she said, "Running into you is the worst luck I've ever had. I'm always being sent around by you. It's just asking a question! Why don't you go yourself? Why do you always make me relay the message?"

That being said, he also understood that if Bi Changchun were to openly search for people across the various kingdoms, the commotion would be far too great. This guy didn't reveal himself easily, but when he did, it would shock the entire world, likely causing widespread panic among cultivators. Those who didn't know better would think some major event was about to occur. There was no way around it; his reputation was simply too formidable!

As Nong Zhu suddenly turned around and asked, "Judging from the news Wen Lanfeng has been sending lately, Yue Qianchou's troubles seem to be getting bigger and bigger. Aren't you afraid that he won't be able to handle the situation?"

"There's nothing wrong with it. The bigger the commotion, the better. It'll only cause him more trouble if things get too quiet. Let him get used to it, and then I can leave in peace," Bi Changchun said calmly.

"Uh..." Nong Zhu was speechless, really wanting to call him a madman. It turned out that this old man really let his disciple do whatever he wanted, using the entire Cultivation World as a whetstone for his disciple's growth.

My mood has been too volatile today, and I don't want to be upset anymore. Nong Zhu flashed outside, went into the communication array left by the Ancestor Nanming, sent a message to Wen Lanfeng, and then quickly soared away...

The sacred land of the Biyuan Kingdom is covered with ancient trees that stretch to the sky. Deep within the dense forest, the surface of 'Xixin Lake' is as still as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds, with various birds occasionally flying by. Pavilions and buildings are built along the lake, and the morning mist rises like smoke, making it seem like a fairyland.

This was the place where the Biyuan Kingdom entertained guests. People occasionally strolled among the pavilions and towers, and groups of three or five cultivators met and chatted. People would occasionally descend from the sky, most of them refusing the disciples sent by the Wen family to introduce them, and directly joining the crowd of cultivators to talk and laugh.

Just then, a whooshing sound came from the air. The voice didn't sound like that of an ordinary expert, causing everyone to look up. As soon as they looked up, they saw an old man in black robes hovering in mid-air. He laughed loudly and said, "Brother Changshou, I didn't expect you to arrive before me."

The newcomer was Yin Baikang. Many people greeted him, while others turned their heads away in disgust.

Below, on a platform extending into the lake, stood four people. Compared to other areas, this platform was relatively large, yet the number of people seemed somewhat small. The reason was simple: the four below were among the top ten experts in the Cultivation World, all at the late Spirit Transformation stage.

There are also circles among cultivators, and those who are not of a high enough level find it difficult to gather together. Just like in the secular world, the top figures are too high-level to have anything in common with those of lower level, and the lesser figures can't afford to associate with them.

"Yin Baikang, you're late!" said the gray-robed old man who was sitting alone by the railing. This man was none other than Hu Changshou, the lord of the Dongzheng Kingdom and the master of the Tianfeng Cloud Palace.

Yin Baikang landed beside him with a string of afterimages. Before he could even speak, someone chuckled and said, "Yin Baikang, you look to be in good spirits!"

Yin Baikang glanced back, then gave a curt bow to the three people gathered a few meters away, saying, "Pei Fang, Ouyang Da, and Qi Jiujun, it's been a long time!"

The three exchanged a knowing smile. A large, fat man in blue clothes slowly moved towards Yin Baikang. He was round and chubby, with an oily face, looking every bit like a wealthy landlord. This man was none other than Pei Fang, the lord of the Qianxi Kingdom and a late Spirit Transformation stage expert.

He nodded solemnly and said, "It has been a long time. I heard that your grandson was kidnapped last time, and I wanted to see you and comfort you. Who knew you would actually be willing to take out three hundred million high-grade Spirit Stones to ransom him? I was quite surprised! No wonder you are the boss behind the World Commerce Association, you are rich!"

The two stood side by side, their heights roughly the same, but one was fat and the other thin, their sizes vastly different. Yin Baikang narrowed his eyes and sneered, "Fatty Pei, you got away with it last time, do you want another fight today?"

"What do you mean I got away by luck? Last time, your fat grandpa had an emergency and left first. What? You want another fight here?" Pei Fang looked around, his fat face jiggling, and clicked his tongue. "I have no objection, I'm ready anytime. However, this place is beautiful, and it's Wen Lanfeng's territory. I'm afraid you old ghost Yin don't have the guts!"

"If you, Fatty Pei, aren't afraid, do you think I'm afraid? If you dare to come, I'll take you on," Yin Baikang retorted sharply. At this moment, the lords of the surrounding countries were all watching. Even if they were wary of Wen Lanfeng, they couldn't afford to lose face in public.

Ouyang Da and Qi Jiujun exchanged a glance and slowly walked to Pei Fang's left and right sides. The former said indifferently, "Sharing happiness is better than enjoying it alone. Do you two mind if we two get involved too?"

"Not bad!" Qi Jiujun, dressed in a golden robe, echoed.

He was the lord of the Jiutai Kingdom, and the former was the lord of the Daliao Kingdom. Both were late Spirit Transformation stage, and they were allies with Pei Fang. Their words sounded pleasant, seemingly just for show. But those around them could see clearly that their intention was obvious: they wanted to take on Yin Baikang in a three-on-one fight.

Yin Baikang chuckled and turned around, saying, "Brother Changshou, it's quite a lively occasion!" His tone was meaningful.

Hu Changshou, with his hands behind his back facing the Xixin Lake, said without turning his head, "Since it's going to be lively, the more people there are, the more lively it will be. Count me in."

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