Imperial Garden Banquet

This royal palace blends seamlessly into the natural landscape, with pavilions, arched bridges, flowing water, and ripples on a small blue lake. Every ten steps reveals a new scene, and amidst the swaying trees, the eaves and brackets are outlined in pale gold by the Fire Haze.

The palace was filled with guests, including young girls in flowing feathered robes, an old man shrouded in a hazy Divine Ring, and a heroic man with silver wings. From humans to other races, everyone was dressed in magnificent attire and wore smiles, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Yao Ruoxian looked at Qin Ming and talked to him about exploring the Yin Soil Ghost Path ruins. Clearly, she recognized him and knew that she had hired him before.

Although she was the Fourth Princess of the Great Yu Dynasty, she was very gentle and refined here, because all the people coming and going were cultivators, each with their own background, and some of them were even feared by the Great Yu Royal Family.

"Every time we Great Wilderness Expansion deep into the Night Mist World, extraordinary individuals rise rapidly. It's a moment that's both cruel and glorious..." Yao Ruoxian was extremely beautiful, with a captivating smile, as she invited Qin Ming to explore the Immortal Grave area together.

She admitted that the two sides had worked together before and now knew each other quite well.

Qin Ming smiled and nodded, indicating that he would seriously consider it.

He vividly remembered that this person's cultivation was more powerful than many high-level Immortal Seed. She was quite ruthless when she used people, and taking her Day Gold really required fighting to the death.

On Yao Ruoxian's shoulder, the crimson four-winged bird was rolling its eyes. It was very vengeful and already knew that this was the fierce young man who had shaved its head with an iron arrow.

The person in charge of tonight's banquet, the Imperial Uncle of the Great Yu Dynasty, is personally entertaining a group of old fellows, all of whom are quite powerful figures.

Other guests from the middle and younger generations naturally fell to Yao Ruoxian and other members of the royal family.

By this time, Wu Yaozu and Xiang Yiwu had already blended into the crowd and gone their separate ways.

After a brief conversation with Yao Ruoxian, Qin Ming wandered around casually. He knew that if anyone in the Helian Family wanted to cause trouble, they would come knocking on his door now that he had appeared.

After several matches at South Heaven Gate, his reputation and status rose significantly, and many attendees recognized him and took the initiative to approach him for conversation.

Qin Ming occasionally clinked glasses with people, responding calmly as he waited for his target to appear.

"Should I call you Qin Ming, or should I address you as Li Ye?" A familiar face appeared; it was Tang Xumi, who had crossed paths with Qin Ming many times before at the Luofu Immortal Mountain Ruins.

He had already guessed that the young man surnamed Li who was with Li Qingyue back then was probably Qin Ming now.

"You still owe me a copy of the <Divine Ape Scripture>!" Qin Ming no longer tried to hide it.

"That's just a fragment. I'll give you a complete copy of this Extraordinary Art later," Tang Xumi said with a smile.

"Congratulations on becoming Immortal Seed, your wish has been fulfilled." Qin Ming had a good impression of him; when he wanted to buy the Overlord's Testament, Tang Xumi had even spoken up for him.

"Before the Great Wilderness Expansion, I finally qualified," Tang Xumi said. He had gone through many twists and turns, and finally fought his way up based on his strength.

"Qin Ming." A woman with exceptionally outstanding looks walked over. Her appearance was dignified and beautiful, and her body radiated a luminous glow. She possessed a transcendent and sacred aura, which made many young men who wanted to approach her feel ashamed and silently retreat.

Her Mental Aura is very special and can influence the minds of many young people.

Qin Ming knew "Miss Zhao".

Zhao Qingcheng held an extremely high position among her peers in the Esoteric Sect, and was as famous as Cheng Sheng, considered one of the most renowned God Seed.

Without uttering any unnecessary words, she secretly transmitted her voice. "Qing Yue said she'll handle those matters herself; you mustn't make any moves."

Qin Ming knew that Li Qingyue was exceptionally capable, but this time was different. Who could shake such a behemoth as the Imperial Immortal Sect?

Who would dare to touch it? If the Imperial Immortal Sect were to emerge, it would be enough to plunge an entire region into a deathly silence, leaving many people unable to breathe.

Li Qingyue was probably afraid that he would act impulsively and bring about his own death.

Qin Ming sighed, "I know what to do. I'm only at the Second Realm; I can't possibly shake a tree like an ant. I'm only here today to test the pressure."

He believed that the old monster who had reached the Seventh Realm certainly didn't know who he was, and his gaze had never fallen on a young man like him.

Even the Grandmaster of the Imperial Immortal Sect probably wouldn't know who he was if he didn't deliberately lower his head.

If someone is causing trouble, it's probably just a young member of the Helian Family.

Zhao Qingcheng spoke little, exuding a cold and aloof beauty. After giving her instructions, she left, her black hair flowing in the wind, her beautiful figure blending into the crowd.

There were many guests at the event, gathered in small groups, talking about the Great Wilderness Expansion work, including the local customs and traditions, as well as various dangers and fortuitous opportunity.

The Sun Elf Race were very popular in the arena, surrounded by a large group of people. Who wouldn't want to hear more valuable information from the locals?

The Immortal Path naturally has multiple channels for obtaining information, and even some Ancestor have personally traveled far and wide to conduct secret research on the ground; otherwise, how could they dare to delve so deeply?

The crystal chandeliers hanging high in the dome reflected the blazing auspicious clouds, like a cascade of stars, illuminating the palace in a golden splendor.

Qin Ming saw many familiar faces when a woman came into his view. She had jet-black hair, bright, expressive eyes, and seemed to have a natural love of smiling. She gracefully approached him.

"You shouldn't have come here," Wang Caiwei whispered.

Qin Ming remained silent. Did everyone think he had shown up to cause trouble?

"You shouldn't have come over either," he replied.

Because he noticed Cui Chonghe looking over.

He and Wang Caiwei had nothing to do with each other from beginning to end, and had very little interaction. He was unfairly blamed for a lot of things.

"It's nothing." Wang Caiwei smiled.

What else could Qin Ming do? He simply raised his glass to the charismatic Cui Chonghe and then drank it all in one gulp.

Cui Chonghe glanced at them calmly without any reaction, then resumed his conversation with the prince of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Qin Ming began, "Back then, I received a secret manual wrapped in oiled paper in Red Haze City."

"I gave it to you, the Five Thunder Refinement Art," Wang Caiwei readily admitted.

"Thank you!" Qin Ming said.

Wang Caiwei held a crystal wine glass with her fair, jade-like fingers, took a small sip of the wine, and said, "From what I know of Qing Yue, she is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, and she will not compromise. But this time she will face a difficult situation. Even with her exceptional intelligence and methods, she will be powerless. The Imperial Immortal Sect has a powerful expert with one foot in the Seventh Realm, standing like atop a cloud, overlooking the world. People say it's easy to shake an immortal, but to shake this sect is extremely difficult."

Qin Ming pondered that Qing Yue probably wouldn't ask anyone for help or leverage. After all, if the direct descendants of the Helian Family insisted on going their own way, asking anyone to step forward would be tantamount to dragging them down into a terrible quagmire.

He understood why Li Qingyue looked tired.

Wang Caiwei secretly transmitted her voice. "If this matter goes smoothly, it's fine, but if it ends up provoking the Old Heavenly Immortal of the Helian clan, even if other Ancestor intervene, they will be suppressed."

"Heavenly Immortal?" Qin Ming was taken aback.

Wang Caiwei's expression was solemn as she said, "Yes, that's the respectful way people address him. It's best not to mention 'old monster' here; it's disrespectful, and even whispering it might trigger something."

Qin Ming further realized just how terrifying the Old Ancestor of the Imperial Immortal Sect was; he truly possessed an aura that could suppress the world.

"Has Siqi arrived?" Qin Ming inquired about his friend's whereabouts. The "Li Fire Scripture," which was very important to him, was a gift from Ning Siqi.

Wang Caiwei said, "My cousin is currently in seclusion in the Esoteric Sect. The Ning family values him quite a bit and gave him a piece of Divine Nature substance from their clan that had been purified by their ancestors."

After a brief conversation, she gracefully departed.

Then, Qin Ming saw Pei Shuyan.

He was handsome and had an outstanding appearance and demeanor as he walked towards this side.

When Qin Ming received the bronze ring, he initially thought it was Pei's doing, since the Pei Family had a deep-rooted presence in the Beyond the Mundane.

"Let's talk about it sometime later," Pei Shuyan said.

"Okay!" Qin Ming nodded, at least for now the other party didn't seem to have any ill intentions.

Pei Shuyan said, "Seeing Luofu decline, some Imperial Immortal Sect have started to have designs on it. What will the other Immortal Path think? It's not like something bad will happen immediately before the Great Wilderness Expansion."

He was so direct, he actually said such a thing.

Qin Ming secretly wondered, "After the Great Wilderness Expansion, does the Imperial Immortal Sect dare to...? Could it be that Helian Old Monster is planning to fully advance to the Seventh Realm?"

"That's possible!" Pei Shuyan nodded solemnly.

The palace was brightly lit and filled with guests when a commotion arose not far away.

"The Helian Family is quite the show-off; even that old imperial uncle is personally chatting with a junior," Pei Shuyan remarked.

Qin Ming observed that the Helian Family held a truly high position; a young man had already alarmed the high-ranking members of the Great Yu Royal Family.

He was a very handsome young man in white robes, surrounded by many people. He seemed to be radiating light, and many people, whether nobles or cultivators from various paths, took the initiative to come forward and chat with him.

After the battle on the moon, Qin Ming's reputation has recently soared, but compared to the man in white, he pales in comparison.

The place was packed with people, and the young members of the Helian Family were very popular.

Qin Ming recognized that the man in white had once stood on a high-rise building and looked down at him.

A moment later, a young man walked in from the palace gate, accompanied by a small group of people.

He was at most eleven or twelve years old, with jet-black hair, bright eyes, and an outstanding appearance. He was dressed very elegantly, and his clothes and jade pendants appeared to be rare treasures, faintly shimmering with a precious light.

Qin Ming recognized him as the boy who had ordered them to be evicted from their lodgings on the moon.

Then, he heard the man in white call him Helian Mingxu.

The Helian Family hadn't shown up before, but now two of them have suddenly appeared.

The young man and boy in white instantly became the center of attention in the palace, surrounded by admirers.

Over a long period of time, the people there gradually dispersed.

After the atmosphere in the palace returned to normal, the young man in white started walking towards Qin Ming.

The handsome young man Helian Mingxu, with his rosy lips and white teeth, frowned slightly and glanced in this direction. The jade pendant at his waist jingled as he followed.

Qin Ming knew that once he reappeared after many days of seclusion, the person who wanted to exert pressure would come knocking on his door.

He just hadn't expected that two people would show up at once.

The man in white was tall and slender, with shiny black hair, long, thin eyebrows, and bright, black eyes like gemstones. His facial features were quite defined.

Although Qin Ming had no good feelings towards the Helian Family, he had to admit that this person was very handsome.

"You must be Qin Ming? Come with me." The young man in white spoke, a faint smile on his face.

Qin Ming usually controlled his emotions, but now he was also a little tempted to explode. He had experienced the domineering nature of the Helian Family from his first encounter with them.

What kind of talk is this? This man in white wanted to "take him in" the moment they met!

Beside him, the young man in brocade robes Helian Mingxu, raised his eyebrows slightly, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied.

The words, actions, and expressions of these two were truly excessive. One calmly stated the fact that he wanted to recruit people, while the other was picky and not satisfied.

This scene made Qin Ming want to grab them both and crush them with his bare hands.

"What, you're unwilling? Come with me into the Immortal Grave territory to dig up the Divine Tomb; there will be many benefits," the man in white said.

As he spoke, he covered his mouth with his hand and chuckled.

Qin Ming was immediately taken aback. What kind of "breed" was this? It even had a bit of an effeminate manner.

"I don't want to," he said calmly, feeling that the Helian Family had gone too far!

At the same time, Qin Ming activated his "Eye of New Life" and looked carefully ahead.

"Huh?" He was taken aback.

This somewhat effeminate-looking person in white appears to be... a woman.

He examined it carefully again and again; it was indeed genuine, a young woman.

This man in white is robbing men and women, does he want everything? Qin Ming was furious!