Engagement Banquet

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the 25th day of the first lunar month, Dongshan Academy, located in the eastern part of the city, was the ancestral home of Zuoqiu Courtyard.

Night falls and the city lights begin to twinkle.

The vast and majestic Nine-Courtyard Ancient Mansion, filled with the fragrance of books, is decorated with lanterns and colorful ribbons, creating a festive and peaceful atmosphere.

In the courtyard, some of the direct descendants of Zuoqiu Courtyard, as well as the Jiu Li Tribe members summoned by the Hidden Lord to help make a scene, were all dressed in fine clothes, gathered together, chatting and laughing.

Tonight, Hidden Lord's identity is none other than Li Songgu, the patriarch of the Cangli Tribe.

Although everything was simplified, it was still a lively and elaborate ceremony, very formal.

Zuoqiu Courtyard governed his household according to Confucian principles and placed great importance on etiquette.

Li Songgu prepared eighty-one palanquins of betrothal gifts, each bearing a plaque representing one of the Nine Great Tribes. He used this to formally announce to the world that this engagement was a marriage alliance between the Jiu Li Tribe and the Zuoqiu Courtyard.

"Xue Jian Tang Ting has come to offer his congratulations, presenting two boxes of Thousand-Year Snow Marrow."

"The Wanyan Clan of Yingzhou presents a pair of Gu King Golden Bell."

"Lei Xiao Sect presents an East Sea Coral Treasure Tree."

"Lingxiao Palace... is delivering a copy of the Great Compassion Heart Sutra Mantra Daoist manual!"

Representatives from the Imperial Court included not only younger generations like Ge Xiantong, but also two Imperial Guards over a hundred years old.

Li Weiyi wore a white brocade robe with Cloud Patterned Kirin patterns embroidered on the chest, and a thin gauze overcoat of the same color. Unlike his usual simple attire, he now exuded a sense of refined elegance.

Hidden Twenty-Four and Yao Yin, who were standing beside him, were both Pure Immortal Body with unparalleled beauty, but they were made to look like two little maids by comparison.

They were busy running around, but they didn't complain at all.

It's obvious this is just a show!

"Brother Weiyi, this Great Compassion Heart Sutra Mantra is one I specially picked out for Jiang Ning as a gift for you." Ge Xiantong, a handsome young man, smiled and stepped forward with his hands clasped in greeting.

The power of the field around him was formidable, and his eyes were unfathomable; he had already broken through to the Dao Seed realm.

The invisible aura emanating from it was as if it had ascended to a higher realm.

The saying that each realm in martial arts cultivation is a world unto itself is not an exaggeration.

Facing Qi Xiao, Li Weiyi felt he had a fighting chance; the difference in their cultivation levels wasn't as insurmountable as he thought.

But facing Ge Xiantong now, Li Weiyi felt a strong sense of urgency. The phrase "If you don't advance, you fall behind" was deeply etched into his mind at that moment.

Unfazed by the Dao Seed Realm's domain, Li Weiyi remained calm. "Don't cause trouble. Lord Jiang and I have already severed ties. Aren't you afraid my Fiancée will come after you for this nonsense and reckless behavior?"

Upon recalling the ancient lamp between Zuoqiu Hongting's brows, Ge Xiantong quickly suppressed his smile, "Who dares to cause trouble in Qiuzhou City? Daoist arts are not cheap; this Great Compassion Heart Sutra Mantra is absolutely priceless. Come to Lingxiao City with Li Jiao sometime; it'll be my treat!"

After seeing off the Imperial Court officials, Tang Wanqiu came forward to greet them.

Watching Ge Xiantong's retreating figure, he first offered his congratulations, then whispered, "Brother Weiyi, please don't go to Lingxiao City. There are no perfect people under Xiao Tian Order."

Accompanying Tang Wanqiu was an extremely handsome young man with Pure Immortal Body.

Li Weiyi couldn't make out his features, only a sense of "handsomeness." He was surrounded by mist, as if he were standing in an independent space-time he had created.

The young master had no interest in interacting with the younger generation and walked straight towards Hidden Lord and Zuoqiu Ling, causing space to distort as he moved.

What the three were talking about was inaudible to outsiders.

Li Weiyi sensed an unusual aura. "Who is this?"

"Elder sister, Tang Wanzhou," Tang Wanqiu said.

Li Weiyi exclaimed, "What terrifying cultivation level!"

Tang Wanqiu revealed a proud and smug smile, "My sister is just over thirty years old and her cultivation is too high, so she didn't catch up. If she had participated in the Qianlong Lantern Festival, Xue Jian Tang Ting would never have been defeated, Phoenix-born Unicorn-young to achieve anything great."

Tang Wanqiu's talent is second only to Phoenix-born Unicorn-young, Ge Xiantong, and Zuoqiu Hongting. His confidence in his sister shows that Tang Wanzhou must have real talent and learning.

Li Weiyi remembered this person.

"The north wind knows not that spring is late, snow presses down on fourteen southern prefectures. Tang Wanzhou, the youngest peak in the Cycle Record, is not immortal, yet it can rival immortality—the first person in a thousand years to achieve this, truly awe-inspiring. Young Li, let's also have a drink to celebrate!"

People from the Earth Wolf King Army Shi Liuyu, Shi Jiuzhai, Shi Shishi, and Bai Shu, all came together.

"When!"

With a crisp gong sound, the engagement ceremony officially began.

Zuoqiu Hongting appeared, not dressed as a man, nor in a Daoist robe.

She appeared before everyone for the first time in a gorgeous woman's outfit.

She wore a scarlet dress, her long hair was tied up in a high bun, and she wore a gold hairpin inlaid with jewels. Her waist was slender and graceful, and her skirt trailed on the ground, making her appear as if she were walking on lotus flowers.

Even with a veil, her stunningly beautiful face could still be glimpsed, her eyebrows like distant mountains and her eyes like autumn water.

Zuoqiu Hongting and Li Weiyi walked together towards the center of the courtyard under the watchful eyes of many people.

Exclamations of amazement continued!

Many people did not expect that Zuoqiu Hongting not only possessed unparalleled talent in cultivation, but also had a stunningly beautiful figure that surpassed all others.

"I'm so envious! That Li boy, a peasant, rose step by step, and I watched him become famous throughout the land, marrying the peerless noblewoman of the Zuoqiu Courtyard. It's worse than killing me!" Shi Liuyu wanted to drink his cup in one gulp.

Ge Xiantong sighed, "Zuoqiu Hongting is even more stunning than that night. Her beauty is in no way inferior. Lord Jiang has no competitive edge. No wonder someone else became the son-in-law of the Zuoqiu Courtyard."

The murmurs gradually subsided, leaving only the melodious sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments echoing in the air.

Li Songgu and Zuoqiu Ling each held a red silk ribbon, one end of which was tied to the wrists of Li Weiyi and Zuoqiu Hongting respectively.

At the master of ceremonies' loud call, the two parties exchanged tokens of affection.

Li Weiyi naturally hadn't prepared any tokens, but Li Ling presented a tray with them, which Li Songgu had prepared long ago.

Upon seeing the treasure on the tray, someone exclaimed, "It's the Wind-Fire Dragon-Phoenix Pendant! Separated into the Wind Dragon Pendant and the Fire Phoenix Pendant, both First-Rank Thousand-Character Artifact. Combined, they are Third-Rank Thousand-Character Artifact!"

Li Weiyi took off the Fire Phoenix Pendant and handed it to Zuoqiu Hongting with both hands.

Both of them knew that this was just a formality and didn't take it seriously.

But with everyone watching, the act still had to be performed to the fullest extent.

With eyes full of affection, Zuoqiu Hongting accepted the phoenix pendant and then delicately took out the token prepared by the Zuoqiu Courtyard.

These were two letters personally written by that extraordinary person from the Zuoqiu Courtyard of Confucianism and Daoism. One of them was given to Li Weiyi.

The book was decorated with a blessing.

Each word contains powerful mental energy.

"Wearing this amulet will protect you from even a deadly enemy at the Longevity Realm," Zuoqiu Ling transmitted to Li Weiyi.

"The ceremony is complete!"

The emcee shouted loudly.

"Boom!"

Sparks flew, and the atmosphere became lively again.

Zuoqiu Hongting stepped back, but Li Weiyi was pulled back and everyone stepped forward to offer a toast, which was Zuoqiu Courtyard's Thousand-Year Aged Wine.

After drinking dozens of cups, Li Weiyi, who never drinks alcohol, became somewhat drunk.

Shi Jiuzhai and Shi Shishi rescued him and dragged him to the table Earth Wolf King Army was practicing martial arts.

Li Weiyi, still shaken, quickly clasped his hands in thanks, then looked at Shi Shishi, "Where's Lao Qi? I haven't seen him."

"He's now Overlord of the Mortal World in the mortal realm at the Dao Seed Realm. Just a few days ago, he invited me to his Dao Seed Banquet. That's definitely unusual. Today is your big day, how could he not come?" Shi Shishi.

Bai Shu smiled and said, "Who knows? They've already gone to Fuzhou."

Li Weiyi didn't suspect Yang Qingxi. After all, finding someone was a trivial matter, and with the Qi Family's influence in Qiuzhou, they could easily send a subordinate to handle it.

However, Li Weiyi did not expect that because his engagement to Zuoqiu Hongting was imminent, Qi Xiao was worried that the news would leak and be detrimental to him, so he went there in person.

Li Weiyi recalled Qi Xiao's fervor and excitement when he learned about the Fuzhou Underground a few days ago, and nodded slightly. "It's quite possible! He's someone who's extremely risky in his pursuit of immortality. By the way, what's the situation in Fuzhou now?"

Shi Liuyu chuckled and said, "Fuzhou is the Jiang family's territory. Why don't you go ask that Fairy Yu? The Jiang family knows more about the Fuzhou Underground than anyone else."

Because Jiang Ning can control Seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors, and because Li Weiyi fought against all sides with two swords during the Lantern Festival, the two were linked together by busybodies, and many true and false love stories were spread.

Shi Jiuzhai said, "The confirmed news has come back; it is indeed an underground entrance. However, the so-called Underground Immortal Mansion seems to have been opened tens of thousands of years ago and built into a labyrinthine Ancient Sect Cultivation Ancestral Court."

"We've only explored a dozen or so miles from the entrance so far, and we've already discovered numerous ancient structures, hundreds of passageways, caves, sculptures, stone beasts, training grounds, altars..."

"If you continue deeper, you will encounter extremely terrible dangers."

"Countless experts from the Five Seas Realm have died or been injured, and even some senior experts from the Dao Seed Realm have perished."

"It is said that someone has found Ancient Relics and Dao Technique Stone Wall, belonging to a major sect from tens of thousands of years ago. Others have unearthed Thousand-Year Elixir, dating back five thousand years, extremely rare and of inestimable value."

Bai Shu was moved and exclaimed in surprise, "A thousand-year-old refined medicine is already very rare. Apart from the Medicinal Field of the major Myriad Gate Families, one can only search for it in the Netherworld of the Departed and some dangerous secret realms. A five-thousand-year-old refined medicine, even the Myriad Gate Families don't have it, right?"

Shi Liuyu was very interested and eager to try. "The church was built in a Fengfu World as huge as a prefecture, and then due to some Unknown Calamity, the entire church sank underground and was buried for tens of thousands of years. Now it has finally seen the light of day again. The treasures inside are simply unimaginable."

Li Weiyi asked, "What kind of great sect is it? Is there any explanation?"

Shi Jiuzhai said, "It's hard to say. That happened tens of thousands of years ago, and the rulers of this land have changed countless times since then. We can only wait for more news from the explorations to come back, and then cross-reference it with the records in ancient books before we can make a deduction. It must be related to a great sect that gave birth to ancient immortals..."

"Boom!"

Outside the ancestral home, Lightning Eruption and the earth shook.

More than a dozen Gilded Lacquer Boxes containing congratulatory gifts burst open, releasing energy that revealed them to be Thunder Law Profound Ice.

The sudden turn of events alarmed the experts in the courtyard, who all used their movement techniques to rush outside.

"Who has the audacity to cause trouble at Zuoqiu's residence?"

Shi Jiuzhai and Shi Liuyu had just gotten up, wanting to go out and see what was going on.

Suddenly...

A dangerous force that chilled them to the bone erupted from several feet away on their right.

A black-clad figure, who had been invisible, suddenly appeared out of thin air, flashed forward, and swung his sword at Li Weiyi's head.

The garden was filled with murderous intent, its atmosphere powerful and terrifying.

"Boom!"

Shi Jiuzhai and Shi Liuyu, whose strength was enough to be recorded in the "Cycle Record", released their Dao Heart Manifestation. The howling of wolves rang out from within them, breaking through the opponent's mental suppression, and each formed a palm and struck out.

But it's too slow!

The two of them were frozen in mid-air, only able to watch helplessly as the sword struck Li Weiyi's head.

The two were terrified, their pupils constricting as they realized that the assassin's cultivation was extremely terrifying, possibly that of a Longevity Realm Expert.