Banquet

Three days later!

After finishing his day's cultivation, Ye Qingxuan left his small courtyard and headed toward the plaza at the center of the Blessed Cultivator Courtyard.

The Blessed Cultivator Courtyard was not actually large, covering only a little over a thousand square kilometers.

Having lived in the Blessed Cultivator Courtyard for so long, this was Ye Qingxuan's first time observing its internal environment up close.

Usually, Ye Qingxuan traveled directly by Sword Flight, seeing the Blessed Cultivator Courtyard only from high altitude above.

After walking for quite some time, Ye Qingxuan found that most of the Blessed Cultivator Courtyard consisted of courtyards of identical size. The Ornamental Spirit Plants outside them held no attraction for him either.

Rather than looking at these, he might as well casually find a mountain peak in the Xuantian Mountain Range. Most of the peaks there were immortally spirited and beautiful, with countless wonderful plants and animals of every kind.

Thus, Ye Qingxuan gave up on walking and directly summoned his flying sword, riding it toward the Central Plaza of the Blessed Cultivator Courtyard.

After arriving near the Blessed Cultivator Courtyard plaza, Ye Qingxuan gave up Sword Flight and entered the plaza on foot.

By the time Ye Qingxuan arrived, quite a few people had already gathered in the plaza.

There had been a hundred Blessed Cultivator Courtyard Disciples from Ye Qingxuan's cohort who had entered the Xuantian Sect together.

And now, apart from the managers, those hundred Blessed Cultivator Courtyard Disciples were the only people left in the entire Blessed Cultivator Courtyard.

As for the previous batch of disciples, they had successively broken through to Qi Refining Perfection over the past few years, left the Contracted Spirit Land of the Blessed Cultivator Courtyard, and become true Blessed Cultivators.

When Ye Qingxuan entered, he merely drew a few sidelong glances from people on the outskirts. Since they did not know him, none of them came over to disturb him.

He preferred the peace and quiet as well, so he found a secluded seat on the outskirts and sat down.

The table was already laden with all sorts of spirit fruit and wine.

After sweeping his gaze around, Ye Qingxuan clicked his tongue and thought to himself:

What a grand gesture. This banquet must be costing quite a few Spirit Stones, right?

Looking at the spirit fruit and wine before him, Ye Qingxuan did not stand on ceremony. He began eating the fruit and drinking the wine by himself.

Before long, all the seats in the field were filled.

A little fatty with a face brimming with good fortune also appeared beside Ye Qingxuan.

After sitting down, the little fatty immediately grabbed a spirit fruit and took a huge bite. Then he looked at Ye Qingxuan with a beaming grin and said:

"Brother, my name is Fu Ding Tian. What's your name? Are you a Blessed Cultivator Courtyard Disciple too? How come I've never seen you?"

Hearing the little fatty's form of address, Ye Qingxuan gave him an odd look and replied flatly:

"My name is Ye Qingxuan. I'm a Blessed Cultivator Courtyard Disciple."

"Ye Qingxuan? Hold on, let me look!"

With that, the little fatty took out his Disciple Token. After checking it over, he suddenly shouted:

"Wow, brother, you've hidden yourself deeply! I don't even have your Contact Mark!"

Ye Qingxuan's face darkened with black lines.

Wasn't it perfectly normal for him not to have Ye Qingxuan's Contact Mark? They did not even know each other.

But the little fatty did not stop and continued:

"I knew it! There were clearly a hundred of us who came in together, but I only collected ninety-eight Contact Marks! I thought the place was haunted!"

Ignoring Ye Qingxuan's increasingly dark expression, the little fatty leaned closer to him of his own accord.

"Brother, with you, I'll have collected the Contact Marks of all one hundred people from our cohort. Let's be friends and exchange Contact Marks, okay?"

"We're not familiar. No exchange."

Ye Qingxuan directly refused the little fatty's request.

But the little fatty did not give up. Instead, he shamelessly persisted:

"Don't be like that! Brother, the first meeting is strange, the second familiar! Meeting is fate—you can't be so heartless!"

Ye Qingxuan had intended to refuse again, but feeling the gazes around them drawn over by the little fatty's voice, he could only grit his teeth and say:

"Fine!"

Fortunately, after exchanging Contact Marks with the little fatty, the latter happily returned to his own seat and did not continue pestering him.

Only then did Ye Qingxuan breathe a sigh of relief in secret.

He finally understood how this little fatty had gotten everyone's Contact Mark. He could not beat him up, and the little fatty's skin was thick; when he insisted, everyone could only give in.

In any case, a Contact Mark meant no loss. There was no need to get tangled up with the little fatty over it.

After that unexpected little episode, the banquet hosted by Lin Fan officially began.

Lin Fan raised his wine cup, exchanged a few words with the friends around him, then stood up in high spirits and said:

"Thank you, junior brothers, for giving Lin Fan face and attending this banquet. Lin Fan is deeply grateful!"

With that, he drained the cup of wine in his hand.

Quite a few Blessed Cultivator Courtyard Disciples in the field who were close with Lin Fan echoed him in succession, raising their cups and drinking together.

Ye Qingxuan had no reaction to this. He merely watched everything in the field with indifference.

The little fatty beside him, however, was so excited that he kept jumping at every little thing. Ye Qingxuan did not know what there was to be excited about.

After finishing that cup of wine, Lin Fan continued:

"I invited everyone here for two reasons. First, before leaving, I wished to gather with all my junior brothers. Second, I have a matter to discuss, and I hope all my junior brothers will agree!"

As soon as Lin Fan's voice fell, quite a few people in the inner section spoke up in support of him:

"Senior Brother Lin, just tell us what it is. If we can help, we definitely will!"

"That's right, Senior Brother Lin. No need to stand on ceremony with us—just say it!"

"Lin Xiong and I have been friends for many years. Lin Xiong's affairs are my affairs. Lin Xiong need not have any concerns—just speak. Everyone will agree."

Those people in the inner section chimed in one after another, just short of agreeing on behalf of everyone in the field.

But many people on the outskirts, Ye Qingxuan included, merely watched all this coldly. Quite a few even wore faintly mocking smiles!

Sure enough, no banquet comes without a scheme!

Ye Qingxuan thought to himself as he ate fruit and watched the good show with great interest.

After receiving the responses and support of his many friends, Lin Fan cried out:

"Good! Since that is the case, then I shall speak plainly!"

"We are all senior and junior brothers who entered the Blessed Cultivator Courtyard together. The reason I have gathered everyone together this time is that I hope we can form a Blessed Cultivator Alliance. In the future, we can watch out for one another. What do you all think?"

Upon hearing Lin Fan's words, someone immediately asked:

"Senior Brother Lin, what exactly would this alliance look like?"

"That's right, Senior Brother Lin. What would we need to do after joining the alliance?"

Faced with their questions, Lin Fan raised a hand slightly and smiled.

"Don't rush. Let me first introduce two friends to everyone!"

After saying that, he pointed at two people not far behind him and continued:

"These two are Senior Brothers Li Xuan and Zhu Dafu. They entered the Xuantian Sect in the same batch as us. Though they are not Blessed Cultivator Courtyard Disciples, they are now Outer Sect Disciples of the Xuantian Sect in the Foundation Establishment Realm."

Li Xuan and Zhu Dafu stepped forward. They did not interrupt Lin Fan, merely smiling as they looked at everyone in the field.

After a pause, Lin Fan continued:

"After we form the alliance, everyone's Blessed Land output can be handed over collectively to Senior Brothers Li Xuan and Zhu Dafu for handling."

"Of course, everyone can rest assured. The alliance will purchase the resources produced in your Blessed Lands at market price."

"Furthermore, after joining the alliance, any supplies you need to purchase can be reported to the alliance collectively, and Senior Brothers Li Xuan and Zhu Dafu can send people to procure them for us!"