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Although the banquet before the secret realm was supposedly meant to "rest and recuperate," the disciples of the various sects had a more important purpose: gathering intelligence and weighing their opponents' strength.

Who would actually throw themselves into the food like this?

Ning Ning ate with a smile at the corners of her mouth. "Soft and cool, delicate and silky. With one bite, a cool sweetness melts into water and streams straight into your stomach. White Jade Cake is the best in the world!"

Lin Xun's eyes reddened at the corners. "This fish soup is tender and delicious. They must have used the finest dew to remove the fishy smell. At first taste, its rich fragrance fills the mouth—unparalleled."

Xie Junming: ...

Why had they started reviewing the food? And you, fellow cultivator—were you seriously so moved by a sip of fish soup that your eyes turned red?

"Youngsters. Do you really not know this banquet isn't for eating?"

At last, someone who understood.

Xie Junming looked toward the speaker. He Zhizhou wore a white robe, his features handsome, his every gesture carefree and unrestrained. Without a doubt, he was a dashing young gentleman.

Ever since arriving at Xuanji Peak, he had been gravely studying the disciples from every sect. He must be meticulous, quietly preparing some plan in his mind, just waiting for the secret realm to open so he could make a stunning debut.

He Zhizhou paused after speaking, then widened his eyes and quickened his pace. "There are so many handsome guys and beautiful girls here, oh my god! Hurry up and feast your eyes!"

Xie Junming: ...

All right. You really did it. No wonder you're from Xuanxu Sect.

Lin Xun was so shy that he didn't even dare look at people in public. Ning Ning, on the other hand, simply lifted her head and nodded enthusiastically. "Really, really! So many beautiful big sisters!"

As she spoke, she picked up another pastry, her eyes seeming to sparkle. "That big sister in the blue dress is so pretty. I wish I could talk to her."

Xie Junming followed her gaze.

A girl in a long, water-blue dress sat in a corner of the banquet. She had phoenix eyes and vermilion lips, her skin smooth as jade. A faint layer of sunlight enveloped her, making her seem almost translucently pale.

Her features were like a painting veiled in mist. Sitting alone off to one side, she seemed to slow even the breeze around her. She was impossibly quiet.

"That's Junior Sister Yun Duanyue from Liuming Mountain. It'll probably be difficult to talk to her."

Xie Junming answered honestly. "It's not that she's especially proud or hard to approach. Junior Sister Yun is just naturally afraid of people. Unless she's with close friends or family, she never says a word."

Wasn't that an even worse case of social anxiety than Lin Xun's?

Ning Ning nodded in thanks, then shifted her gaze to the other side.

Among the people coming and going, someone else stood out just as much.

Unlike Yun Duanyue, who kept to herself, this person was surrounded by quite a few disciples from other sects. He seemed to be very popular.

He was a young monk, and strikingly handsome.

The little monk wore white robes and was tall and slender. His peach-blossom eyes always held a smile, and beneath his high nose, the corners of his pale pink lips curved upward.

His looks were exceptional, with a vivid red mark between his brows. Yet when he smiled, he was like a snow lotus atop a distant, unreachable mountain—noble and extraordinary.

"That's Mingkong from Fanyin Temple."

Xie Junming followed her gaze and explained patiently. "A young genius, with compassion in his heart."

As soon as he finished speaking, a clear young voice sounded beside them, carrying a lazy smile that lightly tickled the eardrums like a cat's paw. "Which person here isn't a young genius?"

The voice was lovely. Ning Ning had a mouthful of pastry, and her round black eyes rolled toward the sound.

Then she heard He Zhizhou beside her gasp. "Whoa!"

The newcomer was a boy of sixteen or seventeen, every bit as handsome as Mingkong—

And in terms of being seductive, he was even more so.

The boy wore red like a blazing flame, making him especially conspicuous among the black, white, and blue robes favored by the various sects.

His ink-black hair fell loose down his back, setting off a face as pale as porcelain. His lips were startlingly red, and his long, narrow eyes brimmed with laughter. He looked careless, yet the slightest lift of his eyes held a thousand shades of flirtation and allure.

His lips curved faintly upward, as if infused with endless ambiguity. His beauty was born to beguile.

Xie Junming gave a cold snort. "A Charm Cultivator from Niguang Island."

Many disciples of the great sects looked down on this somewhat disreputable form of cultivation.

For Charm Cultivators, the more beautiful they were, the greater their talent. This boy had reached the Golden Core Realm at such a young age; one could imagine just how outstanding his looks were.

He ignored Xie Junming's attitude and smiled at Ning Ning. "You must be a disciple of the Xuanxu Sword Sect. I'm Rong Ci, from Niguang Island."

"My name's Ning Ning."

Ning Ning swallowed her pastry, her eyes curving into crescents. "This is my first time meeting a Charm Cultivator. Do you cultivate on the island? What's Niguang Island like? You're so handsome, you must be really strong."

This time, Rong Ci was taken aback, almost imperceptibly.

When disciples from other sects met them, they either looked at them coldly or blushed and didn't know what to do. She was the first to greet him and then openly praise him.

She was a little silly.

"What's Niguang Island like..."

Charm Cultivators were forthright. Once they spotted their prey, they made their move without hesitation. His smile deepened, and he stepped closer to the young girl beside him. "Why not come with me and see for yourself? Miss Ning Ning is exceptionally beautiful. If you'd be willing to be with me—"

Ning Ning listened to him very seriously.

Be with him doing what?

"Senior Sister."

Unfortunately, before he could finish, someone interrupted him.

Pei Ji had appeared nearby at some point, his brow faintly furrowed.

The male lead really was the male lead. Even standing beside Rong Ci, whose beauty was renowned throughout the world, he lost nothing by comparison.

Pei Ji was already exceptionally handsome. His black robes made him seem as upright as a green bamboo in the wind, and like a sharp sword suddenly drawn from its sheath, he carried an unstoppable edge.

The aloof, fierce air softened at the corner of his eye, gathering into a deep red beauty mark at the outer corner. Now he looked at the red-robed Charm Cultivator with an almost-smile, somehow revealing a hint of danger.