Laughter filled the Sun and Moon Hall, growing more boisterous amid the mingled aromas of wine and spiritual energy. At the main table, Yun Ce, Master Yan Xu, Yi Da, and the others chatted merrily, discussing strange happenings in the cultivation world and sharing insights into cultivation. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious. At the other tables, core experts from the various factions also conversed, some discussing the Dao and others reminiscing. Only Hou Fei and Black Feather continued to bicker. Their jibes of "stinking monkey" and "mangy bird" were the liveliest touch in the hall, easing some of the stiffness of a gathering among top factions.
Qin Yu sat calmly at his place, keeping an eye on Yun Ce at the main table while occasionally exchanging a few words with Teng Shan beside him. His cultivation had now reached the late Meteor stage. Over the past two years, he had progressed rapidly under Yun Ce's guidance and the rich spiritual energy of the Star Pavilion. The aura around him had grown increasingly refined; he was no longer the inexperienced youth he had once been. Black Feather was much quieter, though his gaze occasionally fell on Hou Fei. His tongue remained sharp, but his eyes held nothing but respect for the brother he had come to know through their clashes.
The people of the Penglai Immortal Domain had long since set aside their initial disdain and contempt. The grandeur and deep foundations of the Sun and Moon Hall, the Star Pavilion maids' proper manners, and Yun Ce's composure in dealing with others had all changed their opinions. The Star Pavilion was clearly no ordinary demon-cultivator faction, and its master, Yun Ce, truly had the bearing to lead a power in his own right. Only Master Di Feng, the Blue Lanyang