The White Lotus Sect is Playing the Long Game!

East Floating City.

Spirit beast mounts and flying artifacts of all sizes converged from every direction, slowly descending onto the plaza.

The wide streets were bustling with a constant stream of carriages and pedestrians.

Clerks from the spirit artifact shops hawked their wares on the street using dazzling light-projection spells.

In the taverns atop the pavilions, immortal light flickered, spilling out the fragrance of wine that refreshed the spirit.

Cries of surprise erupted outside the auction house, and the pleasant chime of bells signaling successful bids rang throughout the city.

A scene of a prosperous immortal market...

Fan Ni walked down the wide street with Ma Xianhong and Niu Pingtian.

Ma Xianhong was a two-star Immortal Master with quite a handsome appearance.

Niu Pingtian was an eight-star Immortal Monarch with a very sturdy build.

Seeing that the two were visiting East Floating City for the first time, Fan Ni set aside his airs as an Immortal Venerable and kindly introduced them to the local customs, historical sites, history, and even the pleasure quarters...

"In short, if you want to eat or play anything, just let me know."

The two heard this and felt goosebumps all over their bodies.

They had heard rumors about Fan Ni's peculiar habits; it was even whispered that when he lost to the Kunpeng Brothers of the eight-star Immortal Sect, it wasn't due to a lack of strength, but for some shameful reasons.

"The two of us need to return to the sect to report to Elder Lu as soon as possible. Please, Elder Fan, make the arrangements quickly."

"What exactly is the background of your Elder Lu?"

"We haven't been in the sect long and do not know. Elder Fan can ask him in person."

"..."

The three continued forward.

The White Lotus Sect occupied a magnificent, gold-adorned shop in a prime location on the main street of East Floating City.

It was named White Lotus Immortal Palace.

White Lotus Immortal Palace primarily sold spirit swords, artifacts, pills, and secret manuals like technique annotations produced by the White Lotus Sect, and it enjoyed quite a reputation in East Floating City.

The shopkeeper was a short, stout old man at the Immortal Sect Master level named Jin Fangshuo.

He was once an artifact-refining elder of the White Lotus Sect and held considerable prestige within the sect; now that he was older, he had been sent to serve as a shopkeeper, a position with very lucrative perks.

However, Jin Fangshuo was only an Immortal Sect Master after all, and compared to Fan Ni, who was a half-step Immortal Venerable, his status was a tier lower.

Fan Ni arrived at White Lotus Immortal Palace, met Jin Fangshuo directly, and without a word, tossed him a few skewers of meat.

"Jin greets Elder Fan."

"Have a taste."

As the toothpick meat went down, the old man's face suddenly rippled; despite his age, he felt as if he were about to ascend.

"This taste..."

"This is Kun meat."

Jin Fangshuo's old eyes stalled. He stood stunned for a long moment before hurriedly cupping his hands.

"Congratulations to Elder Fan for finally slaying the wicked beast after a thousand years."

Fan Ni, however, showed no joy.

"Senior Brother Jin, I have a private matter to entrust to you."

"As long as it does not violate sect rules, please speak."

"I took advantage of the beast tide riot to track the Kunpeng Brothers all the way to the Bamboo Spring Sect territory. We were evenly matched for a time, but I happened to have the help of Sect Master Liu, which allowed me to kill Golden Peng and that Void Kun."

Jin Fangshuo's old face froze.

"Sect Master Liu has that kind of strength?"

"Of course not, but her constitution countered Golden Peng. I seized the opportunity to break their combined immortal technique and slew them both. To thank Sect Master Liu, I intend to leave the Void Kun at the Bamboo Spring Sect and have their people cook it to host a banquet for the immortals of East Floating City, helping them develop their business in Azure Phoenix City."

"Elder Fan is truly returning a drop of favor with a fountain, but this matter is no small thing. Should we inform the Sect Master?"

"The Sect Master is busy; this trivial matter is nothing. After Senior Yun Zhonghe left, this became a private grudge between me and the Kunpeng Brothers. I will be staying here for the next few days."

With that, Fan Ni stuffed a large amount of Immortal Crystal into Jin Fangshuo's hands, giving him no chance to refuse.

Immediately after, Fan Ni informed him of Lu Ya's marketing plan.

Upon hearing it, Jin Fangshuo was quite impressed.

"Elder Fan has great ideas. Rest assured, I will handle this perfectly."

"I will be staying upstairs. Senior Brother Jin, use my name for the event. If any problems arise, I will step forward myself."

"Very well."

Off to the side.

Ma Xianhong and Niu Pingtian were left dumbfounded by Fan Ni's display.

It was clearly the merit of Elder Lu, yet in an instant, it became his own. Not only did he wash away the shame of years past, but he also fabricated a reason involving Sect Master Liu taking action, thereby using the guise of repaying a debt to support Azure Phoenix City.

The logic was airtight, killing three birds with one stone. Even more miraculous was that, given Elder Lu's indifferent and health-conscious nature, he would not only refrain from holding this against him but might even hold him in higher regard.

Who would have thought this guy was the type to have both brawn and brains!

Several hours later.

News that Fan Ni had slain a Void Kun and was cooking it at the Bamboo Spring Sect spread throughout the entirety of East Floating City.

At first, people were skeptical, until slowly, they began to scan the codes to claim Kun meat.

After tasting it, they discovered the flavor of the Kun meat was beyond comprehension.

Not only that, the spiritual energy within the Kun meat was pure to an extreme, even more so than medicinal pills!

The entire East Floating City was in an uproar. Countless immortals came, drawn by the reputation to scan the codes and claim Kun meat. Among them, the bold and wealthy immortals even scanned the codes to obtain a Protective Bamboo Slip and headed directly to the Bamboo Spring Sect.

Fan Ni's fame spread throughout the entire East Floating District within a single day.

For a time, the streets, alleys, and tea-time conversations were all filled with heated discussions about Fan Ni.

"Elder Fan has finally rid the people of a scourge!"

"The White Lotus Sect is truly the light of East Floating."

"A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring; I never expected Elder Fan to be such a real man."

"Is the culinary skill in Azure Phoenix City really that high?"

"To think this Kun meat could be cooked so deliciously while remaining so pure in spiritual power."

"I want to go to the Bamboo Spring Sect to have a taste, but I don't know if it's safe."

"It's safe. It's said that Elder Fan specifically crafted Protective Bamboo Slips to guard against Sect Master Liu."

"I'm not surprised by that at all. Elder Fan dislikes humans and favors the Beast Immortal, so naturally, he wouldn't be influenced by Liu Xuanye. I think the Protective Bamboo Slips he makes are perfectly fine."

"I feel like things are a bit too coincidental. Perhaps the White Lotus Sect and the Bamboo Spring Sect have a deep connection, and they are trying to help each other out this time, or perhaps the White Lotus Sect has already secretly annexed the Bamboo Spring Sect to develop their immortal city business."

"And this beast tide riot, I feel there are many suspicious points as well."

"The White Lotus Sect is playing a massive game of chess!"

"If that's the case, I want to go to Azure Phoenix City to open a shop. After all, East Floating City is right under the feet of the East Floating Immortal Court, and many businesses regulated by the Immortal Court can't be carried out here."

"In any case, let's go over and take a look first."

"Go scan the code!"

Evening.

At the East Floating Immortal Court station, in the Xingtian Pavilion, on the floor below the top.

Black Stone hurried in, pushing open the door to the Chief's office.

A woman wearing an auspicious cloud immortal cloak, her silver hair tied to the side in a waterfall, stood with her back to him, facing the window.

Her cultivation as a one-star Immortal Venerable had been tempered by the passage of time, appearing extremely simple, restrained, and calm.

"Is this about the White Lotus Sect?"

Black Stone stopped abruptly, his tone feigning astonishment.

"The Dean knows as well?"

The so-called Dean was the head of the East Floating Immortal Academy. After the former East Floating Chief Li Wuxie was demoted to herding sheep, she, as the only remaining Immortal Venerable in East Floating City, was temporarily acting as the East Floating Chief.

The silver-haired woman nodded slightly.

"What do you want to say?"

"This subordinate believes it is unlikely that the White Lotus Sect is cooperating with the Bamboo Spring Sect; perhaps it is merely Fan Ni's personal action."

"The basis?"

Black Stone could hardly say that there might be an Immortal Venerable-level expert at the Bamboo Spring Sect who had even roasted an Immortal Court Hunting Falcon.

He was absolutely certain that this matter was related to Lu Ya... after all, who else could think of roasting a Giant Kun alive?

"No basis, only intuition."

The silver-haired woman sighed softly.

"Liu Xuanye and the Wine Fox Immortal were both once my students. If not for their physical conditions, perhaps each of them could have soloed the Kunpeng Brothers. Yet now, must they rely on someone like Fan Ni?"

"The beast tide is currently out of control, the cause unknown. There may be major movements deep within the beast nest, and at any moment, they could sweep through any Floating Mountain in the East Floating District. Without an Immortal Venerable to guard them, it is difficult for the Floating Mountains to survive."

"There are rumors that the Wine Fox Immortal is the one behind the out-of-control beast tide—although she was once my student, I do not know her well. It is very strange; I do not even have the authority to view her Immortal Court file."

"The last person who tried to force a look at her file is currently herding sheep."

"What do you think?"

"I have always firmly believed that the Wine Fox Immortal is on the side of the Immortal Court; otherwise, with her style, she would have been dismissed by the Immortal Court long ago."

"Wait, wasn't Li Wuxie dismissed because he had an affair with the Snake Immortal of the Immortal Tail? I heard they even had a half-snake baby girl?"

"The other party is not an Immortal Tail."

Black Stone emphasized this point particularly, then pleaded, "Bring Chief Li back. Now is not the time for him to be out wandering; East Floating City needs his strength."

"You are asking me to violate an exile order from the Immortal Court?"

"Chief Li's personal issues were merely a misunderstanding and a pretext. He will be reinstated to his post soon enough. Besides, if we apply for reinforcements from the Colored Cloud Immortal Court now, the bureaucratic process will take too long; it will be too late."

The silver-haired woman shook her head and turned around, revealing a delicate face that appeared slightly aged.

"I understand your concern for your former master, but the beast tide is not as urgent as you claim. For now, we must focus on the Bamboo Spring Sect's city-building project and wait to see how the White Lotus Sect reacts before making any decisions."

"Understood."