"Well, that's that."
Hearing the commotion at the entrance to the arena, those outside knew the duel within had ended.
A Six-Link Hall steward beside Wen Qiang spoke to her mockingly.
Wen Qiang found it difficult to retort, and an awkward look crossed her face.
"Fellow Daoist Wen, what's wrong?"
At his voice, Wen Qiang immediately turned to look at Lu Shang.
"Fellow... Fellow Daoist Han, you won!" Wen Qiang exclaimed in surprise.
"He... he really won!" The other cultivator also looked astonished.
In their eyes, Lu Shang was merely a mid Qi Refinement cultivator. How could he possibly stand a chance against someone at the tenth layer of Qi Refinement?
Especially when his opponent was a direct descendant of the White Family.
Seeing their expressions, Lu Shang understood.
"Oh! You mean that clan cultivator inside?"
"Perhaps he's too used to staying at home. He had some ability, but he was still too careless, so I managed to win by a stroke of luck," Lu Shang said with a smile.
How could they know how Lu Shang had toyed with that clan scion inside?
"I never imagined Fellow Daoist Han possessed such strength. Since you're new here, why don't I treat you to a meal today so we can talk?"
"Certainly!" Lu Shang agreed readily.
"Good. Then please join me tonight, Fellow Daoist Han."
Lu Shang was somewhat surprised by Wen Qiang's invitation.
But after considering her character, he accepted nonetheless.
Besides, with his strength, what trouble did Lu Shang have to fear?
Fighting Qi Refinement cultivators, on the other hand, had begun to bore him.
Qi Refinement cultivators merely talked big. Once a fight began, they crumpled like paper.
Fighting cultivators at my own level, or even higher, would be more interesting. It might be troublesome, but even if I couldn't beat them, I could still escape using the Blood Nether Divine Thunder.
Blood Nether Divine Thunder was the name Lu Shang had given the crimson lightning cluster in his dantian.
Over this time, Lu Shang had also gained some understanding of the lightning in his dantian.
The higher his cultivation rose, the more of the divine thunder's might he could unleash.
Lu Shang concluded that this lightning had emerged only after he acquired a mutated lightning spirit root and then achieved core formation.
By now, Lu Shang had read quite a few sources, but neither ancient texts nor any other records mentioned lightning like that within his body.
Still, since he knew this blood-colored lightning posed no problem for him, there was no need to dwell on it. Once he was strong enough, he would be able to develop other uses for it.
Dusk fell, and everything dimmed, though plenty of places still glowed with colorful lights and revelry.
Lu Shang arrived at the inn where they had agreed to meet and stepped inside.
A moment later, he found Wen Qiang, who had been waiting for him.
Seeing Lu Shang arrive, Wen Qiang immediately came forward with a warm welcome.
"Fellow Daoist Han, come upstairs with me!"
As she spoke, Wen Qiang extended a hand toward the stairs.
He followed Wen Qiang slowly up to the second floor.
The inn was not particularly lavish, but there were plenty of people inside. At least, the first floor was packed with guests.
It was a decent place to entertain a friend.
When they entered the private room, several cold dishes had already been served.
Seeing this, Lu Shang sat down without ceremony.
After entering, Wen Qiang gently closed the door. "Fellow Daoist Han, I hold only a minor post, so the place I've chosen is rather humble. Please don't think poorly of it!"
"You jest, Fellow Daoist. We hit it off as though we were old friends, and you invited a stranger like me after our very first meeting. Why bother with such talk? Now that we're here, why don't we have a cup or two first?" Lu Shang turned and said with a smile.
At his words, Wen Qiang sat down on the other side.
Once seated, Wen Qiang called for the waiter to bring the remaining hot dishes to the table.
Soon, all seven dishes and a soup were served.
Lu Shang noticed that Wen Qiang was now a late Qi Refinement cultivator.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Wen. You must be close to foundation establishment!"
Wen Qiang answered without concealing anything. "As I thought, Fellow Daoist Han's cultivation isn't what it appears to be. You saw through mine at a glance. Could you be at the Foundation Establishment Stage?"
"Oh? What makes you think that?" Lu Shang asked, puzzled.
Lu Shang's reaction seemed to confirm Wen Qiang's guess. "It was only a wild guess. Please don't mind it, Fellow Daoist Han."
"Of course. But since I'm here, I'd like to learn more about Kuixing Island."
Wen Qiang looked at Lu Shang. "Right, Brother Han, this is your first visit to Kuixing Island, so you're unfamiliar with the place. It was established after the Twin Saints of Tianxing slew a Demon Beast King several hundred years ago. It mainly consists of Kuixing Island, where Kuixing City stands, and the countless smaller islands nearby."
"Although no Nascent Soul cultivator is openly stationed on Kuixing Island, it's a fact that whenever anything unexpected happens, a Nascent Soul cultivator will swiftly appear."
Lu Shang nodded slightly, acknowledging Wen Qiang's words.
"Fellow Daoist Wen, I heard there's a grand ceremony on Kuixing Island. What is that about?"
"Do you mean the Demon Suppression Ceremony, Fellow Daoist Han?"
Lu Shang nodded.
"The Demon Suppression Ceremony celebrates the Twin Saints' slaying of the Demon Beast King. It's held once every ten years, and countless people come to attend each time."
"The biggest attraction is the battles against demon beasts! That's the most exciting part. A dozen or so people team up to fight demon beasts, and the winning team receives generous rewards."
Lu Shang lightly rubbed his chin with one hand.
"So that's how it is," Lu Shang muttered.
"What did you say, Fellow Daoist Han?" Wen Qiang seemed to have heard him, but not clearly.
"Nothing. Fellow Daoist Wen Qiang, as a steward of the Six-Link Hall, have you ever watched the demon beast battles at the Demon Suppression Ceremony?" Lu Shang asked, wanting to find out whether she knew anything about them.
"Well... no, actually. It's precisely because I work for the Six-Link Hall that I haven't had time to watch. People like me are fated to toil, with hardly any chance to join the festivities."
Night was gradually falling over Kuixing City. As Lu Shang looked at the food and wine on the table, a faint, almost imperceptible oddness remained in his expression.
To Lu Shang, Wen Qiang truly was someone worth befriending closely.
No matter how he looked at it.
Lu Shang picked up some food with his chopsticks and held it in the air, then used his divine sense to examine his surroundings and Wen Qiang's every movement.
He did it unconsciously.
A moment later, Lu Shang set down his chopsticks.
"Brother Wen, take my advice. Watching the Demon Suppression Ceremony is enough. Don't participate."
"The prizes may be good, but not everyone can stomach the process."
Without waiting for Wen Qiang to speak, Lu Shang walked to the window and looked outside.
Wen Qiang rose. "Brother Han, what do you mean?"
"Nothing. I simply don't believe the Demon Suppression Ceremony would hand out such valuable resources as rewards for killing low-level demon beasts," Lu Shang said, turning toward her.
"Well... you must be joking, Fellow Daoist Han. The Demon Suppression Ceremony was established to celebrate the Twin Saints. You can rest assured."
"Besides, I've worked for the Six-Link Hall for many years now. I know what goes on. The beasts are fourth rank at most, so there's nothing to worry about!"
Lu Shang knew there was little point in trying to persuade her further. This was something he could only mention in passing.
"Hmph, all right. In that case, let's leave it at that and finish this table of fine food. It won't be any good once the hot dishes go cold!" Lu Shang said with a smile.
"Good! Brother Han, let's drink a cup together!"
As she spoke, Wen Qiang poured two cups of wine and handed one to Lu Shang.
Lu Shang accepted it, and they drank together.
But after only a short while of idle conversation, Wen Qiang had to leave.
"Brother Wen, is there something you need to attend to at home?" Lu Shang asked.
"Yes. My wife gave birth to a daughter a few months ago. As her husband, I naturally can't leave everything to her. Looking after our daughter is already exhausting. Brother Han, I'll head home first. We'll meet again another time! Farewell!"
"All right, Brother Wen. Go on home. Farewell!"
An hour passed, and Lu Shang was once again flying slowly through the air.
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