For Xiao Bai, the most thrilling and agonizing part had already passed.
The gift-receiving segment that followed was essentially the closing ceremony of the Sect Tour Ceremony, and was comparatively relaxing.
All he had to do was follow his wife, bow to each elder in turn, and sit back to receive gifts.
As the Sect Leader, Master Chun Xiao refused to lag behind. He was the first to present Xiao Bai with a bamboo flute he had crafted himself.
A line of poetry had been carved into the flute with a dharma seal—
On a snowy night beneath the moon, who teaches the flute to sing?
Quite evocative!
Besides, the flute probably carried Sound-based Attack effects when played, so it was rather valuable.
"Many thanks, Sect Leader Senior Brother."
Xiao Bai directly called him Senior Brother without feeling the least bit shameless.
Next, the Supervisor wore a grave expression and looked down from on high. Without even glancing at Yuhu, he merely tossed Xiao Bai a painting.
Xiao Bai opened it and took a look.
It bore Qi Shan's signature.
It was actually the Supervisor's own calligraphy and painting!
As for what it depicted... it had something of a postmodern style. Xiao Bai could only see wild arrogance and unruliness.
"Many thanks, Supervisor."
Xiao Bai vaguely felt that these two still seemed to be showing off their talents. Had they still not gotten over Elder Yuhu?
The rice had already been cooked; they were too late...
Next.
Zhong Fuzi, the stern-faced Discipline Elder, directly gave him some spirit stones.
It was a heavy brocade pouch. Xiao Bai did not count them carefully, but there were roughly a hundred.
In the Tian Yuan Era, a hundred spirit stones was no small sum. As a congratulatory gift, it was barely respectable.
It simply lacked sincerity.
"Many thanks, Senior Brother Zhong."
Wei Shanjun, the mountain-like Sword-Wielding Elder, gave Xiao Bai a Sword Sharpening Stone.
He also offered a few words:
"A cultivator must not only temper his temperament, cultivation, and physique. He must also regularly sharpen his own sword. Only when the sword is sharp can a person possess a keen edge."
That made a great deal of sense...
Xiao Bai clasped his hands as he accepted the gift.
"Many thanks, Senior Brother Wei!"
Gongshuzi, the Artifact Forging Elder whose body resembled dry firewood, had originally planned to give him a Flying Paper Kite.
Seeing that Xiao Bai had entered Qi Refining and no longer had any use for a Flying Paper Kite, he changed it to a hundred spirit stones as well.
Though he had been brushed off again, Xiao Bai still respected the elderly and cared for the young. Cupping his hands, he said:
"Many thanks, Senior Brother Gongshu!"
Seeing that both the Discipline Elder and Artifact Forging Elder had given only a hundred spirit stones, the other elders stopped caring about appearances too. They secretly swapped their prepared gifts for a hundred spirit stones.
Xiao Bai did not mind.
Whatever they gave him, he could not use it anyway. He would basically have to hand it over to his wife, who would use the money to buy medicinal herbs, refine them into pills, and feed the benefits back to him. Wasn't that wonderful?
In the end, the Sect Leaders and elders from other sects gave comparatively more valuable gifts, mostly spirit stones and medicinal herbs.
The spirit stones started at two hundred, and the medicinal herbs were also quite rare. They were actually more generous than the elders within the sect.
After making the rounds, Xiao Bai suddenly realized he had not seen the Beast Taming Elder.
Just as he was about to ask, the mature, flirtatious old woman suddenly returned.
A thin purple robe hung loosely over her seductive body. The white ravine before her chest glowed brightly, while her waist was slender as an ant's.
She carried a jade pot in one hand.
It was made of white jade.
Though its shape was that of a pot, it was actually a chamber pot!
"Earlier, I thought Junior Brother was a mortal and would need to relieve himself. I did not expect him to reach Qi Refining so quickly. Though this pot is useless now, the jade is excellent jade. It can still be remade into a teapot."
She was already an old auntie, yet she still spoke in such a coquettish voice.
Even an idiot could hear who she was insulting!
Master Chun Xiao's face darkened, but it was not convenient for him to say anything.
Yuhu remained unruffled, her expression unchanged and her face indifferent, as though she had not taken it to heart at all.
Xiao Bai felt that perhaps his wife was not being magnanimous. Rather, she was a Demoness lurking within the Snow Flame Sect...
But he could not endure it!
His wife had been humiliated. Without another word, Xiao Bai raised his hand and slashed with his sword—
Swish!
With one stroke, he split the jade pot in two. With a crack, it shattered across the ground!
Afterward, facing True Person Zhe Hui, Xiao Bai did not forget to return tooth for tooth.
"The jade is good jade, but if it can be cleaved apart by a Qi Refining disciple's single sword strike, then I imagine it must have fallen into disrepair with age—a faded flower and withered willow. Elder, you should keep it for your own use."
Fallen into disrepair with age, and a faded flower and withered willow...
True Person Zhe Hui was so furious that her brows stood upright and her chest trembled!
But as the Beast Taming Elder, it would not be proper for her to bicker with a newcomer like Xiao Bai, lest she lose her standing.
The disciples of Myriad Beasts Peak behind her were furious but dared not speak. Before Xiao Bai's absolute righteousness, the Supervisor, and the Discipline Elder, no one found it appropriate to stir up trouble in public.
Only Wei Shanjun, the Sword-Wielding Elder, and a short Core Disciple beside him wore slightly grave expressions.
Because they had seen it...
That sword strike Xiao Bai had used to cleave the jade was not simple!
At the very least, it was not a realm that a Qi Refining cultivator could attain.
Speaking of those within the Snow Flame Sect who were at odds with Elder Yuhu—aside from True Person Zhe Hui, who secretly harbored affection for the Sect Leader, there was also Wei Shanjun, the Sword-Wielding Elder.
The two had become enemies over competing for a disciple.
More than thirty years ago.
When One Sword Fox had first entered the sect, she had planned to join Sword Wielding Peak to learn the sword. But after seeing Elder Yuhu's true appearance, she became utterly bewitched and joined Hundred Herbs Peak instead.
And One Sword Fox's once-in-a-century talent for the sword had been squandered at Hundred Herbs Peak.
Later, during the Sect-State War, she strayed onto the wrong path and slaughtered indiscriminately, friend and foe alike, ending the war ahead of time.
After the war, she was imprisoned in the Dao Alliance Great Prison. Had her background not been so powerful, she would have long since been executed.
Whenever Wei Shanjun thought of this matter, his heart ached.
In Xiao Bai's earlier sword strike, he had seen One Sword Fox's shadow...
He thought, Could this woman be seducing another genius sword cultivator?
No, he had to see what Xiao Bai was capable of.
With that in mind, he suddenly spoke in a mocking, cryptic tone to True Person Zhe Hui.
"The jade was cleaved, as the hui was broken. On such a joyous day... surely Myriad Beasts Peak will not come empty-handed and offer no gift?"
He was a professional at fanning the flames.
True Person Zhe Hui shot him a glare, forcibly suppressing the fury in her heart.
As an elder, it was inconvenient for her to personally act against a newcomer, so she hinted to the Core Disciple at her side and the Myriad Beasts Peak disciples behind her.
"Among you, whoever has a newly acquired Qi Refining spirit beast, bring it out and see whether it can catch Junior Brother Xiao's eye."
Behind her, a Foundation Establishment Stage Core Disciple raised his hand and answered:
"This disciple recently captured a beast. Unfortunately, its nature is fierce and difficult to tame. If Martial Uncle Xiao can subdue it, it shall serve as Myriad Beasts Peak's congratulatory gift."
Xiao Bai let out a long sigh.
He had thought that after displaying the absolute sense of justice of Akainu himself, no one would dare cause trouble. Yet what was meant to come had still come.
Behind him, the Onmyoji said:
"Junior Brother Chen Tang, do not joke around. A Ferocious Beast that even Myriad Beasts Peak disciples cannot subdue is being given to Martial Granduncle, who has only just entered Qi Refining. Is that not unfair? Moreover, Ferocious Beasts are unpredictable and carry unknown risks."
Wei Shanjun laughed heartily, his sword intent naturally swallowing rivers and mountains.
"With Junior Sister Zhe Hui here, could your Martial Granduncle possibly be harmed?"
That dead fat man really knew how to fan the flames!
"It is fine."
Though inwardly helpless, Xiao Bai straightened his chest. His bearing could not lose.
"All under heaven bustle for profit; how could there be any reason to refuse a gift?"
Once he finished speaking.
Chen Tang, the Myriad Beasts Peak disciple, opened his Storage Bag and released a cloud of mist.
The mist swelled wildly in the wind, swiftly blanketing the entire Mountain Gate Plaza.
It was hazy and murky, with visibility plummeting in a straight line. It even obstructed part of their spiritual perception, and the Blazing Spring nearby became shadowy and indistinct...
What the hell?
Could mist count as a Ferocious Beast too?
Xiao Bai turned to look at the elders beside him. Their green robes and White Cloaks seemed to float in midair.
"Look up."
Yuhu calmly reminded him.
Xiao Bai immediately raised his head.
He saw a gigantic octopus-shaped monster using the mist as seawater, slowly swimming across the high sky above their heads.
Behind its pitch-black, enormous head trailed long, tentacled tails... vast and bizarre, as though they stood amidst the Primordial Great Desolation!
Xiao Bai's scalp went numb.
This was a Qi Refining Ferocious Beast?
This was Cthulhu!
This year's sect tour was not accepting gifts, and even if it was, I would not accept Cthulhu as a gift!
Not only Xiao Bai—even Yuhu and Mu Yun frowned.
"Um, Fellow Daoist Chen... can this Martial Uncle take back what he just said?"
Before you continue