With the departure of the important figure Hun Qianxue, the hall returned to its usual bustling atmosphere. Fine wines and delicacies were served one after another, and everyone raised their glasses, either to congratulate Hun Qianling or to toast Han Xuanji in goodwill.
Many people also stepped forward, their faces beaming with fawning smiles, offering various Cultivation Resources as gifts, their words full of flattery and ingratiation, trying their best to win him over.
"Young friend Han, you are exceptionally talented, having been recognized as S-Rank Talent at such a young age. You will surely become a pillar of my Soul Household in the future. I toast you!"
"Young friend Han, these are a few Soul-Gathering Pill that I have treasured. They will greatly benefit your soul nourishment. Please accept them. If you need them in the future, just let me know!"
Even more extreme, some of the most beautiful female disciples of the Soul Household took the initiative to approach him, hinting that they were willing to become his dao companion, hoping to latch onto this "potential stock."
After all, many in the Soul Household believe that S-Rank Talent means a high probability of reaching the level of Eternal True God, or even touching the threshold of Sage. By taking the initiative to befriend Han Xuanji now, they can also benefit from his growth in the future.
Most of these people are neutral, having little desire for power and only wanting to protect their own little corner of the world.
After all, no matter who becomes the head of the family in the end, they will all have a place.
Han Xuanji remained composed, responding to the toasts from the crowd and politely declining overly valuable gifts. He only accepted a few inexpensive items, thus avoiding offending anyone and revealing his true intentions without displaying any extra strength.
Of course, not everyone at the banquet fawned over him; some people looked at him with curiosity, wariness, or even hostility.
Most of these people were young prodigies from the Soul Household, or geniuses from outside the family who were recruited by the Soul Household. There was already fierce competition among them. Han Xuanji's sudden arrival and his leap to become S-Rank Talent undoubtedly took away the attention and resources that originally belonged to them, so naturally they were not happy.
Among them, several young men dressed in brocade robes kept glancing at Han Xuanji, their eyes filled with Qi Ingestion.
They were also cultivators of the Eternal Dao Master, with considerable understanding of the Dao of Principle, yet they had never been rated as S-Rank Talent. Now, Han Xuanji, an outsider cultivator with no merit or honor, received such preferential treatment, which inevitably made them feel unbalanced.
Not long after, a young man dressed in white, carrying a wine cup, strode up to Han Xuanji. The young man had an arrogant face and exuded the aura of Eternal Dao Master. He was none other than Hun Hao, a genius from a branch of the Soul Household and one of the few cultivators in the clan who practiced the Dao of Principle. He boasted that he had good talent, but in the end, he was only rated as an A-level because of his status as a core disciple of the Soul Household.
" S-Rank Heaven's Chosen, I've long admired your name."
Hun Hao wore a deliberately enthusiastic expression, but a disdainful smile played on his lips, and his eyes practically overflowed with resentment.
"I've heard that Brother Han is a genius in the Dao of Principle, and was named S-Rank Talent as soon as he entered the Eternal Hun Hao Eternal Dao Master. I admire him greatly and have come here to ask Brother Han for some guidance. I hope Brother Han will not hesitate to teach me."
He learned through rumors that Han Xuanji only received S-rank treatment because of his connection with Hun Qianling, and that his true strength was unknown, but he was probably not that powerful, otherwise he would have been well-known.
If Han Xuanji's strength is insufficient, he will publicly humiliate Han Xuanji and expose his true colors as someone who is "unworthy of his reputation." He can then step on Han Xuanji to rise to power, and perhaps be treated differently and take over the S-rank title.
Han Xuanji's first reaction was, "Where did this guy come from?"
The system's investigation revealed that the other party was indeed a hothead, with no one giving instructions behind the scenes; he was simply Qi Ingestion.
To be honest, these kinds of people are really the most annoying.
"That's truly a case of 'people fear becoming famous, just as pigs fear growing fat'..."
Han Xuanji thought to himself, he merely raised his eyes slightly, not even sparing Hun Hao a second glance, picked up his wine cup, took a small sip, and spoke in a tone so calm it was almost indifferent:
"I'm busy."
The two simple words instantly froze Hun Hao in place, his smile vanishing abruptly.
He felt like he was punching cotton, unable to exert any force, and was extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable.
The surrounding noise subsided somewhat, and many people turned their attention to this place, their eyes filled with amusement.
Hun Hao's face instantly flushed red, his dissatisfaction and embarrassment intertwined, and his tone became sharp:
"You... you're pushing your luck! You're just a newcomer cultivator who recently entered the Eternal Dao Master, and you've only been lucky enough to be named S-Rank Heaven's Chosen. How dare you be so arrogant?"
I kindly asked you for advice, and this is how you treat me? Is this all S-Rank Heaven's Chosen is?
His voice wasn't quiet; it echoed throughout every corner of the hall. The originally noisy banquet fell completely silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on the two of them—some curious, some watching the spectacle, and a few even gloating.
After all, many people were dissatisfied with Han Xuanji's S-level title and were eager to see him make a fool of himself.
Just then, a slightly hurried voice rang out, and Wang Ping strode over from the corner, blocking Han Xuanji. He glared angrily at Hun Hao, his tone tinged with disdain:
" Hun Hao, who do you think you are? How dare you speak to Brother Han like that!"
Everyone here knows your skill level.
Or is it that all members of the Soul Household are so unruly, daring to arbitrarily make things difficult for distinguished guests just because they are locals?
Although Wang Ping was of average talent, he was a man of great loyalty and righteousness. Just now, Han Xuanji had been chatting and laughing with him without any airs. Now that he saw Han Xuanji being made difficult by the Soul Household, he naturally couldn't help but stand up to protect him.
His words not only helped Han Xuanji vent his anger but also implied that Hun Hao didn't know the rules. For a moment, many people looked at Hun Hao with a different gaze.
Indeed, it was quite absurd that people were put in such a difficult position as soon as they arrived, whether it was the elders of the Soul Household or the other guests.
At the same time, Wang Ping also secretly transmitted his voice to Han Xuanji:
"Brother Han, I know you're from the Soul Household, and it's not good for you to fight with these spoiled brats of the Soul Household. Leave it to me. I, Wang Ping, am not a Soul Household anyway, so I'm not afraid of offending them."
Upon hearing this, Han Xuanji did not offer any explanation. In truth, it wasn't that he was afraid of this hothead from the Soul Household; he was simply too lazy to escalate the matter. At most, avoiding battle would result in a loss of reputation, and this thing couldn't be used as a cultivation resource.
However, Wang Ping meant well, so he naturally wouldn't blame the other party for meddling.
Hun Hao was rendered speechless by Wang Ping's rebuttal, his face turning pale and then red. He wanted to retaliate, but Wang Ping's words made a lot of sense, and for a moment he didn't know what to do.
Those around him, seeing this, began to murmur amongst themselves, some whispering that Hun Hao was overestimating himself.
After all, Han Xuanji is S-Rank Talent personally recognized by the head of the Soul Household, so it's not his place to speak. If there are any problems, they should be discussed by the Lineage's higher-ups. If a member of the Soul Household is allowed to question him, regardless of whether he is right or wrong, wouldn't that make him a laughing stock?
Amidst the crowd, a glint of light flashed in Ling Feng's eyes. He slowly rose, walked through the crowd, and stood before Han Xuanji. His aura fluctuated slightly, carrying a sense of oppression.
" Hun Hao was indeed reckless and didn't understand the rules."
Ling Feng spoke, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of condescension, his gaze falling on Han Xuanji with a scrutinizing air:
"However, Brother Han, as S-Rank Heaven's Chosen, your attitude is far too arrogant."
Hun Hao isn't qualified to ask you for guidance, but as a fellow S-rank, I should be qualified, right?
I also want to see for myself how much real skill Brother Han possesses in the Dao of Principle of Laws, whether he deserves the patriarch's high regard, and whether he is worthy of the title of S-Rank Heaven's Chosen.