The invitation

A faint cloud swirled beneath Zhou Wuji's feet, and he rose slowly along the mountain wall as if riding on clouds, quickly returning to the pavilion.

After his defeat, Yan Wudong simply waded across the water and disappeared, his whereabouts unknown.

The crowd gathered in the pavilion to watch the spectacle all showed respectful expressions upon seeing Zhou Wuji's return.

Many people also voluntarily bowed and addressed him as "Master".

In March of this year, Zhou Wuji received Northern Emperor's Blessing during the ordination ceremony, which made him famous in the Jingyang Upper Court.

When Zhou Wuji killed Zhang Cheng, Fifth Rank martial artist, with his sword in the Heavenly Pivot Hall, his fame spread throughout Jingyang.

However, many people know that Zhou Wuji was able to kill Fifth Rank martial artist with a single sword strike because True Person Zhihua had helped him behind the scenes.

Yan Wudong was a direct descendant of the Upper Court, and most people had witnessed Yan Wudong prowess.

The Army-Breaking Lineage cultivates both magic and martial arts, giving them a significant advantage in direct combat.

Most people still believed that Yan Wudong would win this time.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Wuji Zhou Wuji. Judging from his relaxed and composed demeanor, he didn't seem to have used his full strength.

After this battle, among the Wu generation in the Upper Court, only Lu Wuyuan could rival Zhou Wuji.

Everyone present was of the Wu generation, and many others were of the Shang generation. Faced with such a powerful Zhou Wuji, they naturally showed him exceptional respect and courtesy, even with a hint of awe.

This is a ruthless person who dared to openly kill his enemy in the temple!

Instead of being punished, he was rewarded by the Heavenly Master's Manor's Mansion, which shows that he had powerful backers.

Who would dare to disrespect such a person?

Moreover, Zhou Wuji was approachable and polite, tall and handsome, truly a person of integrity and uprightness, making people feel close to him at first glance.

Even after the great victory, Zhou Wuji didn't put on airs. Instead, he was very humble and greeted his fellow disciples with courtesy and consideration. He was polite and considerate to everyone.

Such behavior earned him the admiration of everyone around him.

Zhou Wuji's main reason for believing that everyone is equal in terms of personality is that he has experience from two lifetimes.

Although his cultivation far surpassed that of others, he mostly relied on the power of the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, and he had no good intentions.

Of course, many people are not human, so there is no such thing as equality for them.

Saying a few polite words can gain someone's approval; from a purely pragmatic perspective, that's an excellent deal.

This resounding victory prompted him to ask everyone to praise and promote it. His attitude towards everyone determined the angle from which they would praise him...

Whether reciting poetry conveys arrogance or refined elegance depends entirely on the opinions of the audience...

After everyone had left, Zhou Wuji and Wuming chatted intimately in the pavilion for a while before returning to their room in the Demon-Expelling Hall.

Yang Tie Ying was waiting at the door when he saw his master return and excitedly went to greet him, "Congratulations, Master, on your great victory over Yan Wudong!"

Zhou Wuji waved his hand. "It's just a friendly sparring match between fellow disciples. There's no need to talk about big or small victories."

Yang Tie Ying was very familiar with his master's mannerisms, so he didn't care at all and continued loudly, "Yan Wudong empty reputation!"

Before Yang Tie Ying could finish speaking, Zhou Wuji took out a jade ruyi from his sleeve and tapped it on Yang Tie Ying's forehead. Although he didn't use much force, it made Yang Tie Ying grimace, and he swallowed the rest of his words.

"Senior Brother Yan's Army-Breaking Divine Gang is fierce and powerful, his divine might is awe-inspiring, Swordsmanship is even more refined. How could a junior like you presume to comment on it?"

Zhou Wuji, his face grim, lectured, "Respecting your opponent is respecting yourself. If your opponent is nothing, then what are you?"

Yang Tie Ying suddenly realized his mistake and hurriedly nodded repeatedly. "Master's reprimand is correct, it was your disciple's fault."

He then added, "Senior Uncle Yan is incredibly brave and powerful, his martial arts skills are unparalleled in the Upper Court, it's a pity he encountered Master..."

Zhou Wuji said calmly, "You've learned to be slick and slippery in the Upper Court."

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"Master, I meant it from the bottom of my heart!" Yang Tie Ying felt a little wronged. He was just saying what his master taught him, so how could he be considered slick!

Zhou Wuji raised the jade ruyi and gestured with it. Yang Tie Ying involuntarily shrank back and tightly closed his eyes. Zhou Wuji was helpless; he couldn't beat this kid every day.

He softened his tone and said gently, "It's fine for you to joke with me, but I'm afraid you might not know your place when you go out. If I don't teach you a lesson, it'll be a different story if someone else does."

Yang Tie Ying smiled ingratiatingly, "Master, I'm not stupid, I wouldn't talk nonsense with outsiders..."

Zhou Wuji couldn't be too harsh on this disciple, so he could only talk to him about principles of conduct and behavior. As for whether Yang Tie Ying listened or not, that was another matter.

The Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and everyone in Jingyang Upper Court is busy preparing for the grand New Year's celebration.

At this moment, the news of Zhou Wuji's defeat of Yan Wudong caused a sensation in the Upper Court.

Everyone says Zhou Wuji's Swordsmanship is excellent, earning him the title of "Sword Lord Xiaoxiang," but he is, after all, a cultivator of the Heavenly Pivot Lineage. No matter how good his Swordsmanship is, it cannot compare to Yan Wudong of the Army-Breaking Lineage.

Even many of the top masters of the first generation changed their opinion of Zhou Wuji, realizing that he was indeed exceptionally talented and had a bright future.

Zhou Wuji in this battle, becoming the most prominent cultivator of the Wu generation, even surpassing Lu Wuyuan, who had already advanced to the Fourth Rank.

The news quickly spread to Jingyang City and throughout all the major cultivation sects.

Yan Wudong excels in practical combat and was quite famous in Jingyang before, never losing a match against his peers.

When Zhang Dingyang, the deputy leader of the Great River Gang, heard the news, he was both angry and helpless.

After Zhou Wuji killed Zhang Cheng, his influence in the Upper Court actually grew stronger.

No matter how much he hated it in his heart, he couldn't interfere with the affairs of Jingyang Upper Court.

He could only pass the message on to Zhang Qingning, the third young lady of the Zhang Household, a noblewoman from a prominent Aristocratic Clan, who might try to take revenge on Zhou Wuji.

Zhang Qingning was relieved to hear the news, but with the New Year approaching and everyone busy, she didn't have time to ask Leng Wuyou and the others for information...

On New Year's Eve, Zhiyun personally presided over the grand New Year's Eve ceremony at the North Pole Heavenly Emperor Hall, praying for national peace and prosperity and a bountiful harvest in the new year...

For Daoists, the New Year Grand Ceremony is the most important ritual among the regular festivals.

Of the three thousand cultivators in the Upper Court, almost all except for a few who were on duty away from home participated in the New Year Grand Ceremony.

Because Zhou Wuji held the title of Fourth Rank Dharma Master, his rank was equal to that of the heads of the various halls, so he stood at the very front.

Zhiyuan was right beside him, because the Palace Master of the Flying Profound Hall was really useless and could only stand there.

Three thousand cultivators worshipped and prayed together to the statue of the Northern Emperor, their combined power of prayer almost tangible.

What others couldn't see, Zhou Wuji Big Dipper Star Eye.

The entire North Pole Heavenly Emperor Hall was shining with divine light, and was intricately connected with numerous cultivators.

The cultivators of the Northern Pole Sect not only possess pure willpower, but their Divine Sense is also far stronger than that of ordinary people.

These three thousand cultivators possessed a far greater power of faith than the combined power of three hundred thousand believers.

He felt a little regretful; if he could have received the ordination and talisman under the watchful eyes of three thousand cultivators, he would surely have gained even greater benefits.

After the New Year's grand ceremony concluded, Zhiyun personally presented New Year's gifts to the Temple Master and the Head Monk, and Zhou Wuji also received one.

The gift itself wasn't expensive; the key was this special treatment, which showed that the abbot valued Zhou Wuji highly.

The higher-ups at Jingyang Upper Court all understood the abbot's meaning. They were all somewhat surprised; Zhou Wuji had no connections whatsoever, so when did he manage to curry favor with the abbot?

Abbot True Person Zhiyun then publicly announced, "At midnight on the seventh day of the first lunar month, I will ordain and confer Wuji vows upon Wuji. All of you are welcome to come and witness the ceremony."

With True Person Zhiyun personally extending the invitation, how could anyone refuse? Besides, Zhou Wuji's repeated Northern Emperor's Blessing were quite extraordinary.

Even without being invited, everyone wanted to come and see for themselves.

The news, announced publicly, spread quickly. Many people went to the Upper Court to request to attend the ceremony.

Among them were cultivators from various sects, including Lesser Yin and Greater Yin, as well as some powerful figures from Jingyang Commandery...

The ordination and regalia ceremony, which was to be held on the seventh day of the first lunar month, had not yet begun, but it had already sparked various discussions in Jingyang.

The more this was the case, the more it aroused public interest.

True Person Zhiyun didn't care about these mundane matters, but Lu Zhitong, the steward in charge of the Upper Court's finances, was under immense pressure.

Left with no other choice, Lu Zhitong had to consult with Zhiyun and decided to send out one hundred invitations to the ceremony.

The release of the invitations to the ceremony caused a sensation throughout Jingyang Commandery.

At this time, receiving an invitation to attend a ceremony at the Jingyang Upper Court was a symbol of status, power, and prestige.

Immediately, regardless of their motives, all parties were trying their best to obtain invitations to the ceremony...