Chapter 693: Martial Dao Advancement, Grand Banquet

One portion was tightly enveloped, assimilated, and absorbed by his own Inner Qi, causing the Inner Qi within his Dantian to grow and strengthen at a visible rate, becoming ever more dense and refined.

The remaining portion of pure origin qi, not immediately consumed, quietly attached itself to and lay hidden within the walls of his meridians and the major acupoints throughout his body.

Like an accumulated energy reserve, it could still be continuously released during his future cultivation, providing long-lasting nourishment and support.

While cultivating, Yang Jing also occasionally checked his panel. Seeing the constant jumps in his cultivation progress, he couldn’t help but feel incredibly motivated!

…

「Meanwhile, in Hidden Dragon Town on the western shore of Hidden Dragon Lake.」

Inside the Ma Family Tavern, the lights were bright and the air was filled with a clamor of voices, creating a lively, boisterous scene.

The entire tavern had been booked out for the night by none other than Qin Chuan, the genius disciple of the Xuanzhen Sect who had recently broken through to the Qi Absorption Realm.

This grand feast was being held specifically to celebrate Qin Chuan’s ascension to the Qi Absorption Realm.

Many Core Disciples and Inner Sect Disciples from Zhenyue Peak, as well as other disciples from the Xuanzhen Sect who were either acquainted with Qin Chuan or wished to curry favor with him, had all heard the news and flocked to the tavern to offer their congratulations.

Inside the tavern, the Core Disciples and close associates of higher status were all seated in the elegant and quiet private rooms on the second and third floors.

Meanwhile, the ordinary disciples of lower status—those with only a tenuous connection to Qin Chuan who were eager to ride his coattails and become a familiar face—were all seated in the main hall on the first floor. Dozens of square tables were packed to the brim, and the air was filled with the clamor of clinking glasses and boisterous conversation.

In a remote corner of the first-floor hall, eleven or twelve people were squeezed around a single square table. The seating was cramped, but the atmosphere was lively nonetheless.

Among them, a woman and two men sat side-by-side on the same side of the table; they were the Outer Sect Disciples from Lingxi Peak: Zhao Hongxiang, Su Qingyue, and Cai He Kang.

Zhao Hongxiang’s family had some old ties with Qin Chuan. Seizing this connection, he had taken the initiative to attend the banquet and celebrate Qin Chuan’s breakthrough, dead set on latching onto this powerful Qi Absorption Realm expert to secure a patron for his own cultivation path.

These days, in the Outer Sect’s Ninth Courtyard on Lingxi Peak, Zhao Hongxiang’s popularity was long gone. Only Cai He Kang still followed him closely; the other disciples had gradually distanced themselves, and their relationships had grown cold.

He was therefore using this banquet as an opportunity to try and ease the increasingly strained relationship with Su Qingyue, which was why he had specifically invited her to come along.

Although in her heart, Su Qingyue no longer felt as close to Zhao Hongxiang as she once had, the Zhao Family’s power far exceeded that of the Su Family. Unwilling to offend him lightly, she had to give him some face.

Besides, as Zhao Hongxiang had pointed out, a banquet to celebrate a newly promoted Qi Absorption Realm genius like Qin Chuan was not something an ordinary disciple could easily attend; it was a rare opportunity.

So, after a moment’s consideration, Su Qingyue had agreed to come along. She also wanted to see for herself the bearing of a prominent figure of the Xuanzhen Sect’s younger generation like Qin Chuan and witness the banquet’s grand scale.

‘If I’m lucky,’ she thought, ‘I might even be able to use this chance to meet a few major figures in the sect and find some opportunities for myself.’

Su Qingyue absent-mindedly offered vague replies to Zhao Hongxiang’s incessant chatter, her gaze sweeping back and forth across the noisy main hall.

A flicker of envy and awe would occasionally cross her eyes as she watched the important sect figures who calmly ascended the stairs, heading directly for the second and third floors.

Even among the Xuanzhen Sect disciples seated here in the first-floor hall, many were at least minorly famous figures in the Inner or Outer Sects.

In the past, with her status as an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple, she would have had almost no chance of interacting with such people.

Just then, a Core Disciple from the Inner Sect, dressed in Zhenyue Peak attire and radiating the steady aura of the Qi Eating Realm, hurried down the stairs. He walked straight toward the tavern entrance, his respectful and solemn demeanor making it obvious he was going to personally greet an important guest.

The hall immediately quieted down a bit as many disciples looked over curiously, all wondering what kind of person could warrant a Core Disciple from Zhenyue Peak coming downstairs to welcome them personally.

One had to understand that Qin Chuan himself was a Core Disciple of Zhenyue Peak. These disciples were his close associates, so for them to welcome a guest on his behalf was already a sign of great respect, an honor second only to Qin Chuan coming down himself.

Before long, respectfully escorted by the Zhenyue Peak disciple, two figures with upright postures and extraordinary auras slowly walked in from the entrance.

The moment they saw the newcomers’ faces, many disciples in the hall were stunned. They immediately recognized the two: Bai Ziyu, the prodigy of Thunder Peak, firmly ranked second on the Hidden Dragon List, and Lu Shaohua, the expert from Qingxu Peak, ranked third on the Hidden Dragon List!

Seeing this, the crowd couldn’t help but break into low, amazed murmurs. For even sect prodigies like Bai Ziyu and Lu Shaohua to show up in person to offer congratulations was a testament to the immense prestige Qin Chuan now commanded.

It also made many disciples sigh wistfully. Before Qin Chuan’s breakthrough to the Qi Absorption Realm, most people believed his talent and potential were not yet on par with top-three Hidden Dragon List prodigies like Bai Ziyu and Lu Shaohua.

But now that he had broken through to the Qi Absorption Realm, his status had instantly skyrocketed, far surpassing the other two. He was now a new-generation expert truly valued by the sect.

Under the deferential guidance of the Zhenyue Peak disciple, Bai Ziyu and Lu Shaohua ascended the stairs, heading directly for a private room on the third floor.

With their strength and status, they were naturally qualified to sit at the same table as the Qi-Absorption-Realm Qin Chuan and discuss the Martial Dao.

Just then, the rising and falling murmurs of the surrounding disciples suddenly reached Su Qingyue’s ears, every single word drilling its way in.

A long-faced Inner Sect Disciple lowered his voice and said, “I heard Senior Brother Qin also invited Senior Brother Chu Yunhai, even making a personal trip to Celestial Derivation Peak. Senior Brother Chu apparently accepted, but for some reason, he seems to be in an awful mood today. He just shut his doors and refused all visitors, so he’s not coming.”

The person next to him immediately tutted in admiration. “That’s only natural. Senior Brother Chu is our sect’s anointed number one prospect, cultivated with the full support of the entire sect. Even when it comes to Senior Brother Qin, he can easily refuse to give face if he so chooses.”

The long-faced disciple nodded in agreement. “Yes, Senior Brother Chu is almost destined to enter the sect’s upper echelons in the future, perhaps even to preside over his own peak or vie for the position of Sect Leader. Although Senior Brother Qin Chuan is at a higher realm now, when it comes to his standing in the sect and future prospects, Senior Brother Chu is still far superior.”

Another person chimed in with a sigh, “I really can’t figure it out. A chosen one like Senior Brother Chu, with all the resources and talent he could ever want—what could possibly put him in a bad mood? Could he be having trouble with his cultivation?”

A slightly dark-skinned disciple raised his cup, took a large gulp, and shook his head with a sigh. “If even a dragon among men, a chosen one like Senior Brother Chu, has difficulties in cultivation, what does that say about the likes of you and me? What martial artist in this world has a perfectly smooth journey?”

At that moment, someone else suddenly interjected, “By the way, wasn’t that Senior Brother Yang Jing from Lingxi Peak once considered on par with Senior Brother Chu Yunhai? I wonder if Senior Brother Qin invited him.”

Someone else shook their head. “Probably not. Yang Jing’s rise was too recent, and he has no connection to Senior Brother Qin. Besides, he was only considered Senior Brother Chu’s equal for a short time. Now, Senior Brother Chu is the sect’s true number one prospect, so Yang Jing’s importance naturally isn’t what it was.”

Su Qingyue had been lost in thought, her mind drifting, but upon hearing the name “Yang Jing,” she instantly snapped back to reality, her ears perking up involuntarily.

She couldn’t help but wonder to herself, ‘If Yang Jing really did come to the banquet tonight, with his strength and talent, he’d also be qualified to enter a private room on the third floor and sit at the same table as Senior Brother Qin Chuan, right?’

At the thought of Yang Jing, an indescribably complex emotion welled up in Su Qingyue’s heart, and feelings of regret and sorrow quietly began to spread.

‘If I hadn’t looked down on that unknown young man back then, if I hadn’t given him the cold shoulder, if I hadn’t antagonized and pressured him… If I had befriended Yang Jing like Liu Rou did, my current situation and opportunities in the Xuanzhen Sect would probably be completely different, wouldn’t they?’

Just as her mind was in turmoil, a disciple from the opposite side of the table suddenly lifted his cup, smiled, and raised it to her. “Junior Sister Su, please.”

Su Qingyue was tall and slender with a delicate, pretty face—a rare beauty even in the secular world.

Right now, her brows were slightly furrowed, giving her an air of faint sorrow and fragility that, paradoxically, was all the more captivating.

At the surrounding tables, at least, several gazes were already drifting her way from time to time. There was no lewd or frivolous intent in their looks; it was simply that upon seeing a woman of such outstanding beauty, one couldn’t help but subconsciously look a few extra times.

Especially after a few rounds of wine, even normally steady minds were bound to be stirred a little.