"Heavenly Demon Calamity Banner," Zhi Xuan murmured, his voice carrying an unreadable tone.

  The old man nodded quickly, his face pale as he realized he had leaked information that could trigger a bloodbath. "True, Young Master. It is said that whoever controls that Banner will not only command thousands of shadow demon soldiers but also manipulate the surrounding Yin energy into an impenetrable shield. However, the price... many return from the Ancient Demon Lands as mere empty shells without a soul."

  Zhi Xuan rotated his sapphire eye, gazing toward the pavilion window which showed the Yao Gu sky beginning to be painted with streaks of crimson twilight. The Dragon Tide Banquet. Master Taixuan. The Ancient Demon Lands. All these pieces seemed to be pulled by the threads of fate toward his path.

  "Where is the location of the Dragon Lotus Courtyard?" Zhi Xuan asked briefly.

  The old man immediately pointed toward the tallest tower in the city center, whose peak was shaped like a giant lotus bud. "There, Young Master. You cannot miss it. However, the banquet is strictly guarded by a cultivation-scanning formation. Only those in the Soul Transformation realm, or at least the perfection of the Five Element realm with a special invitation, are allowed entry."

  Zhi Xuan did not answer. He simply turned around, his black-and-white robe sweeping across the marble floor with a nearly soundless rustle. Without another word, he stepped out of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, leaving the old man trembling while clutching the spiritual jade stones.

  Dragon Lotus City at dusk looked like a piece of jewelry fallen into the water. Lanterns powered by spiritual essence began to glow along the light bridges, reflecting shimmering shadows upon the mirror lake.

  Zhi Xuan walked through the crowd; his sturdy frame instinctively parted the masses, his long black hair fluttering softly, contrasting with his monochrome robes. He looked around, observing the life surrounding him.

  THUD! THUD! HAHAHA! OUCH!

  A young boy, holding a phoenix-shaped kite, was running with laughter before tripping right in front of Zhi Xuan. From a distance, his mother saw the fall, shook her head, and placed her hands on her hips.

  "A-Yu, didn't Mother warn you?" The mother's voice as she approached the crying boy was filled with a mix of caution and affection. "Don't run in the middle of the street!"

  Zhi Xuan stopped his pace exactly in front of the sobbing child. His sapphire eye gazed down at the small figure clutching a scraped knee. To a cultivator who had just spent two hundred years in astral silence, this sight was like a small ripple on the surface of a frozen lake—a reminder of the mortality he once shared back in Star Village.

  Zhi Xuan did not immediately walk away. He leaned his majestic body down, a movement so graceful that the air around him seemed to freeze for a second. "Do not cry; a weeping phoenix will turn the world to ash."

  His left hand—dark yet hidden beneath his sleeve, the same hand that had crushed the lightning tribulation dragon—reached out gently. With his fingertips, he touched the kite that had torn during the fall.

  A faint silver glow flowed from his fingers. In an instant, the shredded paper knit back together, and even the red color of the phoenix became far more vivid, as if the legendary bird were truly about to take flight from its frame.

  "This street is not only inhabited by laughter, little one," Zhi Xuan said, his voice low yet clear, carrying a tranquility that instantly quelled the boy’s sobs. "Be careful, lest your wings break before you have a chance to see the true sky."

  He touched the boy's forehead with a wisp of subtle essence, healing the wound on his knee until it vanished. "It is done. Stand up."

  The little boy named A-Yu gasped, his tear-streaked eyes staring at the phoenix kite in his hand, which now seemed to vibrate with new life. He looked up at Zhi Xuan’s face, which was calm yet distant, as if the youth before him had stepped out of an ancient painting of a god descending to the mortal earth.

  "Are you an Immortal, Uncle?" A-Yu asked innocently, his saliva even dripping due to the divine aura and fragrance radiating from Zhi Xuan.

  Zhi Xuan froze for a moment, but a faint, thin smile soon touched his lips. "Perhaps I am just someone who received a blessing from the Heavens."

  A-Yu blinked his round eyes; though he didn't understand, he quickly wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. "Wow! Uncle looks so strong, definitely an Immortal!"

  "Thank you, God Uncle!" A-Yu shouted again with pure innocence, scrambling up and running back to his mother with a beaming face.

  The mother, who had initially tensed up seeing Zhi Xuan’s mysterious aura, bowed deeply with a face full of gratitude and immense fear. "Thank you, Honorable Immortal! Please forgive the insolence of my child who does not know the height of the heavens!"

  Zhi Xuan only gave a slight nod without turning back, continuing his walk toward the lotus bud tower looming in the city center. "Mortal life is indeed fragile, yet within it lies a sincerity that even the Gods sometimes miss," he thought, gazing at the silhouette of the tower beginning to glow golden under the fading light of the seven suns.

  "This Dao Brother possesses a truly vast Dao Heart," a voice appeared from behind Zhi Xuan, making him pause.

  Zhi Xuan stopped his pace, but he did not immediately turn around. The aura around him, previously calm, suddenly sharpened subtly, as if thousands of transparent sword blades were lurking in every gap of the air. His Divine Sense had captured the presence of the figure behind him long before the voice was heard—a man with a stable energy ripple, at least at the same Soul Transformation stage as himself.

  Slowly, Zhi Xuan turned. Under the dim light of the lanterns, he saw a young man wearing a dark blue robe embroidered with silver clouds. The man held a closed jade fan; his face appeared scholarly, but his eyes radiated the sharpness of a celestial genius.

  "Seeing a cultivator of such majestic authority willing to touch the dust of the street for a mortal boy is a rare sight in Dragon Lotus City," the man said, bowing with sincere respect.

  Zhi Xuan stared at the man with a flat gaze. "A Dao Heart is not measured by how high we fly, but by how much we remember the soil where our roots began. Who is this Dao Brother?"

  The blue-robed man chuckled, a sound like expensive porcelain clinking, radiating a thoroughly pleasant and humorous demeanor. He folded his arms across his chest, offering a formal greeting once more.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "My name is Li Chen, a directionless wanderer from the Blue Ocean Sect. I have just arrived in Dragon Lotus City and accidentally witnessed Dao Brother's extraordinary kindness," he said with a friendly smile, though his sharp gaze did not leave Zhi Xuan.

  Zhi Xuan remained unmoved, his cold aura creating an impenetrable distance. "Gu Fengyan. Just a wanderer seeking answers to the changes in the world."

  Li Chen raised an eyebrow, seemingly impressed by the composure radiated by his interlocutor. "Gu Fengyan, 'Ancient Madness.' A fine name, yet it carries a heavy burden. Brother Gu, if I may guess from the direction of your steps, are you not also heading toward the Dragon Lotus Courtyard? To the banquet held by Master Taixuan?"

  "If that is so, what business is it of yours?" Zhi Xuan asked bluntly, his voice as cold as ice on a mountain peak.

  Li Chen was not offended; instead, he flicked his jade fan open, revealing a painting of mist-shrouded mountains. "Do not misunderstand, Brother Gu. It’s just that Master Taixuan is a very selective man. Even if you possess extraordinary authority, without an invitation or the right connections, the guards at that lotus gate can be very... annoying for those who do not wish to blatantly flaunt their cultivation."

  "Is Dao Brother offering for me to go with you?" Zhi Xuan interjected, understanding the direction of the conversation.

  Li Chen grinned widely, folding his fan and tapping it against his palm. "Exactly. I have an invitation for two, and coincidentally, my travel companion canceled because he’s terrified of the rumors surrounding the Ancient Demon Lands. Seeing Brother Gu, who possesses the calm of the ocean, I thought you would be a far more interesting conversationalist than an empty chair."

  Zhi Xuan stared at the man with his hidden Heavenly Eye, dissecting every ripple of honesty within Li Chen's spirit. "You invite a stranger you just met on the street to a high-level banquet? Isn't that too reckless for a Soul Transformation realm cultivator?"

  "Hahaha! Brother Gu is too cautious," Li Chen replied lightheartedly. "In the world of cultivation, there are people whose auras smell of rot despite wearing silk robes, and there are those who radiate the authority of a sword even while silent. You are the latter. Besides, facing Master Taixuan alone sometimes requires a sturdy 'shield,' does it not?"

  "I am no one's shield," Zhi Xuan hissed, yet he began walking again toward the lotus tower. "However, I do not mind saving time with your invitation."

  "A wise choice!" Li Chen walked beside Zhi Xuan, maintaining a polite distance but close enough to chat. "By the way, Brother Gu, have you heard about the dancers from the Moon Fox Pavilion? They are reportedly performing the 'Moonlight Dance.' Many cultivators come just for that; are you interested?"

  Zhi Xuan kept his eyes forward. "No," he replied shortly, wanting no part of the topic.

  Li Chen only gave a mischievous smile. He tapped his waist, and a dark brown book appeared in his hand, radiating an aura that seemed to resonate with danger—not danger to cultivation, but to Zhi Xuan’s mental state.

  "Brother Gu," Li Chen replied, stifling a laugh as he floated the book slowly in front of Zhi Xuan. "Look at this heavenly beauty."

  Zhi Xuan glanced briefly at the book hovering before him. Initially, he thought it was a technique manual that would hide his fluctuations or a valuable ancient map of the Ancient Demon Lands. However, as the pages fluttered open in the wind, his sapphire pupil constricted instantly.

  Inside the book, rendered with exquisite ink techniques, were silhouettes of women depicted without a single thread of clothing. Their skin was painted as white as marble, posing among blooming lotus petals under the moonlight. The detail was so lifelike that the curves of the bodies and the faint blushes on the painted faces could almost be felt by one's Divine Sense.

  Zhi Xuan’s face, which was usually as cold as ice and pale as jade, began to change. A flush of red crept up from his neck to his cheeks, reaching the tips of his ears. For someone who had pursued cultivation for nearly four hundred years, an attack of this nature was more world-shaking than the purple tribulation lightning.

  "What... what is the meaning of this?!" Zhi Xuan hissed, his majestic voice cracking slightly. He jerked his head away, but the image of the blooming lotuses in the book seemed etched into his overly sharp Heavenly Eye.

  Li Chen laughed uproariously at Zhi Xuan’s reaction, deftly catching the book. "Hahaha! Brother Gu, don't tell me you are a holy cultivator who has never seen such a 'spring landscape' before? This is a masterpiece from the legendary painter of Dragon Lotus City. Look at this stroke; isn't the curve as beautiful as the flow of spiritual essence?"

  "Close that cursed book, Brother Li!" Zhi Xuan growled. He quickened his pace, his robes fluttering erratically due to his unsettled emotions.

  Li Chen ignored the warning, lightly darting to keep up with the warrior's long strides while continuing to flip through the pages with nimble fingers.

  "Oh, Brother Gu, look at page three! The painter is truly a master at capturing the essence of the 'Thilling Snow Mountain.' Isn't the proportion perfectly harmonious with the Laws of Nature?" Li Chen whispered right into Zhi Xuan’s ear, his tone as if they were discussing a high-level sacred scripture.

  "Silence! I saw nothing!" Zhi Xuan exclaimed without turning, though his face was now the color of a sunset on the Yao Gu horizon. His incredibly sharp Divine Sense—which should have been used to detect enemies—betrayed him by projecting every detail of those paintings into his mind with crystal clarity.

  "Don't lie, Brother Gu. Your Dao Heart is trembling! I can feel it," Li Chen teased, nudging Zhi Xuan’s arm. "Even your golden frame is tensing up. Is this a reaction of the 'Divine Essence Blood' responding to mortal beauty? Truly fascinating for cultivation research!"

  "Cease your ridiculous research or I will ensure your Dao Heart stops beating!" Zhi Xuan threatened, his voice sounding like thunder trying to suppress embarrassment. He flicked his sleeve harshly, creating a gust of wind that nearly blew the brown book out of Li Chen's hand.

  Li Chen nimbly rotated his wrist, performing a movement as fluid as wind-blown clouds to secure his treasure. "So fierce! Brother Gu, you must learn that the balance of Yin and Yang is the key to immortality. Forcibly suppressing desire will only make your Divine Spirit as stiff as a dragon's gallstone!"

  "I am not suppressing anything; I simply refuse to foul my eyes with your madness!" Zhi Xuan retorted, taking wide steps to get as far away as possible. However, Li Chen was like a shadow attached to his heels, reappearing on the other side of Zhi Xuan with an even more annoying expression.

  "Take a look at page seven, Brother Gu. It’s titled 'Moonlight Behind the Bamboo Curtain.' Notice how the painter depicts the thin shadow on the—"

  DING! DING!

  The sound of a distant bell drowned out all voices and the remaining playful tension between them. The seventh sun had fully set, and the Dragon Lotus Courtyard officially signaled its opening through the chimes.

  The sound of the bell echoing from the peak of the lotus tower seemed to carry a wave of soothing spiritual essence, washing away the remnants of the flush on Zhi Xuan’s face and restoring a marble-cold calm to his features.

  The vibration of the bell was not merely a timekeeper but a spirit-cleansing mantra emitted by the high-level formation of the Dragon Lotus Courtyard to welcome noble guests.

  Li Chen instantly snapped the brown book shut with a lightning-fast motion, stowing it back into his storage pouch as if it had never existed. His face, previously full of mischievous smirks, turned serious and authoritative, reflecting his identity as a Soul Transformation realm cultivator of the Blue Ocean Sect.

  "The time has come, Brother Gu," Li Chen said, his voice returning to the weight of an expert. "The petal gates shall open. Let us see if Master Taixuan truly holds the key to that Calamity Banner, or if he is merely hawking dreams over a cup of wine."

  Zhi Xuan regulated his breathing, letting the twilight-gray energy in his meridians flow with a slow, hidden rhythm. He no longer replied to Li Chen’s jests; his eyes were now fixed on the main light bridge leading toward the tower. There, dozens of golden carriages drawn by winged beasts and cultivators flying on swords began to land orderly.

  They walked together along the bridge that arched beautifully over the lake. The closer they got to the tower gate, the more the spiritual pressure intensified. Two giant jade lion statues stood at the entrance, their eyes made of red crystals scanning everyone who passed. Between the statues stood rows of guards in silver armor radiating the aura of the Five Element realm.

  "Invitation," one of the guards said in a raspy voice as Zhi Xuan and Li Chen arrived before them.

  Li Chen produced a jade plaque shaped like a lotus leaf that glowed a clear blue. The guard took it, pressed his palm against the plaque, and instantly a projection of golden characters appeared, filtering their identities.

  "Young Master Li Chen of the Blue Ocean Sect and... a companion," the guard glanced at Zhi Xuan with an inquisitive look. He felt Zhi Xuan’s aura was very faint yet possessed an unusual density, as if he were staring into an abyss covered by a thin mist.

  "Gu Fengyan," Zhi Xuan said calmly, introducing himself with the pseudonym he would use in this southern region of Yao Gu.