The guard froze for a moment. He attempted to exert a fraction of his Divine Sense to peek into the depths of the cultivation base of the man before him, but the moment his senses brushed against Zhi Xuan’s black-and-white robes, he felt a sharp, cold sensation as if a blade’s edge were being pressed against his throat. With cold sweat beginning to dampen his forehead, the guard immediately returned the jade plaque and bowed deeply.

  "Welcome to the Dragon Lotus Courtyard, Young Master Li and Master Gu. Please, enter; the Dragon Tide Banquet has just begun," he said, his voice trembling slightly.

  Li Chen smirked thinly, glancing at Zhi Xuan with a look that seemed to say, 'See how annoying they are if you don’t have access through me.' Zhi Xuan simply ignored him, stepping through the gate made of giant jade petals that were slowly blooming open.

  As they crossed the threshold, the fragrant scent of the Nine-Colored Soul Lotus greeted their senses. The tower's interior was vast, with a ceiling projecting a slowly moving constellation. In the center of the room lay a crystal-clear pond where giant flower petals served as tables and seats for the noble guests, floating elegantly above the water.

  "Magnificent, isn't it?" Li Chen whispered as he stepped onto the water's surface using the Light Cloud Step technique. "Master Taixuan truly spent many spiritual stones to create this aura of majesty."

  Zhi Xuan followed beside him. His sharp eyes immediately scanned the room. He spotted at least dozens of Soul Transformation realm cultivators, each with at least one Five Element realm companion, scattered across various corners, each surrounded by a potent and unique aura.

  However, at the center of the crowd, atop the largest golden lotus, sat a middle-aged man with neatly tied hair, wearing a saffron-yellow robe that radiated the shimmer of natural laws—this was Master Taixuan.

  Beside Master Taixuan, several beautiful women with delicate fox ears and tails hidden behind transparent silk were pouring wine into golden cups. These were the dancers of the Moon Fox Pavilion. Their movements were incredibly fluid, radiating a Yin charm capable of shaking the spirits of mortal men.

  Li Chen nudged Zhi Xuan’s arm again, this time with a lower, more cautionary tone. "Careful, Brother Gu. Master Taixuan has incredibly sharp senses. And those foxes... they are not just expert dancers, but masters at stealing secrets from behind your very breath."

  Zhi Xuan nodded almost imperceptibly. He felt a slight stir within his mind. His hidden Heavenly Eye told him that beneath the grandeur of this banquet lay an incredibly complex web of formations centered at a single point beneath the lotus pond—an energy that was deathly cold and carried the scent of ancient rust.

  "He isn't just gathering companions," Zhi Xuan thought while staring at Master Taixuan, who was now raising his cup to the other Soul Transformation experts. "He is looking for sacrifices to open that tomb door."

  Following Li Chen, Zhi Xuan took a seat on a lotus hanging low over the pond. Before him sat a wine flagon, spiritual fruits, and a jar of pure spiritual tea.

  "Enjoy the spread, Brother Gu. This Jade Lotus Fruit only bears fruit once every hundred years at the bottom of the Mirror Lake," Li Chen said as he poured wine with a relaxed motion, though his eyes remained warily fixed on the main table.

  Zhi Xuan did not touch the wine. He merely reached for a cup of tea, letting the warm steam wash over his marble-cold face. "The aroma of this tea is pure—quite good for enjoyment."

  Zhi Xuan sipped his tea slowly, letting the warmth of the spiritual essence flow into his veins. However, though his movements appeared relaxed, his inner senses expanded like a mist enveloping the entire room.

  Nearby, the music of harps, the trill of flutes, and the beat of gongs created a festive atmosphere. The fox dancers performed with an intoxicating fragrance, like lotuses blooming under the moonlight. The foxes giggled, letting out merry chuckles as they floated toward the tables of the noble guests.

  "Truly intoxicating," Li Chen whispered, his eyes narrowing slightly as a fox dancer in a pale pink silk robe glided past their table, leaving a trail of pollen scent capable of igniting passion. "Brother Gu, look at that sway of the waist. It looks like a lotus drifting down a river."

  Zhi Xuan set his teacup down with a soft clink. "Charm is but an illusion. This is a worldly allure, not the allure of the Dao."

  His low yet clear voice sliced through the noise of the harp music, catching the attention of the fox dancer who had just passed. She stopped, her body twisting gracefully before landing on the tips of her toes without a sound at the edge of Zhi Xuan’s lotus table. Her almond-shaped eyes glinted with mischief.

  "Oh my, such sharp words from such a handsome Young Master," the dancer sighed, her voice like silk sliding over skin. She reached out with a marble-white hand, attempting to touch the edge of Zhi Xuan’s robe. "Is the tea in that cup more interesting than the warmth we could provide under the seven suns?"

  Zhi Xuan remained motionless. He did not turn; he simply allowed the touch, feeling the dancer’s slender hand move along his sturdy shoulder. However, just as those nimble fingers were about to creep closer to his neck, a ripple of razor-sharp transparent energy radiated from his body, forcing the dancer’s hand to freeze in mid-air.

  "Young Master, you are as stiff as a stone at the bottom of a canyon," the fox dancer whispered again, her ruby lips curling into a seductive smile, though a hint of dread flickered deep in her eyes as she sensed Zhi Xuan’s immeasurable cultivation base.

  The fox dancer withdrew, her body swaying as she blew a fragrant lotus scent toward Zhi Xuan before returning to dance in the middle of the pond—a scene of unimaginable beauty, a true worldly delight. One might briefly forget their Dao if they drowned in the fox's seduction.

  Li Chen, witnessing this, could only shake his head while downing his wine in one go. "Brother Gu, you are a total mood killer. If the dancers of the Moon Fox Pavilion fail to tempt you, I suspect you have truly severed your mortal roots entirely."

  "Mortal roots are not severed by avoiding temptation, but by realizing that temptation has no opportunity," Zhi Xuan replied flatly, his eyes remaining on the surface of his tea, which was now perfectly still.

  "Hahaha! A classic answer that could be quoted in a Daoist scripture," Li Chen chuckled, though his hand trembled slightly as he refilled his cup. "But remember, Brother Gu, in this place, projecting too much calm can also invite a storm. Look up."

  Zhi Xuan followed Li Chen’s gaze without moving his head sharply. At the main golden table, Master Taixuan had stopped talking to the cultivator beside him. The middle-aged man’s eyes were now fixed straight at Zhi Xuan and Li Chen, his gaze sharp like an eagle dissecting prey from the heights.

  "Fellow from the Blue Ocean Sect, Li Chen," Master Taixuan’s voice boomed, yet it was smooth, carrying the undeniable weight of a mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivation. "I did not know your sect possessed a disciple with such steadfast inner calm that he could ignore the charms of my foxes' dance."

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  Li Chen immediately rose and bowed with a very polite yet relaxed manner. "Master Taixuan overpraises me. I am but dust carried by the wind. As for my companion, Gu Fengyan, he indeed has a... stiff temperament, the result of meditating too long in the ice caves of the northern region."

  "Gu Fengyan?" Master Taixuan repeated the name, his voice carrying a probing tone. "A name foreign to these old ears. Brother Gu, is the wine I provided not to your taste? Why do you only touch bitter tea?"

  Zhi Xuan slowly raised his gaze. Under the glow of the artificial constellations, his face looked like a cold jade carving. "Wine is a friend to those who wish to forget, Master. As for me, I came here to remember a greater purpose."

  The atmosphere in the Dragon Lotus Courtyard suddenly went silent. The music continued, but the focus of the great cultivators in the room shifted to the mysterious youth who dared to speak as an equal to Master Taixuan.

  "To remember a greater purpose?" Master Taixuan laughed, a laughter containing energy vibrations that made the pond's surface ripple violently. "The purpose you mean... is it the Calamity Banner I spoke of, or do you merely wish to test the sharpness of your blade here in my southern region?"

  "The Calamity Banner is not my primary goal, Master," Zhi Xuan stated flatly, though his Heavenly Eye began to pulse behind his sapphire pupils, seeing the threads of malevolent energy hidden beneath the saffron-yellow robes of the banquet's host. "However, I have come here for the chance to be Master's companion on the journey to the Ancient Demon Lands."

  Master Taixuan narrowed his eyes, stroking his neat beard as he weighed every word. The spiritual pressure in the room intensified, making several Five Element realm companions feel a tightness in their chests.

  "To be my companion?" Master Taixuan smiled thinly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Brother Gu, the Ancient Demon Lands is no place for a stroll. The demonic mist there can dissolve a Divine Spirit in a matter of breaths. To be my companion, you must prove that the weight of your soul is equal to the danger we will face."

  "Exactly!" a raspy voice called out from a lotus table to the right. A large man in tiger-skin armor—Cultivator Ba Yan of the Crushing Mountain Sect—slammed his wine jar down hard. "Master Taixuan, do not let just anyone join our ranks simply because he has a handsome face and talks big. The southern region has its own rules!"

  Li Chen whispered softly beside Zhi Xuan without changing his posture. "That’s Ba Yan, the brute from Crushing Mountain. He only recently reached early Soul Transformation. Be careful; he loves looking for trouble."

  Zhi Xuan didn't even glance at Ba Yan. He kept his eyes on Master Taixuan, raising his teacup with a thin smile. "I do not seek enmity, only the chance to be a reliable companion. If the Heavens of Yao Gu are kind, I shall certainly strive to prove myself."

  "Prove yourself? Hahaha! Talk is as cheap as flipping a palm!" Ba Yan stood up, causing his lotus to shake violently, splashing water onto the tables of other guests. "Look at those smooth hands, Brother Gu. Have they ever gripped the heart of a demon beast, or are they only used to holding paintbrushes in brothels?"

  The other cultivators began to whisper. Some laughed lowly, while others stared at Zhi Xuan with cold, evaluating gazes. The festive atmosphere had turned into a suffocating stage for judgment.

  Li Chen flicked his fan anxiously, whispering in Zhi Xuan’s ear. "Brother Gu, this fool is baiting you. Don't fall for it; Master Taixuan is watching to see the depth of your character."

  Zhi Xuan remained calm, sipping the last of his tea before setting it down slowly. "These hands are indeed unaccustomed to unnecessary coarseness, Brother Ba."

  He raised his hidden left hand, not intending to show it but merely reaching for the wine flagon through his Inner Sense. "However, a sheathed sword always slaughters the flock of sheep once it is drawn."

  "High talk indeed! Let's see if your tongue is as sharp as your life!" Ba Yan roared. He stomped his foot, and in an instant, a thick yellowish-brown aura—the essence of the Crushing Mountain Sect's Earth Law—exploded, creating pressure that made the surrounding lotus tables creak as if about to shatter.

  Ba Yan glided across the water, his fist the size of a sledgehammer enveloped in brownish light, striking straight for Zhi Xuan’s head. "Perish along with your arrogance!"

  Li Chen gasped, his hand instinctively moving toward his storage pouch. "Brother Gu, look out—!"

  But Li Chen's sentence hung in the air. Zhi Xuan did not move from his seat at all. He didn't even raise a hand to parry. When Ba Yan’s fist was just an inch from Zhi Xuan’s face, a thread of energy shot out and caught Ba Yan’s hand, creating a stifled boom in the air.

  DUUUMMM—!

  Zhi Xuan caught Ba Yan’s fist with an open palm, then with a fluid motion, he released a small burst of pressure that sent Ba Yan reeling backward without injuring him. The entire room went silent. The boom didn't trigger a destructive energy explosion, but rather a low vibration that made the pond's surface quiver like thousands of needles falling at once.

  Ba Yan, who had attacked with the full weight of his Earth Law, was thrown back seven steps across the water. He panted, his fierce face now flushed with shame and immense shock; he could feel that Zhi Xuan hadn't even unleashed his energy yet, as if Zhi Xuan had held back to avoid visibly harming him despite his higher cultivation base.

  "Soul Transformation... mid-stage?" Ba Yan hissed with wide eyes, his face deathly pale. He immediately bowed deeply and clasped his hands. "This Ba did not know the vastness of the Heavens!"

  A heavy silence fell over the Dragon Lotus Courtyard. Even the fox dancers from the Moon Fox Pavilion stopped their swaying, standing still with wide almond eyes staring at the youth in black-and-white robes who still sat so calmly. Master Taixuan, sitting on the golden lotus throne, straightened his back, his eyes glinting with deep interest.

  Zhi Xuan slowly withdrew his palm, hiding it within the folds of his wide sleeves. He did not look at Ba Yan with anger, but with a flat gaze that was far more terrifying—the gaze of someone looking at an insect they had almost stepped on by accident.

  "The world of cultivation is indeed vast, Brother Ba," Zhi Xuan’s voice broke the silence, clear and authoritative. "Sometimes, a mountain that appears low hides a bottomless abyss. Return to your seat; the wine in your jar will get cold if you stand there too long."

  Ba Yan swallowed hard. He didn't dare utter another word. With his body still trembling slightly, he bowed once more—this time with his back bent much lower—before retreating with unsteady steps to his table.

  Li Chen, who had been holding his breath, finally let out a long sigh with a relieved yet amused "huuu." He snapped his jade fan shut with a sharp click.

  "Incredible, Brother Gu!" Li Chen whispered, his voice now full of undisguised admiration. "You blocked an Earth Law attack from the Crushing Mountain Sect without breaking a single teacup on this table? What is your Dao Heart actually made of? Eternal ice or heavenly marble?"

  Zhi Xuan only glanced at him through the corner of his eye. "Just a simple energy circulation technique, Brother Li. There is no need for exaggeration."

  "Simple, you say?" Li Chen chuckled lowly while refilling his own wine cup. "If that’s simple, then every cultivator in this room should go back to cultivation school. You just made Master Taixuan give you his full attention, you know?"

  Indeed, from atop the golden lotus, Master Taixuan began to clap slowly. The sound of the clapping echoed rhythmically, forcing every ear to listen.

  "Magnificent! A truly refreshing display!" Master Taixuan exclaimed with a laugh that now sounded more sincere, though still shrouded in mystery. "Brother Gu Fengyan, I must apologize for the coarseness of my subordinates in this southern region. It seems my second suspicion was correct; you are a dragon hiding behind the mist."

  Zhi Xuan lowered his head slightly, offering a minimal yet polite gesture of respect. "Master Taixuan overpraises me. I only wished to prevent a commotion from ruining the beauty of your dancers' performance."

  "Hahaha! You are skilled in speech and action alike!" Master Taixuan raised his golden cup high toward Zhi Xuan. "A mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivator with energy control that refined... you are not merely a potential companion. You are the guest of honor I have been searching for. Tell me, are you willing to join the expedition to the Ancient Demon Lands with me two days from now?"

  Zhi Xuan fell silent for a moment, letting the atmosphere hang. He felt the gazes of dozens of pairs of eyes now filled with envy, respect, and caution. "The agreement for this expedition, let us discuss it alongside our other companions amidst the grandeur of this Dragon Lotus Banquet," Zhi Xuan replied with a steady tone.

  Master Taixuan broke into a wide grin, his eyes glinting as he signaled the servants to pour the highest quality wine at Zhi Xuan’s table. "Indeed, Brother Gu's wisdom is profound. Let us speak of this as equal companions under the witness of the Seven Suns and this lotus fragrance."

  Master Taixuan’s blatant acceptance was like dropping a massive stone into a calm pond; the ripples spread to every corner of the Dragon Lotus Courtyard, triggering sharp whispers among the noble guests.