Chapter 82: The Banquet

"I wish to tread the Pathway of Ascension. Maybe I am destined never to achieve anything, seeking the Dao. Maybe I am destined to turn into dust without ever catching the scent of success. But, I still wish to try!" Jaw set, Ye Lingxiang removed the blindfold and stared straight at Xiao Hong, orbs of cyan glittering like the purest gems.

"At the very least, I do not wish to regret not even trying!"

Yun Meng frowned and made to say something but was silenced by a look from his grandniece.

Xiao Hong raised an eyebrow, turned to the young girl and stared at her with narrowed eyes. The girl flinched slightly, a flicker of apprehension momentarily dimming the defiance in her cyan eyes. However, she quickly recovered and stared back, unsteady and unsure, but unwilling to give up.

Xiao Hong let out a small smile. "Well, personally, I would recommend that you walk the Immortal Path. This might sound unbelievable but, even though the Martial Path has the lowest requirements for Cultivation, its demand for talent is actually the highest. And it places a far greater importance on vitality and age of the Cultivator."

'And that's not even counting the abnormally strong Willpower required to become a Martial Artist.' she added inwardly. In fact, Xiao Hong firmly believed that being a Martial Artist equated to being a serial Death Seeker! 

All that was required for starting on the Martial Path was a normal body - one that wasn't innately weak. Despite that, there were so few true experts in the Martial Path. This simply wasn't intuitive! 

Among the 13 Super Sects, there were only two that could be considered a proper Martial Sect: the Adamantine Fist Sect and the Flowing Cloud Sect. As for the True Martial Sect? Despite the name, their Path was actually quite different from the ordinary Martial Path. Xiao Hong had no idea why that was.

Outwardly, Xiao Hong continued, "And since you have the talent, you might as well cultivate Immortality. The Body Refining Stage of the Immortal Path is easier than that of the Martial Path - without any real focus on Martial Arts forms and such. So, you'd actually have a greater chance of attaining Qi Gathering than Blood Qi Awakening.

After a momentary pause, she continued, "Hmm, actually, you know what?" 

She casually walked over to the table beside Ye Lingxiang's bed and lightly pressed her palm against it. For a fleeting moment, a faint glow pulsed beneath her hand, casting an ethereal red glow across the occupants' faces.

Then, she stepped back and pointed to it casually. "There. That's a basic Cultivation Method. It is more than enough to reach the Qi Gathering Stage."

Ye Lingxiang stared at the tabletop with wide eyes.

"I-I… Thank you, great benefactor, for your kindness! I will forever be-" She sniffled and tried to get up yet again, only to be pushed back down by a slightly flustered Xiao Hong. Why was this girl so jumpy? It was just a way of casually passing time for her. Why was she acting as if she had cured her from cancer or something?!

"It's nothing much," she waved her hand quickly. "There is no need to be so grateful…"

"But, Miss Xiao, not only did you waste your precious time for me in diagnosing my condition," Ye Lingxiang interrupted, her orbs of cyan staring into Xiao Hong's red ones with great intensity, "but you have given me an invaluable treasure - one I would probably never chance upon in my entire lifetime. 

"Such a favour," her voice raised slightly, "I would be an ingrate if I did not at least express my gratitude! 

"I may not carry the Yun surname, but I shall conduct myself with nobility and honour!" She declared firmly.

Yun Meng squirmed uncomfortably in his place, while Yun Hua's lips twitched upwards in a smirk.

Xiao Hong looked away somewhat flustered by the girl's earnest reply. She quickly waved, "It's nothing special. It's only a Normal Grade Cultivation Method, that any Immortal Cultivator would know and very likely would have a copy of." 

Ye Lingxiang opened her mouth and was about to get up again but quickly withered under Xiao Hong's glare.

After explaining a few basic things about Cultivation and promising to help her as long as she stayed with the Yun Family, the four of them left Ye Lingxiang alone.

Outside, Yun Qingfeng bowed deeply towards Xiao Hong, "I and Lingxiang will be eternally grateful to you, Fairy Xiao, for your help and kindness."

"It isn't much." Xiao Hong shook her head. "I agreed to fulfil one request so I did. As for the Cultivation Method? That isn't much either. I came to help your sister after all. Which kind of idiot doctor only diagnoses the patient without recommending cures?" She rolled her eyes.

"Miss Xiao, it may be nothing more than a casual gesture on your part but, for little Lingxiang, it is a life-saving miraculous elixir." Yun Hua spoke softly. Xiao Hong's casual gesture had not only given her a cure for her ailment but also a way for her to fight against her fate.

Xiao Hong fell silent before nodding toward Yun Qingfeng. "Very well, take good care of your sister, then."

"I will!" He nodded firmly as the remaining three left.

'It seems that this Immortal Fairy can only verify that sister has talent in the Immortal Path. But, she can't tell exactly how strong it is.' He stroked his chin thoughtfully, staring at a blue screen.

{

Name: Ye Lingxiang

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Lifeform level: Tier 0: Mortal

Titles: Sinner's Spawn

Strengths: 

Incredible comprehension

Immense Spiritual Energy Affinity

Immense Soul Power

Weaknesses: 

Naivete

Affiliation: Radiant Star Empire's Royal Family, Yun Family

Special Abilities: 

Innate Divine Ability - Eyes of Essence: Can directly see through a person's Life Force as long as they don't exceed her by a whole Tier.

Potential: 

Immortal Path: 6 star [Blessed One]

Martial Path: 4 star [Extraordinary Genius]

Danger Rating: 

Low 

Remarks: 

This girl is an extremely talented child. Her ascent to the peak of this World is all but guaranteed. As long as something truly unfortunate does not happen, she will become a true expert.

This golden thigh is really thick! Quick, quick, quick! Grab on to it before it becomes too thick for you to even hold!

}

'Other than Miss Xiao - whom I could not even evaluate, Lingxiang's talent is the strongest!' He thought, a slight smile spreading across his face. 

His initial idea, when he'd heard of the Immortal Fairy's esteemed status, had been to bring her to Lingxiang. There, she would witness Lingxiang's immense talent and take her in as a disciple. It seemed, however, that he had overestimated this Immortal Fairy's ability. 

Thankfully, though, it seemed that this Immortal Fairy was also a rather kind person and gave Lingxiang a Cultivation Method, which would enable her to gain power and fight for her own rights.

Moreover, when he recalled Yun Hua's address of his cousin by her given name, his smile widened even more! It seemed that even she wanted to help Lingxiang!

***

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

Lying on the bed, Xiao Hong carefully browsed through the available Cultivation Techniques from the Scripture Library through her Disciple Token, thinking about which Spell Arts to choose from. 

'Hmm… This Great Sun Scorching Flame seems quite strong… this Nine Yin Water Demon is pretty awesome too, and there's also that one…' She felt burdened by choice. So many cool and powerful Spell Arts to choose from, but she could only master a few of them. Ah, what a tragedy!

'Sadly, I cannot get Techniques above the Earth Grade through this Disciple token,' She sighed regretfully. Earth Grade and above Techniques were valued resources of the Sect. These Disciple Tokens, while very secure, could still be cracked by the Super Factions. There was no way they could allow even the possibility of other Factions getting their hands on them. As for Profound Grade and below? The Sect couldn't be bothered. Other Super Factions definitely had those Techniques.

As for those who actually need these Techniques, they do not have the ability to crack these Tokens. Even if they, by some miraculous fluke manage to do so, it wouldn't matter. Their 18 generations would be destroyed before they could even read the first word.

Xiao Hong glanced outside the window, 'It's almost evening, huh? It's time I suppose.'

Apparently, these people had decided to throw a banquet just to welcome her - an Immortal Fairy. Despite trying to refuse, Yun Meng had somehow managed to convince her. 

What's the worst that could happen, anyway? Xiao Hong shrugged. She was already invincible around here!

Suddenly, she froze. 

'Eh? I don't seem to have anything to wear for such an occasion!' She pinched the clothes she was currently wearing, somewhat stunned. It was one of the sets of Martial Arts Gis she had borrowed from Yun Hua. 

'In fact, I don't seem to have any other clothes other than that tattered Sect Robe and these Martial Art Gis!'

***

In a large hall, dozens of Yun Family members and other affiliated persons gathered, noisily chatting away and laughing merrily.

Rialda stood near the walls, her eyes casually observing the people in the hall. Her eyes occasionally flickered with a purplish glow, before disappearing before one could even realise. A trick of the light, one would think. And it would soon be validated as the lamps that lit up the venue were reflected in her eyes. She had positioned herself in a way that ensured such a thing would happen. Just in case.

She wore an elegant white cheongsam decorated with a delightful purple flower print. Her close-fitted clothes showed off her figure, drawing many intrigued gazes that quickly averted upon seeing the tall, burly man with a short ponytail next to her.

"It seems you're quite popular, Miss Huang." Yun Cheng chuckled slightly. Even he had to admit it - Huang Zhixin was truly a rare beauty. He had caught his attention wandering several times this evening, furtively glancing at the hint of the creamy thigh that peeked through the slit. 

"It's merely passing glances, Captain, nothing special." She smiled up at him.

With herculean effort, Yun Cheng tore his gaze away from the enticing spring scenery just below her chin. Thank Heavens his strength was far higher than hers, otherwise, he wouldn't know where to put his face!

Little did he know that 'Huang Zhixin' not only knew about his stares, she made sure that he got a look - not too much, but just enough to tempt. She needed to use him for her plans. As a Flesh Tempering Martial Artist, he should have enough say in the Yun Family to allow her to meet this Immortal, wouldn't he?

'However, what on earth was that weird gaze just now? It was as if someone was trying to peer into my very being?' Rialda frowned inwardly, resisting the urge to scratch the back of her neck. She tried to trace the source of the gaze but could find not even the slightest clue, leaving her bewildered. 

She pondered, 'Was it that 'Immortal'? Are they already aware of my presence?' Only, they would have the power to do something like this.

Rialda remained unaware of the young man silently coughing his lungs out several metres away. Yun Qingfeng's lungs waged a tragic war against the invading drops of the Fire Fruit Wine. After coughing and retching for a whole minute, he finally managed to stabilise himself. He turned his attention back to the screen. 

Then, he nearly choked again! A violent struggle ensued, with him trying to keep his eyes from fleeing their sockets like drug dealers from a raid! 

{

Name: Rialda Eastborn [Alias: Huang Zhixin]

Gender: Female

Age: ???

Lifeform level: Tier 3: Pursuing Physical Perfection [???]

Titles: ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ...

Strengths: 

??? [Unable to calculate]

??? [Unable to calculate]

??? [Unable to calculate]

??? [Unable to calculate]

Weaknesses: 

??? [Unable to calculate]

??? [Unable to calculate]

Affiliation: ???, ???, ???

Special Abilities: ??? ???

Potential: ???

Danger Rating: Extremely Dangerous. Seriously, don't offend her. 

Remarks: 

A Mage in a strange state. Possibly self-imposed. Currently, she can only exert the power of a Tier 2 being. Be thankful for that, mortal.

Extra Remarks: Do NOT appraise again. You don't like being turned into a toad, ribbit - uh, right?

}

'What in the Martial God's sweaty underpants?!' His internal scream nearly manifested in reality! 'Since when did the Yun Family become a tourist hotspot for visiting overpowered monsters?!'

His soul was already writing its resignation letter! It seriously did not like the work environment of Keep Yun Qingfeng Alive Pvt. Ltd - worn out over having to deal with random bursts of panic, snarky appraisal systems, and living in constant fear of being vaporized by random overpowered women.

While Yun Qingfeng's soul contemplated early retirement, Yun Meng nudged the First Elder with his elbow. The First Elder's eyebrow quirked up inquiringly.

Consciously avoiding the massive zinger of a nose, he asked, "You too?"

The First Elder was confused for a moment before his eyes lit up and he quickly nodded, his head bobbing up and down vigorously, forcing into Yun Meng's view his spectacular nose.

Immediately, Yun Meng recoiled in horror, feeling his eyes had been tainted by that damned eldritch horror! He wouldn't be surprised if his eyes grew eyes!

'I must do something about that foul thing. Otherwise, our family might be harmed!' He nearly dropped back to the Blood Qi Awakening Stage from the single look. All his hard work and the great Fairy Xiao's favour had been nearly sent down the drain single-handedly by that damned thing!

"Good! Good! Good!" The Second Elder who had been eavesdropping on their conversion exclaimed softly, his excitement nearly getting the better of him and sending him to the Netherworld. "Our Yun Family is going to rise-!

Before he could screw up everything, the rest of them hushed him.

***

Half an hour after the members of the Yun Family had gathered, Yun Meng walked over to the centre of the hall. He cleared his throat to gather attention.

"Welcome my dearest brothers and sisters. Today, we have gathered in honour of an Esteemed Guest of the Soaring Clouds Yun Family. A guest, whose help has single-handedly brought our Clan to greater heights!"

Yun Cheng raised a brow. Wow. That is quite the praise! 

What was even more surprising was that the Elders nodded along vigorously, seemingly agreeing completely. 

"Without further ado, let me introduce our Honoured Guest," he gestured grandly towards the large main door, "Fairy Xiao!"

With a low 'clang!' the nearly three-storey tall gates opened, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful young woman. 

A cascade of raven hair, blacker than a moonless night, flowed down her back, contrasting her fair, delicate skin that radiated a sense of pure vitality, giving it an almost ethereal glow. Her face was a masterpiece sculpted by divine beings, with delicate features that seemed too perfect for this world. A hint of a smile played on her lips, full and inviting. Each step she took possessed an ethereal grace as if she moved not on solid ground but on unreachable clouds.

An aura emanated from her deeper than the oceans, more mysterious than the starry skies; like an otherworldly Immortal descended unto the mortal world, gracing it with her presence. 

The residents of the hall found their gazes frozen in her direction. Colour drained from the world around her.

For the several moments she took, walking to the centre of the hall, no one made a sound, for they were far too busy engraving the spectacle in their minds - whether they were men or women.

Yun Meng clapped his hands, shattering the quiet atmosphere and bringing everyone out of their reverie. 

"Welcome, Fairy Xiao, once again, to our humble home. We are grateful for your presence and for the tremendous favour you have shown our family, and we will be eternally grateful…" Yun Meng burst into a speech so long that Xiao Hong nearly fell asleep! Fucking dammit! Even so far away from Earth, she could not escape these long-winded old men! 

What was worse was that she knew if she simply got up and left, no one would be able to do anything to her, but for the sake of politeness, she had no choice but to stay! If she really left, it would mean disregarding Yun Meng and showing her dissatisfaction with him, which would spark dangerous thoughts in those who opposed Yun Meng.

All of this was subtly explained by Yun Meng over the past few days.

'What a damn headache!' She muttered to herself.

Bored as she was, she let her eyes wander, casually scanning the other attendees of the banquet. 

The first people to fall into her eyes were several wrinkled oldies. Xiao Hong immediately turned away. What was the point of staring at a bunch of oldies? They weren't exactly easy on the eyes.

Her eyes swept across the hall.

'Oh, there's the Qingfeng kid. What's up with him though?' She suddenly noticed a slightly pale Yun Qingfeng, who had quietly retired to the edge of the room. Occasionally, his gaze drifted to the other side of the hall, then shuddering slightly and looking away, which Xiao Hong found rather odd. Most of the people around were either staring at her or Yun Meng.

So, Xiao Hong also turned her gaze in the same direction, her eyes falling upon a burly man with a ponytail, radiating a robust vital force far stronger than the peak of Blood Qi Awakening. 'Oh, that's the genius of the Yun…'

'Oh, my! What a beauty!' Analytical Xiao Hong was kicked aside by the Jade Beauty Connoisseur Xiao Hong! Her eyes fixed themselves upon the slender figure beside the burly fellow. 

She had never expected to see such a beautiful young woman here!

Rialda, who had also been discretely paying attention to the 'Immortal Fairy' nearly jumped in fright under that intense glare!

***