Chapter 81: Evening Banquet

Chapter 81: Evening Banquet

The structure of the human cultivation world—the ranking of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten—actually took shape only in the past five hundred years. If there was a dividing line, it would be traced back to the loss of the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda by the Mount Shu Sect. Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only

Since the Mount Shu Sect lost the divine weapon that protected the sect, its status gradually declined. The position of the number one immortal sect in the mortal realm naturally became vacant.

At that time, the two most powerful competitors were the overseas Penglai Supreme Sect and the Heavenly Star Divine Cult, a sect that didn't follow the three schools of thought.

The Penglai Supreme Sect had operated beyond the continent of the nine provinces for years. With an ancient lineage and abundant resources, it stood as a sect of significant heritage.

In contrast, the Heavenly Star Divine Cult stood apart from the three conventional schools of thought. At its peak, it could be deemed the fourth school, a huge faction dedicated to continuing the legacy of the Heavenly Star Unusual Art. It served as both a force for good and evil and an overseer of various martial arts lineages.

In their competition for the position of the leading sect of the righteous path at that time, both sects embarked on extensive recruitment campaigns, aiming to enhance their strength as much as possible and surpass each other within a short time.

In reality, although there were very few individuals with the aptitude for cultivation, it wasn't as rare as one might think. The main reason major sects always maintained a relatively small scale was due to resource limitations. It would be meaningless to recruit more disciples when there were insufficient resources for cultivation.

While the competition between the two sects in the short term seemed evenly matched, as time passed, the disadvantages of the Heavenly Star Divine Cult became apparent.

The Penglai Supreme Sect, based across the seas with abundant resources, effortlessly navigated through this brief period of high expenditure.

The Heavenly Star Divine Cult, however, lacked such abundant resources for cultivation.

Within less than a hundred years, intense competition erupted within the sect. Moreover, with different lineages having distinct characteristics, the Heavenly Star Divine Cult wasn't united. The leader at that time lacked full control.

As a result, the Heavenly Star Divine Cult, despite being such a huge existence, unexpectedly fell apart without any external military intervention.

Just by looking at the various sects and factions that emerged after the split of the Heavenly Star Divine Cult, one could vividly grasp the magnitude of its former terror.

The Celestial Pivot Pavilion, one of the Divine Nine, held a unique position. The Heavenly King Sect, one of the Divine Nine, the Sea King Sect, part of the Terrestrial Ten, and the Dark King Sect, the sect currently leading in the diabolical path, had only started following the diabolical path after the Heavenly Star Divine Cult broke apart.

Apart from these major sects, there were also scattered small lineages, encompassing both righteous and diabolical paths.

For instance, in the early days of the human cultivation world, there was the Evening Star Sect, which stirred up a small ripple in the sea of the martial world... There was also the Celestial Charm Sect that wreaked havoc in the world... Some martial arts lineages, like the Seven-Killings Star, the Ruinous Star, and the Greedy Wolf Star, were considered more diabolical than righteous...

In the realm of immortal cultivation, some martial arts styles had stood the test of time while others had been forgotten. But there were those that, although inactive for a while, had the power to suddenly reappear and make a big comeback.

...

"Distinguished guests of South Gate City! Welcome! Your presence here brings light to our humble abode. If there's anything about today's feast that doesn't meet your satisfaction, please don't hesitate to let us know. We'll make sure to make any adjustments needed."

However, instead of immediately approaching Lord Xia, Chu Liang appeared cautious, directing his attention to the man in black.

The thin, tall man in black handed the long box to a banquet servant and took a seat towards the back.

A servant then loudly announced, "Lord Xia presents a gift to Miss Xue! The sandalwood kite-shaped guqin!"

"Wow!"

The crowd buzzed with excitement. The sandalwood kite-shaped guqin was known as one of the legendary instruments, believed to be lost for many years. Unexpectedly, the Lord Xia had found it and generously presented this precious instrument to Xue Lingxue.

As a skilled musician specializing in the art of the qin, one could easily imagine how much Xue Lingxue would love such an exquisite instrument.

However, Chu Liang's attention was not on the qin but on the man in black. The moment he appeared, Chu Liang felt the sudden movement of the Crimson Executioner.

This black-clad man was enveloped by a cloud of resentment.

Although the Crimson Executioner was eager to act, Chu Liang couldn't just leap up and strike with his sword. After all, the situation was different this time; the person in question had a legal and proper identity. Even if he might be a bad person, he could only take action after gathering enough evidence. Otherwise, if he randomly killed that person, he would become the villain instead.

Moreover, Chu Liang wasn't certain if he could defeat the man.

While the Crimson Executioner could boost the attack power, Chu Liang's strength in cultivation was limited. Even if the attack power was boosted, the strength would only be somewhere between the pinnacle of the fifth realm and the beginning stage of the sixth realm.

The man in black exuded a profound aura, completely undetectable. If he happened to be a cultivator in the sixth realm, Chu Liang wouldn't be able to fight with him even with the Crimson Executioner.

Nonetheless, this person had captured Chu Liang's attention.

At this moment, a female musician from the South Melody Conservatory, serving under Xue Lingxue, took the stage. She announced, "Thank you all for being here. Senior Sister Xue is currently preparing backstage. As a prelude to the main event scheduled in two days, she will be presenting a warm-up performance today."

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

The musician continued, "However, Sister Xue's performance requires a collaborator. She intends to choose from among you. Is anyone willing?"

The crowd responded with a resounding, "Yes."

At that moment, Master Li beside them suggested, "Since Lord Xia has just gifted the sandalwood kite-shaped guqin, how about performing with this legendary instrument? Let us hear the melody of this lost ancient qin."

The female musician hesitated for a moment, looking towards the side. Naturally, she couldn't make the decision for Xue Lingxue.

Then, Xue Lingxue, dressed in a plain blue gown, calmly stepped onto the stage. With an aloof-looking smile directed at the Lord of the Marquessate, she said, "Of course. Lord Xia, thank you for finding this legendary qin... In this case, I would like to ask Young Hero Chu of the Mount Shu Sect to help me in this performance."