At this moment, everyone looked up.
They saw several enormous spirit birds, their feathers shimmering in purple, and around them were luxurious carriages surrounded by several Jindan Maidens.
“Whoa, who’s family is this? So extravagant?”
The disciples immediately started whispering to each other.
Luo Yan was also utterly shocked by the sight.
“I say, Sect Master Yun, are these esteemed guests you invited?”
Yun Yan didn’t reply, not even glancing at Luo Yan.
Damn, that old man’s really full of himself!
Luo Yan gritted his teeth, but he didn’t dare lose his temper.
The carriages descended, and not long after, the curtain of the central carriage was lifted by a slender, fair hand.
First, a snowy white wrist reached out, and then Su Qingyue, holding her maid’s hand, stepped to the ground.
She was still dressed in that blue-and-white low-cut gown, the hem trailing along the ground without picking up a speck of dust. Her skin was dazzlingly pale, but her eyes still lacked any light, as if she hadn’t woken up, and when she swept her gaze over the crowd, it carried not a hint of emotion.
Yun Yan and Wen Ping exchanged a look.
[Zongzhu, why is she here?]
[Sister, why are you asking me? I thought you invited her.
Why don’t you go greet her?]
As for why Yun Yan and Wen Ping were so surprised, it was mainly because of Su Qingyue’s influence.
She was the sole authority of the Starvault Chamber of Commerce, now one of the top chambers of commerce on the continent—a name that had become resounding in recent years.
Even their current Transmission Jade Slips were developed by her chamber of commerce. Incredibly convenient, even Foundation Establishment cultivators could send messages across a thousand miles with ease.
But most importantly, for some unknown reason, Su Qingyue had invested a large sum in Shenxiao Sect every year for the past few years.
Thanks to this, the Shenxiao Sect was able to expand to some extent.
“President Su, what brings you here today? Please, have a seat.”
In the end, it was Wen Ping who got up and walked over to Su Qingyue. When she met Su Qingyue’s eyes, even she was startled for a moment.
Su Qingyue’s eyes were like an unfathomably deep, icy pool—easy to get lost in.
“Mm.”
Su Qingyue replied lightly, waved her hand to dismiss her maids, and quietly followed the purple spirit bird carriage as it flew off into the distance.
Su Qingyue sat quietly off to the side.
Luo Yan stared at this scene in surprise.
He knew a few rumors—Su Qingyue never left her residence except for business dealings, and always placed profit above all else.
Except for her dealings with the Shenxiao Sect, which were completely unprofitable—a one-sided investment, one could say.
Just then, a powerful aura swept past, and Luo Yan instantly felt it. Even Yun Yan, seated in the main seat, raised his eyebrows.
Almost without warning, a figure landed in the empty seat beside Su Qingyue.
A palace dress of white satin with dark gold dragon patterns brushed the ground, black hair tied up with a phoenix coronet, a few loose strands falling about her face, and where there should have been only a seat, there appeared instead a bright and beautiful bed. The woman lounged lazily on it.
“Sect Master Yun, such a grand event today, why wasn’t I invited?”
Luo Yan’s back instantly went cold when he saw this person.
It was the Female Emperor of the Dayan Dynasty! Empress Xi Yue.
The very one who reclaimed the Dayan kingdom with her own army.
Damn! If I’d known she was coming, I never would’ve come myself!
Cold sweat streamed down Luo Yan’s forehead—he’d once tried to ambush Xi Yue, after all.
He looked up at the Female Emperor, only to find she was looking right back at him. A chill shot up his spine, and he dared not meet her gaze.
“Haha, so it’s Your Majesty Xi Yue. This old man didn’t know you enjoyed such gatherings, so I didn’t send an invitation.”
Yun Yan stroked his beard with a forced smile.
The two of them clashed with an invisible aura so strong that even Luo Yan felt suppressed.
“Oh~ Then where is that Lin Yin?”
“Hehe, Your Majesty Xi Yue, that girl Lin Yin hasn’t returned yet. If you came looking for her, you might be disappointed.”
“But I clearly heard she returned recently.”
Xi Yue raised a cup of wine, her eyes fixed on Yun Yan.
Those eyes, so different from Su Qingyue’s, rimmed in crimson makeup and dazzlingly captivating.
“Haha, all just rumors. Don’t take them seriously.”
“Hehe.”
Xi Yue gave a faint smile—she didn’t believe a word of it. She’d come for one reason: to see if Lin Yin had found “him”.
“All right, guests are guests! We’re all here to watch the new disciples’ trial, so let’s see how far these juniors have gotten!”
With that, Yun Yan gave a wave of his little hand. A crystal orb floated into the air, and within it, the image of a rope bridge appeared.
In the scene, more than a dozen had already stepped onto the bridge, but halfway across, they all lost focus and collapsed to their knees.
“I say, Sister, did you and Feng Ze go a bit overboard with this Illusion Array?”
“Senior Brother, the Illusion Array is the same every year. It makes those who walk onto the bridge see illusions. Anyone who sets foot on the path of cultivation will have burdens—if someone’s heart is too filthy, such a disciple is better left behind.”
At that moment, someone on the bridge, eyes bloodshot, flailed about as if attacking something.
Finally, an invisible force of spiritual energy on the bridge blasted him off.
“Heh, perhaps this one once used human lives to refine pills. That would explain it.”
Wen Ping spoke coolly, though a hint of disgust flashed in her eyes.
Now, many of the once-boastful disciples on the bridge were vomiting, fainting, and some, after seeing monsters on the other side, ran back in terror.
But Hu Qiao’er calmly walked straight across.
It wasn’t that she didn’t see anything—she saw her grandfather Hu Jingzhong calling her home from behind.
But Hu Qiao’er only replied that she would go back after bringing Jiang Che with her.
Wang Hao managed as well.
He saw himself in a past life, doing homework at school, getting a zero on a test, and returning home to get beaten by his mother with a rolling pin.
Even now, the shadow lingered as he crossed the bridge.
In no time, from several hundred people, only a few dozen remained.
Jia Xianren also crossed the bridge with trembling legs.
“Hehe, it’s the same every year. Only this many can persevere.”
This voice belonged to the same outer disciple surnamed Chen, who had arrived earlier on a cloud.
He slowly descended behind Hu Qiao’er.
“If you can’t even face your own memories, you have no business seeking the immortal path.”
He muttered to himself, and Hu Qiao’er turned to look at him.
“Um, Senior Brother Chen, is a strong heart really that important for cultivators?”
“Oh? Senior Brother Chen? You’re an interesting girl, calling me Senior Brother before you’ve even joined the sect.”
“Is that not allowed?”
Hu Qiao’er’s face was innocent, completely untroubled.
“Hehe, you just asked how important the heart is for cultivators?
That’s a good question. Cultivation is cultivation of the heart.
The higher one’s cultivation, the more one must temper their heart.
But not everyone can see through the ways of the world, so many cultivators choose a life of simplicity and few desires—there’s much less trouble that way.
That’s also why so many choose to cultivate the Heartless Dao—they can go farther.”
Maybe he had a good first impression of her, so he spoke at length and didn’t put on any airs.
Hu Qiao’er quietly remembered his words.
She didn’t cultivate for cultivation’s sake; for her, it meant something different.
“All right, let’s go.”
Just then, a figure appeared by Hu Qiao’er’s side.
It was a girl wearing expensive-looking tight-fitting dark red clothes trimmed with gold, her hair short and tinged pink, who grabbed Hu Qiao’er’s sleeve.
Maybe because there were so few girls present, this one chose to cling to Hu Qiao’er.
Her face was bright red with embarrassment.
“Um, hi, could you tell me where the latrine is?”
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