“Young Master Xu, Young Master Xu, the Zixia Grand Ceremony is about to begin. You should hurry; if you don’t go now, you’ll be late.”
A spiritual flower floated over to Xu Ming, calling out to him repeatedly.
Over the past few days, it had been these spiritual flowers and grasses bringing him food and even washing his clothes. They were like the maidservants of the Wanhua Valley.
After they finished washing his clothes, they even left a faint floral fragrance on them.
On the other hand, they also seemed like disciples of the valley.
It felt like with another thousand or so years of cultivation, they might actually transform into human forms.
“I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Miss Flower,” Xu Ming stood up and expressed his gratitude to the spiritual flower.
“One more thing,” the flower continued. “Wang Xuan asked me to tell you that they’ve already headed to the Zixia Grand Ceremony. You shouldn’t feel too burdened—keep a calm mindset, do your best, and leave the rest to fate. That’s all.”
“Understood,” Xu Ming nodded, striding out of the Wanhua Valley.
Even without anyone leading the way, Xu Ming could tell that this was likely the direction to the Zixia Grand Ceremony.
He followed along, flying toward the destination.
Before he had flown far, a voice called out from not too far away—it was Yu Wenxi.
Xu Ming stopped midair and turned to see Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng flying toward him.
“Brother Yu, Brother Miao,” Xu Ming greeted them with a cupped fist.
“We haven’t seen you these past two days, Brother Xu. The two of us wanted to invite you for a drink, but you were nowhere to be found at your courtyard,” Yu Wenxi said, his expression tinged with concern.
The main reason was that the outer area of the Tianxuan Sect had been rather unsafe lately, with frequent incidents involving cultivators. They had worried that Xu Ming might have ventured into the outer area and encountered some mishap.
“My apologies for causing you concern. I went to visit an old acquaintance from the Tianxuan Sect—someone I met during my travels. That’s why I wasn’t at my courtyard these past two days,” Xu Ming explained with a smile.
“I see. As long as you’re safe, Brother Xu,” Miao Feng nodded in understanding.
“It’s getting late. The Zixia Grand Ceremony is about to start—we should hurry. I’ve heard that this year’s ceremony will be more grand than usual. We mustn’t miss it,” Yu Wenxi said, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
“Who are you kidding? You’re not excited about the ceremony itself—you’re looking forward to seeing Miss He Qingqing perform her sword dance,” Miao Feng teased, exposing his friend’s thoughts without hesitation.
“You… Don’t slander me!” Yu Wenxi retorted, his face turning red with embarrassment, looking quite innocent and pure.
“Appreciating beauty is natural for everyone. There’s nothing wrong with it. If you like her, Brother Yu, you should go for it. Besides, you’re both from reputable sects—if you and Miss Qingqing were to end up together, it might even become a tale of romance,” Xu Ming chimed in with a laugh. ꭆ𝒶𐌽ОBËŚ
“Brother Xu, even you’re saying this?” Yu Wenxi’s face turned even redder. “Alright, enough of this! Let’s stop talking about it and get going.”
Not wanting to be teased further, Yu Wenxi hurriedly flew ahead.
Xu Ming and Miao Feng exchanged a glance, shook their heads with a smile, and followed behind.
When the three of them arrived at the venue of the Zixia Grand Ceremony, they couldn’t help but marvel at the sight before them.
This place boasted breathtaking scenery, with numerous spiritual pools scattered across a flat and expansive plain.
Tables were arranged in an orderly yet natural manner, each adorned with spirit fruits and rare delicacies.
Brightly dressed disciples carried wine jars as they queued, and on every table sat a pot of wine. The crystal-clear spiritual springs reflected the image of everyone present.
At the very center stood a massive tree, towering over a hundred meters tall.
The tree was incredibly thick, likely requiring ten strong men joining hands to encircle it. Its branches were lush, and as the wind swept through, the leaves rustled gently.
Xu Ming guessed that this tree was likely the legendary Xuantian Tree.
Xuantian Tree—Tianxuan Sect.
Legend had it that when the founding ancestor of the Tianxuan Sect established the sect, it was because of this spiritual tree, which stabilized the spiritual energy for hundreds of miles around. Using the tree as the center, the sect was built and named “Tianxuan Sect.”
Over tens of thousands of years, this Xuantian Tree had safeguarded the prosperity of the sect, producing generation after generation of outstanding talents.
“Young masters, may I trouble you to show your jade tokens?”
A maid approached and politely asked the three of them.
Xu Ming and his companions took out their jade tokens, which bore their sect names and personal details. After all, seating here was not random—each sect had its designated place.
Soon, the maid led them to their assigned seats. Unfortunately, Xu Ming and Yu Wenxi ended up sitting across from each other, too far apart to continue their conversation.
More and more people arrived, descending into their seats under the guidance of the maids.
Not long after, Wu Yanhan, dressed in a flowing gown, approached Xu Ming and took a seat beside him.
Sensing Wu Yanhan’s presence, Xu Ming smiled and asked, “You broke through?”
Wu Yanhan nodded. “Yes.”
“That’s good,” Xu Ming replied, his gaze fixed ahead, saying no more.
To break through a major realm in such a short time—Xu Ming thought to himself—only someone like Wu Yanhan could achieve this.
Wu Yanhan’s gaze occasionally drifted toward Xu Ming.
“What’s the matter?” Xu Ming asked. “Is there something strange on my face?”
Wu Yanhan shook her head.
Xu Ming chuckled. “Then why are you staring at me?”
Wu Yanhan replied, “I feel like you’ve changed. Your sword aura—it’s still sharp, but it used to feel a bit chaotic. Now, it’s much more orderly. It seems you’ve had some kind of fortunate encounter.”
“Senior Wang Xuan passed down a sword technique to me. That’s probably what made the difference,” Xu Ming said honestly.
Wu Yanhan nodded slightly and turned her gaze away.
She was undoubtedly pleased to see Xu Ming growing stronger.
Yet, there was a faint sense of disappointment.
She had thought that after reaching the Golden Body Realm, she might surpass him in a short time. But to her surprise, he had grown stronger as well.
After the time it took for two incense sticks to burn, most attendees had taken their seats.
Now, everyone waited for the Sect Master of the Tianxuan Sect and the other elders to arrive.