It was a busy day for the Celestial Dragon Sect as distinguished guests arrived one after another. They had enough room for everyone. However, the tension was incredibly high when old, powerful friends reunited. Right off the bat, Bai Dajin, the sect leader of the White Tiger sect, demanded a spar from Zhang Yi, the patriarch of Azure Dragon.
Unable to stop them but needing to contain the damage when two experts of the Transcendent Core realm clashed, Zhao Mingfeng quickly led them to the training grounds in the back mountain where they could clash without worries.
Unlike the hot-headed warriors, the old sect leader of the Black Tortoise clan stepped forward to greet his old friend with a gift.
"Old Zhao," Chen Zhong greeted with clasped hands and a bow. "It's been a while."
The elderly man with a hunched back and a walking staff was the current sect leader of the Black Tortoise sect. When he fought the demonic sect, he was already in his late forties. Due to difficulty managing his clan and family, it took Chen Zhong many years to settle internal affairs and raise his son. By the time things smoothed over, he was already too old to make further progress in his cultivation, unlike Zhao Mingfeng, who had a very supportive wife and incredible children.
Returning the respectful greeting, Mingfeng smiled at the man who had been his mentor when he was younger. Chen Zhong was a very loyal cultivator who helped him many times when he was still struggling with his responsibilities as the leader of the Rainbow Alliance. Although the hunchback man did not have a very powerful cultivation base, he was a wise leader and excellent teacher with incredible patience. Even the more hot-headed members of this alliance respected him as an elder and mentor. Outside the alliance, Chen Zhong was a well-known philanthropist who founded many clinics and schools in remote villages that even the government had given up on.
"I brought a small gift today from Xuanwu Mountain," Chen Zhong gestured for his son, Chen Tao, to present the casket of rare wine. "This is brewed spirit wine from the Ice Flowers of Mount Xuanwu and purified in the glacier spring. It is excellent for increasing the yin qi foundation. I heard you're having difficulty breaking through to the Supreme Core foundation, and I thought this might help."
Stunned by his mentor's generosity, Mingfeng received the gift with both hands and bowed at his waist level. The Ice Flower Spirit Wine took a lot of skill and resources to create. Less than five bottles were created every ten years. Chen Zhong must have brewed these himself.
"Teacher, you're too generous. Please, come inside first. It's chilly outside. The autumn wind gets colder on the Celestial Dragon Mountain every year."
Ushering the elderly sect leader inside, Mingfeng noticed how much Chen Tao had grown. The last time he saw the young prince of the Black Tortoise sect, he was only a little boy around Yihao's age. Now, he was a fine gentleman at sixteen who looked very well-learned.
"Chen Tao, you've grown up well. I heard from your father that you finally figured out how to break through to the Solid Core stage without anyone's help. Is your new defence array research going well?"
Prince Chen Tao was a ruddy young man who preferred speaking with his actions rather than words. Like his father, he disliked conflicts and was a pacifist by nature. The hardworking and disciplined young man had a steady martial foundation, and those muscles told Mingfeng he never skipped a day of training.
"Greetings, esteemed uncle. Chen Tao is still testing the new defence array talisman but has not progressed much. I've come to attend this year's Rainbow Alliance Meeting in hopes of exchanging ideas to learn from others."
What a humble young man. The Black Tortoise sect has a very promising young heir. Chen Zhong's good deeds and karma were cashing out. He could retire at ease and leave the sect to his capable son.
Arriving together, the three most powerful ladies of the Murim alliance made a flashy entrance.
"Aiyoh! I thought I saw a handsome man worth recruiting into my harem. Pity, it's only Old Chen's son. Hey there, it's been a while!" Hong Nian Niang, the leader of the Vermillion Bird sect, winked behind her paper fan.
Dressed in a red qipao with a very high thigh slit at the side, Hong Nian Niang looked even younger than Mingfeng remembered her to be. Despite suffering three miscarriages after the founding of the Rainbow Alliance and marrying dozens of young sterile men into her harem, the matriarch of Vermillion Bird Sect remained very whimsical and flirtatious. Those who did not know her would think that she was a shallow prostitute who only loved material things. The Heavenly Core cultivator deviated from what an orthodox cultivator would do. However, nobody could question her loyalty and power when she had to step up for the world. Hong Nian Niang might have a messy personal life, but she was an ally Mingfeng could count on during a disaster.
Behind Nian Niang, a young lady wearing red and yellow robes facepalmed. Although it was Mingfeng's first time seeing her, he immediately knew this must be the new young sect leader from the Heavenly Phoenix's sect. At the age of twenty-five, Liu Yanxia took over the Heavenly Phoenix's sect leader position from her maternal aunt the moment she became a Transcendent Core cultivator. Her maternal aunt, Liu Guiya, hastily handed the sect over to her talented niece to retire from the Murim world forever. According to Yanxia, Guiya entered the imperial palace as a royal consort to serve the new emperor as his protector, devoting herself to politics.
"Yanxia greets the esteemed leader," the young cultivator bowed respectfully to Mingfeng. Growing up, she heard many stories about the legendary Celestial Dragon sect leader and his deeds. Needless to say, he was her martial idol. Seeing him in person was a dream come true for Yanxia.
Behind the two ladies clad in bold colours, the mysterious leader of the Mystical Qilin sect waited for everyone to finish their greetings. She wore a wide-brim straw hat with a white veil covering her visage. Even though she was attending a formal banquet, Yan Ping paid no heed to the dress code. She came in her usual white prayer garments and straw sandals, which made her look humble despite her lofty gait.
After ordering his servants to escort Hong Nian Niang and Liu Yanxia to their rooms, Mingfeng stepped out to greet the only other Divine Core cultivator within the alliance.
"It's been a while, Lady Yan. Thank you for gracing us with your presence. Has your closed-door cultivation been fruitful?"
Since the war against the demonic sect, Yan Ping dedicated herself to cultivating and perfecting the cultivation formula used in her sect. She had attained the Divine Core even before the Rainbow Alliance was created. However, a glass ceiling was before her, preventing her from attaining enlightenment and reaching the Supreme Core. As the oldest member of the alliance, Yan Ping might look like a young maiden of only twenty, with the exception of her snowy white hair and grey eyes. However, her true age was over two hundred years old. Thanks to the power of cultivation, she preserved her youth and health for decades, even as everyone else grew older.
"The cultivation has reached its peak," she replied. "It is up to heaven's will if I will achieve the Supreme Core stage. If not for a concerning vision I saw about the Murim world, I would not have left my cultivation cave."
After hearing that Yan Ping had a new vision, Mingfeng's face fell. The last time Yan Ping appeared before him, she enlisted his help to gather the other Murim heroes to subdue the evil demonic sect. This matter must also be of utmost importance if she had to leave her cave.
"It must be a serious matter," Mingfeng sighed. "Allow me to guide you to your room first. We can discuss this vision of yours after the banquet."
Although her expression was hidden behind a white veil, Yan Ping's snappy tone made Mingfeng recoil quickly.
"I may be blind, but I'm not helpless. If you have time for useless formalities, you should spend it on fixing your mountain's spiritual array first. There's a huge hole at the back, I don't know how you didn't sense it before."
Huge hole at the back of the mountain? Zhao Mingfeng took the security of his sect very seriously. There was no hole in the array when he patrolled in the morning. Why would there be a hole now?
BOOM!
The thunderous sound jolted his brain back online. Oh, right. Of course, there would be a hole. It would be odd if the array did not break after Zhang Yi and Bai Dajin clashed in an all-out spar.
"I'll see you at the banquet," Mingfeng excused himself quickly, using his light footwork to jump from roof to roof, taking a shortcut to check on the extent of the damage done to his mountain. Although the Celestial Dragon Sect had money, it would be extremely expensive to rebuild an entire mountain.