As the middle-aged woman slowly walked in, Shen Xiang suddenly broke out in cold sweat for no reason. It felt as though his strength had been drained, and he couldn't move, as if this middle-aged woman had seen through everything about him.
Shen Xiang knew this woman was someone extremely powerful. He quickly calmed himself, silently circulating his Tai Chi Divine Technique, concealing his aura and hiding the Yin-Yang Divine Meridians within his body. Su Meiyao and Bai Youyou had warned him that the secret of his Yin-Yang Divine Meridians must never be revealed.
The middle-aged woman furrowed her brow slightly, her beautiful eyes flashing with a trace of surprise. From the moment she had entered, Shen Xiang had remained calm and composed, looking at her as though she were just an ordinary person. She was very confident in her appearance and figure, so she was puzzled as to why this young, vigorous man hadn't been mesmerized by her beauty.
"Xianxian, your fiancé is indeed extraordinary! He's far better than that so-called genius from the Yao family!" the middle-aged woman said indifferently, her voice carrying a trace of authority, as though she was someone accustomed to giving orders.
"Young Shen Xiang greets Senior. Are you Xianxian's master?" Shen Xiang asked respectfully as he bowed.
The middle-aged woman smiled slightly at him, and Shen Xiang almost lost himself in her indescribably beautiful smile. However, having weathered some storms, he quickly regained his composure, and this steadiness earned a nod of approval from the woman.
"Yes, that's right. You can now rest easy handing over your little wife to me, can't you?" the middle-aged woman's voice was now soft, no longer carrying the previous authority but instead tinged with a strange tenderness.
Xue Xianxian let out a sigh of relief and handed several paper-wrapped packets to Shen Xiang, biting her lip with a hint of sadness on her face.
"I have to go with my master now. You must come find me soon!" Xue Xianxian murmured softly, head lowered.
Shen Xiang hadn't expected the separation to come so soon, and his heart was filled with reluctance. He gently pinched Xianxian's cheek and said warmly, "Cheer up. We'll meet again. I'll definitely come find you."
At that moment, the middle-aged woman added, "Young man, it would be best if you reached at least the ninth level of the Mortal Martial Realm before you seek out the martial sects. If you want to find Xianxian, all you need to do is inquire about me. I'm sure that won't be too difficult."
Then she turned to Xianxian and said, "Come along, little girl. This boy is far more capable than you think. All your worries about him were unnecessary."
Shen Xiang and Xue Xianxian embraced affectionately for a moment before he escorted them out of the hall. The middle-aged woman, with Xue Xianxian by her side, ascended into the sky, and in a flash, they disappeared into the distance.
Watching them leave, Shen Xiang grumbled, "Why act so mysterious? Couldn't she just tell me where to find her?"
"That woman is incredibly powerful. She's the Empress of the Divine Weapon Heavenly Kingdom. Rumor has it that the Vermilion Bird Divine Weapon, one of the Four Divine Weapons, is in her possession. It's a good thing your little wife has become her disciple," Su Meiyao explained.
"Divine Weapon Heavenly Kingdom?" Shen Xiang had never heard of it. Just as he was about to ask more, Bai Youyou interjected, "That woman is indeed formidable, almost as strong as us! She's the leader of one of the eight great righteous sects of the Chenwu Continent. I didn't expect her to come here to recruit a disciple."
Shen Xiang recalled that Su Meiyao and Bai Youyou had once mentioned that the Chenwu Continent was one of many continents in the Mortal Martial World. The continent had eight righteous martial sects, each led by a powerful figure, some of the strongest in the Mortal Martial World.
"The Divine Weapon Heavenly Kingdom started as just a martial sect but eventually developed into a nation, primarily becoming powerful through the refinement of weapons. That woman you saw is the Empress of that nation," Su Meiyao continued.
Learning that Xianxian's master was such a formidable person made Shen Xiang feel happy for her, and he also felt more at ease.
Though Xue Xianxian had left, Shen Xiang couldn't help but feel a pang of loss. He took the six sets of herbs Xianxian had bought for him and returned to refining marrow cleansing pills.
Three days passed quickly, and by now, Shen Xiang had successfully refined four batches of marrow cleansing pills, though he had failed once. He was quite satisfied with the results. And on this day, the banquet for the new Shen family patriarch was set to begin. Many invited families sent representatives to attend, and what most people were looking forward to was the contest between Shen Xiang and Yao Tianhua.
The Shen family banquet gathered representatives from many families. Not only were they there for the feast, but also to network and form connections with other families. So the event wasn't boring at all.
The banquet was held in a large square at night, and the atmosphere was lively with hundreds of tables set up, each filled with an abundance of delicious food and fine wine.
While the invited family patriarchs did not attend in person, as they didn't have close relations with the Shen family, they sent representatives instead. Only those patriarchs with strong ties to the Shen family attended in person.
In the huge square of the Shen family's estate, the young martial talents from hundreds of martial families in the Southern Martial Kingdom had gathered. Of course, the ones drawing the most attention were Yao Tianhua and Shen Xiang.
The fact that Shen Xiang could refine body quenching pills had already spread like wildfire. And tonight, he would be competing against Yao Tianhua in alchemy, with a substantial bet on the line. Everyone was eager to witness the contest, not necessarily caring who won or lost, but more about the thrilling process.
Midway through the banquet, someone finally couldn't contain themselves and shouted, "Patriarch Shen, when is your son going to start the contest with the Yao family? We've been waiting for so long. Are they going to compete or not?"
As soon as this person spoke, others joined in, urging the contest to begin.
"I originally planned to arrange a few martial contests to liven things up and enhance the atmosphere, but since everyone has been waiting for so long, we'll begin the competition now! Let the two young men show their skills," Shen Tianhu's voice echoed across the square, immediately quieting the crowd.
In the center of the square was a raised platform. Several elders swiftly leaped onto the platform, and Shen Xiang, dressed in a black, tight-fitting outfit, also made his way to the stage. He was dressed for combat.
Yao Tianhua, on the other hand, wore a flashy, luxurious golden outfit, with a jeweled sword hanging from his waist. His arrogant expression only made many people in the crowd feel annoyed.
"Yao Tianhua, have you prepared your wager? A contest like this isn't complete without a bet, don't you agree?" Shen Xiang said casually.
"Whatever wager you propose, my Yao family will match it!" Yao Tianhua replied coldly.
"Heh, my wager represents only myself, not the Shen family. It seems you, a young alchemist, need your whole family's backing to afford a bet," Shen Xiang smirked, causing Yao Tianhua's face to darken.
Without the Yao family's support, Yao Tianhua couldn't come up with anything that could rival Shen Xiang's thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Ginseng.
"Enough talk, Shen family boy! Just show us your wager. Tianhua represents the Yao family, so their support is nothing to be ashamed of. You are you, and he is he," an old man from the Yao family said impatiently. He was the elder who had accompanied Yao Tianhua to the banquet.