A week passed quietly after Lin Sheng's breakthrough into the Mid Stage Xuan Gang Realm.
For ordinary martial artists, advancing a minor realm within Xuan Gang was already something worth celebrating.
For Lin Sheng however, life had not changed much.
The secret realm continued occupying everyone's attention.
Cultivators arrived daily.
Cloud Mist Market became increasingly crowded.
Prices rose.
Conflicts increased.
Even though the Lin Family remained firmly in control of Dragon Yuan Province, maintaining order across such a vast territory was becoming increasingly difficult.
After all—
Strength could suppress people.
It could not suppress desire.
Especially when opportunities capable of changing one's fate appeared.
When there were cultivators, there was jianghu.
That was a truth that had existed for countless years.
Naturally, amid such chaos, another piece of news spread throughout Jade Haven City.
The Qian Family Patriarch had successfully broken through.
Purple Palace Realm.
The moment the news became public, numerous forces immediately sent congratulatory gifts.
Although the Qian Family remained far inferior to the Lin Family, possessing a Purple Palace cultivator completely changed their standing.
A Foundation Establishment Family and a Purple Palace Family were two entirely different concepts.
As a result, invitations quickly spread throughout the city.
Of course—
The banquet remained relatively small.
Under normal circumstances, such a breakthrough would warrant a celebration lasting several days.
Countless forces would be invited.
The entire city would become lively.
Unfortunately, the current situation was special.
The secret realm.
The increasing number of outside cultivators.
The growing instability throughout the province.
Holding an excessively extravagant celebration now would only attract unnecessary attention.
Thus the Qian Family Patriarch chose moderation.
Only important guests and familiar acquaintances received invitations.
Naturally, Lin Sheng and his group were among them.
...
The journey back to Jade Haven City was considerably faster than before.
The roads were busier.
Flying artifacts could occasionally be seen overhead.
Merchant caravans moved continuously.
Several patrol teams passed them along the way.
Many people were clearly heading south.
Some sought opportunities.
Others sought profit.
A few undoubtedly sought trouble.
By the time Lin Sheng and the others arrived at Jade Haven City, the sun had already begun descending toward the horizon.
The Qian Family estate appeared more lively than usual.
Red decorations lined the pathways.
Spirit lanterns illuminated the halls.
Servants moved back and forth carrying dishes and wine.
Although modest by Purple Palace standards, the celebration remained magnificent compared to ordinary families.
The moment they arrived, servants quickly guided them toward the main banquet hall.
Inside, many familiar faces had already gathered.
The Qian Family Patriarch sat near the center.
Compared to before, his aura had undergone a complete transformation.
Purple Palace.
A realm capable of dominating an entire region.
Even though he had only recently broken through, the pressure emanating from his body occasionally caused the surrounding Spiritual Qi to fluctuate slightly.
Sitting nearby was the Wu Family Ancestor.
To many people's surprise, the two elders were chatting normally.
Even laughing occasionally.
The atmosphere appeared surprisingly harmonious.
Lin Sheng found it somewhat amusing.
Not long ago, the two families had been competing intensely over the Purple Palace spiritual item.
Yet now they sat together drinking wine as though nothing had happened.
Of course—
Cultivators valued interests.
Once the competition ended, there was little reason to maintain hostility.
Especially now that both families faced greater concerns.
The secret realm.
Several younger disciples quietly observed the scene.
Few opportunities existed to witness two Purple Palace cultivators conversing casually.
Even Zhao Feng appeared unusually respectful today.
After all—
One of those people was now his father.
The banquet proceeded smoothly.
Wine flowed continuously.
Guests exchanged greetings.
Several family heads approached the Qian Family Patriarch to offer congratulations.
Others attempted to build relationships.
Everything appeared peaceful.
Perhaps too peaceful.
...
Several hours later, another group finally arrived.
The moment they entered, numerous conversations abruptly stopped.
The Zheng Family.
Leading the group was naturally the Zheng Family Patriarch.
His expression remained calm.
A faint smile rested upon his face.
Walking beside him was Gu Qing.
Unlike before, she no longer wore a mask.
The moment people saw her appearance, countless gazes froze.
Even many female cultivators couldn't help feeling slightly stunned.
Her black hair flowed naturally behind her.
Her skin appeared flawless beneath the lantern light.
Her features seemed almost unreal.
Yet what truly attracted attention wasn't beauty alone.
It was the aura surrounding her.
Confidence.
Pride.
A natural sense of superiority.
It wasn't deliberate.
Nor was it exaggerated.
She simply carried herself as though standing above most people present.
The combination proved incredibly captivating.
Numerous younger cultivators immediately became nervous.
Several people who had prepared greetings forgot what they intended to say.
Even Zhao Feng stared for several breaths before finally coughing awkwardly.
Lou Han silently laughed.
Meanwhile, Gu Qing paid little attention to any of them.
Her gaze swept through the hall briefly.
Then settled elsewhere.
The Zheng Family Patriarch stepped forward.
Raising his wine cup, he smiled warmly.
"Congratulations, Brother Qian."
The hall immediately became quieter.
Many people secretly observed the interaction.
Everyone knew about the previous competition.
Everyone knew how desperately the Zheng Family wanted the Purple Palace spiritual item.
The fact that they attended at all was already surprising.
The fact that the Zheng Family Patriarch personally offered congratulations was even more unexpected.
The Qian Family Patriarch accepted the toast calmly.
"Thank you."
The two exchanged polite smiles.
Neither displayed hostility.
Yet neither appeared particularly friendly either.
Those watching carefully immediately understood.
Something felt off.
Very off.
Several older cultivators exchanged glances.
The Zheng Family Patriarch was many things.
Generous wasn't one of them.
The fact that he attended personally almost guaranteed he possessed some ulterior motive.
Unfortunately—
Nobody could determine what that motive was.
The banquet soon resumed.
Conversations continued.
Music began playing once more.
Yet many people occasionally glanced toward the Zheng Family's table.
Especially Gu Qing.
...
As time passed, the atmosphere gradually relaxed.
The younger generation eventually began entertaining themselves.
Several musicians entered the hall.
Soft music drifted through the air.
Before long, some cultivators started pairing up.
Dancing.
Conversing.
Enjoying themselves.
Lou Han quickly found Lin Xiaolu.
"One dance?"
Lin Xiaolu looked at him briefly.
Then nodded.
"Fine."
Lou Han immediately grinned.
The two soon joined the others.
Nearby, Zhao Feng appeared to have completely forgotten about cultivation.
Or the secret realm.
Or anything remotely important.
Surrounded by several young women, he laughed continuously while demonstrating the confidence of someone whose father had recently entered the Purple Palace Realm.
Lin Sheng silently watched for a moment.
Then shook his head.
It seemed Zhao Feng's greatest talent wasn't cultivation.
It was flirting.
Meanwhile, Lin Shou simply waved dismissively.
"I'll pass."
Unlike the others, he had little interest in such activities.
After remaining for a while longer, he chose to retire for the evening.
No one found the decision strange.
Ever since comprehending Martial Intent, Lin Shou spent increasing amounts of time cultivating.
His priorities had changed considerably.
As for Lin Sheng—
He left as well.
Though for an entirely different reason.
...
The Qian Family library stood quietly in a separate courtyard.
Compared to the lively banquet hall, the area here appeared almost deserted.
The guards naturally recognized him.
After verifying his identity, they allowed him entry immediately.
The recent competition had greatly improved his standing within the Qian Family.
More importantly—
He now possessed permission to access the fourth floor.
The floor reserved for higher-level martial techniques.
The moment he entered, the Chip activated automatically.
Rows of bookshelves stretched throughout the room.
Ancient manuals.
Jade slips.
Technique records.
Research notes.
For ordinary people, this represented knowledge.
For Lin Sheng—
It represented data.
Massive amounts of data.
The Chip immediately began scanning.
Information flowed continuously.
Martial techniques.
Meridian pathways.
Gangqi applications.
Historical notes.
Every piece of information entered the database.
Although none of the techniques interested him directly, the knowledge itself remained valuable.
Especially for future deductions.
Time passed quietly.
Only the occasional turning of pages disturbed the silence.
Far away, faint sounds from the banquet occasionally drifted through the night air.
Yet within the library, everything remained peaceful.
Meanwhile...
Back at the banquet hall.
The festivities continued.
Several younger cultivators finally gathered enough courage to approach Gu Qing.
Unfortunately, most retreated moments later.
Some were intimidated.
Others received indifferent responses.
One particularly confident young master lasted less than three breaths before excusing himself awkwardly.
Gu Qing didn't insult anyone.
She simply wasn't interested.
Eventually, people stopped trying.
The music continued.
The wine continued.
The conversations continued.
Yet at some point during the evening, Gu Qing quietly rose from her seat.
No announcement.
No farewell.
No explanation.
Many people remained distracted by the ongoing celebration.
Even the Zheng Family Patriarch appeared unconcerned.
Thus her departure went almost completely unnoticed.
Her figure disappeared beyond the lantern-lit pathways.
Then gradually vanished into the darkness.
The night wind gently stirred her hair.
Her expression remained calm.
A week ago she might have felt frustration.
Humiliation.
Anger.
Now—
Only determination remained.
The secret realm was approaching.
Everything else had become secondary.
Under the moonlight, her figure continued moving through the quiet estate.
Before eventually disappearing entirely from sight. Regardless of whatever, she needs to take the risk first.