Heavenly Cherry Pavilion, Root Mansion.
A moment of awkward silence.
Supported by the Messenger of the Divine Tree, the old Patriarch slowly took his seat and exchanged pleasantries: “Immortal Elders, I have kept you waiting.”
No one at the banquet responded; the atmosphere was awkward.
The main bloodline, dressed in long robes, served. The Yushen clan’s younger generation sat upright on elevated platforms, flanked by trusted confidants on both sides. Among them, a middle-aged man who cowered with his head down sat closest to the Patriarch, his expression timid, his eyes darting. He seemed high in status but held no real power.
A father’s status rose due to his daughter. Since Ying Lian was chosen as the Shrine Maiden of the shrine, her father Da Ye was listed as the next Patriarch, a considerable achievement. However, this position of Patriarch was merely a promise that would never be fulfilled.
Lord Yushen Longyi had sacrificed countless Daughters of the Spirit Attendant, each one earning him a hundred years of lifespan. This time would be no exception!
Fearing to anger the Seven Stars of the High Heavens, the old Patriarch swept his murky gaze over the distinguished guests at the banquet, not daring to release his Divine Sense. His intentions were clear.
On his left were two elders and a granny, their expressions indifferent yet unfathomable.
On his right, four people had varied expressions—two men and two women, middle-aged in appearance, relatively young.
The wild man with his feet propped on the table was the most impatient and said bluntly: “Stop babbling. You said we all seven had to be present before you’d reveal the secret—quite the airs. Now I’m here. Hurry up and bring it out.”
“Lord Kaiyang Star, to what do you refer?”
Yushen Longyi deliberately played coy. This man had arrived latest, showed the least respect for Divine Wood Yingzhou, and likewise held no regard for the other Star Lords of the Seven Stars.
“The Fortune Fruit, of course! What else do you think we came to this damn place for?”
Kaiyang Star gave a cold laugh.
The other six at the banquet each had different thoughts, their goals clear, and they were wary of each other. This was exactly the scene Yushen Longyi wanted to see. If it were only one, that would be fine, but the Seven Stars of the High Heavens gathered here—a rare sight in a hundred years! How could the Fortune Fruit be divided among seven people? It couldn’t possibly be seven fruits, could it? Xiao Laotou was dishonest, his motives unclear, so none of the seven esteemed Star Lords showed a friendly face.
The fortune of an entire province is rare and hard to find, elusive. Few are as special as Yingzhou, where an Immortal Wood at the edge of the Chaotic Sea sends down spiritual seeds for cultivation. As for what the fruit looks like, how it forms, and how to absorb it, they knew little of the details.
They only knew that an extremely powerful Ancient Divine Beast guarded this place, intimidating the Nine Provinces. Fairy Bingling was not the first cultivator to be repelled; most could not leave alive.
The tall old man seated in the center of the left side was Tianquan Star. His gaze never left the golden-haired woman opposite him; he was the most wary. The last time he saw a Qi Luck Maiden was a hundred years ago, and that person was now here, having been lured as well.
“Could it be that monopolizing the Stellar Destiny was not enough for the Palace of the Heavenly Pivot Star?”
“Star Lords, please calm down. How would the Yushen clan dare deceive you Immortal Elders? As a greeting gift, the Fortune Fruit of the Divine Tree will be presented shortly—no empty words. Show some sincerity.”
Yushen Longyi smiled mysteriously, crafty and calculating.
Upon hearing this, Kaiyang Star’s tiger eyes flashed, and he spoke bluntly: “Given for free?”
“Since I dared to invite you all to be guests at the Divine Tree, as the host, of course I must show some sincerity.”
At these words, the Seven Stars of the High Heavens all froze for a moment and exchanged glances. Interesting, interesting. There’s such a thing as a pie falling from the sky? They really wanted to see what this isolated native from the Outermost Sea was up to. If he dared to toy with them, they wouldn’t blame the people of the Celestial Aristocratic Family for being unreasonable.
Only the stunningly beautiful golden-haired woman remained smiling all along. Ji Xingshu moved gently, her demeanor elegant. She sipped the exotic delicacies presented by the maidservant and politely said “Thank you,” surprising the servant. As if she had no interest in fortune at all, but was a gourmet who had traveled here.
Yushen Longyi had successfully whetted everyone’s appetite, unaware that someone else had also set the bait, waiting for the big fish to bite.
At that moment, the originally gloomy sky echoed with a stirring sound, stirring up a sandstorm. Earth spirits surged, connecting heaven and earth. Everyone was startled. Their Divine Sense expanded, sensing that a strange phenomenon had suddenly descended on the outer island of the Divine Tree—it was not a Spell Cultivator using a divine ability.
Tianquan Star and Tianshu Star exchanged a glance, instantly understanding, and could see the surprise in each other’s eyes. In such a remote place, a Heaven Rank spiritual treasure appears?
“Eh, a Heavenly Dao Elixir emerges—looking at the scale of the phenomenon, it’s Earth Aspect fourth-rank.”
Everyone’s attention was drawn to this scene of creation. Yushen Longyi pondered for a long time before reacting, greatly surprised. “Divine Wood Yingzhou hasn’t seen a Heavenly Dao phenomenon in a long time. Is it from the main line of that branch?”
The disciples of the main family whispered among themselves; none had heard of it. Only the Messenger of the Divine Tree serving behind him had excited eyes. His status in the Hazy Sakura Crowd had risen, and he was even qualified to serve at the Patriarch’s side on such an occasion.
Shan Ben had recently been strong in his work, consecutively presenting Earthly Dao Elixirs, causing the Messenger of the Divine Tree to quickly kneel and say excitedly: “Reporting to the Patriarch, that estate is where the Tianji Sect fellows reside.
Young Master Ji is an External Guest Elder of the Hazy Sakura Crowd under my command, but he claimed to be a third-rank Earthly Dao Alchemy Cultivator. I don’t know when he gained such skill.”
“Oh?”
Yushen Longyi thought for a moment, weighed the options, and decisively ordered: “Invite him!”
An alchemy cultivator capable of refining a fourth-rank Heavenly Dao Elixir was of immeasurable value to him at present, its priority even higher than these powerful outsiders coveting the Divine Tree’s fortune! Once Lord Divine Dragon recovers, mere High Heaven stars are nothing to worry about.
Since they were going to open Divine Wood Yingzhou to share the “Fortune Fruit” with the outside world anyway, one more offering wouldn’t hurt. They must keep this person.
“Young Master of the Tianji Sect? Never heard of him. And his surname is Ji?”
The Star Lords present all looked questioningly at the elegant golden-haired woman, hard not to connect it to the Palace of the Heavenly Pivot Star.
Next to the golden-haired woman was a girl with an oval face wearing silver brocade robes. Among the Seven Stars, Tianji and Yaoguang were the closest. Seeing that someone was still enjoying the Yushen offerings, she found it amusing and whispered: “Stop eating, Xingshu! When did your family raise a Heavenly Dao Alchemy Master? How come I don’t know?”
Ji Xingshu also looked puzzled. She stopped chewing, tilted her head adorably, and poked her cheek with chopsticks. ‘If you, a double agent, knew, that would be disastrous…’
“Could it be him?”
Thinking of the Heavenly Dao Alchemy Master, Madam’s mind first conjured up the cute face of her husband, but then she thought it unlikely. The child’s father should still be in East Pole Province guarding Shiyu. How could he get involved in this mess? Besides, my husband is a third-rank Heavenly Dao Alchemy Master with Foundation Establishment cultivation.
He’s still a little baby. On the Path of Alchemy, each rank is a chasm. There have been cases where a Heavenly Dao Alchemy Master, after breaking through, actually fell to Earthly Dao. Heaven isn’t so generous as to always provide.
Soon, the person was “invited” by the Hazy Sakura Crowd to the high hall of the Heavenly Cherry Pavilion. The golden-haired youth brought a pot of Mudflow Pills he had just refined, still looking confused on the surface, and acted separately from the two fairy mothers.