Thank you to Brother "尘﹌埃" for the donation, and congratulations on taking the number one spot on the fan rankings! Three Chapters today, as promised. This is the first one!

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A woman in a purple dress, her face hidden by a veiled cloak, was seen approaching him, escorted by a Danling Sect disciple.

The woman’s steps were as light as a lotus blossom, her figure swaying with the grace of a willow in the wind.

A gentle breeze stirred, perfectly outlining her soft, beautiful figure.

A surge of heat coursed through Zhu Hongcai.

This was the kind of woman who exuded a captivating allure without even trying—the kind a man would yearn to conquer.

’This woman must be an absolute stunner. I just don’t know where she came from. Could it be...’

As Zhu Hongcai mulled this over, a sudden thought startled him.

He recalled Sect Leader Mo’s words. ’Could she be the important person he was talking about?’

Just as this thought crossed his mind, the area around the Wind and Cloud Platform erupted in an uproar.

The woman was, of course, Meng Qing. As she had come from the direction of the entrance, her appearance had naturally captured everyone’s attention.

"What a mysterious woman. Could she be the honored guest the Danling Sect has been waiting for?"

"I’m sure of it. With that purple dress, she looks so noble and elegant. Her background must be extraordinary."

The surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion, speculating about Meng Qing’s identity.

"Dad, isn’t that Meng Qing, the one who’s always with brother-in-law?"

In the third row of the Wind and Cloud Platform, a young girl’s eyes widened at the sight of Meng Qing. She turned to the middle-aged man beside her and spoke.

They were the father and daughter from the Lu family of Celestial Jade City: Patriarch Lu Zhanchen and his daughter, Lu Diewu.

"Be quiet," Lu Zhanchen said quietly to Lu Diewu, slightly alarmed.

The people in the rows ahead of them were all of extraordinary status; they were in no position to speak freely here.

Lu Diewu pouted.

They didn’t have an invitation; getting to sit here had taken a considerable amount of trouble.

Hearing this, she said no more, but her gaze followed Meng Qing.

She wasn’t the only one; the rest of the crowd did the same.

But in the next moment, they were all dumbfounded. Meng Qing didn’t walk to the VIP seats in the first row, but instead took a seat in the second.

The second row before the Wind and Cloud Platform was occupied by members of the other three major sects of the Southern Border Prefecture, as well as the disciples of the Misty Palace.

The status of the people from those three major sects naturally couldn’t compare to the others in the first row.

Meanwhile, the Misty Palace disciples sat behind Su Molixi, a show of absolute respect for their Palace Master.

’So she isn’t the honored guest after all.’

On the Wind and Cloud Platform, some were surprised, some were disappointed, and some were relieved.

The Lu family father and daughter clearly belonged to the former group.

The Patriarch of the Lu family, in particular, faintly grasped a possibility, and his breathing quickened.

Zhu Hongcai, on the other hand, belonged to the latter.

’This woman’s status is lower than mine, she came alone, and she doesn’t have the backing of the Misty Palace disciples. I can do whatever I want.’

Just as he was considering how to make his move, one of Zhu Hongcai’s attendants rushed over and handed him a sealed letter.

Tearing it open, Zhu Hongcai shot to his feet, a monstrous rage erupting from him.

He then scanned the Wind and Cloud Platform before impassively sitting back down and beckoning his attendant with a finger.

The attendant knelt, and Zhu Hongcai whispered a few words in his ear. The attendant then walked toward the third row, after which several other people stood up and began to move about the venue.

"Brother Zhu, which blind fool has provoked you?" Jin Bufan asked from beside Zhu Hongcai.

Zhu Hongcai replied sinisterly, "It’s not me they’ve provoked, but someone they shouldn’t have. Some audacious bastard killed Marquis Red Blood and his son in Celestial Jade City!"

"Marquis Red Blood? Is his surname Xu?" Jin Bufan asked.

Zhu Hongcai was a little surprised. "Brother Jin, you know him?"

"I don’t know him personally, but I know the Holy King Golden Eagle, the master of the Eastern Dharma Continent. I heard he has a son who governs Chijing County," Jin Bufan replied.

Zhu Hongcai nodded. "This letter is from the Holy King himself."

With that, he passed the letter over.

Jin Bufan’s brow furrowed as he finished reading. He lowered his head, muttering a name: "Lin Hao."

"Brother Jin, you know of this person?" Zhu Hongcai asked.

Jin Bufan looked up, about to answer, but his gaze fixed on the entrance, a hint of bewilderment in his eyes.

Zhu Hongcai paused, then turned to look, his expression mirroring Jin Bufan’s.

It wasn’t just them; almost everyone had the same look of astonishment. Some even had their mouths agape, as if they had seen a ghost.

There, at the entrance, stood a young man in ragged clothes.

"What’s going on? How did he get in?"

"Am I seeing things? A little beggar can attend the Sect Assembly?"

"Looks like the Danling Sect’s security is lacking. Even a beggar managed to sneak in."

The area broke out into fervent discussion.

Meanwhile, in the second row, two disciples from the Misty Palace were also whispering.

"Senior Sister, look, isn’t that the kid?"

"It really is. He’s got some nerve. Don’t tell me he actually plans on sitting in the VIP section."

Next to the two disciples, their "Little Junior Sister" was watching Lin Hao with great interest. Hearing her senior sisters’ conversation, she couldn’t help but turn and ask, "Senior Sisters, you know him?"

"Him? He’s one of your admirers. We tried to get rid of him for you, but he wouldn’t give up. So we told him that if he could get a seat in the VIP section, our Little Junior Sister would give him a chance. And now, he’s actually here. Little Junior Sister, your charm is truly irresistible."

"I think so too, but he’s so dirty. Oh no, what if he really does get a VIP seat? Does that mean I have to marry him?"

The little girl wore a look of terror, but her eyes darted about mischievously, making it hard to tell what she was really thinking.

"Silence!"

At that moment, the hitherto silent Palace Master of the Misty Palace, Su Molixi, suddenly spoke.

The Misty Palace disciples immediately fell quiet, including the Little Junior Sister.

Su Molixi tilted her head slightly, appearing to glance at the beggar.

This subtle movement was immediately caught by Jin Bufan.

"Sect Leader Mo, what is the Danling Sect doing? How could you let someone like this in!"

Seated in the VIP section, Jin Bufan pointed at the boy in beggar’s clothes and roared with fury.

"Brother Jin is absolutely right. If I had known even beggars could attend the Danling Sect’s assembly, I certainly wouldn’t have come. It’s beneath my station."

Zhu Hongcai chimed in from the side.

Sect Leader Mo frowned slightly, then rose without a word and walked toward the beggar.

A smug look appeared on the faces of Jin Bufan and Zhu Hongcai.

Jin Bufan even shot a glance at Su Molixi.

But to his disappointment, Su Molixi was like a statue, completely unmoved.

"Sect Leader Mo, throw him out! Don’t ruin the mood for the rest of us," Jin Bufan called out to the Sect Leader as he turned back.

Zhu Hongcai added, "In my opinion, someone like him should have his legs broken. He clearly doesn’t know his place."

However, what happened next was like a silent slap across their faces.

Sect Leader Mo walked over, but instead of throwing the beggar out, he gave a slight bow, turned to the side, and made a welcoming gesture.

This beggar was, of course, Lin Hao.

In Sect Leader Mo’s eyes, no one here could match Lin Hao’s status, save for Su Molixi.

This time, the area around the Wind and Cloud Platform was utterly silent.

Everyone’s eyes were wide with disbelief as they stared at Lin Hao in his beggar’s attire.

’This young man is the honored guest the Danling Sect has been waiting for?!’

Dressed like a beggar—it completely overturned their understanding of the world.

And what happened next confirmed their suspicions.

Escorted by Sect Leader Mo, Lin Hao sat down in the first row, right next to Su Molixi.

Then, Lin Hao turned and gave a small smile to the two Misty Palace disciples behind him.

The two female disciples of the Misty Palace stared back, their beautiful eyes wide with shock.

Jin Bufan was dumbstruck. Zhu Hongcai was dumbstruck. The people from the three major sects of the Southern Border Prefecture in the second row were also dumbstruck.

In the third row, Lu Diewu snapped out of her daze and said to Lu Zhanchen, "Dad, that looks like brother-in-law, doesn’t it?"

Although Lu Diewu could now see Lin Hao’s face perfectly clearly, the fact that he was seated in the Danling Sect’s VIP section was so far beyond her imagination that she couldn’t quite believe it was really him.

Lu Zhanchen wore a smile of immense pride, but he quickly sighed, his brow furrowing with worry.

Lu Diewu naturally knew why and was smart enough not to say anything more.

At this moment, the figure of Shan Dan appeared on the Wind and Cloud Platform.

"Huh, isn’t that the Grand Elder of the Danling Sect? Is he personally hosting the assembly this year?"

"It seems none of the other Danling Sect elders have appeared. What’s going on?"

People who had attended the Danling Sect’s assembly in the past whispered amongst themselves.

In the past, the Danling Sect’s assembly had always been hosted by a third-generation disciple. For the Grand Elder to personally preside over it now instantly raised their expectations to new heights.

"I’ve kept you all waiting. But you will soon find that your wait has been worthwhile. The elixirs our Danling Sect is presenting at this year’s assembly will far surpass those of the past. Some are elixirs you cannot even imagine. And I dare boast that when they appear, not even the Five Great Divine Sects will be able to remain composed."

Shan Dan spoke without a hint of apology, his tone incredibly forceful.

But at this moment, no one harbored any complaints, as they were all shocked by his words.

Elixirs that could move even the Five Great Divine Sects—just how precious must they be?

His words were utterly spellbinding.

Shan Dan surveyed the crowd, smiled faintly, and continued, "We made it very clear in our invitations that you should bring your entire fortunes. Now, I will tell you why. At this year’s Danling Sect assembly, elixirs that have been lost to the continent will reappear in the world!"

BOOM!

As soon as he said this, a tremor ran through the crowd around the Wind and Cloud Platform. Many people’s eyes bulged in shock.

Lost elixirs of the continent... If such things truly existed, it wouldn’t just be the Five Great Divine Sects who couldn’t remain calm—the entire continent would be shaken.

"Alright, let the Sect Assembly begin. The first item is a Tier Three elixir."

Master Shan Dan announced. An elder holding a jade box instantly appeared on the Wind and Cloud Platform.

Many were shocked to see this elder, for he was an elder of the Danling Sect.

If even an elder was relegated to being an assistant, the standard of this year’s Danling Sect assembly was unprecedentedly high.

Shan Dan’s words also proved this point. To start with a Tier Three elixir was quite astounding.

One must know that at past Danling Sect assemblies, Tier Three elixirs would only appear near the very end.

Shan Dan gave a nod, and the elder opened the jade box.

At the same time, Master Shan Dan clapped his hands with a peculiar rhythm.

RUMBLE!

Four crystal-clear jade steles rose around the Wind and Cloud Platform. The elixir within the jade box was magnified infinitely, its image projected onto the four steles.