A single disciple from the Jinglian Saint Institute appeared, and the Sect Leaders of the Southern Border Prefecture’s four great sects, including the five great divine sects, were so terrified they didn’t dare breathe too loudly. This alone was a testament to its prestige.

In that moment, the young man dressed in beast hides became the absolute center of attention.

"Heh, tonight is your disciple’s birthday gala. It seems I’ve been a bit reckless," the young man said with a smile, crossing his legs and looking directly at Su Molixi.

Then, he addressed Sect Leader Luo, saying, "Luo Zhonglou, what are you waiting for? Get to it."

Luo Zhonglou, the Sect Leader of the Zhengyang Sect—one of the four major sects of the Southern Border Prefecture—was being addressed by his full name by this young man.

"Yes," Luo Zhonglou replied respectfully. He then walked onto the Wind and Cloud Platform himself, heading straight for Yu Mengru.

The entire area was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone watched him in stunned silence, wondering what he was about to do.

Then, everyone watched as Luo Zhonglou bowed respectfully and presented a jade box, not to Yu Mengru, but to Meng Qing, who stood beside her.

"Miss, this is for you."

"I..." Meng Qing was completely caught off guard by this and hastily took a step back.

"Young Master Lian intends to take you as his wife. This jade bracelet is a token of his affection," Luo Zhonglou said with a smile.

"What?" Meng Qing could hardly believe her ears.

She had already covered her face with a veil, yet someone was still coming on to her.

"Take your things and get lost!" Just because Meng Qing didn’t speak didn’t mean others would remain silent.

After all the trouble Yu Mengru went through to find her sister, there was no way she would let her be wronged.

She didn’t give a damn about any Jinglian Saint Institute.

"This..." Luo Zhonglou’s expression changed instantly. When had he ever been berated like this? But when he considered who the other party was, he found himself in a dilemma.

Below the Wind and Cloud Platform, the young man coldly spat out a single word, "Trash!"

"Miss, this man before you is from the Jinglian Saint Institute. Perhaps you’re not aware of what the Jinglian Saint Institute is. Allow me to explain," the Sect Leader of the Proud Moon Divine Sect, Song Xinchuan, said, turning to address Meng Qing on the Wind and Cloud Platform.

’From the young man’s tone, he’s clearly dissatisfied with the Zhengyang Sect Leader’s performance. If I help him achieve his goal, it means I could build a connection with the Jinglian Saint Institute.’

Song Xinchuan’s own calculations were quite shrewd.

"The Jinglian Saint Institute is the hallowed hall of Artifact Refiners. It’s no exaggeration to say that every Artifact Refiner on the entire Celestial Yang Continent hails from the Jinglian Saint Institute."

Song Xinchuan’s words struck the crowd like a clap of thunder.

Artifact Refiners were beings even more mysterious than Alchemy Masters. A single Artifact Refiner was capable of refining Spiritual Artifacts.

Spiritual Artifacts, which surpassed even Divine Weapons.

If a sect were equipped with Spiritual Artifacts, even just Tier One Spiritual Artifacts, their strength would increase by dozens of times, at the very least.

To give a simple example, if the four major sects had an Artifact Refiner, they could challenge one of the five great divine sects, provided they had enough materials.

All the Artifact Refiners on the continent came from the Jinglian Saint Institute, and this young man hailed from there. His status was unimaginably formidable.

Now, everyone understood why Song Xinchuan had reacted the way he did the moment he saw the young man.

And now, this young man had actually set his sights on the woman on the Wind and Cloud Platform.

In an instant, countless men in the crowd wished they were women so they too could form a connection with the Jinglian Saint Institute.

On the Wind and Cloud Platform, the color drained from Yu Mengru’s face. She bit her lip, a look of utter despair washing over her.

Their opponent’s background was just too powerful.

As for Meng Qing, her legs grew weak, and she nearly collapsed.

She had found her long-lost sister and now had an opportunity to advance her Martial Dao Cultivation. Her future had seemed so bright, but this young man’s appearance had plunged her into despair.

At this very moment, she couldn’t help but think of one person with all her heart.

’Young Master, where are you?’ Meng Qing thought desperately.

「Somewhere in the Danling Sect」

Lin Hao suddenly sneezed.

Then, he murmured, "Who’s thinking of me?"

After saying that, he went back to his work.

On the table beside him lay an exquisite necklace.

In his hands, another necklace was taking shape, this one just slightly larger than the first.

After seeing the fireworks from the Sword Enlightenment Pool, Lin Hao had remembered it was Yu Mengru’s birthday.

To prepare a birthday gift, Lin Hao had gone straight to find an elder of the Danling Sect.

As it happened, Lin Hao came across a Danling Sect elder who was taking stock of the Crystal Stones and refined iron that various sects had traded for medicinal pills.

Among the materials, Lin Hao happened to spot an exceptionally special substance: Star Sand.

Then, in a flash of inspiration, he knew exactly what kind of gift to make.

After selecting several types of Crystal Stones and refined iron, Lin Hao took the Star Sand and began crafting the necklaces.

When Lin Hao finished the first necklace, he saw that he still had plenty of materials left. Thinking of Meng Qing, he decided to make a second one.

"Phew..."

A few minutes later, Lin Hao let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his brow.

But looking at the finished necklace, Lin Hao smiled happily.

’Heh heh, when I give this to Meng Qing, she’ll definitely be thrilled.’ Lin Hao smiled happily just thinking about the look on her face when she saw the necklace.

And Lin Hao had good reason to be so confident.

On the Celestial Yang Continent, martial prowess was supreme. Everyone, regardless of age or gender, practiced martial arts, so there were very few so-called "noblewomen."

This led to a peculiar situation: necklaces had all but disappeared from the continent.

Even when they did appear, they were merely adornments for the few noblewomen who existed.

While hairpins, bracelets, and rings were also ornaments, they didn’t get in the way of a fight and were often crafted into Spiritual Artifacts, used for either defense or storage.

Necklaces, however, were different. Unless they were made into a Spiritual Artifact, they would hinder combat.

Turning a necklace into a Spiritual Artifact was a monumental undertaking that even an Artifact Refining Master couldn’t accomplish. Thus, over time, they had been completely abandoned by Martial Artists.

The two necklaces now in Lin Hao’s hands were created by referencing the Carefree Divine Monarch’s memories. Following a design from the Divine Monarch’s homeland, he had used special Crystal Stones mixed with Star Sand in place of diamonds. Not only were the necklaces dazzlingly brilliant, but Lin Hao had also embedded an Array within each, turning them into bona fide Spiritual Artifacts.

Picking up the two necklaces, Lin Hao turned to leave but suddenly felt dizzy and nearly stumbled.

Grasping the edge of the table for support, Lin Hao murmured, ’Now I finally understand why the Carefree Divine Monarch didn’t pass the Array Pattern Skill on to me sooner.’

Although Lin Hao had not yet received the full inheritance for the Array Pattern Skill, he understood its underlying principles.

The so-called Array Pattern Skill was, in essence, an upgraded and enhanced version of the inscriptions used in the Artifact Refining Skill.

These inscriptions, the engraving of divine runes, were crucial in Artifact Refining. The Array Pattern Skill was simply the art of compressing these inscriptions again and again.

The Array Pattern Skill could be used to accomplish feats like turning scattered beans into soldiers; this was achieved by combining and inscribing divine runes onto the so-called "beans."

By refining the necklaces into Spiritual Artifacts, Lin Hao had demonstrated the pinnacle of the Artifact Refining Skill, a process that was already very close to the Array Pattern Skill.

The process had taken a massive toll on Lin Hao, which made him appreciate the Carefree Divine Monarch’s thoughtful caution.

After resting for a few minutes, Lin Hao finally recovered. He took the two necklaces and headed for the Wind and Cloud Platform.

「Back at the Wind and Cloud Platform」

Song Xinchuan was being incredibly aggressive.

Not only had the Zhengyang Sect lost the Suo Demon Sect’s secret realm, but they had also lost the Spiritual Artifact from the Jinglian Saint Institute. Luo Zhonglou had already realized that even if they recovered the artifact, their relationship with the Jinglian Saint Institute would never be the same.

Without the support of the Jinglian Saint Institute, it would be impossible for the Zhengyang Sect to contend with the five great divine sects.

That was why Luo Zhonglou lacked his usual imposing air when facing the Misty Palace.

But Song Xinchuan felt no such pressure.

Even without the Jinglian Saint Institute’s backing, he had no reason to fear the Misty Palace.

So, he had opportunistically stepped forward to relentlessly pressure Meng Qing.

Meng Qing, however, had calmed down after her initial panic.

’Their power is too great,’ she thought. ’I can’t drag others into this.’

’Especially the Misty Palace. If they stand up for me, countless people could be injured or killed. I can’t let that happen.’

"If you want to marry me, you’ll have to show your sincerity," Meng Qing said, stepping forward and looking at the beast-clad youth in the distance.

"It is your good fortune that I’ve taken an interest in you. You are in no position to negotiate," the beast-clad youth retorted coldly from below the stage, completely unmoved.

Meng Qing didn’t reply, but simply reached up and removed her veil.

"Am I qualified now?" Beneath the night sky, Meng Qing gave a sad, lonely smile, a smile so beautiful it was breathtaking.

It was the first time her face had been revealed to so many people. The entire crowd was dumbstruck; some men were even drooling.

Even Yu Mengru, another woman on the same platform, stared in a daze.

Su Molixi’s face was hidden behind a veil, her expression unreadable, but she murmured in a voice only she could hear, ’It seems that after her bloodline was awakened, the allure of the Heavenly Charm Physique has grown even stronger.’

"A Heavenly Charm Physique... truly extraordinary." After a long moment of stunned silence, the beast-clad youth finally came to his senses and sighed in admiration.

Then, he said to Meng Qing, "Speak. What do you want?"

"I want one hundred Tier One Spiritual Artifacts as the bride price," Meng Qing said, her heart pounding with anxiety.

After all, Spiritual Artifacts were exceedingly rare; possessing even one or two was highly unusual. A hundred Tier One Spiritual Artifacts was an astronomical figure.

As expected, the beast-clad youth frowned upon hearing her condition. "Do you have any idea what one hundred Tier One Spiritual Artifacts are worth?!"

Meng Qing bit her lip, refusing to back down.

’This hundred Spiritual Artifacts... I’m asking for them for Lin Hao.’

’Lin Hao rescued me from a sea of suffering, offended major powers for my sake, traveled a thousand miles to help me find my sister, and most importantly, he awakened my bloodline, giving me the foundation to become a true expert.’

’I just want to repay him with these Spiritual Artifacts before I have to leave.’

"One hundred Tier One Spiritual Artifacts is impossible. Fifty, at most!" the beast-clad youth stated, his tone just as forceful.

A look of misery crossed Meng Qing’s face, and she was just about to speak.

Just then, a lazy voice drawled through the air.

"You can’t even come up with a hundred Tier One Spiritual Artifacts? You’ve brought shame to the entire Jinglian Saint Institute."

"Who?!" the beast-clad youth roared, whipping his head toward the source of the voice.

It wasn’t just him; everyone’s gaze turned in the same direction.

This person had some serious nerve, daring to provoke someone from the Jinglian Saint Institute.

Then, they saw a young man with a lazy smile on his face, slowly strolling toward them.

Lin Hao!

Countless people’s eyes widened in recognition.

That Lin Hao would dare to provoke someone from the Jinglian Saint Institute was completely unexpected.

The beast-clad youth looked at Lin Hao and asked coldly, "Who are you?"

"He is Lin Hao of the Heaven-Stepping Sect!" Luo Zhonglou answered, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.

A wisp of his Divine Soul had been scattered in War Dragon City, causing him to suffer a grievous injury.

Countless experts from his Zhengyang Sect had besieged the Heaven-Stepping Sect, yet only three elders had managed to escape. To make matters worse, they had lost the Spiritual Artifact borrowed from the Jinglian Saint Institute.

And all of it was because of Lin Hao.

Now, facing his nemesis, his hatred burned with a fresh intensity.