At the time of the Murong family's banquet.
The Spirit Realm has nineteen states, Zhongzhou, Yunzhou, Qin State, Leizhou...
Leizhou, one of the nineteen states, has over a dozen prefectures. One of these prefectures is called Qingshan Prefecture. Yong'an City belongs to Qingshan Prefecture. In the mortal world, Yong'an City would be equivalent to a county town, hence the common saying Yong'an County Town. Yong'an City is not just a county town; it governs many subordinate towns and villages.
On the border of Yong'an City, Ximo City, and Shanghe City, lies a mountain range called Hutou Mountain. It is said that the highest peak in this mountain range resembles a tiger's head when viewed from afar, hence the name Hutou Mountain. This name then spread, and the mountain was officially named Hutou Mountain!
Hutou Mountain stretches for dozens of kilometers.
In a steep cliff at the foot of Hutou Mountain, a formation emitting a hazy glow appeared at some point.
At this moment, five people stumbled out of the formation, their breaths erratic. Three of them looked particularly disheveled, covered in blood, their qi in utter disarray!
"I never imagined that out of our seven or eight people who ventured into this formation, not even reaching its depths, three would die and three would be severely injured!" one of them gritted out.
"Black and White Impermanence, their temperaments are truly as unpredictable as their names suggest. It's one thing for them, husband and wife, to die, but to leave behind such a formidable formation at their place of nirvana!" another person said with a face full of frustration.
"Through our venture, we can draw one conclusion: great strength does not necessarily translate to a high survival rate!" one of the severely injured cultivators said in a hoarse voice. He was the strongest among the eight, but also the most gravely wounded, only slightly better off than the three who had perished. The three who died were not weaker than him, just less defensively robust!
"The message left by Black and White Impermanence stated that Nascent Soul cultivators who enter the formation are doomed to die. Spirit Soul Realm cultivators who enter, unless exceptionally strong, will also be defeated. Golden Core Realm cultivators face a nine out of ten chance of death. Only cultivators below the Golden Core Realm have a lower mortality rate!"
"What should we do? Should we spread the news?"
"Even if we don't, this formation has already been activated. People frequently attempt to break through here. In fact, before us, others might have already triggered this activated formation! Whether we spread the word or not might not make much of a difference!"
"Damn it, to enter a treasure mountain and come away with nothing, it's truly disheartening!"
"Let's not worry about others for now. I plan to send a message to my clan, to select some cultivators below the Golden Core Realm to give it a try."
"I plan to do the same! Since the news might have already spread, and we can't keep it a secret, letting our clan members know early, and having them enter the formation sooner, will allow them to obtain some precious treasures as soon as possible!"
"The combined wealth of Black and White Impermanence is rumored to be the richest among Nascent Soul cultivators!"
Let alone Golden Core cultivators, even Nascent Soul cultivators would be tempted upon hearing of Black and White Impermanence's treasure. Spirit Soul Realm cultivators? Even if they heard about it, they would be too proud to attempt it. Even if they cast aside their pride, they wouldn't dare to easily enter. The couple, Black Mountain and White Cloud, the former possessed exceptional formation attainments, while the latter had extraordinary alchemy skills, not just for healing elixirs, but also for poison pills. The combination of formations and poison pills had turned their place of nirvana into a dragon's den and a tiger's lair.
A Spirit Soul Realm cultivator entering and triggering the great formation could result in serious injury or even death!
It would not be worth the cost!
...
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
Yang Feilong and Bi Xin's battle continued. Bi Xin watched in despair as Yang Feilong, whom he had initially suppressed, now turned the tables and suppressed him. He felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Could this guy truly be a seventh-level cultivator?
But this precise and slow increase in combat power was truly infuriating!
Could you be a better actor?
If Yang Feilong knew what his opponent was thinking, he would surely roll his eyes. Do you think I want this? You have no idea how seriously I've fought to defeat you, pushing all my sword techniques to their limits!
Furthermore, to prevent defeat, I've fully unleashed the perfected 'Treading Snow Without a Trace' movement technique!
I was just a step away from being forced to use the 'Light as a Swallow' movement technique, which I've only recently begun to master!
The 'Distant Horizon in Close Proximity' movement technique has seven levels, each more mysterious than the last. The second level is far more refined than the first. Once unleashed, the possibility of victory increases significantly, but revealing it would not be good for me!
Certain extraordinary movement techniques can attract the covetous gaze of powerful individuals!
This severely contradicts my goal of growing stronger in obscurity.
"Three wins in a row!"
"Yang Feilong must have broken through to the seventh level!"
"He tried hard to conceal it, but we saw through it!"
"With such strength, he'll likely be on the Dragon Phoenix Rankings soon. I wonder what his rank will be?"
"Top one hundred should be no problem, but whether he can break into the top fifty is uncertain, as all those in the top fifty are renowned prodigies. Yang Feilong still has a considerable gap compared to them!"
"That's true. Most of those in the top fifty are under thirty years old but have reached a cultivation level close to half-step Golden Core!"
"..."
Amidst the discussions, in an overlooked corner, Lu Yao was gnashing his teeth.
Watching Yang Feilong bask in glory while he himself became a clown, a stepping stone to further enhance Yang Feilong's fame, his heart twisted even more.
After Yang Feilong defeated Bi Xin, he could no longer bear to stay, for if he did, he felt he would go mad!
"Yang Feilong, I will remember the humiliation you brought me today! I will repay you a hundredfold someday!" Lu Yao left filled with immense resentment. His departure was naturally noticed, but no one paid him any mind.
Yang Feilong did not press his advantage further, as there was no need. Did he not want to maintain a low profile?
As for whether the other party would resent him?
It didn't matter!
Although he was implicated by Murong Qiuyue and suffered a misfortune he didn't anticipate, he didn't blame her. After all, if Murong Qiuyue hadn't helped him back then, he might have already died!
Of course, he had already repaid what he owed, but he was that kind of person; a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring.
As time passed, the banquet began.
Bi Xin and Deng Yixiao did not leave. Instead, they began a drinking contest with Yang Feilong at the table.
The main reason was that they had no deep-seated grudges with Yang Feilong. While they liked Murong Qiuyue, they were self-aware. Their family backgrounds couldn't compare to Lu Yao's, and they were far from the Murong family's standing. They were also more than ten years older than Murong Qiuyue.
Since she didn't fancy them, they wouldn't pester her. Now that the more outstanding Yang Feilong had become Murong Qiuyue's boyfriend, they had largely let go.
If it were Lu Yao, they wouldn't have given up, because Lu Yao was too ugly!