A murderous aura filled the air, so dense that it would cause a Qi Gathering Pupil to suffocate. If unlucky, the Qi Gathering Pupil might even die under the murderous aura.
The origin of the aura was a young man seated in a lotus position. On his lap was a plain steel sword with no embellishment. It did not look the part of a Lifebound Artifact of a Nascent Grandmaster and seemed to be a common weapon found on foot soldiers, but occasionally a red light would glimmer from the blade.
The murderous aura would sometimes become still as if solid, but other times it would fluctuate like an explosion. As it continued, the perimeter of where the aura reached would shrink. Rather than losing its intensity, it increased. It wasn’t shrinking but condensing!
When it was condensed within a five-meter radius, the murderous aura fizzled and exploded. The sound of steel slicing through the air was heard, and the ground around the youth was marked with various gashes.
Xia Yushan exhaled deeply as sweat slip down his face. He frowned, and a trace of unwillingness entered his eyes.
His master had said that he rushed his cultivation. During the Three Heavens Connection Meeting, he had forcibly raised his cultivation to the mid-Nascent Soul Realm in order to compete with the Eight Pillars Sect, Eldest Disciple, Duan Muli.
He already had trouble controlling the slaughter aura within his Lifebound Artifact when he first entered the Nascent Soul Realm, but his control drastically decreased when he entered the mid-Nascent Soul Realm. His master, Sect Master Xia, had forbidden him from advancing his cultivation unless he managed to control the slaughter aura.
Lifebound Artifacts were often a mirror to their owner. Xia Yushan’s Lifebound Artifact having heavy slaughter aura, also revealed Xia Yushan’s hidden side. If he wasn’t careful, he might be swallowed by his murderous impulses and fall into the demonic path.
Xia Yushan rubbed his glabella. When he first formed his Lifebound Artifact, he had never imagined that it would be filled with a slaughterous air.
His eyes glazed over slightly as he recalled his life back at the Xia Clan. There was such a large degree of separation from him and Sect Master Xia that it would not be weird to call them strangers. The only commonality was the surname Xia, and it was one of the reasons why Xia Yushan was selected by Sect Master Xia to be his disciple.
His life in the Xia Clan was less than stellar. His mother was just a mortal that his father, a low-class member of the Xia Clan, happened to take as a concubine. Because of his father’s low status, he was able to be bullied by even the servants. A lowly thing such as himself wasn’t even qualified to be tested for a Spiritual Vein.
Xia Yushan had even fantasized about becoming a powerful cultivator and making all those who wronged him pay. But that were just wishful thinking.
His life was hard, but as long as he had his mother, he had happiness. Xia Yushan’s mother was talented in all sorts of instruments and songs, even able to compose scholarly poems despite being an orphan with no surname.
He loved it when his mother smiled gently at him, he loved it when she rubbed his head, he loved sitting while she gently sang him asleep, he loved playing with her long locks of ink-black hair. But what Xia Yushan loved the most was when his mother placed makeup on her face as it made her seem like a fairy untouched by mortal hands, but he hated that his father always came that night when she did so.
But those happy days were cut short when his mother suddenly died one day. It was only after that he learned the truth. His mother was someone his father redeemed from a high-class mortal brothel. And his mother’s death was simply because she could not withstand his father’s “excitement.”
The difference between mortal and cultivators was vast.
Xia Yushan’s days became worse after his mother left him. So he gambled it all. He would most likely die if he failed, but he was already living like a dead person.
His gamble paid off as his Heavenly Spiritual Vein was revealed, and he was taken to the Buzhou Immortal Sect as a disciple. Xia Yushan’s life drastically changed, and he forgot about his former life. No, Xia Yushan forced himself to forget his lowly past.
But recently, the faces of those who bullied him flashed by his eyes frequently. Every time he saw them, killing intent burst forth like a broken dam.
Xia Yushan quickly calmed down his turbulent emotions, and a gentle expression appeared on his face once more. That’s right; he was no longer that lowly thing that anyone could abuse as they want. He was the Eldest Senior Brother of the Buzhou Immortal Sect, respected by all.
He turned his attention towards other matters. He had recently gotten word that Xi Tianyi had appeared at the sparring arenas. After doing a few rounds, Tianyi left.
Thinking of Tianyi made him recall that the Heavenly Connection Gathering. Tianyi was like his mother and didn’t have a close connection to the Halls or Peaks of Buzhou Immortal Sect. He invited Tianyi for a small gathering of elite disciples. At the same time, he also invited those talented descendants of elders.
It was both so that Tianyi would be able to recognize and familiarise himself with young masters of the sect and allow Xia Yushan to gain a foothold in the clique.
Despite being the Eldest Senior Brother, the Elders’ descendants all gravitated towards the previous Eldest Disciple, the current Inner Elder Su Wanyu.
Her influence still remained even after she stopped being a disciple, and Xia Yushan’s tenure as the Eldest Senior Brother was short compared to Su Wanyu. Xia Yushan still needed more time to accumulate and spread his influence.
On the day of the gathering, Xia Yushan watched as many familiar and unfamiliar faces congregate. Some of them he recognized during the Three Heavens Connection Meeting, and others were newly emerged elites. A few that he used to know had also ceased to exist, either from failing their cultivation or being killed during missions or tempering.
The greatest addition was, no doubt, the young masters who had previously ignored his invitations.
Xia Yushan’s eyes sparkled when he saw Tianyi and Daoyi arrived. He motioned for Tianyi to sit next to him, while Daoyi sat on Tianyi’s other side.
Once everyone gathered, Xia Yushan clapped his hands. The Outer Disciple Servants from the Personal Subhall placed several rare delicacies and beverages on all the personal tables.
There were several gasps of amazement, especially from those young masters and young ladies. Xia Yushan smiled to himself. Although he had to make full use of his connections, he guaranteed the feast was something that even silkpants would have trouble acquiring normally.
Three-horned Bull, Frost Pheasant, Dracoscale Carp, Flying Cloud Horse, Silver Snake Wine, Duality Fruit Wine, and much more.
Xia Yushan started the banquet. With the rare ingredients to break the barrier, the feast started off on a high note.
“Junior brother Xi, I noticed you hadn’t touched the food. Is there something that displeases you?” Xia Yushan asked when he noticed that Tianyi hadn’t picked up his chopsticks at all and only drank the wine.
“I’ve gone vegan,” Tianyi said as he took another sip from his winecup. Because he didn’t eat any of the food, not knowing which ingredients had opened its spirituality, he had drunk more instead.
“What’s vegan?” Xia Yushan asked, confused. “Do you mean vegetarian?”
“…” Tianyi stilled as he listened to Xia Yushan. “Sure…”
By his side, Daoyi giggled. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but the clarity of her eyes was crystal clear. If the guests here were eating dishes accompanied by drinks, then Daoyi was drinking accompanied by side dishes.
Xia Yushan smiled before returning and directing the conversation. Xia Yusha fully revealed his leadership capabilities as he created a harmonious atmosphere.
He glanced at Tianyi. Although he introduced Tianyi to the young master and young ladies, it felt as if Tianyi had stopped talking. There was a strong sense of distance from Tianyi. Xia Yushan felt an intense headache coming from how little Tianyi converse as he recalled how silent Tianyi was when they first met.
From Xia Yushan’s view, it seemed that aside from the most elite disciples, Tianyi disdained from interacting with those too weak. When Tianyi was young, he had hung out with the descendants of Elders near his age. But he had stopped afterward after his cultivation increased by leaps and bounds.
When the people came to congratulate Tianyi on his ascent to the Nascent Soul Realm, Tianyi didn’t keep in touch with anyone afterward.
Honestly, in Xia Yushan’s opinion, if Tianyi weren’t Sword Empress Xi’s son, he would have likely been suppressed by those who were offended by Tianyi.
“Yo, such a lively gathering. Why didn’t you invite this young master?” From a distance, a man strode over towards the group of disciples. When he came closer, his frivolous smile and handsome features became apparent. But the most eyecatching feature was the mole under his left eyes, extremely enchanting.
Xia Yushan and many of the disciples, including the young masters, frowned.
Daoyi felt her heartbeat pace faster at the sight of the newcomer. She frowned as she felt something wrong in her and forcibly calmed down her heart.
It wasn’t just her, but many of the female disciples all had the same reaction. Those at the Nascent Soul Realm were frowning, but those at the Core Formation and Foundation Establishment were all blushing and breathing heavily.
Upon seeing this reaction, Tianyi figured out who the newcomer was. Even someone as reclusive as him had heard the infamous name of Daoist Lovespot.
The disciple with the Daoist title of Lovespot was a silkpants that even other silkpants avoided. His grandfather was an Immortal Monarch of Justice Hall, the equivalent of Punishment Hall in other sects. And because his parents had died when he was still young, the Immortal Monarch doted heavily on him.
Daoist Lovespot’s favorite pastime was to woo girls. At least in his terms. Once he saw a beautiful woman, he would pursue them to the point of obsession. Oftentimes it would reach the point of coercion. It didn’t matter who. Even if you had an Elder as a backing, Lovespot would still dare to take action.
If the matter became large involved the relative of an Immortal Elder, then his grandfather would step out and settle it. But more often than not, Lovespot would get away scotfree.
The now identified Lovespot seemed not to have detected the unwelcoming atmosphere and joined the gathering.
“What’s wrong? Why is everyone silent?” There was a charming smile on Lovespot’s faces as he scanned the females. His smile deepened when he saw the flushed faces, but his interest was piqued when he saw Daoyi, who had resisted his charm despite being a Foundation Establishment Disciple.
Daoist Lovespot walked towards Daoyi, and the charm around him increased, causing even some of the Nascent Soul disciples to flush.
Xia Yushan frowned when he saw this, but before he could take action, a light appeared from Tianyi’s body and covered Daoyi.
Daoist Lovespot stopped before resuming his walk towards Daoyi, all the while increasing the power of his charm. He inwardly frowned when Daoyi only stared at him warily. “Hey lass, it must be no fun sitting here silently. How about you accompany this lord for some fun?”
Daoyi’s facial expression turned frosty. “Many thanks, but my master said not to associate with perverts.”
“Aiyo, you have quite a cute little mouth on you.” Lovespot’s smile only deepened as his hand reached towards Daoyi. “That’s what they all say, but after spending some time with this lord, you’ll change your mind.
Tianyi’s expression was downright murderous as he grabbed Lovespot’s wrist.
“My junior sister already rejected your advances. Just leave.” Tianyi said. Even he was wary of the Immortal Monarch behind Lovespot, but if he went too far…
The image of Xi Longyi flashed through Tianyi’s mind, and his will hardened.
This type of person was just asking for a beating.