184: Chapter 184 I wanted to buy osmanthus blossoms and share wine, but it's nothing like the carefree days of my youth! [Bonus chapter this weekend!]

Inside the Discussion Hall.

Lu Chen sat boldly in the main seat, his right leg crossed over his left, one hand resting on the chair's armrest and the other holding a wine gourd.

His state was like a completely different person compared to yesterday.

The fatigue between his brows had been swept away, the light in his eyes was three points brighter, and his entire being exuded a sense of relaxation that comes after being thoroughly satiated.

His gaze swept casually across the room, passing over Third Ancestor Ye Wuji's white hair, Fifth Ancestor Su Yaoxian's silver cloak, and Ye Cangsong's old face.

Then, it stopped on Ye Lanxi.

To be precise, it stopped on Ye Lanxi's leg, which was tightly wrapped in a purple Phoenix robe.

The Phoenix robe was a high-collared, narrow-waisted design, with the hem expanding only below the knees. However, as Ye Lanxi sat down, the skirt split open at a side slit, revealing a stretch of snow-white skin from her calf to the back of her knee.

Lu Chen's gaze rested there quite openly, without moving.

Ye Lanxi noticed it.

Her fingers tightened slightly around her teacup, and the redness on her earlobes hadn't completely faded yet.

Her phoenix eyes glanced toward Lu Chen, and they happened to collide with his gaze.

Ye Lanxi's eyes darted away.

Lu Chen didn't know why, so he just looked at her legs.

He looked quite righteously, not even bothering to hide it.

Ye Lanxi's knees unconsciously pressed together, and her legs tightened a bit more.

This movement was captured by Lu Chen, whose lips curled slightly before he took another swig of wine.

Ye Lanxi bit the tip of her tongue.

Last night's events replayed in her mind—the way she had lost control in front of Lu Chen.

Now that this man was sitting just thirty feet away, his gaze lingering on her legs, her body reacted before her brain could.

"Ahem."

Ye Lanxi set down her teacup and cleared her throat.

The panic in her phoenix eyes was forcibly suppressed by her authority as the family head, and her voice returned to the low, magnetic tone characteristic of a mature woman.

"The preparations for the grand ceremony have been properly arranged."

She took a Jade Slip from her sleeve and, with a surge of spiritual power, a massive three-dimensional formation map appeared in the Void Realm.

"The venue is set at the main hall square of the First Peak, and all seven outer Peaks will be open..."

Third Ancestor Ye Wuji stroked his beard and nodded. "The scale is not small. Even in the Central Continent over the last ten thousand years, this would be considered top-tier."

Lu Chen glanced at the formation map and had no objections. The Ye Family had deep foundations; holding a discipleship ceremony was merely a matter of taking some things out of their warehouse.

Ye Qingxian listened from the side with eyes shining, a spirit fruit in her mouth as she said indistinctly:

"Will I have to drink wine at the ceremony? Can I drink?"

"Shut up, you can't!"

Lu Chen flicked her forehead.

Ye Qingxian stuck out her tongue and shrank back into her chair.

Ye Lanxi continued, her speaking pace steady and unhurried, as she explained the banquet layout, spiritual array protection, and reception procedures one by one.

However, when mentioning the guest list, her voice faltered for a moment.

A clear layer of irritation rose in her phoenix eyes, her willow-like brows furrowed slightly, her red lips pursed, and her fingers tapped twice on the Jade Slip.

Third Ancestor Ye Wuji noticed something was wrong.

"Lanxi, is there a problem?"

Ye Lanxi exhaled and projected the list from the Jade Slip.

Densely packed names of powers were arranged in the Void Realm, ranging from the Immortal Ancient Jiang Family, the Immortal Ancient Ji Family, and the Dao Yi Holy Land in the Zhongtian Domain, to the Taichu Holy Land and Guiyi Sword Sect in the Eastern Wasteland Region, to the Burning Heaven Valley and Weapon God Sect in the Nanli Domain, and even the Feather Tribe and Nine Nether Ground Python Tribe of the Endless Demon Sea.

But there was one name she had highlighted separately with red spiritual light.

Wushuang Immortal Dynasty.

"We can send invitations to all the Holy Lands and Ancient Desolate Families, but as for the Wushuang Immortal Dynasty..."

Ye Lanxi rubbed her brow, her full chest rising and falling slightly with the motion.

"It wouldn't be right not to invite them, but if they come, it's inevitable that they will be at odds with me."

The hall fell silent for a few breaths.

"Yue Qingxuan of the Wushuang Immortal Dynasty?"

Ye Lanxi nodded, the irritation in her phoenix eyes deepening by another degree.

"The successor of the Heavenly Overlord Body."

These words came out of her mouth with a hint of gritted teeth.

Third Ancestor Ye Wuji sighed:

"The Desolate Ancient Sacred Body and the Heavenly Overlord Body are naturally incompatible. They have been mortal enemy Physiques since the Primordial Era. When holders of these two Physiques meet, their Bloodlines automatically produce repulsion. At best, their Qi and blood will churn and they'll argue; at worst, they'll start fighting on the spot."

Fifth Ancestor Su Yaoxian added:

"Lanxi and Yue Qingxuan fought three times in their early years over a Primordial Secret Realm in the northern part of the Central Continent. The first time they fought for seven days and nights, both ending up injured. The second time they fought for three days, and Lanxi broke four ribs. The third time..."

"The third time, I won."

Ye Lanxi snorted coldly.

"But that crazy woman lost and wouldn't admit it, declaring that the next time we met, she would uproot my Desolate Ancient Sacred Body and refine it into a Medicinal Pill to swallow."

Ye Qingxian's eyes widened.

"Someone actually dares to fight with Mother?"

"Not just dare to fight."

Ye Lanxi narrowed her phoenix eyes.

"That woman, Yue Qingxuan, has a temper even more explosive than mine. Her cultivation is at the Ninth Revolution Peak of the Quasi-Emperor stage, her Heavenly Overlord Body has reached Major Achievement, and she even has Quasi-Emperor old monsters under her command. If the Ye Family sends someone to deliver an invitation, they'll likely be beaten senseless and thrown out of the palace gates."

"If we don't invite her, with such a big commotion, she'll find out anyway and come to crash the party!"

Third Ancestor Ye Wuji shook his head.

"The Wushuang Immortal Dynasty is one of the top overlord powers in the Central Continent, with foundations no less than those of the Ye Family."

The hall fell silent again.

Ye Lanxi set her teacup down on the table with a thud, her phoenix eyes full of a headache.

"Unless I personally go and fight her first, but if I go, there's a ninety percent chance that once we start fighting, we won't be able to stop. By then, I won't have time for little Qingxian's ceremony!"

She rubbed her temples, her voice carrying a rare sense of helplessness.

"That Yue Qingxuan is a complete and utter madwoman."

Ye Qingxian whispered a comment:

"Crazier than Mother?"

Ye Lanxi glared at her.

Just then, a very subtle sound rang out.

It was the sound of a wine gourd's stopper being pulled out.

Everyone's gaze turned to the main seat.

Lu Chen was holding his wine gourd, about to pour wine into his mouth.

His movement was very slow, so slow that everyone present noticed the hand holding the gourd paused for a moment.

Just for a moment.

Then he swallowed the wine and wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb.

"Yue Qingxuan?"

Ye Lanxi nodded, looking at him with doubt in her phoenix eyes.

"Emperor Yun knows her?"

Lu Chen didn't answer directly.

An image appeared in his mind.

A long time ago, before he had become an Emperor, he was traveling through the Central Continent and passed through Yuntian City.

A little girl blocked his path.

"You! Yes, you! I feel like you're very strong! Fight me!"

At the time, he found it troublesome and took a detour.

The little girl followed him for three thousand miles.

She followed him from the northern Central Continent to the southern part, crossing four ten-thousand-foot mountain ranges. In the middle of it, she was almost eaten by a Primordial Species, and it was he who saved her on a whim.

After being saved, the little girl looked up at him, her large eyes shining frighteningly bright.

"You're so amazing! I want to become as amazing as you in the future!"

From then on, the words "Brother Lu" never stopped. Only then did he learn that she was actually a princess.

The little princess basically sponsored his lifestyle, following him on his travels for over half a year. They went to Holy Pill City for the grand competition, they went to...

It wasn't until he had to leave the Central Continent to return to the Eastern Desolation that he finally shook off this little follower.

How many years ago was that?

Lu Chen withdrew his gaze, pressed the stopper back into the wine gourd, and spoke in a lazy tone.

"I know her. Her talent is very good, not inferior to mine. She has a chance to become an Emperor."

He paused for a beat.

"But that's all in the past."

Ye Lanxi's phoenix eyes narrowed, keenly catching the curve of his lips.

A woman's intuition told her that the weight behind the words "I know her" was far more than it seemed on the surface.

"What is the relationship between Emperor Yun and Yue Qingxuan?"

Lu Chen glanced at her and hung the wine gourd back at his waist.

"No relationship, just a little girl who followed me around and couldn't be shaken off."

Third Ancestor Ye Wuji and Fifth Ancestor Su Yaoxian exchanged a glance, both looking at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen closed his eyes, his lips curling slightly.

That little girl from back then had actually become the Peerless Empress who awed the Central Continent.

The world changes so fast; things are truly different now!

This trip to the Central Continent really lived up to that line: I would buy osmanthus and carry wine on the same boat, but it's no longer like the travels of youth!

PS:

I've actively added an extra chapter for you all! Please give a free power generation. The data keeps dropping, and I feel so bad!