258: Chapter 256 Longevity Festival

Yun Ming did not know who that clean-shaven middle-aged man was, but he could roughly guess.

Although the space-stabilizing Formation of the Xuanming Treasure Artifact had blocked most of the commotion, it was impossible for the aftermath of his Purple Cloud Divine Thunder Curse and Golden Crow Flame to have been completely contained.

With the Longevity Festival approaching, Tianyuan City was under strict guard, and the officials were surely keeping a constant watch on every movement within the city.

That person was nine times out of ten an official from the City Patrol Department, specifically tasked with maintaining order and suppressing private fights during the festival.

He did not dwell on it, nor did he chase after him to offer thanks.

The officials stepping in was not to help him, but to prevent the situation from escalating and affecting the Longevity Festival.

That was all.

He brought Ah Yuan back to the small courtyard in Huai Tree Alley.

Along the way, Ah Yuan's hands were still trembling, her face pale, and her lips devoid of color. Her eyes were red, but she was no longer crying.

Yun Ming did not speak; he merely held her hand tightly.

With a flash of silver light from the Teleportation Array, the two returned to Heavenly Street. The door of the Sundries shop was still locked; Yun Ming did not go in, heading straight back to the small courtyard in Huai Tree Alley.

Entering the courtyard, he closed the door and activated the Floating Life Dream Illusion Array. The sixth-tier Formation started up, mist filled the air, and the formation patterns slowly operated underground, shrouding the entire courtyard in an invisible barrier. From the outside, it looked no different from an ordinary residence. However, should anyone with ill intentions break in, they would fall into an endless illusion.

Yun Ming had Ah Yuan sit on the stone bench in the courtyard and began pulling items out from the map of mountains and rivers. The xuanming heaven-covering umbrella, blood-transforming eerie glow needle, array-breaking sword, zhoutian yuan-magnetic realm-suppressing tower, as well as various spirit talismans, Medicinal Pills, and Magical Artifacts—an eye-dazzling array of items—piled up on the stone table. He kept the map of mountains and rivers and the cauldron of all things mother qi for himself, and pushed all the rest in front of Ah Yuan.

Ah Yuan stared at the pile of items, her eyes wide. "Master, this is..."

"For you," Yun Ming said. "Keep everything else except for these two. Refine them to protect yourself."

Ah Yuan looked at the pile of priceless treasures, and her eyes turned red again. "Master, I... I cannot use so many... and these are too valuable..."

"If you can't use them all, refine them slowly," Yun Ming interrupted her. "Tianyuan City is deep waters; I don't know if something like today will happen again. You must have some means of self-preservation. We have the Floating Life Dream Illusion Array at home, so don't worry about anyone breaking in. Don't go to the shop these next few days; refine these Magic Treasures first."

Ah Yuan bit her lip and lowered her head, tears sliding down silently. She reached out and picked up the array-breaking sword; the blade was transparent, with formation patterns flowing across it. She then picked up the xuanming heaven-covering umbrella; the canopy was pitch black, with a deep, eerie glow. She raised her head and looked at Yun Ming. "Master, I will definitely refine them well and not let you down."

Yun Ming ruffled her hair. "Alright, stop crying. This time, it was my fault for not protecting you well. Cultivate with peace of mind; such things will not happen again."

Meanwhile, at Xuanming Hall in the north of the city. Zhao Shisan was dragged out of the City Patrol Department's yamen by two armored guards and thrown onto the stone steps at the entrance. His face was bruised black and blue, and his robes were covered in blood. He lay on the ground, struggling to crawl up, his knees knocking against the stone slabs, causing him to grimace in pain. His subordinates nearby rushed forward to support him.

"Lord Zhao, are you alright?"

Zhao Shisan pushed his subordinates away, gritting his teeth, and limped forward. After a few steps, the cold voice of a City Patrol Department official came from behind: "Zhao Shisan, we'll let it slide this time. During the Longevity Festival, no one is allowed to cause trouble. If there is a next time, even Hall Master Zhao won't be able to protect you. Consider yourself warned."

Zhao Shisan did not turn back; he quickened his pace and left.

His expression was terrifyingly gloomy, and the resentment in his eyes was almost overflowing.

That bumpkin—a mere Loose Cultivator at the Late Golden Core Stage, how did he have so many high-tier Magic Treasures? How dare he make him lose all face in front of so many subordinates? How dare he make him kneel in the City Patrol Department's yamen for a whole hour? He gritted his teeth, having already minced Yun Ming into a thousand pieces in his heart countless times.

Just then, the transmission talisman in his bosom lit up. Zhao Shisan took it out, and the Hall Master's voice sounded in his mind, as cold as ice shards in the depths of winter: "Get back here. Stop embarrassing me outside."

Zhao Shisan gritted his teeth and, with his subordinates in tow, slunk off toward Xuanming Hall.

Three days later, the Longevity Festival arrived. Before dawn, the entire Tianyuan City had already awakened.

It was not awakened by the crowing of roosters or the barking of dogs, but by that surging Spiritual Qi between Heaven and Earth.

The eastern horizon had yet to turn white when a golden ray of celestial light descended from the Nine Heavens, enveloping the entire city in a sacred radiance.

That light was not sunlight; it was celestial light. It pierced through the clouds, through the roof tiles, through human flesh and bone, shining straight into the depths of the Divine Soul.

Any Cultivator bathed in this celestial light felt their spiritual platform become clear, their Divine Soul solidify, and old internal injuries of many years seemingly showing signs of healing.

In the sky, auspicious clouds billowed. These were not ordinary clouds, but seven-colored auspicious clouds, layered and overlapping, spreading from the Nine Heavens all the way to the ground, like a staircase leading to the Immortal Realm.

Above the clouds, one could vaguely see celestial palaces, pavilions, and jade towers; these were illusions formed by the Spiritual Qi of Tianyuan City's protective Formation. Though not real, they were enough to make one's heart yearn for them.

Immortal cranes flew out from the clouds in flocks, their feathers as white as snow, their crowns vermilion, their cries crisp and melodious.

They arranged themselves in neat Formations, circling above Tianyuan City—one lap, two laps, three laps. With each lap, a beam of spiritual light descended from the sky, landing in the city and transforming into lotus flowers condensed from Spiritual Qi, covering Heavenly Street.

From the direction of the Imperial Palace, a bell tolled nine times. It was not an ordinary bell toll; it was the ten-thousand-jin bronze bell in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony being struck by a Nascent Soul Cultivator using spiritual power. The bell toll was deep and resonant, shaking the area for a hundred miles, its lingering echoes reverberating between Heaven and Earth, refusing to dissipate for a long time.

Before the bell toll had faded, a massive celestial gate slowly opened above the Imperial Palace. That was the "South Heaven Gate" of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty, usually hidden in the Void Realm and only manifesting on this day, the Longevity Festival.

The gate was thirty thousand zhang high and ten thousand zhang wide, its frame carved from a single piece of Nine Heavens Mysterious Jade, covered in ancient divine patterns. Within the gate, celestial light swirled and auspicious Qi flowed in thousands of streams; one could vaguely see celestial music drifting and celestial maidens dancing.

A figure stepped out from the South Heaven Gate, treading on golden auspicious clouds, and slowly descended onto the Heaven-Worshiping Altar. It was His Highness the Crown Prince.

He wore a crimson four-clawed python robe, with a nine-dragon jade pendant hanging at his waist. His face was square, his gaze like torches; with every step he took, a golden lotus bloomed beneath his feet.

Behind him followed two rows of golden-armored guards holding long halberds, their armor gleaming in the celestial light.

On his left and right sides, each was accompanied by an Immortal Beast. On the left was a five-colored divine deer with colorful ribbons hanging from its antlers; on the right was a golden-haired hou, its mane drifting like flames. The Immortal Beasts lowered their heads, prostrating on the ground, not daring to look up.

Wherever the Crown Prince passed, all was silent. The Cultivators in the city bowed in salute, none daring to look up. The Crown Prince's aura was like heavenly might, pressing down on the entire Tianyuan City, making it solemn.

The Crown Prince ascended the Heaven-Worshiping Altar, faced the east, and burned incense in prayer. His voice was not loud, but with the augmentation of spiritual power, it clearly reached the ears of everyone in the city.

He prayed for the Zifu Immortal Dynasty to enjoy peace and prosperity, for His Majesty to live for ten thousand years without bound, for the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to never wither, for the Human Race to flourish, and for the Yao Race to submit.

With every sentence he recited, a massive spiritual flower exploded in the sky—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple—the seven colors interwoven, beautiful beyond description.

When the Crown Prince recited the last line, "May Heaven and Earth share longevity, may the Sun and Moon shine together," the entire Tianyuan City's protective Formation lit up simultaneously. A massive pillar of light rose from the city, shooting straight into the clouds, exploding above the Nine Heavens and transforming into a seven-colored Phoenix.

The Phoenix spread its wings, blocking the sky and sun, its cry resounding through the Nine Heavens. Then, everything returned to calm.

The Crown Prince turned, walked down the Heaven-Worshiping Altar, and walked into the curtains deep within the Imperial Palace. No one knew if there was anyone behind the curtains, but everyone knew that the Longevity Festival celebration had officially begun.

Heavenly Street was surging with crowds; tens of thousands of Cultivators poured in from all directions, including Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and even Soul Transformation stages.

They wore robes of various colors, representing different Sects, Families, and powers.

The Elders of the Shenduan Sect wore black robes with iron hammer tokens hanging at their waists; the alchemists of the Xuanhuang Pill Mansion wore cyan robes with Pill Furnace patterns embroidered on their chests; and Soul Transformation Sects from other continents had also sent Elders to observe the ceremony.

In the sky, flying boats shuttled back and forth, and Spirit Beasts neighed; on the ground, the flow of people was like a loom, shoulder to shoulder.

The shops in Tianbao Market were all open, offering discounts and promotions, packed to capacity. The ladies of the Vermilion Tower stood at the entrance, dressed in flamboyant finery, laughing and chatting. The restaurants of the Shanhai Society were filled to capacity, with the sounds of finger-guessing games, laughter, and clinking glasses rising one after another.

Even Xuanming Hall had to open the storefronts of several gambling dens to do business for the festival.

No one dared to cause trouble during the Longevity Festival; the Crown Prince's order was there—who would dare to court disaster?

But all of this had nothing to do with Yun Ming.

He sat behind the counter of the Sundries shop, holding a cup of tea in his hand. The fox lay on his lap, its nine tails hanging down, swaying back and forth.

Ah Yuan was still at home refining the Magic Treasures and had not come.

The shop was very quiet; the noise outside was mostly blocked by a thin sound-isolation Formation.

Yun Ming closed his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. He was not refining pills, not cultivating, not reading; he was just sitting, listening to those vague sounds from afar.

He liked it this way; the liveliness belonged to others. He had nothing, yet he lacked for nothing.

He did not know how much time had passed when the door curtain was lifted. Yun Ming opened his eyes. Walking in were a man and a woman.

The man was tall and powerful, wearing a black brocade robe, with a resolute face and bronze-colored skin; hanging at his waist was a short blade, its scabbard simple and unadorned.

The woman wore a pale cyan dress, her appearance delicate and pretty, her temperament gentle and graceful; in her hand, she held a folding fan, with a landscape painting on the fan face.

Both were of the Golden Core Stage in cultivation, their auras steady; they did not look like ordinary Loose Cultivators.

They stood at the doorway, their gazes sweeping across the shop before landing on Yun Ming's face.

Yun Ming did not stand up, nor did he speak. He leaned back in his chair, holding his teacup, watching them quietly. The shop was very quiet, with only the faint buzzing of the spirit lamp and the fox's occasional purring.

Outside, the clamor of the Longevity Festival continued—celestial light, auspicious signs, crowds, songs, and dances—all of which had nothing to do with this small Sundries shop.

The man and woman stood at the doorway and did not speak either. They just looked at Yun Ming, a faint smile on their lips.

No one knew who they were, and no one knew why they had come.