424: Chapter 424 The Banquet Begins

Chang Yuan's consciousness completely dissipated.

His corpse fell backward, lying side by side with the female cultivator on the bed.

You walked out from the corner, glanced at the two corpses on the bed, and casually waved your hand.

Faint points of light floated off their bodies, and then their bodies began to disintegrate—starting from the edges, slowly turning into nothingness, until not even a single strand of hair remained.

The bed was spotless, as if nothing had ever happened.

You closed your eyes, sighing at the hardships of Chang Yuan's life—

The memories extracted from Chang Yuan's mind just now were about everything from his childhood.

This man's life was indeed tough.

He was born ordinary.

The day his Family was wiped out, he hid in a well and managed not to make a sound.

Later, he was a beggar for several years before finding a Cultivation Technique and beginning to Cultivate.

He started seeking revenge, Cultivating, climbing upward, clinging to others all the way, annexing everything, until he achieved the Nascent Soul stage.

Until the last time, when success was within sight, he kicked an iron plate, then fled to this Ziyang Star to start anew.

Then he discovered the opportunity presented by the Liu Clan.

He knew too well how to latch onto power—as long as his voice was loud, his shouts clear, and his posture low. Before long, he had successfully branded himself as a favorite of the Liu Clan.

After understanding Chang Yuan's past, you opened your eyes, the corners of your mouth curving up slightly.

With a thought, the bones and muscles of your body began to writhe...

A moment later, you had transformed into Chang Yuan's appearance—

Bald, round-faced, with an honest and simple look when smiling.

You looked in the mirror, touched your bald head, and were quite satisfied.

Three days passed in a flash.

After arranging for Gu Jing to stay at the inn, you held the invitation and stepped into the City Lord's Mansion, bringing Duan De and Luo Jing with you.

Currently, this Ziyang Immortal City, along with the entire Ziyang Star—nominally still the territory of various Sects and factions—but any discerning person knew the master was about to change.

The people of the Liu Clan sat in the uppermost positions; they were the true decision-makers.

However, the Liu Clan had only arrived a few years ago and needed time to recuperate and establish a solid foundation in the territory.

Now, several years later, the time had come.

You stood at the entrance and looked up.

The scale of the City Lord's Mansion was far beyond comparison with the mortal imperial palaces.

How to put it? It was at least ten times larger than a mortal imperial palace.

You passed through the main gate, and your vision suddenly opened up.

The square in front of the central hall was densely packed with elegant seats, at least a hundred of them.

In front of each elegant seat stood a jade plaque, engraved with the name of the respective Family or faction.

Every force ranked highly on the Ziyang Star had arrived.

Your gaze swept over them, and you spotted three people in the most conspicuous positions.

Those three seats were elevated a level higher than the other elegant seats and were also considerably wider.

Seated on the left was an old man in gray-white homespun clothes, his face thin and sharp, his eyes lowered.

He sat there without revealing the slightest trace of Qi around him.

This person was Jian Wuming, the Old Ancestor of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

The person in the middle seat was a hunchbacked old man wearing a straw cloak and a bamboo hat, his figure stooped, making it impossible to see his face.

A palm-sized three-legged Golden Toad perched on his shoulder. The toad puffed out its cheeks, its eyes darting around, scrutinizing everyone present.

This person was the Myriad Spirits Immortal Elder, the Old Ancestor of the Wanling Valley.

Seated to his right was a female child who looked about seven or eight years old, wearing a red bodice covered by a thin veil, barefoot, cross-legged in the air.

On her back was a black ebony Guqin that was taller than she was. The body of the Qin was as black as ink, and the strings emitted a faint golden sheen.

This person was the Heavenly Sound Child Matriarch, the Old Ancestor of the Tianyin Sect.

All three were primordial spirit clones.

Behind the three stood a dozen or so people. Although you hadn't seen some of them before, you guessed who they were immediately upon looking.

Other factions, including you, could bring a maximum of two people.

This was the gap.

You looked back at Duan De and Luo Jing; both of their faces were tense, daring not to speak.

You followed the jade plaque to find your seat.

To be honest, you expected to be arranged in a corner. After all, for a fringe faction like the Tai Xuan Sect, just being allowed to enter was an achievement.

Unexpectedly—your elegant seat was ranked in the third row, directly facing the center of the main hall, second only to those Three Great Factions.

The representatives of the surrounding factions occasionally glanced in your direction, some scrutinizing, some disdainful, and some thoughtful.

It was important to remember that apart from the Three Great Factions, the hundreds of Sects, Families, and Merchant Guilds present were all existences at the Soul Transformation level.

Yours was the only Nascent Soul level faction at this banquet.

The Liu Clan played this move beautifully.

They wanted to show everyone—a dog that obeys can sit even closer than those established old factions.

You sat down steadily, with Duan De and Luo Jing seated on either side, their backs ramrod straight.

After sitting down, you looked up. Above the main hall was a row of brocade-covered seats, numbering over a dozen.

The main seat was empty.

But the seats next to the main seat were already full.

You scanned them with your eyes and recognized several familiar faces.

Closest to the main seat was a middle-aged man with a pale face and no beard, his expression gentle, even carrying a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. He was the Liu Clan's Great Protector, Liu Tianci.

Next to him sat the Liu Clan's Grand Elder, Liu Xuanyin. His face was as cold as ice, and his gaze sweeping over those below was filled with disdain.

Liu Jinfeng sat below Liu Xuanyin, her expression aloof, her gaze seemingly fixed on nowhere in particular.

Further over sat a figure resembling a young attendant, the Liu Clan's Third Elder, who was lowering his head, fiddling with the teacup in his hand, seemingly uninterested in the factions below.

Behind them stood the Disciples of the younger generation.

Liu Yunge stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent.

Liu Chenfeng swept his gaze below, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips, thinking about who knows what.

Liu Ruyan stood there, her expression calm, showing no discernible emotion.

Liu Yunge, Liu Chenfeng, and Liu Ruyan had all achieved Breakthroughs to the Soul Transformation stage after returning from the Holy Land.

There were also other clansmen of the Liu Clan, including Liu Siqin.

Moreover, throughout the City Lord's Mansion, there were numerous Black Armored Guards and Hidden Guards; almost all of these individuals possessed Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation Qi.

You picked up your teacup and took a sip.

The display the Liu Clan put on this time was quite grand.

The Great Protector, the Grand Elder, the Second Elder, the Third Elder, plus the younger generation—they had almost come out in full force.

It seemed unifying the Ziyang Star was only the first step.

The next step would be expanding outward.

This was normal.

A Family as large as the Liu Clan likely couldn't develop with only the territory and resources they currently possessed.

If they didn't seize more territory externally, how could they grow stronger?

However, development could be divided into two types—peaceful and military.

The Liu Clan was eager for quick success, so they naturally wouldn't choose the peaceful route.

They chose a middle ground—courtesy before force.

You put down your teacup and calmly looked toward the top of the main hall.