32: The conference began

A few short days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the day the Cultivator Exchange Conference officially began, the entire capital of the Xuanwu Kingdom became unprecedentedly lively.

Countless Cultivators from all over the Heavenly Profound Realm crowded the ancient capital until it was packed to the gills.

Led by royal guards, Lu Yi's group arrived at the magnificent venue specially built by State Lord Wu Changfeng for this conference.

However, before Lu Yi could even step through the venue's gates...

A petite figure in goose-yellow clothes suddenly rushed out from the side, pouncing directly onto him and hanging off his body amidst a waft of sweet fragrance.

The newcomer was none other than Wu Mingyue.

"Holy Son Lu! Where have you been these past few days? Why didn't you come find me to play!"

Wu Mingyue hung from Lu Yi, her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms tightly around his neck, complaining coquettishly.

This sudden scene drew many stunning gazes from the young Cultivators nearby, followed by expressions of envy, jealousy, and hatred.

Lu Yi helplessly supported her to prevent her from actually falling.

He rubbed his nose, looked at the pretty face in his arms that practically screamed "I'm unhappy," and replied pointedly:

"These past few days... I've been busy collecting debts."

Not far away, Lin Qingxuan, who was following behind Shen Yueyao, trembled uncontrollably when she heard the words "collecting debts."

She naturally understood the deeper meaning behind Lu Yi's words.

After all, she was the one he had been "collecting debts" from these past few days.

Thinking of what had happened recently, her pretty face instantly flushed red with shame. She quietly lowered her head, not daring to look his way again.

Wu Mingyue naturally didn't understand the hidden meaning.

She just gave a puzzled "Oh" and didn't press further.

Just then, Ling'er walked over.

Seeing her master being held so intimately by this young girl, Ling'er felt a surge of jealousy.

She stepped forward, reached out, and grabbed Wu Mingyue by the back of her collar, unceremoniously "lifting" her off Lu Yi.

"Princess, Your Highness."

Ling'er warned with a fake smile:

"Please behave yourself!"

"None of your business!"

Her fun ruined, Wu Mingyue immediately became displeased. With hands on her hips, she started bickering:

"I like hugging him, what are you going to do about it? If you're so capable, why don't you try hugging him? Or are you afraid because you're too heavy? You Big... Milk... Cow!"

"...Alright, alright. You're both grown up, yet you're acting like children."

Lu Yi spoke up to stop the impending "war."

Seeing her master speak, Ling'er reluctantly let go.

Wu Mingyue immediately snorted triumphantly like a rooster that had won a fight.

Then, she grabbed Lu Yi's arm again and pulled him toward the main spectator stand with the best view.

"Holy Son Lu, let's sit over there!"

Since the rules of this exchange conference stated that the cultivation of participating Disciples could not exceed the Cave Heaven Realm, Lu Yi naturally could only be a spectator.

Just as he sat down in a prime spot on the Main Stand, a beautiful figure carrying a faint fragrance sat down right next to him.

It was Shen Yueyao.

Lu Yi looked at her in surprise and asked:

"Saintess Shen, with your cultivation, you should be able to represent our Primordial Holy Land in the competition. Why have you become a spectator as well?"

Hearing this, Shen Yueyao smiled smugly, her eyes sparkling with confidence.

She then explained:

"After our long talk that night, I felt a faint insight. After several days of secluded cultivation, my cultivation has successfully broken through. Now, I also exceed the competition's limits."

"Oh?"

Lu Yi was surprised to hear this, then teased:

"So, does this mean both of us are no longer considered part of the younger generation?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold voice came from his other side:

"In terms of cultivation, the two of you certainly cannot be counted."

The two turned their heads to see that State Preceptor Leng Ningshuang had arrived at the Main Stand at some point and sat down on Lu Yi's other side.

"Martial Aunt, you're here too."

Lu Yi greeted her with a smile and then introduced her to Shen Yueyao:

"Yueyao, this is the Martial Aunt I mentioned to you that night, Leng Ningshuang."

Shen Yueyao quickly stood up and bowed respectfully to Leng Ningshuang:

"Yueyao greets Martial Aunt."

Hearing these two young people, who were only a few years younger than herself, call her "Martial Aunt" one after another...

A hint of imperceptible awkwardness inevitably appeared on Leng Ningshuang's cold face.

She unconsciously put on the airs of an Elder, nodded slightly, and gave an "Mm" in response.

"Ah! So the State Preceptor is Holy Son Lu's Martial Aunt? I originally thought the State Preceptor was a Loose Cultivator..."

Wu Mingyue exclaimed from the side. After all, the State Preceptor had never revealed her lineage, and usually, no one dared to ask.

"None of you ever asked."

Leng Ningshuang responded as if it were natural; she was not one to show off.

Not even her own Disciple knew of her status as an Elder of the Primordial Holy Land and the Junior Sister of the Old Ancestor.

Seeing this, Lu Yi teased again:

"Martial Aunt, you're not much older than us. Always calling you 'Martial Aunt' makes you sound too old. Why don't we... change the address and call you 'Sister' instead?"

"Sister?"

Leng Ningshuang was a bit embarrassed by his sudden use of "Sister."

She had been brought to the Primordial Holy Land by the Old Ancestor since she was a child.

Coupled with her status as the Old Ancestor's Junior Sister, everyone in the Holy Land treated her with the utmost respect.

This was the first time she had been called "Sister," so it was inevitably a bit hard to get used to.

She coughed lightly to hide her embarrassment.

Then, pretending to be reserved, she turned her gaze toward the venue below and said:

"Whatever you want."

Lu Yi thought to himself:

"Plan success! Always using the title 'Martial Aunt' would inevitably cause some distance. Changing the address is the first step in winning her over..."

Just then, the previously boisterous venue gradually quieted down.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a majestic middle-aged man wearing dragon robes ascended to the center of the Main Stand.

It was the State Lord of the Xuanwu Kingdom, the father of Wu Mingxi and Wu Mingyue—Wu Changfeng.

He delivered a passionate and inspiring opening speech, making the blood of countless young Cultivators below boil with excitement.

However, Lu Yi didn't listen carefully to the content of his speech.

After all, he had seen many such scenes before his Transmigration.

It was just a leader's speech; he could just treat it like birds chirping.

However, his gaze remained locked on Wu Changfeng from beginning to end.

Relying on his sharp intuition, he vaguely sensed something unusual.

This seemingly majestic and upright State Lord was surrounded by a faint, extremely subtle Malevolent Aura.

Although this aura was well-hidden by some unknown means, it couldn't escape Lu Yi's perception.

A thought quietly rose in his heart:

This Wu Changfeng isn't a good person either!

While Lu Yi was staring at Wu Changfeng, two pairs of eyes from below the stage were also glaring fiercely at him.

One belonged to Lin Tian, and the other to Wu Yang.