Chapter Seventy: The Banquet Begins

Luoyun City was built against the mountains, nestled at the place where the spiritual energy of the Azure Luan Range was most abundant. Within the city, the most opulent locale was neither the Luoyun Pavilion nor the bustling merchant shops; rather, it was the Luoyun Peak, which stood behind the city as its foundation.

This peak was not tall, but its spiritual energy was rich, gathering the essence of heaven and earth. Its scenery was exquisite—standing atop it, one could look down upon the entirety of Luoyun City, taking in the beauty of the mortal world at a glance.

Thus, Luoyun Peak had become the site of the City Lord’s residence, surrounded by various lavish structures, making it a favored place for nobles and dignitaries to visit and stay. This time, the Banquet of the Proud was held upon Luoyun Peak.

As the last rays of the sunset lingered and night had yet to descend, Wang Ran and his companions set out toward the banquet. Each possessed remarkable cultivation; besides Wang Ran and his little junior sister, Zhu Tianyun and Qin Yu were both at the Foundation Establishment stage. Especially Qin Yu, who was of similar age to Wang Ran, yet had already reached eighty percent mastery of the Foundation Establishment, which caused Wang Ran to regard him with newfound respect.

Both were sociable, and from their conversation, Wang Ran learned that they were six-star Foundation Establishment cultivators, the leading figures of their generation in their respective families.

Wang Ran nodded; six-star Foundation Establishment was a formidable strength, enough to attract the elders’ attention even within the Only Me Sect, just as Dong Nimou had done.

On Luoyun Peak, sword-flight was prohibited, out of respect for the host. Thus, Wang Ran, Qin Yu, and the others ascended on foot. Fortunately, the mountain was not high, and their abilities allowed them to stride dozens of meters at a time. Amid laughter and conversation, they soon reached the summit.

A gentle breeze swept past, stirring their hair. The clouds in the sky were illuminated by the sunset, gilded in gold and breathtaking. Spirits high, they made their way to the small plaza atop the mountain, the site of the Banquet of the Proud.

At the entrance, Wang Ran saw two armored cultivators standing to the left and right, their gaze fierce. The faint fluctuations of their cultivation revealed them to be at the peak of Foundation Establishment, causing Wang Ran to marvel at the City Lord’s strength.

It was indeed no wonder, for the Wu family was the foremost clan in Yunzhou, watched over by elders at the Nascent Soul stage. Their power was truly intimidating. Even the guards at the gate possessed peak Foundation Establishment—such strength would make one a dominant figure anywhere, while many small sects had only a Golden Core-level master.

Qin Yu and the others grew solemn, presenting their jade tokens. Wang Ran and his junior sister followed suit.

Just as they were about to enter, thunder suddenly rumbled across the sky.

Wang Ran looked up and saw a young cultivator riding a purple qilin, arcs of lightning flickering from its mouth, traversing the air from afar. The youth’s demeanor was carefree and lazy; he did not even glance at the crowd below, heading straight for the summit.

“Why can he ride a beast while we must walk up?” the little junior sister, seeing his arrogance, widened her eyes in indignation.

The guard at the gate scoffed, “Little girl, although this is called the Banquet of the Proud, you must know that even among the proud, there are levels. The one riding the qilin above you is the young master of the Chu family from the Northern Ze Mountains of Yunzhou—his status cannot be compared to ordinary cultivators. So even if he flies here, the City Lord would not object.”

“Chu family?” Before the junior sister could reply, Qin Yu exclaimed in shock, “That’s the young master of the Northern Ze Chu family?”

The guard seemed to have expected this reaction and merely sneered, saying nothing.

“Is the Chu family so formidable?” Wang Ran asked, puzzled.

“Brother Wang, you may not know. The Chu family dominates the Northern Ze Range. Though not a Nascent Soul family, their strength is considerable, with peak Golden Core and half-step Nascent Soul experts. Their status far surpasses ours,” Zhu Tianyun explained.

“Yes, we cannot afford to provoke them,” Qin Yu sighed. “Their influence is vast. This Chu family young master is named Chu Yichen; at a young age, he’s already at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment. He has an even more terrifying elder sister, currently cultivating in the Only Me Sect, and rumor has it she’s an inner disciple.”

“Oh? Only Me Sect?” Wang Ran’s eyebrows arched in interest. “Could it be Chu Yingxuan?”

“Eh? How did you know, Brother Wang?” Qin Yu was astonished, but Wang Ran only laughed it off, “I heard it in passing.”

Qin Yu accepted the answer without doubt and sighed, “People like that are out of our league.”

As they spoke, Chu Yichen arrived at the summit. He descended from the air in a single step, striding arrogantly toward the entrance. Many cultivators instinctively cleared a path for him.

Some tried to approach him, but Chu Yichen ignored them completely, entering the gate directly. The two peak Foundation Establishment guards quickly bowed their heads, not daring to obstruct him.

Chu Yichen made his way unimpeded, treating all as ants. Only when passing Wang Ran did he cast a curious glance their way.

He was not looking at Wang Ran, but at the little junior sister, his gaze betraying a flicker of greed.

The little junior sister grew flustered, clinging to Wang Ran’s shoulder and hiding behind him.

Chu Yichen withdrew and entered the gate.

Though these events transpired in an instant, Wang Ran’s mind was sharp, and he made a mental note.

Following Chu Yichen, many other scions of great families and sects arrived, including the youth riding a dragon whom they saw at the city gate, Chen Lie of the Nether Thunder Palace, and even Bei Minglie appeared.

Compared to before, Bei Minglie’s domineering demeanor was much subdued. He did not notice Wang Ran, and upon arrival, joined the banquet surrounded by admirers.

Wang Ran and his companions entered as well, discreetly observing their surroundings. He did not see Ye Cang, who likely had not come, perhaps considering himself above such gatherings.

Indeed, Wang Ran sensed no overwhelming aura nearby. From Qin Yu and Zhu Tianyun’s words, he learned that, among those present, Bei Minglie and Chen Lie possessed the highest talent—eight-star Foundation Establishment.

His own ten-star talent could easily surpass everyone at the banquet.

The gathering was informal. Groups of three or five clustered together. Several platforms were laden with food, and graceful maidens occasionally carried drinks among the guests.

Led by Qin Yu and Zhu Tianyun, Wang Ran met many family scions, though mostly from lesser clans, at the same level as his companions.

It seemed even among the proud, circles were divided; Qin Yu and Zhu Tianyun could only associate with talents of their own rank.

Bei Minglie and Chu Yichen, meanwhile, were of another tier, already familiar, chatting amicably.

The little junior sister paid no mind to such distinctions. It was her first time attending such a banquet, and she was thrilled, peering everywhere, her innocent laughter drawing many glances.

After a while, Huang Hui Feng, clad in splendid attire, appeared, cupping his hands to the crowd and announcing the official start of the banquet.