This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 448 What kind of class are you, sitting at the same table as me?

Two figures entered the arena together, one a monk and the other a Taoist, their demeanor quite different yet strangely harmonious.

The monk had the appearance of a Vajra Arhat, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. When he walked barefoot, the bluestone slabs trembled slightly. He wore a sleeveless monk's robe, and his two thick arms were covered with the Heart Sutra. The gold-painted characters shimmered in the sunlight, appearing and disappearing with the rise and fall of his muscles.

It signifies the emptiness of worldly life and also subtly implies the Zen principle of not being attached to external things.

Yankong Temple, Zen Master Pojing.

The Taoist walking beside him appeared slender and elegant, his blue Taoist robe fluttering in the wind, with faint star patterns on his sleeves.

Because of Yongle Sect's status as a travel enthusiast, the Taoist priest carries a piece of green jade staff engraved with fine thunder patterns for assistance. Years of exposure to wind and sun have made his skin slightly dark. In the travel enthusiast community, this is an epic skin, a symbol of seniority and experience.

The most eye-catching thing was the peach wood hairpin in his hair, with its withered and flourishing branches intertwined. The dead end was wrapped with wisps of black mist, while the new end was blooming with three tender pink peach blossoms. Life and death were opposites, yet they coexisted in a cycle, subtly conforming to the principles of Yin and Yang.

Emperor Yongle, son of Mingxiao.

After the monk and the Taoist priest entered, they first respectfully clasped their hands in greeting to everyone present, and then found a table to sit down alone.

This behavior made Xiang Yuan, who was observing the two, frown slightly, even more unable to guess their intentions. If they came representing the mastermind behind the scenes, they should have sat at the same table with the three members of the Yu Yang Sect. Their clear-cut demeanor only made them more unpredictable.

Could it be that they really came to subdue demons and monsters, and then kidnap the bride and groom to take home as their mounts?
Xiao Lingyue transmitted her voice, and both the monk and the Taoist priest possessed extraordinary auras. She couldn't see them clearly, but guessed that the two had cultivation levels at the Integration Stage.

Then he sighed that the Southern Jin Dynasty was truly unfathomable, as it usually kept a low profile, yet suddenly two Grandmasters of the Upper Three Realms appeared.

This is nothing compared to what's to come! The Western Chu and Northern Qi are far more complex than the Southern Jin!
Xiang Yuan refuted this, stating that based on his own experience traveling through the Three Kingdoms, he had roughly figured out the quality of the top-tier powers in the world.

First of all, the top aristocratic families in the Qianyuan Realm are largely unreliable. Including the royal families of the Three Kingdoms, they meet the standard of having a Tongyou stage master in charge of a first-class power. The three realms above that have nothing to do with these aristocratic families.

It's like an exam paper. Aristocratic families can score 100 points because their abilities are only 100 points. Forces like Tianzong, Jianxinzhai, Wushuang Palace, and Benxindao can score 100 points because their paper is only 100 points.

If Yan Xuanhe hadn't cleaved the heavens with his sword, these forces could easily score several hundred points on the exam, and with a little effort the night before, scoring over a thousand points wouldn't be a problem.

The gap is too big; there's no comparison.

Take the Xiao family of Shendu and the Tianzong family for example. When the Xiao family of Shendu faced the three families of Tianzong, they used all sorts of schemes and plots to sow discord among them and try to make the three families kill each other. After the three families united, the Xiao family of Shendu immediately backed down and said that what they had just said was just a joke and that it was all a misunderstanding.

Xiao Lingyue lamented that the Southern Jin Dynasty was a deep and complex place because the two Taoists and two Buddhists of the Southern Jin Dynasty were too low-key. On the surface, only the Shangyuan Li Clan and the six great families were making their moves. The two Taoists and two Buddhists only needed to make a slight move to immediately turn the Southern Jin Dynasty from a place of firearms into a place that no one wanted to mess with.

But that was nothing. The Northern Qi threw out their own "original heart" doctrine, and it immediately crushed them.

Needless to say, the Western Chu is a different story. The Broken Sampan is the reincarnation of the Heavenly Emperor, the White Palace Master is the reincarnation of the Queen Mother of the West, and the Door Crack Sword Master, though it is unknown who his reincarnation is, has a deep relationship with the Heavenly Emperor and is also a comedic figure with status.

Leaving aside the Three Kingdoms period, there is also the Yellow Springs Path in the Southern Frontier, whose leader is mysterious and clearly not a benevolent person; in the East Sea, there is also the Jade Yang Sect, the mastermind behind everything, whose leader, Zhang Tianyang, who is suspected of coming to the banquet, brings much more pressure to Xiang Yuan than the monk and the Taoist.

The monk and the Taoist priest were only at the Upper Profound Blood Lord level; it was hard to say about Zhang Tianyang.

In short, in Xiang Yuan's mind, the strongest sects in Qianyuan Realm are the Star Palace, the Spirit Guardian Sect, and the Immortal Mountain—these are all heretical and evil sects.

The proportion of members from reputable and righteous families is too high!
In the backyard, three people ate their own meals at separate tables with little interaction. Just as Xiang Yuan was anticipating the arrival of Baojing Temple to clash with Yankong Temple and the bowing and scraping of Qingyun Sect, the steward in front of the mansion announced that an important figure had arrived.

Because of their extraordinary status, the steward raised his voice considerably when announcing the feast, and all the passersby eating in the front yard stood up.

The visitors are from the Sun family of Jiangdong!

Xiang Yuan: ()
What a piece of junk! It made me have such high expectations for nothing.

The three grandmasters strode into the arena with their heads held high: Sun Hao, Sun Qian, and Sun Shanwei. All three had paid Xiang Yuan money to buy their lives, especially Sun Hao, who was the most troublesome among the grandmasters of the six great families and always the one who got beaten up.

What kind of mansion is Yue Mansion? Who are the owners? What do they look like? What is the story behind their origins? The Sun family of Jiangdong were completely clueless and regarded it as a small fry, not worth mentioning.

The Sun family of Jiangdong didn't take such wealthy merchants, who were plentiful, seriously and had no intention of attending their banquet.

What kind of class do they have? They don't even deserve to let my Sun family lower themselves to eat at their banquet!

Then I received news that cultivators from Yan Kong Temple and Yong Le Sect had appeared at the Moon Palace, not only to attend the ceremony but also to give money as a gift.

It is well known that birds of a feather flock together. The banquet hosted by the Sun family of Jiangdong was something that Yan Kong Temple and Yongle Zong could take or leave as they pleased. The fact that the Yue family was able to attract these two families meant that they were no small fry, but rather dragons crossing the river.

You, my dear brother Yue, didn't even tell me about your wedding, almost causing me to miss your joyous occasion.

Come and join us for the feast. Please save three pairs of chopsticks for me.

So, Sun Hao gathered his younger siblings, making up the round number of three Grandmasters, and strode into the arena, wanting to see just how powerful the Moon Palace was, that even Yan Kong Temple and Yongle Sect had to give them face.

On the way, they received intelligence that the Yuyang Sect, a group of independent cultivators from the East Sea, had also sent people.

The Sun family of Jiangdong didn't take the Yuyang Sect seriously.

What kind of place is the East Sea Loose Cultivator Land? Those who know, know. Only cultivators who can't make it in the Three Kingdoms Continent go there to retire. Shallow waters meet turtles; generation after generation of second- or third-rate forces. Even a single hair from the leg of the Sun family of Jiangdong is thicker than the entire East Sea Loose Cultivator Land.

The Yuyang Sect has been doing quite well these past two years. After the decline of the Baichuan Alliance, they acquired the despicable couple Qu Kuan and Shui Xianghui.

Besides these two failed grandmasters who couldn't make it in the Southern Jin Dynasty and slunk off to the East China Sea, what else was there?
Heh, you little punk!

Sun Hao: When the three of us siblings enter later, don't lower yourselves to the level of the Yuyang Sect. We can't let those stinking beggars from the East Sea take advantage of us. Let's chat with the cultivators from Yankong Temple and Yongle Sect for a while and take advantage of their connections.

The moment Sun Hao stepped into the backyard, he saw Qu Kuan and his wife. The Grandmasters in the Southern Jin circle were neither big nor small. Every year, the Sun family of Jiangdong would spend money to invite the Hundred Rivers Alliance to suppress the flood. They were no strangers to Qu Kuan and his wife, and could be considered old acquaintances.

After some time apart, Qu Kuan still looked as dashing as ever, and Shui Xianghui was still as plump and juicy as ever. When Sun Hao saw the two acquaintances, he stepped forward to greet them as a gesture of hospitality.

Since you two are already here, why don't you go sit with the Sun family and we can talk about the guest elders?

What level is the Yuyang Sect? Are they worthy of the two of you?

Sun Hao was enjoying himself when he caught a glimpse of the middle-aged Taoist priest sitting in the head seat, and his brows immediately furrowed.

At first glance, the Taoist priest seemed unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, he couldn't understand him at all. After focusing his attention, he turned pale and staggered backward until he was supported by Sun Qian and Sun Shanwei, who helped him regain his footing.

Holy crap, the Upper Three Realms!!
The Jade Sun Sect has seniors at the highest level, they are not insignificant nobodys.

Sun Hao panicked, but dared not show it. He obediently led his younger siblings in bowing, and looked with trepidation at the table where the monk and the Taoist were.

The table at the Yuyang Sect is not a good place to sit. There are seniors from the Upper Three Realms present. If you sit down rashly, the Sun family of Jiangdong may risk becoming someone's lackey.

Why does the Yuyang Sect have three realms? The water in the East Sea is even deeper than the river channels of the Southern Jin Dynasty. It's truly unbelievable.

Thinking this, Sun Hao looked at the monk and the Taoist priest. To make matters worse, they were both in the upper three realms!

Who am I, where am I, what happened?
Sun Hao stood there, not daring to step forward. He looked at Sun Qian and Sun Shanwei and saw helplessness in each other's eyes, three parts confusion, three parts surprise, four parts fear, and ninety parts regret.

The Sun family of Jiangdong shouldn't have come to this banquet. Is it too late for them to leave now?

The three of them obediently bowed to the monk and the Taoist priest. Neither of the two tables was comfortable to sit at; they were only fit to stand. All three pairs of eyes turned to the last table.

This table is closest to the bridal chamber where the newlyweds exchange vows, offering the best view; it's so close that if you had a long enough arm, you could lift the bride's red veil.

Just you!
If Sun can't deal with those two, he can at least deal with you, right?
Sun Hao looked around with sharp eyes and saw a large round table with cups and plates scattered everywhere. Two pretty maids, one in red and one in green, stood there, bowing their heads and lowering their eyes as if trying to please the man in black sitting in the room.

The man had his back to Sun Hao, so his face was obscured; only his tall, imposing figure exuded a sense of authority and dominance.

On either side of the man sat two women, one in black and one in white. Their backs were elegant and relaxed, as still as virgins, suggesting they were women of extraordinary beauty.

One person dragging four, what a big face!
Let Sun see what you look like!
Sun Hao strode forward arrogantly, his nostrils flared, his eyebrows raised in a fierce glare, displaying the majesty of the Sun family of Jiangdong.

"Your Highness, you've come too!"

"Yes, it's my elder brother's wedding, so I've come to attend."

"You didn't even tell me you were coming. Luckily, I received the news and came to greet you. Otherwise, I would have been disrespectful to Your Highness..."

"Go aside."

"okay."

Sweating profusely, Sun Hao bowed and retreated, then obediently found an empty table and sat down with Sun Qian and Sun Shanwei. The three looked utterly bewildered, wondering if they were lost and that this wasn't Jiangdong at all.

Otherwise, there's no way to explain why so many demons and monsters would gather together!
The three siblings looked at each other, some with fear, some with loneliness, and some with fear and loneliness. How could a small backyard have gathered three people at the Upper Three Realms and a Hegemon of Western Chu? Is this a feast that the Sun family of Jiangdong can afford?

I was actually that little scoundrel!

Sun Hao felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, sweat pouring down his forehead. He was not a foolish person. He could tell from the seating arrangement that there were three tables representing three different factions. There was no sharing of tables or any small talk, which indicated that they were not on the same side.

If you're any bolder, a fight will break out in a minute.

Thinking of this, Sun Hao shuddered, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and nodded to Sun Qian and Sun Shanwei.

If a fight breaks out later, the three of us will hide under the table, and none of us are allowed to show our faces.

Brother, is this appropriate? Jiangdong is our Sun family's territory. x2
Survival is the only thing that matters; being flexible and adaptable is the way for aristocratic families to survive.

A minor incident occurred during the wedding, but none of the three parties took it to heart. The Yuyang Sect, Yankong Temple, and Yongle Sect were completely unconcerned, while Xiang Yuan shook his head speechlessly, not understanding why the Sun family had come to join in the fun.

What kind of place is this? Can your bodies handle a banquet here?
Killing eight hundred enemies while losing ten thousand of your own—what good does that do for the Sun family of Jiangdong?

Wait a minute!
It matches up! It matches up!

Xiang Yuan, delighted with the joke, grinned from ear to ear. He wanted to share but didn't know where to begin, so he could only bare his teeth at Xiao Chan on either side of him.

Xiao Lingyue: Be serious. Your princely majesty was quite impressive just now.

Chan'er: Husband's teeth are so beautiful.

As the auspicious hour approached, Yue Huanjiang stood in the courtyard, his robes shimmering with a dark crimson hue, the black and red symbolizing dusk and representing the wedding. A jade belt adorned his waist with a gold-inlaid dragon pendant, his hair was meticulously tied, and his face was impeccably groomed…

A slight smile played on his lips, revealing a hint of delight.

It might be an act, after all, the bride Qu Rou is his master, and he is a good disciple who respects his master.

He might genuinely be happy, after all, the bride Qu Rou was his master, and he was a respectful and good disciple.

Suddenly, the music outside the mansion changed, and the steward rushed over to report that the bride's sedan chair had arrived. Yue Huanjiang was overjoyed and, following the steward's instructions, began the formalities.

Those who get married frequently know that first marriages are often chaotic and confusing, with people feeling lost and confused. After getting married a couple more times, they gain experience and become less disorganized.

In the backyard, Xiao Lingyue and Chan'er squinted their eyes, their spiritual senses spreading out. Seeing the Qu family's wedding procession stretching for half a mile, they felt a pang of envy, though they didn't say anything.

The eight-bearer palanquin was draped with pearl curtains, and a gilded phoenix on its roof shone brightly in the sunlight. Twenty maids dressed in rouge-red dresses led the way, carrying incense burners, with wisps of fragrant smoke curling around them.

Yue Huanjiang gently lifted the sedan curtain with a long, thin golden scale. He saw the bride wearing a red wedding dress, with a red veil covering her face. Only a section of her fair wrist was visible under her wide sleeves. She sat upright like a lotus, with countless graceful postures. For a moment, he thought of the scene when Qu Rou punished him by making him stand and slap his palms when he was a child.

The ruler was the same length as the golden scale in his hand.

For a moment, I felt a pang of guilt, but also a little excited.

My dear brother, you've really put the groom in a difficult position!
"My lady, it's time to get out of the sedan chair."

As Yue Huanjiang finished speaking, Qu Rou, dressed in a red wedding gown, trembled slightly and slowly raised her hand to place it on the golden scale.

With her wedding dress flowing gracefully and her jade pendants tinkling, the bride moved into the Moon Palace, to the green pavilion in the backyard, and stood under the brocade curtains and within the bamboo frame.

The master of ceremonies recited aloud, "First bow to the pure spirit of heaven and earth," and the two newlyweds knelt together, holding red silk ribbons. The hem of their black robes, like ink clouds, spread out, and the hundred birds embroidered with gold thread on their flowing skirts seemed about to take flight.

Xiang Yuan: (`)
What is this? It smells like dog food (a Chinese slang term for public displays of affection). This meal doesn't even taste very good!

Hurry up, get to the bridal chamber!
Xiang Yuan used his primordial spirit to see and confirmed that Qu Rou was genuine and had not been impersonated by another fox spirit. He was still somewhat incredulous to see that she and Yue Huanjiang were indeed bowing to each other as husband and wife and drinking wine together.

Sister-in-law, are you serious?!

Once you've bowed to heaven and earth and drunk the nuptial wine, you can't go back on your word.

Seeing such excellent examples before him, pshaw, newlyweds getting married, Xiang Yuan wasn't envious at all.

Xiao Lingyue and Chan'er were extremely envious.

The first wife gave a soft snort, glared at Chan'er who was staring blankly at the bride, and then spoke to her through telepathy, though it was unclear what she said.

Chan'er immediately slumped into Xiang Yuan's arms as if her bones had been removed, blinking her watery eyes with a seductive air, and said in a sweet voice, "Husband, the bride's wedding dress is so beautiful, Chan'er wants to wear it too."

"That's easy. I'll get you two sets when we get back. No, I'll make as many sets as you want." Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow. Wedding dresses are a kind of uniform temptation, too.

Hopefully, he can resist the temptation of uniforms and be able to resist it.

()x2
That jerk is really annoying. He's more cunning than anyone else when he shouldn't be clever, and he can play dumb better than anyone else when he should be smart. x2
Chan'er straightened her back, turned her head to look to the side, and said that she would never again be the best husband in the world.

Xiao Lingyue also looked to the side, watching the bride and groom leave, a hint of envy in her eyes, but she said nothing.

"Wait a minute, isn't there supposed to be a toasting ceremony? Why did they leave?"

Xiang Yuan was puzzled and didn't quite understand the process. He looked at Xiao Lingyue curiously, only to receive a resentful look at the back of her head.

Xiang Yuan shrugged. He had been hoping that during the toasting session, he would get Yue Huanjiang drunk to death, and then Qu Rou would step in to stop him and protect her little husband behind her.

However, this is the picture Xiang Yuan imagined: with Yue Huanjiang's temperament, he would only have an ordinary position in the family and be only fit to sit on the balcony.

It's fine if there's no toasting ceremony, but he absolutely must be present on their wedding night. I don't mean anything by it; I'm not just curious about the plot, but I'm afraid my sister-in-law is faking the marriage to deceive him, the matchmaker.

It's okay to cheat the matchmaker, but you can't cheat them out of their wedding gift money!

The moment Xiang Yuan stood up, the monk and the Taoist priest also stood up.

On the Yuyang Sect's side, Qu Kuan and Shui Xianghui hurriedly picked up their wine cups, the couple gazing at each other, lost in memories of their newlywed bliss, their eyes fixed on each other.

The Sun family's acting skills were also quite good; they suddenly lowered their bodies and almost slipped under the table.

Xiang Yuan looked on in confusion. He thought that Zhang Tianyang, the leader of the Yuyang Sect, should be the one to start the trouble. Unexpectedly, a monk and a Taoist priest took the initiative.

Indeed, Zhang Tianyang looked utterly miserable, as if life was not worth living. He was a leader, and even if he wasn't the mastermind, he held a significant position in the villainous camp. It was unlikely that he would be the first to make a move.

“Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk is Broken Mirror. I have long heard of the profound Buddhist teachings of the King of Western Chu, and I wish to have the pleasure of meeting him.”

The Zen Master of Broken Mirror's voice was like a booming bell. The muscles of his arms, which were exposed from the sleeveless part of his monk's robe, were bulging. The golden characters of the Heart Sutra flowed, and the Buddha's light appeared and disappeared.

Before he finished speaking, he waved his hand and drew a rusty ring knife, giving Xiang Yuan no chance to refuse.

Is it so direct?

Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow, intending to refuse and have Chan'er take out the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation for the Broken Mirror Zen Master to look into. However, as soon as his gaze fell on the monk's knife, his heart suddenly warmed, and he immediately perked up.

I'm craving some spicy food!

There are too many swordsmen in the Qianyuan Realm, but very few skilled in using the blade. They are rare and should be cherished.

Xiang Yuan pointed his fingers into a sword shape, and pointed it in mid-air.

In an instant, an invisible buzzing sound spread out, and the entire space of the wedding hall in the backyard rippled like water. The restrictions spread out, and the void was reorganized. The table full of delicacies and the noise from the front yard were all pushed away by an invisible force, so close yet so far away.

With just one move, he made everyone in the room change color.

With such strength, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he's at the Integration Stage.

Rather than a technique of the Integration Stage, it's more accurate to say it's a technique of the Upper Three Realms, which Xiang Yuan copied from the rich woman when he was cultivating against Bai Wuyan. Although he doesn't possess Bai Wuyan's profound realm, he has the Wuxiang Seal Technique to strengthen his divine power externally and his primordial spirit internally. With his terrifying primordial spirit cultivation, using this technique is like facing someone from the Upper Three Realms. It's hard to say whether a Integration Stage cultivator could break through it with a full-force attack.

Xiang Yuan raised his hand and plunged it into the void, taking out the Jing Lan Blade.

"Master, please."

(End of this chapter)