Master of the Xuanyin Sect of Mount Shu

Chapter 55 A Grand Gathering of Immortals
Guan Minghui pondered that although he had been neglected and slighted by the host, it was not appropriate for him to directly cause trouble and disrupt the celebration.

He had the young Taoist boy fetch water for a bath, and then found himself a more presentable set of clothes. The clothes he was wearing were the Immortal Robes of Salvation that had been pierced by the Green Chain Sword.

The Du'e Fairy Robe was woven by Ku Tie using fire silkworm silk. It didn't have any particular pattern or model; there were only three holes that allowed the head and arms to be exposed.

Ku Tie doesn't usually wear it, only when fighting. Now, it's been pierced by the Qing Suo Sword, its spiritual light has dissipated, and its chest and back are exposed, turning it into a tattered, worn-out bell.

That young Taoist was an unofficial disciple of the Wutai Sect. He was seventeen years old this year and had recently become Lin Yuan's disciple-grandson. He had not yet learned any magic, and usually practiced qigong, fist techniques, swordsmanship, and the like.

He had a small five-colored flag given to him by the sect, which could emit spiritual light and carry him between the peaks. It could also control water and fire, and although it was a chores, it was not too hard work.

Boiling water was easy, but finding clothes was difficult. Guan Minghui needed them urgently, so he had no choice but to go to the main peak of Guayue and borrow a piece of clothing from a senior brother whose build was similar to Guan Minghui's.

After taking a nice bath and changing, Guan Minghui looked for something to tie her hair up. These past few days, she had either left it loose or simply pinned it up with a chopstick.

Now that he was going to a banquet, he couldn't be too indecent. He opened his Qiankun bag and rummaged through his treasures, finally taking out the Dragon Sparrow Ring.

All his dragon-bird rings were two interlocking circles, one yellow and one blue, neither made of metal nor jade, and they felt heavy in his hand.

Guan Minghui gathered his hair together, passed it through two loops, and finally tied it into a single bunch at the back of his head, which looked quite handsome.

After finishing everything, he left the small mountain and rode a gust of wind to the Central Terrace Green Rock Peak.

Mount Wutai was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, especially the Central Mount Wutai, where the disciples were in high spirits and a large number of guests came to attend the gathering.

There were members from the Kunlun Sect, the Wudang Sect, the Huashan Sect, and various independent cultivators from home and abroad. It had the feel of a grand gathering of immortals, with ten thousand immortals paying homage.

The disciple in charge of greeting him did not recognize Guan Minghui and, judging from his attire, thought he was a disciple from the lower courtyard of the Wutai Sect.

Guan Minghui hesitated for a moment, then gave his real name. He still wanted to be himself, and decided to have a meal here today as his own identity.

No one had ever heard of the name "Guan Minghui" before. When asked which school or sect he belonged to, he said he belonged to no school or sect.

So he was temporarily assigned to a side room to serve tea.

Looking at the bustling scene of people coming and going, Guan Minghui felt better, as if he had returned to his previous life, when he went to join in the fun and eat at a banquet during a wedding celebration.

He first grabbed a handful of candy from the table and ate it, then picked up a piece of pastry from each of the more than twenty plates and stuffed it into his mouth. He then took several kinds of fruit and ate them. Finally, he sat down with a pot of hot tea and poured himself a drink.

The food prepared for the immortal guests by the Wutai Sect today is better than what was provided to him the day he arrived. Many of the fruits and candied fruits are rare immortal fruits, and the tea is even better, with a fragrant aroma that lingers on the lips and teeth after a sip.

Today, immortals have gathered, and the Wutai Sect must also uphold the prestige of a major sect of immortal cultivation.

He was enjoying his meal when a boy next to him watched with great interest for a long time.

Guan Minghui looked up and asked silently, "What are you looking at?"

The young man was quite polite and quickly apologized.

After exchanging names, they discovered that the boy's name was Yang Xiao, and his master, Shuiyunzi Su Xianxiang, was cultivating in the Taihang Mountains. Since his master was not at home this time, he came to join the feast because he saw the lively atmosphere.

Su Xianxiang, a legitimate rogue cultivator of the Xuanmen sect, was, according to Guan Minghui's recollection, a close friend of Li Hong.

Li Hong is Qi Shuming's ninth-generation son. I wonder where he is now in some reincarnation. The Wutai Sect has just defeated the Emei Sect and even cut off one of Qi Shuming's arms. Su Xianxiang's disciple has come to attend the Wutai Sect's celebration. This world is getting more and more interesting!
Soon, several more people entered the room. Upon inquiry, they were all independent cultivators from various places, some of whom had received the news from overseas and made a special trip.

Yang Xiao was very curious about Guan Minghui. He looked quite handsome, but his face was pale, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. However, his eyes were very bright and his gaze was sharp. Every time they met, he felt a chilling, electric shock-like sensation.

He was particularly eager to know where Guan Minghui's master was and what kind of martial arts he practiced. Unfortunately, Guan Minghui didn't want to tell him, and every time he brought it up, he changed the subject.

As we were chatting, a sudden explosion came from the east, a loud bang, as if the mountains had collapsed and the earth had split open.

Everyone hurriedly went outside and looked east, where a series of explosions rang out again from the west.

They didn't care about the explosions in the east or the direction of the moon, but the explosions in the west were directly in the direction of the Moon-Hanging Peak. The Profound Yin Soul Refining Array was still there, and the ritual of refining the divine banner couldn't be stopped in the middle, otherwise all the efforts would be in vain, so it wasn't put away.

Fortunately, those banners were in harmony with Guan Minghui's mind, and he could immediately sense any changes and control them remotely, so there was no fear of them being stolen.

Soon after the two explosions, disciples from the Wutai Sect arrived and went to various courtyards to reassure the guests: "It was the two dwarfs from Songshan who came to cause trouble. Master has already driven them away."

The two elders of Songshan, Bai Guyi, the Cloud-Chasing Elder, and Zhu Mei, the Dwarf Elder, are two people who love to hide their heads and act cautiously. They use others as pawns and reap benefits from behind the scenes. It is something they are capable of doing when they come to cause trouble during the Wutai Sect's celebration of their victory in the sword duel, but it is really beneath their dignity.

Perhaps they have other motives?
Guan Minghui looked around and saw the sword immortals of the Wutai Sect flying around on their swords. After waiting for a while, no more explosions occurred, so he went back to his room to continue eating and drinking.

This matter has nothing to do with him. Unless Xu Feiniang or other members of the Wutai Sect ask him for help, he should not act on his own. If he loses, he will lose face, and if he wins, he will also bring shame to the Wutai Sect.

Others were even less likely to make a move. They were just guests at the banquet and had no deep-seated hatred for the Emei Sect. If they were to lead the charge now, wouldn't they be taking the hits for others and making enemies for no reason?

Therefore, everyone remained calm and continued chatting and laughing.

At noon, the disciples of Wutai Mountain led everyone out of their respective courtyards and flew to the summit, where the Taiyi Hunyuan Ancestor released the Taiyi Five Smoke Curtain.

This thing is the most precious treasure of the Wutai Sect. When it is released, it is only a thin layer of five-colored mist, but it can resist water, fire, wind and thunder. When it covers the peak, it can block the strong wind and prevent the two elders of Songshan from causing trouble again.

There are three main figures: Taiyi Hunyuan Patriarch, Maha Venerable Sikong Zhan, and Wanmiao Fairy Xu Feiniang.

At the head table, Master Tuotuo sat in the first seat, followed by the Banana Robe Taoist, the Xuandu Taoist Lin Yuan, the Sun and Moon Monk Qian Xiao, the Seven-Handed Yaksha Long Fei, Yue Qinbin, He Zhang, Jiang Sangu, Zhou Zhonghui, and so on. The last person was the newly initiated Lin Rui, making a total of thirteen people.

At the guest seats, Zen Master Zhifei of the Kunlun School sat in the first seat, followed by Mr. Zhong, Tianchi Shangren, Youlongzi Wei Shaoshao, Dongfang Hao, Wei Xianke, and Jinfu Fairy Xin Lingxiao, all also from the Kunlun School.

The Kunlun Sect showed great respect, sending seven elders.

Then came the Wudang Sect. The sect leader, Xinming Sanren, converted from Taoism to Buddhism, shaved her head and became a nun. Later, she disappeared, and another elder, Li Qinsheng, became the sect leader. He brought Hao Xingjian, Lin Mang, and Linglingzi to the meeting.

The Wudang Sect also showed their support, sending four elders.

These people occupied one seat, and another seat was taken by the Huashan and Kongtong sects. Huashan and Wutai are closely related, and this time the largest number of people came, including many graceful and beautiful female immortals with fair skin.

The third and fourth seats are occupied by fellow rogue sword immortals.

Guan Minghui was assigned to the ninth seat, which was occupied by either unremarkable, low-powered rogue cultivators or the disciples and grand-disciples of those in front.

He looked left and right, and suddenly realized: I was sitting at the table with the kids!
I'll just sit at this table. Anyway, I've registered under the name Guan Minghui, so it doesn't matter where I sit.

He didn't intend to cause trouble while others were celebrating; instead, he planned to talk to the Grandmaster Taiyi Hunyuan privately after everything was over.

One issue is the Azure Mirage Bottle. He can choose not to take it back for now, but he must clarify the ownership, as it was borrowed from him by the Taiyi Hunyuan Ancestor.

Another issue is the question of where he can stay. He wants to stay at least until he finishes refining Hua Yaosong's Eight-Turn Divine Banner.

(End of this chapter)