I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

The plaza in front of the building was already filled with luxurious carriages and exotic beast mounts, and many young cultivators with extraordinary auras walked over, exchanging pleasantries and chatting in hushed tones. The atmosphere seemed relaxed, but undercurrents were swirling beneath the surface.

Qin Yuan was still wearing an inconspicuous gray robe when he met up with Situ Ming, who was already waiting there and had changed into a more formal moon-white robe embroidered with cloud patterns.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, you've arrived!" Situ Ming visibly relaxed upon seeing Qin Yuan, his smile becoming much more natural. "Let's go in now. The gathering is being held on the top floor in the 'Star-Picking Pavilion'."

The two passed through the luxurious yet elegant hall on the ground floor of the Moon-Viewing Pavilion without stopping. They went directly through a small teleportation array inside, and in a flash of light, they arrived at the ninth floor.

Stepping out of the teleportation array, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before me.

This is not an enclosed pavilion, but an extremely spacious open-air courtyard.

The courtyard is paved with warm white jade, surrounded by carved railings and jade steps, and silent, automatic bronze wind chimes hang from the eaves, emitting clear and tranquil sounds.

In the center of the courtyard lies a shimmering spirit pool, upon which grow several lotus flowers radiating a soft, precious light. Further away, through ingenious array formations and spatial expansion techniques, standing at the edge of this courtyard feels as if one is truly on a cloud, overlooking the dazzling night view of most of Tianxuan City, with the vast starry sky seemingly within reach, creating a profound and serene atmosphere.

At this moment, there were no fewer than a hundred people in the courtyard. Some were chatting quietly in small groups, some were gazing into the distance alone by the railing, and some were sitting quietly by the pond watching the lotus flowers.

At a glance, all the men and women were outstanding in temperament and dressed in gorgeous clothes. Their auras were at least at the late Nascent Soul stage, and there were more than twenty Nascent Soul stage cultivators!

The air was filled with various pure spiritual energy fluctuations and faint aromas of medicine and wine. Occasionally, one could hear discussions about cultivation techniques, secret realms, or newly discovered places of opportunity.

Qin Yuan's gaze swept calmly across the area, and relying on the information in the jade slip and his perception of auras, he quickly identified many "familiar faces".

The one wearing a star-patterned robe, with a cold and stern face, standing alone in the northwest corner gazing at the starry sky, was Chen Xingzi of the Starfall Pavilion, ranked thirty-eighth. He seemed to have also seen Qin Yuan, his gaze slightly sharpened, and then he looked away expressionlessly.

In the southeast corner, among a group of monks dressed in various robes, their bodies shimmering with Buddhist light, stood a young monk with a dignified appearance and holding golden prayer beads. This young monk was none other than Liao Chen from Dabei Temple. He was talking quietly with several fellow disciples, occasionally glancing up with a peaceful gaze.

Near the Spirit Pool, several ethereal female cultivators, some carrying zithers and others holding jade flutes, gathered together. The woman at the head, dressed in a seven-colored feather robe and possessing unparalleled beauty, was none other than Fairy Miaoyin of Tianyin Valley. She seemed to notice Qin Yuan's gaze, turned around, and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

There were also some figures whose auras were either domineering, sharp, or mysterious. Although Qin Yuan hadn't directly interacted with them in the secret realm, he could guess their identities from the descriptions on the jade slips and the subtle distance maintained by others present. For example, the burly man with bulging muscles, standing like an iron tower, and exuding a domineering aura was likely a genius from the "Barbarian King Sect," ranked twelfth; the young man in blue robes with a sheathless wooden sword hanging at his waist, his eyes closed as if he were meditating, might be a successor from the "Azure Lotus Sword Sect," ranked fifteenth...

As expected, it was a gathering of outstanding talents, encompassing almost all of the most elite individuals at this grand gathering of geniuses. At a cursory glance, of the top fifty ranked on the jade slip, apart from the elusive Li Han at the very top and a handful of others who were perhaps equally reclusive or disdainful of such gatherings, the majority of the rest were present!

"Fellow Daoist Qin, our location is over there." Situ Ming whispered, leading Qin Yuan through the crowd to a relatively back area on the southwest side of the courtyard.

The jade table and cushions placed here are rather simple, and their location is far from the central pool and the main focal point.

Clearly, given Situ Ming's background in the Qingyun Sect and his own strength, he could only be considered a "marginal figure" here.

A fleeting, almost imperceptible blush crossed Situ Ming's face, but he quickly composed himself, pouring a cup of the aura-filled "Azure Cloud Spirit Wine" that had been prepared beforehand for Qin Yuan and himself. He said in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist Qin, please forgive us; the seats are a bit inadequate. But it's already quite an achievement that we were even able to get in. Look over there..."

He quietly pointed to the north side of the courtyard, where a main seat and several smaller seats were set up, currently empty. "The main seat is naturally for Liu Mubai. The seats next to him are probably reserved for those ranked very high or with extremely powerful backgrounds, such as the other holy sons and daughters of the Tianxuan Sect, or the personal attendants of certain envoys from higher sects."

Qin Yuan nodded, sat down calmly, picked up the spirit wine and took a small sip. The wine went down his throat and transformed into a gentle and pure spiritual energy that spread throughout his body. The taste was indeed remarkable. He calmly observed the various people in the courtyard, taking in all the scrutinizing, curious, and even slightly hostile gazes that were cast at him, but he didn't care at all.

Situ Ming sat to the side, seemingly calm, but his hands on his knees were slightly sweaty.

Although he was a direct descendant of the Qingyun Sect and was usually the center of attention within the sect, he was now in this place where true geniuses gathered, feeling the omnipresent powerful aura and invisible pressure, and he couldn't help but feel nervous and uneasy.

He glanced at Qin Yuan beside him, who remained calm and composed, and sighed inwardly, thinking that this fellow Daoist Qin's state of mind was truly unfathomable.

"Thump...thump...thump..."

Three deep, resonant sounds of jade chimes echoed through the courtyard, instantly silencing all the noise.

Everyone perked up and turned their gazes to the due north.

Several figures slowly emerged from the swirling clouds behind the main seat.

The leader, dressed in a flowing, moon-white robe with wide sleeves and a white jade crown, possessed a face as beautiful as jade, eyes like stars, and a gentle, refined demeanor, yet also carried an air of dignified authority and subtle majesty. He was none other than the initiator of this gathering, the Holy Son of the Heavenly Profound Sect, ranked second on the jade slip—Liu Mubai!

His face wore a warm, gentle smile, and his gaze swept calmly across the entire room. Everyone whose eyes met his, whether as arrogant as the burly man from the Barbarian King Clan or as aloof as Chen Xingzi, subconsciously nodded slightly in respect. This was the natural aura of a top genius and a future giant.

Behind Liu Mubai followed five or six people, men and women, each with an extraordinary bearing and cultivation level at least at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. One of them, dressed in a purple-gold Daoist robe, had a cold and hard face, sharp eyes like an eagle, and faint lightning flashing around him. He was none other than Lei Zhenzi of the "Divine Firmament Sect," ranked ninth! He actually willingly appeared after Liu Mubai.

Liu Mubai walked to the main seat, but did not sit down immediately. Instead, he faced the crowd, cupped his hands in a salute, and spoke in a clear and melodious voice that reached everyone's ears: "Mubai is here. I thank all my fellow cultivators for gracing this gathering at Zhaixing. With the grand gathering of the Hundred Sects' Prodigies just around the corner, it is truly my honor to meet with all of you young talents and future pillars of society here in advance."