Sixty years of blacksmithing, a single hammer blow forging a celestial being.

The capital city of the Great Xia Kingdom was a riot of color and bustling with people.

An elderly man in a gray Taoist robe stood motionless on the street, surrounded by a constant stream of pedestrians.

He was about fifty or sixty years old, with a weathered face and deep eyes beneath thick eyebrows, revealing a resolute spirit that had endured many hardships.

His face was covered in dust, and he exuded a murderous aura. Coupled with the heavy black hammer at his waist, he really had the feel of an ancient knight-errant.

"This old man has quite an imposing presence; he really looks like a proper Taoist in that robe."

"That outfit is pretty professional, and the old man has a great presence! That black hammer looks heavy; could it be the real thing?"

Passersby were drawn to Li Ping'an's attire, glancing at him and secretly admiring him.

Li Ping'an looked around the imperial city and couldn't help but sigh, "The mortal kingdoms are still more lively and humane!"

Having accepted Elder Fire Dragon's mission, Li Ping'an immediately set off without stopping.

Because of the long distance, Li Ping'an directly used the Danxian Sect's teleportation array.

It turns out that the teleportation array was unreliable, as it teleported him to this unfamiliar place all at once.

Just as Li Ping'an was feeling confused, someone gently patted his shoulder from behind.

"Hey! Old man! What are you doing here? Our royal garden party is in the square in front of us, you've come to the wrong place."

Her voice was clear and delicate; when I turned around, my heart skipped a beat.

What a pretty girl!

The girl was about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in a light yellow silk shirt, with a swallowtail hairpin in her hair. Her fair cheeks were painted with a light blush, her eyebrows were arched, and her clear, bright eyes blinked as she looked at him. She exuded an air of both nobility and liveliness.

Judging from the girl's clothes and appearance, she should be a young lady from a wealthy family.

He then respectfully bowed to the girl.

"Hello, young lady. My name is Li Ping'an. I don't know how I ended up here, and I'd like to ask what kind of place this is?"

The girl smiled gently, revealing two adorable dimples on her cheeks.

"You're putting on an act, aren't you? What 'my humble self' are you talking about, young lady? My name is Lin Yao, and I'm in charge of the Royal Garden Party of the Great Cheng Kingdom. Let's go, it's about to start over there."

After saying that, he waved to Li Ping'an and led the way.

Perhaps it was the girl's innocent and pure appearance that made Li Ping'an feel no sense of vigilance, or perhaps it was because the girl was the only person whose clothes and appearance made him feel familiar.

He followed the girl in a daze, through the crowds, across the streets, until he arrived in front of a magnificent building.

This building was larger than any building Li Ping'an had ever seen before, and even more magnificent than the emperor's palace.

This...this can't be the royal palace of the Great Cheng Kingdom, can it?

Li Ping'an followed the girl into the square, which contained a huge hall.

The hall was bustling with noise and laughter.

They were a group of young men and women dressed in all sorts of gorgeous clothes.

Some were dressed as young ladies from wealthy families, some as generals in armor, and some even as emperors in dragon robes!

These people, who were originally unrelated, were now all crowded in the hall, gathered in twos and threes, chattering and making quite a scene.

The man in the dragon robe showed no airs of an emperor, and he put his arm around a man dressed as a martial arts hero, laughing and talking loudly.

The general, clad in heavy armor, dodged around the hall, while behind him stood a young lady in a phoenix coronet and wedding gown, who was angrily shouting that she wanted to beat the general to death.

The boy, dressed as a beggar, stood with his arms crossed, talking smugly. Several young men in fine clothes nearby pricked up their ears, listening intently.

Li Ping'an stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Which country is this?

What kind of emperor is this?

How come he doesn't act like an emperor at all?

Whose daughter is that, flirting with the general? How utterly disrespectful! And that beggar, could he be some reclusive master, attracting so many people to stop and stare at him?

"What's wrong, old man? This is the garden party. You'll be walking the runway in a bit. Don't be nervous. Your outfit may be simple, but it's very well coordinated."

The girl waved her delicate, white hand in front of his eyes. Li Ping'an seemed to wake up from a dream, looked at her, then at everyone in the hall, his face full of surprise and doubt.

Lin Yao couldn't help but find his stunned expression amusing.

This person has a rather imposing appearance, but why does he seem a bit dull?

"Old man, is this your first time attending a carnival like this? Don't be nervous. If you don't understand anything, you can ask me."

Just then, a long-haired young man walked over.

"Yaoyao, what are you still doing here? The garden party is about to start."

The young man was dressed in an exquisite blue brocade robe, and on his left wrist was a jade pendant made of jadeite and glass, which was obviously very valuable.

He walked over with an air of elegance, and with a smile, placed his hand on Lin Yao's shoulder.

"Don't forget, you're the star of this carnival!"

Lin Yao gently removed the young man's hand and smiled:

"This old man couldn't find his way, so I'll show him the way."

"Okay, it's only because you're kind-hearted that this guy can't even find his way."

The young man glanced at Li Ping'an a few times, his face showing disdain.

"Let's go, Yao Yao. The amusement park is waiting for you. There's no need to waste too much time on this old man."

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Lin Yao turned to Li Ping'an and gave him a gentle smile: "Grandpa, I'm going to get busy now. Don't wander around anymore, the garden party is about to start."

After saying that, he left with the young man.

Without Lin Yao to lead the way, Li Ping'an curiously looked around at the things around him and wandered around the hall alone.

People passing by would occasionally nod and greet him, and Li Ping'an would quickly return the greeting.

However, this place doesn't seem to value martial arts much; the huge palace doesn't even have a single guard.

Li Pingan glanced at these young men and saw that they all walked with unsteady steps and had weak internal energy, clearly indicating that they did not know martial arts.

So, among this group of people, Li Ping'an quickly noticed a young man dressed in black.

The man in black appeared exceptionally tall in the crowd, standing there like a bamboo pole planted in a river.

Although we only saw his back, judging from his uninhibited walking posture and how everyone around him avoided him, this person must be no good.

Li Ping'an shouted decisively:

"Yingui Sect!"

The man in black turned around, revealing a very ugly face.

His skin was dark, his wrinkles were deep, his eyes were wide open in anger, he had a long, hooked nose, and a long scar that ran from the top of his head to the corner of his mouth, making him look extremely terrifying.

Upon seeing Li Ping'an, his face showed fear, and he immediately took off running.

Li Ping'an also chased after him without hesitation, and the two of them chased each other in the hall.

Right now,

Lin Yao stood quietly on the high platform, her head bowed, her hair adorned with a swallowtail hairpin. She wore a light yellow silk robe that shimmered under the spotlight, exuding an ethereal and composed aura, like a celestial being descended from heaven, untouched by worldly concerns.