Chapter 678 - 438: Before the Conference, I Have Business with You
Time flew by, and soon it was the next morning.
Wang Zhifan and the Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber emerged from the guest room of Shuyue Pavilion, accompanied by Huayangzi and Zhenxu, who came to call them, as they went to have breakfast.
Actually, for cultivators like them, eating isn’t necessary; those who have practiced the Fasting Skill can even go without food forever.
But today’s breakfast was different. It wasn’t primarily to satisfy the attendees’ appetites but rather to provide a reason for everyone to gather and get to know each other before the conference, and to share their thoughts on the impending battle.
Soon, the four of them passed through a peculiar ink-painted portal in the corridor, entering a place completely unrelated to words like "canteen" or "restaurant."
Specifically, they stepped into a vast, sunny, and breezy space with beautiful mountains and rivers, birds chirping, flowers blooming, and numerous pavilion structures!
"I have long heard that the Grotto Heaven Skill of the Confucian sect is the most exquisite, and now seeing it, it truly lives up to its reputation!"
Zhenxu, the old Daoist holding a floating dust whisk, was the first among the four to step into this realm. He looked up at the green mountains and clear waters ahead, observed the lively birds flying across the sky, and watched the fluttering butterflies in the surrounding flowers and grass, lamenting that this place was hardly different from a true natural paradise.
Yet, anyone visiting could simply glance up at the sky to realize that a golden crow-shaped ink "sun" was providing light to this world, immediately understanding this was not the real outside world, but an artificial grotto heaven world.
"Friend Zhenxu, those in the Confucian sect have always been skilled in the arts of calligraphy and painting, and there’s always a master skilled in garden construction among them. Their grotto heaven worlds are naturally outstandingly crafted."
Fat Daoist Huayangzi also admired this world with appreciative eyes, explaining why the Confucian sect excels in this area.
Contrarily, the Dragon Lady Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber, who was alongside Wang Zhifan, seemed indifferent, glancing around with a plain expression before informing the other Daoists and heading straight to a row of pavilions on the left with Wang Zhifan.
Underneath each pavilion, exquisite platters filled with fresh fruits and vegetables had long been set up on wooden tables. There were seasonal fruits and vegetables freshly picked, as well as many varieties that shouldn’t appear in the current season, highlighting the Confucian sect’s considerable strength in base-level agriculture.
Of course, the food here wasn’t just fruits and vegetables. Other locations also offered different types of foods, like aromatic meats displayed in pavilions by the pond. The pond absorbed most of the meat fragrance, so those among the guests who didn’t like meat wouldn’t be bothered.
Other foods like rice, buns, steamed buns, noodles, seafood, and fine wine also had designated spots, where all cultivators could choose based on personal preference. Even if they didn’t want to eat anything, they could go to the spacious gardens in the center to converse with others, making it an excellent venue for networking.
Wang Zhifan was now enjoying the fruits of this realm with Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber. He casually picked up a nearly perfect peach and took a bite, finding it quite tasty. Beside him, Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber raised a bunch of green grapes to taste and after eating a few said to him:
"Fan, do you still have the Eden fruit you gave me the day before yesterday? I think it’s still the best tasting."
"It’s the Laputa fruit, I still have plenty, I’ll ensure you eat your fill."
Wang Zhifan corrected the naming mistake of Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber and then retrieved several winter jujube-like Laputa fruits from his Space Ring and gave them to her.
While they were discussing fruits, three people in the central garden of this small world suddenly noticed them and quickly approached.
The three were two men and one woman, all dressed elegantly with slender figures. Most importantly, each of them had a pair of noticeable dragon horns on their foreheads, evidently members of the Mieyue Clan alongside Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber.
"Xi’Er, finally found you! Is this the Martial Sovereign you mentioned in your letter?"
Among the three Mieyue clan members who approached Wang Zhifan and Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber, a man who appeared to be in his fifties or sixties asked the fruit-eating dragon lady with a slightly surprised expression, glancing at the tall and handsome Wang Zhifan.
"Yes, Chief, he’s the one I acknowledged! Why did you arrive only today?"
Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber quickly swallowed a Laputa fruit and turned to respond.
"We could have arrived yesterday, but we happened to encounter a group of magical beings causing trouble and had to lend a hand, which delayed us."
The tall and slightly weathered-looking Mieyue clan leader immediately replied.
"Hmph! Magical beings again! Once the war begins, I’ll definitely show them!"
Upon hearing this, Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber’s battle intent became apparent, even her red-purple dual sabers at her waist trembled slightly.
Wang Zhifan didn’t rashly interfere in their conversation but subtly observed the three Mieyue clan members.
He had previously learned from Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber about the possible attendees from their clan, so he quickly formulated guesses.
For example, the woman next to the fifty-something Mieyue clan leader who appeared to be in her forties should be his wife. She, alongside her husband, was at the mid-stage super innate level, being the strongest in the present Mieyue Clan.
The other, the approximately forty-year-old Mieyue middle-aged man, was the clan’s newly appointed elder. His strength was somewhat weaker, at the super innate initial realm, and he was presently quietly observing someone in front of him, just like Wang Zhifan.