Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

"You... what are you saying? You want me to bow my head and apologize to the Song family?"

Song Yubing said furiously, "You know full well what things are like between me and the Song family! I didn't provoke those people at all. The Song family just doesn't want me to attend the Peach Blossom Banquet!"

'She felt so aggrieved! Even the junior brother she'd always looked after wasn't on her side!'

But Yu Zheng's next words made her heart sink to rock bottom.

"Then just don't attend!"

"It's such a trivial matter. What's the harm in giving in to the Song family for once?"

"Besides, what could you even accomplish by attending? Senior Sister, you're not really planning to oppose the Song family to the very end, are you?"

"Even if you're dead set on it, you can't possibly compete with the Song family at the Peach Blossom Banquet. Are you really pinning your hopes on that Ye Chen? He's being hunted in secret by the Song family and other major powers, running and hiding like a beaten dog. He can't even fend for himself, so how could he possibly have time for you..."

SLAP! This time, before Chi Ming could even make a move, Song Yubing had already slapped him across the face.

A murderous glint flashed in Chi Ming's eyes. Seeing that Song Yubing had acted, he temporarily suppressed the killing intent welling up inside him.

Staring at Song Yubing's face, contorted with rage, Yu Zheng seemed unable to believe it.

He touched his red, swollen cheek, his chest heaving rapidly with anger.

"Senior Sister, how dare you hit me?!"

"I want nothing more to do with you! If you want to get yourself killed, do it on your own! Don't drag us down with you! From now on, don't you dare say you're a successor of Cyan Rainbow Hall!"

Furious, Yu Zheng rose from his seat and left.

The others at the banquet just watched in silence. No one intervened, and no one said a word.

Watching the two Demon Dao Cultivators squabbling like dogs, they found it all terribly amusing, their expressions turning playful and derisive.

"Well, now. It seems your companion has left without you."

"What, you still plan on shamelessly sticking around?"

A dashing young man in a golden crown spoke up.

He was Jin Shengquan of the Jin family—the most outstanding young Cultivator of his generation from one of the Four Great Families, and a favorite to place among the top ranks at the Peach Blossom Banquet!

"I..."

Song Yubing's mind was a tangled mess. She watched Yu Zheng's retreating figure, her anger forgotten in the chaos of her thoughts. She quickly got to her feet and stammered, "In that case... I'll take my leave too."

She was about to leave with Chi Ming and Jie Ling.

But Song Jun suddenly spoke. "Halt!"

Song Yubing froze, her face filled with tension and unease.

"Wh-what do you want?" she asked.

"Come as you please, leave as you please? What do you take Lingtian Pavilion for?" Song Jun laughed.

The other Cultivators joined in, roaring with laughter.

Under the weight of their mocking stares, Song Yubing felt as if she were on pins and needles. She gritted her teeth. "What is it you want?"

"What do I want?"

Song Jun said leisurely, "How about this? Since you came to a banquet hosted by the righteous factions just to freeload, you must be a truly shameless woman, hmm?"

"Why not just kneel and give everyone here a couple of good, loud kowtows? Do that, and we'll let you leave. How about it?"

At his words, a strange silence fell over the hall.

After all, was there anyone in Lingtian Pavilion who wasn't a renowned prodigy from the eastern dynasty?

To kneel and kowtow before so many young prodigies would not only be a complete humiliation for Song Yubing, making her a laughingstock among her peers, but it would also deal a massive blow to the Cyan Rainbow Hall. Their reputation would plummet.

All eyes, filled with malicious amusement, were fixed on Song Yubing, waiting to see what she would choose.

"What did you say?!" Song Yubing clenched her fists, her chest heaving with rage.

She never, ever imagined she would be so utterly humiliated when she came to the Lingtian Pavilion banquet today!

In the seat of honor, Li Jianyin frowned, looking as if he were about to speak.

But the white-robed man beside him noticed. He chuckled softly. "Young Master Li, we can't afford to go easy on Demon Dao Cultivators."

"If you have a conflict with a Demon Cultivator, then just kill them. Why is there any need to destroy their reputation?" Li Jianyin replied coolly.

"You may not be aware, Brother Li, but there's no need for any pity when dealing with Demon Cultivators. We must attack them from every possible angle, crushing both their bodies and their spirits!"

The white-robed man said with a smile, "As it is, she's only here to freeload. Her crime isn't worthy of death, so our only option is to employ a strategy that attacks the mind."

"You call this a psychological attack?" Li Jianyin arched a brow. "To me, it just looks like a common, dirty trick."

At those words, a cold glint flashed in the depths of the white-robed man's eyes.

But on the surface, he maintained a nonchalant facade. He laughed, his voice clear and mild. "Against Demon Cultivators, even dirty tricks are fair game, wouldn't you say?"

"I had thought you and I, Brother Bai, might be kindred spirits of the same generation. It seems I was mistaken," Li Jianyin said, shaking his head and looking away.

The white-robed man's brow furrowed slightly, but it quickly smoothed out again. "We have known each other but a short time. Perhaps you will change your mind in the future."

"Once I've made up my mind about something, I never change it," Li Jianyin said coolly.

At those words, the white-robed man grew furious and could barely contain himself.

But at that very moment, a jeering voice cut through the air from the entrance of Lingtian Pavilion, capturing everyone's attention.

"To think the so-called righteous factions would resort to such dirty tricks to bully someone."

"And with character like that, you have the gall to call yourselves righteous?"

In just a few words, he had managed to offend every single prodigy in the hall.

The crowd's expressions soured. They all turned toward the voice, wanting to see which idiot had the audacity to say such a thing.

The white-robed man's face turned grim as well.

Seeing they were not on the same page, he said no more to Li Jianyin, but his gaze turned chilling.

At his side, Li Jianyin paid him no mind, instead turning his intrigued gaze toward the entrance of Lingtian Pavilion.

As everyone watched, two figures strode slowly into Lingtian Pavilion.

The one in the lead had a solemn, dignified air. He was handsome, with bright eyes, and was dressed in a kasaya robe, a string of Buddha Beads coiled around his hand.

It was the number one prodigy of the current younger generation from the Holy Temple: the Buddha's Son!

And beside the Buddha's Son followed a mysterious person wearing a bamboo hat.

His face was concealed in the shadow of his hat, making it impossible to discern his features or identify him.

"The Holy Temple's Buddha's Son?"

Song Jun's eyes narrowed, and he sneered. "Well, well. I didn't expect we'd meet again."

"Indeed, we meet again," the Buddha's Son replied with a faint smile.