Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

Accompanying Li Yu, the Mansion Master of Dongxuan Prefecture, were not only powerful figures like Dongxuan City Lord Zhong Luoxun and General Jiang Quguang of the City Lord's Mansion, but also Li Jianyin.

The crowd was no stranger to this peerless prodigy, a man of great renown who was secretly hailed as the number one talent in all of Dongxuan Province.

Most of them looked on with deep curiosity.

They all wanted to know: Was this legendary, once-in-a-generation talent all talk, or did he truly possess the stunning ability to overwhelm everyone present?

"Mansion Master Li, you're here at last."

Below the martial arts stage in the center of the square, a tall, thin middle-aged man in the front row stood up and looked at Li Yu with a warm, friendly smile.

Everyone turned toward the voice, taken aback, wondering just who this man was to be seated in the very front row.

After all, even members of the four great families had to sit a row behind.

This was out of respect for Li Yu!

With Mansion Master Li Yu of the Prefecture present, no one dared to overstep their bounds. Not even the Patriarch of a great family would consider themselves worthy of sitting beside him as an equal!

"Mansion Master Li, and Fellow Daoist Li Jianyin, we meet again."

Just then, a figure in flowing white robes standing beside the middle-aged man rose to his feet, also greeting Li Yu and his entourage with a smile.

'It's him?'

'Isn't that the Attendant of the important figure who sat with Li Jianyin as an equal in Lingtian Pavilion?'

A stir went through the crowd as they saw the man in white, and murmurs rippled through the onlookers.

The events at Lingtian Pavilion had been witnessed by the heirs of the major powers, and by last night, the news had spread far and wide. Countless people had heard of it, and it had sent a shockwave through the Cultivation Realm of Dongxuan City!

After all, it was explosive news: an Attendant of a great personage had clashed with the son of the Prefecture's Mansion Master, an incident that had even drawn the attention of Xiao Yunpo, the manager of the Dongxuan Inn!

More importantly, according to the Buddha's Son from the Saint Temple, a mysterious figure from Jingkong Temple—the top power in the southern part of the dynasty—had unleashed a sword strike from afar, forcing the man in white into a humiliating retreat!

Such an outcome was completely beyond anyone's expectations.

No one had ever imagined that people from Jingkong Temple would also be in Dongxuan City, let alone that they would get involved in the banquet hosted by Li Jianyin!

'Perhaps only an heir of Jingkong Temple would dare to intervene in a dispute between Li Jianyin and the man in white!'

These almost legendary figures were now all gathered in Dongxuan City, a fact that had naturally drawn the attention of countless Cultivators.

Thus, upon seeing Bai Yujie, many people recognized him and began to speculate in hushed tones. Could the middle-aged man greeting Li Yu be the very same great personage that even Li Yu himself had to treat with such deference?

However, facing the middle-aged man, Li Yu merely nodded calmly. "I was delayed by some trivial matters and arrived a bit late."

He led his men to the middle-aged man's side, glanced at the front row, and asked, "And your master? Has she not arrived?"

"She may not be coming today."

"Our master intends for me to attend the Peach Blossom Banquet in her stead," the middle-aged man said.

"And why is that?" Li Yu was taken aback. He had spent the last month preparing to host this important figure, even going so far as to postpone the Peach Blossom Banquet by a full month for her sake.

'Now that the day of the Peach Blossom Banquet has finally arrived, she might not even show up?'

"A certain great personage is passing through Dongxuan Province, and our master must go to receive them personally. I'm afraid she won't have time to come and observe," the middle-aged man said with a helpless air.

At these words, Li Yu's expression tightened.

Beside him, Li Jianyin also furrowed his brow; the news was so startling that his otherwise calm expression shifted slightly.

"Even your master has to personally receive them?"

"Who in the world is this person?!"

Li Yu found it incredible.

The identity of the middle-aged man's master was already formidable enough—even he, the Mansion Master of Dongxuan Prefecture, had to treat her with extreme caution.

So how could Li Yu not be shocked to hear that another great personage was arriving, one whose status was likely even greater than that of the middle-aged man's master?

The surrounding crowd, listening to their conversation, slowly began to put the pieces together.

They realized that this middle-aged man wasn't the legendary figure herself, but merely one of her subordinates.

'If even a subordinate can sit in the front row with Mansion Master Li Yu, we can't possibly imagine how terrifyingly powerful their master must be.'

The Patriarchs of the four great families were all seated in the second row, in different sections of the square.

They periodically glanced toward the middle-aged man, their minds also racing to guess his origins and identity.

"Fellow Daoist Li, do you plan on competing in this Peach Blossom Banquet?"

From his seat, Bai Yujie suddenly looked over at Li Jianyin on the other side and asked with a faint smile.

"That depends," Li Jianyin said coolly.

"What do you mean, 'that depends'?" Bai Yujie faltered.

"I don't intend to get involved."

"But if certain people plan on taking the stage to cause trouble, then I can't just sit idly by."

At these words, Bai Yujie's expression darkened.

Anyone could tell the remark was aimed squarely at him!

Thanks to Xiao Yunpo acting as a mediator during their conflict the day before, they hadn't completely burned their bridges. There was still a chance to salvage their relationship.

But Bai Yujie had never expected Li Jianyin to be so openly unwilling to associate with him.

Ever since taking his seat, Li Jianyin hadn't given him a single pleasant look.

'Every time I try to speak with him, he's completely antagonistic!'

"Hmph!"

"It would indeed be an honor to cross swords with the peerless Saint Heir of the Heaven-Reaching Sword Institute."

Bai Yujie retorted, refusing to show any weakness.

After the previous day's banquet, he had long been harboring resentment toward Li Jianyin.

Seeing that Li Jianyin wasn't even bothering to pretend anymore and had laid his animosity bare, he couldn't be bothered to feign civility either. His expression turned icy.

The middle-aged man watched this exchange in silence.

However, an imperceptible cold glint flashed in his eyes as he looked at Li Jianyin.

With the arrival of the Mansion Master, the host of the banquet, the atmosphere at the venue reached a fever pitch.

Afterward, other major powers arrived at the square one after another.

For instance, the Saint Temple of Yan Province, the Xu family of Yuan Province, and the Lin family of Ling Province.

There was also Feihong Academy and several Demon Dao powers, such as the Penglai Sect and Cyan Rainbow Hall.

Although Chi Ming and his group had been delayed briefly by Jiang Tao, they still arrived at the square quite early.

They couldn't help the look of awe that filled their eyes as they gazed upon the sea of people all around them.