Early the next morning, Yang Lingrui withdrew his mind from meditation and awoke.

Outside the courtyard, a minor clerk from the Immortal Patrol Office was already waiting to receive him.

"Immortal Master, please come with me."

Following him through the cluster of courtyards, Yang Lingrui joined a group of invited cultivators heading for the Dharma Assembly.

Most of these cultivators were in their twenties and at the mid-stage of Qi Gathering. A few, whose depths Yang Lingrui could not discern, were undoubtedly at the late stage of Qi Gathering.

In terms of realm, Yang Lingrui did not stand out, yet he still drew considerable attention.

This was because he was the youngest among the invited cultivators. Furthermore, just as Li Qingwan had noted, he possessed an exceptionally striking appearance.

His slightly pale complexion now only added a touch of cold detachment.

His fellow cultivators were surprised that he had reached the fourth level at such a young age, but after a brief sweep of their senses, their expressions turned doubtful.

"His aura is chaotic, and his spiritual flow is stagnant."

"He was certainly born with a good skin, but looking at this state, could it be he relied too much on external power?"

"I almost thought I was looking at some heaven-chosen talent. Turns out he's just a medicine jar piled high with pills."

"A pity, a pity. Such behavior is akin to draining the pond to catch the fish-truly unwise."

"The Songshan Yang Family? Never heard of them."

The young cultivators pondered secretly, each forming their own judgment of Yang Lingrui.

But they all fundamentally agreed on one thing: he had forced his realm breakthrough by swallowing massive quantities of pills.

Facing these scrutinizing gazes, Yang Lingrui remained entirely unbothered.

He had never cared for the opinions of others. Such things could not affect his cultivation, so why pay them any mind?

The Golden Scale Dharma Assembly was held outside Wangyue City.

Through the grand efforts of Condensed Origin cultivators, the interior of a western mountain peak had been entirely hollowed out to construct a Mountain Grotto-Heaven within.

Even with Lingrui's steady temperament, seeing such a wondrous sight left him inwardly shaken.

The ground was paved with snow-white stone, the walls hung with firefly lamps. Spiritual fragrance drifted freely through the air amidst myriad brilliant lights.

Pavilions and towers were carved directly into the surrounding rock walls, connected by suspended white jade bridges that reached all the way to the mountain peak.

Walking through it felt like wandering a celestial realm, making one wish to linger forever.

Upon stepping inside, the concentration of Spiritual Qi immediately surged.

"The Spiritual Qi gathering effect is inferior to the Immortal Venerable's. It should be about three times the normal density. But the sheer range of it is truly astonishing."

Yang Lingrui sensed the currents and thought to himself.

Chen Yang could gather Spiritual Qi to five times its normal density, but only within the bounds of the family ancestral hall. Here, however, the elevated Spiritual Qi blanketed the entirety of this vast Grotto-Heaven.

Still, this was a special arrangement laid down solely for the Golden Scale Dharma Assembly. To maintain such a density and range of Spiritual Qi on an ordinary day-let alone Wangyue City, even Lone Moon Mountain could not accomplish it.

"Lingrui, over here."

Li Cheng was chatting with several friends. Seeing Yang Lingrui appear, he waved him over.

"Greetings, Young Master Li, and Fellow Daoists."

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lingrui."

These youths all hailed from major families in Wangyue City and had known Li Cheng since childhood. Their clans were guarded by cultivators at the Perfection of Qi Gathering, though their foundations were still inferior to the Li family's ancestor.

They had heard that Li Cheng went out of his way to recommend a small family for the Dharma Assembly, and now they sized Yang Lingrui up with undisguised curiosity.

"Fellow Daoist Lingrui, forgive my impertinence, but what is the story behind these injuries?" one of them asked.

Yang Lingrui offered a faint, bitter smile. Li Cheng immediately stepped in to explain on his behalf.

The youths nodded thoughtfully, exchanging a subtle round of glances.

"The Dharma Assembly is about to commence. Young Master Li, Fellow Daoist Lingrui, we shall return to our respective pavilions first."

With their farewells said, they turned and departed.

Li Cheng's explanation was well-intentioned, but to their ears, it sounded like a deliberate attempt to cover up for Yang Lingrui's rushed foundation.

Once they had walked far enough away, one of them muttered, "Why did Li Cheng take a liking to this family?"

"Who knows? The boy's talent is passable, but his methods are... heh."

"I suppose the Yang family, after several generations of mediocrity, finally produced a single talented child and couldn't wait to smash every resource they had onto him."

Their hushed remarks made it clear they held the Yang family in low regard. At best, they were short-sighted upstarts, not worth any true attention.

Yet they would never know that this very perception was exactly what the Yang family wanted.

Just as Yang Lingqing had advised, given the Yang family's current strength, they needed to keep a low profile and focus on silent growth.

Showing weakness was one of the core aims of this journey.

The Dharma Assembly was about to begin. The first event was a grand one: a demonstration of Condensed Origin arts for the gathered cultivators to witness.

As a family attending the Dharma Assembly for the very first time, the Yang family naturally did not have a dedicated pavilion waiting for them.

Normally, such fringe guests had to stand in the lowest public square to watch the proceedings.

However, because Li Cheng led the way, Yang Lingrui was brought up to the Li family's pavilion situated halfway up the mountain.

The vantage point here was vastly superior to the square below.

Ordinarily, catching even a glimpse of a Condensed Origin cultivator was exceedingly difficult, let alone watching them demonstrate their profound arts.

For the invited Qi Gathering cultivators, witnessing such a demonstration could yield endless benefits for their own cultivation paths. This alone proved the immense prestige of the Golden Scale Dharma Assembly.

"The elders are seated inside the pavilion, so it is inconvenient for you to enter. Let us watch from this outer terrace," Li Cheng said.

"Young Master Li is too kind. The view from here is already excellent."

Once they settled into their spots, Li Cheng spoke again. "Lingrui, do not take yesterday's matter too much to heart. My sister's nature is not bad, merely a little willful. If she spoke any rude words to you, I apologize on her behalf."

Because of the Lotus Curtain, Li Cheng still did not know the specifics of what had been said between them, only that his sister had rejected the marriage alliance.

"Nothing of the sort. Young Master Li, you worry too much. Miss Li was humble and courteous; it is merely that the fate between us falls short," Yang Lingrui replied.

Hearing this, a sudden impulse seized Li Cheng. He very nearly blurted out the agonizing doubt weighing on his heart.

But remembering Li Qingwan's bitter words from the day before, he forced it down.

Things have already come to this. They have already come to this...

Dong-

Dong-

...

The heavy, resonant beating of drums rang out across the peak, signaling that the demonstration was about to begin.

A terrace formed entirely of swirling mist slowly descended from the mountain peak, hovering motionless in mid-air.

Seated upon this cloud terrace were the leaders of the various great factions under Wangyue City's jurisdiction, and among them sat the Li family's ancestor, Li Yuande.

These cultivators were universally at the Perfection of Qi Gathering. Some had even perfectly contained their auras, exhibiting the faint signs of approaching the Condensed Origin realm.

"Hahaha, welcome to you all. Song offers his greetings."

A booming laugh rolled down from the summit. The crowd looked up to see four figures slowly descending.

A heroic-looking middle-aged man in a blue-green Dharma robe strode through the air, completely wreathed in surging True Essence.

Beside him was a young woman of about fifteen, wearing a green dress. Her skin was like pale snow as she descended upon a delicate cloud boat.

The middle-aged man was Wangyue City's City Lord, Song Kaiyang. The young woman at his side was his disciple, Li Qingwan.

Following closely behind them were two more Condensed Origin cultivators riding the wind.

The long-bearded elder on the left was the Master of the Wangyue City Immortal Patrol Office, possessing cultivation at the mid-stage of Condensed Origin.

The burly man on the right was the Chief Defender of the City Lord's Estate, at the early stage of Condensed Origin.

Watching this breathtaking scene, Yang Lingrui could not help but sigh. "Young Master Li, with Senior Li Yuande presiding over your family, and Miss Li accepted as the disciple of such a high-level Condensed Origin cultivator, it truly makes one envious."

Yet inwardly, his doubts lingered. With such a solid foundation and powerful background, what disaster could possibly befall the Li family?

Hearing the word "envious," Li Cheng felt his mind stagger. His mouth twitched as he forced out a strained reply, "Yes. Yes, it is..."

Song Kaiyang and Li Qingwan alighted upon the cloud terrace. The entire assembly stood as one and bowed, their voices echoing in unison. "Greetings, City Lord Song!"

Standing in mid-air, Song Kaiyang swept his gaze over the crowds below and nodded in satisfaction.

The number of young cultivators attending this Dharma Assembly had nearly doubled since the last one. He was certain they could unearth many promising talents to serve the Zhuhu Wangchao.

"You have all waited long. The hour for the demonstration has arrived. The three of us shall now offer a display of our meager skills."