Chapter 620 - 90: Su Ye, The Grand Ceremony (Part 2)

As his only surviving Direct Disciple, Xia Qingxue’s seniority was shockingly high. Even fellow Golden Core Masters like Chen Zhongfang and Bai Zimo were several generations below her.

’Why is she here?’ Song Changsheng wondered.

Sending an invitation to the Golden Crow Sect was merely a formality; Song Changsheng never expected them to actually send someone to attend his Purple Mansion Grand Ceremony.

After all, he had just destroyed the Lieyang Sect and crippled the Rong Clan right in front of Chen Mingzhao not long ago. These were the Golden Crow Sect’s only two remaining lackeys. He was lucky they hadn’t tried to kill him yet.

"Junior Brother, all who arrive are guests. No matter why they’ve come, you must not be impolite. If they are truly determined to cause trouble at your ceremony, our Luoxia City will not back down."

"You’re right, Senior Brother."

Song Changsheng nodded and led Song Qingqian straight to the foot of the mountain.

By the time they arrived, Xia Yunxue had already welcomed Xia Qingxue and her party up the mountain. The atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.

"Mother." Song Changsheng first saluted Xia Yunxue, then turned to Xia Qingxue. "Everyone, you’ve come a long way. Please forgive me for not coming out further to greet you."

"It’s fine. Just arrange a place for us to stay first," Xia Qingxue said, her tone as indifferent as ever.

"It has already been prepared. Please, this way."

Song Changsheng personally led them to the guest rooms. Just as he was about to leave, Xia Qingxue suddenly spoke. "Fellow Daoist Song, you seem rather uneasy."

Hearing this, Song Changsheng turned and met her gaze openly. "Indeed. After all, the relationship between the Song Clan and your esteemed sect... can’t exactly be called good. You, Fellow Daoist, are Master Su Ding’s most precious disciple. For you to visit personally, it forces me to read more into it."

Having dealt with Xia Qingxue many times, Song Changsheng knew she was not one to beat around the bush, so he stated his thoughts directly.

"You’re overthinking it. I came only to congratulate you on reaching the Purple Mansion Realm, nothing more," Xia Qingxue said plainly.

"Of course, I trust your character, Fellow Daoist Xia. However, some people might not think the same way." As he spoke, Song Changsheng’s gaze shifted to a handsome, purple-robed man standing not far behind Xia Qingxue.

This man was the only Purple Mansion Cultivator in the Golden Crow Sect’s group. Song Changsheng had initially assumed he was a Guardian assigned to Xia Qingxue by the sect and hadn’t paid him much mind.

But the man had been secretly sizing him up the entire way. Although it was subtle, Song Changsheng still sensed it.

While the man’s gaze held little malice, it definitely couldn’t be described as friendly.

Upon hearing this, the man’s face broke into a faint smile. He strolled leisurely to Xia Qingxue’s side and saluted Song Changsheng. "Su Ye of the Golden Crow Sect. A pleasure to meet you, Clan Leader Song."

As his voice faded, Song Changsheng’s heart jolted, and the look in his eyes subtly changed.

The name Su Ye was far too famous.

He was Master Su Ding’s most valued descendant. As a youth, his fame had spread throughout all of Daqi, and he was a strong contender to become the future Sect Leader of the Golden Crow Sect.

More importantly, before Song Changsheng, he had been the youngest Purple Mansion Cultivator in the Daqi Cultivation World, having broken through at only forty-nine years of age. Thousands of young disciples viewed him as an idol and a benchmark.

It was once thought that no one would be able to break his record. Unexpectedly, only a few decades later, Song Changsheng had reached the Purple Mansion Realm at the age of thirty-seven, becoming the youngest Purple Mansion Cultivator in the history of the Daqi Cultivation World—twelve years younger than Su Ye had been.

Although Song Changsheng had stolen his thunder, there was no denying that Su Ye was a true genius. Even among the Nascent Soul Sects, he would be considered among the absolute top tier.

"I’ve heard much about you." Song Changsheng returned the salute, but his eyes never left the other man’s. His intuition told him that this was an extremely dangerous person.

"I came to witness your impressive style for myself, Fellow Daoist. Please forgive me if I’ve caused any offense." Su Ye was exceptionally well-mannered, lacking the haughty air typical of Major Sect Disciples. Instead, he seemed quite approachable.

"You’re too kind, Fellow Daoist. Please, rest here for now. I’ve stationed people outside; you can ask them for anything you need. I must go and greet the other guests, so I’ll take my leave."

"Please, don’t let us keep you," Su Ye said with a gentle smile.

"I will take my leave, then."

After Song Changsheng had departed, Xia Qingxue turned to Su Ye. "You’ve met him. What are your thoughts?"

"He’s far better than I imagined. Though young, he’s not frivolous in his actions. He knows when to press and when to yield, and he is neither servile nor overbearing. Very impressive.

"In this life, having an opponent like him is what makes things interesting." Su Ye’s evaluation of Song Changsheng was extremely high.

"You see him as a rival?" Xia Qingxue was slightly taken aback. Usually, Su Ye was utterly dismissive of the so-called geniuses famous throughout the Daqi Cultivation World.

He appeared humble and polite, but in reality, he was an incredibly proud man.

Hearing this, Su Ye folded his arms and chuckled. "And you don’t? You may not say it, but you’re still brooding over your last defeat.

"In this life, true confidants are hard to find, and an evenly matched rival is even rarer. I have high hopes for him. He will certainly carve out a place for himself in the Daqi Cultivation World in the future.

"I may have lost this round, but I’ll definitely win the next one."

——————

As the date of the ceremony drew near, practically all the major players in the Daqi Cultivation World had arrived. Besides Luoxia City and the Golden Crow Sect, there was Elder Jin Rihua of the Celestial Vein Sect, Hall Master Feng Zhongyi of the Demon Suppression Hall, Sect Leader Hua Ruoxi of the Huansha Sect, Sect Leader Jian Nameless of the Celestial Sword Sect, and Master Lu Yuming and Elder Jiang Shuming of the Hundred Herbs Hall.

The vassal forces from Yang Province and Ling Province that were subordinate to the Song Clan, as well as Song Yulong’s branch of the family, were naturally no exception.

Although Song Changsheng had said to keep things simple, the scale of this event was even grander than when Song Xianming had held his Purple Mansion Grand Ceremony.

The Song Clan, for its part, went all out, preparing a ceremony of the highest standard. They only streamlined the procedures, knowing that Song Changsheng was not one for needless complexity.

Following Song Changsheng’s instructions, the square in front of the Soul Lamp Hall was already laden with all sorts of delicious delicacies, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

Moreover, they had done away with the world’s mainstream practice of serving individual meals, instead adopting a "buffet" style. This allowed guests to enjoy the food while watching the ceremony, a novel dining arrangement that immediately piqued everyone’s interest.

The surprises didn’t end there. The dishes, prepared by the hand of Zhu Yiqun, were so delicious they nearly made the guests swallow their own tongues. A Tier Three Medicinal Cuisine Master’s reputation was not for nothing.

Even Purple Mansion Cultivators would benefit from consuming it.

For a moment, it seemed less like they were attending a grand ceremony and more like they were at a lavish banquet.

And under the deft guidance of the Song Clan Elders, the "banquet" atmosphere was pushed to a climax.

「At noon.」

Dressed in ceremonial robes and flanked by a crowd of Elders, Song Changsheng appeared on the high platform erected before the Soul Lamp Hall. The atmosphere instantly grew solemn.

"Thank you all, Fellow Daoists, for gracing me with your presence. I am endlessly grateful." Song Changsheng saluted, his gentle voice echoing across all of Vast Mist Peak.

Everyone saluted in unison, saying with one voice, "Congratulations, Ascendant! May your immortal fate prosper, and may you pursue the Dao to eternal life!"

With that, Chi Huo Old Ghost led Shangguan Yinn, Chu Nanfeng, and the others forward. They bowed together and announced, "Yang Province presents one hundred catties of[Extreme Cold Refined Iron]! Congratulations to the Ascendant! Congratulations to the Sect Leader!"

As soon as this was announced, even Feng Zhongyi and the other Purple Mansion Cultivators cast astonished glances.

[Extreme Cold Refined Iron]was an exceptionally precious Tier Three Spiritual Material. One hundred catties was enough to forge a top-quality Tier Three Magical Artifact.

For a group of Foundation Establishment-level influences, this was a gift paid for in blood.

Liu Hongye and the others followed close behind, each presenting their own carefully prepared gifts.

Theirs could only be considered standard fare; the main event was yet to come.

...

PS: Just got back from the hospital. An elderly family member is very ill, and I spent the whole day there with them. I managed to squeeze in some time to write these 4,000 characters on my phone. Please bear with it for now. If you see any typos, please point them out, and I’ll fix them tomorrow~