The air was warm and smelled of roasted meats, exotic spices, and the faint, clean scent of sulfur. Long tables of black stone were laden with a feast that was as fierce and as bountiful as the clan itself: massive platters of roasted lava lizards, their scales cracked open to reveal tender, steaming meat; bowls of fire-salt crystals that crackled on the tongue; and potent, magma-brewed alcohol served in heavy, iron-bound mugs.

Li Yu, seated at the place of honor beside Clan Master Mo Jian, took it all in with a quiet, observant curiosity as he ate. Cyra sat silently beside him, her presence calm and ethereal, a stark contrast to the boisterous energy of the hall.

He was thoroughly enjoying himself, sampling the unique food and drink, the potent alcohol, a pleasant warmth in his belly. But as he began to relax a bit, a part of his mind remained vigilant. Ever since his encounter with the Midnight Infernal Hegemony, a new, cautious instinct had been honed within him. He subtly extended his spiritual sense, not to probe, but to feel, to taste the ambient spiritual energy in the hall.

He was searching for that specific, corrupting taint, the sickly green-red signature of demonic qi. His senses, now attuned to it after absorbing a significant amount of the energy himself, swept through the boisterous crowd.

He felt the fiery, arrogant auras of the Blazing Sun Sect, the unyielding, earthen auras of the Stone Breaker Sect, and the cold, slithering auras of the Whispering Fang Sect. He felt hundreds of different spiritual signatures, but none held the alien, cancerous quality of the Abyss. He found no one who had fallen to the demonic path, which was a profound relief for him. This was a gathering of rivals, not monsters.

As the feast got underway, Mo Ling, who had been performing her duties as the host and guest of honor, finally made her way to the main table and took a seat on the other side of Li Yu. Her presence was a magnet for the eyes of every young man in the hall, but she seemed oblivious, her attention focused on the quiet young man from the Golden Shell Guild.

“Are you enjoying the celebration, Li Yu?” she asked, her voice a pleasant, low murmur amidst the hall's din.

“Very much,” he replied with a genuine smile. “Your clan’s hospitality is as impressive as its architecture. But I confess, I don’t know any of the people here. It seems every major power in the region has sent a representative.”

Mo Ling’s lips curved into a small smile. She took on the role of a guide, her gaze sweeping across the hall as she began to explain who everyone was. “The ones in the bright red and gold robes are from the Blazing Sun Sect,” she began, pointing her finger subtly. “The young man at their head is Yan Huo.”

As if sensing her gaze, Yan Huo looked over. Seeing he was the subject of their conversation, he gave a proud smirk and a wave of hot, fiery aura flared from his body for a brief moment, a clear and arrogant display of power. “He is their First Disciple, and one of the favorites to win,” Mo Ling continued, unfazed. “He is strong, but his arrogance is a well-known weakness.”

She then pointed towards the table where the massive, stoic cultivators sat. “Those are from the Stone Breaker Sect. Their representative is Tie Gang.” Tie Gang noticed her pointing and simply met her gaze with his own, giving a single, solid nod, his expression unmoving as a mountain. “He is quiet, but his physical strength is said to be immense, and his defense is nearly unbreakable.”

Her gaze then moved to the more sinister-looking group. “The Whispering Fang Sect. Their disciple is She Li.” As she pointed, She Li looked up and offered a cold, chilling smile that didn’t reach his eyes, a silent and unsettling acknowledgment.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“They are masters of poison and stealth arts. He is dangerous not for his direct power, but for his cunning.” She continued this for some time, giving Li Yu a detailed overview of the various clans, their power, and the personalities of the main contenders, each of whom reacted in their own way as her finger singled them out.

As Mo Ling spoke, her focus remained almost entirely on Li Yu, her explanations animated, her posture close and familiar. This did not go unnoticed by the young contenders, but it was even more intriguing to the clan and sect leaders seated at the main table. While the younger generation was focused on Mo Ling, the elders were focused on the enigma that was Li Yu and his companion.

A mental message, transmitted via spiritual sense, passed between the Sect Master of the Blazing Sun Sect and the Clan Head of the Stone Breaker Sect. “Brother Tie, do you know anything about this young man from the Golden Shell Guild? For Mo Jian to place him at his right hand is a sign of immense respect.”

The hulking Clan Head of the Stone Breaker Sect sent back his thoughts, his mental voice as steady and as solid as his physique. “I know only that the Guild’s influence grows daily. But his cultivation… it appears to be only at the Foundation Establishment level. I tried to probe him, subtly. It was like dropping a stone into a bottomless well. I could sense nothing. His real strength is hidden behind a profound concealment technique.”

The Sect Master of the Jade Lotus Academy, a serene old woman, joined their mental conversation. “It is not just him. Look at the woman beside him. The younger generation cannot feel it, they are too weak. But her aura… it is like a silent, deep ocean. Calm on the surface, but with an unfathomable depth. She is actually much stronger than any of us at this table.”

This revelation sent a silent shock through the leaders. They all subtly extended their senses towards Cyra, and then immediately retracted them, a cold sweat on their brows. The old woman was right.

The quiet, beautiful woman sitting next to Li Yu was a monster in her own right, a powerhouse whose cultivation was far beyond their own. They now understood. Li Yu’s seat was not just because of the Guild’s wealth or his status as a benefactor. He was here purely because of the power he represented, of himself and the guild, a power so deep and so mysterious that they could not afford to show even a hint of disrespect.

As the leaders were having their silent, world-shaking conversation, the younger disciples were still grumbling. They watched Mo Ling’s closeness to Li Yu with growing jealousy. However, they did not act rashly. Li Yu’s clear status and his own mysterious cultivation were enough to make them cautious.

Soon, gossip began to circulate and after awhile one of the contenders asked an Asura Demon Clan elder if Li Yu was competing. When the news spread that he was only a spectator, their interest in him as a rival faded, replaced by a renewed focus on each other.

With the unspoken tension resolved, the banquet continued in high spirits. Cultivators from the various sects and clans began to stand and offer toasts to Mo Ling, their words a mixture of genuine congratulation and thinly veiled posturing.

Yan Huo was one of the first. He stood, his cup held high, his voice booming with confidence. “To Lady Mo Ling! On her ascension to the Core Formation realm! A true phoenix among mortals. The Blazing Sun Sect is honored to witness this momentous occasion, and I, Yan Huo, look forward to proving my worth in the contest tomorrow!” His words were a clear, arrogant challenge to all the other contenders.

Tie Gang of the Stone Breaker Sect was next. He simply stood, raised his cup, and said, “To Lady Mo Ling. Congratulations.” His toast was as short, direct, and as solid as his clan’s reputation. Then, Huo Zhan of the Crimson Saber Pavilion stood, a wild gleam in his eyes.

He drew one of his sabers an inch from its sheath, the sharp sound cutting through the hall. “To Lady Mo Ling! May your new strength be as sharp as a fine blade! I hope to witness it in battle one day!” He then sheathed his saber with a loud click and downed his drink.

She Li of the Whispering Fang Sect rose silently, his movements like a shadow. He raised his cup, his voice a low, sibilant hiss. “To Lady Mo Ling. May your future be free of… poison.” The words were a congratulation, but they sounded more like a veiled threat, sending a slight chill through those seated near him.

The banquet continued like this for some time, a lively affair filled with boasting, laughter, and the constant, subtle maneuvering of cultivators seeking status and alliance. Li Yu simply sat back, enjoying the food and the spectacle.