Liuren Mountain was a famous mountain.
Not only within the Four Regions, but even in the vast Northwest Territories, and indeed throughout the entire Cangxuan World, it was renowned.
The reason was simple.
It was precisely here, at the end of the ancient era, that the generation's overlord who had awed both immortals and demons, the Chixiao Monarch, had once studied formation arrays.
As was widely known, back then, to hone his array skills, the Chixiao Monarch had secretly learned from Old Master Shi Tong. Later, seeing the Monarch's exceptional intelligence, Old Master Shi Tong not only did not blame him but instead kept him on the mountain to study.
Thus, the title of 'Monarch's Teacher' for Old Master Shi Tong became widely circulated.
The Monarch had stayed on Liuren Mountain for nearly a year back then. To this day, the courtyard where the Monarch once resided remains perfectly preserved. Not only that, many of the formation arrays personally laid by the Monarch back then still exist.
For hundreds of years, almost every year, admirers of the Monarch have journeyed to Liuren Mountain, not for anyone else, but solely to view the formation arrays the Monarch once set up.
Today, the foot of Liuren Mountain was even more bustling than usual. Everyone knew that Old Master Shi Tong was hosting a banquet on Liuren Mountain today.
Those invited were all grandmasters and famous figures from the Liuli Great Region.
Whether in terms of resources or sect heritage, the Liuli Great Region was not something the Yanyang Great Region could compare to.
The Yanyang Great Region was resource-poor. Moreover, many sects in that Great Region had participated in the encirclement and suppression of the Chixiao Monarch back in the day. Consequently, the Yanyang Great Region had always been looked down upon.
The Liuli Great Region was different. Its resources were richer than Yanyang's, and its various sects boasted longer heritages than those in Yanyang. For example, the Fenghui Sect, hailed as the number one sect in Liuli, had a profound foundation stretching back five thousand years. To this day, the sect could be said to have experts as numerous as clouds.
Not only did it have Nascent Soul old monsters overseeing it.
The sect also had dozens of Transcendent True Persons, among whom over ten were Golden Core experts who had achieved the Great Perfection of eighty-one revolutions.
Furthermore, the younger generation of the sect was also remarkable.
Its nine personal disciples were all famous natural geniuses. Among them, He Wen, Ye Rou, and others were geniuses of the ninth-grade flowing colors. The eldest disciple, Jin Can, even possessed an Innate Treasure Body.
However.
Those coming to Liuren Mountain to attend the banquet today were not limited to the various sects of the Liuli Great Region; the Three Caves and Five Mountains had also come in force.
Almost everyone in the Liuli Great Region knew that the Three Caves and Five Mountains had always practiced reclusive cultivation and traditionally paid no heed to worldly affairs.
Yet, no one dared to overlook the existence of the Three Caves and Five Mountains because of this.
For everyone knew that the reclusive Three Caves and Five Mountains had heritages even longer and foundations even deeper than the Fenghui Sect.
For example, the Taixing Cave, Jinyu Cave, Black Crow Mountain, Jiangzhu Mountain, Xuanze Mountain...
Their disciples might not be numerous, but each possessed considerable strength, especially those inheritors, who were said to be individuals with innate gifts.
It was said that today, not only would people from the Three Caves and Five Mountains come, but even members from the Fengyun Branch Hall and the Fire Cloud Branch Hall of the Red Gang would attend.
This was only because Old Master Shi Tong of Liuren Mountain had extended the invitation.
Had it been anyone else, no one would have had such great face.
On this day.
As the sun first rose, the foot of Liuren Mountain was already bustling with activity.
Old Master Shi Tong led a host of disciples and grand-disciples to personally welcome guests at the mountain's base.
The disciples of Liuren Mountain were all outstanding individuals, especially the Liuren Young Lords, each extraordinary.
Although the youngest Young Lord, Renxu, was young and arrogant, relying on his status from Liuren Mountain to act tyrannically.
The other Young Lords, however, upheld Old Master Shi Tong's principle of championing justice in their conduct outside.
The Second Young Lord, Renwu, was a genius of the fourth realm with eight-colored spirit light. The Eldest Young Lord, Renshen, was even a Great Perfection fourth-realm genius with nine-colored spirit light. It was said that upon emerging from seclusion this time, his cultivation had reached sixty-four revolutions of the Golden Core, truly remarkable.
"Eldest Brother, Second Brother."
Young Lord Renxu walked over and said, "I just heard from Steward Yang that Old Master also invited that upstart Gu Qingfeng."
"Oh?
Why would Old Master invite him?"
"I'm also puzzled. That Gu Qingfeng is just an upstart. I really don't know why Old Master invited him."
Renxu still couldn't forget being beaten by Gu Qingfeng outside the Liuren Manor a few days prior. He glanced at the Old Master entertaining guests in the distance, then lowered his voice as he spoke to Eldest Young Lord Renshen and Second Young Lord Renwu.
"If that Gu upstart doesn't come today, so be it. But if he dares to come to the banquet, not knowing what's good for him, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, you must help me teach him a harsh lesson!"
"Sixth Brother, this isn't like your style. If that Gu upstart comes, here on our Liuren Mountain, are you still afraid of him?"
"An upstart, why would I be afraid of him?"
Renxu said disdainfully, "I'm afraid of Old Master. You also know I've caused quite a few troubles over the years. Old Master has been busy, so he hasn't gotten around to punishing me. If I cause trouble at the banquet, Old Master will definitely beat me half to death."
"Don't ask me about this. Causing trouble at Old Master's banquet? I wouldn't dare either. If you want to ask, ask Eldest Brother. Old Master has always doted on our Eldest Brother. If he takes action at the banquet, Old Master will at most reprimand him a few times."
"Right, right!"
Renxu thought it over carefully; that was indeed the logic. He hurriedly pleaded with his eldest brother.
Renshen was a handsome and dashing figure, the very image of a refined and noble young lord. He smiled and said, "Sixth Brother, rest assured, I know what to do. In all these years, no one has ever dared to be so reckless as to challenge our Liuren Mountain. That Gu fellow is the first, and he will be the last. Old Master might not bother with such trivial matters, but we cannot ignore them. Even if that Gu fellow doesn't dare come today, I will personally visit the Yunxia Sect afterward."
Hearing this, Renxu nodded fiercely, a look of joy on his face. "Exactly! That Gu fellow truly doesn't know what's good for him. We must make him understand the consequences of offending our Liuren Mountain."
"Heh heh..." Young Lord Renshen suddenly looked into the distance and smiled. "However, if that Gu fellow dares to come today, whether he can leave alive is an unknown. If I recall correctly, that Gu fellow previously injured Jingtao, one of the Nine Young Lords of the Fire Cloud Branch Hall, back in the Yanyang Great Region, right?"
"That did happen."
Renwu and Renxu looked over and saw a group of twenty to thirty people walking towards them. It was precisely the members of the Fire Cloud Branch Hall.
Several elders were all elders of the Fire Cloud Branch Hall. Leading them was the renowned Fire Cloud Grand Elder, True Person Bowen.
Following behind the several Fire Cloud Branch Hall elders were nine young men.
They were precisely the Nine Young Lords of the Fire Cloud Branch Hall.
Leading them was Eldest Young Lord Zhuo Feng, with Jingtao and the other seven young lords closely behind.
Because of the connection with the Chixiao Monarch, Liuren Mountain was very familiar with the four branch halls of the Four Regions. Seeing the Fire Cloud Branch Hall members now, Old Master Shi Tong happily stepped forward to welcome them. True Person Bowen and the others from the Fire Cloud Branch Hall all bowed in greeting.
The Old Master had cultivated for a long time, his seniority was high, and he was hailed as the Monarch's Teacher. Naturally, the Fire Cloud Branch Hall members had to pay their respects.
Here, Old Master Shi Tong chatted with the Fire Cloud Branch Hall elders, while over there, the Liuren Young Lords led by Renshen conversed with the Fire Cloud Nine Young Lords led by Zhuo Feng.
"I heard that a few days ago, the Black-Raven Secret Realm underwent a strange transformation, and someone snatched a Buddhist sarira from Young Lord Zhuo Feng's hands. Has that person been found yet?"