Li Tingyun had never been one to rise without profit. Even during the decades when Xile Sect was subservient to Wushang Sect, Rong Bugui had suffered many losses at Li Tingyun's hands.
He simply didn't believe Li Tingyun was being so kind.
Rong Bugui pondered carefully. Could it be that Li Tingyun had received other news about the vast minor realm?
But that shouldn't be the case.
The vast minor realm itself was a new realm. Since it was decided to use this place as the venue for the divine revelation grand gathering's martial arts competition, the major sects had jointly sent people to guard it, prohibiting cultivators from entering or exiting.
This meant that apart from Yun Youyue, who had already emerged, no one knew the true situation within the realm.
Unless Yun Youyue had truly colluded with Li Tingyun.
"Rong Bugui, the Sect Master is calling for you," Lv Fuping nudged Rong Bugui.
Rong Bugui instantly snapped back to attention, chuckling sheepishly, "Sorry, I was spacing out."
Li Tingyun frowned but still said nothing, only his voice softened slightly, "Whether it's Fanglan Sect or Xile Sect, they are all friends of Wushang Sect. If Wushang Sect wants to develop better, it cannot do without your support. The fact that we can offer slots this time was the result of my strenuous efforts to persuade the elders and peak lords. I hope you will not disappoint me."
"Thank you, Sect Master!" Lv Fuping was genuinely happy, her voice rising, her entire demeanor radiating joy, nowhere near her earlier vexation.
She said cheerfully, "Sect Master, rest assured, if Fanglan Sect disciples encounter Wushang Sect disciples within the realm, we will do our best to assist them."
Rong Bugui cupped his hands helplessly, "Wushang Sect disciples will do the same."
Li Tingyun nodded with satisfaction, "Wushang Sect has allocated ten slots, Fanglan Sect receives six, and Xile Sect receives four. Do you have any objections?"
Lv Fuping did have objections. Why should Xile Sect, a second-rate sect, get four slots?
But a glance from Li Tingyun suppressed her thoughts.
Rong Bugui, however, didn't even want four slots.
His mind heavy with worry, he returned to Xile Sect's residence in Nvgui City. The air was filled with rich spiritual energy, and spiritual flowers and grasses bloomed, yet he had no leisure to admire them. He instructed his disciples, "Go and invite Yun Youyue here."
Though he said "invite," he gritted his teeth.
After speaking, Rong Bugui looked up and saw several familiar figures, his brows furrowed tightly.
"Chang Wuyu, Li Wuqing, weren't you at the sect? Why have you also come to Nvgui City?"
Chang Wuyu cupped his hands, offering a brief and perfunctory greeting, "Greetings, Sect Master. We were summoned by the Madam."
More than that, they said nothing further, turning and leaving with Li Wuqing and two others.
"Damn it!" Rong Bugui cursed angrily. His veneer of gentle politeness shattered, his face a canvas of emotions – green, white, black, and purple.
He knew that because of Rong Xuelan's matter, Madam Rong's animosity towards him was even greater than before. If he were still the ambitious youth who needed Madam Rong's support to establish himself, Madam Rong would have long ago joined forces with others in the sect to oust him from his position as Sect Master.
The clearer he understood, the more furious Rong Bugui became.
Suppressing his anger, he softly instructed the disciples beside him, "Go and investigate where they went after leaving the sect."
The disciples behind him acknowledged and immediately withdrew. Before long, Yun Youyue arrived.
Yun Youyue's attitude towards Rong Bugui was also very cold, tinged with arrogance.
"Sect Master Rong, what business do you have summoning me?"
Having just been offended by Chang Wuyu, Rong Bugui couldn't help but retort upon hearing Yun Youyue's tone. He said darkly, "Yun Youyue, watch your tone!"
Yun Youyue smoothed her robe and looked up indifferently. She said nothing, but a look of profound astonishment appeared on Rong Bugui's face.
He stammered, "You... you've reached the Mahayana stage?"
This was even more surprising than when he learned Qin Si had become a mountain lord!
If he remembered correctly, when Yun Youyue came to find him, she hadn't even reached the middle stage of Nascent Soul.
How could she have advanced so rapidly?
Rong Bugui's thoughts churned, and he soon recalled some anomalies from this period. "You've been in seclusion since you returned, and you demanded ten thousand top-grade spirit stones daily just to advance to Mahayana?"
If she hadn't brought back a map of the vast minor realm, he would never have agreed to her demand back then.
But he never expected...
Seeing Yun Youyue nod coldly, Rong Bugui's heart stirred. He suppressed the idea of asking if she had revealed information about the vast minor realm to Wushang Sect, and instead said, "Don't forget, Xile Sect has treated you well."
Yun Youyue let out a cold laugh, "Sect Master Rong, you seem to have forgotten that my relationship with Xile Sect is merely a cooperation."
"You!"
Just as Rong Bugui was about to erupt in anger, Yun Youyue continued, "However, don't worry. As long as Xile Sect sincerely assists me, I will certainly not forget to promote Xile Sect."
Rong Bugui's anger instantly dissipated.
"Alright, do not disturb this Dao Lord unless there is something important," Yun Youyue said, leaving behind a parting remark. She then added, "Remember to send another hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones to this Dao Lord."
Before Rong Bugui could say anything, she left.
Although the finals of the alchemy competition and the martial arts competition were not held in the same location, the gathering of the three sects, two pavilions, and three mountains in Nvgui City quickly made the city lively.
Nascent Soul and God Transformation cultivators, rarely seen on ordinary days, were everywhere. The inns and blessed lands were already fully booked.
Qi Xingchen, having merely returned to Qishan Pavilion with his father and then taken a detour to Nvgui City, found himself without accommodation. He had no choice but to seek refuge with his friend Yu Pingxiao from Fengyuan Sect.
"Qi Xingchen, have you heard? Yuan Bingxin has advanced to Mahayana!" Yu Pingxiao exclaimed.
Qi Xingchen was shocked, "Are you joking?"
Even as a die-hard fan of Fairy Bingxin, he wouldn't dare spread such a rumor!
Were Mahayana cultivators like common cabbage?
"It's true!" His friend patted his chest, "I absolutely wouldn't lie to you. This news has already spread throughout Nvgui City! Yuan Bingxin just underwent her Mahayana tribulation this morning!"
This time, Qi Xingchen could no longer sit still.
His friend was the son of the Jade-Faced Daoist from Fengyuan Sect. While usually gossipy, he was definitely not one to speak carelessly.
"I'm going to Wushang Sect to see!"
"Hey! Wait!" Yu Pingxiao grabbed Qi Xingchen. "Yuan Bingxin is already in seclusion. Even if you go, you won't see her. Besides, I have another piece of news. Don't you want to hear it?"
"What?" Qi Xingchen felt that no other news could shock him more than the one he had just heard.
Seeing Qi Xingchen's reaction, Yu Pingxiao knew what he was thinking. He cleared his throat, drawing out his words, "Just now, Young Master Jing Lan of Qujing Sect and Fairy Hua Nishang of Hualing Mountain have successively advanced to Mahayana."
"This is impossible!"
Qi Xingchen jumped up in shock!
"It's understandable for Senior Brother Jing Lan. I know he already entered the middle stage of God Transformation before the new year, and it's entirely possible for him to advance to Mahayana given his talent. But Hua Nishang, wasn't her cultivation only at the late stage of Nascent Soul last year, just like mine?"
It was said that shattering the core to form a Nascent Soul was a threshold, but for cultivators in the Divine Revelation world, advancing from Nascent Soul to God Transformation was the greatest threshold.
This was because advancing to God Transformation required not only sufficient cultivation and temperament but also the solidification of one's Dao heart and comprehension of one's own path.
And for many years, no one had ascended in the Divine Revelation world. The Heavenly Dao had not bestowed the grace of spiritual rain for ascension, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had become increasingly turbid. As a result, the rules of heaven and earth had become even more difficult to communicate with in recent years.
"Besides, after thousands of years without any young cultivators advancing to Mahayana, why have three suddenly appeared?"