Volume 7, Chapter 387 – The Evergreen Conference Begins (Part 1)

The Honghua Sect’s group traveled on horseback at a normal pace, neither flying through the skies nor tunneling underground. After all, the Evergreen Conference was just around the corner, and they needed to warm up by dealing with a few wandering spirits while enjoying the scenic landscapes along the way.

As for the Honghua Sect’s safety, there was no need for concern. Before leaving, Qi Huang had already asked Yaoyao to keep an eye on them. If anything happened, the cat-eared girl could arrive in the blink of an eye with her formidable strength.

Of course, Qi Huang couldn’t reveal the true nature of this cat-eared girl to the others. She vaguely mentioned that she had enlisted the help of a powerful friend as a guardian. Though it sounded somewhat perfunctory, her past achievements were impressive enough that no one pressed for details.

Three days later, the Honghua Sect arrived at the prefectural capital and settled into an inn. The Immortal Alliance wasn’t generous enough to provide free food and lodging.

With nothing else to do, Qi Huang decided to try “dreaming” again, eager to learn what had happened to Lu Yao. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on her side, she slept soundly every night without any dreams.

On the eve of the Evergreen Conference, Qi Huang gathered the other female disciples in her room.

“The Evergreen Conference begins tomorrow, and this time, it’s different from before. All sorts of sects and factions will be there, so I need to set up a divine sense barrier for all of you first.”

She stated her purpose plainly.

“Why?”

Ruan Lingyu asked, puzzled.

“To prevent peeping, of course! You’re all so lovely, what if some lecherous scoundrel uses their divine sense to see through your clothes? Your chastity would be ruined!”

Qi Huang explained.

“That can’t be! In our cultivation world, using divine sense to peek at a woman’s body is a serious taboo. Anyone who dares would face severe punishment from the Immortal Alliance!”

Ruan Lingyu replied, somewhat naively.

“The Immortal Alliance? You still trust them? What if it’s someone from the Immortal Alliance doing the peeping? Those people have no bottom line.”

Qi Huang retorted.

Ruan Lingyu was immediately speechless, and the expressions of the other senior sisters turned grave.

Without further ado, Qi Huang set up divine sense shields for her cheap master and senior sisters, strong enough to withstand probing from even late-stage Incarnation Realm cultivators.

“What about you?”

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She turned to Cheng Hongling.

“I don’t need it! Though I’m only at the second layer of the Incarnation Realm, I’ve been using the Tongming Comb since childhood, so I can resist mid-stage Incarnation Realm divine sense probing.”

Cheng Hongling refused without hesitation. If her chastity had to be protected by a doppelgänger, it would be too humiliating!

“You’re using it whether you like it or not! Who can guarantee there won’t be late-stage Incarnation Realm experts among the participants? I want to defeat them openly, not resort to seduction tactics.”

Qi Huang overruled her and forcefully applied a divine sense barrier.

“S-Seduction?!”

Cheng Hongling’s beautiful eyes widened in shock.

“Of course! If men see your body, they’ll surrender on the spot. What kind of fight would that be? Isn’t that just seduction by another name?”

Qi Huang reasoned matter-of-factly.

“Qi Huang is right. Forget men, even I wouldn’t have the heart to strike you if I saw you like that.”

Ruan Lingyu teased from the side.

“…”

Cheng Hongling’s expression stiffened at the blunt remark.

“So what if they look? It’s not like you’ll lose a piece of flesh. If it means winning without a fight, that’s still a good strategy.”

The bold Shen Yuan interjected carefreely.

“Shameless!”

The sharp-tongued Su Qingying couldn’t help but scold.

“Hah, you’re thinking too highly of yourself. Do you really think male cultivators would just stand there? What if they strip too? Could you still strike them? Do you really think you can out-shame men?”

Yun Fei teased.

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“What kind of spectacle would that be? Men stripping, women stripping, is this Evergreen Conference hosted by a brothel? Do we have to undress before fighting now?”

Shen Yuan burst into laughter.

“And just what kind of ‘fighting’ are we talking about here?”

Su Qingying asked expressionlessly.

A bead of sweat trickled down Qi Huang’s forehead. She hadn’t expected the conversation among girls to take such a bold turn.

“Enough! A group of grown women speaking so indecently, aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?”

Xu Mei quickly intervened before the discussion spiraled further. If these disciples kept indulging in wild imaginations, the Honghua Sect’s reputation would be ruined.

“But Qi Huang, do you really think there will be late-stage Incarnation Realm experts participating this time? Our Western Radiance Dynasty doesn’t have geniuses like that!”

Ruan Lingyu, as the senior sister, steered the conversation back on track.

“The Western Radiance Dynasty might not, but other nations do. After all, the rewards this time are like timely aid for late-stage Incarnation Realm experts!”

Qi Huang explained.

“That may be true, but geniuses who reach the late-stage Incarnation Realm before thirty are famous in any nation. Yet, according to the sect leader’s intelligence, none of them have come to Yongning Prefecture.”

Ruan Lingyu raised doubts.

“Senior Sister, you must understand that not everyone is as flamboyant as Cheng Kang and Lin Ran. Hiding one’s identity to participate in the Evergreen Conference is the smart move, it catches opponents off guard.”

Qi Huang shared her thoughts.

“Qi Huang is right. Revealing one’s identity early only invites scrutiny and countermeasures. Any intelligent person would avoid that, so none of you can afford to be careless.”

Xu Mei agreed.

Only then did the senior sisters grasp the situation, their previously relaxed expressions turning serious.

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The next morning, after breakfast, the Honghua Sect group headed to the Immortal Alliance’s branch. However, there were no matches today, only the opening ceremony and the drawing of lots.

Upon arrival, Qin Quan presented their identification, and they were promptly admitted.

Qi Huang curiously surveyed the surroundings and found that the branch’s layout was identical to what she had seen in her dream. The largest area was a sprawling square spanning dozens of acres, with a towering dueling platform at its center. The only difference was the crowd, far more unfamiliar faces filled the space this time, many of whom looked intimidating.

As Qi Huang observed, the surrounding cultivators also turned their gazes toward her. Whether as Qi Huang or her original self, she was a well-known figure in the Western Radiance Dynasty, and her beauty alone was enough to draw attention.

“So beautiful! Who is that female cultivator?”

“Idiot! In Yongning Prefecture, who else but Cheng Hongling of the Honghua Sect could possess such grace?”

“Don’t blame him, it’s his first time at the Evergreen Conference. He lacks experience.”

“Exactly! I’d only heard rumors before, but I never imagined a woman could be so stunning that one dares not look directly at her. No wonder she’s called one of the Twin Moons of the Western Radiance Dynasty.”

“Twin Moons? That’s the old ranking! The Holy Maiden of Shuiyu Valley couldn’t achieve a perfect score in all six categories of the Phoenix Selection Token, so now everyone calls her the Flower of the Western Radiance Dynasty!”

“A woman from a backwater sect as the Flower of the Western Radiance Dynasty? Isn’t that a joke?”

“Not convinced? Then go challenge her yourself, she’s right there!”

“Pathetic. Always boosting others while undermining your own!”

As the Honghua Sect entered, discussions erupted around them.

Qi Huang paid them no mind, following her sect members to a corner of the square.

“That’s Cheng Hongling of the Honghua Sect, right? Even more enchanting than three years ago!”

“Tch, who knows which pig will eventually claim such a beauty.”

“Whoever it is, I’ll be happy. I can’t wait for her to marry—the uglier the better, preferably some mountain ogre or wild demon.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a cuckold! The thought of her being defiled by some hideous man just excites me!”

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“…I’ll beat you to death, you degenerate!”

The nearby chatter reached them again.

Qi Huang shuddered violently. ‘What kind of deranged fantasy is this?!’

Beside her, Cheng Hongling’s delicate brows furrowed. If they weren’t in the Immortal Alliance’s branch, she would have already cut out that pervert’s tongue.

The Honghua Sect members waited while observing their surroundings, gathering as much useful information as possible. After all, knowing one’s enemy was the key to victory.

Before long, another group entered the square. Qi Huang’s eyes narrowed slightly as she recognized some of them, the old man leading them was Elder Zhou of the Huxiao Sect. Among the young disciples behind him was a familiar face.

After a moment’s thought, she recalled—this was Lu Zhen, the Huxiao Sect’s top immortal seedling. Six years ago, during the last Evergreen Conference, he had drawn Cheng Hongling’s lot but disdainfully passed it to someone else.

“Look! The Huxiao Sect has arrived! Their top immortal seedling, Lu Zhen, is among them. Last time, he ranked in the top fifty of the Western Radiance Dynasty’s Immortal Seedling Rankings.”

“And I heard he broke through to the Incarnation Realm last year. He’ll definitely perform even better this time.”

“Not necessarily!”

“Why?”

“Are you stupid? This time, so many geniuses from other regions have come, like Cheng Kang, the top immortal seedling of the Donglai Sect, and Lin Ran of Poyun Peak. Which of them can he handle? A single loss means elimination at the prefectural level.”

“True. This time, the competition follows a ten-person team battle format, and only the top sect will represent Yongning Prefecture in the capital.”

“Not necessarily. I heard the Huxiao Sect brought several powerful reinforcements, including Incarnation Realm geniuses. They might just stand a chance against those two.”

“We’ll see.”

Discussions about the Huxiao Sect spread among the nearby sects.

‘No matter how many reinforcements you bring, you’d better hope I don’t draw your lot.’

Qi Huang stared at Lu Zhen with ill intent.