Chapter 102 - 99: The Spirit Master Banquet Approaches

Over the following days, Mo Qianqian spent a few days refining elixirs to push his cultivation level and a few days upgrading elixir grades for distribution. From time to time, he also healed the Slaughterer with the Evil Blade.

Pei Hong and the others continued to expand the Asura Conglomerate. Major factions and forces also continuously flooded into the Imperial City. During this period, the Third Princess of the royal family hosted a genius banquet, inviting talents from all over to gather. However, since Mo Qianqian was disguised as a "middle-aged man," he was not invited. Pei Hong and Dongfang Yi were invited to attend on behalf of the Asura Conglomerate.

Nearly a month passed, bringing them closer to the Spirit Master Banquet. One day, Ling Qingxue of the Ling Family personally sought out Bai Xiu.

After hearing Ling Qingxue’s words, a look of surprise flashed across Bai Xiu’s face. "Are you saying you want me to kill Asura?"

Ling Qingxue nodded.

"What if there is someone backing Asura?" Bai Xiu asked.

"If there truly is someone, the Ling Family will protect you. A Second-Grade Spirit Master is also highly valuable to our Ling Family," Ling Qingxue said indifferently.

"All right! I accept your request." Bai Xiu nodded. Initially, he had some reservations about killing Mo Qianqian. Since the Ling Family was willing to help him fend off the people behind Asura and offer him benefits, he would take the job.

"If you can’t kill him, then focus all your efforts on one thing. Take off his mask!" Ling Qingxue added.

"Don’t worry, he won’t survive." Thick confidence washed over Bai Xiu’s face.

"What if?" Ling Qingxue’s tone was solemn.

"If I fail to kill him, I will do as Miss Ling says. Rest assured, taking off his mask won’t be difficult," Bai Xiu said. What he wanted to do even more was to take off a dead man’s mask.

"Very well! I await your good news!" Ling Qingxue said before leaving.

Subsequently, Ling Qingxue sought out Ye Xiao, as well as another person—Gu He!

A few days later, on the eve of the Spirit Master Banquet.

"WHOOSH!"

After spending about a month refining a full nine Second-Grade Junior Elixirs, Mo Qianqian finally broke through again. He advanced from the fourth level of the Body Cultivator’s second realm to the fifth level.

"The fifth level!" Mo Qianqian felt a surge of joy. After the joy subsided, a murderous glint flickered in his eyes. At the fifth level, he was getting closer and closer to having the strength to kill Ling Qingxue!

"According to the banquet’s schedule, the Spirit Master Banquet begins tomorrow evening... I should first go and see how the Asura Conglomerate is doing," Mo Qianqian thought.

Immediately after, Mo Qianqian stepped out and headed to Pei Hong’s room. Just as he knocked on the door but before he could enter, a door to another room across the hall opened. An exceptionally pure and graceful figure hurried over to him.

"Elder Asura." It was Shi Muyao. To Mo Qianqian, Shi Muyao’s figure seemed even more stunning, and her temperament had grown more ethereal.

"Have you advanced to the Spirit Profound Realm?" Mo Qianqian asked. There was an obvious change in Shi Muyao, indicating that she had likely stepped into the Spirit Profound Realm.

"I stepped into the Spirit Profound Realm over ten days ago. By refining the Spirit Profound Pill given by Elder Asura over these past dozen days, I’ve broken through another level. Now, I am at the Spiritual Mysterious Realm Second Level," Shi Muyao said, her face brimming with joy. It seemed that sharing her excellence with Asura made her feel incredibly happy and delighted.

"I gave it to you?" Mo Qianqian was taken aback.

"You gave it to my master, and my master gave it to me," Shi Muyao replied.

Mo Qianqian finally remembered. Over the past month, he had upgraded quite a few elixirs. The twenty pills he previously owed the Yuling Sect had already been given to the Yuling Sect Master. Furthermore, he had also handed over the share for the Pavilion Master of the Qingcheng Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion to the Yuling Sect Master, asking the latter to pass it on to the Pavilion Master upon his return. In addition to that, he had given Pei Hong a significant number of second-grade senior elixirs to distribute among the members of the Asura Conglomerate and for the conglomerate’s operations.

"Elder Asura, your elixirs are too effective. This past month, I’ve also broken through a level and reached the Sixth Level of Spirit Profound Realm," Pei Hong said. Seeing that Mo Qianqian hadn’t entered the room, she had also walked to the doorway.

"Uh, that’s because you all have talent." Mo Qianqian felt a bit awkward. Well, he had also broken through a cultivation level.

"No, the elixirs upgraded by Elder Asura are of extremely high quality. It’s not just us; fully half of the high-level Spirit Profound Realm experts we recruited earlier have also broken through a level.

"Yu Wenjingfeng and Lieqi have also broken through. They’ve both reached the Ninth Level of Spirit Profound Realm.

"There is even one expert at the Ninth Level of Spirit Profound Realm who bought two extra elixirs on credit from me and advanced from the Ninth Level of Spirit Profound Realm to the First Level of Tongyou Realm," Pei Hong said excitedly.

"They’re that effective?" Even Mo Qianqian was surprised.

Was it because he had refined the Bone-Eroding Spiritual Source, causing the upgraded elixirs to be of even higher quality? Did it reduce the corresponding drug resistance in people? Logically speaking, advancing from the Spirit Profound Realm to the Tongyou Realm shouldn’t be possible just by relying on second-grade senior elixirs. Of course, this did not rule out the possibility that the person was already on the verge of breaking through.

"They are very effective. Many high-level Spirit Profound Realm experts have come out of admiration. Now, our Asura Conglomerate already has twenty-three high-level Spirit Profound Realm members.

"Two talented loose cultivators and geniuses from minor factions have also joined. Along with the member who advanced to the Tongyou Realm and Senior Slaughterer with the Evil Blade, we now have two Tongyou Realm experts.

"Of course, counting the three of us, our Asura Conglomerate has a full thirty people.

"We have completely bought out this Wind Shelter Inn. There are no outsiders here anymore," Pei Hong added, smiling with slight pride.

"Right." Pei Hong looked around again. Although there were no outsiders, she was still somewhat worried about important information leaking. She leaned close to Mo Qianqian’s ear and whispered, "Senior Slaughterer with the Evil Blade has fully recovered from his severe illness and broken through a cultivation level."

Hearing this, Mo Qianqian was startled. A few days ago, before he refined his ninth elixir, he had infused the Slaughterer with the Evil Blade with spiritual healing one more time. At that time, he saw that the man’s injuries were mostly healed. He didn’t expect that after recovering from his injuries, the man would actually break through another level! Given the Slaughterer with the Evil Blade’s combat prowess, not only had his strength returned to its peak, but he had also advanced a level, reaching the Seventh Level of Tongyou Realm. Within the Tongyou Realm, how many people could still be his match?

"The Butcher hasn’t left, has he?" Mo Qianqian quickly asked.

"No, he went with our master to meet a mysterious guest," Pei Hong replied.

"A mysterious guest?" Mo Qianqian was puzzled.

"I don’t know who it is either," Pei Hong shook her head and continued. "However, Elder Asura can bring two people into the Spirit Master Banquet. I have already discussed it with Senior Slaughterer with the Evil Blade. Tomorrow, he and the other Tongyou Realm expert of the Asura Conglomerate will accompany Elder Asura to the banquet."

"That couldn’t be better!" Mo Qianqian nodded. With the Slaughterer with the Evil Blade present, if they really had to tear away all pretenses, he would serve as a massive trump card. Of course, directly bringing a figure wanted by all three major families into the banquet would likely cause a huge uproar. As for the mysterious guest, he didn’t care too much. After all, that was a matter between the Slaughterer with the Evil Blade and the Yuling Sect Master. It seemed that the Yuling Sect Master and the Slaughterer with the Evil Blade had already negotiated some matters.

Later, Mo Qianqian met with the other personnel in the inn who had joined the Asura Conglomerate. Those who joined were mostly middle-aged individuals between the Seventh Level of Spirit Xuan Realm and the Ninth Level of Spirit Profound Realm. There were a few elders who had been stuck at the Ninth Level of Spirit Profound Realm for a long time. A loose cultivator and a genius from a minor faction had also joined. This was after Pei Hong had carefully selected them; otherwise, there would have been even more people.

Mo Qianqian had to admit that Pei Hong had a great eye for picking people. Several of those at the Ninth Level of Spirit Profound Realm were only a hair’s breadth away from the Tongyou Realm and could advance at any moment. The Asura Conglomerate could now be considered a rather formidable force!

Afterward, Mo Qianqian returned to his room to practice the Nine Nether Spirit Master Technique. He didn’t stop cultivating until the next day, as evening approached.

"It’s about time!" Mo Qianqian strode out of his room and headed downstairs.

Outside the inn, nearly thirty people stood at the entrance. Among them were the Yuling Sect Master, Shi Muyao, Pei Hong, the Slaughterer with the Evil Blade, and Gu Jin. Except for Dongfang Yi, Yu Wenjingfeng, and Lieqi, everyone from the Asura Conglomerate was present. The gathering even attracted quite a few onlookers outside the inn, and waves of discussion buzzed incessantly.

"Great Treasure Master!" the group from the Asura Conglomerate shouted in unison.

Mo Qianqian nodded and approached the crowd. "Everyone, follow me to the Hongyan Building!" Although no one else could enter besides the few of them, standing at the entrance would still bolster their momentum.

"Yes!" the crowd roared in agreement.

Then, the group of nearly thirty people marched grandly down the street, heading toward the venue of the Spirit Master Banquet, the Hongyan Building. It wasn’t just the street Mo Qianqian’s group was taking; massive crowds from other streets were also surging toward the Hongyan Building.

Although this was just a banquet, it was a banquet for Spirit Masters. It was a clash of all the Spirit Masters in the entire Great Xia Dynasty—a grand spectacle for Spirit Masters! Everyone was eagerly looking forward to the spectacular clashes at the Spirit Master Banquet!