The Exploring Spring Flower Boat banquet? And she specifically named me to make a fearsome reputation?

The five major Righteous Sects are gathering here…

A thought flashed through Zhou Kai’s mind like a bolt of lightning, illuminating the trap he had just stepped into.

“Holy shit. This Exploring Spring Flower Boat isn’t just a party. It’s a summit for the core disciples of the five major Righteous Sects to ‘discuss the Dao’ during the lull in the war!”

Zhou Kai’s eyelid twitched violently. “Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals. The younger generation wants to determine a hierarchy?”

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Having realized the stakes, Zhou Kai felt his scalp go numb. He screamed internally.

My dear Young Lady, you are throwing me into a pit of fire!

My future brother-in-law, Li Qiwen, is at the mid-Golden Core stage. The geniuses under his command are likely early Golden Core, or at the very least, the cream of the crop at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

The five major Sects have terrifyingly deep foundations. Asking me, a small fry at the third layer of Foundation Establishment, to go up there and ‘make a name for myself’? Isn’t that just sending me to the slaughter?

He felt like a harmless lamb wandering into a pack of wolves—shoved in by his own wife, no less.

Li Qiwen seemed to notice the fleeting stiffness on Zhou Kai’s face. He waved his hand, his tone casual.

“It’s fine for you two to go and spar a bit. As for winning or losing, just do your best.”

He said it lightly, as if Zhou Kai were merely there to make up the numbers.

Li Youci also seemed to realize her demand might have been unreasonable. Zhou Kai had only been part of Taiji Peak for six months. Two of those were spent surviving the Netherworld Secret Realm, leaving him almost no time for formal cultivation.

His current cultivation base was largely forcibly stacked using the Spirit Platform Fuel Fire Talisman.

Thinking of this, her voice softened slightly.

“Winning or losing… I don’t care. But you must make everyone remember your name.”

So the Young Lady still hopes I can put on a show, Zhou Kai thought.

On the surface, however, he wore a mask of solemn determination. He cupped his hands toward Li Qiwen and Li Youci, his voice ringing out clearly.

“Young Master, Young Lady, rest assured! Although my strength is meager, I will exert my utmost effort. If I can win, I must win! I absolutely will not disgrace the Young Master and Young Lady!”

His words struck the ground with the force of stone, and combined with the unyielding fire in his eyes, he certainly looked the part of a loyal, hot-blooded retainer.

Li Qiwen gave a noncommittal “hmm” and turned to enter the inner courtyard. Li Youci gave Zhou Kai a deep, lingering look before following her brother.

Once they were gone, silence returned to the courtyard.

Shen Hanyi remained as calm as ever. “If Husband wants to win, I will help you win.”

Zhou Kai felt a surge of warmth in his chest, but his mind was already racing, calculating odds.

This is the first request Li Youci has made since becoming a Red Beauty. I absolutely cannot drop the ball! For the sake of those Affection points, I have to fight with everything I’ve got.

He gritted his teeth. Against a mid-Foundation Establishment opponent, my current methods give me high odds. But if I run into someone steeped in the late stage, or even a Half-Step Golden Core monster…

He hadn’t begun to comprehend the Five Emperors Prison Suppression Sutra yet, so it offered zero combat power.

That bastard Fu Weilun’s green skull and Soul Devouring Cauldron are sinister and vicious, but undeniably powerful. I can use them. I must use them.

Then there’s the Cicada Robe Art for stealth, and the Dragon Roaming the Void movement technique…

Zhou Kai mentally tallied his trump cards, but the conclusion was grim. It wasn’t enough to guarantee safety.

No. I need to go find my cheap Master and beg for some Talismans!

With that thought, Zhou Kai’s figure flickered and vanished into the night.

A quiet, secluded courtyard.

Before Zhou Kai even stepped through the gate, a languid, displeased voice drifted out.

“Disturbing people’s sweet dreams in the middle of the night… do you want to be turned into Talisman paper?”

Zhou Kai steeled himself and walked in.

The inner chamber was in disarray. A beautiful woman in palace attire reclined on a soft couch, her robes half-open to reveal a expanse of creamy skin and a devastatingly allure.

It was Li Yunmian.

Zhou Kai bowed low. “Master, please forgive the offense. This disciple truly has an urgent matter.”

“Speak.” Li Yunmian shifted to a more comfortable position, not bothering to lift her heavy eyelids.

Zhou Kai briefly recounted the situation regarding the Exploring Spring Flower Boat banquet.

After listening, Li Yunmian let out a mocking sneer.

“It’s just a bunch of children playing house. What does winning or losing change? Just do your best. Don’t tell me you expect to become famous in a single battle and awe the heroes of the cultivation world?”

Zhou Kai took a deep breath. His voice turned grave.

“Master, this disciple wants to win!”

Li Yunmian finally opened her phoenix eyes, a glint of interest sparking within. “Oh?”

“This disciple knows it is difficult, but…” Zhou Kai paused. “Master, you know ‘Xia Min’ is the Young Lady. The Young Lady wants me to win.”

Hearing this, the laziness on Li Yunmian’s face receded. She sat up straighter, the silk robe slipping slightly to tease the imagination.

“You two… are certainly interesting.”

She pondered for a moment, tapping a finger against her chin.

“You are at the early Foundation Establishment stage. You cannot fully unleash the power of third-grade Talismans yet. However… I do have a method that can grant you a trump card to seize victory at a critical moment. But the process will be… very interesting.”

Zhou Kai’s eyes lit up. “Please, Master, enlighten me!”

“Years ago, to suppress Youci’s ghost body, I carved a special soul-suppressing rune into her Consciousness Sea,” Li Yunmian explained. “Your Divine Sense Intensity far exceeds that of your peers. I can carve a similar rune into your Consciousness Sea. However, this one is not for suppression. It is a ‘Condense Soul into Blade’ rune.”

“Once activated, this rune can condense a portion of your Divine Sense into an invisible soul blade. It strikes the spirit directly, catching the enemy off guard. It is powerful enough to severely injure even a Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection cultivator.”

She leaned forward, her expression turning serious.

“However, carving a rune directly into the Consciousness Sea involves pain comparable to the torture of Soul Searching and refining. If you cannot endure it, the best case is permanent damage to your Divine Sense. The worst case? You become a drooling idiot. Have you thought this through?”

Zhou Kai didn’t flinch. Instead, the fire in his eyes burned brighter.

“This disciple is willing to try! Please, Master, carve the rune!”

Li Yunmian gave him a deep, appraising look, then nodded.

“You have guts. Sit down. Concentrate your spirit, calm your Qi, open your mind, and do not resist.”

Zhou Kai sat cross-legged on the floor, taking several deep breaths to steady his heart.

The next moment, he felt a vast, pure wave of Divine Sense surge into his mind like a gentle tide.

But the gentleness was a lie.

In an instant, that foreign power sharpened, transforming into thousands of microscopic carving knives that began to sculpt the very center of his Consciousness Sea.

“Ugh—AHHH!”

An indescribable, white-hot agony swept through every nerve in Zhou Kai’s body.

Every stroke of the carving knives felt like a red-hot steel needle plunging directly into the depths of his soul. It was a tearing sensation that originated from the core of his existence, bypassing the flesh entirely.

Zhou Kai’s body convulsed violently. He clenched his jaw so hard his teeth threatened to crack, stubbornly guarding the last shred of clarity in a sea of torture.

Time lost all meaning. Seconds stretched into hours.

He didn’t know how long it lasted. When the final stroke was completed, the agony receded like a retreating tide.

Zhou Kai collapsed backward, his body limp. He gasped for air in ragged heaves, soaked in sweat as if he had just been fished out of a lake.

Deep within his Consciousness Sea, a mysterious rune emitting a faint silver light floated silently. It hummed with a connection to his soul, exuding a sharp, heart-palpitating aura.

“It is done,” Li Yunmian said, reclining back onto her soft couch as if nothing had happened. “This ‘Soul Blade Rune’ has only one charge. Make it count.”

Zhou Kai struggled to sit up and bowed deeply.

“Thank you, Master, for the grant!”

The next day.

By the time the setting sun dyed the sky blood-red, Zhou Kai had finally recovered.

He had just stepped out of his room when a stack of Talismans smacked him in the face, accompanied by a clear, cold voice filled with disdain.

Mo Qianyuan stood in the courtyard, arms crossed over her chest. She looked as charming as ever, wearing her signature expression of finding the entire world annoying.

“Still alive? I thought you’d kicked the bucket at Master’s place last night. Look at you—don’t go out looking this pathetic and claiming you’re my Junior Brother!”

“Did you bring enough Pills? And don’t be stingy with the Talismans I gave you! If you get beaten until you’re crying for your mommy, you’ll disgrace Master’s face. And incidentally, you’ll disgrace mine too!”

She huffed, turning her head away. “Master only has the two of us as disciples, after all!”

Zhou Kai caught the Talismans, feeling the residual warmth of her hands on the paper. He smiled.

“Thank you, Senior Sister.”

The Exploring Spring Flower Boat floated above a wide, open plaza that was already bustling with activity and brilliantly lit by lanterns.

Groups of young cultivators in fluttering robes gathered in clusters, chatting and laughing or gazing arrogantly into the distance. Each radiated an extraordinary aura—these were clearly the elite disciples of the major Sects.

Zhou Kai swept his gaze across the crowd and spotted several familiar figures.

Li Youci, transformed into “Xia Min,” was dutifully dressed as a maid.

Shen Hanyi stood with a cold, stern expression, her hand resting on her sword hilt, radiating fighting spirit.

Fish Baibai was looking around curiously, chewing on some snack she had found.

Gao Feiyang had removed his cloak, clearly deciding to blend in rather than hide.

Standing beside Gao Feiyang were three unfamiliar young cultivators, each exuding a powerful presence.

One was a burly giant with a high nose bridge and massive, thick-knuckled hands that looked capable of crushing boulders.

One was a wild, unkempt man with disheveled hair, a long saber casually slung at his waist, giving off a dangerous, feral vibe.

The last one wore luxurious brocade robes, a gentle, refined smile playing on his lips. He chatted and laughed with Gao Feiyang, his every movement exuding the natural grace and dignity of high nobility.