The birthday feast lasted until sunset before gradually winding down. Many guests, still savoring the event, planned to stay a few extra days to bask in the lingering prestige of the celebration.0

Numerous martial artists had arrived throughout the day, many of them at the Heaven Profound Stage. They were cold and aloof toward ordinary martial artists, but when they spoke with Xing Jintuo, even they couldn't help but put on small smiles. Yet, Shi Yu received only polite nods and courteous distance from those elite figures.0

***0

As the dim glow of oil lamps cast long shadows across the room, Xing Jintuo added more oil to a lantern. 0

Then he turned to Fang Chen with a smile and said, "Sword Chief Fang, what brings you to such a remote corner of the world?"1

Fang Chen replied with a smile, "I heard you've been cultivating here. I just...0