The ancient sects from the Western Border, Southern Region, and Northern Wilderness had all arrived, leaving only the Eastern Land.

As usual, the Eastern Land did not meddle in external affairs, so no one paid it any mind.

There were still about seven years until the Hundred Veins Banquet would commence. During this time, some people could enter seclusion for meditation, while others couldn’t sit still.

“Fellow Daoists, since you’ve come from afar, why not gather together to enjoy some wine and discuss the Dao?”

An Old Ancestor from a certain power in the Imperial Province made an appearance, sending a sound transmission to all realms.

“How could we refuse such an invitation from a Dao Friend?”

A powerful protector from the Eighteen Veins of the Western Border revealed his true form and headed to an elegant pavilion on the western side of Baichen Star.

“Let’s go take a look!”

The powerful figures from the Pear Blossom Palace of the Southern Region and its surrounding forces also set off.

“Let’s move.”

The heroes of the Northern Wilderness couldn’t refuse the invitation from the Imperial Province. Leaving behind elders to guard their base, the rest of the powerful figures set out together.

This banquet was a competition among the young, but it also provided an opportunity for the older generation to test each other.

Terrifying pressures streaked across the starry sky, causing the young participants of the banquet to tremble in their hearts. They looked up into the distance, believing that one day they too could reach such heights.

Inside the elegant pavilion, those drinking together were all Mahayana cultivators.

Even those in the ninth stage of the Tribulation Crossing period had no right to take a seat.

People from various provinces sat together, supporting each other. The pavilion was filled with hypocritical flattery.

A group of old foxes drank and chatted, appearing very polite and harmonious on the surface, but underneath, there were undercurrents. A single wrong word could spark a war.

Some of the young and impetuous Heaven’s Pride from the Imperial Province couldn’t hold back and wanted to compete with their peers from other provinces.

“Heavenly Mansion Mountain Villa, Zhao Qingping, greets all Dao Friends.”

A young man in a blue robe stepped out from a resplendent warship. He was eight feet tall with an imposing presence. With a single step, he crossed tens of thousands of miles of void, glanced around the starry sky, and cupped his hands in greeting.

Despite Zhao Qingping’s polite demeanor, the arrogance in his eyes was unmistakable.

Clearly, he held a certain disdain for cultivators from outside the Imperial Province.

In short, he looked down on them.

“The Hundred Veins Banquet has yet to begin. To pass the time, I would like to test the abilities of my peers. Who dares to challenge me?”

The Imperial Province’s Nine Regions and Thirty-Six Sects were all first-class.

Heavenly Mansion Mountain Villa was one of the Thirty-Six Sects.

Zhao Qingping had extremely high talent, ranking among the top even in Heavenly Mansion Mountain Villa.

This action might have been instructed by someone, or it might have been Zhao Qingping’s own intention. However, without the permission of his elders, Zhao Qingping certainly wouldn’t dare to act so boldly.

The cultivators from various provinces remained silent, not wanting to be the first to step forward.

“Are you all so timid?”

After a long while without a response, Zhao Qingping used a mystic art to project his voice across countless miles, reaching everyone’s ears.

Still, no one spoke, letting Zhao Qingping have his way.

Zhao Qingping thought for a moment and decided on a target.

He looked in the direction of the Northern Wilderness forces, took a few steps forward, and loudly said, “I’ve heard that the Northern Wilderness produces outstanding individuals. Which one of you dares to spar with me?”

The Eighteen Veins of the Western Border were very united; offending one meant offending the entire Western Border.

This move was unwise.

The Southern Region had the Pear Blossom Palace overseeing it, making it cautious and difficult to deal with.

After some thought, Zhao Qingping naturally set his sights on the Northern Wilderness.

In the eyes of the common people, the Northern Wilderness was very chaotic internally, with no powerful figure to command the whole situation, making it easy to defeat them one by one.

“No one from the Northern Wilderness dares to fight?” Zhao Qingping sighed, feigning regret, and said with a hint of mockery, “Since ancient times, the Northern Wilderness has produced outstanding individuals. I wonder where that saying came from. Perhaps I heard it wrong!”

With that, Zhao Qingping made a show of leaving.

Since no one from the Northern Wilderness stepped forward, Zhao Qingping couldn’t just attack them directly. That would change the situation from a sparring match to a grudge.

Although Zhao Qingping, as a person from the Imperial Province, wasn’t afraid of this, he still had to consider his reputation and couldn’t afford to lose face in front of the world’s heroes.

On the warship of the Misty Palace.

“Brother Chen, aren’t you going to step in?”

Zhangsun Fengye looked at Zhao Qingping standing in the starry sky, his expression indifferent, and turned to speak softly.

“Ha, just a jumping clown. Taking him seriously would be a loss.”

Chen Qingyuan didn’t care.

“The Imperial Province’s move is to test the depth of our younger generation in the Northern Wilderness. Once the Hundred Veins Banquet begins, they can make corresponding preparations.”

Wu Junyan explained the reason behind Zhao Qingping’s actions.

“Many people understand this, but since the challenge is directed at us in the Northern Wilderness, if no one steps forward, it would be a loss of face.”

Zhangsun Qian snorted coldly, wanting to take her long axe and directly chop down the shouting Zhao Qingping in the distance. However, Zhangsun Fengye stopped her, leaving her no choice but to give up.

As Chen Qingyuan said, there was no need to take the provocations of a jumping clown seriously.

“Face?” Chen Qingyuan laughed dismissively, “Can you eat it?”

Hearing this, Zhangsun Qian was stunned, not knowing how to respond.

Zhangsun Fengye and Wu Junyan exchanged a glance and both smiled faintly, their expressions calm.

Since they met Chen Qingyuan, they had come to understand many things in the mundane world. If it were before, they would have been greatly annoyed by such provocations, unlike now, where they remained indifferent.

“Wait!”

Suddenly, an unfriendly voice sounded.

Zhao Qingping, who was about to turn and leave, slightly raised the corners of his mouth and looked in the direction of the voice.

A young man in simple clothes, holding a five-foot-long black saber in his left hand, stepped forward.

“Who is this?”

Chen Qingyuan glanced at him, finding him unfamiliar.

“Chang Ziqiu, a very formidable newcomer.” Zhangsun Qian recognized him, her brows furrowed in seriousness, “When the Ten Heroes of the Northern Wilderness set up a challenge, he defeated one of the Heaven’s Pride in a hundred moves, making a name for himself.”

“Defeating an enemy in a hundred moves, that’s no small feat!”

Chen Qingyuan became interested, his eyes gleaming.

Those who could be listed among the Ten Heroes were not easy to deal with. However, Chang Ziqiu managed to defeat one of the Heaven’s Pride in just a hundred moves, which spoke volumes about his abilities.

Chang Ziqiu was a newly risen Hero, born into poverty. Many forces in the Northern Wilderness extended olive branches to him, and he casually chose one, thus making his way to the Imperial Province.

“If you want to fight, then let’s fight.”

Chang Ziqiu had risen from the bottom to where he was today, with top-notch talent and temperament. Wearing simple clothes, he seemed out of place in this dazzling arena.

“State your name?”

Zhao Qingping looked down on Chang Ziqiu, scrutinizing him with a condescending gaze, not taking him seriously.

“If you can withstand ten of my strikes, I’ll tell you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Chang Ziqiu drew his saber.

Clang—

With a sound of the saber being unsheathed, a terrifying saber intent burst forth from his body, surging towards Zhao Qingping like a rolling tide, unstoppable.