The Great Demon Capital City was the former headquarters of the Ancient Demon Sect.

After the Ancient Demon Sect was defeated by the Ancient Profound Celestial Sect, its experts each fled the Great Demon Capital City, taking their legacy Celestial Steles with them.

Murong Hai, the founding ancestor of the Great Zhou Demon Country, was a peerless expert who had obtained the legacy of the Ancient Demon Sect. After bursting onto the scene, he united with many other experts who had also inherited the Ancient Demon Sect’s legacy, and together they defeated the Ancient Profound Celestial Sect, which had been crippled in its war with the Ancient Demon Sect.

After the Ancient Profound Celestial Sect withdrew from the region, Murong Hai, the founding ancestor of the Great Zhou Demon Country, established the Great Zhou Demon Country in the Great Demon Capital City and decreed a state policy: the Great Zhou Demon Country would share dominion over the realm with the various Demon Sects.

This was not only because the various Demon Sects had rendered great service during the founding of the nation, but also because the Great Zhou Demon Country’s national strength was far inferior to that of the Great Song Empire and the Bei Mo Royal Court. If the Great Zhou Demon Country had tried to eradicate those Demon Sects, it would have resulted in a mutually destructive outcome, leaving them unable to fend off attacks from the Great Song Empire and the Bei Mo Royal Court.

Upon arriving at the Great Demon Capital City, Shu Feng and his party were lodged in Wanhua Courtyard, an exceptionally elegant villa within the Imperial Palace of the Great Zhou Demon Country.

Just as Shu Feng was settling into his private suite in Wanhua Courtyard, a beautiful woman in a green dress entered his room.

The woman in green respectfully handed an invitation to Shu Feng. "Young Master Han Feng, I am Qing’er, a handmaiden to His Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness has sent me to deliver this invitation. He requests your presence at the Colorful Lotus Banquet tonight!"

"The Colorful Lotus Banquet!"

Shu Feng took the invitation and studied it for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face.

’The Great Zhou Demon Country can be thought of as a coalition of six major sects, with the Great Zhou Royal Family at its head. The Crown Prince of Great Zhou is thus equivalent to a Saint Child of a major sect. This banquet is his opportunity to network with True Disciples like me, from sects like the Bi Yao Demon Sect.’

「That evening, in Bilian Hall of the Imperial Palace.」

Led by the handmaiden Qing’er, Shu Feng and Huang Pu Lihua took their seats at a long table.

Hua Shilei, seated at an adjacent long table, flashed Shu Feng a captivating smile. "Han Feng, you really have all the luck with the ladies. Huang Pu Lihua is one of the top beauties among the Inner Sect Disciples. She has countless admirers in the other four sects. You’re in for some trouble now!"

Shu Feng smiled faintly, his voice full of arrogance and self-assurance. "That kind of ’trouble’ is no trouble at all for me. If anyone dares to come looking for it, I’ll just kill them."

Ever since his Lifebound Gu evolved into the Ten Thousand Demon Gu King, the number of people in the Black Tortoise Realm who could take his life could be counted on one hand.

’Huang Pu Lihua’s admirers are just True Disciples from the five major sects. Mere ants in the Martial Venerable Realm. For a Martial Saint like me, what kind of trouble could they possibly be?’

Hua Shilei’s eyes lit up. ’He’s actually quite handsome when he’s this confident!’

One by one, the True Disciples of the five major sects arrived in Bilian Hall.

’He’s here too!’

A tall, long-haired man stepped into Bilian Hall. He was the Saint Child of the Thousand Gu Demon Sect, and his robes were embroidered with bizarre Gu Insects. A hostile air clung to him. The moment he entered, his gaze landed on Shu Feng, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Brother Gu Ning, that man is Han Feng, the Direct Disciple of the Bi Yao Demon Sect’s Sect Leader! Huang Pu Lihua, ranked fourth among the Ten Great Beauties of the Bi Yao Demon Sect, fell into his Demon Palm because of a Love Gu backlash."

"Brother Gu Ning, if you can defeat him and devour his Lifebound Gu, then Huang Pu Lihua will be yours for the taking."

The Purple Mountain Saint Son—a tall, handsome young man in purple robes who, strangely, exuded an air of righteousness—smiled faintly, circulated his Profound Qi, and sent the voice transmission.

’Defeat him?’

Gu Ning glanced at the Purple Mountain Saint Son beside him, a strange look in his eyes. ’That man is a terrifying powerhouse on the Martial Saint Level. Not to mention, he’s the monster who nurtured the Ten Thousand Demon Gu King. His strength is unfathomable.’

Gu Ning vividly remembered the helplessness and Fear he had felt when facing Shu Feng. To cultivators of the Ten Thousand Gu Demon Technique, Shu Feng, who had nurtured the Ten Thousand Demon Gu King, was like an invincible god.

"Heh!"

Gu Ning shot the Purple Mountain Saint Son a look, then turned and walked to his own seat, ignoring him completely.

The Purple Mountain Saint Son frowned, completely baffled. ’What’s going on? Gu Ning is obviously interested in Huang Pu Lihua. Plus, he’s hot-tempered and looks down on everyone. Why is he being so docile?’

The Purple Mountain Saint Son had expected Gu Ning to act impulsively and clash with Shu Feng, ultimately causing friction between the Thousand Gu Demon Sect and the Bi Yao Demon Sect.

"The Xuan Mo Saint Child!"

"He’s here!"

"..."

An impossibly handsome young man in white robes walked into Bilian Hall, instantly drawing the gaze of nearly everyone present.

The Xuan Mo Saint Child and the Crown Prince of Great Zhou were the two geniuses of their generation with the greatest chance of ascending to the Martial Saint realm.

Upon entering Bilian Hall, the Xuan Mo Saint Child walked toward one of the two seats of honor at the head of the hall.

"Why isn’t the Xuan Mo Saint Child sitting with Yuan Xian’Er?"

Shu Feng asked Hua Shilei via voice transmission, his curiosity piqued.

"The Xuan Mo Saint Child is completely focused on reaching the peak of the Martial Dao; he couldn’t care less about romance. His engagement to Yuan Xian’Er is purely a means to an end. He plans to take a bit of her Primordial Yin when he ascends to the Martial Saint realm to achieve a perfect transformation."

"As for Yuan Xian’Er, she needs the resources the Xuan Mo Saint Child can provide. For them, it’s a purely transactional relationship."

"However, even though the Xuan Mo Saint Child has no feelings for Yuan Xian’Er, he’s a very prideful man. If you get any ideas about her, he won’t let you off the hook."

Hua Shilei added with a faint smile in her voice transmission. As one of the Bi Yao Demon Sect’s True Disciples, she was not only immensely powerful but also deeply cunning, with a thorough understanding of all the other True Disciples.

Shu Feng mused, ’A gold digger? That makes things much simpler!’

Before long, the Crown Prince of Great Zhou strode into the hall. He wore a black python-embroidered robe and walked with a powerful, confident gait, his aura extraordinary. He went to the other seat of honor and sat down.

Once the Crown Prince of Great Zhou was seated, servers began to fill the tables with all manner of rare delicacies.

"Everyone, I have a surprise for you. Take a look and see who this is!"

The Crown Prince of Great Zhou smiled and clapped his hands lightly.

A young woman of peerless beauty slowly walked into the hall. She wore a green palace gown, her skin was as crystalline as jade, and her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall. She carried twin swords, and her bearing was Extraordinary, radiating both breathtaking beauty and a hint of martial valor.

"Master Zhong!!"

At the sight of the peerless beauty, the eyes of every male expert in the room lit up with excitement.

Zhong Lingling and Yan Qingyao were the two most famous masters of song and dance in the Great Song Empire. The saying "South Bell, North Yan" in the Song and Dance Realm referred to these two women.