The sect advancing to a school was a great joyous occasion.

Jun Changxiao had planned to host a grand banquet in the previous days. Now that Ma Yunteng and others had come to offer congratulations, today it was then.

Eternal School disciples rarely skipped cultivation to eat and drink heartily.

After three rounds of wine.

Su Xiaomo and Li Fei, faces flushed red, played finger-guessing games.

Being beginners who didn’t understand the rules, they argued with each other for ages without drinking even one bowl of wine.

Li Shangtian was most direct—not playing any palm-slapping or finger-guessing games. Holding a jar of wine, he found whoever looked disagreeable and challenged them to drink, ultimately clashing with Cui Bujian.

“Come on!”

“As if I’m afraid of you!”

The two planted their legs on chairs, rolled up their sleeves, embraced full jars of wine and tilted their heads back to pour.

Disciples beside them joined in the commotion, playing most enthusiastically.

Li Qingyang and Xiao Zuiji were more reserved.

However, whenever junior brothers came with wine bowls, they too never refused a drink.

This period, Eternal School disciples had been focused solely on cultivation. Rarely having a chance to relax, they tacitly agreed not to use spiritual energy to neutralize the alcohol.

Because celebrating by drinking while remaining perpetually clear-headed would lose its meaning.

“Sect Master Jun.”

Watching those Eternal School disciples enjoy themselves, Ma Yunteng raised his wine bowl and smiled: “Your disciples are very happy.”

Jun Changxiao lifted his wine bowl, smiling: “This Seat is also very happy.”

He’d always been committed to creating a warm family atmosphere. Looking at it now, with disciples neither scheming against each other nor engaging in cutthroat competition, it was quite successful overall.

“Junior Martial Sister.”

Liu Wanshi took the wine bowl away: “You absolutely cannot drink.”

“Senior Sister.”

Yao Mengying pleaded, “Just let me have one sip, okay?”

The little girl had awakened her Innate Demon Body. Her senior brothers and sisters continued caring for her as always—she was clearly Eternal School’s treasured darling.

Everyone was playing so happily, and she wanted to blend in too, hence the thought of drinking wine.

“No way.”

Liu Wanshi said, “You’re still too young.”

Saying this, she lifted the wine bowl. But before it reached her mouth, it was taken back by Li Luoqiu sitting beside her: “You’re not much older yourself.”

Thus, Liu Wanshi and Yao Mengying both propped their chins on the table, two pairs of large eyes shining with envy as they stared at the senior brothers and sisters currently drinking.

…

“Sect Master Jun.”

Outside the mountain gate, Ma Yunteng, Xie Guangkun and others, faces flushed red, cupped their fists: “We take our leave.”

“Safe travels!” Jun Changxiao said.

Everyone descended the stairs. From beginning to end, no one mentioned what was written on the plaque.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to mention it. Rather, while drinking, after careful consideration, Sect Master Jun’s arrogant and domineering behavior, styling himself as the “Strongest School,” seemed perfectly normal.

“The food Eternal School makes is truly delicious!”

“Of course. One of Sect Master Jun’s disciples won champion in the Culinary Arts Competition.”

“By the way, did you all feel that Elder Zhen looked somewhat familiar?”

“I had that feeling too. Seems like I saw him somewhere!”

“I remember now! Twenty years ago, Southwest Yang Province held an Array Formation Competition. The person honored as an honored guest by the Royal City Lord seemed to be him!”

“Zhen Dejun! He’s Zhen Dejun!”

“Heavens, that’s an Array King. How did he become an Elder of Eternal School!”

The city lords and family patriarchs descending the mountain discussed animatedly.

…

After the banquet dispersed, Eternal School disciples didn’t go cultivate, because Jun Changxiao specially granted them a good day’s rest.

Suddenly not cultivating, everyone felt rather unaccustomed, so they all helped Yi Hei, Er Hei and the others clean up tableware and tables and chairs.

Su Xiaomo, emboldened by wine, summoned her junior brothers to stand on the training grounds and began boasting animatedly.

Jun Changxiao stood alone atop the great hall roof. A cool breeze blew, making his whole body comfortable.

Ten thousand disciples, fifth-tier school.

Compared to becoming Xingyun Continent’s strongest school, they’d undoubtedly taken another step forward.

“Hoo!”

Jun Changxiao took a deep breath: “This is just the beginning. The school has a long road ahead.”

…

Creak!

Whoosh—

At a certain inn, the outer door was pushed open. Cold wind sharp as blades drilled inside, carrying goose-feather-sized snowflakes.

The martial cultivators drinking and making merry inside came to an abrupt halt, turning their heads toward the door to see a white-robed woman ethereal as an immortal walk in.

“Big Brother, this woman is so beautiful!” A martial artist’s eyes gleamed.

The one called Big Brother smacked his head, saying quietly, “When traveling outside, keep your eyes sharp.”

“Yes, yes.”

The struck martial artist hurriedly withdrew his gaze.

Others also turned their heads away, continuing to drink, chat, and joke, though occasionally glancing over, marveling inwardly that such an exquisitely beautiful woman existed in this world.

On Xingyun Continent, apart from major families occasionally producing some wastrel disciples, normal low-level martial cultivators mostly lived very cautiously, rather than daring to approach and harass upon seeing beautiful women.

Moreover.

This was the Ice Plains region. Within hundreds of miles there was only this one inn. For a young woman to dare come alone, she definitely wasn’t ordinary.

“Miss.”

The innkeeper approached with a smile: “Are you stopping for a meal or staying the night?”

“Meal.”

The white-robed woman found a seat by the window, her words emanating a coldness even more frigid than the howling north wind outside.

“What would Miss like to eat?”

“Whatever.”

The innkeeper, having seen many customers, quickly smiled: “Please wait a moment.”

After the white-robed woman sat down, her bright eyes gazed perpetually out the window at a world of ice and snow, where everything was silvery white.

“Have you heard? In Southwest Yang Province there’s an Iron Bones Clanging Sect!” someone said after downing a bowl of wine with a grimace.

“More than heard—I also know this sect has already advanced to a school.”

Hearing this, the white-robed woman’s brows showed very subtle fluctuations.

“No way! This Iron Bones Clanging Sect seems to have only recently gained fame. How did it advance to a school so quickly?”

“I heard they changed the name too. Called something Eternal… Right, right, called Eternal School!” someone said.

Eternal School?

The white-robed woman’s willow-leaf brows furrowed slightly, thinking secretly, “Is he serious?”

“A school just advanced to fifth-tier dares name itself ‘Eternal’—truly presumptuous.”

“This is in Southwest Yang Province, that backwater place, which allows a small sect such unlimited glory. If it were in our Northeast Lu Province, it would’ve been abused into extinction long ago.”

That person spoke while raising his bowl.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, sword light flashed past.

The martial artist’s expression froze, because the hand holding the bowl separated from before his eyes, then fell and smashed onto the table.

Ahhh—

Screams rang out.

All the martial artists in the inn looked toward the window seat in shock and terror.

They saw the white-robed woman gently place her unsheathed sword on the table: “Speak carelessly again and your head won’t be safe.”

Eight simple words, containing endless chilling intent, made everyone present feel their backs turn ice-cold!

This woman.

Was indeed not simple!