Silence was the most wordless embarrassment.

In this brief instant, the three Biyu Sect disciples had regretted countless times—why did they rashly come over to knock on the door?

“So you are Zhenren Zhong Xi. We were disrespectful, very disrespectful.” Banwu’s cheeks were so red he didn’t dare look at Huan Zong and Kong Hou. Kong Hou saw that the three of them were clearly so embarrassed they had nowhere to hide, yet they still stole glances at Huan Zong. She couldn’t help but laugh: “The three fellow daoists were also worried that evil cultivators might be impersonating orthodox cultivators and infiltrating Pei City. It wasn’t intentional. Please don’t take what happened earlier to heart.”

“We were rash and shouldn’t have randomly suspected others without evidence.” Banwu was somewhat puzzled—how could there be a female cultivator by Zhenren Zhong Xi’s side? According to legend, Zhenren Zhong Xi had extremely profound attainments in the sword dao and didn’t get close to women, but at this moment he was behaving intimately with this female cultivator…

Was the rumor mistaken, or was the person before them not actually Zhenren Zhong Xi? But this was at the foot of Liuguang Sect—who would dare impersonate Zhenren Zhong Xi here?

In an instant, infinite thoughts surged through his heart. Banwu raised his head and carefully looked at Kong Hou several times, then still took the risk of displeasing Zhenren Zhong Xi by speaking: “May I ask who the xianzi is?”

“I am Kong Hou, disciple of Yunhua Sect. If you all don’t mind, please sit down and have tea together.” Kong Hou invited the three cultivators to sit.

“So you are a distinguished disciple of Yunhua Sect.” Even being far away in the northwest region, Banwu had heard Kong Hou’s great name—the most talented disciple of Yunhua Sect’s younger generation, the hope of the sect, possessing a chivalrous heart, who had many times rescued orthodox cultivators from the hands of evil cultivators. No wonder Zhenren Zhong Xi was close to her. Even he wanted to befriend such a woman.

No longer doubting the two people’s identities, although Banwu very much wanted to stay for a cup of tea, he also knew that his uninvited arrival earlier had already been extremely impolite. If he now still brazenly stayed to drink tea, even if Zhenren Zhong Xi and Xianzi Kong Hou didn’t mind, he himself would mind.

“Senior Brother, could those two be deceiving us?” After leaving the teahouse, the junior sister said somewhat unwillingly. “Zhenren Zhong Xi seems somewhat different from the rumors…”

In her imagination, Zhenren Zhong Xi should be twice her height, wearing golden silk armor, holding a sharp sword, his entire body radiating an imposing aura that warned strangers to keep away. But the Zhenren Zhong Xi she saw today… didn’t seem like a cold sword cultivator, but more like a dao cultivator as pure as a clear breeze.

“When a cultivator reaches the realm of returning to simplicity and truth, others cannot distinguish what dao they cultivate based on the naked eye alone.” Banwu shook his head and stated with certainty: “This must be Zhenren Zhong Xi and Xianzi Kong Hou without a doubt.”

“Isn’t this Xianzi Kong Hou extremely close to Zhenren Huan Zong? How is she also friendly with Zhenren Zhong Xi?” The junior sister’s tone seemed both complaining and dissatisfied, but she didn’t dare say too much.

Banwu frowned and glanced at her: “Impolite. According to seniority, you should address Xianzi Kong Hou as Uncle-Master. As a junior, how can you gossip about the affairs of elders? We’re about to arrive at Liuguang Sect shortly. If you continue to speak so impolitely, I’ll have no choice but to ask Senior Brother to send someone to escort you back.”

The junior sister bit her lip and didn’t dare speak. If she was driven away after reaching Liuguang Sect, how would the other senior and junior siblings view her?

“Fellow daoist need not be so severe. Why scold your own people for the sake of outsiders? Wouldn’t that hurt the harmony among your own?”

Banwu turned his head to look. A few steps away stood a man dressed in brocade robes. This was a very handsome man with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a gentle countenance, appearing extremely easy to get along with. Banwu’s brows furrowed slightly. A true gentleman—how could he eavesdrop on others’ conversations and even casually interrupt?

“I am Chi Si of the Independent Cultivators Alliance, Core Formation Great Circle cultivation. Greetings to all fellow daoists.” The independent cultivator named Chi Si turned the fan in his hand in a circle and bowed with refined grace. “Greetings, fellow daoist.”

“Greetings, Daoist Chi Si.” Banwu returned the courtesy. “My junior brothers and sisters don’t understand etiquette and have made fellow daoist laugh.”

“Not at all. Your sect’s junior brothers and sisters are innocent and adorable. Fellow daoist need not be too severe.” Chi Si smiled. Sensing Banwu’s wariness toward him, and just then having companions call for him, he cupped his hands in farewell: “Fellow daoists, I shall take my leave first.”

“Take care, fellow daoist.” Banwu watched this independent cultivator called Chi Si help several traveling companions carry bags of snacks, chatting and laughing as they walked away. All doubt in his heart disappeared. Perhaps it was because he’d encountered an ambush by evil cultivators on the road that made him overly tense, suspecting everyone he saw of being an evil cultivator.

Earlier when Xianzi Kong Hou laughed a few times, he suspected it was an evil cultivator deliberately mocking Zhenren Zhong Xi. Now this independent cultivator said a few extra words, and he suspected it was an evil cultivator deliberately sowing discord. What was wrong with him?

On the day the exchange conference officially began, representatives sent by nearly all the major sects had already arrived. The first day’s exchange topic was dao heart. The major sects gathered in small groups of twos and threes, first politely boasting to each other before slowly entering the main topic. The friendly and harmonious scene from just moments ago quickly became heated with anger due to different dao hearts.

Two cultivators nearly fought on the spot due to differing views and were finally dragged away by their respective sect elders. Others, while debating, began throwing various classics outside to prove their theories were correct.

Kong Hou sat together with nine other cultivators at the Heart Movement Stage, holding a teacup and listening to disciples from Jiufeng Sect and Zhaohan Sect at the same table arguing. She didn’t know what Liuguang Sect was thinking—these two sects clearly had some discord internally, yet they arranged them together. Was this because they felt the on-site discussion wasn’t lively enough and wanted to add some atmosphere?

In the room next to theirs, someone seemed to have already started banging on tables and chairs. Kong Hou heard the thumping sounds coming through. Fortunately, the table she sat at was relatively restrained. The Jiufeng Sect and Zhaohan Sect disciples only actively discussed and firmly refused to use their hands.

“Xianzi Kong Hou, what do you think?” Unable to settle their dispute, the Zhaohan Sect and Jiufeng Sect disciples turned together to look at Kong Hou.

Kong Hou leisurely took a sip of tea, set down the teacup, and applauded with a smile: “I think both of you speak very reasonably and have greatly benefited all of us. Please continue, please continue.”

The disciples from the other sects also reacted and followed Kong Hou in clapping loudly: “Right, right, right, continue, continue.”

Jiufeng Sect and Zhaohan Sect disciples: “…”

Facing these eyes watching the spectacle, they suddenly felt that continuing to argue was meaningless.

Outside the exchange courtyard, elders from the major sects sat together drinking tea, politely praising each other’s disciples while restrainedly criticizing their own unworthy juniors.

“Report! The distinguished disciple of Jiufeng Sect and the distinguished disciple of Zhaohan Sect have started fighting.”

The Jiufeng Sect elder and Zhaohan Sect elder exchanged glances, revealed kind smiles, and both expressed they would definitely properly discipline their own disciples.

“Report! The distinguished disciple of Beast Taming Sect and the distinguished disciple of Liangyi Sect, while discussing whether White Velvet Beasts can be eaten, beat up the distinguished disciple of Wuwei Manor.”

Everyone was puzzled. These two sects’ disciples were arguing—how did they end up beating the Wuwei Manor disciple? They all looked toward Qiushuang. Wuwei Manor had just become affiliated with Yunhua Sect. To beat someone for no reason—this really didn’t give Yunhua Sect any face.

Qiushuang didn’t speak. Qingyuan, as a peak master, had no choice but to ask: “Why was the Wuwei Manor disciple beaten?”

“Because the Wuwei Manor distinguished disciple said that although White Velvet Beasts can be eaten, their meat is tough and has heavy turbid energy. Discussing such a question is an insult to culinary cultivators…”

Everyone: …

“Report! The distinguished disciples of Zhaohan Sect and Jiufeng Sect have started fighting again.”

“What’s the reason this time?”

“The Jiufeng Sect distinguished disciple said that Zhaohan Sect’s Xianzi Lingbo’s ceremonial robes are ugly…”

“Who said that?” A male elder asked with a complex expression.

“It was Immortal Elder Jingyuan of Jiufeng Sect.”

Several male elders all shook their heads and sighed. Indeed, still too young—daring to say anything. In a few more years, he would understand what regret meant. Several hundred years ago, there was a male cultivator who didn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. After getting drunk, he said a female cultivator was ugly and dressed poorly. From then on, he was hunted by that female cultivator’s sect mates. Only after carrying thorns and asking for punishment could he barely continue mixing in the cultivation world.

Living a good life, yet insisting on offending women—what was the point?

Although Huan Zong was of the same generation as many disciples attending the exchange conference, his cultivation far exceeded these peers. So he sat together with the elders of the major sects in the capacity of Liuguang Sect peak master.

These elders could still maintain some semblance of elder dignity in front of juniors, but when privately gathered together, they would also talk about some absurd past events of the cultivation world. Huan Zong, with his uninvolved personality, knew so many cultivation world rumors precisely because he often sat together with elders on such occasions.

“They’ve fought so many times already. Among the ten great sects, aside from Qingjing Temple and Yuexing Sect, which other sect’s disciples haven’t used their hands?”

“There’s still Yunhua Sect.”

“Well, that’s truly rare.” A Zhaohan Sect peak master said. “It seems these Yunhua Sect disciples can all keep their composure very well.”

Qingjing Temple disciples were monastics and avoided easy anger. Yuexing Sect disciples, from the moment they entered the sect, cultivated the ruthless dao. It was very normal for these two sects not to fight with others, but for Yunhua Sect not to fight was quite difficult. Even a certain disciple from Liuguang Sect, because the disciple sitting beside him was too noisy, couldn’t help but draw his sword at the other party. Yet Yunhua Sect could be so patient?

In fact, it wasn’t that Yunhua Sect disciples could endure, but rather before they left, Qiushuang told them “if you want to properly watch the spectacle, you can’t let yourselves become part of the spectacle.” So Yunhua Sect disciples were very low-key and very restrained. Although everyone was assigned to different discussion rooms, they all maintained the highest level of spectacle-watching.

In the discussion room where Kong Hou was, the two disciples from Zhaohan Sect and Jiufeng Sect, because their argument became increasingly intense, started fighting and were therefore transmitted out by the formation. Kong Hou exchanged glances with the remaining young cultivators, put down her teacup, and said slowly: “Come, shall we officially begin discussing the dao?”

The remaining cultivators: “…”

Among the seven or eight people seated, most were disciples from small sects or affiliated sect disciples of large sects. When the Zhaohan Sect and Jiufeng Sect disciples were arguing, they didn’t dare casually interject. Now hearing Kong Hou say this, they both wanted to laugh but didn’t dare.

“Some days ago, I accidentally entered a secret realm and learned a cultivation method. I’ll recite the method’s content, and everyone can contemplate and study it together with me.” Ever since she could recite that cultivation method from the secret realm backward and forward, Kong Hou discovered that not only did she cultivate much faster, she could also sense the voices of common people praying.

After she transcribed this cultivation method for the sect, the elders studied it for a long time before confirming this cultivation method had no problems, but not everyone was suitable to cultivate this method.

More importantly, after cultivation, one could hear the heart voices of mortals when they worshipped. This didn’t seem like a cultivation method from the cultivation world, but more like… the techniques of immortals.

Because only when immortals enjoyed the incense offerings and worship of mortals could they listen to their heart voices.

—

**Author’s Note:** Exchange Conference: All fellow daoists, please maintain order at the venue. No fighting, no arguing. Please remember—friendship first, discussion second!