The day of Mo Ling's celebration arrived, and the Asura Demon Clan, usually a closed-off and intimidating fortress, opened its gates. The entire caldera city was alive with a festive, if still somewhat fierce, energy.
Banners of dark red silk, embroidered with the clan's emblem of a fanged, demonic face, fluttered from the black obsidian buildings. The usual sounds of sparring and the roar of the magma river were now accompanied by music from deep, resonant horns and the boisterous laughter of arriving guests.
From mid-morning, flying vessels of all shapes and sizes began to arrive at the natural stone gates, where they were respectfully greeted by Asura Demon Clan elders and guided to the designated landing peak.
This was not just a celebration of a single disciple's breakthrough; it was a major political event for the entire region. The marriage contest that would follow was an opportunity for sects and clans to form a powerful alliance with the newly resurgent Asura Demon Clan, whose guardian beast had been healed and whose heir had now entered the Core Formation realm.
Li Yu, now formally acting as the representative of the Golden Shell Guild, watched the arrivals from a high balcony alongside Clan Master Mo Jian. He wore a fine set of robes, simple in design but crafted from luxurious materials, with the golden shell emblem embroidered discreetly but clearly on his chest. He was a quiet, unassuming figure amidst a sea of powerful auras, yet he stood beside the Clan Master as an equal.
The first major arrivals were from the Blazing Sun Sect, a powerful 'righteous' sect from the south. Their vessel was a brilliant, golden ship shaped like a sun, and it radiated a warm, almost arrogant, heat. Their leader was a stern-faced man in his prime, and behind him stood a young man with a proud, confident bearing, his aura already at the peak of Foundation Establishment. This was Yan Huo, the Blazing Sun Sect's head disciple and a primary contender for the marriage contest.
Next came the Stone Breaker Sect, a sect of renowned blacksmiths and powerful body cultivators. They arrived not on a ship, but on the back of a massive, flying metal tortoise of their own creation, its shell gleaming with intricate runic patterns.
Their leader was a mountain of a man with arms as thick as tree trunks, and his chosen representative was his own son, Tie Gang, a quiet but immensely powerful youth whose body radiated the unyielding strength of refined steel.
Li Yu seeing the flying metal tortoise thought of Kui, he wondered if Kui had already ran into this sect and made trade deals with them. Knowing his love of turtles, he wondered if Kui gave them especially good rates, Li Yu smiled to himself at the thought.
Following them was the Whispering Fang Sect, a clan known for its mastery of poisons and stealth arts. Their leader was a gaunt, sallow-skinned woman with a chilling smile, and her top disciple was a young man named She Li, whose movements were unnervingly silent and whose gaze was as cold and as predatory as a snake's. They arrived on a sleek, dark vessel shaped like a venomous serpent slithering through the air.
Then came the Crimson Saber Pavilion, a martial sect famous for their aggressive, blood-soaked sword techniques. Their ship was a simple, sturdy flying longship, but every warrior on its deck radiated a sharp, battle-hardened aura. Their representative was a young man named Huo Zhan, whose eyes held a dangerous gleam, and whose two curved sabers gleamed at his waist.
The Jade Lotus Academy arrived next, a more scholarly sect, known for their mastery of elemental techniques and intricate formations. Their vessel was an elegant, floating pavilion adorned with jade carvings. Their leader, a serene old woman, was accompanied by a calm, scholarly young man named Lin Wei, whose robes were adorned with glowing, intricate patterns, hinting at his mastery of array arts.
Finally, the Spirit Tiger Fist Dojo, a sect dedicated to explosive close-quarters combat, roared in on a vessel shaped like a charging tiger, its roar echoing through the mountains. Their leader was a grizzled old master, and his champion was a boisterous, muscular young man named Hu Lei, whose fists looked as hard as granite and whose movements were imbued with the ferocity of a wild beast.
Each group, upon arrival, was led to the main hall to present their congratulatory gifts, a public display of their wealth and sincerity. The gift-giving ceremony was, in itself, a contest of power and influence. The Blazing Sun Sect presented a 'Sunstone Core,' a rare, high-grade spiritual ore that pulsed with pure fire energy, an invaluable treasure for any fire-attribute cultivator.
The Stone Breaker Sect presented a magnificent set of flexible armor forged from 'Starfall Iron,' a metal known for its incredible durability and light weight, shimmering with a dull, unbreakable strength.
The Whispering Fang Sect presented a single, exquisite jade bottle containing a single pill: the 'Thousand Venoms Antidote Pill,' a legendary pill that could cure hundreds of different venoms, a treasure of immense value to any who regularly ventured into dangerous lands.
The Crimson Saber Pavilion offered a set of perfectly matched Soul-Forged Sabers, each blade humming with a keen spiritual edge, clearly crafted by a master smith.
The Jade Lotus Academy presented a rare, ancient Formation Scroll, containing the schematics for a powerful defensive array that could repel even Core Formation attacks, a true gem for any sect's protective measures.
The Spirit Tiger Fist Dojo gifted a Qi-Infused Training Golem, capable of simulating opponents from Qi Condensing to Foundation Establishment, an invaluable tool for honing combat skills.
Many other clans and sects presented their own valuable gifts, each trying to outdo the last. It was a dazzling display of wealth, a silent battle fought with treasures instead of fists. The Asura Demon Clan accepted each gift with formal grace, the value of each one carefully noted by the clan's elders.
After the ceremony, the grand banquet began. The main hall of the clan was a vast, cavernous space, its high ceiling lost in shadow, lit by the fiery, ambient glow of the magma river far below. Long tables of black stone were laden with exotic foods and potent spirit wine. Li Yu, as the representative of the Golden Shell Guild and the clan's honored benefactor, was escorted to a seat of honor at the main table, to the right of Clan Master Mo Jian himself, along with Cyra.
This immediately caused a stir. The main table was reserved for the leaders of the most powerful sects and clans. To see a young man, whose aura was clearly only at the 7th stage of the Foundation Establishment realm, seated among these powerful Core Formation and even higher-level experts, was a shocking breach of protocol. They didn't mention Cyra because she looked the part of an expert and they didn' know they were together.
Whispers immediately broke out among the guests. "Who is that boy?" a disciple from a smaller sect murmured, trying to subtly point at Li Yu. "How can he be seated at the main table? He looks younger than any of us."
"Hmph, his cultivation is nothing special," Yan Huo of the Blazing Sun Sect commented to his peers, his voice a low, scornful sneer. "The Asura Demon Clan must be losing its edge to grant such an honor to a mere junior."
Tie Gang of the Stone Breaker Sect remained silent, but his brow was furrowed in confusion, while She Li of the Whispering Fang Sect simply watched Li Yu with his cold, calculating eyes, a flicker of amusement in his gaze.
Huo Zhan of the Crimson Saber Pavilion snorted, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sabers. "Perhaps he's just an arrogant young master from a newly rich family, trying to buy status he doesn't deserve."
Lin Wei of the Jade Lotus Academy simply observed, a thoughtful, analytical look in his eyes, while Hu Lei of the Spirit Tiger Fist Dojo just grunted, more interested in the mountains of food on the table than in social niceties.
The murmurs grew louder, the disdain from the younger generation palpable. They were all geniuses, among the top if not the top disciples of their respective powers, here to compete for the hand of a new Core Formation expert.
To see someone who appeared to be their peer, yet weaker than most of them, be given a status far above their own was a direct insult to their pride. They openly mocked him for a bit, their voices carrying across the hall, albeit in hushed tones, confident that the Clan Master, busy with his own greetings, wouldn't notice their minor insolence.
Mo Jian, who had been enjoying the start of the banquet, noticed the change in atmosphere. A slight frown creased his brow. He was about to make a statement, to remind his guests of Li Yu's status as a benefactor. That was when Li Yu himself, having not even noticed what was going on around him, purely focused on the food and drinks, leaned forward to grab a platter of roast spiced demon-boar, a specialty of the Asura Demon Clan.
The movement was small, casual, but it caused his robe to shift, making the golden shell emblem, which had been partially obscured, fully visible in the fiery light of the hall.
The effect was instantaneous. A disciple from a merchant clan who was seated near the main table saw the emblem first, and his eyes went wide with shock. He frantically elbowed his neighbor, pointing with a trembling finger. The recognition spread like a wildfire.
"The Golden Shell Guild!" The whisper was not one of scorn, but of pure, unadulterated shock and a healthy dose of fear. The mocking voices died down instantly. The entire hall, which had been buzzing with commentary about the unknown young man, fell into a tense, awkward silence.
The young masters at the other tables, who had been the most vocal in their disdain, now looked at Li Yu with a completely different expression. Yan Huo's sneer was gone, replaced by a look of wary calculation.
The Golden Shell Guild was a commercial behemoth, a power whose wealth and influence stretched across the entire continent. They had just recently heard of their alliance with a new power on the Continent, the Forest of the Radiant Dawn, who were able to stop the war in the north.
No sect, no matter how powerful, would be foolish enough to openly antagonize them. They were smart enough not to want that kind of trouble. They had assumed Li Yu was a representative of some minor, unknown sect.
To learn he was from the Golden Shell Guild changed everything. His personal cultivation didn't matter; the golden shell on his chest was a symbol of a power far greater than any single expert in this hall, that was the kind of face the Golden Shell Guild was starting to have.
The awkward silence was broken by Mo Jian, who saw that these people were wise enough to leave matters be, let out a hearty, booming laugh, his good mood restored. "Come, come, let the festivities begin!" he declared, raising his cup. "Let us eat and drink!"
The banquet resumed, but the atmosphere had changed. The gazes directed at Li Yu were no longer of scorn, but of curiosity, respect, and a deep, wary caution. The young man from the Golden Shell Guild had just taught them all a silent lesson in power, without saying a single word.