The convoy passed through the archway, cleared another three layers of maze arrays, slowly decelerated, and stopped at the edge of the Ritual Arena.
Before them lay a vast complex of palaces.
Unlike the scattered layouts of ordinary second-rate families built along mountainsides, the main hall, side halls, rear halls, corridors, and pavilions here were all strictly aligned with a Nine-Palace Grid.
Shen Qingci did a rough count. A side hall stood in each of the eight directions, with the main hall standing directly in the center atop a Taiji diagram.
In front of the hall were nine tiers of white jade steps. Below the steps, the Ritual Arena was paved with green and gold spiritual ores, forming an Innate Taiji Diagram.
Crouched upon the eyes of the Taiji diagram were two puppet beasts modeled after demon beasts from the Cangwu Mountain Range, their fangs bared outward and the Gu family crest adorned upon their heads.
Eight corridors extended from the main hall, with an Earth-grade Low-rank spirit-gathering array built at each entrance.
At the eastern end lay the Scripture Pavilion, to the west was the armory, to the south was the Pill Chamber, and to the north was the artifact-refining room... The rear hall complex rose tier by tier, with the Star-Plucking Tower at the very peak almost piercing the clouds.
Shen Qingci frowned slightly.
Even the orientations of the pavilions in the Gu family were arranged according to the Cosmic Constellations.
The main hall sat in the north facing south, the Star-Plucking Tower rose above all side halls, and the Scripture Pavilion and the armory flanked them on the left and right.
The entire palace complex was itself a massive array!!!
An ordinary residence would never be laid out like this.
To lay bare one's foundation before distinguished guests for a mere birthday feast was either a display of sincerity or an attempt to sell themselves to the highest bidder.
Gu Shen got down from the carriage behind them, walked quickly to the Shen family's carriage, and bent down to lift the curtain.
Shen Qingci helped her aunt out of the carriage. Just as her feet stepped onto the spirit-patterned bricks, the doors of the hall opposite them were pushed open from the inside.
Leading the way was a female cultivator with a slender, upright posture and a dark jade tablet-hairpin tucked diagonally into her hair.
She looked to be in her early forties, with fine lines at the corners of her eyes that did not make her look old, but rather lent her a steady composure born of long-held authority.
Behind her followed over twenty elders, and further back were the disciples of the direct line, a dense crowd that filled the entire plaza in front of the hall.
Shen Qingci glanced over, and she immediately had a clear picture in her mind.
The Patriarch of the Gu family was at the peak of Void Refining, three minor realms higher than her aunt.
Gu Huaiyan took a few steps forward and folded her hands. “Gu Huaiyan of the Cangwu Gu family greets Fellow Daoist Tinglan and the Eldest Young Lady.”
Hearing this, Shen Tinglan uncharacteristically cast aside her usual laziness and returned a formal bow. “Patriarch Gu is too polite.”
Gu Huaiyan straightened up and did not beat around the bush. “I have long heard of Fellow Daoist Tinglan's great reputation. Seeing you today, it is indeed the grand demeanor of the Shen family.” She then turned to Shen Qingci. “Cangwu County has also received news of the Eldest Young Lady surviving twelve tribulation lightning strikes during her Foundation Establishment.”
“The Heavenly Secret Pavilion cast four consecutive divinations and dared not speak of it. Truly rare in this world!”
Shen Qingci nodded slightly, her expression dignified. “Patriarch Gu praises me too highly.”
“Qingci has only recently entered Foundation Establishment and does not deserve such praise.”
Gu Huaiyan stopped with the pleasantries, turning sideways to gesture with her hand. “Please come inside, both of you. The fellow Daoists who have come to offer their congratulations are already waiting in the Tianyi Pavilion.”
Shen Qingci looked toward the main hall. Hundreds of seats had been set up inside, and Liu Yuan, Fu Wanjiang, Yun Miao, Ji Lingshu, and the others had already taken their places.
Gu Shen was currently directing the servants to arrange spiritual fruits and pastries, busy to the point of running off her feet.
She withdrew her gaze and helped her aunt follow Gu Huaiyan down the side corridor.
The side corridor extended inward, and nestled deep inside was a small teleportation array. The array plate was about half a person's width, with its outer edge inlaid with a ring of spatial stones.
The three of them stepped in, and with a flash of spiritual light, they opened their eyes to find themselves atop another high pavilion.
The Tianyi Pavilion was the top floor of the Star-Plucking Tower. It had no walls on any side, with only twelve Coiled Dragon Pillars supporting the dome.
The dome was ground from a single whole Void Refining demon core into a circular shape. As the sky's light filtered through, the entire room was brightly illuminated.
Standing at the edge of the pavilion, one could overlook the entire city nestled within the mountain, and even the changing of the guards of the halberd-wielding cultivators on the outer city walls was crystal clear.
A long table was set up in the pavilion, with over fifty people seated behind it. Their cultivations started at Soul Transformation, and there were even several Void Refining cultivators.
Seeing Gu Huaiyan lead them in, everyone in the room rose to their feet.
“We greet the Eldest Young Lady of the Shen family and Fellow Daoist Tinglan.”
“Everyone is too polite.”
The main seat was placed at the head of the long table, with a seat on either side.
Shen Tinglan was invited to take her seat on the left.
Shen Qingci sat on the right. She raised her eyes to glance at both sides of the long table; the masters of the major sects in the Southern Region had all arrived, except for the one who had recently ascended to heaven.
Seventy to eighty percent of the heads of the first- and second-rate great families from the Eastern, Western, and Northern Regions were present, and even the Vice Island Master of the Penglai Immortal Island from the Eastern Sea was seated among them.
Any one of these people, if pulled out at random, was a heavyweight who could shake the four regions with a single stomp.
At this moment, each maintained their own poise, yet the corners of their eyes kept drifting toward her.
Shen Qingci thought to herself that if she had a price tag stuck to her body—charging one high-grade spirit stone per look—she could make a fortune and enrich her senior sister.
An elder wearing a crimson brocade robe spoke first.
The head of the Chishui Fu family of the Western Region spoke with a voice full of vigor, “Is this the Eldest Young Lady of the Shen family?”
“In my early years, I traveled through the Southern Region and saw the elegant demeanor of Mr. Nan from afar.”
“Seeing the Eldest Young Lady's bearing today, it is indeed passed down from the same lineage.” After saying this, he laughed heartily twice.
Beside him, the head of the Qinglan Yun family of the Eastern Region, a thin, middle-aged female cultivator, chimed in with a smile, “Elder Fu, those words truly hit the mark for me.”
“The Yun family resides in a remote corner of the Eastern Region, where news is slow to travel. Being able to see the Eldest Young Lady with my own eyes today gives me plenty to tell my clansmen when I return.”
“Should the Shen family have any needs in the Eastern Region in the future, the Yun family will be at your beck and call.”
The head of the Southern Region's Liu family sat diagonally opposite Shen Qingci. He was a male cultivator with a plain face and had remained largely silent.
Waiting until the others had finished speaking, he finally found an opening. “The Liu family has operated trade routes in the Southern Region for thousands of years. Though we cannot compare to the deep pockets of the Furong Merchant Alliance, we have wide connections and plenty of hands.”
“If the Eldest Young Lady needs to transport goods in the Southern Region in the future, the Liu family is willing to serve you with absolute devotion.”
Shen Qingci silently kept count in her mind.
From the moment she entered until now, in less than the time it took for an incense stick to burn, seven families had already proactively offered their allegiance.
She peeked at her aunt a couple of times.
Good grief! Her aunt was idly playing with the ice-jade bracelet on her wrist, looking completely uninterested in helping her out of this spot.
So annoying o(´^｀)o~
Gu Huaiyan walked to the head of the long table and cleared her throat.
In an instant, all noise in the pavilion vanished.
She did not sit down. Standing there, her divine sense swept over everyone present one by one, finally resting on Shen Tinglan and Shen Qingci.
“Everyone has come to Cangwu County recently, ostensibly to celebrate my birthday,” she spoke directly, without beating around the bush. “But everyone here knows that a mere six-thousandth birthday is not worth stirring up the four regions.”
“The one you all truly wish to see is the heir of the Shen family.”
No one on either side of the long table spoke up, nor did anyone show any surprise.
Gu Huaiyan continued, “The Cangwu Gu family has been rooted in the Southern Region for tens of thousands of years, guarding this mountain range since the time of our ancestors.”
“In terms of foundation, eighty percent of the forces present cannot compare to us. But in terms of vision, we do not see as far as you all do.”
“The Gu family has never dreamed of dominating the four regions or being number one in the world. We only wish to guard Cangwu and ensure our clansmen live well.”
She turned around to face Shen Qingci directly, the politeness on her face fading slightly. “Eldest Young Lady, the Gu family wishes to become a vassal family of the Shen family. Not just a generic alliance, but a true, absolute vassal.”
“If the Shen family points east, the Gu family will not go west. If the Shen family needs people, the disciples of our direct line are yours to choose from. If the Shen family wants land, the Gu family will hand over the Cangwu Mountain Range from south to north on a silver platter!”
Rate on N.U.
