Conflict

Conflict . . . 

On the grand stage, Chen Yi gently tugged on Lin Shuai's hand, her eyes filled with a warm smile as she peered into his troubled gaze. She tightened her grasp, offering him a reassuring squeeze that conveyed her understanding of his discomfort. To her, any challenge he faced was her challenge as well.

"I don't truly care about the grandeur of this wedding, and I won't be offended even if we encounter some unpleasantness," Chen Yi whispered to Lin Shuai through their telepathic connection. "If you're unhappy, my love, don't hesitate to show it. There's no need to suppress your feelings. After this ceremony, we can leave immediately. You can follow your heart and do whatever you feel is right."

"I wanted this wedding to be perfect for you, but our union has caused resentment within your clan. I'm sorry that you have to endure this because of me," Lin Shuai sighed, his voice filled with regret.

Chen Yi's eyes filled with compassion as she responded, "My choice to marry you was made with love and determination. Nothing else matters in comparison. But I can't bear to witness the humiliation inflicted upon your sect by my clan members. Huo Yan doesn't seem like the type to give up easily."

Lin Shuai struggled with conflicting emotions. He didn't want their wedding day to be marred by discord. He turned his gaze toward Qin Wentian, who met his eyes with understanding.

Lin Shuai nodded subtly, conveying his willingness to rely on Qin Wentian.

A smile graced Qin Wentian's face as he turned to Purgatory, who stood behind him. "Since they invited you, go ahead and take a seat."

Purgatory nodded in agreement and made her way toward the young man who had previously spoken. This young man, Wan Jiansheng, belonged to the influential Wan Clan in the region and was a sword cultivator. He was pleasantly surprised when Purgatory approached him, immediately standing and offering his seat with a warm smile. "Maiden, please feel free to sit."

Purgatory accepted the seat without unnecessary formality. Qin Wentian then suggested, "Let's move to the back. We shouldn't disrupt the atmosphere of Senior Brother's wedding."

The members of the Battle Sword Sect followed Qin Wentian's lead, and even Sword Sovereign Lingtian had no objections.

Together, they moved to the rear of the gathering, finding seats among the servants. Chen Xue and Huo Yan couldn't hide their smug expressions upon witnessing this scene.

At last, these outsiders understood their place.

As the Battle Sword Sect members settled into their seats, even the servants shot them disdainful glances. However, because of their elevated status, none dared to openly express their contempt, although it was unmistakably evident in their eyes.

Chen Yi glanced at Lin Shuai beside her, a hint of curiosity in her gaze. "Lin Shuai?"

"We'll leave it to Junior Brother Qin," Lin Shuai said confidently. Chen Yi looked puzzled. Leave it to Junior Brother Qin?

"Let's proceed to serve the ceremonial wine to the others," Lin Shuai declared, no longer concerned with the surrounding attitude. His initial wish for a simple wedding had been dashed, but it seemed he had no other choice. He didn't want to exploit his junior apprentice brother's status for personal gain, but it appeared that the entire Chen Clan was determined to demean his sect.

With things as they were, he decided to entrust the matter to his junior brother, Qin Wentian. Lin Shuai believed that with Qin Wentian's current status and his experience in the immortal realms, he would handle the situation with finesse.

"Of course," Chen Yi agreed, and together they returned to the wedding banquet. Raising their wine cups, they offered a toast to the middle-aged man occupying the master's seat.

"Allow me to introduce Senior Fang to you both," Father Chen said with deliberate emphasis, drawing attention to the middle-aged man at the master's seat.

Lin Shuai and Chen Yi turned their gaze toward the man who was introduced with such importance. Lin Shuai raised his wine cup, offering a greeting that was polite yet not overly deferential. There was a sense of self-assuredness in his demeanor that didn't go unnoticed by Father Chen. He couldn't help but furrow his brows inwardly. Had Lin Shuai lost his sense of etiquette? Father Chen had just introduced Senior Fang, and Lin Shuai's response seemed too casual.

Surprisingly, Senior Fang didn't seem the least bit offended. He stood up and smiled warmly at Lin Shuai. "Noble nephew Lin, your demeanor is truly remarkable. I have no doubt that you will achieve great things in the future. Congratulations to both of you, and may your marriage be filled with happiness."

Father Chen, noticing the amicable response from Senior Fang, tried to intervene. "Sir, please, there's no need for such formality." He gestured for Senior Fang to sit. However, Senior Fang waved off the suggestion.

"No need to worry, I insist," he replied. Turning his attention back to Lin Shuai and Chen Yi, he continued, "If you ever find yourselves free in the future, do consider visiting my clan. We would be honored to treat you as esteemed guests."

With a gracious smile, he emptied his cup, then fixed an admiring gaze on Lin Shuai, giving no explanation for his behavior. Both Lin Shuai and Chen Yi were baffled but decided not to dwell on it. They continued to offer wine to the other elders, following the customs of respect.

Chen Ao and Chen Xue, on the other hand, were busy attending to the needs of the other guests, entertaining them as proper hosts should. With a crowd of attendees, the siblings had their hands full. However, it wasn't long before Huo Yan made his way toward the section where the servants and the members of the Battle Sword Sect were seated.

He greeted them with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, his tone condescending. "We appreciate your presence today, even though you've come from a great distance. However, one's background and status matter greatly in this world. Thus, we've arranged seating at the back for all of you. I hope you won't take offense."

Huo Yan's words implied that the Battle Sword Sect lacked status and deserved nothing more than to sit with the servants at the rear of the gathering.

"We are not offended," Ye Lingshuang responded coolly. "Every place has its share of snobbish individuals. If we were to take offense at every slight, life would be quite stressful. It's acceptable for snobs to act that way if they possess the qualifications to do so. However, it's evident that they are nothing more than insignificant individuals with inflated egos. I wonder if they were born ignorant or simply blinded by their own arrogance. Nevertheless, we have no intention of stooping to their level."

Huo Yan was momentarily taken aback by Ye Lingshuang's response. He observed her with newfound interest before offering a condescending smile. "It appears this young lady hasn't yet had the chance to experience the world fully, believing that ascendants hold some significant status. If you happen to be unattached, why not consider visiting my clan? You might have the opportunity to become an immortal's concubine."

Ye Lingshuang maintained her composure, refusing to be provoked by his arrogance. She replied with a wry smile, "I appreciate the invitation, but I must decline. I believe I have more pressing matters to attend to."

"We come from a humble place, and our attitudes have remained modest," Ye Lingshuang remarked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Unlike you, who, despite being no more than an ascendant, manages to outshine even immortal kings in arrogance." Her words cut through the air, a pointed critique of Huo Yan's demeanor. In her time at the Thousand Transformations Immortal Sect, she had encountered many immortal kings, all of whom exuded warmth and elegance, their pride stemming from self-confidence, not merely their family backgrounds as in Huo Yan's case.

"Immortal kings?" Huo Yan scoffed with a derisive laugh. "Have you ever even met one in person? Using such an attempt to elevate your own status, aren't you a tad too presumptuous?"

The concept of immortal kings was synonymous with supreme power. How could the Battle Sword Sect, a mere ascendant power, have possibly encountered one before? In a final act of contempt, Huo Yan poured his wine onto the floor, not bothering to toast or acknowledge them in any way.

"Sir Huo Yan hails from the direct lineage and stands a chance to compete for the position of clan master in the future," chimed in a servant girl from the side. Although the servants kept their heads down, their concealed smirks of contempt were evident. They found it laughable that these individuals thought they could be compared to someone of Huo Yan's status.

"Even a servant girl looks down on us," Qin Wentian muttered with a wry smile.

---

Meanwhile, up front, Wan Jiansheng found himself increasingly captivated by Purgatory's beauty as he gazed at her. Her allure was an intoxicating blend of beauty and a hint of demonic charm, capable of quickening one's heartbeat with a single glance.

"Do you have someone special in mind?" Wan Shenjian leaned closer to Purgatory, his hand daringly making contact with her arm. But the moment their skin met, he let out a piercing scream, causing his wine cup to crash to the floor.

All eyes turned toward the commotion. Purgatory, unperturbed, inquired, "Is something wrong?"

Wan Jiansheng frowned, struggling to find words. He had felt a surge of searing heat coursing through his arm upon touching her, causing intense pain.

The crowd shifted their attention away, but Wan Jiansheng remained undeterred. He attempted to engage Purgatory in conversation to learn more about her interests, but she responded with icy indifference, refusing to indulge him. The more she ignored him, the more determined he became to win her over.

His desire for her grew stronger as he looked upon her exquisite face and shapely figure. He grew bolder, feigning a fall and directing his tumble toward Purgatory. With outstretched hands, he aimed to touch her, driven by his lust.

However, at the critical moment, he let out an agonizing scream. His hands never reached their intended target. Instead, a scorching surge of energy invaded his body, burning his upper torso. The residual heat from earlier activated as well, searing the nerves in his arm. Writhing in excruciating pain, he screamed, drawing the attention of the entire gathering once more.

"Jiansheng!" A middle-aged expert rushed over in haste upon witnessing Wan Jiansheng's plight. As he inspected Wan Jiansheng's injuries, his expression turned ashen, and he cast an accusatory glance at Purgatory.

"Slut!" The expert no longer cared that this was Lin Shuai's wedding. His anger surged as he directed his ire at Purgatory.

Huo Yan and Chen Xue also hurried to the scene, their expressions filled with concern and anger. Huo Yan fixed his gaze on Purgatory and exclaimed, "How can you be so malicious on a wedding day? You're nothing more than a lowly member of an inferior power. Even if you belong to Lin Shuai's sect, you won't escape today."

A crowd of onlookers watched with keen interest, especially when some of the immortal-foundation experts recognized Purgatory as an immortal as well.

Purgatory slowly rose to her feet, and in an instant, a formidable aura of immortality radiated from her, filling the surroundings and sending temperatures soaring. Huo Yan found himself overwhelmed by the pressure, drenched in his own perspiration.

"How powerful..." Many spectators were awestruck. Purgatory's cultivation base was astonishingly strong.

Even the immortal-foundation experts couldn't hide their astonishment when they felt her power.

"Who did you call a lowly slut?" Purgatory's expression turned icy as she locked eyes with Huo Yan and the middle-aged expert beside Wan Jiansheng. Even the middle-aged expert, who was at the sixth-level of cultivation, felt immense pressure confronting Purgatory. Her aura matched his own, if not exceeded it.

Lin Shuai, Chen Yi, and their entourage quickly arrived on the scene. Chen Yi regarded Purgatory with newfound admiration, amazed by her strength.

Father Chen arrived as well. The middle-aged expert beside Wan Jiansheng wore a grim expression as he addressed Chen, "Brother Chen, your clan's wedding has resulted in my son's hand being crippled. How do you intend to address this matter?"

"That woman has shown extreme audacity, daring to commit such an act in front of everyone," Huo Yan's father chimed in, standing by his son's side as he glared coldly at Purgatory.

On the other side, Qin Wentian calmly set down his wine cup, finally lifting his gaze to the unfolding drama.