because he also had one

"Elder Gary, please come in quickly. Your presence truly illuminates this place," Dan said warmly, his face beaming with a bright smile.

Dan had sent invitations to the Celestial Moon Sect well in advance, hoping they would attend. For the Xenia family, having them at the party would be a great honor. Prior to this, the Celestial Moon Sect had never attended any gatherings hosted by J City's other families.

However, after receiving the invitations, the Celestial Moon Sect hadn't confirmed their attendance nor declined. Dan didn't press further and simply hoped that they would send representatives. So, when no one from the Celestial Moon Sect had arrived at the start of the party, Dan thought they wouldn't come. He hadn't expected them to arrive at this moment.

Better late than never! Dan didn't mind the delay at all. Their presence was already a significant honor for the Xenia family. Moreover, one of the newcomers was an Elder from the Celestial Moon Sect. Although he was an outer sect Elder responsible for worldly affairs, it still showed some sincerity.

"Hmm," the leading elderly man nodded slightly, with an air of pride. "We had some matters to attend to, which delayed us."

"Not late at all, not even a bit," Dan quickly responded. "Elder Gary coming here is a great honor for our Xenia family. It's never too late for your presence."

Dan led Elder Gary and his companions inside, and along the way, the other guests showed utmost respect to them.

The focus of everyone's attention shifted from Xenia, Jake, and the others to the newcomers who had just arrived. They instantly became the center of attention at the party. Even Xenia's grandfather, who had retreated upstairs earlier, came back downstairs.

"I heard that it's Miss Xenia's birthday today, so we came to offer our congratulations," said Elder Gary, the leader of the Celestial Moon Sect, according to Dan.

"Xenia, come over here," Dan quickly called his daughter.

Xenia approached and greeted, "Greetings, Elder Gary."

"Hmm," Elder Gary nodded and then took out a small booklet from his robe, handing it to Xenia. "We arrived in a hurry and didn't have time to prepare a proper gift. This is a Huang-grade cultivation technique. While it may not be a top-tier technique, if you diligently practice it, not even a dozen strong men could get close to you."

Envy! Elder Gary's words made the guests in the hall turn green with envy. They all stared fixedly at the small booklet in Elder Gary's hand. If it weren't for the Xenia family's presence and the scrutiny of the public eye, many might have been tempted to rush forward and grab it!

This was a cultivation technique! Even if it was only a Huang-grade one, it was something not easily accessible to ordinary people. Even these guests, who were part of J City's elite, had only heard of such techniques but had never seen one, let alone possessed one. Now, they had a cultivation technique right in front of their eyes. If they weren't envious and shocked, it would be strange.

"Xenia, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and thank Elder Gary," Xenia's grandfather excitedly said to his granddaughter.

Xenia's grandfather understood the value of this gift. While there were many wealthy individuals present, having a cultivation technique was rare. They could count on one hand how many families possessed such a technique. The Xenia family had never had one before, which had kept them at the lowest ranking among the five major families. That's why they actively cultivated their relationship with the Celestial Moon Sect, hoping to gain their support.

At this moment, the previous efforts to cultivate their relationship with the Celestial Moon Sect had finally borne fruit. The Celestial Moon Sect had taken the opportunity of Xenia's birthday to present such a generous gift, clearly as a reward for the Xenia family's prior efforts.

Xenia's grandfather couldn't believe that the Celestial Moon Sect would attend a birthday party for just anyone and give such a valuable Huang-grade cultivation technique as a gift. This was undoubtedly a result of their previous efforts to cultivate relations with the Celestial Moon Sect.

At this moment, Xenia's grandfather felt that all the financial and material resources they had invested in cultivating their relationship with the Celestial Moon Sect were worth it.

Xenia was also excited. As the favored child of the Xenia family, she knew the family's position within the five major families of J City wasn't high. This was due to the fact that they didn't possess their own cultivation technique. She was aware of the family's efforts to strengthen their relationship with the Celestial Moon Sect. When Elder Gary presented this cultivation manual, it confirmed that their previous efforts had yielded good results.

"Thank you, Elder Gary," Xenia said as she received the small booklet.

"Hmm," Elder Gary still carried an air of pride between his brows. However, no one in the audience found his attitude inappropriate. As one of the outer sect Elders of the Celestial Moon Sect, he had the qualifications for such behavior.

Xenia joyfully flipped through the small booklet, and the people around couldn't help but look on with envy. They wished they could see the contents of the booklet, but they didn't dare to approach openly. However, there was one exception.

"Xenia, I also have a booklet to give you," Jake said as he approached Xenia.

The atmosphere suddenly quieted down, and people looked at Jake with disbelief. Then, a few suppressed chuckles could be heard. Even the proud Elder Gary couldn't help but be drawn to Jake's words.

What did he mean? Did he want to give a gift because the Celestial Moon Sect members were giving one? Or did he not understand what a cultivation technique was and what cultivation meant?

Many thought about Jake's identity and believed that the latter possibility was more likely. Jake noticed the mocking expressions directed at him and felt puzzled. He hadn't prepared a birthday gift for Xenia, and even though she didn't seem to mind, he still felt a bit guilty. After all, she had invited him to her birthday party a week in advance and reminded him every day. Yet, he hadn't prepared a gift, which didn't sit well with him.

However, with the necklace he had prepared missing, Jake had to come up with an alternative. He couldn't go out and buy something now, could he? Just as he was racking his brain, trying to think of a suitable birthday gift, the members of the Celestial Moon Sect had arrived and presented the small booklet to Xenia as a birthday gift. When Jake saw the booklet, his eyes lit up because he also had one!