In the world of "Covering the Sky," my cultivation technique is not right.

A stream of clear water is poured into a teacup, and wisps of steam rise up. At the bottom of the cup, a golden leaf floats, its surface bearing the image of a Buddha.

Instantly, the sound of Buddha chanting sutras rang out from the cup, and golden light emanated from it, turning the water vapor into gold. In the mist, countless Bodhisattvas and Buddhas sat cross-legged, creating a small Buddhist sanctuary.

"This is... the leaves of the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree." Lü Yao exclaimed in surprise. He had never tasted such a divine substance before; this was the first time he had ever seen it.

In the old lord's cup was a leaf as blue as the sea, with chains of divine order weaving through it, like a small true dragon swimming.

He said, "If you hadn't come, I wouldn't have been willing to part with these tea leaves. I don't have many of these treasured leaves left."

Every year, a few tea leaves drift out from the Immortal Mountain, with a maximum of no more than 108 leaves. Various ancient forces compete for them, and each of them will never get much tea.

However, the old manor lord had lived for so many years and was still a saint at the pinnacle. He said that he did not have many treasures, so Lü Yao could only believe him halfway.

As the two talked, the old manor lord asked him why he had come back from this route.

Lu Yao said directly, "I made a special trip to the ancient pass of the human race, met the human prodigies of the various ancient stars, returned to Beidou, met with my relatives and friends, and then truly embarked on the path of trials."

The old manor lord recalled, "When you first came here, you already had the strength of a second-level Immortal. How long has it been, and you've already reached the Great Perfection of Kinghood."

"I just work a little harder than the average person and endure more hardship," Lü Yao said modestly, then changed the subject and asked:

"How is the Sacred Land of Yao Guang? How are my friends?"

The old manor lord knew who the friend he was talking about was.

"The Yao Guang Holy Land is very good. The suppression of the Azure Emperor's Great Dao has been relaxed. Fellow Daoist Wang Zheng has become a saint. The Yao Guang Holy Land has two saints and an imperial weapon. Even the ancient royal family has shown him enough respect."

"As for the demon race in the Eastern Wilderness, the Peacock King and others have successively slain many Dao cultivators. Although no saints have appeared, given your relationship with the demon princess, the Yao Guang Holy Land will advance and retreat together with the demon race."

"Ye Fan, the Holy Body, is in a precarious situation. The Heavenly Emperor's Son, Yuan Gu, and the Golden Heavenly Maiden have all declared that they will intercept and kill the Holy Body."

"Oh? Why?" Lu Yao asked in confusion. He knew that Ye Fan would definitely have to face off against the ancient prince and princess, but with so many at once, wouldn't Ye Fan be overwhelmed?

The old manor lord recalled:

"In recent years, the Primordial Clan emerged and forced the human race to cede the Eastern Wilderness. Many human forces were wiped out by the Primordial Clan. Imperial weapons and ancient emperor weapons confronted each other. Later, Ye Fan, the Holy Body, somehow brought out the Emperor Bell and the Investiture of the Gods of the Primordial Emperor, making the Primordial Clan believe that the Emperor was still alive, and they had no choice but to retreat."

"But that was under the guise of the Great Emperor Wushi. The Great Emperor Wushi had not shown his face for a long time, which aroused the suspicion of the ancient races. In the end, they discovered that it was a scheme by the Holy Body. Even an Ancestral King tried to erase the Holy Body. The God King Jiang Taixu intervened and killed that Ancestral King, but the conflict intensified further, leading to the Yaochi Myriad Races Gathering."

Lu Yao listened quietly to the old mansion master's words, which were largely the same as the grand gathering at Yaochi in the original story that he knew.

Almost all the fierce races that were hostile to the human race had arrived, while several ancient royal families were hiding behind the scenes and manipulating the situation.

The ten fierce clans and the ten royal clans, along with more than twenty kinds of ancestral kings and heavenly kings, came to fight against the human saints at Yaochi.

Jiang Taixu, Gouchen Old Saint Master, Wang Zheng, the Barbarians, Xuanwu Demon Saint, and Ji Family Saint are in the open, while Wei Yi, Dongfang Human Demon, and Gai Jiuyou are in the dark.

The two forces clashed beneath the Immortal Tear Green Gold Cauldron. After several Ancestral Kings were killed in succession, the Great Saint of the Golden Clan, the Great Saint of the Primordial Lake, and the Great Saint of the Myriad Dragon Nest arrived one after another, all carrying ancient imperial weapons, confronting the Immortal Tear Green Gold Pagoda, the Eternal Universe Furnace, and the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron.

Fortunately, a fight didn't break out. The legendary Great Sage Hun Tuo intervened, mediated between the two sides, and agreed that the sage would never be born again.

The old manor lord bowed his head in regret: "Although the sages have not appeared in the world, the young experts of the human race have been targeted by the young experts of the ancient races. Many of them have been ambushed, and even the five young experts of the human race have suffered serious injuries."

"The five top masters?" Lu Yao remembered that before he left, all five top masters were missing.

The old lord recounted in detail: "The Northern God, the Southern Demon, the Central Emperor, the Eastern Yao Guang, and the Western Bodhisattva have all severed their Dao in the past two years and are now able to compete with the ancient princes and princesses."

"The Southern Demon was severely injured by Huang Xudao and has gone into hiding in the Southern Ridge. His whereabouts are unknown. He is presumably recuperating in the Demon Emperor's Palace."

"The Western Bodhisattva was ambushed by the Golden Goddess and the Heavenly Emperor's son and forced into the depths of the Western Desert, where he disappeared without a trace. Later, the Great Thunder Temple released a message saying that the Western Bodhisattva had embarked on the road to the Amitabha Ancient Starfield."

"The Northern God and the Ji family's imperial son fought against the Primordial Ancient and Phoenix Void Paths in the Northern Region of the Eastern Wilderness, and the battle ended in a draw."

"Dong Yaoguang rarely left the Yaoguang Holy Land. Once, he encountered Huo Qizi from Huolin Cave. They exchanged three blows and neither could gain the upper hand."

"And Emperor Xiang Yufei left from Qishi Mansion by embarking on the ancient star road."

The old manor lord added at the end: "Therefore, among the young experts of the human race, only Ye Fan, the Holy Body, is the most outstanding. The Heavenly Emperor has declared that after suppressing Ye Fan, the human race will have no hope left."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yao chuckled and said, "Quite the boast."

The old manor lord sighed: "The ancient emperor's own son, born bathed in the laws of the imperial way, who can rival him except for the Void Emperor's son?"

Lü Yao then asked, "Who is the Northern God?"

He recognized the other four people. Where did this Northern God come from? Could he be a disciple trained by that sage old woman in the far north?

Unexpectedly, the old manor lord looked at him with a strange expression and said, "The Jade Pool is holding another Peach Banquet, and the Northern God has been invited to attend. Why don't you go and see for yourself?"

"When?" Lü Yao asked, intrigued.

"Three days later, the Holy Body will also arrive. The Heavenly Emperor's son, the Golden Heavenly Maiden, and the eighth-generation descendant of the Yuan Emperor have declared that they will kill the two at the grand event."

Chapter 301 Ji Zi

The Primordial Mine was revered by countless ancient clans, who believed that gods existed within it. Because of its source minerals, it became a key battleground for these ancient clans after their emergence.

The past two decades have witnessed a bloody and violent conflict surrounding these Originium veins.

Even now, only forces like the Yao Guang, Ji family, and Jiang family, who possess imperial weapons, can remain in control and occupy the original mines.

Most other forces, even holy lands like Dayan and Zifu, have lost many of the mineral veins they once possessed.

They were not at a disadvantage against the royal family, the royal clan, and the fierce clan.

As for forces at the level of the Five Elements Palace and the Illusion Palace, or even lower-level forces, countless others were massacred.

The sacred land of Yaochi has always remained neutral, not participating in worldly conflicts. However, even under these circumstances, it has repeatedly made its stance clear, using the Immortal Tears Green Gold Pagoda to intimidate the ancient races.

Deep within the sacred grounds, a lively scene was unfolding.

"Your Highness, please pour your blood onto this nine-aperture stone figure." A powerful figure from the Jade Pool Holy Land solemnly took out a small, emerald-green knife, its cold light gleaming.

The Heavenly Emperor's son took the jade knife, made a cut on his wrist, and blood appeared on his skin. Five-colored divine blood, crystal clear, gushed out and was splashed onto the nine-aperture stone statue.

The stone core became increasingly mystical, as if it were breathing and resonating with heaven and earth. The blood of the five-colored deities seemed to have been absorbed by a sponge, leaving it clean and still.

In the void, the clanging of the chains of order echoed, and a hazy, dreamlike voice chanted scriptures and preached.

"Incredible, what a stroke of luck!" Behind the Emperor's son was an old servant with a blue dragon head and divine wings on his back.

He activated a supernatural power similar to a divine eye, seemingly able to see through the scene inside the nine-aperture humanoid stone embryo: "It is nurturing a female holy spirit, who will be invincible once she is born."

The Emperor's son also had a strange look in his eyes. He had long heard that there was a Holy Spirit Stone Embryo in the Yaochi Holy Land, but now he realized just how extraordinary it was. It was nurturing a Holy Spirit Supreme who could challenge the Great Emperor.

"Thank you, Your Highness." The powerful figure from Yaochi bowed. The Holy Land had invited the Your Highness here, specifically for the divine blood within his body.

This bloodline is inherited from the ancient immortal emperor and primordial gods, making it extremely noble.

For this grand Peach Banquet, Yaochi invited many young masters from ancient clans, specifically to use the various extraordinary bloodstains within them to nourish the Holy Spirit Stone Embryo.

The Heavenly Emperor's son laughed and said, "If I want this Nine-Aperture Stone Embryo, I wonder how your esteemed holy land can part with it?"

The powerful being from Yaochi was taken aback and waved his hand repeatedly, saying, "Your Highness is joking. This Nine-Aperture Stone Embryo has been nurtured in my Yaochi for countless millennia, and it is impossible for it to be exchanged."

Are you kidding? This is the future empress that the Jade Pool Holy Land is cultivating for itself! What could possibly surpass a future emperor?

The Emperor's son directly asked, "What if I exchange it for the Ancient Divine Scripture?"

Upon hearing this, not only was the powerful being from Yaochi momentarily stunned, but the old servant behind the Emperor also exclaimed in alarm, "Absolutely not!"

"Young Master, those are scriptures forged by the Emperor, the number one scripture in the world. How can you hand them over so easily?" the old servant with the dragon head said in a panic.

The Emperor's son proudly declared, "I will eventually ascend to the Immortal Realm, and I will have a Heavenly Empress by my side. This Holy Spirit Woman is just right."

The nine-aperture stone embryo by the pool still glowed with light. It was unclear whether the Holy Spirit could hear the outside world, but she remained calm and showed no reaction.

The powerful being from Yaochi forced a smile: "This matter still needs the Queen Mother of the West to decide. The grand gathering is about to begin, so please proceed first, Your Highness."

The Heavenly Emperor's son grunted in agreement and, led by the disciples of Yaochi, headed towards the cloud-shrouded cliff where the most talented individuals gathered.

The powerful being from Yaochi then strode towards the palace of the Queen Mother of the West.

"You mean, the Heavenly Emperor's son is willing to exchange the Immortal Emperor's Divine Ancient Scripture for the Nine-Aperture Stone Embryo?"

The voice of the Queen Mother of the West came from inside the palace, and the powerful beings who had just accompanied the Heavenly Prince repeatedly said "Yes".

The Queen Mother of the West resolutely said, "The Jade Pool has its own lineage, which is by no means inferior to the ancient scriptures of the gods. There is absolutely no way we can exchange them."

Every great emperor could not admit that he was inferior to others; this mentality was passed down to future generations through their blood.

"But the Heavenly Emperor's son holds a transcendent position among the ancient races; if he harbors resentment..."

That great being was somewhat worried.

"The Undying Emperor is an ancient emperor, but isn't the Queen Mother of the West a great emperor? The Heavenly Emperor's son doesn't have that much power among the human race. At this Peach Banquet, the ancient race has the Holy Emperor's son, and the human race has the Northern God, the Void Emperor's son, and the Holy Body. The Heavenly Emperor's son can't become the ruler of the world yet!"

Although the Queen Mother of the West was a woman, she was absolutely fearless in the face of the gods from ancient history.

"Go ahead and organize the grand event well. There will surely be a fierce battle and a gathering of scholars discussing the Dao. It will likely become a contest between the human race's prodigies and the ancient race's monsters."

"Yes."

The sounds inside the hall ceased, and the powerful figure slowly walked out, transforming into a rainbow of light and heading towards the gathering place.

The Yaochi Sacred Land is vast, occupying a large area of ​​mountains and rivers surrounding the Primordial Ancient Mine, with various terrains and spiritual soils, seemingly without end.

This year's Peach Banquet was held on a celestial cliff, which was once the place where a certain sage of Yaochi secluded himself.

A misty haze hangs in the air, and purple clouds rise. Auspicious beasts such as white deer and white cranes leap in front of the mountain. Orchids, jade trees, and rare flowers and herbs grow in patches on the cliffs, filling the air with their fragrance.

Many young masters had already gathered on the cliff.

It is worth mentioning, however, that most of these experts are clearly separated and do not get close to each other, with a strong sense of hostility.

For the sake of territory, resources, and the qualification for the Imperial Road, the human race and the ancient race have harbored deep grudges over the years, to the point of being blood feuds.

Even if some ancient forces are on good terms with the human race, they will not openly align themselves with the human race.

For example, the Divine Silkworm Taoist of Divine Silkworm Ridge, and the siblings Huo Qizi and Huo Lin'er of Fire Kirin Cave, the three of them did not get close to the human race, nor did they get together with the Heavenly Emperor's son. Each of them led their own clansmen and occupied a corner.

"The Crown Prince is back," someone whispered.

The exceptionally handsome Heavenly Prince returned from the depths of Yaochi, accompanied by the old servant who had slain the Dao, and headed towards the Primordial Clan.

Among the young masters of the Primordial Clan, apart from a few such as Huo Linzi and Shencan Daoren, they all stood up and bowed.

"...The Emperor's Prince."

The Heavenly Emperor's son smiled brightly, like the sun god, and pressed his hands down: "Fellow Daoists, please sit down quickly, the Peach Banquet is about to begin. The Jade Pool Peach Banquet is truly a unique delicacy of the Eastern Wilderness."

"Yes." The ancient clans sat down.