The Long Journey to Immortality

"I even suspect that the timing of this banquet was determined based on the time Fengyang arrived here."

The Phoenix Clan was once the second most powerful force in the desolate lands, and even after its division, its influence still lingers.

Feng Yang, a Nascent Soul cultivator with the bloodline of the Illusionary Phoenix, is definitely a big shot in the eyes of many magical beasts and lower-level true spirits.

His arrival can indeed prove something and may make those wavering centrists make up their minds.

Upon seeing Feng Yang arrive, Fang Lin, who was sitting in his seat chatting with a junior, quickly got up to greet him.

As Fang Lin, the second most important figure among the human race, stood up and moved, countless eyes followed him. Soon after, Feng Yang, another figure of equal importance, also came into the view of these guests who had arrived early.

As Han Lu had predicted, Feng Yang's appearance caused a slight commotion at the scene.

Many of the magical beasts were either whispering among themselves or communicating with each other using their divine senses. The expressions on the faces of these magical beasts, which had taken human form, were all uncertain.

Fang Lin appeared before Feng Yang at this time as an old friend, not as the second-in-command of the human race.

Upon seeing Fengyang, he immediately took Fengyang's hand warmly and led him to a seat, while also asking about his well-being in a slightly exaggerated tone.

Feng Yang understood his old friend's intentions in doing so. Having already made up his mind to stand on the side of the human race, he naturally didn't mind being used as a pawn.

Responding loudly in return, the two chatted about everyday topics they had discussed a few days prior, talking back and forth as if the other magical beasts and human cultivators did not exist.

Feng Jiao's reaction was naturally not as swift as Feng Yang's, but she knew when to speak and when to keep quiet.

So she simply smiled and followed her father and the "great hero" Fang Lin, without speaking rashly and disrupting the tacit understanding between Fang Lin and Feng Yang.

The intimate behavior between the two important figures, Feng Yang and Fang Lin, aroused suspicion among many monsters.

However, some onlookers who knew the inside story and were aware of the close relationship between Fang Lin and Feng Yang used this action to confirm that Feng Yang would rely on their past friendship to lead the Illusion Phoenix Clan to stand on the same side as the human race.

This is big news.

After taking the seat closest to the chief on the True Spirit and Magical Beast side, Fang Lin did not leave immediately. Instead, he continued to chat with Feng Yang, as if he wanted to sit next to Feng Yang and keep him company before the banquet even started.

This situation left Fengyang somewhat overwhelmed, but unfortunately, the play had already gone this far, so it had to be completed.

Fortunately, the remaining few monsters who were absent all entered the banquet within a quarter of an hour.

Fang Lin then let Feng Yang off the hook, handing the old father back to his daughter. He then quickly returned to his own position and sent a message to Fu Ding, the top leader, to come out and "greet the guest."

Naturally, the last person to enter was Fu Ding, who had rushed over after receiving a message from Fang Lin.

As a prominent figure in the human race, Fu Ding, with his considerable prestige and knowledge of many magical beasts and true spirits, is far more suitable than Fang Lin to host this banquet.

Another person entered with Fu Ding.

That person was Wang Han, a cultivator who would choose to undergo a tribulation three months later to break through the Nascent Soul stage and advance to the Divine Transformation stage.

Whether it was Han Lu's imagination or not, Han Lu felt that Wang Han was only a few steps away, so she repeatedly turned her gaze to the empty space where she was standing.

Even though she changed her position three times, it was still the same.

It was as if Wang Han could sense her, this guest who had unexpectedly entered the venue thanks to the Moon Pearl.

"Could it really be sensing my presence...?" Han Lu felt uneasy, recalling the shock Wang Han had given her during the final test in the ancient cultivation secret realm.

Fortunately, after sitting down in the second seat, Wang Han stopped looking in Han Lu's direction.

Without any special hints or more than occasional glances, Han Lu felt that Wang Han, who was only at the late Nascent Soul stage, shouldn't be so mysterious as to be able to detect her presence.

With all the important figures seated, the banquet began smoothly after Fu Ding's speech.

Everyone raised their cups to drink the spirit wine, and Feng Jiao was no exception.

At that time, spirit wine was made more by soaking than by brewing.

In terms of taste, it is far inferior to the spirit wines of later generations.

However, in terms of "strength," it is much more ferocious than the spirit wine of later generations.

After just one cup, Feng Jiao, a true spirit of the phoenix who had entered the Transformation Realm three or four years prior, blushed, and the world before Han Lu's eyes unexpectedly became somewhat blurry.

It's as if the picture quality has gone from 8K to ultra-high definition.

"What's going on? Is it because Feng Jiao's memory of this part of the story is a little blurry? Or is it because Feng Jiao is slightly drunk, causing a slight deviation in the spiritual energy replenishment received by the Moon Pearl?"

This unexpected situation led Han Lu to a new conclusion regarding the source of the memories or "video recordings" within the Moon Pearl.

After finishing a cup of wine, Fu Ding clapped his hands, and nearly a hundred Qi Refining human cultivators filed in from outside the hall.

They weren't executioners; they were there to help serve the food.

In the blink of an eye, a variety of delicious dishes were served on the table and placed in front of the human cultivators and many true spirits and magical beasts.

Seeing this, Han Lu couldn't help but sigh, "Perhaps these delicacies are also a means for human cultivators like Fu Ding to win over these magical beasts and true spirits."

Chapter 454 Winning Hearts and Minds

Life in the wilderness is dull and monotonous.

The creativity of many spirits and magical beasts is far inferior to that of the human race.

Therefore, Fang Lin, Fu Ding, Wang Han and other high-ranking members of the human race believed that these "luxurious, decadent, and created by the human race" good things should be able to win people's hearts.

The same is true.

Many magical beasts lived a primitive life of eating raw meat and drinking blood before they achieved mastery of their cultivation, so naturally they had never seen such a good thing.

Not to mention enjoying a meal that is usually reserved for the high-ranking members of the human race in such a setting.

So, as soon as Fu Ding gave his speech and announced the start of the banquet, many of the country bumpkin monsters who usually lived in the "deep mountains and forests" picked up their chopsticks or used their hands to share the food on the table in front of them with their companions.

Feng Yang and Feng Jiao are certainly not such low-class people, and they would not behave in such a formal setting.

Although it was Feng Jiao's first time tasting such delicacies, she still managed to eat elegantly, following the etiquette she had learned from her clan.

Fengyang had often dined with Fang Lin in the past, and had long since grown tired of these mundane dishes.

Compared to these delicacies, the spirit wine in the cup was more likely to make this Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, Huan Feng, savor the flavor with her lips and tongue.

For a top expert like him, the feeling of temporarily numbing the soul is easy to make him obsessed and intoxicated.

There are quite a few true spirits and magical beasts like Fengyang who are obsessed with spirit wine.

After all, spirit wine is a specialty of the Eastern Human Race. In the past, only large clans like the Illusion Phoenix Clan could trade with the Human Race to obtain some spirit wine for daily use.

The vast majority of magical beasts have never tasted this wonderful thing invented and created by humans.

As the saying goes, it's not the wine that intoxicates, but the person themselves.

There's also a saying that goes, "Alcohol emboldens the timid."

Whether or not the alcohol in the spirit wine truly numbs the nerves and dulls the soul, there will always be cowards who, through drinking, temporarily forget their fear and dread, and develop the courage to confront powerful enemies.

However, after a couple of drinks, the two races of magical beasts, who already had minor conflicts, clashed again over a trivial matter under the influence of alcohol.

They are the Rock Lion Clan and the Earth Turtle Clan, both of which were later known as spirit beasts.

The two tribes have had a feud for thousands of years and are considered one of the more famous sworn enemies in the wilderness.

Although the tense atmosphere between the two races has eased considerably in the last hundred years due to the decline in the strength of both races, the longevity of the Earth Turtle race means that some members of the race still harbor resentment about the past grievances.

Now, emboldened by alcohol, a mere Transformation Realm envoy from the Earth Turtle Clan emboldened himself and started arguing with a member of the Rock Lion Clan.

"What are you looking at?"

"What are you looking at?"

"Let's take another look and try."

"Let's give it a try..."

In the blink of an eye, a Nascent Soul stage envoy from the Rock Lion clan and a Transformation stage envoy from the Earth Turtle clan started arguing, looking ready to fight at any moment.

In such a situation, Fu Ding naturally had to step forward and say a few words to mediate.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Nascent Soul cultivator, the Earth Turtle Clan's Transformation Realm envoy, who had been incredibly arrogant in front of the Nascent Soul Realm Rock Lion, realized that he had made a mistake.

So he readily accepted Fu Ding's mediation and reconciliation.

The Rock Lion Clan has many enemies, having a deep grudge against the Earth Turtle Clan thousands of years ago. However, they do not consider the Earth Turtle Clan, whose strength is inferior to their own, to be enemies at all.

This enmity, similar to that between "Britain" and "Argentina," was naturally resolved smoothly with Fu Ding's mediation.

And because the Rock Lion Clan's envoy praised the wine at the banquet during the mediation, Fu Ding generously presented three jars of spirit wine as a gift and reward to thank the Rock Lion Clan for their performance, which resembled that of a shill.

Of course, Fu Ding did not neglect one thing for the other; he also had a proper conversation with the envoy of the Earth Turtle Clan in public.

Taking this opportunity, he outlined the many favorable treatments that the human race had promised to its allies, and used the semi-formal occasion of the banquet to express his sincerity.

Upon hearing Fu Ding's words, the envoy from the Earth Turtle Clan repeatedly agreed.

But he was just a member of the clan, and his voice carried little weight.

Therefore, the only thing promised was to bring Fu Ding's promise back to the clan.

The fact that they only sent a mere Transformation Realm envoy, and an unprofessional one at that, is enough to show what attitude the Earth Turtle Clan holds towards the Human Race.

Even someone of this stature received a promise from the top leader of the human race, a promise of good treatment, which certainly tempted many of the centrists present.

Compared to the dragons, the human race is weaker, but they treat their allies much better.

Teaming up with the human race would bring numerous benefits if victory were achieved.

This was quite attractive to the small, uncivilized tribes that were destined to be caught between the two.

A bad thing turned into a good thing. It has to be said that although Fu Ding is not the most talented among the current high-ranking members of the human race in the path of cultivation, he is the most adept at handling these external affairs.

Whether it was because they were attracted by the fine wine or because the spirit wine numbed their souls, the demon beasts became impulsive and wanted to seek out their enemies at another seat to settle old scores.

In less than half an hour, Fu Ding mediated four more minor conflicts.

Two of the incidents were resolved on the spot, while the other two were more profound. Fu Ding brought out the sparring matches he had planned for the future as a weapon to help the two sides reconcile.

For most Warcraft players, nothing is easier to resolve a feud than a fight.

With Fu Ding, a prominent human figure, acting as a mediator, many Warcraft players naturally became interested in the secret sparring sessions that would be organized in the future.

Making a big deal out of a small one is more beneficial for the future development of both parties; any Warcraft player with a brain knows this principle.

This is true in times of peace, and even more so when facing major changes.

No one wanted to suffer a major blow before even participating in World War II, just as the appetizer of "Italy and Ethiopia" was being served.

However, at a banquet, Fu Ding only said a few words and made some promises, without going any further.