Chapter 326: Arrivals in Succession

"Brother Li, you're quite late! Look, all the good seats up there have been taken," Qi Liang said with a smile.

"No matter. Listening with the ears, grasping with the mind, and comprehending with the spirit is enough. Why fuss over the distance of seats?" Han Li shook his head and said indifferently.

"Hehe, as expected of Brother Li. No wonder your cultivation has advanced so much! I'm afraid that in less than ten thousand years, after you advance to the late stage, there will be a seat for you among these thirty-six positions. When that time comes, don't forget about me, Qi," Qi Liang chuckled.

"Brother Qi, you jest. Unless I directly attain the Great Dao at this lecture assembly, how could I possibly advance so quickly in a mere ten thousand years?" Han Li blinked and said with a wry smile.

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen you in the last few days. Have you found some rare treasure or secret material?" Qi Liang laughed and changed the subject.

"If rare treasures and secret materials were so easy to obtain, they wouldn't be called rare treasures. I had some urgent matters to attend to in the past few days, which delayed me. That's why I rushed here just now," Han Li said vaguely with a chuckle.

"Indeed, I thought that with this once-in-ten-thousand-years grand gathering, I could do some good searching, but still no sign of good stuff..." Qi Liang sighed lightly, agreeing deeply.

While Han Li and Qi Liang were chatting idly, a deafening rumble suddenly came from the high sky.

The two quickly looked up and followed the sound.

Amidst rolling auspicious clouds in the sky, a huge purple lightning bolt suddenly descended from them, pointing to a spot on the white jade platform, transforming into a dazzling ball of light.

After the light converged, a dozen figures emerged from it.

The leading figure, wearing a purple robe, had an ordinary face with a square face and thin eyebrows. He was none other than the current rotating chief Dao Master of the Candle Dragon Sect, Ouyang Kuishan.

Behind him followed a dozen people in various attires, all with solemn expressions. Although their auras were restrained, many Candle Dragon Sect disciples recognized them as the sect's vice Dao Masters.

When the leading Ouyang Kuishan sat down on the first row of blue-gray round cushions to the left of the round tripod, only then did those behind him each find a cushion and sit down.

As soon as these dozen people appeared on the white jade platform, the True Immortal elders and personal disciples sitting cross-legged on the surrounding stone steps straightened up, and the noise in the surrounding square gradually quieted down. Even the exchange meeting at the foot of the mountain ceased its activities. Everyone sat or stood in silence.

In an instant, the area of a thousand miles centered on the white jade platform became utterly silent.

Less than half an incense stick's time later, a golden hurricane howled from the distant horizon. When it neared the platform, its momentum diminished, and seven or eight figures emerged from it.

The two leading figures had very peculiar appearances.

One looked like an ordinary woman at first glance, but her skin was pale silver, her ears were long and slightly pointed, and her figure was exquisite. The burly man standing shoulder to shoulder with her had golden fuzz on his face and scales on his eyelids.

The five or six men and women behind them also had varied forms and were not human.

The silver-skinned woman and the golden-furred man only nodded at Ouyang Kuishan before sitting down on cushions beside him, and those behind them sat down in turn.

Although Han Li had never seen these people before, he could easily guess from their demeanor that the two leaders were Golden Immortal Dao Masters, and those behind them were also of high status, being vice Dao Masters.

Not long after these people appeared, a woman with a black veil and a black dress arrived, riding a giant black crow with glossy black feathers.

Unlike the previous groups with many attendants, this woman came alone without anyone following. After greeting Ouyang Kuishan, she found a cushion nearby and sat down.

Following this woman was a handsome man with a golden wheel and loose golden hair. Unlike the black-dressed woman, he was surrounded by fifteen or sixteen vice Dao Masters...

Over the next half hour or so, many chief and vice Dao Masters arrived one after another. By the time only two seats remained in the first row to the left of the round tripod, Hu Yan and Yun Ni arrived together, late.

Today, Hu Yan had changed into a new moon-white Daoist robe, his hair was neatly combed, and even his beard was cleanly shaven, showing that he cared about this grand event.

Yun Ni walked side by side with him, a faint smile on her face. Every glance and smile exuded boundless charm, but many Golden Immortal Dao Masters and vice Dao Masters lowered their heads, not daring to look at her.

When Ouyang Kuishan saw Hu Yan and Yun Ni appear together, the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily, but then he stood up for the first time and said to them with a smile:

"Fellow Daoist Hu Yan, Fellow Daoist Yun, you've finally arrived. Now everyone is here."

"Since Fellow Daoist Baili hasn't arrived yet, we shouldn't be considered late, right?" Hu Yan glanced at Ouyang Kuishan and said.

"Of course not. But time is almost up, and several fellow Daoists from friendly sects will arrive soon. Please take your seats," Ouyang Kuishan said, glancing at Yun Ni with a smile.

Hu Yan merely nodded faintly and walked with Yun Ni toward the two empty cushions.

Han Li, sitting cross-legged in place, examined these people he had mostly never seen before. He found that among the twelve Golden Immortal Dao Masters, besides the two earlier, there was also a demon clan man; the rest were humans. Among the thirty-six vice Dao Masters, those who were not human were only the few who had come with the two alien Dao Masters.

In fact, among these people, he only knew a few, including Xiong Shan.

These few dozen people represented almost the core strength of the entire Candle Dragon Sect. Gathered at the top of the White Jade Peak, although they restrained their auras, they made everyone around feel an indescribable suffocation.

The scene became even quieter, and the atmosphere grew somewhat solemn.

About a quarter of an hour later, a five-colored radiance suddenly appeared in the distant sky, approaching at a visible speed, revealing a giant five-colored camel.

This camel was about a hundred zhang in size, covered with circles of five-colored spiritual patterns. Its two humps on its back were like small hills. On the front hump sat cross-legged an old man in a colorful feathered robe, holding a precious bottle.

"Yuyangzi of the Five Colors Temple, invited to observe the ceremony," the old man announced loudly as he neared the platform.

"Fellow Daoist Yuyangzi, long time no see. Your aura is as impressive as ever! By the way, do you still have any surplus Five Colors Pills? I've been longing for them for a long time but have been unable to purchase any," Ouyang Kuishan greeted with a smile.

"Hehe, Brother Ouyang, what are you saying! For others, I might not, but if you want some, I can spare two or three bottles," Yuyangzi said with a smile as he landed on the white jade platform.

"Excellent. I also have some Futian Houtu. Would you be interested, Fellow Daoist?" Ouyang Kuishan said upon hearing this.

"Is that true? If you really have that soil, I would be willing to exchange for any amount," Yuyangzi said with a delighted expression.

"Fellow Daoist Yuyangzi, don't be impatient. After this matter is settled, how about visiting my residence for a while to have tea and discuss in detail?" Ouyang Kuishan invited.

"Good! It's a deal," Yuyangzi quickly nodded.

Although his Five Colors Temple was not as great as the Candle Dragon Sect, it was still a famous major sect in the Northern Cold Immortal Domain, with an unusual status. Thus, he was arranged to sit on the first row of cushions to the right of the round tripod.

Not long after, a black glow shot over from the sky, this time a huge black inkstone carved with patterns of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, looking exquisitely beautiful.

"Mo Fuzi of the Yuxu Palace, invited to observe the ceremony," a hoarse, low voice came from the inkstone.

With a flash of black light in the sky, the black inkstone disappeared, and a dark-skinned old man less than five feet tall, stroking his thick beard, emerged.

"So it's Old Master Mo..." Ouyang Kuishan stood up and bowed to the old man.

But the dark-skinned old man only slightly cupped his hands in return and walked past him, leaving Ouyang Kuishan momentarily stunned before he sat down with an unchanged expression.

"Old drunkard, why haven't you visited my Yuxu Palace in the past ten thousand years? Have you forgotten this old friend and drinking buddy?" the old man said with a smile as he approached Hu Yan.

"Hey, you black drunkard, you have the nerve to say that! You old fellow go into seclusion for tens of thousands of years. Tell me, how many times have I been turned away at your door? But you've come at the right time. I've accumulated quite a bit of good wine now, not inferior to your Moyun Spiritual Wine," Hu Yan said, first raising his eyebrows, then speaking with some pride.

Mo Fuzi immediately bristled and glared, exclaiming, "Is there any wine in the world more delicious than my personally brewed Moyun Spiritual Wine? You old drunkard, don't boast. In our past drinking contests, when have you ever beaten me?"

"Ahem, whether it's boasting or not, we'll have a contest after the assembly," Hu Yan said, coughing a few times, and as he spoke, he glanced sideways at Yun Ni beside him.

"Hehe, don't disappoint me then..." Mo Fuzi said, suddenly breaking into a smile, and walked to the right side of the round tripod, sitting beside Yuyangzi.

Soon, more than a dozen people had taken seats on the cushions to the right of the round tripod on the white jade platform, with still half empty.

This was not because there were few outsiders coming to observe the ceremony. In fact, far more sects had come to observe, but most were smaller and weaker, not qualified to sit on the white jade platform, and were arranged in another area of the square.

The space on the white jade platform was limited; if too many people crowded in, it would spoil the scenery.