Aside from Sect Master Yuan Qingshi and Peak Master Zhou Shili, the gifts given by others were not particularly valuable.

However, when added together, their value exceeded three hundred middle-grade Spirit Stones.

This filled Shen Mo with emotion. If he were still the Body Tempering Realm disciple he was before, he could never have imagined that he would obtain such an immense amount of cultivation resources simply through social interactions!

Of course, in the future, he would also have to bear similar expenses.

The celebration was in full swing. Celestial music drifted through the air, and delicacies were as abundant as clouds. Fine wines overflowed from the jars, and rare delicacies from land and sea abounded. Goblets and game tokens were scattered in festive disarray—what a lively scene! The entire Stars Peak was filled with a festive atmosphere.

At this moment, Tian Kang, a disciple of Stars Peak, was not in high spirits.

Although he could be considered an elite disciple within the peak and had not been dispatched to preside over the mortal world, so he had also been invited, he chose not to attend the banquet.

Instead, he was preparing to accept a peak mission and leave the sect to lie low for a while, lest Shen Mo, now in the Spirit Sea Realm, come looking for trouble.

However, most of the Inner Door Deacons in charge of such matters had gone to participate in Shen Mo's celebration, leaving only one Deacon on duty.

Usually, there wouldn't be much waiting, but now there were quite a few disciples from Stars Peak lined up in front of him.

"Weird, why is only Deacon Lin on duty today? How long are we going to have to wait? Where did the other Deacons go?" a pretty female disciple complained to her companion.

Her companion was a bit plumper and not as striking in appearance. However, she had a gentle temperament and said softly, "Senior Sister, have you forgotten? Today is Senior Brother Shen's Spirit Sea Realm promotion celebration. The other senior Deacons have all gone to Star Hall for the celebratory drinks!"

"I just came back from Rosy Cloud City and was about to submit my task and receive my reward. I'm not too familiar with recent major events on the peak. Who is this Senior Brother Shen you're talking about?" the pretty female disciple asked curiously.

"Who else could it be? Of course, it's Senior Brother Shen Mo, who gained fame at the Tianshan Grand Ceremony and defeated Elder Tian, a Spirit Sea Realm cultivator, while still in the Qi Gathering Realm!" her plump companion replied with a grin.

Upon hearing this, Tian Kang felt a heavy sensation in his chest.

Tian Qisheng was a Spirit Sea Realm cultivator from his Tian Clan. Now, he had merely become a stepping stone for Shen Mo's numerous achievements.

What frustrated him even more was that he had once opposed Shen Mo and been harshly taught a lesson…

Yet, in the eyes of others, he didn't even qualify to serve as Shen Mo's foil!

Then, Tian Kang saw the pretty female disciple's face light up, her tone becoming quite excited.

"So it's Senior Brother Shen Mo! Only a few months have passed without hearing anything from him, and he has already opened his Spirit Sea? I remember he joined Stars Peak three years later than I did. At past gatherings of fellow disciples, he even called me Senior Sister! Who would have thought that while I'm still struggling at the middle-stage of Qi Gathering, he has already advanced to the Spirit Sea Realm. Instead, I'm the one who should be calling him Senior Brother Shen."

Her plump companion nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with admiration. "Senior Brother Shen's talent is truly an example for us to follow and strive for! After I submit my task, I'll also go to Star Hall and have a celebratory drink, basking in Senior Brother Shen's Spiritual Qi."

Stars Peak certainly wouldn't be stingy with spiritual wine and delicacies. Any disciple of the Three Peaks, even if unable to be seated within Star Hall, could still enjoy the feast outside.

As for other inner disciples, unless they were invited, they couldn't even get to Stars Peak, let alone enjoy such treatment.

"Are you hoping to soak up his Spiritual Qi? I think you're smitten and just want to catch a glimpse of his dashing presence!" the pretty female disciple teased.

"So what? I don't believe you don't harbor such thoughts!" her full-figured companion admitted frankly, her counter-question making the pretty female cultivator somewhat flustered and embarrassed.

Standing behind them, Tian Kang's mood only worsened further!

「Inside Star Hall.」

As the Peak Master's Direct Disciple, Lu Ming was naturally qualified to be seated in the hall.

He held his wine cup, toasted Shen Mo, and then said with a smile, "We became disciples of Stars Peak at the same time. During the newcomer competitions back then, I was fortunate enough to have a slight edge over you. However, I never expected you to open your Spirit Sea so quickly. I wonder how many years I'll have to toil before reaching this realm. I'll call you Senior Brother for a few years for now. After a few years, when I open my Spirit Sea, I'll compete with you for a core disciple seat once more."

Lu Ming also knew the rules of competition among core disciples. He believed that after Shen Mo secured the ninth seat, he would not stop there but continue to make progress. Therefore, instead of saying he would compete for this current spot, he directly stated he would contend with him for future seats.

Seeing his friend's enterprising spirit, Shen Mo was also quite gratified. He tilted his head back and drained the spiritual wine in his cup.

"Good! When that time comes, we shall battle again."

Lu Ming laughed twice and was about to enjoy another drink with Shen Mo when his gaze fell upon Zhao Lingyin, who was seated beside Shen Mo, a worried look on her face.

Since the banquet had begun, Shen Mo had drunk a lot of spiritual wine.

"Senior Sister Zhao, don't worry about him. This little bit of spiritual wine is nothing to him. He just needs to circulate his cultivation method slightly, and it will be refined. It's nothing worth mentioning!" Lu Ming said with a smile.

Zhao Lingyin was accustomed to her secluded life on Spirit Gathering Peak, interacting mostly with her Master, Wu Gong, and the increasingly intimate Shen Mo.

She was clearly a little unaccustomed to the crowd at the banquet, yet her heart was filled with immense joy.

On one hand, she was genuinely happy for Shen Mo's advancement to the Spirit Sea Realm.

On the other hand, Shen Mo bringing her to attend arm-in-arm at such an important occasion was clearly a formal declaration of their relationship to the Outer Realm.

Thus, facing Shen Mo's friend, Zhao Lingyin also treated him warmly, smiling and nodding gracefully.

In addition, Zhao Lingyin's Master, Wu Gong, was also invited to the banquet.

He had presented five Grade IV Elixirs, which was considered a Heavy Gift. At this moment, he was currently engaged in lively drinking with Elder Huang and others.

"Alien Minister Wu, perhaps in a few days, your Spirit Gathering Peak and my Stars Peak will be one family!" Elder Huang offered Wu Gong a toast, gestured slightly in the direction of Shen Mo and Zhao Lingyin, and said with a beaming smile.

Wu Gong had mixed feelings in his heart.

On one hand, the person Zhao Lingyin had given her heart to, aside from his background, was in all other aspects an outstanding individual, which greatly pleased him.

On the other hand, the thought of his beloved disciple eventually marrying out made him feel the melancholy of a father seeing his daughter wed.

In this complex emotional state, Wu Gong inevitably had a few more drinks.

Apart from the banquet, the advancement celebration included a series of complex rituals.

These were far more solemn and intricate than Shen Mo's initial induction ceremony into Stars Peak. Fortunately, the ceremonies proceeded swiftly, and the banquet soon resumed.

This lively atmosphere persisted until the Rat Hour, around midnight, when the guests gradually began to depart.

Shen Mo bid farewell to Peak Master Zhou Shili, Elder Huang, and others. He escorted Zhao Lingyin back to Lake Heart Cottage and only returned to his Inner Door cave mansion after daybreak.

At the banquet, he had already learned from the Peak Master that the sect intended to dispatch him to Sea State as a Deputy Envoy on a mission to the Monster Zone within the Immortal Burial Sea.

Now, he needed to seize the time to properly cultivate the newly acquired cultivation method!

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