Xin Wang watched the scene of the crowd's cheers with a serene smile. To be honest, cultivators used to frequently appear in noble households and wealthy families in ancient times. Yet for some unknown reason, they gradually disappeared and began to distance themselves from ordinary people. As a result, figures like master cultivators are now almost legendary—even for a royal descendant such as himself, he had never personally witnessed a true cultivator before. Now, with the old master revealing this magical technique, the entire gathering was stunned, which gave Xin Wang great pride. Xin Wang himself was unaware that during the period when cultivators were frequently seen in the mundane world, the Ascension Festival had not yet been established. At that time, many independent cultivators and lower-tier cultivators within noble families, who once felt their foundation stage was hopeless, had simply given up and chose to enjoy the comforts and luxuries of ordinary life. However, once the Ascension Festival was introduced, offering every cultivator a renewed hope of achieving foundation-level cultivation, they all retreated into the mountains to diligently refine their practices, and thus ceased to appear in the worldly realm. Certainly, those who, like Yu Zichong, fail to maintain their cultivation heart and fall during their refinement in the mortal world—such cases are indeed exceptional. Yet, such individuals are not numerous. Even when someone truly becomes a guest of honor at a noble household, they do so with great discretion, unwilling to reveal their status to outsiders. After all, it is deeply humiliating for a cultivator to serve as a mere guest to ordinary mortals within the cultivation world. As a result, although there are many cultivators in the mortal realm, few are willing to engage with the powerful and influential families. Those who do choose to become regular guests of such households are carefully concealed, so as to avoid being ridiculed by other cultivators they know. The guests present, who had never previously encountered any other cultivators, were truly astonished by the master's elegant and masterful control of flame. Thus, under the respectful gaze of all present, the white-haired elder returned to the hall with a touch of dignified composure. Those who had not yet been tested naturally eagerly called out "Immortal Master" and quickly gathered around, eager for Wu Immortal Master to examine their spiritual roots. White Elder Dao was also full of energy, patiently examining each of the remaining individuals one by one. Yet unfortunately, among the remaining candidates—including the Hu-family elder and Qin Yan's younger relatives—none showed any signs of spiritual roots; they were all ordinary mortals. This news deeply discouraged the newly examined individuals, who then left the elder with listless expressions. It seems true that divine destiny isn't that easy to come by! Thus, the rarity of Tong Jing's stout young man's spiritual root stood out even more, drawing admiration from others who now gazed at him with envy. The father and son standing beside the elder continued to smile widely, unable to close their mouths. Han Li remained calm, watching Qin Yan escort the gray-haired, disheveled young lord and lady of the Qin family back to his side, and noticed that Han Li himself looked slightly disheveled. "I still can't accept it. How can it be that the weakling has a celestial root while we have none? Among these people, who isn't far superior to him?" The slender, petite young lady of the Qin family continued to mutter, clearly unconvinced. "Enough! Stop complaining! If you don't have the fortune, what's there to be upset about?" Qin Yan's face darkened as he turned to scold the girl, then settled down. This remark made the well-known fiery young lady of the Qin family pout, still displaying her dissatisfaction. At that moment, the elderly man with the Hu surname arrived, accompanied by the two young men and women, and simply sat down beside Qin Yan without a word. After exchanging glances, both of them suddenly broke into a simultaneous, wry smile, conveying a strong sense of shared hardship. "Qin brother, it seems the plump young man is about to lose his composure now!" "The elder named Hua said it casually. 'Hm! That's quite normal. After all, they've just had a wonderful son—now they've got a master of the immortal arts as their support!' Qin Yan sighed, sounding somewhat resigned. 'But...' The two of them began chatting back and forth. Yet, even as they spoke, they remained fully attentive to Wu's movements and the actions of the Xin King. At this moment, seeing that all the younger guests had undergone the testing of their divine roots, the Xin King turned to a nearby maid and whispered something to her. The maid immediately stepped back through the side door, presumably to carry out some assigned task. Only then did the Xin King turn back, cleared his throat, and smiled gently before slowly saying, 'Now, to celebrate the recovery of my beloved daughter from her unusual illness, and the fact that both my son and this young guest have taken vows under Wu Master's guidance, let us all enjoy a splendid celebration!' With that, he promptly extended his hands and gave two firm claps. Crack! Crack! As the applause rang out, a series of servants and maids, dressed neatly and carrying black lacquered trays, entered the hall from the main entrance, bearing platters of delicacies and bottles of fine wine. With graceful precision, they arranged the dishes and glasses on each table, filling every glass with a rich, rose-hued wine that shimmered like dew. The aroma of food and wine soon filled the hall. "Here," said King Xin, raising a glass offered by a servant, "to all of you!" The atmosphere in the hall immediately warmed and surged as guests and King Xin clinked glasses together. Soon, guests began exchanging toasts. The banquet officially began. King Xin and his consort Qing'er moved among the guests, chatting and laughing with close friends, showing no trace of royal formality. No wonder the Duke's reputation is so excellent among Qin Yan and the others in the air! Yet the Lady Wu had not taken her seat—she had quietly slipped away even before Xin Wang raised his cup. Many who had hoped to forge strong connections with her during the banquet were left deeply disappointed. Yet it made perfect sense: after all, a living immortal wouldn't behave like ordinary people, indulging in wine and rich meals, would she? Once they understood this, they gave up their expectations and freely engaged with others, enjoying the meal. By the mid-stage of the banquet, Xin Wang summoned a troupe of court dancers from his household, who gracefully performed the imperial dance to uplift the atmosphere, truly elevating the ambiance to a peak. At that moment, a young man in a white robe stepped out of the hall—around twenty years old, refined in appearance, tall and well-proportioned. Every gesture and movement of him was cultured and courteous, exuding elegance and grace—without a doubt, the ideal dream suitor for most young ladies in their springtime yearnings. "Ming'er, come meet the uncles!" As soon as the young man appeared, the Xing King immediately greeted him warmly. It happened to be that the Xing King had just arrived at Qin Yan and the Huá family elder's table. So the composed young man smiled and walked over. "May I offer my greetings to the two uncles!" he said with polite grace. "No, no, young Prince, you are too kind!" Qin Yan and the Huá elder were most humble, rising promptly to return the courtesy. "Ah! The two of you are his elders. It's quite proper for Ming'er to pay his respects to you—how could you be so formal and distant?" the Xing King expressed his slight displeasure. Upon hearing this, Qin Yan and the Huá elder exchanged glances, a touch of embarrassment evident. It was true—how could they genuinely regard the royal bloodline as their juniors? Yet, both were seasoned and shrewd. With only a few well-chosen words, they deftly changed the subject and then introduced their younger relatives to the generous Prince—rare indeed, a chance for the juniors to shine! Of course, Han Li was also introduced to Qin Yan. When introducing Han Li, Xin Wang's eyes lit up with deep significance; he repeatedly studied Han Li with thoughtful intensity, his expression a mixture of smiles and subtle reserve—clearly someone who was already familiar with the rumors surrounding him. This once again brought a fresh wave of embarrassment to Qin Yan's face. "Min, come here and meet this young brother, Han!" For some reason, Xin Wang suddenly smiled warmly and invited the young prince to greet Han Li. Upon hearing this, the young prince approached, politely addressing Han Li as "Young Brother Han," then bowed slightly, maintaining a consistently gentle expression. The graceful young prince, with every gesture and movement, immediately captivated the nearby young ladies of similar age, leaving them utterly enchanted and spellbound. On the surface, Han Li appeared hesitant and awkward, returning the bow with a stiff, almost stunned demeanor. Yet within, his mind surged with waves of emotion, no longer able to remain calm. When the young prince approached Han Li and bowed, he unexpectedly exuded the same sense of danger as the head steward of the palace—though not as strong or overwhelming as the steward’s presence, the sense of threat was unmistakably there. "What on earth is going on?" Han Li was both astonished and puzzled.