The several individuals who had been defeated, though unwilling in spirit, had no choice but to respectfully address Qin Feng as Master Qin. Among them, Ma Lian, the younger brother, felt especially aggrieved, yet had to bow in deference—after all, Qin was a master of the Ji Mi stage; not only could Ma Lian not match him, but even the entire Tongling Sect together would have struggled to defeat him. Their master never imagined that trouble had already arisen before they even reached the gathering site—though this time, it wasn’t really Ling'er’s fault. When her disciples clashed with Qin Feng, she wasn’t present. After a full meal and ample refreshments, they set out together. The eldest disciple was especially delighted. He felt they had a cordial, non-confrontational relationship with Qin Feng, who hadn’t taken the fight too seriously. With him standing by, he believed no one would dare to challenge their group. Moreover, Qin Feng was a well-known figure at this gathering of immortals, with popularity no less than that of Dong Kuangqin, the host. The journey went smoothly, and they finally arrived at their destination. "Master Qin, thank you for your kind hospitality throughout the journey," said the eldest disciple politely. Yet when he glanced at the others—including his younger sister—none of them showed any intention of expressing gratitude to Qin Feng. "It’s my pleasure, thank you," Qin Feng replied, bowing slightly. The headmaster of the Tonglin Sect hurried out upon hearing that his disciples had arrived—not to welcome them, but primarily out of concern for Ling'er. When he saw his young disciple unharmed, the stone of worry finally settled in his heart. His gaze turned to Qin Feng, however, and he was stunned! He could not detect Qin Feng’s cultivation level at all. Was he a true master? Accompanying him was another elder, with a somewhat awkward expression, who glanced over Ling'er from head to toe and smiled, saying, "My friend, Ling'er remains as beautiful as ever, and has even made notable progress. I believe she would be a perfect match for my disciple. Why not take this grand gathering as an opportunity to finalize their union?" Among the younger cultivators, few truly maintain a pure, simple heart—especially those who claim to wander the world merely to enjoy the pleasures of life. Once they've experienced the charm of women, they find it difficult to remain composed. Due to the imbalance in the number of male and female cultivators, finding a partner among peers is no easy task. Since Ling'er became a cultivator, there had already been several suitors approaching her—similar to the situation Lin Caiwei had faced initially. The Lin family had been willing to wait for the right moment, while the Tongling Sect, owing to the head abbot's excessive fondness for Ling'er, had yet to agree to any marriage proposal. Especially when Ling'er chose to maintain her youthful appearance at sixteen, in the abbot's eyes she remained a child who simply wouldn't grow up—how could she possibly agree to marry off? "The humble old man blushed deeply, never expecting Ling'er to say such an unceremonious thing in front of everyone. "Ah, truly sorry, Master, but Ling'er simply won't agree—there's nothing I can do," he pretended to apologize, saying, "I've been so indulgent with her—please, don't take it to heart!" "Ah, no need to worry at all," he added, "I truly appreciate Ling'er's straightforward nature. Well, my own disciple must be rather unfortunate. Still, she's quite excellent—already a master of the Transcendent Stage at such a young age!" The old man remained proud of his disciple. Ling'er then huffed again: "The Transcendent Stage? What's so special about that? My senior brothers—how many of them aren't already at the Transcendent level or beyond?" Hearing praise from her younger sister, the senior brothers felt immensely honored and straightened up proudly. Yet, Ling'er added, "And as for Qin Master—how could he not be impressive? He's already a True Extinction Stage cultivator at such a young age! How old is your disciple, by the way?" "Of course, the old man wouldn't admit that his disciple had already reached his forties. As the saying goes, 'It's not that one doesn't know a good thing, but rather that one doesn't compare it with others.' His disciple might be able to compete with several disciples from the Tongling Sect, but when compared to Qin Feng—well, that's like a drop from the sky falling into the earth, and then another drop falling into a well below. With his fist raised, the Master of Tongling Sect smiled warmly at Qin, the young master, saying, 'On our journey, I must thank you, Qin Master, for your kind hospitality!' 'It's nothing at all,' Qin modestly replied. 'We've simply been traveling together. There's no need for special care.' After all, who could help but be courteous to those who look up to them? He smiled and added, 'I've long heard of the Tongling Sect's reputation. To meet the Master today is truly a great fortune. By the way, I just arrived and haven't yet learned the local customs—do I need to report to a specific location?' "The Master of Tonglin smiled and replied, "We'll first pay a visit to the host, then proceed to our assigned locations to set up our camp. Qin Master is ranked eleventh, and our Tonglin Sect is tenth—so our camps should be quite close!" "That sounds wonderful," he said cheerfully to Ling'er. "Little sister, I'll treat you to a feast of meat and wine tonight—how does that sound?" "Not really impressive," Ling'er replied, still not giving him the benefit of the doubt. Qin Shao sighed with a quiet smile. The Master of Tonglin quickly pretended to scold, saying, "How can Ling'er speak like this? Go and apologize to Qin Master right away!" "Never!" Ling'er pouted. He Muqing had been acting as the mediator between the two. She took Ling'er's hand and smiled, saying, "Enough with the apologies—Master Xiao Feng is so generous. By the way, Xiao Feng, go and pay your respects to the host yourself. I'd like to stay with Ling'er a bit longer!" "Ling'er immediately said, 'I'd also like to be with Qing sister. Let's give the big bad guy a good showing tonight—would you mind if Qing sister slept with me? Don't be so stingy, please! As a man, you should just say yes!' Heifei's face turned instantly crimson. The eldest brother could only shake his head in苦笑, while the Master of the Spirit Gate was left flustered and slightly overwhelmed by his disciple's request. Qin, with a thoughtful tone, said, 'Exactly. Since I'm a man, I can't say yes—can't I, Qingqing?' 'Hmph, such a fuss-maker!'