Seeing the atmosphere turn tense, City Lord Hu quickly had people lay out a banquet to welcome everyone.
Although cultivators above Golden Core Stage could already forgo food, what City Lord Hu prepared were all dishes offering spiritual qi, which were beneficial to cultivation.
Elder Duanmu and the others sat at one table, while Feng Xi and the other eight personal disciples sat at another.
Feng Xi had previously "cooperated" with Xing Wu and Liu Shaobai in the Tianhen Secret Realm, so they quickly began chatting animatedly.
Shen Zhilan felt resentment in her heart, but showed nothing on her face, smiling as she spoke with Qin Shifeng, the senior disciple of the Beast-Taming Sect seated to her right.
Although junior brother Xing Wu had spoken ill of Shen Zhilan many times in front of Qin Shifeng, Qin Shifeng hadn't taken it to heart.
This junior brother of his was rash by nature, believing rumors at the slightest provocation, it's probably a misunderstanding.
He had originally been rather curious about Shen Zhilan, this genius young woman, and after chatting for a bit, he felt even more convinced that Xing Wu had been talking nonsense.
Junior Sister Zhilan was not only highly talented, but also insightful.
On the other hand, Feng Xi, whom Xing Wu kept praising, was truly unlikable, not only was her cultivation low, she was also especially flamboyant. When he had the chance, he should persuade his junior brother to stay farther away from her.
Seeing Shen Zhilan and Qin Shifeng chatting happily, Mu Zihuai frowned slightly, "Zhilan, don't just focus on talking. The food will get cold."
Shen Zhilan's cheeks flushed slightly, "Eldest Senior Brother, I know. You're the one who cares about me."
The slight displeasure in Mu Zihuai's heart instantly vanished. Smiling, he picked up a piece of meat and placed it in Shen Zhilan's bowl.
Out of the corner of her eye, Feng Xi caught this scene and thought to herself, Shen Zhilan never forgets to develop spare tires and simps at any moment!
After the meal, Elder Duanmu led Jun Wen, Feng Xi, and the Xuantian Sect disciples toward Zone Ding.
The other three sects did the same.
Although they fought among themselves, when it came to actual work, none of them were sloppy.
After Elder Duanmu took over Zone Ding, the original patrol personnel withdrew back to An Ding City to rest and reorganize.
Elder Duanmu divided everyone into three shifts to conduct patrols in rotation.
Feng Xi stared curiously at the Endless Sea. The seawater was pitch-black like ink, with towering waves rising layer after layer.
It seemed that the so-called calmness was only relative, these waters were also far from peaceful.
Aside from the huge waves, countless whirlpools churned in the distance.
Jun Wen reminded her, "Little Junior Sister, try to stay farther away from the Endless Sea. I've heard that sea beasts often come here to hunt for food.
Among them, there's a type of demon beast called the Eight-Armed Ghost Octopus that's extremely ferocious. Every year, many guards die in their jaws."
"Fifth Senior Brother, are you saying there are living creatures in the Endless Sea? Since there are sea beasts, there must be fish and shrimp too, right?
How do they taste?"
Jun Wen: "..."
Isn't your focus a bit off?
Even if there are, it's not like you could catch them!
"They are edible, and they contain extremely rich spiritual qi.
But Little Junior Sister, give up on that idea!
Even though you have water, wood, and fire spiritual roots, the conditions in the Endless Sea are complicated, and the seawater can erode spiritual power. If you jump in and aren't careful, you'll lose your small life in there."
Feng Xi blinked, "What if the fish, shrimp, or sea beasts inside jump up on their own for me to eat?"
Jun Wen: … It's not even dark yet!
Then he saw a very plump fish jump onto the shore by itself.
Before he could cry out in surprise, another jumped up, then another, one after another…
Not only were there fish, there were also arm-length lobsters.
Finally, what "jumped" up was an arm of an Eight-Armed Ghost Octopus. Judging by how fresh the cut was, it had definitely just been severed!
Not only Jun Wen, but even the Xuantian Sect disciples were dumbfounded!
Some of them had already been stationed near the boundary region for quite some time, this kind of spectacle was unheard of and unseen!
Feng Xi called them over, smiling brightly, "Come, let's grill some fish!"
At first, those disciples were still hesitant, but seeing Feng Xi and Jun Wen already setting up a bonfire, they all got moving as well.
Elder Duanmu frowned slightly, but said nothing.
After all, these disciples were currently not on duty.
To be fair, the seafood from the Endless Sea was really plump!
As soon as it hit the fire, it sizzled with oil. Sprinkle on some chili powder, and the aroma was incredible!
Especially that Eight-Armed Ghost Octopus arm, it so fresh it made people drool.
Feng Xi sent some over to Elder Duanmu, then invited everyone to eat together.
At first, the disciples were a bit reserved, but soon they relaxed.
It's so delicious!
And incredibly nourishing!
Especially for these poor disciples, this was the best food they had eaten in their entire lives!
When they were almost done eating, Feng Xi started chatting with the Xuantian Sect disciples.
On the surface it looked like idle talk, but in reality, she subtly recounted all her glorious achievements.
Originally, those Xuantian Sect disciples hadn't thought much of Feng Xi. After all, information traveled poorly near the boundary region, and they didn't know about many things.
Moreover, Feng Xi was young and only at Qi Refining Stage, it was hard to command respect.
But after listening to her, the way they looked at Feng Xi completely changed!
This was the light of Xuantian Sect, a true auspicious sign!
Indeed, if she didn't carry auspicious fortune, how could fish and shrimp jump onto shore by themselves?
If conditions allowed, they would've even wanted to bow to her. Who knew, maybe they could soak up a bit of that auspicious aura!
Jun Wen: "..."
As for little junior sister's talent for boasting, he admired it so deeply that even in the next life or the one after that, he would never be able to learn it.
After chattering for quite a while, Feng Xi finally felt a bit tired.
She crawled into the tent the Xuantian Sect disciples had proactively set up for her. Just as she lay down, the smug voice of the little black ball rang out in her consciousness, "Master, how was it? Satisfied with the seafood feast I sent you?
I'm not bragging, so long as it's not a particularly high-level sea beast, I can get it ashore for you!
If that Eight-Armed Ghost Octopus hadn't run so fast, I would've chopped off all eight of its arms already…"
After it finished showing off, Feng Xi said, "Alright, stop bragging! Keep an eye on the movement in the sea at all times. If you spot demons, tell me immediately.
If you delay the battle opportunity, see how I deal with you!"
After warning the little black ball, Feng Xi began sending a message to Blood Tiance.
"My lord, I have arrived at the boundary region and am responsible for the defense of Zone Ding. Zone Ding is the relatively calm stretch of the Endless Sea.
Do you have any plans to launch a surprise attack on An Ding City?
If so, I can open a convenient path for you. I guarantee you can land smoothly without losing a single soldier."
Even Feng Xi herself admired her professionalism. She truly had the professional ethics of a spy!
Always remembering to report to her superior and provide effective suggestions.
Of course, she didn't actually want Blood Tiance to lead people ashore from Zone Ding.
Because with Blood Tiance's suspicious nature, he wouldn't fully trust her at this point and wouldn't take such a risk.
The reason she said this was purely to show loyalty.
Sure enough, Blood Tiance replied, "It's good that you have this intention, but the timing is not yet ripe. We'll talk about it later."
Feng Xi pressed her lips together in a grin, "My lord, do you have any sworn enemies or rivals? You could instigate them to land from Zone Ding, and I'll help you kill them!
That way, no one will suspect you, and I can also earn some merit, making it easier for me to gain a foothold among the human race."
This time, Blood Tiance didn't reply immediately. After a long while, he finally said, "Wait for my message."
Feng Xi almost laughed out loud!
The old demon was tempted!
This would probably work!
This wasn't blind luck, it was something she had analyzed in advance.
Blood Tiance had been hiding in Xuantian Sect for over a hundred years. His connections and power within the Demon Clan must have been partially taken over by others.
Would the old demon accept that?
Of course not!
But as fellow members of the Demon Clan, it wasn't easy for him to act openly. Now that she was offering herself as a blade, how could he possibly refuse?