"
"A year ago, Jie Bufan and I were both at the seventh level of Yuan Martial. Over the course of a year, we both advanced to the ninth level, just one step away from the Xuan Martial Realm. At our age, reaching that point, everyone considers the two of us geniuses."
"But what about you, Chu Feng? You're about the same age as us. A year ago you were only at the first level of Yuan Martial, yet inside the
"Now, in just one year, you've gone from the first level of Yuan Martial to the ninth, catching up to both Jie Bufan and me. That kind of cultivation speed — I genuinely admire it, because I believe no one of our generation can compare to you."
Gu Bo was getting worked up. Since Chu Feng hadn't hidden his cultivation from him, he had long discovered that Chu Feng's current level was identical to his own — both were ninth-level Yuan Martial cultivators. That speed truly left him stunned and filled with admiration.
"Brother Gu Bo, thank you for your words of encouragement. I'm glad, Chu Feng, to have made a friend like you."
After hearing Gu Bo's speech, Chu Feng broke into a happy smile. It wasn't that he didn't understand what Gu Bo was getting at. In truth, Chu Feng had always been confident about his future and full of anticipation — he just hadn't expected Gu Bo to be so affirming of him.
After all, someone like Gu Bo, who came from a distinguished background and possessed extraordinary talent, should have been supremely arrogant. But Gu Bo wasn't like that at all. Instead, he genuinely acknowledged Chu Feng's strength, even believed Chu Feng was better than himself, and had just shared everything he knew about the Spirit World Guild without holding anything back. That showed he truly trusted Chu Feng.
That was exactly why Chu Feng was so happy — because he felt Gu Bo was a friend worth making, and what he needed most right now were friends he could open his heart to. Real friends.
In the days that followed, Gu Bo came to see Chu Feng almost every day. They chatted about barrier techniques, about matters of cultivation, and their relationship grew closer and closer until they became friends who shared everything with each other.
While Chu Feng and the others were enjoying comfortable days at the Supreme Villa, the selection process for the Marriage Conference continued to move forward.
Eventually, after a period of screening, tens of thousands of people had poured into the outer city of the Supreme Villa. They came from all corners of the land — mostly young cultivators from the younger generation, though there were some older ones as well.
But regardless of age or origin, every one of them possessed considerable strength, and they all shared the same purpose: to attend the Supreme Villa's Marriage Conference.
This day, they gathered in the outer city, because the qualification assessment for this long-planned Marriage Conference was about to begin.
"Look — isn't that the perverted old man
"Heavens! A famous senior expert like him, showing up for a Marriage Conference? That's just disgraceful."
"Disgusting! What senior expert? He's nothing but a shameless, despicable scum of the earth! What is the Supreme Villa thinking, letting a creature like this in? Are they going to let their own girls be defiled by some old beast?"
A commotion suddenly erupted in the crowd. Chu Feng turned to look and saw a white-haired, diminutive old man walking into the crowd under countless stares and a barrage of mocking words.
The old man acted as though he hadn't heard a thing. A perpetual grin hung on his lips, and his eyes wandered shamelessly over the high platform, where the beauties of the Supreme Villa stood. When something caught his eye, he would lick his lips without the slightest embarrassment — the very picture of a dirty old man.
But despite this little old man's lecherous ways, Chu Feng was astonished to discover that his strength was truly terrifying — he was an expert of the Heaven Martial Realm.
"Gu Bo, who is this old man? He seems to be famous. A lot of people seem to recognize him," Chu Feng asked curiously.
"This old man's name is Wang Qiang. His nickname is 'the Perverted Old Man.' He's a roving flower thief who wanders between the various provinces, bold enough to target anyone he pleases. His wanted posters are plastered all across the
"How could someone like that get into the Supreme Villa?" Now Chu Feng finally understood why everyone was so repulsed by the old man — he truly was a monster beyond redemption.
"The Perverted Old Man is clever. His weakness is beautiful women, but he's cautious enough to never lay his dirty hands on any force stronger than himself."
"Because of that, even though he's done countless terrible things, he's never committed any crimes in Qingzhou, so he has no grudge against the Supreme Villa, and the Supreme Villa naturally has no reason to turn him away."
"Besides, the Supreme Villa organized this Marriage Conference precisely because they want to recruit capable people to help them deal with the demon beasts of the Myriad Monster Mountain. A Heaven Martial Realm expert like the Perverted Old Man — the Supreme Villa would be foolish to refuse him," Gu Bo explained.
"So that's how it is. It looks like this Marriage Conference really is a mixed bag — all sorts of people showing up," Chu Feng remarked with a sigh. He was becoming increasingly aware that this Marriage Conference was far more complicated than it had seemed.
After the Perverted Old Man stirred up quite a sensation, the presiding elders of the Supreme Villa finally made their appearance. Five elders stepped out, every single one at the Heaven Martial Realm, with the lead elder having reached the second level of Heaven Martial.
According to Gu Bo, that second-level Heaven Martial elder was far from the strongest existence within the Supreme Villa — which said a great deal about the villa's true power.
But the important thing was that the elder addressed the tens of thousands of attendees, including Chu Feng, and explained how they could qualify for the Marriage Conference.
"First, on behalf of the Villa Master, I'd like to thank everyone here for traveling from so far with a sincere heart to attend our Supreme Villa's Marriage Conference."
"In order to reward your sincerity, for this Marriage Conference the Supreme Villa has carefully selected one hundred outstanding female disciples. Each possesses her own unique beauty, and their cultivation and talents are unmatched among their peers."
"I cannot describe all of their virtues one by one, but I can guarantee you this — the women of our Marriage Conference are absolutely the most exceptional in the entire Nine Provinces Continent. They are worthy of any man in the world."
"And right now, they are waiting for you in the main city. Whether you have the chance to win their favor — whether you will be the ones to bring a beautiful bride home — that will depend entirely on your own strength."