Ning Province, with its bleak mountains, perilous rivers, and towering canyons, was far less bustling and prosperous than other plains prefectures. However, in the cultivation world, a large mortal population wasn't necessarily a good thing. Though sparsely populated, Ning Province possessed spiritual energy denser than other prefectures in the Southern Liang Kingdom, and even harbored significantly more spiritual resources than wealthy regions like Qing Province. The Southern Liang Kingdom’s largest river, the Bian River, originated in Ning Province. Several hundred li upstream, nestled deep within a vast canyon, stood the Lu Family Stronghold. This fortress was built right at the most turbulent section of the river, at the highest point of the great gorge. The castle leaned against the mountainside and bordered the water, a massive structure rising from the flat ground with imposing grandeur. The gorge frequently spawned mists that often shrouded the entire fortress for hundreds of li, making it appear and disappear like a realm of immortals. Because the river here was so rapid and the canyon so sheer, very few mortals ever ventured to this area; those who did arrive were mostly cultivators. Foundation Establishment cultivators could manage with sword flight, but Qi Refining cultivators would undoubtedly suffer greatly climbing the treacherous canyon to reach the Lu Family Stronghold. Even a newly arrived Foundation Establishment cultivator would be awestruck by the castle's sheer presence—the scale of the Lu Family Stronghold was nearly the size of half of Xian Yuan City, with overlapping towers capable of easily housing tens of thousands. As the leading family within the Ancient Artifact Sect, the top-ranked Golden Core ancestor lineage of the sect, the Lu Family’s immense power was readily apparent. Few great cultivating families in the Spirit Mist Cultivation Realm could rival their influence.

Ye Su left Qing Province and, traveling on his Black Cloud Screen for a day, arrived hundreds of li from the Lu Family Stronghold, gradually slowing down. During his flight, he noticed at least ten groups of cultivators, some Foundation Establishment cultivators flying on swords, others Qi Refining cultivators making their slow journey on the ground. Besides the Lu Family Stronghold, there were no other concentrations of cultivators within Ning Province, clearly indicating that all these people were heading toward the Stronghold. Ye Qin felt puzzled, wondering why so many cultivators were converging there. He spotted an elderly man in a green robe leading four or five young Qi Refining cultivators on foot and descended to inquire about their destination.

The elder, startled to see a young Foundation Establishment cultivator descend from the sky, replied with a mix of caution and reverence, "Senior, the Second Young Master of the Lu Family is to be married in a few days. We are all cultivators from small families residing near Ba Province, and we have specifically come to the Lu Family Stronghold to offer our congratulations. Senior must also be heading there?"

Ye Qin inquired further, "Oh, the Lu Family is preparing a wedding feast? Do you require special wedding invitations or similar summons to enter the Stronghold?"

The elder quickly explained, "No, any guest coming to offer congratulations may enter the Lu Family Stronghold. The Lu Family wedding will draw seniors and cultivators from all directions. Only the major sects and great families receive formal invitation cards from the Lu Family. For minor family cultivators like us, without much fame, we would not receive an official invitation from the Lu Family." He added, "We only heard news of the Second Young Master’s marriage and came to offer congratulations, bringing a few younger family members along to witness the excitement and see a bit of the greater world."

Ye Su nodded. He had been worrying about how to devise a plausible reason to enter the Lu Family Stronghold without arousing suspicion and locate the Spirit Fruit Tree without alerting the Lu Family cultivators. Since there was a major wedding, he no longer needed to invent an excuse to sneak in. The young cultivators behind the elder, new to the area, showed little apprehension toward Ye Qin; instead, they gazed at Ye Tai with palpable envy. Ye Qin wasn't much older than them, yet he was already a Foundation Establishment senior, naturally making him an object of their admiration. Ye Su asked the elder a few more questions to clarify the details of the Lu Family wedding. It turned out the Second Young Master was formally pairing up for dual cultivation with a woman from the Moon Deficient Sect. The feast invited cultivators from many immortal sects and nearby aristocratic families. Cultivators without invitations, who came simply hearing the news, only needed to present a congratulatory gift to enter and share a cup of wedding wine. The Lu Family would certainly not turn anyone away on such a joyous occasion. Consequently, many obscure small families and rogue cultivators had recently flocked to the Lu Family Stronghold to join the festivities, broaden their horizons, and perhaps seek opportunities to form alliances with the Lu Family—such an opportunity would be a supreme blessing. Ye Qin mused for a moment, offered a word of thanks, mounted his magic tool, and flew away, vanishing in the blink of an eye as a tiny speck in the distance under the envious gaze of the Qi Refining cultivators.

When Ye Qin reached the vicinity of the Lu Family Stronghold, he landed his tool far away to avoid causing offense. He ascended the stone steps along the canyon wall. By now, the Stronghold was already teeming with guests; cultivators, both known and unknown, were greeting each other incessantly. At the gate stood more than a dozen brightly clad, young Qi Refining disciples of the Lu Family, collecting gifts and loudly announcing the identity and title of each arriving guest. Having one's identity announced publicly before the crowd of guests at the Lu Family Stronghold gate was itself a symbol of prestige. In the cultivation world, status was usually determined by cultivation level, but having a formal title—a moniker rarely held—signified immense prestige and renown. These were highly valued distinctions. Especially for cultivators from major sects and large families, they often wouldn't even spare a glance for a rogue cultivator without status or one from a minor family with low standing.

"Feng Family Head Feng Xing, offering three stalks of two-hundred-year-old spirit lingzhi as tribute."

A few disciples of the Lu Family announced the tribute from a rugged-looking cultivator in a flat tone. Such centuries-old spiritual medicine was quite valuable, but to great cultivating families, it was merely common spiritual material. They casually announced the offering and allowed the man entry. Standing near the gate, besides these gift-collecting disciples, was a tall, imposing man in white robes, a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the fifth layer. Every move radiated the demeanor of a scion from a prominent family, yet a trace of anxiety creased his brow, suggesting he was waiting for someone. After the Feng Family, Ye Qin presented his congratulatory note and gift: "Qing Dan Sect Foundation Establishment disciple Ye Tai, presenting two stalks of five-hundred-year-old spirit ginseng and one stalk of seven-hundred-year-old huangjing."

The Lu Family disciples brightened upon seeing these gifts, their voices growing louder. Spiritual medicines over five hundred years old were somewhat rare. While not priceless treasures, they were several tiers above the gifts offered by minor families. The anxious white-robed man pacing near the gate suddenly heard the announcement of a Qing Dan Sect disciple and broke into visible joy. He hurried over, grasping Ye Tai’s arm. He looked behind Ye Qin with delight but, seeing no other Qing Dan disciples, showed a flicker of confusion. "Junior Brother, why is the Qing Dan Sect only represented by you? Didn't our Lu Family send an invitation to the Qing Dan Sect, inviting the disciples from your sect's three major families to come together?"

Ye Qin frowned slightly. "I was patrolling near the Southern Liang Kingdom when I heard of the Lu Family wedding, so I rushed over to offer my congratulations personally, not as a representative of the Qing Dan Sect. As for the Qing Dan Sect, I am unaware of the specifics."

"I see. The disciples from the three major families of the Qing Dan Sect haven't arrived yet." The white-robed man understood, though a hint of disappointment followed. However, he quickly smiled. "Ah, since you arrived first, Junior Brother, please enter! I am Lu Yuanli, the Young Master of the Lu Family Stronghold. We are all disciples of the Seven Great Sects; perhaps we can grow closer in the future."

"Naturally, I will rely on Senior Brother Lu’s guidance in the future!"

Ye Su offered a slight bow, smiled faintly, and stepped into the Lu Family Stronghold. Though he lacked an invitation, his status as a Qing Dan Sect Foundation Establishment disciple, coupled with a reasonably substantial gift, allowed him entry as a distinguished guest. The Stronghold was vast, covering several hundred hectares, internally structured with streets lined with numerous teahouses, restaurants, and residential compounds. To call the Lu Family Stronghold a small city would not be an exaggeration. However, usually, only the Lu Family members, their affiliated cultivators, and a large number of Lu Family mortals resided within. The mortals of the Lu Family held little ground within the Stronghold itself, but elsewhere in the Southern Liang Kingdom, they were akin to imperial relatives, possessing extremely noble statuses. The Emperor of Southern Liang bearing the Lu surname, and the various Lu-surnamed princes and princesses across the kingdom, all hailed from this Stronghold.

Upon entering, Ye Su found thousands of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators already gathered, bustling about in vibrant activity. Guests from various paths congregated in the largest teahouses and taverns within the fortress, chattering excitedly about the Lu Family wedding and the ongoing conflicts between the Three Great Cultivation Realms. Ye Su's true purpose for visiting the Lu Family Stronghold was purely to find the Spirit Fruit Tree, a focus entirely different from that of the other guests. Yet, even in pursuit of the spirit fruit, he dared not show any obvious signs; he had to operate discreetly, avoiding drawing attention. For now, his role was to be a congratulatory guest, making all cultivators believe he was there solely for the wedding celebration, and then find an opportunity to search for the Lu Family Stronghold’s Spirit Fruit Tree. "I am Ye Tai, a disciple of the Qing Dan Sect. Greetings to all my Senior Brothers! I’ve long admired you!" Among the guests, he managed to make acquaintances with many Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Seven Great Sects. Having no fame didn't matter; most cultivators were obscure. While strength was crucial, reputation could not be ignored, making mutual flattery at gatherings a shortcut to building status in the cultivation world.

Within half a day, Ye Su had met several cultivators from the Seven Great Sects, and these new acquaintances continuously introduced him around. As disciples from many of the Seven Great Sects gathered, the conversation naturally turned to interesting anecdotes from the cultivation world. The escalating war between the Three Great Cultivation Realms was undoubtedly the most fiercely debated topic, as this conflict had severely impacted nearly every cultivator in the Spirit Mist Cultivation Realm. Surprisingly few people were discussing the Lu Family Second Young Master’s wedding.

Suddenly, a massive gong sounded at the gate of the Lu Family Stronghold, its tone high, resonant, and almost shaking the entire castle. "Qing Dan Sect: Huangfu Family’s Huangfu Bing'er, Yan Family’s Yan Wei, Chen Family’s Chen Lan, arrive to congratulate the Lu Family on their great wedding!"

Followed immediately by, "Moon Deficient Sect: Wang Family’s Wang Song, Wei Family’s Wei Tianqin..."

The core disciples of the Seven Great Sects, along with a contingent of the most crucial disciples from several major cultivating families, arrived simultaneously around dusk that day, creating an immense spectacle. For a brief moment, the Lu Family Stronghold fell silent, followed by gasps of astonishment and excitement from thousands of guest cultivators. It was exceedingly rare for the most prominent younger generation figures from the dozens of powerful great cultivating families within the Seven Great Sects to attend one wedding feast—especially on the eve of the war between the Three Great Cultivation Realms.