Having obtained the Demon Summoning Banner, Feng Zikang’s initial plan was to immediately return to the Military Household on Dragon Tiger Mountain to refine and study it, but Wu Ji vehemently insisted that he stay.

Because someone important was returning.

“Miss Wu is heading back to Lizhou?”

Feng Zikang paused, not because the young Miss Wu held any significant place in his heart, but because he genuinely could not fathom what her return had to do with him.

Of course, he could not ask this question so bluntly; it would be profoundly impolite. Instead, he merely looked at Luo Kedi with confusion.

Luo Kedi sighed, casting a disappointed look at his martial uncle, shaking his head as if he were made of poor clay.

He had probed several times before and had already discovered that his martial uncle seemed completely oblivious to the matter, appearing utterly uninformed. If this was the case, "then Meier must have been making assumptions out of unrequited affection."

Martial Uncle Feng seemed to have no interest whatsoever in matters of the heart, and his memory of Miss Wu was merely a vague recollection of having casually saved her once; without a reminder, he might have forgotten her entirely.

Yet, Wu Mei’s feelings were anything but indifferent.

Shortly after she escaped the Nine-Tailed Fox and returned to Lizhou, Luo Kedi, the person closest and dearest to her, noticed the change. Before long, even Wu Ji himself understood his daughter's feelings clearly.

Wu Mei’s whole heart was set upon Feng Zikang, the young hero who had arrived with a sword from the south to save her!

That was why she refused the marriage proposal from the Crown Prince, the Emperor, and would not marry anyone else, insisting on seclusion in her quiet chamber under the pretense of pursuing the Dao, silently resisting all pressure.

Recalling those years, Luo Kedi couldn't help but sigh.

It was a relief that she could withstand the pressure, and that the esteemed Elder Wu Ji could also hold firm, even daring to defy the Emperor and abandon Chang'an for his daughter’s wishes and happiness, establishing the current state of affairs.

Later, Wu Mei was taken in as a disciple by the Old Mother of Piaoshan, finally fulfilling her dream of cultivation. Luo Kedi secretly hoped that this might lead to a good resolution.

Those who cultivate often seek Daoist partners for dual cultivation. If Elder Wu and he himself jointly pleaded with the martial uncle to look after Wu Mei, coupled with their past fellowship, perhaps Martial Uncle Feng would agree.

Whether genuine affection could blossom over time would depend on Miss Wu’s strategy. Luo Kedi sighed, yet he knew that Meier was always skillful with men. If she applied even a little effort, didn't her father and he himself always heed her words?

However, as for the impervious Martial Uncle Feng, who was utterly focused on cultivation, whether her methods would work was known only to heaven.

“Martial Uncle, Miss Wu heard you were in Lizhou and rushed back… She explicitly instructed us to keep you here and express her gratitude for saving her life.”

On several previous occasions, the two had narrowly missed each other. Wu Mei would often learn of Feng Zikang’s whereabouts a step too late, and Feng Zikang was always fleeting. For years, they had, frustratingly, only met glimpses.

This time, when Wu Mei descended the mountain, she contacted her family using their ancestral communication jade pendant and was overjoyed to discover Feng Zikang was in Lizhou. She immediately hastened back, determined that her father must detain him.

Of course, everyone knew the true reason, but they dared not state it plainly to Feng Zikang. Luo Kedi could only cite her desire to repay the life-saving grace.

“It was merely a small effort. Why make such a fuss?”

Feng Zikang had no inclination to delve into the subtleties of youthful romance. His mind was occupied only with mastering profound techniques and the affairs of the world; he had no room for sentimental attachments and had never considered them.

However, since Wu Ji and Luo Kedi were so intent on keeping him, he felt awkward leaving abruptly. It was only for a day, so he finally agreed.

Luo Kedi breathed a sigh of relief; seeing that he no longer insisted on leaving, his heart settled.

But then Feng Zikang frowned. “This Old Mother of Piaoshan… is she perhaps the Sect Master of the Formless Sect, the first among the Eighty-One Upper Sects?”

Among the Three Teachings and Nine Paths, there were Eighty-One Cultivation Upper Sects, forming the backbone of the cultivation world.

The foremost among these Eighty-One Upper Sects was the mystical sect known as the Formless Sect.

The main reason Feng Zikang remembered this name was that the Formless Sect violated a taboo associated with his own name.

Formless Sect, Formless Celestial Demon.

Had he been fully established, he might have stormed their mountain to demand a name change. But, keeping a low profile for now, he certainly wouldn't commit such a foolish act.

Still, hearing the name did bring him displeasure.

Furthermore, this Old Mother of Piaoshan was a woman of considerable ambition.

In the cultivation world, the Three Teachings and Nine Paths held precedence, a tradition spanning a thousand years.

Yet, the cycles of Heaven and Earth are unpredictable, and status and power are not exempt even for cultivators. Who wouldn't strive for advancement?

Just as the Nine Paths have always harbored resentment over being perpetually overshadowed by the Three Teachings, the Eighty-One Upper Sects contained numerous ambitious individuals eager to ascend to the ranks of the Nine Paths.

The Old Mother of Piaoshan of the Formless Sect was precisely such a person.

She firmly held the position as the foremost of the Eighty-One Upper Sects, yet she constantly schemed to spread the doctrine of the Formless Sect throughout the realm, aiming for the revered status held by the Three Teachings and Nine Paths.

She had been most active over the past few centuries, frequently involving herself in worldly affairs; the famous general Wang Ba was said to have originated from her lineage.

However, the influence of the Three Teachings and Nine Paths was deep-rooted and accumulated over a millennium, not to be underestimated. Despite her numerous maneuvers, she had never managed to take that final step.

“Taking a disciple with such poor cultivation aptitude as Wu Mei was clearly motivated by this very intention.”

Since Wu Ji had broken away from Lizhou, the region was now flourishing, showing signs of a regime change. Moreover, Wu Ji had no sons, only this one daughter, Wu Mei. If he truly achieved the highest authority in the future, it was highly likely this daughter would inherit it.

The Old Mother of Piaoshan preemptively taking Wu Mei as a disciple revealed her intentions clearly. Her foresight and audacity were indeed admirable.

Considering that the affairs of the Central Plains in Lizhou were a subject of much division even among the Three Teachings and Nine Paths, for someone from a mere Upper Sect to show such significant support was no small feat.

Feng Zikang smirked internally, stirring an interest in meeting Wu Mei to subtly glean some information from her.

“They’re here! They’re here!”

Wu Ji and his wife craned their necks in anticipation. They saw a red cloud drifting in from the northwest. Having witnessed such sights many times, they knew it was their daughter returning, and they shouted out in delight!

After all, they were just an old couple. Seeing their long-absent daughter, they disregarded their status and position, tears streaming down their faces, their emotions laid bare.

Luo Kedi also looked up with excitement, gazing into the distance.

Feng Zikang nodded and looked up as well. He observed the auspicious omens emanating from the red cloud, noting the presence of Righteous Qi and a supreme Dragon Qi suffusing the surroundings, turning golden-yellow. An boundless pressure radiated forth, stirring in mortals the impulse to bow in worship, causing even him to start slightly.

“This young lady’s Dragon Qi is actually far denser than her father’s! Is she truly the destined Sovereign of the Central Plains?”