The shout echoed with such force that the surrounding shop windows visibly trembled and rattled. On the street, many onlookers felt a sharp ringing in their ears, as if someone had jabbed their eardrums with a chopstick; the pain was so intense they couldn't hear anything else, and could only clutch their ears.

The sudden shout from Li Yundong made Zou Ping and the others jump, their internal Zhenyuan momentarily thrown into disarray. A wave of fear washed over her. She shot Li Yundong a resentful glance, then commanded, "Let's go!"

Given they were in the middle of a bustling thoroughfare, she wasn't afraid of a surprise attack from Li Yundong. With that, she helped support her junior apprentice brother and turned to leave.

Before departing, Wang Lingfei cast a cold look at Li Yundong, then at Ziyuan, before suddenly sneering, "Venerable Ziyuan, Venerable Li, I wonder if you two will be hiding like turtles during the upcoming Lotus Gathering?"

With that, he threw his head back and departed amid booming laughter.

Ruan Hongling watched their retreating figures and spat viciously, "What nerve! Acting like they own the place with nothing but borrowed authority! Do they really think they're the headmasters of the Zhengyi Sect?"

Li Yundong’s face was a mask of grimness. He turned to look at Ziyuan and saw her slender eyebrows subtly furrowed, her gaze distant, as if preoccupied with a thought.

"Ziyuan," Li Yundong asked, "What is this Lotus Gathering?"

Ziyuan gasped slightly, snapping back to attention. Her gaze sharpened, and after a moment’s thought, she said, "It's not convenient to talk here. We should discuss it when we get back."

Li Yundong glanced around. The pedestrian street was now encircled three layers deep with onlookers, and several police officers and city management personnel had arrived to maintain order. He nodded. "Agreed, we'll talk when we're home."

The group had left in high spirits only to return fuming. Once inside, a chorus of complaints erupted. Ruan Hongling was certainly full of anger, but the entire Fox Charm Sect felt the same sting.

The elder and younger foxes felt they had never committed a single evil deed in their lives. Why did these people refuse to let them exist in the world?

Some people wore human skin while engaging in deeds worse than beasts, yet in the end, they were the ones shouting down and hunting creatures like them, calling them fiends that could not exist in the world, deeming their presence an act of supreme heresy.

What kind of twisted logic was that?

Li Yundong saw them venting their frustrations but did not stop them. Instead, he merely nodded to Ziyuan, who understood immediately, and the two retreated into a side room.

"Ziyuan," Li Yundong began, "What is this Lotus Gathering all about? From what that man said, it sounds like we are supposed to attend? Is it mandatory?"

Ziyuan let out a soft sigh. "That's a long story."

Li Yundong chuckled lightly. "No matter, take your time. Shall I pour you some tea?"

Ziyuan smiled faintly. "During the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, Buddhism and Daoism both flourished immensely. Particularly during the Two Jins, no scholar existed who wasn't versed in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. If one failed to master any of the three, they couldn't attain high distinction grades in evaluations, and thus had no chance of securing an official post. In all of China's history, Buddhism and Daoism never reached such a peak of simultaneous prosperity and power as they did during that era. By the time of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Emperor Wu of Liang inaugurated the first grand Buddhist gathering. The Book of Liang, Annals of Emperor Wu records: 'The Emperor proceeded to Tongtai Temple and established the Four Categories Unobstructed Assembly.'"

"By the Tang Dynasty, after Xuanzang returned from his journey to the West, he also recorded in his Great Tang Records on the Western Regions that the great assembly in ancient India was convened once every five years."

Li Yundong asked, confused, "Then what exactly is an Unobstructed Assembly?"

Ziyuan explained, "The Unobstructed Assembly refers to a grand vegetarian feast hosted by Buddhists to widely establish karmic connections. All attendees—regardless of noble or humble status, monk or layperson, wise or foolish, good or evil—were treated with absolute equality."

Li Yundong pressed further, "And how does that relate to the Lotus Gathering?"

Ziyuan smiled. "As I mentioned, during the Jin and Southern/Northern Dynasties, Buddhism and Daoism were equally strong. But by the Tang Dynasty, especially as Emperor Taizong favored Buddhism and convened the Unobstructed Assembly every five years, the Buddhist factions frequently consolidated their power, causing the Daoist tradition to naturally be sidelined and decline. However, the Daoist sects of that time were unwilling to retreat to second tier. Seeing the Buddhists holding the Unobstructed Assembly every five years, the Great Daoist Master Luo Gongyuan took the initiative to contact the great Daoist figures Zhang Guo and Ye Fashan, and they began holding the Lotus Gathering every four years."

Li Yundong listened intently. "And then?"

Ziyuan continued, "After the Lotus Gathering had been held a few times, its fame gradually spread and reached the ears of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Intrigued, Emperor Xuanzong summoned Luo Gongyuan and commanded him to engage in a contest of spiritual arts before the imperial court against the Vajra Master. As a result, Luo Gongyuan achieved a resounding victory. From then on, Emperor Xuanzong changed his faith, beginning to venerate the Daoist path, and sought instruction in Daoist magic from Luo Gongyuan."

Li Yundong began to understand. "I gather that from this point on, the enmity between the Buddhist and Daoist factions was cemented?"

Ziyuan nodded. "Indeed. The Lotus Gathering gained immense prestige from then on, and every Daoist sect considered participation an honor. Only the foremost sects in the cultivation world could attend. Even if you lost a contest of spiritual arts at the event, others would still hold you in higher regard. But if you failed to qualify, people wouldn't even give you a second glance!"

Li Yundong snorted coldly. "Why should I care how they look at me?"

Ziyuan shook her head, advising him gently, "Li Yundong, it's not that simple. Although we often claim to be people of the Dao, we are, in reality, part of Taoism. The Dao preaches Wu Wei and non-contention, but Taoism champions humanity striving against Heaven. A person’s cultivation journey is a process of constantly fighting oneself and constantly fighting against the heavens. Therefore, while our Taoist path appears peaceful, it is actually the most fierce and heaven-defying school of thought!"

"Now that you have taken over the Fox Charm Sect, you must understand this yourself: If you don't contend, within a month, you will starve! If you open a tea shop, you will naturally have competitors. Facing your rivals, can you afford not to fight? If you don't fight, you lose money; if you lose money, you starve; if you starve, you cannot cultivate; if you cannot cultivate, the sect weakens and you will eventually be bullied!"

Li Yundong sighed deeply. "You're right. How can one cultivate while constantly enduring this kind of humiliation?"

Ziyuan continued, "There is one benefit to attending the Lotus Gathering: it allows all the cultivation sects in the realm to recognize you and know your reputation, thereby deterring future offenses. More importantly, the organizers of every Lotus Gathering offer up a potent magical artifact as the grand prize, attracting the top masters from all factions."

Saying this, Ziyuan suddenly turned to Li Yundong and asked, "By the way, who do you think is presiding over this session of the Lotus Gathering?"

Li Yundong asked in surprise, "Isn't it the Zhengyi Sect?"

Ziyuan shook her head. "No. The Lotus Gathering has evolved to become a convention for various sects to showcase their power and attract disciples. The Zhengyi Sect is already powerful enough; they don't need such an assembly to prove their strength."

Li Yundong pondered. "Then which sect is it?"

Ziyuan’s eyes flickered as she spoke with deep implication, "It is the Gezao Sect from the Outer Elixir School!"

Li Yundong gasped, his heart stirring. "The Gezao Sect? The Gezao Sect that successfully refined the Human Yuan Golden Elixir?"

Ziyuan nodded. "Precisely. Do you recall how we previously spoke of a hidden mastermind plotting a conspiracy within the cultivation world?"

Li Yundong’s expression grew solemn. "Yes, especially with the theft of the two golden serpents’ corpses, coupled with the ambiguous death of Changsun Hong—I have a growing feeling these incidents are all connected somehow."

Ziyuan agreed. "I think so too. When Wang Lingfei mentioned the Lotus Gathering just now, I immediately recalled that the deceased Golden Serpent once mentioned the Immortal Brush and the Medicine King Cauldron would soon appear. This made me think: The Gezao Sect has always been low-profile; why would they voluntarily host the Lotus Gathering this time? Furthermore, why did the Sect Master of Gezao, Wan Zhenyuan, so publicly proclaim his refinement of the Human Yuan Golden Elixir, only to have the Elixir subsequently stolen?"

Li Yundong's spirit sharpened. "You suspect the Gezao Sect is involved in this?"

Ziyuan nodded. "Yes. I even suspect that the magical artifact prize for this Lotus Gathering will be either the Immortal Brush or the Medicine King Cauldron!"

Li Yundong said, "I’m not entirely clear on what the Immortal Brush does, but you mentioned the Medicine King Cauldron before—isn't that the artifact used to refine the Earth Element Spirit Elixir? Since the Gezao Sect belongs to the Outer Elixir School, why would they be willing to give it away?"

Ziyuan gave a cold, derisive laugh. "That's why if the artifact prize the Gezao Sect offers is the Medicine King Cauldron, there must be an earth-shattering conspiracy involved! To offer up the very artifact used for refining the Earth Element Spirit Elixir is tantamount to giving away the lifeblood of the Outer Elixir School. If they are willing to part with such a treasure, what they seek must be immense!"

As she spoke, her eyes fixed intently on Li Yundong, and she declared, "Moreover, historically, the refinement of the Human Yuan Golden Elixir has never resulted in just a single pill!"

Li Yundong jolted, his eyes widening as he stared at Ziyuan. "You mean... there are other Human Yuan Golden Elixirs existing in the world?"

Li Yundong had never witnessed the magical effects of the Immortal Brush or the Medicine King Cauldron, so he felt no excessive desire or greed for them. But the Human Yuan Golden Elixir deeply affected him.

Without the Human Yuan Golden Elixir, he would still be that ordinary shut-in at home; how could he be the Li Yundong of today?

Li Yundong thought: Even though he had already reached quite a high realm and no longer needed the Elixir's help, Su Chan and Zhou Qin still needed it. If they could each consume a Human Yuan Golden Elixir, their future cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds!

Especially since the Elixir he consumed originally belonged to Su Chan. His accidental ingestion of her Elixir was what caused her cultivation to stagnate, a fact that always caused Li Yundong a degree of guilt. If he could procure another Human Yuan Golden Elixir, perhaps he could compensate the young girl?

Li Yundong's heart stirred, but he quickly reconsidered and shook his head. "That's not right. Even if several Human Yuan Golden Elixirs were refined in one batch, the person who obtained them would have surely consumed them already, why would they still exist now?"

Seeing his interest pique, Ziyuan immediately understood his thoughts. She said, "While the Human Yuan Golden Elixirs might have already