The other family factions took their seats one after another. Many were surprised. "Hey, why was Wangyue Pavilion seated in the corner?"
Seeing this, the mbers of Star Pavilion were ecstatic. Heh, perfect. Wangyue Pavilion has been snubbed. That ans Lin Xuan definitely won’t get any high-grade weapons. The thought alone put them in a much better mood.
"The Manor Master has arrived!" a booming voice announced. A group of people then walked into the grand hall, and everyone rose to greet them.
A tall, imposing elder entered, his very arms radiating a wondrous tallic glow. He was the Manor Master, Iron Hand.
Iron Hand chuckled. "Thank you, my friends, for coming from so far. Please, be seated."
Next, the various family factions began to present their gifts. The Wangyue Pavilion Master stepped up to present hers. She was very confident in her gift; it was a Spirit Wine she had painstakingly acquired after much effort.
The Star Pavilion Master strode over to her. "I’d advise you to just go ho. No matter what you present, it can’t possibly surpass our gift. This ti, we’ve brought one of the Thirty-Six Famous Wines."
"What?" The Wangyue Pavilion Master’s face fell.
The Thirty-Six Famous Wines were second only to the legendary Ten Divine Wines, making them an imnsely precious treasure. She never expected Star Pavilion to have found sothing so rare.
It’s over. We’re going to be completely outshone.
The Wangyue Pavilion Master despaired. The wine she had brought was one of the Seventy-Two Spirit Wines, a full tier below the Thirty-Six Famous Wines. But it couldn’t be helped; the Thirty-Six Famous Wines were far too precious and nearly impossible to obtain.
The Star Pavilion Master proudly walked forward and took out a wine jar. The mont he opened it, a rich fragrance wafted out, sweeping through the hall.
A tremor ran through everyone. Just slling the aroma made the Spiritual Power within them surge.
"Heavens, what an incredible fragrance! What is it?"
Exclamations of shock erupted from the crowd. Even the people from Sword Casting Manor looked surprised.
Tieyun stood up and exclaid, "Could it be one of the Thirty-Six Famous Wines?"
The Star Pavilion Master laughed heartily. "Young Master Tieyun is truly knowledgeable. Indeed, this jar contains one of the Thirty-Six Famous Wines, known as ’Wang Qiushui’."
It really was one of the Thirty-Six Famous Wines!
The surrounding crowd was in an uproar. It was an extrely precious treasure that many great families and powerful sects didn’t possess. It was said that only the royal family had a collection of the Thirty-Six Famous Wines. For the Star Pavilion Master to acquire such a thing was simply unbelievable.
The Sun Pavilion Master gasped, "Star Pavilion has truly made a grand gesture!"
The Purple Mist Pavilion Master gave a bitter smile. "I was originally quite confident in my own gift, but it seems there’s no competing with them now!"
The other family factions were also buzzing with exclamation and envy. As expected of Star Pavilion; their ans were as grand as their history was deep.
"Excellent wine!" Manor Master Iron Hand laughed heartily. "Thank you, Star Pavilion, for this gift. I will gladly accept it!"
Iron Hand was a known connoisseur of wine, so he was naturally thrilled to encounter one of the Thirty-Six Famous Wines. He took the jar of ’Wang Qiushui’, poured himself a cup, and drained it in a single gulp, followed by another booming laugh.
"Star Pavilion Master, after the banquet, please accompany to the treasure vault to select a few suitable weapons."
"Thank you, Manor Master!" The Star Pavilion Master was ecstatic. Wonderful! It seems my gift truly hit the mark.
The Wangyue Pavilion Master’s expression was incredibly grim. She hadn’t expected Star Pavilion to actually produce one of the Thirty-Six Famous Wines. The blow was imnse. They had originally hoped to win the Manor Master’s favor with their Seventy-Two Spirit Wine and obtain a Spiritual Artifact. Now, they had been completely and utterly overshadowed.
The Star Pavilion Master turned and addressed her. "What are you standing there for? Aren’t you going to present your Treasure? Or did you not prepare a Treasure at all?"
At his words, all eyes turned to the Wangyue Pavilion Master.
She forced a bitter smile. She couldn’t back down now. Steeling herself, she had no choice but to present her gift. Taking a deep breath, she also produced a wine jar. When she opened it, another wave of fragrance filled the air. Everyone who slled it felt refreshed and clear-headed.
Soone exclaid, "Don’t tell this is another one of the Famous Wines?"
"Did Wangyue Pavilion also bring a Famous Wine?"
"I wonder which one it could be?"
The people from Star Pavilion grew tense, feeling a sense of pressure. The Star Pavilion Master walked over, took a look, and then breathed a sigh of relief. He laughed, "Ah, so it’s not a Famous Wine, but one of the Seventy-Two Spirit Wines. It’s still a fine Treasure, but compared to our Thirty-Six Famous Wines, it’s a level lower."
The surrounding guests began to murmur among themselves. The Seventy-Two Spirit Wines were indeed exceptionally valuable, but everything was relative. Compared to one of the Famous Wines, it was vastly inferior.
Hearing the whispers around her, the Wangyue Pavilion Master’s face grew dark. Her companions lowered their heads, wishing they could find a crack in the floor to disappear into.
The Star Pavilion Master then said, "Quiet, all of you. You are not to mock Wangyue Pavilion. You don’t understand. Wangyue Pavilion used to be at the very bottom of our Heavenly Dao Academy. Although their rank has improved a bit, their foundation is still weak. Finding one of the Seventy-Two Spirit Wines must have taken them an imnse amount of effort. This is the best Treasure they could possibly offer. Besides, a gift is about the sentint behind it. I can see the Wangyue Pavilion Master’s imnse sincerity. What right do you have to ridicule her?"
His words seed to defend Wangyue Pavilion, but they were actually veiled insults that mocked their lack of resources and strength. The people around were no fools and understood his true aning, their expressions turning strange. It was clear the relationship between Star Pavilion and Wangyue Pavilion was not good. The Star Pavilion Master’s words were daggers cloaked in velvet.
Sure enough, the mbers of Wangyue Pavilion flushed red with sha. They felt even more humiliated.
The Wangyue Pavilion Master nearly ground her teeth to dust. That damn Star Pavilion Master! How vicious! It’s one thing to defeat us, but he aims to break our spirit entirely! His words seed to be a defense, but in reality, they declared that their wine was inadequate and their power was lacking. It was a vicious slap in the face.
"The sentint is what counts. Thank you, Wangyue Pavilion, for the gift," Manor Master Iron Hand said flatly. There was little joy in his expression.
The Wangyue Pavilion Master and her group returned to their seats in the corner, looking completely dejected. They knew it was over. They wouldn’t receive any special consideration; in fact, they would likely be completely ignored.
Following this, the other family factions presented their gifts. So offered wine, while others brought different treasures, such as Elixirs or Secret Manuals. Soone even presented a rare piece of Xuan Iron. The gifts from these families and sects were all incredibly precious; any single one of them could drive countless people into a frenzy.
Just as most of the families had presented their gifts and everyone thought the banquet was about to begin in earnest, soone from Star Pavilion stood up again and walked toward the front.
Everyone was stunned. What’s going on? Didn’t Star Pavilion already present their gift? Why are they sending another one?
The Wangyue Pavilion Master looked up and saw that this ti it wasn’t the Star Pavilion Master, but several young prodigies from the sect. The one in the lead was a youth nad Shangguan Hao, and beside him was a woman nad Leng Rushuang. Both were top-tier geniuses.
They each brought out a gift box and presented it.
The Wangyue Pavilion Master’s expression changed drastically. What is happening? According to unspoken custom, younger disciples aren’t required to present gifts. Why is Star Pavilion doing this? Damn them, they’re so despicable!
The faces of the other elders paled. It’s over. The young disciples on their side hadn’t prepared any gifts at all. They had been thoroughly and utterly outmaneuvered.
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