Ruan Lan's rejection was blunt.

"This..."

Cold sweat broke out on Ruan Yinshan's forehead on the other end of the phone.

This time, not only had the Old Master demanded that both his granddaughters attend his birthday banquet, but he had also tasked them with something else—celebrating the Old Master's birthday at Haitang Court. When the time came, they would not only have to invite Ruan Su's old friend, Zhao Heng, but also celebrities from all walks of life.

Clearly, he intended to regain all the face he had lost last time.

However, his daughter's flat refusal left Ruan Yinshan speechless, completely at a loss for words.

Zhu Fen whispered, "Hurry up and say something."

Ruan Yinshan snapped angrily, "This is all your fault! You shouldn't have agreed to something you couldn't deliver. Happy now? How am I going to explain this to Father when we get back!"

Zhu Fen's expression turned ugly.

A few days ago, her eldest brother's family had approached her. They had affectionately called her 'sister-in-law,' and her usually haughty sister-in-law had even personally poured her a cup of tea. They kept saying things like, 'Lan'er is so successful now, living in Haitang Court, the Tower King,' and Zhu Fen, who had been slighted her whole life, felt absolutely vindicated.

So, she agreed to her eldest brother Ruan Qingshan's request to hold the Old Master's birthday celebration at Haitang Court. She regretted it almost immediately, but the invitations had already been sent out that very day, leaving no room to back out.

As the birthday banquet approached, Zhu Fen and her husband had no choice but to brace themselves and call their daughter.

"Dad, Mom, did you agree to something behind my back?" Ruan Lan, sharp as ever, asked upon hearing the silence on the phone.

"It's... it's nothing major," Ruan Yinshan stammered.

"Oh, just tell me already! You're killing me with the suspense!" Ruan Lan said anxiously.

"Give me the phone."

Zhu Fen took the phone and spelled everything out. Before Ruan Lan could even think to blame her, she began to sob.

"Lan'er, my life is so hard. Have I ever known a day of peace since marrying your father? Your uncle's family has bullied us for over twenty years."

"For just one afternoon, I felt like I was treated like a human being."

Zhu Fen cried, "But I know this puts you in a difficult position, Lan'er. It's okay, I'll talk to your grandfather. As for those invitations, I'll swallow my pride and go door to door to apologize and take them back."

Ruan Lan had the phone on speaker.

Ruan Tang said calmly, "Mom, Dad, you are welcome to visit anytime. But Uncle and Grandfather are not welcome."

"Ruan Tang?"

Zhu Fen was surprised, not understanding why her eldest daughter was with Ruan Lan.

However, before she could ask for details, Ruan Tang said, "We're about to eat. Talk to you later, Mom and Dad," and hung up.

Ruan Tang gripped her chopsticks tightly, then slowly relaxed her hold. She placed a piece of meat in Yiyi's bowl and said gently, "Yiyi, eat some more."

"Mmhmm," Xu Yiyi nodded obediently.

Xu Lai was a little surprised. He had thought his wife would soften at her mother's tearful plea, but instead, she had refused without a moment's hesitation.

"Was that too heartless of me?" Ruan Tang asked with a self-mocking smile.

"Not at all." Xu Lai shook his head, saying earnestly, "I'm realizing I love you more and more."

Ruan Lan shuddered with goosebumps. Did she really have to witness this public display of affection!?

But she also raised her hand in agreement. "Sis, you were right to refuse. Otherwise, we'd have Grandfather's birthday party here, then Uncle's family would want to have their parties here, and eventually, all their friends would want to come. It would never end."

Only after hearing Xu Lai and Ruan Lan support her decision did Ruan Tang's face break into a wide smile. "Yeah."

「Back at the Ruan residence.」

Upon learning of the decision, Ruan Su was naturally furious. He immediately announced publicly that Ruan Lan was to be completely expelled from the Ruan Family.

Of course, this had nothing to do with the people at Haitang Court, and how the next day's birthday banquet would be arranged was not their concern.

...

「The next day.」

After a hearty breakfast, everyone in the villa left for the day—some for school, some for work.

「An hour later.」

An aged figure appeared at the foot of Mount Haitang. It was none other than Gu Jiu'an, the man who had slain Ji Zhao.

He took a deep breath. An immense amount of Spiritual Energy surged into his body, and Gu Jiu'an's aged face filled with delight. "Indeed, it is a Dragon Vein. HAHAHAHA! I'm about to restore my Boundary!"

He didn't act rashly. Instead, he pulled a Crystal Ball from his robes and observed it for a moment. His expression froze. It was an extremely precious Supreme Magic Artifact, used specifically to detect the presence of powerful beings. Yet, according to the artifact, there was no one on Mount Haitang...

"The Flower Fairy isn't here!"

Gu Jiu'an was overjoyed. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

His figure flashed, disappearing from the foot of the mountain and reappearing on the summit. His gaze swept across the area. Below him, East Sea City spread out in its entirety. Above, clouds and mist wreathed the nearby sea, creating a scene like a fairyland.

Gu Jiu'an hesitated no longer. Opening his cavernous mouth, he began to devour the massive amount of Spiritual Energy.

But suddenly, his body stiffened. A sensation of being watched by a fierce beast surged through him, just like Xu Lai's cold glare from the day before.

Could it be? The Flower Fairy is gone, but Xu Lai is still here?

Hesitantly, Gu Jiu'an looked back at the Crystal Ball. There was no one there at all.

He couldn't help but feel puzzled. At his current Boundary—the late stage of the Ninth Grade by the standards of the Human Race—his five senses and Divine Sense were already extraordinarily sharp. He was capable of sensing some dangers, but this time, he sensed the threat without being able to find its source...

Gu Jiu'an decided to stop overthinking it. His mouth, like an abyssal maw, resumed devouring the Spiritual Energy of the Dragon Vein.

But what he failed to see, hidden among the clouds, was a hundred-zhang-long Black Dragon, its cold pupils fixed on the ground below.

This was the Spirit of the Spirit Gathering Formation, which was also the Spirit of the Dragon Vein.

The Black Dragon's head peeked out from the clouds, inching closer to the ground.

When Gu Jiu'an felt gusts of violent wind blasting against him and turned to look, his face instantly turned ashen.

Dragon!!!

The Dragon Vein of Mount Haitang... it's actually undergone Dragon Transformation!

Gu Jiu'an's scalp tingled. In an instant, he used all his trump cards, unleashing a series of terrifying attacks on the Black Dragon.

However... they didn't inflict a single scratch.

The Black Dragon's immense eyes, filled with an indifference that scorned all life, lifted a claw and viciously swatted down.

BOOM—

An overwhelming pressure swept over him, and Gu Jiu'an found himself unable to move. He struggled desperately, but it was all in vain.

"Feng Yuanzi, save me!"

Gu Jiu'an couldn't help but roar, but there was no response, and his heart sank into icy despair.

Before arriving, he had blown a Bone Flute, a Magical Treasure used to call for allies. He had originally intended to alert Feng Yuanzi in case he ran into the Flower Fairy of the Divine Gate Realm, but he had forgotten that guy was a notorious fair-weather friend who had clearly run away at the first sign of danger!

As the Black Dragon's claw descended, Gu Jiu'an's face was deathly pale. He could only manage a wry smile. "Secret Technique—Sever!"

As he spoke, the dragon's claw slammed down, shaking Mount Haitang to its core. Yet, when the Black Dragon lifted its claw, no corpse remained.

Meanwhile, fifty kilometers away in a martial arts gym in the suburbs of East Sea City, an old man suddenly plummeted from the sky. He crashed onto the Martial Practice Field and coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

The instructor, who was teaching martial arts to a group of children, became as tense as if facing a formidable enemy.

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