Chapter 684 - 466: Profound Lady Pavilion
"Brother Wei!"
Wei Fan left the Hidden Merit Hall and intended to wander around the Holy City. After walking for a while, he unexpectedly ran into Li Jianchen, who was accompanied by three men, one of whom was Zhang Ye, whom he had met before, and the other two were unfamiliar to him.
"We were just about to go to the Profound Lady Pavilion to watch a performance. We thought you were still at the Hidden Merit Hall, so we didn’t call you."
Li Jianchen came up and pulled Wei Fan, wanting him to accompany them to the so-called Profound Lady Pavilion, the name of which Wei Fan knew at a glance was a place of entertainment, not something he was particularly interested in.
He hadn’t expected someone as seemingly cold as Li Jianchen to be fond of such places.
At this, Li Jianchen’s face turned somewhat gloomy as he explained, "Don’t underestimate the Profound Lady Pavilion. In terms of antiquity, nothing in the entire Eastern Domain is older than it, not even the Demon Hunter Organization."
"Don’t think of it as an ordinary entertainment venue. Those who enter the Profound Lady Pavilion are people of extremely high status, including the likes of Holy Land Heroic Masters and the direct descendants of the Martial Emperor Families."
"Even the Martial Emperor frequented the Profound Lady Pavilion in his youth. It’s said that one of Emperor Xuanyuan’s concubines was a Profound Lady from there."
"Is the Profound Lady Pavilion really that formidable?"
Wei Fan raised an eyebrow. If even the Martial Emperor visited it, and it housed someone who could marry a figure like Emperor Xuanyuan, then he must have oversimplified the idea of the Profound Lady Pavilion.
It might indeed be a place of leisure but likely not the worldly kind, otherwise, it couldn’t have endured this long.
Older than the Demon Hunter Organization—it was the first time he had heard of such a force.
"Naturally, the Profound Lady Pavilion is not an ordinary place. It’s not just about having Spirit Crystals and doing whatever you wish. To practice Dual Cultivation with a disciple of the Profound Lady Pavilion, they must see you as worthy."
"They don’t merely traffic in the flesh; they are primarily concerned with cultivation. The Profound Lady Pavilion possesses the world’s most profound Dual Cultivation Technique, which benefits both parties."
"If they do not deem you worthy, no amount of Spirit Crystals will suffice."
Wei Fan nodded inwardly. Since it was for cultivation, it was naturally not comparable to worldly places of entertainment.
"Moreover, visiting the Profound Lady Pavilion is not solely for Dual Cultivation. Its performances are unparalleled in the world, its food delicious, and it offers wines brewed using the most ancient methods—some aged for tens of thousands of years. Great figures in the Holy City often book the Profound Lady Pavilion for banquets."
Wei Fan’s curiosity was piqued. With nothing else to do, visiting the Profound Lady Pavilion, frequented by people of the upper echelons, would be a good way to understand the Holy City and grasp the situation in the entire Eastern Domain.
The recent appearance of the Divine Phoenix above the Xuanyuan Family could possibly have an answer there.
"Haha... Brother Li, aren’t you going to introduce your friend?"
Zhang Ye and the three men approached. Li Jianchen nodded and introduced the three: besides Zhang Ye, one was Gao Peng and the other Lu Shun’an.
Gao Peng was also a Town Territory Envoy, Lu Shun’an was not, but he too had Saint Realm Cultivation.
After the introductions, Li Jianchen looked at Wei Fan with an inquiring glance, suggesting whether he should reveal his true identity.
"I am Wei Fan, pleased to meet the three of you!"
He had no intention of hiding his identity. Anyone who cared about him would likely have guessed that he was already in the Holy City; there was no need to be secretive.
"Wei Fan from Beiding Continent?"
Zhang Ye, Gao Peng, and the others widened their eyes in astonishment.
As Saint Realm powerhouses, they naturally understood what reaching the Saint Realm at nineteen meant. They had all reached the Martial King Ninth Layer by the time they were in their twenties, but it took them until around fifty or sixty to dare to challenge the Saint Realm.
Li Jianchen glanced at the three, "Isn’t that obvious? It’s no secret that I’ve been visiting Beiding Continent these past few years."
He then shifted his tone, saying, "Brother Wei considers you all friends, and thus speaks frankly. He has many enemies who do not want to see him grow. Not many know of his presence in the Holy City, so I hope you all can keep this to yourselves."
The three nodded solemnly. Although they were unaware of what transpired between Wei Fan and the Mountain and Sea Continent’s Zhou Family, they knew that the Demon Race would not allow a talent more gifted than Xuanyuan Peak to rise and would certainly seek to eliminate him.
"It’s an honor to meet such a prodigy; I’ll cover the bill at the Profound Lady Pavilion later!"
With a wave of his large hand, Lu Shun’an strode forward.
Wei Fan followed the four of them, and soon his ears caught melodic sounds, with a pavilion surrounded by spiraling smoke appearing before him.
"This zither music contains Dao Yun, resonating with the Great Dao, penetrating straight to the soul. The player must be a master of this path."
The sound from the pavilions was harmonic and endless, with hints of the Great Dao flickering in and out of existence. Even beyond the walls, one could feel a sense of comfort as if all troubles were washed away by the music, the soul purged, and the Primordial Spirit experiencing a kind of ethereal Enlightenment Dao.
Wei Fan noticed some Martial Kings sitting cross-legged beneath the walls, leveraging the zither’s music to practice and cultivate.
"Impressive!"
Wei Fan couldn’t help but praise. It was misguided to view the Profound Lady Pavilion through the lens of a place of entertainment; the person playing the zither was undoubtedly a Saint Realm powerhouse, whose mastery of music had reached an extraordinary level, possibly even Entering the Dao through the zither.
"These are people who can’t afford to pay to enter the Profound Lady Pavilion and are thus here to experience Miss Qiushui’s zither music and cultivate. The zither music can aid the cultivation of a Martial King, but for us Saint Realm powerhouses, it’s merely pleasing to the senses."
Gao Peng explained as he stepped towards the Profound Lady Pavilion.
"Brother Wei, you seem so surprised. It seems you haven’t heard the zither music of Fairy Yunyin. Her music truly transcends the ordinary to reach the realm of sainthood, cleansing the soul. Even we Saint Realm powerhouses can benefit from it. When Fairy Yunyin holds her next grand concert, you should definitely listen to it.
Her zither skills surpass Fairy Qiushui tenfold."
Lu Shun’an laughed, striding into the Profound Lady Pavilion.
Wei Fan followed him in, immediately greeted by a burst of fragrance. A garden filled his view, where various exotic flowers and mystical plants competed for attention.
Upon closer inspection, he realized these were no ordinary flora; they all exuded spirituality and were clearly spirit medicine, yet they were merely used as decoration.
In the distance lay an artificial lake, its waters clear, filled with five-colored lotus flowers. A flower boat drifted within, and a woman sat at its center, playing the zither.
Clad in a green dress, her black hair danced in the breeze, her skin fairer than snow. She concentrated deeply on her zither, with Dao Yun flowing around her.
Clearly, this woman was the Fairy Qiushui that Lu Shun’an and the others spoke of. Wei Fan only saw her side profile, as the hazy light of the lake traced her astonishing figure and perfect face.
Wei Fan’s eyes revealed a peculiar look. This woman’s beauty was simply otherworldly; from a man’s perspective, she was more attractive than any other woman he had seen.
Though Feng Hua, Long Xueyi, and other women were all beauties of the mortal world, they could not compare to this woman. It wasn’t about facial beauty, but her aura and charisma, constantly exuding an enchanting allure that could captivate one’s divine soul.
"This is the Fairy Qiushui of the Profound Lady Pavilion. However, she only cultivates the Zither Dao, unlike other disciples of the pavilion. Many princes and saint sons wish to gain her favor but cannot."
Gao Peng and the others looked envious, visibly regretful. Even Li Jianchen took a glance.
"Perhaps Brother Wei has a chance!"
At Zhang Ye’s comment, the others all nodded in agreement.
Fairy Qiushui was as beautiful as a painting, with her skin like jade, much like a meticulously crafted work of art. Coupled with her zither skills, she was like a fairy gracing the mortal world.
Although she did not practice the dual cultivation technique, that did not mean she wouldn’t marry. It’s just that among the many talents visiting the Profound Lady Pavilion, none had yet made her heart flutter.
"Do any of you have an appointment?"
A disciple from the Profound Lady Pavilion stepped forward to guide them. They all shook their heads.
"Please follow me!"
The disciple of the Profound Lady Pavilion swayed as she walked, like a lotus flower gently swaying in the wind, with quite an attractive charm, capable of captivating many in the outside world.
"The Profound Lady Pavilion’s cultivation technique is special, possessing unique abilities for beauty and youthful appearance. Moreover, they practice music, chess, calligraphy, painting, song, and dance from a young age, making each exceptionally attractive."
Li Jianchen communicated telepathically to Wei Fan.
The group followed the disciple of the Profound Lady Pavilion and soon arrived at a pavilion by the lake.
This place was similar to a hall, with disciples of the pavilion dancing in the center to the music of Fairy Qiushui. On many sides were pavilions with varying designs, most filled with people.
"May I ask what level of banquet the gentlemen would like to open?"
After they sat down, the maidservant of the Profound Lady Pavilion looked towards them. The level of the banquet determined the different dishes served, and the caliber of disciples sent to attend to them varied accordingly.
However, even the lowest level would cost ten thousand spirit crystals per meal, generally unaffordable for ordinary Martial Kings. Only disciples from significant powerhouses could afford to dine here.
"If Profound Lady Qiu He can accompany us, we can open the highest level banquet."
Lu Shun’an said, causing the maidservant to be taken aback. Even Wei Fan couldn’t help but look at Lu Shun’an.
The highest-level banquet at the Profound Lady Pavilion required several million spirit crystals, equivalent to the value of a Holy Soldier; even Martial Saints couldn’t typically afford such an expense. It was unexpected that this person was quite a ’wealthy man’.
The maidservant shook her head: "I’m sorry, the Profound Lady isn’t entertaining guests today. If you are familiar with the Profound Lady or have a special identity, I can inform her on your behalf."
Her implication was that their status was somewhat lacking. If they were successors of the Martial Emperor Clan or saint sons of a Martial Emperor Sect, even if the Profound Lady Qiu He was indisposed, she might emerge to offer a toast.
Their statuses were perhaps not bad, but in a place like the Profound Lady Pavilion, ordinary elders or saint sons from a Holy Sect didn’t yet have the standing to reach the Profound Lady of the pavilion.
Lu Shun’an was tempted to mention Wei Fan’s reputation as a prodigy surpassing Xuanyuan Peak. Given Wei Fan’s fame, Profound Lady Qiu He wouldn’t dare to neglect him, but in the end, he restrained himself, opting for a fifty-thousand-level banquet.
They all had familiar disciples in the pavilion and each asked for one, while for Wei Fan, it was his first time here, so he let the Profound Lady Pavilion’s maid decide.
Wei Fan didn’t mind such things; he mainly came to leverage the pavilion’s channels to learn about the factions in the Holy City. His gaze swept the pavilion, noticing, besides this kind of pavilion, there were also some floating lofts, from which voices and laughter emanated.
"Only Great Saint powerhouses can access those places, money won’t grant entry unless the loft owners extend an invitation,"
Li Jianchen’s voice sounded, explaining this was a place even Emperor Xuanyuan frequented, naturally possessing various areas of different levels. Yet ordinary Saint Realm individuals couldn’t contact the pavilion’s top-tier offerings.
"It seems the outside rumors are true; the Xuanyuan Family indeed produced a Venerable Phoenix Body."
Suddenly, a conversation caught Wei Fan’s attention. He looked up to see several young men in a nearby pavilion having a conversation, accompanied by disciples of the Profound Lady Pavilion. They poured wine and danced in the pavilion.
These men were dressed in luxurious clothing, seemingly of notable backgrounds, yet without unveiling their Heart Spirit, Wei Fan couldn’t discern their cultivation levels.