Chapter 523: 524
Situ Renjie squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth.

The Nine Revolution Mirror Breaking Pill was something he had planned to save for his own breakthrough. Even cultivators at the Transcendence Tribulation Stage would treasure such an item, for with sufficient accumulation of Spiritual Power within the body, a single pill would immediately break through to the next realm.

He never expected that today he would have to part with it as a gift, and to the wife of the dilapidated Zong family no less, which stoked fury in his heart.

However, he had no choice; the other major households were watching, and as the representative of the Situ Household, the item he offered could not be subpar, or else it wouldn’t just be his face that was lost, but the prestige of the Situ Household.

Curse it, Uncle Ying had ignored his plight and his chance for a proper breakthrough just vanished.

“It’s actually a Nine Revolutions Breakthrough Pill, a pill for breakthroughs in Spiritual Power!”

“It is said that from the Mahayana Realm downward, as long as one has sufficient internal foundation, taking one can directly lead to a breakthrough. Many powerful families provide their disciples with such a pill, this gift is too precious.”

“Yes, if Clan Leader Zong takes it, his strength will definitely improve by another level!”

“But now that we have the Premium Soup Product, it seems we don’t really need this kind of pill to enhance strength!”

“That’s true, with the bathhouse, we’re constantly growing stronger. Compared to that, such pills are indeed dispensable.”

The cultivators on both sides were first astonished at the pill in Situ Renjie’s hand, but soon their interest noticeably faded.

Indeed, it was a fine item. If it had come just two days earlier, they would have been ecstatic, but after experiencing the effects of Xiaobai’s bathhouse, everyone’s attitudes had imperceptibly shifted, losing interest in other cultivation pills.

Once one has seen the view from the mountaintop, no one marvels at a flower at the foot of the mountain anymore.

This was a difference in vision and scope.

Without such treasures to aid them and still relying on old-fashioned methods like medicinal pills for raising cultivation levels, they couldn’t help but feel a hint of contempt for the Situ Household.

The so-called great families were nothing special after all.

Xiaobai sneered at such pills. With his bathhouse and Huazi, he simply did not need such supposed miracle cures.

“Hmm, so it’s a Nine Revolutions Breakthrough Pill. I’ve long heard of its fame, thank you for the generous gift, Young Master Situ.”

Lady Zong recovered from her momentary daze and resumed her calm demeanor. Not a ripple appeared in her eyes as she nodded and spoke indifferently.

As for her opinion of the pill, it was the same as everyone else’s, summed up in two words: chicken ribs.

With the aid of the bathhouse, an increase in strength was inevitable, and perhaps just soaking for another ten days to half a month would allow her husband to break through to the Tribulation Crossing realm.

In comparison, the pill was indeed redundant.

The calm display from Lady Zong and the people of Li Mansion left Situ Renjie stunned.

What was going on?

The item he had presented was a Nine Revolutions Breakthrough Pill, so why did these people not show even a hint of delight?

Could it be that they found his gift too cheap?

Do you realize how rare this pill is?

Situ Renjie’s heart was ablaze with anger, and their lukewarm courtesy only added to his sense of humiliation.

In fact, it wasn’t only the Situ Household who was baffled; even the patriarchs of the other three major households seated nearby were somewhat astonished. The Nine Revolutions Breakthrough Pill, even in their eyes, was top-notch merchandise.

This kind of pill could greatly aid the younger generation of their families to enhance their cultivation, effectively cutting out many detours.

“`

Yet it seemed that the couple from the Zong Family were not too pleased, nor were the disciples and elders of the Li Mansion particularly moved; they appeared utterly indifferent to such a precious elixir.

This left them somewhat puzzled—their performance deviated from the intelligence they had gathered. How could a small, seemingly inexperienced family exhibit such equanimity?

Consequently, their gazes turned toward Li Xiaobai, the only variable in the series of events that had unfolded in Aolai Country.

“Please, Young Master Situ, take a seat. Someone, bring tea!”

Zongdao was the first to recover his composure, promptly ordering his servants to attend after securing the elixirs.

“Thank you, Clan Leader Zong. May I ask if you are satisfied with the gift from the Situ Household?”

Situ Renjie’s eyes brimmed with dark shadows, yet he inquired with an ever-smiling face.

“Satisfied, indeed satisfied. The Nine Revolutions Breakthrough Pill is invaluable—upon reaching a bottleneck, just one pill can immediately break through and advance to the next realm.”

Zongdao nodded and smiled faintly, demonstrating his thorough knowledge of the qualities of the Nine Revolutions Breakthrough Pill.

But the more he acted so, the darker Situ Renjie’s expression became. He knew everything yet still did not regard the elixir highly, clearly holding disdain for the gift he had painstakingly provided.

Nothing could be more hurtful than discovering that the treasure he had offered at great cost was looked down upon by the Zong Family.

Rage within him reached its zenith.

“Hehe, it’s good to hear you’re pleased. Let’s continue to celebrate Lady Zong’s birthday. We are merely guests; please, do not mind us overly much.”

The old patriarch of the Nangong Family chuckled, reveling in the schadenfreude of seeing the Situ Household put in its place and even began humming a tune to himself.

The other families drank in silence, speaking not a word, but their eyes flickered with peculiar light as if deep in thought.

“Then the junior shall be bold and speak a few words. Our Zong Family has survived these tumultuous times thanks to Young Master Li’s assistance. If not for him, our Zong Family might have been buried under the blades of the Zhang Family by now. Young Master Li, I toast to you!”

“Should you ever need my help in the future, just say the word—even if it means traversing mountains of blades or seas of fire, I shall not hesitate!”

Zongdao tossed back the wine in his cup in one gulp.

“You flatter me; it was merely a gesture, not worth a second thought.”

Li Xiaobai lifted his cup and likewise drank it down in one go, smiled faintly, and spoke lightly. The members of the Zong Family were not too bad, he thought, not a pack of ungrateful wolves. Despite grasping some power, they didn’t consider turning on him.

The cultivators from the various families also showed a look of admiration. Although Zongdao’s cultivation level might be weaker, his character was unimpeachable, utterly upright.

Sometimes, character is more valuable than cultivation level, as with Uncle Zong. Though he might be a Great Crossing Realm Expert, his character could be described as utterly repugnant, and they would berate him just the same upon meeting.

The banquet continued, with each attendee buried in their own thoughts, silently reflecting on their personal agendas.

The drinks flowed round thrice, the dishes varied fivefold in flavor.

Situ Renjie set down his bowl and chopsticks.

His gaze shifted to Zongdao, and he slowly began, “I’ve heard that the Zhang Family Patriarch was killed by Young Master Li, who also seized the mansion and even went so far as to forcibly change names and titles?”

As these words fell, silence enveloped the room; the atmosphere in the great hall suddenly became tense, with a faint air of menace lingering.

A sinking feeling in Zongdao’s heart signaled trouble. The Situ Household’s presence here was to exact justice, and he hoped the day could pass without incident.

Before he could reply, Li Xiaobai spoke indifferently, “Correct, the Zhang Family Patriarch was slain by me. Is there a problem?”