Ji Chunmei plastered a smile on her face and cupped her hands. "Daoist Yan, Core Disciple Chen of the Enlightenment God Palace will arrive shortly. Please wait a moment."

"Hmph." Yan Qianjun let out a cold laugh. "The Enlightenment God Palace really does put on airs."

Ji Chunmei didn't dare say anything. The best response was to say nothing at all.

"Putting on airs? You think the Fire Virtue Immortal Division doesn't?" A clear, crisp voice rang out as Chen Enxue led a line of core disciples inside, directly countering Yan Qianjun's remark. "We've been here for several days already. Your Fire Virtue Immortal Division insisted on making us wait a few more days. Now you've only waited a short while yourselves, and you've already lost patience?"

"Sharp-tongued little girl. This is the Lesser Immortal Realm, not your Fangcun Realm." Yan Qianjun sneered. "In ancient times, when people from the Lower Realms came up to the Upper Realms, they would kneel the moment they saw us elders. How would they dare argue back?"

Chen Enxue scoffed. "Times are different now. You should know very well what state the Lesser Immortal Realm is in these days. If we're talking about foundations, how many ninth-transformation immortals are there in the Upper Three Realms? How many does your Lesser Immortal Realm have?"

Fang Chen and the others exchanged glances, secretly sighing.

As expected of Third Senior Sister. Even when facing a seventh-transformation Ancient Immortal of the Fire Virtue Immortal Division, she refuses to lose a verbal spar.

Yan Qianjun stopped speaking, only casting a cold, sideways glance at Chen Enxue.

"Why didn't the Enlightenment God Palace send an Elder? Why send a junior like you to humiliate the Fire Virtue Immortal Division? Or do you not intend to negotiate at all? Are you here to fight?"

"Then let's not negotiate. Let's fight then," Chen Enxue said with a smile, nodding. "I figure the Enlightenment God Palace could deal with a mere Fire Virtue Immortal Division within ten years or so."

She had clearly decided to stop pretending.

Seeing the negotiation verge on collapse after barely beginning, the Ji Family cultivators looked at one another anxiously.

Behind Yan Qianjun, the Fire Virtue Immortal Division cultivators glared at Chen Enxue. They found her outrageously arrogant, to be so domineering toward one of the Hundred Divisions in the Lesser Immortal Realm! Did she really not care about the Heavenly Immortal Clan backing them?

Yan Qianjun stared coldly at Chen Enxue, then suddenly broke into a warm smile. "Little Chen, you're still the same, sharp-tongued as ever. This old man can't out-argue you."

"Senior Yan, you're getting on in years. You shouldn't be bickering with us juniors. Losing is only natural," Chen Enxue replied with a beaming smile.

Everyone was stunned.

Yan Qianjun smiled at Ji Chunmei. "I've met Little Chen many times back in the Nine Mortal Realms, and I'm on good terms with her elders. You Ji Family invited her here for negotiations because you knew this, didn't you?"

So that's it!

Everyone suddenly understood.

Fang Chen glanced at Chen Enxue with surprise. He couldn't be sure whether this Yan Qianjun was truly from the same side, or whether he had other intentions today.

Ji Chunmei was pleasantly surprised. He quickly said, "I truly didn't know the two of you shared such a connection. If that's the case, then this is wonderful! Today's misunderstanding can finally be resolved."

"Whether it can be resolved is another matter. Negotiations still have to happen," Yan Qianjun said calmly. "Where's that second-generation wastrel from your Ji Family? Bring him out. Since the matter started with him, it must end with him. No matter how we negotiate, he must be present."

"Yes. I'll have someone bring him at once," Ji Chunmei replied, then instructed, "Go bring Ji Tong here."

"Yes!"

A Ji Family cultivator hurried off.

Before long, Fang Tong was brought to the center of the hall. He kept his head lowered, eyes fixed on his toes, looking like someone who knew he had done something wrong and was ready to repent.

The moment he appeared, the Fire Virtue Immortal Division cultivators behind Yan Qianjun glared at him viciously, their gazes sharp enough to flay him alive.

Yan Qianjun coldly said, "Brat, you've got some nerve. You dare touch a direct blood relative of our Fire Virtue Immortal Division's Division Master? Do you know she was betrothed to the offspring of a major figure from the Heavenly Immortal Clan?"

Fang Tong remained silent until Ji Chunmei prompted him, "Daoist Yan asked you a question. Answer it properly."

Fang Tong glanced at Fang Chen out of the corner of his eye, calming down a little. He bowed to Yan Qianjun, then replied, "Senior, I truly didn't know any of this at the time. The situation was too complicated. I really had no way to explain myself."

"No way to explain yourself? Matters between men and women are just that. What's so hard to explain? Or are you saying you did it and now want to deny it?" Yan Qianjun sneered. "A man who behaves like this is truly despicable!"

Fang Tong panicked. "It's not that I want to deny it! Things just developed too quickly. I—"

His eyes scanned the crowd, as if searching for the woman involved, only to realize she wasn't there at all.

"Stop looking. She's currently in confinement and can't come." Yan Qianjun snorted. He turned his gaze to Chen Enxue and smiled. "Little Chen, how does the Enlightenment God Palace intend to mediate this matter? Back then, it was because we heard someone from this family was cultivating in your Enlightenment God Palace, and was even a core disciple, that the Division Master didn't immediately send people to wipe out their entire clan."

Ji Chunmei and the others felt a chill run through them.

So close...

One misstep and the Ji family would have been exterminated by the Fire Virtue Immortal Division.

"To mediate this isn't difficult," Chen Enxue said with a smile. "The Enlightenment God Palace can speak to the Heavenly Immortal Clan. They'll give us face, and you won't be put in a difficult position. All your Fire Virtue Immortal Division needs to do is state your compensation demands."

She continued, "There's another option as well; clarify the truth of the matter. It's possible the Ji Family isn't at fault."

The Ji Family... not at fault?

Ji Chunmei and the others froze, their expressions strange. Some secretly looked toward Ji Sheng with grateful eyes.

The Enlightenment God Palace's protective stance was obvious to anyone with eyes.

Yan Qianjun's expression darkened. "Little Chen, how can you say that? Even though I have some personal ties with you, shouldn't we still handle official matters officially?"

"Of course we should. That's why, before setting out, I already sent people to investigate this matter here," Chen Enxue shared. "It happened decades ago, so it wasn't easy to dig into, but we did gain something. Would you like to hear what we found, Senior Yan?"

Ji Sheng and the others were surprised.

The Enlightenment God Palace sent people to investigate?

Fang Chen immediately realized that Xie Aman and Chen Enxue had been preparing for this decades in advance. The reason Chen Enxue insisted on delaying departure by fifty years was likely to make time for exactly that.

No wonder they waited fifty years before setting out... If they'd gone straight to the Lesser Immortal Realm, investigating many things would've been far more difficult...

Chen Enxue glanced at the entrance and called out, "What are you all doing standing outside? Come in."

Moments later, Nanming Ruyue, Li Shanzi, and the three from Xian Yueguan of the Taiyi Immortal Sect walked into the hall together.

Upon seeing the newcomers, the Enlightenment God Palace's core disciples were stunned.

"Fifth Senior Brother? Eighth Senior Brother? And Xian Yueguan of the Taiyi Immortal Sect?"