At this moment, the cultivators could genuinely feel Lingxian Sect's deep care for the common people of Shuishui City.
After all, which sect would go to such great lengths to hold such an elaborate event for the mere thousands of mortals that could barely fill the city?
Yes, this was all for the mortals.
Though they had received a verbal invitation from Lingxian Sect's disciples, by now, these cultivators understood that this celebration was meant for the common people. Whether they stayed or not wasn't of much consequence to Lingxian Sect.
As for putting on a show, no one thought that was the case.
Considering all they had witnessed since arriving in Shuishui City, the cultivators admitted that Lingxian Sect didn't need to stage anything for them. The sect wouldn't go to such detailed lengths to impress them by treating mortals this well.
It became clear: Lingxian Sect genuinely cared for these common folk.
This realization caused a small portion of the cultivators to feel a hint of dissatisfaction.
Did Lingxian Sect truly value mortals more than cultivators?
However, most of the cultivators felt a mix of emotions—discontent, yes, but mostly a deep sense of reflection and melancholy.
Xunfang Zunzhe did not leave his quarters that night to investigate further. Leaning by the window, he silently watched through his divine sense the faces of the joyful, red-cheeked mortals, his gaze eventually settling on the brilliant fireworks that continued to burst in the night sky after the "Happy New Year" lantern formation had exploded.
Something within him, long dormant, seemed to stir faintly.
This year, the New Year's celebration within Lingxian Sect was different from previous years as well.
With the sect's growing number of members, the New Year's feast was held in the sect's main plaza.
For the first time, the disciples of Qingyun Peak shared their New Year's dinner with the sect master, elders, and other seniors of Lingxian Sect.
Elder Liu had already informed everyone that the sect would be taking a break during the New Year period, so the disciples of Qingyun Peak assumed they would go about their own activities after the dinner.
However, after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the atmosphere at the elders' table suddenly became lively as they began chatting over drinks.
Not long after, Elder Liao, who had recently come out of seclusion, waved over Yuan Jinsheng, the eldest disciple of Qingyun Peak, and with just a few words, had him join the conversation.
Soon after, Elder Yang Jinshu and several other seniors followed suit, inviting the older disciples of Qingyun Peak to join them in expanding the conversation circle.
It was clear that in this moment, seniority wasn't determined by cultivation level but rather by age and worldly experience.
Meanwhile, the younger disciples, left out of the conversation, were quickly rounded up by Liu Yunan and led to the peach blossom grove.
The younger disciples found that their sect master was already standing beneath the Ten Mile Peach Blossom Tree, performing some sort of spell alongside Elders Jiang, Qin, and Sun, aimed toward Shuishui City below.
Nearby, a group of other young people were pointing toward the city, cheering and clapping.
When the Qingyun Peak disciples arrived, the youngsters playfully ran over to bring them along to the best vantage point to watch the festivities in the city below.
There was nothing formal or solemn about the scene.
The disciples of Qingyun Peak focused their gaze toward the lively streets below and noticed something strikingly familiar.
"Huh, isn't that the lantern I made?"
"I see mine too! Those are the lanterns we crafted during our recent refining lessons, aren't they?"
The disciples exclaimed in surprise.
A few days ago, the Refining Hall had organized a lantern-making class as a practice exercise. Elder Mo had said that well-made lanterns would be put on display, and the disciples had assumed they would be shown within the sect.
Little did they expect that the lanterns would be showcased in the city below at such a grand event.
It was a little embarrassing, to say the least.
The lanterns, having hovered in the night sky for some time under the control of a formation, suddenly began exploding one after another, transforming into bursts of radiant fireworks.
Celebrating the New Year traditionally involved driving away the mythical Nian beast, so such resounding bursts of excitement were fitting.
But the festivities below didn't stop there.
Bonfires, lanterns, fireworks—such an occasion wouldn't be complete without food.
For common folk, food was the essence of life.
As one dish after another, each more aromatic than the last, floated out from the once-empty Lingxian Banquet Hall, the gathered crowd erupted into astonished cheers.
The dishes seemed to have a mind of their own, splitting into two orderly lines and slowly floating past the crowd.
The food hovered at just the right height, where even small children could reach if they stood on their tiptoes. Beside each dish, there were bowls and chopsticks provided.
Unable to resist the tantalizing aroma, someone finally took the initiative, picking up a set of chopsticks and taking the first bite. Those nearby saw that after he had taken a single bite, the chopsticks and bowl in his hands dissolved into sparkling particles and disappeared.
Realization dawned on the crowd. This was a flowing banquet—one provided by the immortals!
Eyes turned eagerly toward the slowly floating dishes. People followed suit, picking up bowls and chopsticks to sample each dish that passed by.
However, the bowls and chopsticks would vanish after just one bite, and new ones had to be picked up for each dish.
Though a bit of a hassle, the extraordinary taste of the food made the inconvenience seem trivial.
To ordinary people, these immortal dishes were simply delicious. Each bite filled them with warmth and comfort.
But for the cultivators hidden among the crowd, the shock they felt after tasting these dishes was overwhelming.
These weren't ordinary dishes made from common ingredients—they were cooked using spiritual ingredients!
Rather than simply using mundane ingredients and enhancing them with spiritual cooking techniques, these were dishes made from ingredients brimming with spiritual energy, crafted in a way that even untrained mortals could enjoy.
This was… absolutely unbelievable!
Cultivators had always heard stories of spiritual chefs using extraordinary skill to elevate common ingredients into meals beneficial for cultivators, but they had never seen anyone transform spirit-filled ingredients into food suitable for mortals!
For a brief moment, the hearts of the visiting cultivators twisted with envy.
They realized that the mortals of Shuishui City were living better than they were!
These ordinary people could enjoy a lavish, immortal feast once a year—a flowing banquet, no less!
Meanwhile, they, as cultivators, struggling to make ends meet with limited resources, could barely afford such a meal once a year, if that.
How was this fair?
The heads of the sects who had remained in Shuishui City couldn't sit still any longer. They had to establish strong ties with Lingxian Sect! They had to secure a permanent foothold in Shuishui City!
What? There were still many details to consider, and decisions had to be made after sect meetings? Forget the meetings! The decision was already made, and no amount of discussion would change it!
They'd already decided who their sect's first permanent representative in Shuishui City would be.
At this moment, this was the unanimous thought of every representative from the various sects present.
As for those cultivators who had previously held onto their pride as immortals and refused to mingle with the mortals in the streets, they had long since thrown caution to the wind. They quickly blended into the crowd, picking up bowls and chopsticks infused with spiritual energy, not missing a single dish that floated past them.
Ah, the food was irresistible!