6: Chapter 6 Zhuge Mingyue! Zhuge Xingyue!

The flying boat pierced through layers of spiritual mist and finally landed steadily on a massive plaza atop a floating immortal mountain.

The plaza was paved with a certain type of warm, white jade that was as reflective as a mirror. Its edges were carved with intricate cloud patterns, and the dense spiritual energy of heaven and earth had almost condensed into tangible mist. Taking a single breath was enough to invigorate one's spirit, as if one's cultivation had increased by a fraction.

Ahead of the plaza, a group of people had long been waiting.

At their head was a middle-aged man dressed in a deep cyan brocade robe.

He had a handsome face, sword-like eyebrows, star-like eyes, and a light beard on his chin. His aura was as deep as a pool and as steady as a mountain, commanding respect without needing to show anger.

Just standing there, he seemed to be the center of the entire world, and the spiritual pressure he exuded was even more profound and dense than that of Seventh Elder Zhuge Tai!

He was the current head of the Zhuge Family, Clan Head Zhuge Wen! A true great cultivator at the late stage of the Golden Core realm!

However, at this moment, the gazes of almost all the youths on the deck were, as if attracted by a magnet, firmly pinned onto the two beautiful figures beside the Clan Head, causing even the Clan Head's majesty to be temporarily ignored.

The woman on the left was dressed in a moon-white fairy dress, her figure tall and graceful, with dark hair like a waterfall held up only by a simple jade hairpin.

Her face was incredibly beautiful, yet it seemed covered by a layer of eternal ice. Her eyebrows and eyes were cold, her nose was delicate and upturned, and her cherry lips were tightly pursed. A pair of glazed-like eyes swept indifferently over everyone on the flying boat, carrying no emotion, as if she were looking at a pile of inconsequential stones.

It was a cold, aloof temperament that kept people thousands of miles away, like a lonely lotus atop a snowy mountain. She was Clan Head Zhuge Wen's eldest daughter, Zhuge Mingyue.

The one on the right, however, was a completely different style. She wore a goose-yellow ru skirt and was slightly shorter, appearing petite and exquisite.

Her round face still carried a hint of baby fat that had yet to fade, her skin was delicate enough to be broken by a blow, and her large, dark eyes were bright and lively, like black gemstones soaked in mercury, clever and spirited.

The corners of her mouth naturally turned up slightly, as if she were always carrying a hint of a sweet and cute smile.

She curiously sized up these future "brother-in-law" candidates on the flying boat. When her gaze swept over them, she even blinked at a few who looked pleasing to her (such as Li Guidai, who was standing in the front row and appeared particularly energetic due to his Ancient Kidney Physique), revealing a playful smile. She was Clan Head Zhuge Wen's second daughter, Zhuge Xingyue.

The moment Li Guidai's gaze touched these two women, his brain went "buzz" and immediately entered a state of system crash. Drool almost uncontrollably flowed down the corner of his mouth, and he hurriedly slurped it back up.

"Oh my dear mother..." he howled internally. "An ice-mountain goddess and a sweetheart baby! This Zhuge Family... they really know what they're doing! This isn't choosing a son-in-law, this is just giving away wives... and top-tier configuration wives at that!"

He froze in place, his eyes widened like copper bells, and he even forgot to breathe.

It wasn't just Li Guidai; the entire deck of the flying boat fell into an eerie silence.

All the youths seemed to have been collectively hit with a freezing spell and petrification spell, staring blankly at those two figures who were different in style yet equally soul-captivating.

The only sounds left in the air were the "gulp" and "gulp" of swallowing saliva rising and falling, as well as the "thump-thump" of hearts about to jump out of chests.

Seventh Elder Zhuge Tai took in this scene entirely, especially seeing Li Guidai's standard "lecherous" look. Far from being displeased, he instead revealed a smile that showed he had expected this, even carrying a hint of triumph. This was the effect he wanted.

He cleared his throat, his voice like a great bell, forcibly pulling the souls of the youths back: "Have you all seen it? As long as you work hard, expand the branches and leaves for the Zhuge Family, or even achieve success in your own cultivation, in the future... perhaps, you might have the chance to become the husband of one of them!"

These words were like pouring a ladle of cold water into boiling oil, instantly igniting the wild fire in the hearts of all the youths! Their gazes became even more fervent, even carrying a hint of ferocity as if they were determined to win.

Seventh Elder Zhuge Tai said no more, flew down from the deck, and exchanged a few brief words with Clan Head Zhuge Wen, seemingly handing over this batch of new sons-in-law. Afterward, he bowed respectfully, turned into a streak of light, and piloted that massive flying boat away, piercing through the air and disappearing into the horizon.

On the plaza, only Clan Head Zhuge Wen, the two young ladies, and these dozens of new sons-in-law, who were filled with both trepidation and ambition, remained.

Clan Head Zhuge Wen's gaze, like two invisible sharp swords, slowly swept over everyone. His gaze was not sharp, yet it carried a power that could see through people's hearts. Every youth touched by his gaze subconsciously lowered their head, not daring to meet his eyes, as if their inner petty schemes had all been seen through.

"Raise your heads." Clan Head Zhuge Wen's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable majesty.

Hearing this, the youths dared to carefully raise their heads, but their gazes were still somewhat evasive.

"From today on, you are people of my Zhuge Family." Clan Head Zhuge Wen said slowly, his tone flat, as if stating a settled fact, "I know what you are thinking. It is nothing more than feeling that the word 'son-in-law' sounds unpleasant, feeling that it is living under someone else's roof and being inferior."

Many youths' faces revealed the embarrassment of having their thoughts spoken aloud.

"But what I want to tell you is," Clan Head Zhuge Wen's tone shifted, his voice raising slightly, "being able to enter my Zhuge Family is the greatest opportunity of your lives!"

His gaze was like lightning as he swept over everyone: "Your spiritual root grades were already recorded when you boarded the boat. I know them all."

"Ninth grade, eighth grade, the highest is merely a fifth grade." Clan Head Zhuge Wen's tone was very flat, as if he were talking about the weather today or some insignificant trifle like what he ate for dinner.

But hearing this in the ears of these youths, it was like a thunderclap, causing them to instantly flush red and lower their heads in shame.

Among them, that youth from a slightly larger town who possessed a fifth-grade spiritual root and had already cultivated to the sixth level of Qi Refining—originally the object of everyone's admiration—had now, in the Clan Head's understated words, turned into "nothing special" and "average level." The youth clenched his fists tightly, his face shifting between shades of green and white.

Clan Head Zhuge Wen's gaze seemed to pause for an instant on Li Guidai, and he continued: "I know that some of you may be unconvinced in your hearts, feeling that spiritual roots are not absolute."

He pointed to his two daughters beside him, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible pride: "I can tell you that my two daughters, at the age of eighteen, have already reached the perfect ninth level of Qi Refining, only one step away from Foundation Establishment."

"And what about you?" His gaze swept over everyone again, "The best is twenty-two years old, at the sixth level of Qi Refining." His gaze finally fixed on Li Guidai, his tone carrying a bit of playfulness, "And... twenty-five years old, at the first level of Qi Refining. Ninth-grade spiritual root. Among this batch of people, this should be considered the most... 'steady' one, right?"

The word "steady" made Li Guidai's old face flush red. A few suppressed snickers could also be faintly heard from the surroundings. Steady? Clan Head, you really know how to talk; wouldn't it have been better to just say he was at the bottom!