As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s gaze turned and fell upon Junior Sister Yun.

"Senior Brother Lin, our destination at Wave Mountain is to compete for Spirit Peak. Though I may not be the most talented, I wish to become the Master of Spirit Peak this time. If disputes arise after we join forces, could Senior Brother yield a little to Junior Sister?"

The female cultivator with the surname Yun turned her head with a charming smile, yet her tone was somewhat aggressive.

The Noble Son was momentarily taken aback, ready to utter some boastful words, but recalling the advice from his family elders, he remained silent.

A Spirit Peak could annually produce hundreds of Spirit Stones, with long-lasting effects. If calculated over a decade, that would amount to thousands of Spirit Stones.

Though Noble Sons have a significantly higher starting point than Humble Lineage Disciples, not all noble families are wealthy, and thousands of Spirit Stones aren’t casually given away.

Hundreds of Spirit Stones might barely win a beauty’s smile, but he dared not mention a single Spirit Peak.

"Hmph, Senior Sister Yun is about to join the Pill Furnace Hall. If one is not from the Five Great Surnames or a Seven Vein Inheritor, one shouldn’t boast grandly here, only to invite ridicule."

Seeing the Noble Son flustered, the cute and sprightly girl beside the Yun-surnamed female cultivator immediately raised her chin in pride, as if in glory.

The surrounding Humble Lineage Disciples also let out light laughter.

"The Five Great Surnames are all Golden Core Families, their foundations are so deep. Why would they compete for a Tier One Spirit Peak?"

"Exactly, Seven Vein Inheritors have such exceptional talent, in the Qi Refining Stage there’s practically no bottleneck. They’re all waiting to break through to Foundation Establishment, so why board this Dragon Tooth Treasure Boat?"

"Some people, inheriting a bit of ancestral blessings, believe they are Celestial Prides. Truly laughable."

On the Dragon Tooth Treasure Boat, several Humble Lineage Cultivators, already disciples at Foundation Establishment, spoke mockingly.

Usually, they could not stand the arrogance of these Noble Sons, and now, having caught the opportunity, they naturally mocked one after another.

Meanwhile, Humble Lineage Disciples in the corner, who had not become disciples, closed their eyes to meditate, not participating in this contention.

"Mere verbal triumphs."

"When we reach Wave Mountain, let our true abilities speak!"

"We inherit the blessings of our ancestors, and surely exhibit their flair. But you, boasting of superior talent daily, how much true skill do you really have?"

Among the Noble Sons, a tall young man coldly said a sentence, thus ending this verbal dispute.

Afterwards, everyone returned to their small groups, conversing amongst themselves, ceasing their quarrel.

Yet, surrounding the Yun-named female cultivator were several Humble Lineage Disciples, talking and laughing, with an extremely harmonious atmosphere.

After that episode, this woman left a favorable impression in the minds of several individuals.

Meanwhile, Gu Yuan stood alone in the corner, unable to resist another glance at the young woman.

"Qi Refining Seventh Layer, surname Yun, soon to join the Pill Furnace Hall. Could she be the match Cai’Er arranged for me?"

"However... this woman seems rather peculiar."

Gu Yuan pondered slightly.

He had glanced at the woman several times already, not because of her beauty and alluring figure, nor because she was destined for him, but because of the strange "color" surrounding her.

Heaven-Revealing Spirit Eye can break illusions and dispel delusions, seeing through the trajectories of many things in a profound mystery.

At the moment this woman appeared, Gu Yuan’s gaze saw the "fragrance" she carried.

The fragrance was faint yet dispersed, gradually drifting in the air, following the trajectory of the wind, landing on the nearby cultivators.

This fragrance was extremely faint, devoid of Spiritual Qi, seemingly natural, and those several figures were completely unaware.

Gu Yuan’s Spiritual Sense and nose also did not detect this fragrance.

Yet the Heaven-Revealing Spirit Eye clearly saw the fading traces of the fragrance.

"Such a concealed fragrance, even more intricate than the Shiva Fragrance encountered at Moon Bamboo Market. If not for my Heaven-Revealing Spirit Eye, with cultivation at the Qi Refining Realm, I probably wouldn’t have discovered it."

Fragrance blending is one of the myriad arts of cultivation.

A good incense accelerates Mana and Spiritual Sense growth, being a major supplement. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Bad incense is malicious and deadly. Even a cultivator inhaling a single whiff can suffer viscera decay and die.

However, fragrance craft is a minor path. Unless mastered in its profound mystery, it cannot evade a cultivator’s Spiritual Sense, equating to uselessness.

Yet the fragrance craft of the girl before him is already exceedingly refined, considered masterful even in the Tribulation Cultivation Treasure Manual, able to evade detection from cultivators of the same or higher level.

It has indeed grasped the essence of "concealment" in the Tribulation Cultivation Treasure Manual.

However, it still did not escape Gu Yuan’s attention.

"This woman, using fragrance to affect others, must be scheming something?"

Gu Yuan was wary yet curious, but he did not inform the others and stopped gazing at Yun Hanyou, instead closing his eyes to meditate, withholding further speech.

The journey to Wave Mountain is destined to attract all forms of entities, but a soldier responds to every battle, earth covers every stream.

...

...

"Rumble!"

An unknown duration later, a massive water sound woke everyone.

Under the Treasure Boat, no longer lay the clear, calm Great Marsh, but a blood-red Great River raging below.

The river flowed red, crimson to the utmost, winding like a crescent moon.

"Red Moon River, this is already Jade Water Fire-Eyed Ape territory!"

Onboard, someone gazed at the crimson Great River below and couldn’t help but shout.

The Red Moon River’s waters are actually not red. When scooped from the river, the water remains clear and transparent. Its appearance as a blood river comes from the riverbed being blood-red.