Chapter 604 - 387: Master Ziyun, the Dragon Banquet Begins!
Chapter 604: Chapter 387: Master Ziyun, the Dragon Banquet Begins!
The Golden Hall stood without pillars, resembling the Celestial Vault, spanning beneath the sea.
On the white jade floor, rows of jade altars were arranged below the Golden Tier, extending endlessly as if without an end in sight.
Countless colorful fish swam outside the Golden Hall, like a cloud-filled sky, their vibrant hues dazzling to the extreme.
One by one, glassy green lanterns spun like a green galaxy, illuminating everything as if it were daylight.
Dark masses of shrimp soldiers and crab generals stood in rows, imposing and statue-like, outside the Golden Hall.
"Rumble..."
Countless streams of spiritual energy converged into a true waterfall, cascading down from the hall’s roof, transforming again into a mist that scattered on the white jade bricks.
Amidst the flowing mist, it truly seemed like an Immortal Realm.
"It’s like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden..."
Gu Yuan, led by the Shell Maiden, sat before a jade altar just at the end of the seats behind the Golden Hall, looking at everything before him, and couldn’t help but click his tongue in admiration.
The Golden Hall loomed vast, with radiant colors and a flow of Tier Six spiritual energy; hundreds of thousands of shrimp soldiers and crab generals stood like statues. Even with his Late Stage Golden Core cultivation, he could only sit in the far rear of this Dragon Banquet.
The grandeur of this feast could be well imagined.
For half a month, no one had paid any attention to him, and only with the jade talisman could he enter the banquet.
Gu Yuan deeply understood his identity today, merely a ’relative’ met by the Demon Palace on land, given a chance to attend the banquet.
There was no special reception, no status to display, just a Golden Core given a chance to seize an opportunity.
"Fellow Daoist Yuann!"
Just when Gu Yuan’s thoughts were wandering, a gentle and elegant young man, led by another Shell Maiden, sat at a jade altar in front of Gu Yuan.
It was Bai Xuyang from the Flying Star Valley!
"Fellow Daoist Bai!"
Gu Yuan gave a reverent prostration as a gesture of recognition.
"The Demon Palace’s hierarchy is strict, relying on cultivation to speak; you and I, as Alien Race Golden Cores, barely meet the threshold to attend this banquet, hence our seats are at the back."
"Further ahead are the various Great Demons of the Seventy-two Mansions, and beyond them, the Tier Four and Five Great Demons comparable to Daoist Embryos and Primordial Images, with clearly distinguished seating."
"My Flying Star Valley has slightly more strength than your Jiuyi Sect, thus my seat is slightly ahead, but we’re merely supporting characters."
Bai Xuyang turned his head, speaking with a smile, proactively striking up a conversation with Gu Yuan.
"With limited Dao practice, naturally, we’re just supporting characters."
Gu Yuan sighed gently.
"No one is born a protagonist; they all start as supporting characters, as long as one can seize the opportunity."
"The connections made at the Demon Palace are no illusion; Fellow Daoist should have seen it too, the Seven Profound Treasure Tower Battle is fraught with peril."
"As fellow members of the Human Race, we should watch over and support each other, facing the Demon Race as one."
Bai Xuyang smiled once more, extending goodwill to Gu Yuan.
Seven Profound Treasure Tower Battle.
Remembering these words, Gu Yuan couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.
After seeing the Spirit Sticker, he had more or less comprehended the way to seize this opportunity.
The Dragon Palace’s grand banquet naturally rewarded the ’young ones,’ akin to the New Year celebrations.
However, for cultivators, it’s naturally not based on kinship by blood, but determined by cultivation.
Within the Demon Palace, there’s a treasure tower named "Seven Profound Tower."
This tower is a Cave-Heaven Treasure containing mountains and rivers, sun, moon, and starlight, walking beasts and flying birds, Spirit Meridians aplenty, Tier Three Spiritual Objects scattered across mountains and plains, and no scarcity of Tier Four Spiritual Objects either.
Under the Demon Palace’s seventy-two mansions, all Tier Three Great Demons and Alien Race individuals of affinity can enter the tower to gather treasures after the Rainbow Spirit Dance performance.
Moreover, it is said that this tower connects to an ancient battlefield in the Secret Realm, spewing forth an "Exotic Treasure" every five hundred years.
This Exotic Treasure is the ’crown’ of the Seven Profound Treasure Tower Battle, the main prize and the greatest opportunity.
The Tier Six Great Demon Palace Master sits at the main seat, observing the performances of the "young ones" with the Exotic Treasure as an incentive.
This is the Dragon Banquet!
After the performances of the Tier Three Great Demons and Golden Core cultivators, there is a discourse by the Tier Four Demon Kings to celebrate for the "Marquis."
As for the Tier Five Great Demons, revered as Venerables, they do not take the stage but remain by the "Marquis’s" side, watching the performances of the young ones.
Golden Core cultivators, relegated to performers, yet Gu Yuan harbored no discontent.
That’s just the reality.
If not for a fortuitous destiny, who could easily perform and gain treasures within the White Dragon Demon Palace?
This, after all, is a Tier Six Dragon Palace!
"I shall do my utmost to assist!"
Gu Yuan gave a reverent prostration and smiled back at Bai Xuyang.
In this opportunity, everyone is a competitor, and the so-called assistance is temporary.
"Swish!"
At that moment, outside the hall’s gate, a multitude of figures suddenly surged in.
There were burly men wearing Flood Dragon Crowns, robust figures, youths with dual horns and prominent foreheads, and white-haired elderly who seemed aged yet had eyes glinting with sharpness.
There were seventy-two in total.
Each exuding vast Demon Qi, their presence overwhelming and imposing, filling the space with a formidable pressure.
The Seventy-two Mansions of the Demon Palace.
Gu Yuan’s heart instantly tensed.
These Great Demons seemed to be more powerful than the Demon Race on the land of the East Mountain Realm by more than one level.
And behind these Great Demons, several figures of the Human Race, led by the Shell Maiden, elegantly approached.
"It’s him!"
Among them, a figure in a purple robe caught Gu Yuan’s surprised attention.
That person, with flowing sleeves and elegant demeanor, sword-like brows, and starry eyes, strode forward, seemingly godlike.
Gu Yuan had never met him, but through the memories from the Daoist School Nine Rivers Demon Race and the Black Water Infant Beast, he had seen this person.
Master Ziyun!
In the past, he competed against Master Soul Cloud for the Star Spirit, ultimately slaying Master Soul Cloud, forcing his soul to escape and reside in the Black Water Infant Beast’s Cave Mansion, a formidable figure.
The Cloud Rain Technique he deployed, altering the world and shaking the mountains and rivers, still lingered in Gu Yuan’s memory.
Unexpectedly, this person was also an "individual of affinity."
The cause and effect of the world, the coincidences, truly profound mysteries.
Next to Master Ziyun were three Human Race cultivators, two men and one woman, though Gu Yuan did not recognize them.
But Bai Xuyang merely laughed and took the initiative to transmit a voice message: "Fellow Daoist Yuann, let me introduce you. This Fairy is Fellow Daoist Qinn Yun from Guanghan Palace, and the other two should be from the Purple Bamboo Forest and the Celestial Sword Sect."
Guanghan Palace?!
Gu Yuan’s brows furrowed, another Tier Five Sect?
As for the Purple Bamboo Forest and the Celestial Sword Sect, Gu Yuan had heard of them, seemingly two Tier Four Sects from the Eastern Realm of the East Mountain Realm, but specifics were unknown given the distance.
"Fellow Daoist Qinn Yun, Fellow Daoists, as we few from the Human Race are here within the Demon Palace, why not get acquainted and grow closer?"
Bai Xuyang suddenly took on the role of social connector, his Divine Thought flowing, speaking to several people simultaneously, initiating a "group chat."
"Gathered by fate, naturally, we should grow closer!"
Fairy Qinn Yun, with features of national grace and heavenly fragrance, her beautiful eyes like autumn water, spoke softly without coldness, saluting them all.
"A mere loose cultivator, Nie Shidao!"
Master Ziyun made a reverent prostration, saluting them.
"Purple Bamboo Forest, Jingx Zimo!"
"Celestial Sword Sect, Qin Guangfeng!"
The other two exchanged glances and announced their names.
Gu Yuan naturally followed suit.
In an instant, a weak and loose Human Race coalition was verbally formed.
"Boom!"
At that moment, mighty auras suddenly emerged one after the other.
Ahead of the jade altars, figures with incredibly deep auras quietly stood.
Some had eyes filled with endless divine light, and at just one glance, Gu Yuan and the others felt a searing pain in their eyes, their Divine Souls greatly shaken.
"Let the banquet begin!"
Unknown when it started, but at the forefront of the Golden Hall, atop gold tiers, upon a grand throne, appeared suddenly a young man dressed in a Dragon Robe, adorned with a Star Crown, with jade-like skin.
The young man’s visage was unclear, either due to the layers of gold tiers being too distant or some other reason, making it hard to discern clearly.
Yet his resounding voice distinctly fell into each person’s ears.
"Begin the banquet!"
Subsequently, a sharp voice echoed, and in a flash, within the Golden Hall, golden lotuses bloomed, immortal sound permeated, and a grand yet slightly cold banquet commenced silently amidst a solemn atmosphere.