Lu Yang and his companions claimed they were disciples of the Five Elements Sect, eliciting repeated exclamations of admiration from the Three Heroes of Fangshan Island.
"By the way, I hear a genius named Lu Yang appeared in Great Xia. Do you know him?" the Three Heroes of Fangshan Island asked.
Lu Yang nodded calmly, ignoring the strange looks Meng Jingzhou and the other three gave him. "More than just know him—I've even crossed swords with him. He's quite a troublesome opponent. On top of that, he commands immense prestige in the Dao Seeking Sect while remaining remarkably humble. I even heard the Dao Seeking Sect Master intended to pass the position of Sect Master to him, but he turned it down."
The Three Heroes of Fangshan Island marveled once more, convinced that this genius named Lu Yang was truly extraordinary, operating on an entirely different level from themselves.
As they drew closer to the banquet's venue, many Sea Race and human cultivators began appearing in the surrounding waters.
The eight dove into the sea. The Water Avoidance Beads allowed Lu Yang and his companions to move unhindered beneath the waves, their breathing and movements completely unrestricted.
Corals teemed across the seabed in myriad shapes, resembling underwater palaces. Multicolored shoals of fish darted and swam among them, brilliant as rainbows.
As they descended deeper, the light did not dim; instead, it grew ever brighter.
This was not sunlight filtering down into the sea. Rather, a magnificent, golden palace stood upon the seafloor, refracting countless beams of light that complemented the surrounding undersea landscape in breathtaking splendor. All around the palace, pearl oysters and luminous pearls were inlaid into the walls, shining brilliantly to illuminate the ocean waters.
Sea Race beings of various forms swam past the eight. This time, Lu Yang and his companions finally recognized their origins: the Winged Fish Clan, the Mirage Clan, the Yaksha Clan, the Yuan Clan...
Once their cultivation bases were verified, the eight smoothly entered the palace.
There was no shortage of Soul Formation and Void Refining stage guests attending the banquet. As Nascent Soul cultivators, Lu Yang and his companions naturally took their seats at the very back.
With the banquet about to begin, the low tables were laden with an assortment of spiritual fruits and fine nectar. Under the protection of defensive formations, the spiritual fruits did not float away, nor did the wine blend into the seawater.
"Red Sun Fruits, Qi Boosting Fruits... this Forefather is quite generous," Meng Jingzhou remarked with a chuckle. Such fruits meant little to him, but to ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, they were potent tonics.
Looking across the hall, tables stretched out in endless rows, bearing countless spiritual fruits—truly a lavish display.
Lu Yang overheard nearby cultivators whispering among themselves:
"I hear that Forefather had been staying in Great Xia all this time, making rapid progress in his cultivation, and only returned three days ago."
"Great Xia truly is a land of opportunity. If their governance weren't so strict, I'd really love to go make a name for myself there."
"Tell me about it! I also heard that Forefather is sworn brothers with the head of the Meng Family, and can even freely enter and exit immortal sects as he pleases."
"I wonder if Forefather is back for good this time, or if he'll return to Great Xia to continue cultivating."
Lu Yang: "..."
Why did this Forefather's background sound so familiar?
Before Lu Yang could ask further, a clash of gongs and drums rang out, announcing the start of the banquet, and a familiar figure appeared at the very front of the hall.
A far cry from his usual appearance, Old Horse had a little filly tucked under each foreleg. The young mares looked bashful with flushed cheeks, while Old Horse teased them every now and then, making them blush even harder.
Old Horse laughed heartily, looking thoroughly delighted. As if his hooves were sticky, he held a wine cup high. "This banquet is held to celebrate my, the Forefather's, return from Great Xia! No need to stand on ceremony, everyone—enjoy yourselves to the fullest!"
"Forefather, tell us about your experiences in Great Xia!" a plant called out loudly.
Old Horse did not decline, launching into his tale with an air of boastfulness: "My journey to Great Xia yielded bountiful rewards! I resided in an immortal sect year-round, surrounded by endless opportunities, and met countless Tribulation Transcendence figures. Even when I didn't care to see those Tribulation Transcendence experts, they rushed over to see me anyway—couldn't hold them back even if I tried!"
"Then Forefather, you must have seen Tribulation Transcendence experts fight, right?" the plant asked loudly again, gazing at Old Horse with sheer adoration.
"What's so impressive about Tribulation Transcendence battles? Even clashes between half-immortals have been witnessed by this Forefather! It was a true eye-opener. Unless you see it with your own eyes, it's a spectacle you couldn't imagine in a lifetime!"
"Come, come, let's drink!" Old Horse raised his cup and drained it in a single gulp.
"To Forefather!" the guests below chorused, likewise draining their cups.
In high spirits, Old Horse stepped down from the dais to clink cups with the cultivators one by one, drinking cup after cup until thoroughly soaked in wine.
The cultivators were overwhelmed by the honor.
Old Horse drank all the way from the very front of the banquet hall to the very back.
"Come, drink!"
Old Horse raised his cup, looked up, and locked eyes with Lu Yang.
"..."
Both stared at each other in utter silence.
Chapter 795