Daoist Lord Hanhai looked helplessly at the crowd, hoping someone might come to his aid.
A half-immortal had merely developed a rudimentary Dao fruit compared to the Tribulation Transcendence stage; it offered no enhancement to one's physical constitution. Facing Ao Ya again after fifty thousand years, he feared he would suffer the very same fate as he had back then.
Unfortunately, in a situation like this, even the half-immortal Li Haoran—the one with the highest cultivation among everyone present—could offer no help, let alone the others.
Although Meng Jingzhou's blood had potency-enhancing properties, his cultivation was limited; at best, his blood worked on Soul Formation cultivators, making it useless on an occasion like this.
The others could only watch helplessly as they bid Daoist Lord Hanhai farewell.
Only after Ao Ya dragged Daoist Lord Hanhai into an adjacent secret chamber did the atmosphere in the hall return to normal.
The Old Dragon Emperor coughed dryly, his weathered face flushing slightly. In terms of cultivation, Ao Ya was not his equal, but she was an ancestor from fifty thousand years ago, after all. With her status and standing, it wasn't his place to say anything.
Still, dragging an old flame into a room the instant they met was perhaps a bit too impatient.
Naturally, such thoughts could only be muttered in his own heart.
The Old Dragon Emperor could understand Old Ancestor Ao Ya's urgency; after all, being of the Dragon Clan himself, he shared the dragon trait of innate lust.
It was just that in his advanced age, he no longer had the vigor for it.
"Senior Hanhai and Old Ancestor Ao Ya are reminiscing about the eventful days of the past. There is still some time before the banquet begins. Why don't you all head to the main hall first to catch up with old acquaintances?"
Everyone chimed in agreement.
The Dragon Palace's main hall was a colossal palace built from multicolored coral reefs. Mother-of-pearl cast a glow akin to pristine moonlight across gleaming walls, while seaweeds swayed gently like curtains of emerald.
The members of the Sea Race attending the birthday banquet had all assumed human form for convenience. Otherwise, not only did their true forms come in all sorts of bizarre shapes, but their sizes varied drastically as well—some were dozens of zhang long, while others spanned thousands of zhang, making it impossible for them to sit together.
By now, about half of the invited cultivators had arrived. When Meng Jingzhou stepped into the main hall, he even spotted the Second Prince chatting and laughing merrily.
He had heard that the Second Prince's search for longevity-extending items had not gone smoothly.
Meng Jingzhou suddenly remembered that it wasn't strictly necessary to use lifespan-extending items to prolong Emperor Xia's life; something like Feathering Immortal Grass, which forcefully yanked one's cultivation realm upward, could achieve the same result.
Once the realm was reached, lifespan would naturally cease to be an issue.
However, he had no intention of telling this to the Second Prince, who had gone out of his way to curry favor with him. He didn't particularly care for the prince.
Catching sight of Meng Jingzhou, the Second Prince's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward to greet him. "Young Master Meng, you really did come."
Ever since Lu Yang and his companions had been captured by that mysterious Tribulation Transcendence cultivator, he had been mired in panic and dread. Fortunately, upon hearing later that Lu Yang and the others were at the Dragon Palace's sea market and currently staying with the Kunpeng Clan, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Had anything happened to Lu Yang and the rest on his ship, whether he could return to Great Xia alive would have been up in the air.
Given the foundation of the Dao Seeking Sect and the Meng Family, if they truly sought vengeance, the ten Body Integration cultivators and one Tribulation Transcendence cultivator across those three ships would likely never be able to hold them back.
"I am deeply regretful over Fellow Daoist Lu Yang's disappearance. I also dispatched men to inquire after his whereabouts, but unfortunately found nothing." The Second Prince shook his head and sighed with profound regret—an emotion that was entirely genuine. If he could find Lu Yang, he would earn Lu Yang's gratitude, and Lu Yang would take his side in the future struggle for the imperial throne.
"Don't worry about it. Old Lu's got a tough life—nothing bad could happen to him," Meng Jingzhou replied nonchalantly.
If one had to name who among everyone present was least worried about Lu Yang's safety, it was undoubtedly Meng Jingzhou.
Even if something happened to the Old Dragon Emperor, nothing would happen to Old Lu.
"Has Senior Hanhai not arrived?" The Second Prince still hoped to make the acquaintance of this legendary Restorer of the Sect.
"The Patriarch is currently sitting down to discuss the Dao with a dear friend from the Dragon Clan."
"Ah, I see."
Meng Jingzhou and the others took their seats alongside the Kunpeng Clan, nibbling absentmindedly on the fruits set upon the table.
A slight stir rippled through the Dragon Palace, mainly among the human cultivators. Venerable Heiyu glanced over and let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
"I didn't expect Daoist Sanshan and the other two to arrive so early. They're certainly showing the Old Dragon Emperor great face."
Daoist Sanshan, Mister Tinghai, and Venerable Liuhe were the pillars of the East Sea cultivators, wielding immense influence. Daoist Sanshan in particular was revered; nearly all human cultivators had worshipped before his statues at one point or another to pray for smooth cultivation.
Man Gu noticed that Daoist Sanshan was carrying a small wooden box and suddenly realized that their own group seemed to have arrived empty-handed.
"Shouldn't we have prepared a gift as well?"
Man Gu felt rather embarrassed coming all the way to the East Sea just to eat and drink for free.
Meng Jingzhou waved a hand dismissively. "The Old Dragon Emperor is a venerable senior. Preparing gifts is something for cultivators at the Void Refining and Body Integration stages to worry about. As juniors, all we need to care about is eating and drinking."
Only then did Man Gu feel reassured, burying his head back into snacking on the fruit.
"Heiyu," greeted an imposing Sea Race cultivator who strode over, his exact clan indiscernible.
Seeing the arrival, Venerable Heiyu smiled as well. "Xuanshui, it's been ten years since we last met. A while back, I heard you were bedridden. How come you're kicking and lively now?"
"Don't even mention it. If I hadn't made up an excuse, those descendants of mine would still be insisting I stay clan patriarch. What a headache! So I told them I was old, frail, and bedridden, and that it was time to pick a new patriarch."
"I told you long ago that being clan patriarch is a thankless job. Look at me—I retired ages ago." Venerable Heiyu preened with smug satisfaction; that was what foresight looked like.
Seeing the two conversing so merrily, Meng Jingzhou quietly asked Xiao Xinghai who the newcomer was.
"That is Venerable Xuanshui of the Black Tortoise Clan, a Tribulation Transcendence stage expert. He and Old Ancestor Heiyu have known each other since youth and are very close friends who often ventured together. Because both of their bodies are black, they are known together as the East Sea Twin Blacks."
"The East Sea Twin Blacks?"
"You know our clan excels in speed while the Black Tortoise Clan excels in defense. Back in their youth, neither of the two old ancestors could stay idle; they spent their days running around stirring up trouble. Whenever they ran into someone they couldn't afford to provoke, Old Ancestor Heiyu would grab Venerable Xuanshui and run.
"If the pursuer refused to let them go and gave chase from behind, our Old Ancestor would use Venerable Xuanshui's turtle shell to block the incoming attacks, harnessing the momentum of the impact to accelerate their escape. This trick never failed, and no one could do anything against them.
"Now that they've reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage, they rarely team up anymore."
"Did they settle down in their old age?"
"No, it's that Old Ancestor's speed has reached the absolute pinnacle. No one can catch up to him anymore, so he no longer needs Venerable Xuanshui's protection."
Aside from Venerable Xuanshui, the Tribulation Transcendence experts from the other seven great sea clans had also taken their seats. Some were exceptionally handsome while others looked plain, but they all shared a common trait: an introverted restraint in their eyes that proclaimed their extraordinary nature at a glance.
In contrast, Venerable Heiyu and Venerable Xuanshui were glancing around with darting, shifty eyes, looking thoroughly disreputable.
The other seven Sea Race Tribulation Transcendence experts kept a wide berth from Venerable Heiyu and Venerable Xuanshui, terrified that the two would start airing their embarrassing pasts.
As time passed and the banquet's commencement drew nearer, all the invited guests had arrived. Ao Ya and Daoist Lord Hanhai emerged from the secret chamber to join the celebration.
Ao Ya was radiant with a glowing complexion, brimming with vitality, having fully restored her former strength.
Daoist Lord Hanhai, on the other hand, was deathly pale, his calves trembling uncontrollably.
"Patriarch, are you all right?" Meng Jingzhou inquired with concern.
Daoist Lord Hanhai gritted his teeth and forced himself upright. "It's nothing serious... I just need a moment to catch my breath.
"I truly envy that Bachelor Spiritual Root of yours... You don't have to suffer like me."
Meng Jingzhou: "..."
Chapter 867