Yun Xiao's gaze lifted slightly, and he saw the owner of the splendid gown: a woman of dignified grace and nobility.

Though she stood not far away, there seemed to be a mist before Yun Xiao’s eyes that obscured her features. He felt deeply that this woman was like the mother of all things. She embraced all streams, bore the wealth of the world, and exuded dignity in all directions. Her very form was where the light of the Celestial Court converged!

Her sublime presence was too intense to face directly. A mere glance from anyone compelled them to bow their heads in deep reverence.

To Yun Xiao's surprise, the voice of this revered lady was gentle, soothing the soul like a spring rain.

She announced, “The chosen Arbiter prodigies, having distinguished themselves among countless contenders, the sixteen who have set foot in the Heavenly Palace have achieved no small feat! I, a humble woman, can offer nothing more than a modest feast before the grand competition begins, to welcome and cleanse you from your journeys. May you show your full capabilities after this banquet, and display your brilliance!”

Her words made clear that this outer court feast was set especially for the participants of the Immortal Tournament.

“Should we not express our gratitude for the Empress Dowager's generosity?” Yun Yin prompted.

At once, the crowd in the outer court expressed their thanks.

The Empress Dowager smiled gently and said, “Then please, enjoy.”

With that, she turned and walked back to the inner court, accompanied by the respectful farewells of those in the outer court.

For Yun Xiao, this meant one thing—it was time to eat! He drank, while Blue Star and Red Moon were tasked with clearing the other delicacies from the celestial table. Unchecked, these little creatures would devour even the plates and the table itself!

Truth be told, all present were competitors bound by fate, and genuine harmony among the sixteen before the battle was unlikely.

With the Empress Dowager's departure, the atmosphere turned chilly; the music and dance continued, but no one listened.

“Shall I introduce your opponents to you?” Gu Suwan saw Yun Xiao continually drinking and feeding his little pet with celestial fruits and decided he might want to slow down.

“Sure.” Yun Xiao leaned back in his chair, utterly relaxed.

“I’ve looked into it. Among the seven honorary Arbiters this time, four have the potential to reach the top three, like Nine Kites,” Gu Suwan whispered close, her breath fragrant and soft.

“That little fox is one of them,” Yun Xiao observed, recognizing that Wuqing was no less capable than Nine Kites.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“Just don’t call her a little fox to her face; it would be rude,” Gu Suwan rolled her eyes.

“And there are three more,” Yun Xiao added.

“Mhmm.” Gu Suwan nodded, then she covertly glanced at a young man in the outer court, who, dressed in a golden robe and with a cherubic face, was busy toasting with everyone, his face always adorned with a harmless smile—a true social butterfly.

Gu Suwan whispered, “This one’s called Zhao Yuanbao. From his surname, you should guess he comes from a notable lineage.”

“Related to Her Majesty?” Yun Xiao inquired.

“Exactly. He’s the Empress Dowager’s nephew. Plus, his father is the head of the Celestial Court's Imperial Treasury, the Dragon Tiger Sovereign, one of the eight Rank 1 Sovereigns,” Gu Suwan explained.

He was a nephew to the Empress Dowager and the son of a Rank 1 Heavenly Officer! In terms of status, he ranked even above Nine Kites, courtesy of the Empress Dowager's favor.

“The Imperial Treasury, they must be quite wealthy, right?” Yun Xiao latched onto that detail.

“Obviously, they’re far richer than our Thunder Department. The Imperial Treasury is based on the divine land of the Celestial Court. The Dragon Tiger Sovereign holds more sway in the Heavenly Palace than even our Nine Thunders Sovereign. All celestial cities within the court, and their officials and Immortals, are managed by the Imperial Treasury.”

The background of Zhao Yuanbao was clear: wealthy and influential, a controller of the Celestial Court’s vital resources!

This young man, ever-smiling to all, was raised in the Heavenly Palace, truly a cut above.

As for his strength, Yun Xiao found it elusive; such characters, often amiable, tended to hide their true capabilities. He was not to be underestimated!

“There are two more at this level?” Yun Xiao sensed a challenge.

“Yes.” Gu Suwan discreetly pointed elsewhere.

Yun Xiao looked and saw the Moon Sword Goddess. Beside her sat a young man in a white sword robe, his black hair cascading like a waterfall, his nose sharp as a blade, radiating a profound chill, unwelcoming to strangers. Even amidst the feast, he could not sheathe his innate fierceness.

“Hmm?” What really caught Yun Xiao’s attention were the young man’s eyes. They were pure white, devoid of pupils, utterly vacant!

Yun Xiao was more than familiar with them; they were descendants of the Three Immortals!

This young man was clearly not one of their direct descendants, but he must be from that very lineage!

“The Young Master of Immortal Sword Court, his father, ‘Beidou Sword Demon’, is also a Rank 1 Heavenly Officer, though not counted among the kings. But his strength could surpass most of the kings, his renown nearing that of the Chaos Sovereign, known as the foremost swordsman of the Great Dao Celestial Realm!” Gu Suwan spoke with a hint of reverence.

“Northstar Sword Devil?” Yun Xiao murmured, pursing his lips.

Gu Suwan paused, then spoke, "He's not the same as the Sword Devil that appeared in Sky Soaring City. He was born with the sword as his surname and loves the blade to the point of madness—that's the origin of his name."

She mentioned the Sword Devil, of course referring to Yun Xiao.

"With the sword as his surname... birds of a feather," Yun Xiao mused. He remembered that the Human Zenith Immortal also adopted the sword as his surname.

Gu Suwan gazed at the young man in the white sword robe and continued, "This is the only son of the Northstar Sword Devil, named by his father Jian Chi, a

Sword Fool

. True to his name, he is obsessed with the sword to an extreme degree. With his current extraordinary talent, many say he might surpass his father and become the new Sovereign of the sword in the Celestial Court..."

"Such a young age, and already deemed to surpass the Northstar Sword Devil?" Yun Xiao raised an eyebrow, knowing that such certainty from outsiders must be well-founded.

Gu Suwan added solemnly, "Because Jian Chi is the first in the history of the Celestial Court to possess a Twin Sword Soul. His bones underwent a mutation, and from a young age, he had two Sword Souls, making his lethality unparalleled among his peers."

"Twin Sword Souls?" Yun Xiao had never seen such a thing. He was intrigued!

Indeed, Wuqing, Zhao Yuanbao, and Jian Chi—whether in terms of status, talent, or strength—were all on par with Jiuyan.

Each had at least a Rank 1 Heavenly Officer backing them!

Compared to that, Yun Xiao, with his vague support from the Chaos Sovereign, seemed rather sketchy.

"And the last one?" Yun Xiao remembered Gu Suwan mentioned there were four.

Yet, strangely, he hadn’t noticed anyone else in the outer court who could pose a similar threat as the Sword Fool.

"The last is a direct disciple of the Chaos Sovereign, a rather mysterious figure who hasn’t revealed much. It’s said he holds high prestige within the Great Dao Celestial Army. Today, like the Chaos Sovereign, he didn’t attend the Divine Peach Banquet," Gu Suwan said with a curious expression.

"He didn’t come, huh..." Yun Xiao understood—the Empress Dowager wouldn’t deliberately exclude anyone. If the two were invited and neither showed up, what did that imply? At the very least, it showed audacity.

"The Chaos Sovereign didn’t come, but his rumored son did," Gu Suwan suddenly said with a light laugh.

"Is that a problem?" Yun Xiao asked calmly.

His tone matched that of the Chaos Sovereign himself.

At the banquet, not in step with the others? The implications were significant, and from these exchanges, Gu Suwan realized Yun Xiao's grasp of the entire structure of the Celestial Court was scant at best.

She understood then that the likelihood of this young man being the son of the Chaos Sovereign was exceedingly slim.

It wasn't just her thinking this; others would surely draw the same conclusion.

"Of course," Gu Suwan said, "just a reminder, though, the disciple of the Chaos Sovereign might be dangerous. Who knows how he'll view you?"

Yun Xiao ignored her, continuing to eat and drink instead. As word spread that the Chaos Sovereign had skipped the banquet, increasingly curious glances swept over Yun Xiao.

Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out over the banquet—a slap!

It was unmistakable, even amidst the hubbub of the Celestial Court’s grandest festivity.

All eyes turned to the source and shockingly found that Jian Chi had slapped the Moon Sword Goddess across the face.

A young man had just struck a Rank 2 Heavenly Officer.

For a moment, everyone was dumbstruck. But more helpless yet was the sight of the Moon Sword Goddess, her hand clutching her face, eyes reddened, yet frozen in place, daring not to utter a word.

This incident, sure to mar her reputation grievously, left her no choice but to endure. A celestial immortal of her stature, forced to hold back tears.

Why had Jian Chi struck her?

In that silent, confused moment, the young man in the white sword robe suddenly stood and walked towards Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao was mid-drink when he sensed a chilling murderous intent fix on him, as if thousands of sword energies were clinging to his skin.

He paused, unable to recall any offense given to this formidable young lord of the Immortal Sword Court.

"Do you need something?" Yun Xiao asked calmly, setting down his jug.

Jian Chi pointed towards the Moon Sword Goddess, his voice cold as frost, "From now on, stay away from her. Call her master again, and I'll break your Sword Soul."

Yun Xiao understood then. This lord wanted no ties between the Immortal Sword Court and himself, which was why he expressed his displeasure towards the Moon Sword Goddess.

Glancing over his shoulder, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but acknowledge the domineering nature of the Immortal Sword Court's young lord, compelling even a frosty goddess like the Moon Sword Goddess to merely simmer in silence.

Yun Xiao suddenly stood up and walked over to the Moon Sword Goddess, taking her by the arm with a defiant raise of his eyebrow toward JIan Chi. "I just did call her that. What about it?"

The Moon Sword Goddess's face shifted slightly as she pulled her arm away, but she didn't object. Clearly, she was weighing her options between pride and reality.

Yun Xiao offered her the former, while Jian Chi represented the harsh latter.

Hearing Yun Xiao's bold declaration, Jian Chi suddenly laughed.

"A swaggering impostor," he taunted. "Since you've entered the Divine Gateway, the Chaos Sovereign hasn't spared you a glance. Still, you puff up your cheeks to look big? Playing such games, aren't you afraid of a dire end?"

His words echoed the silent thoughts of many there.

Sinister smiles spread among the crowd.

Everyone understood. If he were truly the son of the Chaos Sovereign, why would he attend the Divine Peach Banquet alone? Who could tolerate such deception now?

At this moment, even the Moon Sword Goddess and Gu Suwan fell silent. They too knew they might have bet on the wrong horse.

"Lastly!" JIan Chi glared coldly at Yun Xiao. "Even if you truly are the son of the Chaos Sovereign, I will still defeat you."

"What grudge do you have against me?" Yun Xiao asked.

"None," Jian Chi replied, extending a finger. "In the path of the sword, there can only be one supreme master."

"Well said." Yun Xiao smiled as well.

Everyone thought Yun Xiao was there to leverage the influence of the Chaos Sovereign. In truth, he merely wanted to compete fairly in the Immortal Tournament.

He returned to his seat and picked up a jug of wine.

"Drink up, then let's get down to it!"

JustLivingJL's Thoughts