Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The sound of the tune was beautiful, and it was even more so when the tune was played by them both.
Golden peach flowers dropped around both of them. Many saw Chi Shang and Yu Shifei smile at each other. All who witnessed that moment were able to tell how beautiful the relationship between them was.
There were 18 candidates ranked on the Regional King Ranking in Crimson Dragon Realm, and there were eight who were Proving Holiness and Saints of True Self. All of them were at the event.
That fact alone served as a testament to the importance of the Peach Invitation.
Both Chi Shang and Yu Shifei were two of those people.
Yu Shifei stood out even more, given that she was the only woman among those eight mentioned.
The other two women were Princess Yin Tianjiao, daughter of Emperor Wu, who was training in the Regional Palace, and Shu Zi, daughter of Emperor Shu. Both of them were formidable cultivators in their own right, yet they were not ranked in the Regional King Ranking.
It was easily seen from that fact alone just how exceptional the Virgin from the Yu clan was. Her clan was currently placing all of their hope on her. Yu Shifei was the key to the future of her clan.
Many were wondering just how wonderful it would be if both Chi Shang and Yu Shifei both made it into Renhuang Plane.
They would probably end up like the current Crimson Dragon Emperor and his queen.
Xia Qingyuan looked at the peach flower that landed on her palm and asked, “Were you two been this beautiful at one time?”
Ye Futian turned his gaze away from the sky to look at Xia Qingyuan at his side. He smiled beamingly and nodded, saying, “Probably more beautiful than this.”
“It probably won’t take long for you to fulfill your wish on this trip to Crimson Dragon Realm,” Xia Qingyuan said in a low voice.
“That would be great.” Ye Futian nodded.
The beautiful tune gradually stopped. Chi Shang and Yu Shifei smiled at each other before turning around to look at the crowd.
Chi Shang’s eyes turned to Ye Futian. It was the first time the prince saw him. Ye Futian had handsome looks yet sported silver hair. The prince wondered what he had been through.
“I heard that you’re good at playing the guqin, City Lord Ye,” Chi Shang smiled and quipped.
It was evident that he heard the conversation between him and Xia Qingyuan, despite them having kept their volume down.
Chi Shang thought that the princess of Emperor Xia’s Realm was with Ye Futian, yet he seemed to be able to tell that he was probably wrong from that simple conversation he heard.
“I know a thing or two, Your Highness,” Ye Futian nodded and said.
“Well, we’re in such a beautiful place. How about you play a tune for us?” Chi Shang smiled and asked.
“Sure.” Ye Futian nodded. While Chi Shang was indeed a prince of Crimson Dragon Realm and the favorite prince of the emperor, he lacked any overbearing pressure.
On the contrary, he seemed to be like one of those dashing gentlemen who loved flirting around.
Ye Futian sat on the ground, and a guqin materialized before him. His entire being seemed to have gotten into the zone, and his aura changed completely.
He felt as if he was in a quiet, tranquil place, isolated from the world.
An illustration seemed to have been painted as soon as the sound of his tune was heard.
Chi Shang and Yu Shifei were both adept at guqin. But then again, they could not have portrayed the scenery painted by the music itself even if they knew little about music in the first place.
“This is beautiful,” Yu Shifei commented faintly. The tune sounded rather similar to the one they played before. It was as if the tune itself was an embodiment of the concept of beauty itself.
What differed was that the beauty in the tune between both of them was that of resonance.
The beauty in the tune played by Ye Futian seemed to have stemmed more from remembrance.
Everyone turned to look at Ye Futian. He was the most renowned figure in the realm as of late. He finally stood alongside the cutting edge of geniuses in Crimson Dragon Realm.
There seemed to be a battle fought below the mountain.
Chi Shang was hardly surprised. He looked at the ground below and saw an ancient path with a figure running on it. That figure seemed to have been blazing a trail and intended to reach the mountain, joining the Peach Banquet.
That was also the rule of the Peach Banquet. Those who lacked the Peach Invitation were welcomed to fight their way up there.
And then, there was indeed one who took to fighting their way up.
Many turned to look at the trail leading to the Peach Banquet below. Someone was seen moving forward, emanating an overwhelming aura as they blitzed the trail before them. There was a group of cultivators following behind.
“Someone from Xiang City.” Someone was able to tell who was coming. Xiang Nan, a prince of Emperor Xiang’s Realm, was actually among them.
However, the one who fought was not Xiang Nan, as they had yet to make it into Saint Plane, and as such, were not included in the list of invitees.
But then again, that person resembled Xiang Nan somewhat.
That person was nonetheless Xiang Nan’s elder brother. His name was Xiang Ze, and he was another prince from Emperor Xiang’s Realm.
The tune continued to be played, and a rumble was heard as Xiang Ze fought as he moved. He managed to beat all who stood in his way. Defeated combatants were found all over the trail.
Xiang Ze walked up and came to the place below the Peach Banquet. He then cupped his hands and said to Chi Shang, “I’m Xiang Ze of Emperor Xiang’s Realm. I have long known of the renown of the Peach Banquet of Crimson Dragon Realm. Please pardon my intrusion, Your Highness.”
The Peach Banquet was known as the number one banquet in all of Crimson Dragon Realm.
“Never mind, please,” Chi Shang then said.
Xiang Ze nodded and stepped up, heading into the Peach Banquet officially.
A wave of aura swept all over the place when he walked. It was as if there was a formless force trying to break up the tune.
The peach flowers were shredded and lashed out at Ye Futian as a formless force.
Xia Qingyuan took a look in his direction. She stepped out, and holy light burst from her body. Sword wills filled her surroundings, and she drew a line with her arm. The peach flowers around her danced in the air, looking very beautiful.
She pointed her finger at Xiang Ze’s direction, causing the dancing flowers to streak out like swords of calamity, devouring everything in their path.
Xiang Ze did not retreat but took another step forward. Formless waves of aura clashed with the sword wills of the peach flowers. A formless storm was formed, and the flowers were strewn the ground.
Ye Futian continued to play the strings lightly. Xia Qingyuan seemed to have danced with the peach flowers. The scene was so extraordinarily beautiful, just like how it had been when Chi Shang and Yu Shifei played together.
Eventually, the dancing notes gradually stopped, and the music was no longer heard.
Ye Futian did not look at Xiang Ze. He looked at Chi Shang and smiled, saying, “Sorry about that.”
“Marvelous,” Chi Shang smiled and said. Xia Qingyuan and Chi Shang both dispelled their auras, and both stood there quietly. Xia Qingyuan returned to Ye Futian’s side as if nothing had happened.
However, everyone was able to clearly sense the intense conflict between the two parties in those brief moments.
Xiang Ze probably had not been in Crimson Dragon Realm for long.
Everyone naturally knew about the feud between Xiang City and Qianye City.
Xiang Ze stepped into the Peach Banquet with overwhelming force, with a faint of provoking Ye Futian.
However, Ye Futian did not even bother responding to the prince, so much so that he did not even bother looking at the intruder.
An extremely cocky one indeed.
Many found such a Peach Banquet to be even more exciting.
The expression of all the people around remained normal. Every single one who attended the banquet was a figure of legends, after all.
Chi Shang turned his eyes to look at the crowd around him, before smiling and saying, “All who received the Peach Invitation are all the most extraordinary of people to be found in Crimson Dragon Realm. Now that you are all here, it is indeed a good chance for all to witness just how extraordinary, the most formidable of cultivators are in Crimson Dragon Realm.”
Everyone knew that Chi Shang was only telling the truth. The Peach Banquet was lauded as the number one banquet in all of Crimson Dragon Realm. All who were invited were practically the most extraordinary of people found in Crimson Dragon Realm.
All beings of the first two levels of Saint Plane, who were also people ranked on the Regional King Ranking, were all present.
The others were also people with the potential of being ranked in said ranking as well.
Even the entourages that came with those figures were also considered renowned people in Crimson Dragon Realm.
For instance, Princess Xia Qingyuan of Emperor Xia’s Realm was among Ye Futian’s entourage.
Xing Qiu came alongside Xing Kai as well as the personal students of the Saint King of Gai.
Other than that, there were also several from the Regional Palace being invited. Other than those who were invited, there were also many renowned people from the Regional Palace present.
One figure after another appeared in the surrounding areas of the Peach Banquet. Many of them sported extremely powerful auras, and their powers were unpredictable. They were all standing at faraway corners of the mountain, keeping an eye on the event.
All of those people were the topmost ones from the royal palace of Crimson Dragon Realm. Many among them would become legendary figures themselves if they were to venture out on their own.
“City Lord Ye played a tune right after Shifei, and I played one. We were only doing it for fun, of course, but I’m sure many of you have heard of the story of a Magic Zither showing up at Crimson Dragon Realm many years ago. Many years have passed since, yet there are still none in the royal palace capable of playing the instrument. The guqin appeared in the past several Peach Banquets, and there were still none capable of playing it.”
Chi Shang looked at the crowd and elaborated. Many who had attended past banquets nodded in secret. Countless had heard of the Magic Zither’s rumors in Crimson Dragon City. It was a very famous instrument.
It was said that the Magic Zither came from a demonic emperor and was imbued with the will of the demonic emperor. Many saints were not even able to get near the instrument, let alone play it.
“It will work the same today as well. Anyone capable of connecting and playing the instrument will be allowed to take it away right away,” Chi Shang smiled and said.
The royal palace prepared several treasures for every Peach Banquet.
Every single piece was undoubtedly an imperial level item.
Anyone capable of wielding it would be welcomed to take them away.
Furthermore, things were different from those treasures acquired at the ruins of Emperor Kua. Those items were things gifted by the royal palace of Crimson Dragon Emperor at the Peach Banquet. No one would have dared to take them by force afterward.
There was also no need to worry about them being reclaimed. They were welcomed to be taken away with no strings attached.
However, the Magic Zither had been around for several Peach Banquets.
Despite being the first piece to show in the banquet, its difficulty would probably eclipse all others for historical reasons.
Many deemed that it remained impossible for anyone to take the instrument away.
There was simply no way of taking away a Magic Zither that no-one in the royal palace was capable of playing.
“Please.”
Chi Shang lifted his head and said. Terrifying aura emanated from yet another corner of the mountain. The weather changed, and the place turned dark soon after.
A dark object was seen flying from the sky far away. A Holiness of Nirvana appeared in the air. He moved his hands, and a dark item dropped from the sky.
Raging waves washed all over the place. Peach flowers danced in the air before wilting at breakneck speeds, turning into black flowers.
Voom.
The Magic Zither descended and hovered in the middle of the banquet. Terrifying demonic aura formed around it as if demonic notes danced, and formless vibrations emanated from it in an extremely overwhelming manner.
One formidable will after another was cast, heading straight for the Magic Zither. Ye Futian was also doing the same, infiltrating the instrument with his spiritual powers.
However, his spiritual will was soon caught in the terrifying whirlpool, as soon as it infiltrated the instrument. Terrifying notes washed out shockingly, crushing every will that had gotten near the instrument.
“A Renhuang level piece.”
Ye Futian gazed onto the Magic Zither, finding the demonic will within to definitely be that of Renhuang level. It was a guqin that a demonic emperor had once used.
This sure as hell is an event hosted by the royal palace of Crimson Dragon Realm alright. The Peach Banquet really spared no expense.
