Chapter 5

The burly man ignored the disdainful looks from the others, waved his hand, and four attendants immediately carried an object to the front of the stage, placing it directly in front of the main seat.

The object was taller than a person, covered in brocade and silk, exuding a mysterious aura.

The burly man walked past the crowd to the front of the stage, bowed to all around, and with a swift motion, lifted the silk covering the object.

A dazzling light immediately caught everyone's attention.

The guests at the banquet let out a collective gasp.

What was revealed was a nearly human-sized red coral tree. The base of the coral tree was a large inkstone vase, intricately carved to connect with the roots of the coral tree, all made from high-quality jade. Inside the vase, tens of thousands of pearls of various sizes were used as soil.

The inkstone vase and pearl soil alone had cost a million coins.

On the coral tree, green jade vines were intricately carved, creating a scene of green roots, green leaves, and red fruits, a beautiful blend of three colors.

Six large peaches were also carved from whole pieces of jade, naturally colored and extremely valuable.

At the top of the tree, two seven-colored parrots perched, facing each other. The parrots were made with gold as the base and gemstones as feathers, exquisitely crafted.

Additionally, over two hundred fruits, including peaches, plums, apricots, and jujubes, made from various gemstones, hung from the branches.

Truly, it was a magnificent and luxurious sight.

Someone in the audience led the cheers, and the entire hall erupted in applause. The burly man basked in the glory, extremely excited.

The emperor, seated on the dragon throne, was clearly delighted and stroked his hand, laughing heartily, "Ha ha ha, Minister Che, you have truly thought of everything... This time, Minister Che has returned from the East Sea with such a treasure, which greatly pleases me. I will accept it with gratitude... Attendants, take it away—"

He then appraised the burly man, smiling, "I was thinking of what to give you as a return gift, but you have reached such a critical moment—” The emperor paused for a moment, “Very well— I will allow you to cultivate in the Holy Pond for half a year and grant you three 'Myriad Yin Condensing Devil Pills' to help you break through to the Earth Essence Realm..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers.

The burly man was deeply moved, suppressing his joy, and bowed deeply.

"Thank Your Majesty for your favor, thank Your Majesty for your recognition—"

The crowd in the hall cheered, congratulating the burly man.

The fact that the burly man was about to advance to the Earth Essence Realm was not surprising, as there were many experts at the先天 realm present. What shocked everyone was that the so-called Heavenly Emperor had opened the先天灵地 of the Holy Gate—the Holy Pond—and granted three 'Myriad Yin Condensing Devil Pills'.

It should be noted that both the '先天圣潭' and the 'Myriad Yin Condensing Devil Pills' were rare treasures. The '先天圣潭' was a place where先天阴气 gathered, making it easier to condense primordial energy and break through the barriers of cultivation. More importantly, it contained '先天阴气', which was an unparalleled treasure for breaking through to the先天 realm. As long as one had this '先天阴气' in their body, it was like having a key to the door of the先天 realm, making it much easier to achieve the先天 realm compared to ordinary practitioners.

Adding three 'Myriad Yin Condensing Devil Pills', the absorption of '先天阴气' in the Holy Pond would be even more effective. In the eyes of the crowd, this lucky person was not just a matter of whether they could successfully break through to the Earth Essence Realm, but how long it would take to reach the先天 realm and become a peerless expert.

"Brother Luo, you truly have great courage to use the Holy Gate's forbidden area as a favor? Brother Luo is responsible for guarding the Holy Gate. Is this not a sign of disrespect to other sects?"

A voice as cold as the wind from the depths of hell swept through the hall. The previously celebratory crowd instantly froze, nervously sitting down, not daring to speak another word.

The Heavenly Emperor seemed to have anticipated someone's dissatisfaction. He drained the blood-red wine from his bronze goblet, glanced at the third position on his left, and said calmly, "It's Brother Li from the Blood Sect."

The man seated there wore a black robe with golden patterns, a high collar around his neck, and a black crown on his head. His age was indeterminate; he looked to be in his early twenties or early thirties. His face was pale with a grayish hue, cold like a corpse, though his features were extremely handsome. However, he exuded a chilling aura that made people keep their distance. Especially his pale, bloodless face, which contrasted sharply with his bright red lips, dripping with blood... The combination of a white face and red lips was inexplicably terrifying.

The pale-faced man, surnamed Li, shook his black robe, ignoring the Heavenly Emperor's question.

The Heavenly Emperor, undeterred by Li's cold sarcasm, looked at his untouched table with a smile, "No wonder Brother Li is so angry... Brother Li, you haven't touched any of the delicious food on the table. Perhaps the food here doesn't suit your taste?"

Li took a silk handkerchief and wiped his red lips, saying, "Mortal food, how can it be fit for consumption?"

"Ha ha ha, well said, Brother Li. I knew your preferences, so I prepared something special for you... Attendants, bring the food I prepared for Brother Li..."

Two beautiful young women carried a tray and walked up to the stage.

The crowd in the hall eagerly watched, curious to see what kind of food could be considered a delicacy by such a renowned expert.

The two beauties, walking gracefully, had a forced smile on their faces.

Li's eyes showed curiosity, and he sniffed the air, seemingly very interested in the contents of the tray.

The crowd, standing a bit further away, saw the anxious expression of the Blood Sect's leader and became even more curious.

Could this really be an unparalleled delicacy from heaven and earth?

With great curiosity, everyone in the hall waited with bated breath.

The tray was placed on the table, and the two beauties simultaneously removed the cover. The "delicacy" in the tray was revealed to everyone in the hall.

"Ah—"

The crowd in the hall, upon seeing the contents of the tray, let out a scream of terror. Some people fell to the ground, vomiting uncontrollably.

The contents of the tray were two children, a boy and a girl, both under ten years old. They were dressed in fine clothing, with delicate features, and were posed as child Bodhisattvas, but they had been completely steamed. With the rising steam, an evil, sweet smell spread throughout the hall.

Everyone in the hall was visibly shaken.

Only the Heavenly Emperor maintained a sincere expression, while Li showed an insatiable greed.

"Ha ha ha, Brother Luo truly understands me. I will not be polite—"

As he spoke, he tore off a child's arm and began to eat it.

The guests at the banquet covered their faces, unable to look or speak.

Among the nine seats, a stunning beauty in a seven-colored peacock cloak, who had been lying on her seat, finally stopped moving her nails, showing an impatient look, and coldly shouted, "Enough!"

The beauty had an extraordinary charm, with arched eyebrows, a red mouth, and a graceful demeanor... She seemed to be a charming woman, but her voice was that of a man.

The sudden shout did not faze Li, but the Heavenly Emperor turned his head, still smiling warmly, and asked, "Brother Hua, what is the matter? Have I been negligent in any way?"

Unexpectedly, this stunning beauty was actually a man.

Hua coldly said, "The nine sects of our Holy Gate rarely gather, so Brother Luo should get straight to the point. Why bring these disgusting things here to offend our eyes?"

Squeak—

A swarm of blood-colored bats suddenly rushed at Hua, their momentum overwhelming. The previously bright hall suddenly turned pitch black, leaving only the sound of flapping wings.

It turned out that Li was extremely angry at Hua's words and attacked without warning.

"Luo Mo Yin, do you think you are worthy to fight me?" Hua shouted, and in the darkness, a seven-colored peacock suddenly appeared, spreading its feathers. The seven-colored plumes shot out like meteors, making a series of "pu pu pu" sounds, and the attacking bats were shot down one by one.

However, the blood-colored bats seemed endless, and the two combatants quickly reached a stalemate.

True Qi condensed into form, the先天 realm.

The two were able to condense their internal Qi into spiritual beasts, a feat of unparalleled martial arts.

The two先天 experts' battle caused a surge of True Qi, and the True Qi of the nine seats in the center of the banquet hall, all extraordinary figures, overflowed in various colors, protecting their tables. They continued to eat, drink, and flirt with the beauties as if the terrifying battle nearby did not exist.

However, the ordinary experts not yet at the先天 realm on the outer seats suffered. The banquet hall became chaotic, with people flying around, tables and chairs in disarray. Occasionally, someone was hit by True Qi, spitting blood and suffering serious injuries. The guests, losing their composure, fled for their lives, and the previously enthusiastic atmosphere was completely destroyed.

"Stop—"

A deep, resonant voice echoed through the hall, instantly enveloping everyone. Almost everyone felt as if their hearts were being tightly gripped, their ears ringing, and their heads dizzy. They gasped for air but could not move.

In the hall, whether the dazzling peacock or the dark blood-colored bats, both disappeared in an instant as the hall brightened again.

The beautiful woman's eyes were full of fear, and the pale-faced young man's face became even paler...

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