At the same time that Shun Long appeared outside the palace gates with his aura completely retracted, deep inside the palace, a banquet was taking place in the main hall.
In front of a large table that was filled with all kinds of delicacies, including various different types of meat from rank 1 and rank 2 magic beasts, as well as plenty of wine, 7 people were seated and watched the beautiful young girls who were dancing in front of them.
Surprisingly, in the seat of honor at the head of the table wasn't the 'Sky Fortune Kingdom's' king, but an old man seemingly around 70 years old, who was dressed in green robes.
The old man was 1.7m(5.6ft) tall, with long white hair and a thick beard. His black eyes were filled with unconcealable desire as he looked at the young girls who were dancing in front of him, while his hands were filled with the meat of the rank 2 magic beasts in front of him.
On the old man's right were 2 middle-aged men seemingly in their early 50s, who looked very much alike each other.
Despite their similar appearances however, the 2 men had completely different temperaments.
One of them seemed interested in the banquet in front of him, and was happily chatting and laughing with the old man next to him, while his eyes looked at the young girls who were dancing in front of him, and his hands were occasionally rubbing their breasts and butts.
In sharp contrast, the man next to him seemed completely indifferent to the women around him, and was only interested in the food on his plate.
If one paid close attention however, they would see his gaze stealing glances at the guards inside the hall, like a hungry beast that was staring at its prey and was licking its lips.
On the old man's left was a young woman seemingly not a day older than 20 years old.
Her appearance could probably be considered plain if it wasn't for her largely disproportional-placed eyes.
Her bright red dress that was decorated with golden roses was obviously trying to make the young woman the center of attention in the hall.
The woman however, didn't seem to care about the old man who was sitting on her right, and was instead staring gently at the young man who was sitting next to her, while affectionately holding his arm.
The young man who seemed to be around 26 years old, had a bright smile on his face as he looked at the young woman next to him, completely ignoring the enchanting dancers around him.
If one observed carefully, they would see that this young man's sharp nose and high cheekbones greatly resembled the 'Sky Fortune Kingdom's' king's, Dong Weifeng's.
His bright blonde hair and spirited brown eyes, made the young man's identity obvious to anyone who was familiar with the royal family of the 'Sky Fortune Kingdom'.
This was the 'Sky Fortune Kingdom's' third prince, as well as Dong Weifeng's third son, Dong Lingyuan.
Next to Dong Lingyuan was another woman who seemed to be in her early 40s.
She was wearing a bright yellow dress with the crest of the 'Sky Fortune Kingdom's' royal family on it, and was looking at the red-dressed young woman next to Dong Lingyuan in a fawning manner.
This woman was the king's, Dong Weifeng's second concubine, as well as Dong Lingyuan's mother.
As for the middle-aged man next to her who seemed to have a spirited look in his eyes despite sitting at the very edge of the table... it was Dong Weifeng, the 'Sky Fortune Kingdom's' king.
As the third prince, Dong Lingyuan looked at the young woman next to him, he had a bright smile on his face as he asked
''Xiao Yi, are you enjoying this feast? I made sure to personally choose the meat of the best rank 2 magic beasts around the kingdom, including the meat from a rank 2 'Earth-trampling boar'!''
The young woman, Xiao Yi nodded her head happily as soon as she heard Dong Lingyuan's words, before she turned her head to the old man next to her, and with a joyous look on her face she said
''Daddy, big brother Lingyuan really tried hard for this banquet. Shouldn't you praise him a little as well?''
The old man who was sitting in the seat of honor nodded his head, and with a smile on his aged face that made him seem more evil than amiable, he answered
''Indeed brat, you really tried hard to find good women today. I am satisfied.''
Dong Lingyuan had a fawning smile, as he nodded his head repeatedly and said
''As long as senior Wei Tai is satisfied, then this all that matters to this humble junior.''
The young woman Xiao Yi pouted as soon as she heard this, and with a look of anger she then interjected
''What 'senior Wei'? Big brother Lingyuan, shouldn't you call daddy your father-in-law?''
The middle-aged man who was sitting next to Wei Tai nodded his head and said laughingly
''Hahaha! Right brat! Now that you are the only one left in this kingdom, are you perhaps trying to go back to your word?
Hehe, perhaps you never cared about little Wei Yi to begin with, and you only wanted Wei Tai and us to help you become the king huh? HAHAHA!''
The middle-aged man erupted in laughter, but both Wei Tai's and the young woman's Wei Yi's faces instantly darkened as they looked at him.
Cold sweat started to drip from Dong Lingyuan's head, and shaking his head without any hesitation, he hurriedly held Wei Yi's hand with both hands before he answered
''Senior Zhu Zan, your words are mistaken. How could I not care about Xiao Yi? I was just reluctant to call senior Wei Tai 'father-in-law', since me and Xiao Yi aren't married yet.
However, if Xiao Yi is so insistent and doesn't want to wait for our marriage, then of course I will comply with her wishes.''
Wei Tai nodded his head, and looking at Dong Lingyuan with a smiling face he then spoke in a seemingly casual tone
''Of course you care about Xiao Yi brat! After all, there was no way that you would have simply seduced her, just to have me help you acquire this small kingdom, right? I am sure that you would clearly understand the consequences in such that case...''
Seeing the cold look deep inside Wei Tai's eyes despite his smiling face, Dong Lingyuan felt like he had fallen into the deepest depths of hell, before he hurriedly nodded his head in acknowledgment.
At the same time, Dong Weifeng took a deep breath, and looking at the old man, Wei Tai, he couldn't help saying in a weak voice
''However... senior Wei... you shouldn't have dealt with Shun Fang and Shun An like that...
After all, I even told you that their son was a member of the 'Floating Cloud sect', and that he even has a black dragon...''
Everyone in the hall turned their attention to the king, Dong Weifeng, but contrary to the king's expectations, both Wei Tai, Zhu Zan, and the other middle-aged man next to him had mocking looks on their faces when they heard his words.
With a smile on his face, Wei Tai rubbed the butt of the young woman who was dancing in front of him, and looking at Dong Weifeng he said in a casual tone
''A member of the 'Floating Cloud sect'? Hehehe... Dong Weifeng, you don't seem to understand, so let me explain this to you.
Even if one is a member of the 'Floating Cloud sect', unless they are an inner disciple or an Elder, they wouldn't have reached the Heaven grade just yet.
From all the disciples that enter the sect, how many people actually reach the earth grade?''
Seeing the look in Dong Weifeng's eyes that was still filled with worry, the old man Wei Tai continued
''Additionally, even if he manages to reach the Heaven grade eventually, aren't there 3 Heaven grade experts here today? How do you think a 3 against 1 fight with a newly advanced Heaven grade cultivator would go in the future?
Hehehe, didn't we already handle his father as well?
If you are worried about the 'Floating Cloud sect' sending reinforcements, I can assure you that as long as someone chooses to meddle in the matters of the 'Mortal world', they will have no assistance from a huge sect.
As for that so-called black dragon... hehe, don't make me laugh-''
BOOOM!
The door of the palace's main hall was suddenly sent flying from the outside by a powerful punch, attracting everyone's attention.
The music in the hall had suddenly stopped, and the young women stopped dancing, as everyone's eyes were suddenly focused on the hall's entrance.
A handsome young man dressed in blue robes slowly walked inside the hall, one step at a time, as his eyes finally fell on the people who were sitting on the table.
In his right hand, there was an illusionary purple-colored blade, and despite the fresh blood that had stained his robes' sleeves with a reddish hue, not a single drop of blood seemed to have tainted the purple blade itself.
Behind the handsome young man was a peerlessly beautiful young woman, who slowly followed him inside the hall. The cold look on her face didn't diminish her beauty in the slightest, while her bright white robes that were in sharp contrast with her bewitching black eyes, only served to accentuate her beauty even further.
Her face that seemed to have come out of a picture itself only stared at the people inside the hall for a moment, before it once again focused on the young man in front of her. The coldness in her look finally melted, giving rise to an even more beautiful scene for the people inside the hall, who were all stunned for a moment.
The king's, Dong Weifeng's eyes, only stared at the gorgeous young woman for a single moment, before his eyes were once again focused on the blue-robed young man.
An aura of majesty was coming from the young man's body, like a king who was looking at a group of unimportant commoners, whose life and death had no meaning to him.
And yet, at the same time, inside the young man's black eyes was a cold look that could freeze anyone's soul in an instant.
Dong Weifeng's mind seemed to have frozen when his eyes landed on the young man's face.
His voice, despite being lower than a whisper, resounded in everyone's ears as he stuttered and spoke fearfully
''Shu- Shun Long!''