As night fell, the entire Imperial City was illuminated as brightly as day by tens of thousands of glazed lamps.
Above the firmament, immortal light flowed, and auspicious clouds surged, as the Heaven Jade Qiongtai, reserved for the Imperial Family's exclusive royal banquet, slowly unfolded.
Tonight's banquet was originally set to welcome Jiang Ye, Divine Son of the Jiang Clan, so it had been decorated with lanterns and filled with melodious immortal music from early on.
Unfortunately, Jiang Ye temporarily declined the invitation, causing the entire banquet to lose some of its luster.
The various Imperial Princes and Princesses of the Divine Firmament Immortal Dynasty still arrived as scheduled, taking their seats one by one, all conversing with refined elegance.
Yet, despite the clinking of cups, the atmosphere at the banquet was never truly lively; instead, it felt subtly oppressive.
“Divine Son Jiang is truly unique; he actually disregarded etiquette and refused our Dynasty's welcoming banquet...”
One Imperial Prince chuckled, raising his cup, his words carrying an unclear meaning.
Another young Imperial Family member echoed him, with a hint of sarcasm: “Prodigies are often arrogant, but this is a bit too disrespectful to the Divine Firmament.”
Shen Baiyun took a shallow sip of immortal wine, a gentle smile on her Face, but she did not respond, her expression remaining composed and elegant.
She had originally intended to use this banquet to win over Jiang Ye.
Who knew that with a simple “This Divine Son has other matters,” he would flick his sleeves and leave, completely disregarding her Face, leaving her slightly embarrassed in front of the other Imperial Princes and Princesses.
However, Shen Baiyun showed no trace of it.
She smiled softly, looking at Shen Luowan, her voice gentle and intimate: “Elder Sister looks exceptionally well today; traveling with Divine Son Jiang, was the scenery along the way particularly unique?”
Shen Luowan, with her cool demeanor, sat composedly not far away.
Hearing this, she merely smiled faintly, her voice as soft as the wind: “I was merely accompanying him.”
Everyone's hearts stirred upon hearing this.
Jiang Ye did not attend the banquet but traveled with Shen Luowan, naturally sparking speculation.
Especially with Shen Baiyun having been rejected by Jiang Ye, this “differential treatment” further fueled their imaginations.
Shen Baiyun maintained her polite smile, showing no hint of abnormality.
She gently swirled her cup, asking in a calm tone: “I hear Divine Son Jiang acts unconventionally; does Elder Sister know his true purpose for this trip?”
Shen Luowan seemed to ponder for a moment before chuckling: “Didn't Younger Sister already know? Young Master Jiang's purpose for this trip is to eliminate evil and uphold the Dao.”
“A few days ago, a Demonic Cultivator infiltrated the Jiang Clan and caused a bloody incident on the day of his coming-of-age ceremony.”
“According to investigations, this was done by Shen Lian, the successor of the Bloodthirsty Demon Emperor.”
Her tone was mild, but then she suddenly emphasized: “Divine Son Jiang said that Younger Sister seems to have had contact with this person... I wonder if this is true?”
“You are still young; do not let the Demonic Path scoundrels cloud your mind. You must be careful.”
As these words were spoken, the entire banquet instantly fell silent; even the candlelight on the tables seemed to freeze.
The atmosphere abruptly solidified.
Shen Baiyun's heart also tightened abruptly, but she still maintained a smile on her Face.
Shen Luowan's reminder, in this Imperial Palace, seemed particularly harsh, and even somewhat inconsistent with her own character.
Instead, it seemed like... she was conveying some kind of signal.
But in reality, these were the words instructed by Jiang Ye.
He had already pushed all the previous matters concerning Xu Qiye onto Shen Lian.
Shen Baiyun gently shook her head, her voice calm: “Elder Sister worries too much; I do not know any Demonic Path people.”
Her tone was neither humble nor arrogant, seeming like an innocent explanation, and also like a casual denial of everything.
Shen Luowan, however, merely lowered her head and smiled, her slender, jade-like fingers gently caressing the rim of her wine cup, as if she didn't care about Shen Baiyun's response.
But she added: “Younger Sister had best explain herself to Young Master Jiang, so as to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. After all... Young Master Jiang has always acted unconventionally.”
These words, seemingly for Shen Baiyun's sake, actually carried a hint of warning.
Everyone's hearts trembled once more.
If these words had fallen on someone else, they might have been harmless.
But if they fell on Jiang Ye, it would be entirely different.
That Divine Son of the Jiang Clan was never reasonable, never adhered to old customs, acted ruthlessly, and was overbearing in his conduct.
If he truly suspected Shen Baiyun of having a connection with Shen Lian... no one dared to imagine the consequences.
Wei Xuanyin, nearby, whispered softly: “It seems Jiang Ye once secretly monitored Shen Lian's movements.”
Shen Baiyun's eyes flickered, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, and a ripple stirred in her heart.
Shen Luowan bringing up this matter in public was actually somewhat inappropriate.
Many things, especially concerning Imperial Family members...
If it hasn't been discovered, the presumption of innocence applies.
But such direct words seemed to be conveying some information.
If Shen Lian is not found, there will be no alliance with the Immortal Dynasty.
Moreover, Jiang Ye is domineering and unreasonable. If Shen Baiyun had contact with Shen Lian, and Shen Lian cannot be found, then she, Shen Baiyun, will be held accountable.
He could skip the royal banquet, but a mere Seventh Princess dared to associate with his enemy?
If she couldn't explain it clearly, then she was his enemy!
This was a veiled ultimatum from the Longevity Jiang Clan.
“Jiang Ye disregards etiquette, but his very existence is etiquette!”
Shen Baiyun had been outmaneuvered by Jiang Ye this time. If she didn't handle this matter well, Jiang Ye would not ally with the Divine Firmament Immortal Dynasty, and the Divine Emperor would also abandon her because of it.
But at this moment, there was no annoyance on her pure and elegant Face.
Instead, she raised her gaze and smiled faintly, her eyes like flowing water.
“Divine Son Jiang is truly an interesting person.”
“Hehe... such a man is quite intriguing.”
Below, Xiao Fan held his wine cup, his gaze slightly condensed, his Face looking rather displeased.
He watched the scene over there, feeling a stifling sensation in his heart.
This scene was almost identical to his previous life.
From the moment Shen Baiyun met Jiang Ye, her entire state began to change.
Not only did her attitude towards Jiang Ye soften considerably, but at many critical junctures, she covertly and overtly worked to benefit Jiang Ye.
She even... was willing to give up interests and powers that should have belonged to her.
Xiao Fan had to admit that Jiang Ye was indeed too outstanding.
Jiang Ye was indeed extraordinarily talented, exceptionally handsome, acted domineeringly, and was very cunning.
His talent was absurdly high, and he was also extremely handsome.
Moreover, every move he made exuded composure and dominance, he was extremely skilled in his methods, deeply cunning, and very easily attracted women's attention.
“However... I can't intervene now.”
His fingers tightened slightly around the wine cup, constantly admonishing himself not to be impulsive.
“Whether they will end up together... is not something I can interfere with now.”
“What I need most now is to quickly improve my Cultivation.”
“If I don't even have the qualifications to compete, everything will be in vain.”
His thoughts raced, and a look of determination flashed in his eyes.
“The Lingyao Immortal Realm has countless Opportunities. In my previous life, it was because my Cultivation was too low that Jiang Ye snatched away too many Opportunities.”
Xiao Fan gritted his teeth, thinking of his Foundation, which was actually not bad.
Although he was never good at Cultivating in his previous life, he was, after all, the son of the Left Prime Minister, having consumed heavenly treasures since childhood, making his Physical Body and spiritual Foundation far superior to ordinary people.
After his Rebirth, in just one week, with the aid of the Ancient Time Wheel Plate, he had crossed from the Purple Mansion to the Unity Realm.
A full two major Realms.
This was a speed he would not have dared to dream of in his previous life.
But he was still not satisfied.
“But it's still too slow.”
His gaze darkened slightly, and Jiang Ye's Qi, which he had revealed earlier, involuntarily came to mind.
“What's going on with Jiang Ye in this life? I feel like his strength is already close to the God-King Realm!”
“And in the previous life, he never became a Dao Child of Cloud Top Academy, nor did he participate in the Ancient Immortal Domain competition...”
“How did the trajectory of this life's development all go awry?”