Chapter 863: Show of Strength
Chapter 863: Show of Strength
Ran Xueyi and Donglin Yu both felt that if they sat in such a striking location, especially if they were beside Luo Huo'er, they would only sit on a third of their seats, and they would sit with an extremely straight back. They would try their best not to get any food, and if they ate, it would just be a tiny portion. They would not reveal their teeth while eating or make a sound while chewing. If they drank any wine, they would hold the cup with two hands, and drink respectfully. Furthermore, if the Empresses did not hold a wine cup, they would not touch theirs.
But looking at Yi Yun, he was practically invincible. He was gulping food down by the mouthfuls. Whatever dish looked the most exquisite or had the richest Yuan Qi would be eaten. As for wine… it was as though he was afraid of choking on eating too much. He drank as he ate, using the wine to wash the food down.
This was truly… the perfect display of a a bumpkin's characteristics.
Thankfully, Empress Luo's self-restraint was good. Despite there being a human punk, who obviously did not know the rules while sitting there, causing a scene, she could turn a blind eye towards it.
"Little Yun, are you the reincarnation of a starving ghost? Why are you eating so fast?"
Luo Huo'er was amused by Yi Yun's actions and she wanted to laugh., But on the surface, she maintained her elegant and luxurious appearance.
Luo Huo'er detested such occasions greatly. It was too boring, and she had to constantly pay attention to etiquette. It was much better to chat with Yi Yun to amuse herself.
"Since Empress Luo is treating us, and she's your arch-enemy and she has put out so much good spiritual food, I might as well eat them. It's not like I'll lose out." Yi Yun sent a voice transmission as though it was for granted.
His tone clearly did not show any fear or respect for Empress Luo.
"Hehe, if you have the ability to eat her broke, that would be great! I'm telling you, don't look at that old witch appearing as though she's some mother of the world, she's actually bad to the bone."
In the royal palace, Luo Huo'er were restrained in various ways, so she did not dare to talk nonsense. Now, she had finally encountered a friend, so Luo Huo'er had no scruples in the way she spoke.
Previously, Luo Huo'er had encountered many people who were extremely respectful to Empress Luo, Empress Xuan and herself. They were so subservient that they wished that their eyes would grow on the ground and their backs were as bent as a shrimp. Luo Huo'er found Yi Yun, a person who did not care about rules just like her, very fun as though she had found a confidant.
As Yi Yun and Luo Huo'er began chatting through Yuan Qi voice transmissions, the banquet was not going very harmoniously on the other side.
Empress Xuan knew Empress Luo's goal of hosting this banquet very well. She wanted to display her strength and make the young elites participating in the Luo Divine Hall trials know who was the true mother of the Luo clan. As such, more and more young elites would choose to join Empress Luo's clan and turn their backs on Empress Xuan.
"I heard that Younger Sister brought quite a number of people from your family to participate in our Luo clan's Luo Divine Hall trials. Especially that Xuan Junyue, I heard that he is the best in the present Xuan family generation. Why don't I see dear nephew Junyue? I remembered sending him an invitation as well." Empress Luo suddenly said to Empress Xuan.
Although her voice was not loud, everyone present could hear her clearly.
Xuan Junyue was an influential figure amongst the younger generation of the Xuan family. Compared to Ran Xueyi and Donglin Yu, his reputation exceeded theirs. He was not ranked as one of the four great young masters of the royal capital because the Xuan family was not located in the royal capital.
Empress Xuan smiled and said, "Junyue is still in reclusive training and he will not take a step out of the door for the next few days. He's making preparations for the Luo Divine Hall trials."
Empress Xuan found an excuse to deflect the question. Xuan Junyue obviously wasn't in reclusive training. Back then, he had gone to Luo Huo'er's palace and passed news to Luo Huo'er.
However, Empress Xuan would not let Xuan Junyue participate in the banquet hosted by Empress Luo. This was because Empress Xuan knew very well that Empress Luo wanted to show a display of strength at the banquet, and she would very likely begin with Xuan Junyue as one of her victims.
Xuan Junyue was the best genius in the Xuan family, and he was considered one of their highlighting banners. If Empress Luo were to target Xuan Junyue at the banquet, Empress Xuan's camp would suffer a massive loss of reputation if Xuan Junyue were to lose.
Before the Luo Divine Hall trials, Empress Xuan could not afford to lose anything.
By appearing weaker than they did, and avoiding battle, it was much better than losing directly.
"Reclusive training? I think that Brother Junyue did not come because he is afraid?" At this moment, a loud voice resounded.
Everyone turned their heads in alarm and they looked at the person who said it. The person was sitting one level lower than Princess White Fox.
That seat was almost equivalent to Ran Xueyi and Donglin Yu, and it was considered a very noble seat.
Two people sat at the table, a man and a woman. The woman had a petite figure that looked like a child’s, while the man was youthful, muscular and stout. He wore red battle armor, and his voice sounded like the beat of a drum, with bold undertones.
The person who had openly mocked Xuan Junyue was this burly youth!
Empress Xuan frowned. With the status she enjoyed, how could she let a junior show her disrespect at this banquet?
However, before Empress Xuan spoke a word, Empress Luo had already opened her mouth and rebuked the person in question, "Luo Kui, I'm speaking with Empress Xuan, there's no reason for you to interject!"
Empress Luo's voice sounded harsh and she was faster than Empress Xuan. Her statement sounded like she was rebuking Luo Kui, but in fact, it was to shut Empress Xuan up.
Being rebuked wasn't the loss of a piece of meat after all. It might even be possible that Luo Kui had said that statement as a mouthpiece of Empress Luo.
As the host, she could not say certain things. There was no fault in letting a rash and reckless junior say such words, but it still managed to achieve the effect of smacking Empress Xuan in the face.
The young elites present immediately felt that the banquet was beginning to be filled with the smell of gunpowder.
Indeed, Empress Luo and Empress Xuan were arch-enemies. How was it possible for them to exist peacefully at a banquet?
However, Empress Xuan had been calculative, and deliberately prevented Xuan Junyue from attending to evade any adverse consequences.
Although this was a smart move, Empress Xuan had already practically lost to Empress Luo by a notch.
Yi Yun wiped his mouth and glanced at Luo Kui. His cultivation level was at the perfected Heaven Ascension realm.
He had a deep Yuan Qi foundation and a tremendous bloodline. His strength was unfathomable.
That was the evaluation Yi Yun gave him.
"The Xuan Junyue that was mentioned can't beat that big guy?" Yi Yun asked Luo Huo'er with a voice transmission.
Luo Huo'er grunted and said, "It's not certain that he can't beat him, but the number of people behind me and Mother are few in number. The best one is Xuan Junyue. However, Empress Luo has many more people on her side. The Luo Kui you see is just one of them. If we were really to go at odds, we will definitely lose out."
"I see." Yi Yun understood that as the saying goes, two fists had difficulty overcoming four hands. Having more people was always advantageous. Empress Xuan and Luo Huo'er's foundations were just too weak after all. "Are you telling me that Empress Luo will use this banquet to demonstrate a show of strength to us disciples who are joining the Luo Divine Hall trials, so that we will join her camp?"
"That's right. That witch sure did her calculations!"
"How would the competition work? We can't just fight here in the banquet, right?" Yi Yun was somewhat curious. There was not much space in the middle of the banquet hall, so if there was a fight, it would make the banquet hall a mess.
"Not necessarily. It might be a display of tricks in other aspects, showing the best of your skills, or whatever things that can add a bit of interest to the banquet. If it really came to blows, it would just be unbecoming. Why… don't tell me you want to compete with that big guy?" Luo Huo'er asked with a grin.
But Yi Yun shook his head, "I might not be able to beat that big guy."
The opponent was at the perfected Heaven Ascension realm, while Yi Yun had just entered the beginning stages of the Heaven Ascension realm. The Luo clan royal capital was filled with geniuses. Although Yi Yun was confident of himself, he was not certain that he could leapfrog such a vast difference in cultivation level and defeat a young elite from the cream of the crop of the Luo clan.
He did not know what tricks Luo Kui had at all.
The other side had come prepared, and if he did things on a whim, he would likely suffer if things came to blows.
"Hehehe, you are rather calm. Little Yun, I know you took first place at the Mt. Azure Billow trials. To have such an achievement, you must have encountered some interesting events in the lower realm, right? But compared to the geniuses in the royal capital, the Fire Cloud State and Phoenix Firmiana State don’t compare to much. Many of them are truly formidable! You are so many subrealms weaker than him, and you want to beat him? Difficult! And taking ten thousand steps back, even if you were to beat him, he has partners. Are you going to beat a dozen of them by yourself? Look at that petite girl. Her name is Luo Xiaodie, and she is also one who is not to be trifled with!"