A Feast at the Water Palace, Trouble Out of Nowhere

The feast was lavish, with every delicacy from land and sea.

Jiang Sheng glanced over the spread and spotted dozens of kinds of spirit birds and beasts. None were from the Lower Three Realms; anything served at this feast possessed at least the strength of the Golden Core Realm. Outside, each would be worth a fortune. They were generally raised as mounts, and few people could bear to eat them.

Yet here, they were merely food for the guests.

For a great demon king in the Void Refinement Realm, satisfying his appetite was simplicity itself.

Jiang Sheng had never cared much for wine or meat. When traveling, he rarely even ate spirit plants or fruits, content to drink tea.

Underworld Lord Shaobai had no such reservations. He picked up a morsel of beast meat here, took a spirit fruit there, and ate with carefree gusto. At a glance from him, the lovely Clam Maiden standing beside him brought wine to his lips.

Seeing Shaobai act so much like one of his own delighted Azure Flood Dragon.

Then he looked at Jiang Sheng. No maidservant, no wine or sumptuous food—just quiet sips of tea. It left Azure Flood Dragon rather displeased.

But someone Underworld Lord Shaobai had brought could hardly be ordinary. Besides, Azure Flood Dragon had the nagging feeling he had heard the name Lingyuan somewhere before. He suppressed his displeasure and continued drinking with Shaobai.

"Wine and meat alone won't do. Come, dance for my honored guests!"

At Azure Flood Dragon's command, a troupe of Merfolk dancers soon strolled in. Dressed in thin red garments adorned with bells and chain bracelets, they danced gracefully through the hall.

Their dancing was superb, clearly the product of dedicated training. Every smile and frown, every gesture and movement must have been practiced