Brilliant lights, sumptuous food, and high-end drinks—all these elements combined to create the most luxurious banquet on the continent, and Wu Ling, dressed in formal attire, was undoubtedly the star of the evening.
After declining another woman's invitation to dance, Wu Ling, feeling somewhat bored, took a glass of wine and went to the balcony.
Gazing at the bright moonlight, Wu Ling murmured to himself, "No matter what, as a semi-homebody from my past life, I'm still not used to these kinds of banquets. And according to the usual plot development, shouldn't the female lead appear now?"
As soon as Wu Ling finished speaking, a voice rang out behind him, "Brother Wu Ling, it's been several years since we last met. Not only have you become Holy Son, but your strength has also become increasingly unfathomable."
Hearing that clear, pleasant tone, Wu Ling knew who it was without even turning around.
"Haha, Brother Xue, how have you been? No, I should call you Your Highness now." As he spoke, Wu Ling smiled and raised his cup to Xue Qinghe, who had come to his side.
Xue Qinghe politely raised his glass in return, then leaned on the railing and stood beside Wu Ling.
"Drinking alone under the moon, Brother Wu Ling, what a beautiful scene!"
Add to that his handsome appearance, formidable strength, and mysterious creative abilities, and it's no wonder that the Pope's second disciple, the Poison Douluo's granddaughter, and several other young ladies all wanted to invite Brother Wu Ling to dance. If I were a girl, I would definitely be completely captivated by him too."
Hearing Xue Qinghe's teasing, Wu Ling felt a faint pang of jealousy.
" Brother Xue is too kind. They're just some acquaintances."
Hearing Wu Ling offer such a rare explanation, Xue Qinghe's smile grew even brighter.
The two chatted for a while, but as time went on, in order not to give outsiders the impression that they were particularly familiar with each other, Xue Qinghe decided to stop while he was ahead, and after finishing the last bit of wine, he used this as an excuse to leave Wu Ling's side.
Of course, his reason wasn't meant for Wu Ling, but rather for people like Ning Fengzhi.
His current status as crown prince is quite sensitive, as evidenced by the fact that many young ladies at the banquet dared to invite Wu Ling to dance but dared not invite Xue Qinghe.
Although Xue Qinghe, the crown prince, and Wu Ling, the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, are roughly equal in status, in the eyes of most people, the Spirit Hall is still just an organization, while the Heaven Dou Empire is a real power.
So there's nothing wrong with dancing with Wu Ling, because admiring the strong is Spirit Master's nature.
However, if a woman dances with Xue Qinghe, she will be labeled as belonging to the Heaven Dou Empire.
This may also be a problem of the conservative mindset on this continent. Although such matters are not discussed openly, in some people's minds, mentioning that person might lead them to speculate about her relationship with the Heaven Dou Empire.
And this kind of thing happens to men as well.
For example, something like, "Why do you always stay by the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire's side? What, you think the Crown Prince is a good person? Hmph, you're just after his status, you're despicable!"
Of course, someone like Ning Fengzhi, the Crown Prince's tutor, with such an open relationship, can stay as long as he wants.
And he had indeed been keeping an eye on the balcony, but his focus wasn't on Xue Qinghe, but on Wu Ling, who was still standing there.
"Your Highness, you seem to have a good relationship with His Highness the Holy Son," Ning Fengzhi asked Xue Qinghe, who had returned to his seat.
Xue Qinghe immediately realized what was going on, and a hint of admiration appeared on his face. "I hit it off with His Highness the Holy Son at first sight, which is also related to the fact that we have known each other for several years."
However, although I was optimistic about him at first, his rapid growth in strength really surprised me.
Ning Fengzhi had no doubts. After all, the person in front of him was the Crown Prince he had been teaching for several years, so he trusted him completely. After asking about Wu Ling's habits and hobbies, Ning Fengzhi also took a cup of wine and walked over.
" Your His Highness the Holy Son, you possess such strength at such a young age; it truly broadens Feng Zhi's horizons."
Ning Fengzhi was very clever. He did not approach Wu Ling as an elder, but instead placed Wu Ling in the position of his peer, speaking to her with a tone of calm but with a hint of respect.
The fact that he could defeat Soul Ancestor or even Soul King without using his Martial Soul truly commanded his respect.
After exchanging a few words, Ning Fengzhi suddenly asked, "If I may be so bold as to ask, what is His Highness the Holy Son's current age and Soul Power Level? Of course, if His Highness the Holy Son is not comfortable saying, then please just pretend I didn't ask anything."
Generally speaking, it's extremely impolite for one person to ask another about their Soul Power Level when they've only known each other for a short time; it could even lead to a breakup. Ning Fengzhi was well aware of this, but Xue Qinghe had told him about the personality of Wu Ling, and considering their recent conversation, he decided to test the waters on the spot. If he succeeded, great; if he failed, it wouldn't matter, since the two of them didn't have any feelings for each other to begin with. He could simply use something to build rapport later, and that would be the end of it.
Wu Ling's eyes remained fixed on the star-studded night sky. Upon hearing Ning Fengzhi's question, she casually replied, "Fifteen years old, Soul Power Level fifty-six."
Upon hearing such an astonishing combination, even Ning Fengzhi, who had anticipated it, still had a slight contraction in his pupils, but quickly recovered.
"With the Soul King realm and that level of skill, this Holy Son is probably invincible below the Soul Saint." After mentally assessing Wu Ling's strength, he continued to bring up the topic.
Five minutes later, the main event began. " His Highness the Holy Son's Spirit Tool has truly amazed the entire continent, especially us support-type Spirit Master. Its impact on us is of paramount importance. For this alone, on behalf of all support-type Spirit Master, please accept my bow!"
As he spoke, Ning Fengzhi bowed to Wu Ling. Some people at the banquet who were looking towards the balcony saw Ning Fengzhi bow to the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall and, while surprised, began to speculate about what the two were talking about.
Wu Ling simply watched Ning Fengzhi bowing there, neither agreeing nor refusing.
" Sect Master Ning, we are, after all, the leaders of a sect. Don't be so hypocritical. Just say what you want to say. I believe in equal exchange. If your offer can move me, I'm willing to agree."
Hearing Wu Ling's words, Ning Fengzhi straightened up without any embarrassment. His smile was so bright that it was as if he hadn't just bowed. But in reality, he was cursing inwardly.
"Just as Qinghe said, this Wu Ling is a pure martial artist and Spirit Master who cares little about etiquette and manners. Not to mention him, this is the first time I've been helped up without being stopped."
Ning Fengzhi quickly composed himself and said in a sincere tone, " Your His Highness the Holy Son, to celebrate the enhancement of support-type Spirit Master with your help, I sincerely invite you to our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect so that I can properly entertain you."
To be honest, I'm not very good at writing slice-of-life stories like banquets, and some readers have said that these chapters are a bit padded, so I won't go into too much detail. I'll just get through these chapters quickly.