Singers, dancers, and musicians were summoned back into the Dragon Palace's main hall, and the Dragon-Transformation Banquet finally began to resemble an ordinary feast.
Elsewhere in the North Sea Dragon Palace, beyond the main hall, the atmosphere was naturally far less oppressive, though it still differed somewhat from a festive banquet in the mortal world.
No tables had been set along the roads within the Dragon Palace. Instead, besides the halls, banquet tables dotted the palace grounds wherever the scenery was particularly beautiful.
Apart from the large tables of certain sects, which had been placed close together, the rest had been arranged to suit their surroundings.
Banquet tables were scattered like stars across a chessboard throughout the Dragon Palace's Coral Garden, while others stood at intervals along the Glazed Corridor and among the pavilions by the dragon pools. The other palaces had been arranged much the same way.
Moreover, the Dragon Palace's protective restrictions had been fully repaired. Unlike the ocean currents outside, the water within was exquisitely gentle and so clean and fine that it seemed scarcely there at all. Only when moving about could one feel the slightest resistance, while every table laden with dishes had its own water-repelling method to keep the water out.
It was lively without being noisy, peaceful yet touched with merriment.
Many attending today's Dragon-Transformation Banquet had experienced the Dragon Ascension together. Such a grand occasion would be remembered for a lifetime, lending the gathering an added warmth and bringing fellow cultivators from all sides a little closer.
Many guests carried cups and wine pots rather than remaining at their own tables, seeking out friends to toast, offering greetings, or visiting those whose reputations they admired. Some could not resist discussing the Dao after exchanging just a few words, while even boasting and