Yun Huang glanced at him, his tone indifferent. "Don't you love gossip? Ask those surviving Mu Clan disciples yourself."
Every gaze in the hall turned toward him.
Jiang Shouzhuo chuckled. "Rest assured, Your Majesty. Leave it to this old man."
Yun Huang withdrew his gaze and looked down at the soft little cat in his arms, his fingertips idly stroking its fur. A trace of languid weariness even entered his voice, as though all the mighty Immortal Venerables in the hall and the mystery of the Southern Sea's blood sea mattered less than this cat.
"Enough. You've given us our welcome."
He rose and looked down upon the Zhou Emperor from above. "Since there's nothing else, let this banquet end."
The Zhou Emperor drew a deep breath and led his officials in a deep bow, raising his clasped hands above his head. "We respectfully bid farewell to the Immortal Emperor."
Everyone snapped out of their daze, rising one after another to voice their assent in unison.
Their voices echoed through the great hall, laden with unconcealable fear and reverence.
Yun Huang paid no further attention to anyone and rose with Qing Kitty in his arms. Yun Qing smiled faintly, returned the assembled venerables' courtesies, and followed with his hands behind his back.
The rest of the Yun Clan also rose and left the banquet, disappearing from everyone's sight step by unhurried step.
The Immortal Emperor's retreating figure weighed upon every heart like an insurmountable primordial divine mountain.
Only after the Yun Clan's auras had faded completely into the distance did that suffocating pressure slowly dissipate. Almost as one, the Immortal Venerables in the hall exhaled stale breaths. Some secretly patted their trembling hearts while grumbling to old friends; others lifted their wine cups and gulped down a mouthful, suppressing the