Time passed quickly, and the day for the Dragon Terrace Sacred Banquet arrived soon.
In the center of the Supreme Qian Dao Arena, there are nine high platforms arranged like lotus petals, each rising from the ground and suspended above the sea of clouds.
Each platform was vast enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people, its surface paved with divine jade. Despite being high in the sky, there was no wind, and the surrounding scenery was magnificent.
The high platforms are connected by rainbow bridges, which are formed from pure Power of Principle and are colorful and dazzling.
Below the stage were concentric white jade platforms that radiated outwards, arranged in a staggered manner, each platform being wider than the one above.
These platforms were filled with cultivators from various powerful forces and Rogue Cultivator. The tables were laden with fine wines, delicacies, and spiritual fruits. The rich Spiritual Qi and the aroma of wine intertwined and permeated the entire training ground.
The most expansive platform in the clouds on the east side of the Supreme Qian Dao Arena is where the Sacred Court is located.
The high platform had no walls on any side, only a very faint cloud screen. Hundreds of jade tables were placed on the platform, with a tall table in the center. Its material was obviously different from the other tables. It was dark blue all over and had dragon patterns coiled around it. That was the seat of the Saint Emperor, which was empty at the moment.
Right next to this table, to the left, was a row of tables of equally extraordinary material; those were the seats for the core figures of the Sacred Court.
Further down are the seats for representatives of the various halls of the Sacred Court. The closer to the center, the more precious the ingredients and spirit wine at the seats; the further out, the less precious they are.
The Ying Household were seated at a table not far from the center, a very good location.
The young Ying Household looked at the table laden with spiritual fruits and fine wine and couldn't help but sigh in admiration of the Sacred Court's generosity this time.
One of the elders snorted, his tone carrying a hint of disapproval:
"What's this? Back when the Ying Household were at their peak, the spectacle was far greater. The Sacred Court was at its zenith then, the Saint Emperor traveled, and all the saints came to pay homage. It was nothing like this..."
He was halfway through his sentence when Ying Jiutian glanced at him, so he wisely shut his mouth.
In fact, he had not experienced it himself; he had only read about it in some clan records.
Ying Jiutian ignored the elder's complaints, picked up a 100,000-year-old Purple Marrow Immortal Peach peach from the table, handed it to Ying Yuan beside him, and said gently:
"This fruit will be helpful to you, eat it."
Ying Yuan took the peach, silently took a bite, and the flesh melted in his mouth, turning into a warm purple qi that flowed into his meridians. He quickly closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
Just then, a low murmur arose from the crowd.
Ying Yuan opened his eyes and looked in the direction everyone was looking. He saw several figures walking slowly towards the entrance of the dojo.
The person in the lead, dressed in white, walked at a measured pace, his face calm and composed; it was none other than Han Xuanji.
A fluffy white tiger cub followed at his feet, and Mo Chenxiao and Leng Qianshuang were also by his side.
The atmosphere there changed instantly.
Countless gazes were cast upon that figure, some with amazement, some with apprehension, some with curiosity, but most with envy.
Han Xuanji's name has now spread throughout most of the Eternal Continent. The news of his defeat of Ying Yuan and his ascent to the top of the Sacred Court's Heaven's Chosen Ranking has long been the hottest topic among this generation of cultivators.
Almost everyone present recognized him.
Han Xuanji's gaze inadvertently swept towards the direction of Ying Household Jia's desk, and happened to meet Ying Yuan's eyes.
The two stared at each other for a moment, neither speaking, but they both read the same meaning in each other's eyes.
Han Xuanji's heart stirred slightly. He could sense that Ying Yuan's aura was more profound and powerful than during the selection battle. Clearly, he hadn't been idle these past few days and his strength had improved by another level.
Ying Yuan looked at Han Xuanji with eyes that showed no anxiety or resentment, but rather a sharpness that was calm to the extreme—the kind of look only someone who truly wanted to win would have.
Han Xuanji withdrew his gaze, everything understood without a word.
He didn't pay much attention to the stares from those around him.
Most people envied him, after all, in this momentous occasion, the entire Sacred Court's attention was focused on him.
However, Han Xuanji was also well aware that the more glorious the success, the more severe the backlash would be if the final results were poor.
He stopped thinking about it and followed Mo Chenxiao and Leng Qianshuang to a table very close to the center and sat down.
As the Sacred Court's number one prodigy and the number one seed at the Dragon Terrace Sacred Banquet, the Sacred Court naturally arranged a very prestigious seat for him.
The items on the table were also different from those on others: a large pot of spiritual wine, four plates of spiritual fruits of different colors, and several dishes of exquisitely crafted spiritual food, exuding Spiritual Qi energy.
Leng Qianshuang picked up a blue fruit from the plate, examined it carefully for a moment, and a rare look of surprise appeared on her face:
"Is this the Thousand-Autumn Snow Lotus Fruit? And its quality is top-notch."
She recognized the item; it was a specialty of a Desolate Domain, extremely rare, and even Sage like herself would find it a rare and precious heavenly materials and earthly treasures, greatly beneficial to her cultivation after consumption.
Mo Chenxiao glanced at it and said:
"Don't make a fuss over nothing."
After all, he was once the number one prodigy of the Sacred Court, so Leng Qianshuang did not refute him.
However, after Mo Chenxiao finished speaking, he secretly complained to himself: when he attended the Dragon Terrace Sacred Banquet back then, he also sat in a good seat, but the food was much worse than this.
They're both top talents, so why is there such a huge difference in their treatment?
However, he quickly realized that since the Sacred Court was the Dao Master this time, it would naturally make better arrangements for its own people.
Moreover, it seems to have been prepared specifically for Han Xuanji and his group, to showcase the grandeur of the Sacred Court.
"It's definitely a good product."
Mo Chenxiao said solemnly, "This fruit will be of great benefit to you; these old fogies in the Sacred Court are quite willing to part with it."
Han Xuanji glanced at the Thousand-Autumn Snow Lotus Fruit and said to Leng Qianshuang:
"Senior sister, please take it quickly; this is of no use to me."
He spoke casually, not to boast, but because among the rare and heavenly materials and earthly treasures he consumed were many things even more valuable than this.
The spiritual fruits placed in front of him were also of extraordinary quality, and should be treasures of the same level.
"As expected of the Sacred Court."
Han Xuanji sighed inwardly; these things that would make countless cultivators fight tooth and nail to get their hands on in the outside world were readily available here.
The items on the other tables, though not as impressive as those on their table, were by no means ordinary.
Little White lay at Han Xuanji's feet, its eyes shining, drooling as it stared at the spiritual fruits on the table.
It never expected that even a spirit pet like itself could get a share, and the Sacred Court had even placed a spirit fruit of excellent quality in the spirit beast food bowl it had prepared for it. It was so happy that its tail wagged up, and then it swallowed the spirit fruit in one gulp, its eyes squinting with satisfaction.
After eating all of this, it felt that it might soon step into the realm of Eternal True God.
When we get back, we must perform a miracle in front of everyone.
At the same time, Han Xuanji casually picked up a spiritual fruit and ate it. The energy contained in this spiritual fruit was extremely large, but with his current abilities, it was not difficult for him to digest it.
His gaze swept over the high platform of the Sacred Court and down to the white jade platform below.
Those platforms also gathered a lot of people, all of whom were cultivators from first-rate forces, as well as some Rogue Cultivator cultivators at the Holy Lord level, scattered in twos and threes in various places.
The number of tables on the platform below is limited, and people often have to secretly compete to sit on them.
Wherever there are people, there is a social hierarchy. Apart from a few top-tier forces, many positions must be fought for.
Of course, they couldn't directly engage in a full-blown fight, but their divine thoughts clashed and their auras interacted, rising and falling in secret.
It wasn't entirely for those heavenly materials and earthly treasures; it was more about saving face.
In an occasion like the Dragon Terrace Sacred Banquet, simply being able to sit there is a symbol of status.