Apotheosis

As the third prince of the Burning Sky Palace, Ray held a grand banquet today to entertain guests, and everyone who showed up was known for their fame and prestige.

As soon as Zen stepped into the grand hall, he immediately sensed several people with powerful life vitality, who, as far as he could tell, were masters of the Illuminating Soul Realm.

"Offer Zen a seat!" the third prince immediately commanded after he and Zen entered the hall.

Instantly, six or seven maids showed up, walking briskly with small steps. And then a square table with fresh fruits and a variety of meats and a chair were placed in front of Zen.

Since Ray promised to bring Aura to his banquet, Zen sat down and waited patiently. As for the prince, if he was truly determined to win Zen's support, the warrior decided he would handle the matter carefully.

He didn't quite expect Ray to act so quickly. As soon as he sat down, Ray walked back to his seat and raised his jade cup with a smile and said aloud, "Zen, you won first place in the Cloud Sect's All Peaks Competition, and I've always wanted to see you since then. But you were not in Cloud Sect during the past few days. Thus, I never got the chance to meet you. Today, you have come to my humble palace, and I am deeply honored. So, I'd like to propose a toast for you. I will drink first to show my respect for you!"

The majority of Ray's banquet guests heard the prince's respectful words, but many could not hide their skepticism. These people were not from the Cloud Sect. Instead, a number of them came from the top noble clans and were strong enough. Also, some were even at the level of Illuminating Soul Realm. However, the prince had never honored anyone in pu

ss, while he may be your guest, he does not have the right to be rude!" one of them argued.

"Yes, I agree with you! If indeed he is that strong, we'll say nothing and let this go. But I'm afraid that while outwardly he may be strong, inside, he is weak and is merely pretending to be a powerful man," another guest added.

The nearly violent rebuke continued until a man in white stood up from the table and said to Ray with his fists cupped to show respect, "Your Highness, since everyone is in high spirits, I would like to compete against Zen to bring some entertainment for the guests, as well as learn from him!"

"That would be nice! After listening to the opera and watching beautiful ladies dancing, we feel quite bored to have drinks only. A martial arts competition would add a lot of fun to drinking!"

The guest who spoke was thrilled at the prospect of the competition to stir things up in the banquet.

Nodding, Ray said, "Since everyone is so excited and looking forward to having fun, I don't want to be the bad guy who spoils everyone's expectations. So Zen, what do you think of the proposal for a competition?"