Chapter 574: A Banquet of Peaches

Chapter 574: A Banquet of Peaches

Tonight marked the half-point of the Thunder Department's selection process.

It wasn't a long pause!

After five rounds of intense competition, the climax of the selection had arrived!

And so, it was the eve of a storm.

Under such a night sky, the vast Thunder Immortal Formation that blotted out the heavens seemed even more fierce. Blinding and booming flashes of lightning raced through the streets of the Divine Heaven Jade Purity Office of the Thunder Department.

Such ferocity even made the mood of the people more irritable and stern!

Surrounded by a lightning storm, Yun Xiao rode his Sovereign Sword, landing gracefully in front of the Grand Firmament Academy with two beauties in tow.

He was clad in shimmering platinum armor, his presence even more ethereal and valiant against the backdrop of the night.

Jiang Haiyan and Jiang Heqing, naturally delicate, matched the daughters of the Thunder Department's Immortals in both beauty and demeanor.

"How majestic."

Upon arrival, Yun Xiao looked ahead to see a towering and solemn edifice of the academy. His eyes caught sight of 99 giant thunder pillars, each entwined with lightning dragons, their serpentine bodies intertwined, forming the grand entrance of the Grand Firmament Academy.

"The Grand Firmament Academy, formally known as the Grand Primordial Violet Firmament Origin Thunder Academy..."

Yun Xiao noticed these words carved on one of the thunder pillars and thought to himself how much more imposing the full name sounded than the abbreviation.

In the Celestial Court, any notable entity or individual had a lengthy full name, such as the Supreme Everlasting Nine Heavens Sovereign Thunder Immortal Formation or the Nine Heavens Responding Origin Thunder Voice Universalizing Sovereign.

Even the Emperor of the Celestial Court supposedly had a title dozens of words long, which, if spoken aloud, would tie the tongue in knots.

Length signified loftiness, grandeur, sanctity, and authority!

As the Thunder Department's premier institution for nurturing the youth, the Grand Firmament Academy was a true noble institution of the Celestial Court.

Most high-ranking officials of the Thunder Department had studied at the Grand Firmament Academy!

"Neither of us ever had the chance to study here," Jiang Haiyan said upon arrival, her eyes filled with longing and a hint of regret.

Her father had finally been promoted to the core of the Thunder Department. But she was almost too old to attend this place.

Only Jiang Heqing was set to enter the Grand Firmament Academy after the selection, ready to build her future networks within the Thunder Department's bureaucratic circles.Cheêck out latest novels at novelhall.com

In plain terms, the academy was a microcosm of the Thunder Department's bureaucracy!

"Let's go."

The Grand Firmament Academy was indeed grand, but Yun Xiao showed little interest.

With a single glance, he strode directly towards the entrance of the Grand Firmament Academy.

Tonight was undoubtedly the liveliest moment for the Grand Firmament Academy; as Yun Xiao arrived, the gates were bustling with Immortals, mostly youths.

Some were attending the banquet, others were there to greet.

No matter how gifted the geniuses were, when they met Yun Xiao, they immediately lost the spotlight.

"Is that him?"

In just an instant, Yun Xiao drew nearly all eyes to himself.

His words caused some of the young Immortals by Bai Ling'er's side to look uneasy.

Bai Ling'er smiled as she took the invitation, telling Yun Xiao, "Please, come in."

Yun Xiao nodded, turned back to take each beauty by the hand, and boldly stepped into the Grand Firmament Academy!

He had humiliated Lightning Lord Bo Hong and dared to slay Mo Ruoyu; now he walked into the assembly as if it were nothing, a clear challenge to the prodigious talents of the academy!

At least to the young talents beside Bai Ling'er, it was a provocation.

"Sister!"

Beside Bai Ling'er, a young man stood—handsome and commanding, resembling Bai Ling'er closely, with an exceptional presence.

He turned back to watch Yun Xiao's departing figure, frowning slightly, "Just like that, he's let in?"

"What else?" Bai Ling'er responded.

"At the very least, the invitation says only one companion may accompany him, yet he brought two. He's blatantly disregarding the rules, showing no respect for the Grand Firmament Academy," Bai Zijun said coldly.

Bai Ling'er pursed her lips, shaking her head. "You don't understand; he's a special case. Even if he wanted to bring his entire family, we couldn't stop him."

Bai Zijun was initially startled, then quickly came around, laughing, "You're right as always."

Those around, though somewhat irked, understood the reasoning.

This Azure Sky Banquet was a veritable gauntlet for Yun Xiao. Since he dared to present himself, why block him?

Letting him in was the start of the spectacle.

"Merely isolating him completely will give him enough trouble," Bai Zijun remarked.

As soon as Yun Xiao entered, he found a seat and began with a pot of wine.

"Refreshing!" Yun Xiao drank down the pot of exquisite, unnamed celestial wine in one go, and let out a long sigh of relief.

After finishing his drink, he finally took the time to take in the Azure Sky Banquet and the Town of Sword Gate.

"Is this the legendary Banquet of Peaches?" Yun Xiao looked around to see a scene enveloped in celestial mist, with countless fine wines and dishes, celestial maidens dancing, and musicians playing... a grand spectacle of a heavenly palace!

The luxury here was many times that of the birthday celebration for Huyan Luo at the Primordial Ruins!

As soon as Yun Xiao entered, he was dazzled by the array. The jade table in front of him was laden with various celestial fruits and fine wines, high in spirit and essence.

The fruits were primarily peaches, including the kind that Lu Changfeng had gifted to that old guard Yan Song. There, such peaches were treasured. But here, they were just another fruit.

This Banquet of Peaches was indeed modeled after the famous Celestial Court's Empress Dowager's Peach Banquet.

It must be said, the high society of the Azure Sky Banquet truly opened Yun Xiao's eyes.

"Worthy of being a gathering of top celestial second-generations." Observing the scene, Yun Xiao was reminded of a saying. "Behind the gates of the rich, food and drink are plentiful while bones of the frozen dead litter the streets."

The chilling part was, the rich behind those gates were the cause of the dead littering the streets...

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