Chapter 739 738: Provocation

Jiang Chen accepted the invitation and found that it was forged from a strange metal.

The invitation alone was comparable to a Profound-tier Profound Weapon. He couldn't help but marvel internally. 'These people from Zhongzhou really are extravagant!'

"Since they've invited us, we might as well go," Jiang Chen said with a smile, glancing at the tightly shut doors to Gai Shi's and the others' rooms. "Are they still in seclusion?"

"I already asked them. They all said they're remaining in seclusion and won't be going," Beitang Fengyun said.

Jiang Chen glanced at him.

'This Beitang Fengyun is quite a talent. He can save me a lot of trouble.'

With a faint smile, Jiang Chen said, "Then let's head out."

"I'll make the arrangements at once!"

Beitang Fengyun nodded respectfully.

Throughout the entire exchange, he never once lifted his head to look at Yiluo.

It wasn't because Yiluo lacked beauty.

Beitang Fengyun was doing this deliberately. Ever since witnessing the beating of Beitang Luo and his companion at the city gate, he had been completely won over by Jiang Chen. In his heart, there was room only for Jiang Chen and nothing else!

When Jiang Chen arrived outside the Seven-Star Tower, Beitang Fengyun already had a carriage waiting. Jiang Chen and Yiluo boarded it and set off toward the City Lord's Mansion.

The Genius Banquet was always held at the City Lord's Mansion.

This was the Coastal City Lord's way of showing his sincerity and attempting to recruit the various geniuses.

By the time Jiang Chen's party arrived at the City Lord's Mansion, many other carriages were already parked outside. People were coming and going, creating a lively, bustling scene.

"Please present your invitation!" The one guarding the gate was a Human King, and he looked at Jiang Chen's group respectfully.

Beitang Fengyun was just about to produce the invitation.

Suddenly, a figure shoved him aside. It was a weasel-faced youth who seemed completely unfazed by the fact he had just pushed Beitang Fengyun out of the way.

After handing an invitation to the Human King, he turned to the richly-dressed young man behind him with a sycophantic expression and said, "Young Master, after you!"

"Mm."

The richly-dressed young man strode forward.

As he passed Jiang Chen's group, he stopped short. His eyes blazed with desire as he stared intently at Yiluo. GULP. He audibly swallowed. "What a peerless beauty. This young master has been with countless women, yet I've never encountered such a stunner. She's truly a goddess from the heavens, not meant for the mortal realm!"

The weasel-faced youth at his side glanced around, a look of dawning comprehension on his face.

He planted his hands on his hips and glared at Jiang Chen. "Hey, you! My young master needs a date for the banquet. Hand over the beauty next to you. Here's one hundred million Upper-Grade Spirit Crystals. Now you can get lost!"

As he spoke, he tossed a Storage Ring that landed with a CLINK at Jiang Chen's feet.

Jiang Chen frowned, his expression turning cold as he narrowed his eyes.

The weasel-faced youth froze, then scowled. "What? Not enough? Fine, I'll add another hundred million..."

He took out another Storage Ring, preparing to toss it at Jiang Chen.

SMACK!

A crisp smack echoed through the air.

The youth was sent flying, his body spinning more than a dozen times before crashing to the ground with a THUD. Half of his face was already swelling up grotesquely. He stared at Jiang Chen in utter disbelief. "Y-y-you... you actually dared to hit me?"

The richly-robed young man's expression darkened.

A terrifying wave of True Essence erupted from him, bearing down on Jiang Chen like a mountain. He snarled, "Kid, do you have any idea who I am? How dare you hit my dog. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

As if he hadn't heard a thing, Jiang Chen turned to the Human King Powerhouse from the City Lord's Mansion. "Are these the rules here at the City Lord's Mansion? You invite us to a banquet, only to have us stand at the gate and listen to wild dogs bark?"

"What? You dare call me a dog?" the richly-robed young man roared, his face contorted with rage.

The nearby Human King Realm Powerhouse gave a wry smile.

He cleared his throat a few times and said, "Young Master Ximen Yu, this is the City Lord's Mansion. Please conduct yourself with dignity."

Ximen Yu froze, his eyes flashing as he glared at Jiang Chen. "Kid, you'd better be glad we're at the City Lord's Mansion. I'll spare your worthless life for now."

With a flick of his sleeve, Ximen Yu led the weasel-faced youth into the City Lord's Mansion.

The Human King Realm Powerhouse turned to Jiang Chen with a wry smile. "Young Master Jiang Chen, you should leave quickly. Don't attend the Genius Banquet!" He paused, then continued, "That was the second young master of the Ximen Clan. He's a Late-stage Emperor Realm Five Extremes Genius, and his older brother is a Late-stage Emperor Realm Six Extremes Genius. He will definitely not let this go!"

The Human King Realm Powerhouse was surprisingly kind-hearted to offer Jiang Chen a warning.

Jiang Chen just smiled. "It's fine."

With that, he led Yiluo and Beitang Fengyun into the City Lord's Mansion.

Along the way, Jiang Chen asked, "Beitang, tell me about the geniuses in Coastal City."

"Yes!"

Beitang Fengyun quickly explained, "The young geniuses of Coastal City can be divided into three tiers. The first tier consists of Young City Lord Sima Lingkong, Beitang Jian, Ximen Jinlian, Nangong Weiwo, and Dongfang Qinglong. They are all Six Extremes Geniuses. The second tier is comprised of geniuses at the Five Extremes level and above, led by people like Princess Luohua from the City Lord's Mansion and Ximen Yu. The third tier is made up of geniuses below the Five Extremes level..."

Jiang Chen was taken aback. "In a city as large as Coastal City, there's not a single person at the Unparalleled Genius Level?"

Beitang Fengyun gave a wry smile. "Master, there is an old saying in Zhongzhou: 'A Six Extremes appears in a decade, an Unparalleled in a century, a Generational in a millennium, and a Wudi in ten thousand years.' Unparalleled Geniuses are not so easily found."

"Fair enough..."

Jiang Chen shrugged, and the group soon arrived at a garden within the City Lord's Mansion.

This was the venue for tonight's Genius Banquet.

The moment Jiang Chen's party of three entered, they drew everyone's attention—though, naturally, the focus of most of those eyes was Yiluo.

With her devastating beauty, she was destined to be the center of attention no matter where she went.

Jiang Chen couldn't help but facepalm. 'Bringing Yiluo along really wasn't a wise decision,' he thought.

"Hm?"

Jiang Chen's senses suddenly flared. He felt a cold, malevolent gaze on him. Following the sensation, he spotted Ximen Yu in the crowd. The man's face was twisted with a venomous expression, like a viper about to strike.

'You'd best not come looking for trouble,' Jiang Chen snorted inwardly, turning his gaze to scan the surroundings...

In the garden was an artificial lake, and in the middle of the lake stood the Lake Heart Pavilion.

Five figures were faintly visible within the Lake Heart Pavilion—four men and a woman. However, the pavilion seemed to be shrouded by an Array, obscuring their faces from view.

Jiang Chen swept his Divine Thought over them.

The five seemed to sense it and glanced in his direction. Jiang Chen retracted his Divine Thought just in time to prevent them from pinpointing his location. 'Those five must be the five Six Extremes Geniuses of Coastal City,' he thought. 'They're all formidable masters.'

"Announcing the arrival of Princess Luohua!"

A stir immediately went through the crowd.

A graceful figure, surrounded by an entourage like the moon surrounded by stars, slowly approached. She soon entered the garden and took the seat at the head of the gathering. She was a young woman wearing a veil, her nimble eyes sweeping over the crowd as her ethereal voice rang out, "Welcome, everyone, to our City Lord's Mansion. I will be your host for this evening's Genius Banquet. I trust no one has any objections?"

"Of course not!"

"It would be an honor to have Princess Luohua as our host!"

"The honor is all ours!"

The crowd chorused in agreement.

However, just then, a discordant voice cut through the praise, coming from Ximen Yu. "Princess Luohua is our Coastal City's greatest beauty. To have Her Highness host the Genius Banquet is naturally for the best. It's just... earlier, this young master overheard someone say that Princess Luohua is so ugly she can't even compare to his handmaiden. Such a brazen person is truly detestable!"

As soon as he spoke, the garden fell deathly silent.

All eyes followed the direction Ximen Yu was pointing and landed on Jiang Chen's party...