Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts-Chapter 404 - Her Majesty Keeps Looking Over Here.

The Dragon Palace of the Four Seas Grand Ceremony.

Under the gaze of all present, the Dragon Empress took step after step toward the front.

Everyone’s eyes followed her as she moved.

As the Dragon Empress passed by Zhu Cici’s seat, an indescribable feeling arose in Zhu Cici’s heart as she looked at the ancient Dragon Empress before her.

It wasn’t as if Zhu Cici had never seen an emperor before.

On the contrary, she had encountered many emperors, and she even had special permission from the Qi Kingdom’s ruler to visit the palace whenever she wished.

As a child, she had often tugged at the emperor’s beard.

She had seen emperors in joy and fury and had experienced the overwhelming presence of a sovereign’s might.

But when the Dragon Empress walked past her, Zhu Cici felt that her imperial aura was entirely different from any ruler she had ever met.

Her authority was restrained, as if compressed into a single pearl—yet it was so intense that it inevitably overflowed.

Perhaps because she was a woman, Zhu Cici also sensed a softness within that majestic presence.

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It was an intertwining of gentleness and authority, yet her eyes held a profound loneliness.

It was as if this woman had walked through countless nights alone, quietly waiting for the dawn.

For some reason, Zhu Cici felt a surge of pity for her. She wanted to draw closer, yet the queen’s imperial presence made her hesitate.

There was something inexplicably compelling about her—almost as if, with just one word, she could make Zhu Cici willing to charge through fire and water for her.

Unlike Zhu Cici’s complex emotions, Ao Yin’er’s reaction was far simpler.

This was her first time seeing the Dragon Empress of the North Sea.

Strictly speaking, the Dragon Empress was her grand-aunt.

Ao Yin’er had heard countless stories about this grand-aunt’s reputation and had always wanted to meet her.

But even for grand events among the Four Seas, including the Great Gathering of the Four Seas, this grand-aunt had never attended in person. It was always her ministers who represented the North Sea.

Now that she had finally seen her in person, Ao Yin’er’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

She had always been confident in her own beauty, but standing before her grand-aunt, she felt she paled in comparison—especially when it came to temperament.

For a moment, she wondered—if she were the ruler of the North Sea, would she be able to carry herself with such grace?

The answer was clear—she would not.

Ao Yin’er thought to herself, If I were a man, I would probably have fallen in love with her at first sight.

“Who could possibly be lucky enough to have won Grand-Aunt’s favor?”

A thought suddenly surfaced in Ao Yin’er’s mind—the old rumor.

When her grand-aunt was young, she had once met a man from the land, and she had fallen in love with him.

Ao Yin’er grew more and more puzzled.

A woman like her grand-aunt—what kind of extraordinary man could she have loved?

Logically speaking, such a man should have been famous across the world.

Yet Ao Yin’er had never even heard of him.

Not even his name.

It was as if he had been a nameless nobody.

And yet, after his death, her grand-aunt had never let him go.

Instead, she had spent ten thousand years searching for him.

Even now, she had not given up.

As she walked, the Dragon Empress slowly turned her head—her gaze falling upon Xu Ming.

Xu Ming, Ao Jin, and the others immediately averted their eyes, lowering their heads and clasping their hands in respect.

The Dragon Empress’s gaze lingered on Xu Ming for half a breath before she turned away and continued up the steps.

Zhu Cici stole a glance at Xu Ming.

Just now, when the Dragon Empress looked at him, her expression seemed... unusual.

The Dragon Empress ascended to the highest point of the platform.

At the very top, there was a jade table, identical to those of the other guests, with a luminous goblet placed upon it.

She turned to face the crowd.

The Dragon Empress did not open her mouth, yet her voice echoed across the entire square:

“For this Four Seas Grand Ceremony, your presence is the great fortune of the North Sea. On behalf of the North Sea, I extend my gratitude to all of you for attending.”

“Your Majesty is too kind. To receive Your Majesty’s invitation is our honor.”

Everyone responded in unison with the customary courtesies.

The Dragon Empress nodded slightly and extended her hand. “Please, take your seats.”

“Your Majesty, please be seated first.”

After the Dragon Empress took her seat, she once again gestured. “Please, be seated.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Only after completing this ceremonial exchange did everyone finally sit down.

To be honest, the whole process felt a little silly—like a formalized “You sit first.” “No, you sit first.” routine. But at least the ritual wasn’t overly complicated.

Seated high on the platform, the Dragon Empress didn’t need to do anything—her mere presence alone was enough to command the entire gathering. Many guests couldn’t resist glancing in her direction, hoping to steal a few more looks.

“This Four Seas Grand Ceremony is a grand occasion for us all. I hope everyone will drink to their heart’s content and celebrate this great event together!”

Once again, she spoke words of courtesy.

Everyone raised their cups in response. “Many thanks, Your Majesty!”

Soon, the dancers entered the hall.

These dancers were kept within the palace and only performed during banquets.

The North Sea’s palace dancers were breathtakingly beautiful, with graceful figures. Most of them were mermaids, clam maidens, or members of the lesser dragon clans.

Xu Ming wasn’t particularly interested in dance, but even he—someone who didn’t know how to appreciate such performances—could tell that these women danced exceptionally well.

Compared to the internet celebrities and amateur dancers from his past life on Blue Star, the difference was like heaven and earth.

As the North Sea’s women danced gracefully, palace maids carried out the dishes in an orderly manner. They approached, knelt slightly, bowed their heads, and then lowered themselves to place the dishes onto each guest’s jade table with fluid, elegant movements.

The banquet continued, and soon, people were drinking and chatting merrily.

If nothing unexpected happened, the feast would last until the next morning.

Which meant that he would be sitting here, eating, drinking, and watching women dance—until dawn.

Just as Xu Ming was thinking about changing his sitting posture, he felt someone tugging at his sleeve.

“Xu Ming, Xu Ming...”

He turned his head. “What is it?”

Ao Yin’er subtly nudged him, her gaze flickering toward the high platform. “Don’t you think Her Majesty keeps looking over here?”