Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 746: Banquet

Meng Jingzhou rubbed his forehead, his tone full of helplessness. “Do you have a larger map? One that perhaps marks locations like the Xuanwu (Black Tortoise) Tribe or the Kunpeng Tribe?”

The steward was startled by Meng Jingzhou’s words. “The Xuanwu Tribe and the Kunpeng Tribe are legendary races! The sea areas they inhabit are forbidden zones for living beings; humans cannot get close. How could we possibly know their locations?”

Meng Jingzhou recalled the Kunpeng Tribe elder who had visited his home during the New Year. The elder seemed quite genial and had even given him lucky yasui money.[1]

Meng Jingzhou was somewhat regretful. The old horse dropped us off too early; he should have at least gone deeper into the East Sea to find a place with Nascent Soul cultivators. This damned place doesn’t even have a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

“Where can we find a Nascent Soul cultivator to ask for directions...” Lu Yang pondered. He suddenly had a flash of insight, realizing he had cornered himself into a dead end.

“We’re worried about being attacked by sea tribes while flying over the sea, which is why we wanted to buy a map and find a safe route.

“But why do we need to find a safe route? We can just fly east and brute-force our way through. After all, the sea tribes around here don’t even have Foundation Establishment cultivators. By the time they react, we’d already be gone.”

Meng Jingzhou saw the light. “Exactly! If we keep flying east, we’re bound to run into Nascent Soul cultivators or seafolk eventually.”

The steward listened to the five’s discussion with trepidation. Could these five be legendary Nascent Soul old monsters?

It’s hard to see a Nascent Soul old monster in a decade, so how had five suddenly popped out today?

The five paid no attention to the steward’s reaction. Having settled on a plan, they immediately soared into the air and prepared to cross the sea.

Lu Yang took out the Qingfeng Sword and skimmed close to the sea’s surface, sending huge sprays of water splashing from both sides. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Meng Jingzhou ran swiftly across the sea surface. As a physique cultivator, he could run faster than flying.

Man Gu took out his hammer and unscrewed the head, leaving only the handle. The handle had small holes and could be used as a jade flute. As a Confucian cultivator, he couldn’t run on the sea surface like Meng Jingzhou; it was unbecoming of a Confucian cultivator’s status.

Tao Yaoye opened her red paper umbrella, and Li Haoran took out a precious gourd he had personally refined.

Displaying their mighty abilities, the five flew toward the depths of the sea, leaving the dumbstruck steward behind.

Just as Lu Yang had predicted, in the presence of five Nascent Soul old monsters, the edges of the East Sea had no dangerous zones.

If anything was dangerous, the five of them would be the greatest danger.

Those seafolk at the Level Nine Qi Training, Foundation Establishment, or even Golden Core stages trembled beneath the sea surface as they watched the five speed fast, fearing they might suddenly stop and pick a fight with them.

Even if a tribe had a Nascent Soul seafolk presiding, they didn’t dare to act rashly in the face of five Nascent Soul cultivators and simply let them fly overhead.

“The periphery of the East Sea is massive. We’ve flown for so long without a single Nascent Soul seafolk coming out to pick a fight with us.”

Lu Yang calculated that they had been flying for three days without even seeing a shadow of a sea tribe.

What the five didn’t know was that when they flew at high speeds, the aura they radiated demonstrated power far exceeding the Nascent Soul Stage. Never mind the Nascent Soul Stage, even those at the Divine Transfiguration Stage were unwilling to confront them head-on. As for the Void Refinement seafolk, they also didn’t dare to show themselves due to their fluctuating cultivation levels.

“Look, there are people over there!” Tao Yaoye exclaimed. It was a small group of people flying through the air like them.

“Let’s go ask them.” Lu Yang veered his Qingfeng Sword toward their direction and approached them. “Greetings, fellow Daoists. May I ask where you are headed?”

The three were amused. “We’re naturally on our way to attend a banquet. Is that not the case for you, fellow Daoists?”

“Banquet?”

“Yes, a banquet hosted by a Fusion old ancestor from a sea tribe. He has widely extended invitations to nearby factions. Anyone at the Nascent Soul Stage or above can attend, regardless of status. If you have the time, you can come along, fellow Daoists.”

“I can go too?” Lu Yang’s interest was piqued. The people before him were only at the Nascent Soul Stage. A banquet hosted by a Fusion old ancestor would surely have many powerful cultivators attending. They could seize this opportunity to find a more detailed map. Judging by this Fusion old ancestor’s magnanimity, he doesn’t appear to be the snobbish type.

This is also a chance to get to know East Sea cultivators.

“Of course. It’s said that old ancestor enjoys a lively atmosphere. As long as one’s cultivation is sufficient, they can attend even without an invitation.”

Lu Yang was elated. There’s such a good thing? “Wait a moment, I’ll call my companions to come along.” He immediately flew back and explained the situation.

“I’ve long heard that the East Sea frequently holds banquets. It’s a unique local trait; we must go.” Meng Jingzhou loved lively places the most and was the first to respond.

Tao Yaoye and the other two also agreed to go to the banquet.

On their way to the banquet, through their conversation, Lu Yang learned that the three were rogue cultivators who occupied an island and called themselves the Fangshan Island Three Heroes.

Lu Yang and the other four said they were from the Five-Elements Sect, which drew repeated exclamations of surprise from the Fangshan Island Three Heroes.

“By the way, I heard there’s a genius in Great Xia named Lu Yang. Do you know him?” they asked.

Lu Yang nodded steadily, ignoring the strange looks from Meng Jingzhou and the other three. “I don’t just know him; I’ve exchanged blows with him. He’s a formidable opponent. Moreover, he has an extremely high prestige in the Dao-Seeking Sect and is a humble person. I heard the Dao-Seeking Sect Leader intended for him to succeed as sect leader, but he refused.”

The Fangshan Island Three Heroes sighed with admiration again, feeling that the genius named Lu Yang was truly remarkable and in a different league from them.

As they approached the banquet venue, they began to see many seafolk and human cultivators in the surroundings.

The eight of them dove into the sea. The Water-Repelling Pearls allowed Lu Yang’s group to move freely underwater without any restrictions on their movement or breathing.

The seabed was covered with coral clusters of various shapes, resembling underwater palaces. Between them, schools of brightly colored fish darted and swam, as magnificent as a rainbow.

As they descended deeper, the light didn’t dim but instead grew brighter.

This wasn’t sunlight penetrating the sea, but rather a majestic and resplendent palace on the seabed that refracted countless light rays, complementing the surrounding underwater scenery to create an unimaginably beautiful sight. Around the palace, pearl oysters and luminous pearls were embedded, shining brilliantly and illuminating the surrounding waters.

Sea tribes of manifold shapes and sizes swam past the eight. This time, Lu Yang and the others finally recognized their origins: The Luoyu[2] Tribe, the Mirage-Clam Tribe, the Yaksha Tribe, the Giant Softshell Turtle[3]...

After confirming their cultivation levels, the eight entered the palace smoothly.

There were a number of Divine Transfiguration and Void Refinement cultivators attending the banquet. As Nascent Soul cultivators, Lu Yang and the others naturally sat at the very back.

With the banquet about to begin, an assortment of spirit fruits and fine wines was laid out on the table. Enhanced by arrays, the fruits didn’t float away, and the wine didn’t mix with the seawater.

“Red Sun Fruit, Energy-Boosting Fruit... This old ancestor is quite generous.” Meng Jingzhou chuckled. These fruits meant nothing to him, but for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, they were highly nourishing.

Surveying their surroundings, they saw a lavish display of rows upon rows of tables laden with countless spirit fruits.

Lu Yang overheard someone nearby whispering. “I heard that old ancestor was in Great Xia all this time. He only returned three days ago when his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.”

“Great Xia is truly a land of fortuitous opportunities. If it weren’t for their strict governance, I’d really like to go there and carve out a path for myself.”

“You don’t say! I also heard that old ancestor and the Meng Family’s head are sworn brothers. He can even enter and leave immortal sects at will.”

“I wonder if this old ancestor will stay here or return to Great Xia to continue cultivating.”

Lu Yang, “...”

Why does this old ancestor’s experience sound so familiar?

Before Lu Yang could inquire further, the sound of gongs and drums interrupted him, announcing the start of the banquet. A familiar figure appeared at the front of the banquet hall.

A stark contrast from his usual appearance, the old horse had a young mare on each side. The young mares looked shy, their cheeks flushed. The old horse occasionally teased the two mares, making them even more abashed.

With a hearty laughter, the old horse raised a wine cup high, appearing to be in a great mood. “This banquet is to celebrate my return from Great Xia. Everyone, feel free to relax and enjoy yourselves.”

“Old Ancestor, please share with us your experiences in Great Xia,” a planted shill requested loudly.

The old horse didn’t refuse and began narrating, with a hint of boasting. “My trip to Great Xia was immensely rewarding. Having lived in immortal sects for a long time, I encountered countless opportunities and met numerous Transcendent Tribulation cultivators. Even when I didn’t want to see those Transcendent Tribulation cultivators, they would rush over, and I couldn’t stop them at all.”

“Old Ancestor, then you must have seen Transcendent Tribulation cultivators in action, right?” the shill continued loudly, looking at the old horse in admiration.

“Battles between Transcendent Tribulation cultivators are nothing. This old ancestor has even seen half-immortals fight. It was truly an eye-opener, a scene one couldn’t imagine in a lifetime without witnessing it in person.

“Come come come, let’s drink!” The old horse raised his cup and downed it in one go.

“To the Old Ancestor!” the crowd below chorused in unison, also finishing their cups.

The old horse was in high spirits. He stepped down from the platform and clinked cups with cultivators one by one, drinking cup after cup until he was thoroughly drunk.

The cultivators were overwhelmed by the honor.

The old horse drank his way from the very front of the banquet to the very back.

“Come, drink!”

The old horse raised his cups and looked up, making eye contact with Lu Yang.

“...”

They gazed at each other in silence.

1. This is money given to children by elders during the Chinese New Year. They are often packed in red envelopes, which is why you may have seen the terms “hongbao” or “red envelope/packet.” The term “yasui (压岁)” is also a homophone for “yasui (压祟),” which means something like suppressing evil spirits. This tradition and the hongbao symbolize luck and prosperity. Nowadays, the hongbao can come in all sorts of shapes and designs. In fact, some even do away with the physical hongbao and send e-hongbao! ☜

2. The luoyu is a mythical fish with bird wings and cries like a yuanyang (mandarin duck). Its appearance heralds a flood, warning people to evacuate and seek shelter. ☜

3. Although the English name is Cantor’s giant softshell turtle, frog-faced softshell turtle, or simply Asian giant softshell turtle, and its scientific name is Pelochelys cantorii, the Chinese name is just one character: 鼋 (yuan). This is a rare character, and it only has one meaning—softshell turtles. ☜