# Chapter 649: The Banquet
Hao Peng led the group in rapid movement, the ethereal space passing before their eyes, yet the crowd still could not see the end of the Divine Palace.
"This Divine Palace... how vast must it be," Lin Feng thought to himself, his gaze flickering. After flying for so long, still unable to see the edge, just how expansive was this Divine Palace, and in what form did it exist in this traceless starry sky?
These were things Lin Feng could not comprehend. The one who created this Divine Palace must possess unimaginable power.
Just then, Lin Feng's gaze finally saw the end—though not exactly an end. Ahead of him was an enclosed space, with only a twenty-meter-wide passage in the middle. This passage had a magnificent giant gate, inscribed with several large characters: Northern Divine Palace!
"The Divine Palace is divided into four sections, based on the four cardinal directions: East, South, West, and North Divine Palaces. The Northern Divine Palace is the most revered. Now, I will take you into the Northern Divine Palace—the very heart of the vast Divine Palace. Even the Snow Protector is not permitted to enter here."
Hao Peng said to the crowd, then stepped forward, entering the Northern Divine Palace.
Lin Feng and the other fourteen strong warriors all stepped inside. Within this Northern Divine Palace, compared to the area outside, it felt more like a residential inner hall. The grand palaces were spaced somewhat closer together, and from time to time, they could see martial training grounds—horseback riding, archery, sword techniques—various cultivation arts could be seen within the Northern Divine Palace.
"How much further?" Imperial Mausoleum asked, having already spent considerable time just entering the Divine Palace.
"It's ahead," Hao Peng glanced at Imperial Mausoleum and said, "The Divine Palace is a heavenly domain. You have probably never seen anything like it before. This trip allows you to broaden your horizons and observe. Isn't that a form of training in itself? To better understand the vastness of the world and the strength of the powerful, and to reflect on your own insignificance. Don't think that just because you are geniuses of the Snow Domain, you can look down on everything. In truth, you are not really geniuses. The geniuses I have seen... there are far too many."
"Oh?" The crowd felt displeased at Hao Peng's words, finding them grating, as if he were mocking their ignorance, belittling their shallow experience and arrogance.
"How do you rank in the Divine Palace?" Imperial Mausoleum, stung by Hao Peng's sarcasm, narrowed his eyes and asked.
"In the Northern Divine Palace, I am considered upper-tier talent," Hao Peng replied.
"You are in the Divine Palace, with such dense heaven and earth origin energy and such cultivation conditions, yet you are only at this level of cultivation. Upper-tier talent—nothing special," Imperial Mausoleum spat coldly, causing Hao Peng's brows to twitch. He turned back and sneered at Imperial Mausoleum.
"You don't know your place," Hao Peng said indifferently. Finally, before the crowd, a majestic and vast hall appeared. In front of the hall, a group of figures seemed to be waiting for them. It seemed they had reached their destination.
Indeed, Hao Peng stepped forward and descended to the open space before the hall. Looking at the central figure among the group, he said with slight respect, "Palace Master, the people have been brought."
"Hard work," said the middle-aged man addressed as Palace Master. He wore a simple, elegant blue robe—not luxurious, but perfectly complementing his ethereal aura. This man appeared ordinary, without any sharp, world-shaking aura or the domineering presence of a strong warrior. He was unremarkable, carrying only a hint of unfathomable, ethereal energy.
This man was actually the Palace Master of the Divine Palace. How powerful must his cultivation be?
The crowd speculated silently, their gazes fixed on the middle-aged man. They could not see through him.
"It is an honor to have the opportunity to meet the most outstanding geniuses of the Snow Domain. Since you have come to my Northern Divine Palace, you are all my guests. I have prepared a banquet to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey. After the banquet, I will send you into the Divine Palace's realm."
The Northern Divine Palace Master showed no trace of arrogance; he was approachable and seemed to respect them.
"A banquet?" Lin Feng murmured to himself. The Divine Palace had actually prepared a banquet for them. He was becoming more and more puzzled about what the Divine Palace truly intended.
What troubled Lin Feng even more was that among the figures beside the Northern Divine Palace Master were some young, beautiful maidens, each with extraordinary bearing and no weak talent or strength. Yet their gazes wandered among the crowd, making Lin Feng feel somewhat uncomfortable.
How strange did this Divine Palace seem to him?
What exactly did this Divine Palace want? And this Snow Domain Grand Competition seemed to be controlled by the Divine Palace. What was their purpose in hosting it?
Was it simply to show who the most outstanding geniuses of the Snow Domain were?
These were questions the crowd had never considered before, but now they began to surface in their minds.
Behind the crowd, figures of white-robed women flickered, carrying tables, chairs, wine, and dishes, arranging them into two neat rows. The honored seats in the middle, facing north, also had several seats, forming a rough square.
"Alright, young geniuses of the Snow Domain, please take your seats," the Northern Palace Master said, gesturing politely. The crowd turned around, looking at the so-called banquet, their eyes gleaming with sharp light.
"This is... a banquet?"
On the tables, besides wine and dishes, there were spiritual herbs and pills.
Using spiritual herbs as food and pills as the banquet—wasn't this too extravagant? Moreover, the spiritual herbs were not ordinary ones, and the fragrance of the pills made the crowd feel refreshed and clear-headed.
"The Divine Palace..." Lin Feng sighed. This was the wealth possessed by a powerful force. A single night's feast used spiritual herbs and pills as food—something ordinary people could never imagine. Just like his own cultivation, step by step, comprehending in battle, breaking through in battle, growing in crisis, erupting in danger, enduring countless trials and setbacks, constantly pursuing the path of martial arts.
But perhaps, in a terrifying force like the Divine Palace, they only needed guidance from elders, sparring with peers, cultivating powerful techniques and martial skills, occasionally going out for training, supplemented by pills and spiritual herbs. They could easily achieve what grassroots cultivators struggled with all their might to attain—or even surpass them.
This was the difference. Different births, different circumstances. It was so similar to his previous life in many ways.
Of course, Lin Feng would never belittle himself. On the path of martial arts, amidst trials and dangers, many were continuously eliminated. Those who truly grew up were absolutely the true elite. If one day they also had opportunities and encounters, cultivating powerful techniques and martial skills, and fought against those pampered geniuses, there would be no suspense.
But Lin Feng certainly would not deny that some powerful forces trained their elite warriors not in greenhouses but by sending them out to experience real life-and-death trials.
In short, those from major forces had natural advantages in cultivation. What mattered was how their elders tempered them.
As for grassroots warriors, their steps were very steady, step by step. As long as they reached a high point one day, they could soar with pride.
Compared to the youths of the Divine Palace, this group of Snow Domain geniuses was like grassroots. Now, the Divine Palace was granting them opportunities. They had to seize them and grow.
"Please," the Northern Divine Palace Master said again when he saw the crowd hesitating. Only then did everyone take their seats.
The Northern Divine Palace Master sat at the head seat, with the beautiful maidens beside him. Additionally, several powerful young warriors from the Divine Palace also joined the banquet.
"I am not yet familiar with all the talented heroes. Would you mind introducing yourselves?" the Northern Divine Palace Master said with a smile, still very polite, without any hint of arrogance.
"Heavenly Dragon Empire, Imperial Mausoleum," Imperial Mausoleum, seated near the Northern Divine Palace Master, spoke first.
"Heavenly Dragon Bloodline, Imperial Mausoleum. Not bad," the Northern Divine Palace Master nodded slightly, immediately recognizing him.
"Snow Moon Kingdom, Duan Wudao."
"Crown Prince Wudao. Snow Moon Kingdom is merely a vassal state. It is commendable that it can produce a genius like Crown Prince Wudao," the Northern Divine Palace Master seemed to know every genius well.
"Black Feather Empire, Blood Fiend."
"Jade Orchid Empire, Ling Xiao."
One by one, the crowd introduced themselves, and the Northern Divine Palace Master could name them after they spoke, until Lin Feng spoke.
"Snow Moon Kingdom, Lin Feng."
Lin Feng's introduction was equally simple, but this time the Northern Divine Palace Master could not respond. He paused. Snow Moon Kingdom, Lin Feng?
In the information he had received, there had never been such a genius. That is to say, Lin Feng had never entered the Divine Palace's sight. Yet now, he was sitting here, right before him!
PS: Ah, it's past one o'clock. Embarrassing. I dozed off in my chair for half an hour, then pushed through the drowsiness to start typing, until now.