Chapter 2154: Prelude

Though he was somewhat surprised by Vahn's words, the Jade Emperor just issued an amused chuckle before extracting his hand from the former's grasp. Then, with a relaxed smile on his face, he remarked, "It's unfortunate. I was sincerely hoping you would become an affiliate of the Jade Palace in the future. Now, it seems our positions have been reversed..."

While other gods of his level might have been upset to discover someone was more powerful than them, the Jade Emperor wasn't known as the God of Benevolence without reason. He was also one of the few gods that carried the fate of being replaced at some point in the distant future, so, while others did everything in their power to remain relevant, he preferred to enjoy the time he had left.

Unfortunately, even if he proposed the idea of an alliance with the Sage Dragon's Hearth, the Jade Emperor knew his court would never agree. Many within the Jade Palace shared the same mentality as gods in other pantheons. They genuinely believed they should rule over all other pantheons, so, while things were relatively peaceful in the present, there were always people pushing to take over and dominate the Little Garden.

Understanding the futility of pursuing an actual alliance, the Jade Emperor adopted a faint smile as he removed a jade ring from his right ring finger. This caused a concerned expression to develop across the face of his wife as she was the only one, sans the Jade Emperor himself, that understood the ring's significance.

"Please, accept this gift as a gesture of fellowship. Circumstances make it difficult for me to openly address you as my equal so I hope this might serve as a physical representation of my desire for the Jade Palace and Sage Dragon's Hearth to remain on good terms..."

As an Emperor himself, Vahn understood the Jade Emperor's circumstances better than most. The god's benevolence was actually his weakness, as, much like Ouranos, he was more of an arbitrator than a true ruler. His Empress, Xiwangmu, literally had more sway in the Imperial Court than he did as he left most decisions to his Ministers, Courtiers, and children.

Accepting the ring, Vahn returned a smile as he placed it on his right index finger. The ring fingers of both of his hands were already occupied, and, while it was possible to wear more than one ring on a single finger, he preferred not to.

Seeing Vahn don the ring without even questioning its function, the Jade Emperor's smile became notably more affectionate. Most Deities, especially those near the pinnacle of their pantheon, were extremely paranoid. It said a lot about Vahn's character that he was willing to both accept a don a gift without question. This was especially true in the East, as, compared to the other three Cardinal Districts, their mastery over seals was second to none...

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As they didn't actually have anything to discuss, Vahn only spent a few minutes within the Jade Emperor's throne room before emerging to find Fenrir curled up in her wolf form while Mikoto used her inordinately fluffy fur as a pillow. They immediately noticed his presence and jumped to their feet while Vahn passed an amused gaze over the Jade Girl and Golden Boy. The peculiar duo had been eyeing his companions with a similar intensity to children in a pet store.

Surprising the duo, Vahn summoned two Companions from the preserve located beneath the Sage Dragon's Hearth. The first looked like a pink rabbit with a white underbelly, sapphire-like eyes, and accents of pale green on the interior of its ears. The second resembled a relatively normal fox, but, similar to the pink rabbit, it was small enough to easily sit in the palm of one's hand.

Proferring forth the two Companions, Vahn adopted a fatherly tone as he said, "I may not be able to give you my companions but I can provide you the opportunity to rear your own. So long as you treat these two well, they will become your most reliable allies in the future."

Without explaining the powers and abilities of the pocket-sized partners, Vahn gifted the rabbit to Yunu while offering the fox to Jintong. The former, quite literally, squealed in glee while the latter, despite putting on a stoic front, couldn't help smiling when the diminutive fox pounced up to his shoulder and nuzzled against him like an affectionate kitten. This continued for the better part of a minute before the duo finally recalled they were supposed to show Vahn and the girls to one of the Jade Palace's many guest pavilions. There, they idled about for several hours until one of the Palace Stewards, an elderly man with white hair, bushy brows, a full beard, and jade-green clothing came by to respectfully inform them that the banquet would be commencing on the hour...

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Though Zao Shin's Immortal Banquet was an annual event intended to determine the ranks of Gods in the Jade Palace, only the top 100, their guests, and people who had received an invitation from the Jade Emperor were allowed to attend.

After being guided to a stadium-sized banquet hall, complete with an elevated platform that served as an arena, Vahn was shown to one of the tables nearest the steps separating the dining area from two magnificent thrones fashioned from jade and gold. This was noticed by nearly every God in the hall, and, as could be expected, they immediately began to talk amongst themselves when they saw him occupy one of the most coveted positions within the hall.

Unlike the banquets Vahn was familiar with, every guest was given their own low-lying table to sit at. This was purely for hierarchal purposes, and, the closer you were to the Jade Emperor's throne, the higher your status in the eyes of others. As for why there were separate tables for every single guest, it was due to the fact that most Gods affiliated with the Jade Palace were extremely prideful and individualistic. They could not lower themselves to sharing a table with people they believed to be beneath them, so, with the exception of close family and friends, most Gods elected to sit alone.

Noticing the gazes of nearly everyone in the hall focusing on him, Fenrir, and Mikoto, a relaxed yet 'hungry' smile developed across Vahn's face. The two girls had transformed into their human forms, and, as could be expected, their appearances garnered a substantial amount of attention. Fenrir, in particular, was receiving a number of greedy and possessive looks as every single person in the hall could sense her remarkable affinity with Yin Elemental Energy.

One of the things Vahn had always disdained about cultivation novels and related media was the concept of a 'cultivation furnace'. Yin Elemental Energy was one of the most powerful supplements for a male cultivator's body, so, more often than not, the women in cultivation novels were reduced to little more than convenient tools by those seeking to increase their strength. There were very few stories with female main characters, as, unless they were born with tremendous power, it was simply impossible for them to ascend to the peak without the protection of a powerful sect.

With Fenrir's recent breakthrough, the quality and quantity of her aura had increased by several orders of magnitude. Before, it would have taken someone with an inordinately high Yin affinity to sense the energy contained within her body. Now, due to her inexperience with controlling Divine Energy, she was basically a beacon that screamed 'my body was made for dual cultivation'.

Fortunately, it was considered extremely rude and improper to leave your assigned table and pester the people at another. Thus, while Vahn, Fenrir, and Mikoto were garnering a considerable amount of attention, no one attempted to approach them. Instead, they remained at their seats, calculating and licentious looks on their faces as they bided their time until the second stage of the banquet...

Suppressing the urge to unleash the Lightning of Tribulation on everyone gawking at her, Mikoto's ahoge twitched as she grumbled, "Why are men in power almost always perverts...?"

As a man in power, Vahn couldn't help smiling wryly in response to Mikoto's remark. He had never even considered forcing himself on an unwilling partner, a stark contrast to nearly every other God present, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't a pervert. It was hard not to be when his harem was filled with remarkably beautiful women who could turn the heads of everyone in the Heavenly Domain...

"Look on the bright side. It won't be long before you're able to teach them a very harsh lesson..."

Hearing Vahn's assurance, the scowl on Mikoto's face gradually eased into an expectant smile. She would never admit it but everyone around her knew she was a battle junky. Vahn had brought her to the banquet for this exact purpose, as, in accordance with the regulations of the Imperial Court, challengers would need to prove themselves against a person's entourage before they could hope to challenge the person directly.

As a Tier 5 entity, Mikoto was more than a match for nearly every God in the Heavenly Domain. The Jade Emperor could probably give her a run for her money, but, as a non-combatant, the odds they would face each other were astronomically small. After all, Mikoto would need to defeat every other God present just to gain the right to challenge him. She had more than enough power to do so, at least on paper, but there was no way of knowing what kind of tricks her opponents would pull out.

Immortal cultivators, especially those that had ascended to Godhood, were extremely crafty.

As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn's attention was drawn to the entrance along with nearly every other person in the hall. This included Fenrir and Mikoto, who, upon seeing the person that had just arrived, became extremely alert.

With a height of 185cm and a body that emphasized her secondary sexual characteristics to the extreme, the newest arrival to the banquet hall was able to silence everyone in the room with her beauty. This included the females present, who, much like Fenrir and Mikoto, immediately shifted their attention to the woman's sizeable bust, long legs, and toned thighs. This was made easier by the fact that the woman was wearing a skintight bodysuit that left very little to the imagination...

While everyone was gawking at her, the woman, possessing ashen hair and amber eyes was passing her gaze over each of every person present within the hall. When her gaze met Vahn's, a very subtle smile developed across her face before promptly disappearing a moment later. Then, at the behest of the Palace Steward escorting her, her inordinately long legs, accented by 10cm heels, carried her to one of the tables located on the opposite side of the path dividing the hall.

Voicing the thought that had just crossed Vahn's mind, Fenrir muttered, "That woman came here to hunt you..."

Nodding his head in confirmation, Vahn maintained a nonchalant smile as he commented, "She's quite powerful as well. If either of you ends up fighting her, make sure to go all out from the start. The aura she gives off is remarkably similar to Scathach. Don't underestimate her."

Though Fenrir nodded her head in understanding, Mikoto nearly caused Vahn to do a spit take as she remarked, "That woman's body is absurd. Even without seeing it directly, I can tell she has an even bigger butt than Asuna. You better not go easy on her just because she has a big ass..."

After sensing the power contained within the woman's body, Mikoto wasn't too opportunistic about her chances of emerging victoriously. In other words, it was only a matter of time before she and Vahn encountered each other in the arena. Mikoto didn't know why she was searching for him, but, seeing the woman's extraordinary physique, it wasn't difficult to imagine how things might turn out. After all, Vahn might be an amazing person, but he was still a pervert...

Understanding Mikoto's thoughts, Vahn's smile gradually faded into a deadpan. The saddest thing about the situation was that he couldn't even refute her. The only person that knew him better than himself was Sis, and, as she could attest, there was no way he would be able to refuse the advances of such a remarkable beauty. With the exception of her hair color, the woman checked off each and every one of the preferences he had built over the past three hundred years. He may not add her to his harem, but, if she provided him the opportunity, he would readily sample what lays beneath her skintight bodysuit. His Sex Divinity hadn't exactly manifested out of thin air...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Jade Emperor is a pretty chill fella...','Swines coveting swan meat...','At least he's being honest with himself xD...')

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