The Dragon Blood Wine's heat hadn't yet fully subsided in his blood vessels. The Dragon Hall's atmosphere reached a climax from the Dragon King's generosity and delicacies. Hosts and guests enjoyed themselves, drinks and toasts exchanged, fairy music ethereal, a scene of peaceful grand prosperity. Even the Northern Sea drake young lord who had conflict with Xiaoqi earlier, temporarily suppressed his anger under Dragon Blood Wine's effects, drinking merrily with companions.
However, under this extreme prosperity and harmony, a faint, imperceptible cold sinister aura, like a venomous snake hidden under brocade robes, quietly spread. This aura was extremely subtle, mixed among the ten thousand races' mixed auras and Dragon Palace's dense spiritual pressure, hard to detect.
Xiaoqi was carefully (experiencing) the Dragon Blood Wine's body tempering effects, while operating the Springtime Longevity Art to resolve the remaining dao (overbearing) wine force. Suddenly, the jade pendant at his chest emitted an extremely faint, warning coolness. This wasn't targeting specific danger, but more like an instinctive rejection of "disharmony" and "filth."
His heart tightened slightly. Divine sense like invisible waves scanned surroundings more meticulously. At the same time, he noticed Dragon King Ao Guang seated at the main seat, those eyes seemingly containing sun, moon, stars, also barely perceptibly squinted. Crown Prince Ao Qin, playing with his wine cup, also paused his fingers.
Clearly, Dragon Palace's top figures also sensed the anomaly.
Just at the next moment—
"Hiss!"
A slight nearly ignorable (abnormal sound) from the hall's rear side, where a group from Southern Frontier known for manipulating poison insects, the "Thousand Gu Sect" disciples' seating area.
One disciple with ordinary features, slightly dull eyes, suddenly convulsed violently. From his seven orifices simultaneously emerged several hair-thin yet lightning-fast black shadows! These shadows weren't solid, seemingly condensed from pure resentment and sinister aura, emitting silent screams, instantly pouncing on several overseas female cultivators chatting beside them!
The change happened too fast, too unexpected! Those female cultivators couldn't react in time. Their faces still had smiles, yet eyes already filled with terror.
"Careful!"
"Assassin!"
Nearby guests shouted but already too late to rescue.
At the critical moment—
"Buzz!"
A pale golden barrier, like an inverted glass bowl, instantly appeared before those female cultivators, firmly blocking those pouncing black shadows! Dragon patterns flowed on the barrier, emanating pure, heroic dragon might.
It was the Dragon Palace's hall automatic protective (restriction) being triggered!
However, those black shadows were extremely uncanny. Upon striking the barrier, they didn't dissipate. Instead like (plasters) on bone, frantically corroded the barrier, making sizzling sounds. The pale golden barrier dimmed visibly!
"Which demons dare create disturbance at Dragon Palace!"
A roar like thunder exploded! Several Golden Armor Dragon Guards at the hall entrance reacted swiftly, bodies rising, dragon spears bloomingbrilliant (brilliant) golden light, transforming into several golden lightning bolts, stabbing toward those Thousand Gu Sect disciples and uncanny shadows!
Nearly simultaneously, chaos erupted again!
In the guest seating, two or three places experienced turmoil! One seemingly honest overseas hermit suddenly twisted his face, body inflated like a balloon, countless wiggling flesh buds emerged from under skin, emitting nauseating stench, pouncing on nearby guests! At another place, a representative from a minor demon clan, eyes suddenly turned blood-red, lost rationality, crazily attacking everything around!
Clearly enemy forces, using some method, had infiltrated the birthday well-wishing team and simultaneously attacked, intending to create chaos, sabotage the Dragon Palace feast!
The hall erupted into chaos! Shouts, roars, weapon clashes unceasing!
"Protect His Majesty!"
"Form formation! Suppress rebellion!"
Dragon Palace guards were well-trained. They swiftly formed arrays, dividing the battlefield, attempting to control those maddened "guests" and uncanny shadows. But those controlled ones weren't weak, plus their uncanny means, temporarily causing a stalemate.
Xiaoqi's seating wasn't far from the initial incident point. He saw those black shadows still frantically corroding the protective barrier. The barrier was tottering. Those overseas female cultivators behind it lost composure, about to suffer disaster.
He didn't hesitate at all. His form flickered. Swimming Dragon Nine Turns deployed. Like a ghost he crossed several tables, instantly appearing before that about-to-break barrier.
He didn't use the Red Flame Sword. Those shadows weren't solid, physical attacks probably limited effect. He directly raised his right hand. In his palm, a point of pure, soft yet containing purification origin power white light suddenly brightened!
It was the purification force he had initially mastered!
Though far from the purification origin's origin level within the jade pendant, treating this filth condensed from resentment and sinister aura wasgood (just right)!
He pressed his palm forward. That point of pure white light bloomed like a lotus. Soft light illuminated those black shadows.
"Hiss—!!"
Like a red-hot branding iron placed on snow, those black shadows that could even corrode Dragon Palace restrictions, under purification white light's illumination, let out (miserable) screams (though silent, directly acting on souls), violently twisted and rolled, visibly becoming thin and fading at an observable rate. Finally with a "pu," completely annihilated, turning to nothing!
Those shocked overseas female cultivators, looking at Xiaoqi blocking before them with palm still faintly glowing white, eyes filled with gratitude.
Meanwhile, other chaos points were quickly subdued.
Crown Prince Ao Qin personally acted. An ice-blue dragon breath swept past. That inflated, flesh-budded hermit was instantly frozen into an ice sculpture, the sinister force within also sealed.
Several dragon clan elders joined forces. Using powerful dragon clan secret arts, they formed golden law chains, binding that maddened demon clan representative, pressing to the ground.
Hall Dragon Palace guards quickly controlled the situation, subduing all controlled or infiltrated spies.
From chaos beginning to calming, merely ten-something breaths of time. But the hall was already a mess. Several tables overturned, spirit fruits and nectar spilled everywhere. The air still retained faint sinister aura and bloody smell.
Guests were shaken, looking at each other. The atmospheregrave (solemn) to the extreme.
Dragon King Ao Guang on the Nine Dragon Throne, from beginning to end his expression unchanged. Only those eyes with sun, moon, stars swirling became more profound and unpredictable. He slowly spoke, voice (still) peaceful yet carrying undeniable dignity:
"Small troublemakers disturbed everyone's enjoyment. This is Dragon Palace's fault for inadequate surveillance. This matter, I will investigate thoroughly."
His gaze swept across the entire hall, finally briefly lingering on Xiaoqi who had acted to help, nodding slightly, expressing thanks.
A sudden disturbance, though quickly suppressed, caused no major casualties, yet like a shadow, lingered over this longevity celebration. Everyone understood this matter absolutely wouldn't end here. Dragon Palace's dignity was challenged. Next, there would probably be a (bloody storm) sweeping across the four seas. And those who stood up during the disturbance naturally entered Dragon Palace top figures' eyes.