Chapter 4650 — The Azure Dragon Elder!

Now that the host had taken her seat, the birthday banquet was formally underway—and only at this point did the various grand figures from the five Cloud-Tier Islands finally appear one after another, each coming forward to present gifts and offer birthday wishes.

What Wei Zhao had not expected was that among these people, he would actually spot several acquaintances!

The first to make an entrance was a grand figure from the Middle Island—not some ordinary sect or power, but a vice island lord of the Middle Island in his own right. Not Di Xingdao, however, but Chu Wentian.

Wei Zhao was not well acquainted with the man, having met him only once in passing; he had heard that Chu Wentian was on good terms with Di Xingdao—though good terms was all it was, nowhere near the point of advancing and retreating as one.

For someone of Chu Wentian's stature to come and offer congratulations was already an enormous face shown to the West Island. After all, this was merely Ning Xuefei's birthday banquet, not the birthday banquet of Ning Shanghe, the West Island's lord. That the Middle Island had specially dispatched a vice island lord made its intent to curry favor plain for all to see.

Chu Wentian presented a generous gift that bespoke full sincerity; after exchanging a few words of greeting with Ning Shanghe in public, he took his seat in the Middle Island's guest section. The one who entered after him was a grand figure from the Eastern Continent.

Naturally, the mysterious and vast Eastern Continent had no such thing as an island lord, nor could it have sent a figure of equal standing to Chu Wentian—after all, that would not have brought pleasant surprise, but rather alarm. The Eastern Continent's position had always been supremely aloof; it never established diplomatic relations on equal footing with the other Cloud-Tier Islands.

This time the Eastern Continent's visitor was Liu Ziqi, vice director of the Eastern Continent's Morning Pride Yellow-Tier Women's Academy. From the name alone one could tell it was much like the Morning Star Academy encountered earlier—both were Yellow-Tier academies—except that this one was a women's academy, admitting only women, as the name implied, much like the secular world's girls' schools.

Any director or vice director of an academy in the Eastern Continent might not be said to wield heaven-spanning power within the Eastern Continent itself, but once they stepped out to the other Cloud-Tier Islands, they were grand figures on the level of a vice island lord. The reverence the whole hall showed this Vice Director Liu Ziqi was in no way less than that shown to Chu Wentian before.

Liu Ziqi likewise presented a generous gift, and there seemed to be a rather good personal friendship between her and Ning Shanghe—something evident from the familiarity of their tones as they spoke. No wonder she had traveled ten thousand li to come specially for Ning Xuefei's birthday banquet.

Wei Zhao even surmised that in the future Ning Xuefei would very likely go to this Eastern Continent's Morning Pride Yellow-Tier Women's Academy for further study. This was an unwritten rule among nearly all the great powers of the various Cloud-Tier Islands: core disciples, and heirs above all, must have the credential of study at an Eastern Continent academy.

This was not only to raise their strength, but also to broaden their horizons—and more crucially, to use the opportunity to win over the grand figures of the Eastern Continent. Even if they could not become allies, they must absolutely not become enemies; otherwise Ning Xuefei might not be able to sit securely in the West Island lord's seat in the years to come.

Chu Wentian represented the Middle Island, Liu Ziqi the Eastern Continent; and following these two grand figures, the one who came to offer congratulations was the representative of the Southern Continent. Once Wei Zhao made out who it was, he was at once startled and delighted.

Compared with the previous two, this representative from the Southern Continent could hardly be called a grand figure at all; many people merely glanced over and paid him no further mind. But Wei Zhao was different—because this was an old acquaintance of his!

"Qi Wenmo, young master of the Qingtian Escort Agency, representing the Southern Continent Escort Alliance, congratulates Miss Ning on the joy of her birthday!" Qi Wenmo proclaimed his gift in a loud, clear voice, head high and stride bold.

At the sight, Wei Zhao could not help feeling stirred—he truly had not expected the Southern Continent's representative to be Qi Wenmo. Yet on reflection, though unexpected, it was also entirely reasonable: the Southern Continent Escort Alliance was the orthodox representative of the Southern Continent's seas, and the Qingtian Escort Agency was now the overlord of the Southern Continent's escort trade, so having him represent the Southern Continent was only fitting.

This time it was not Qi Zhihuan who came, but Qi Wenmo; the further implication was likely that they wished to use this occasion to let Qi Wenmo build a few more connections, smoothing the way for him to take over the Qingtian Escort Agency in the future.

Wei Zhao watched Qi Wenmo from afar. Old friends meeting ought to gather and talk at length—only his seat was rather far off, and the North Island and Southern Continent guest sections were not adjacent, so Qi Wenmo could not see him at all. He would have to wait for a later chance to renew their acquaintance.

After Qi Wenmo took his seat, the next to present gifts was Lan Tieshan, who, in his capacity as a disciple of Shangguan Tianxia of the Chongtian Pavilion, represented the North Island in offering Ning Xuefei a generous gift.

Although the nominal official envoy of the North Island this time was Wei Zhao, his standing was plainly not weighty enough. After all, everyone sent this time was a grand figure—even Qi Wenmo was one who might one day take charge of the Southern Continent's escort trade—so only someone like Lan Tieshan or Gongyang Jun appearing on the North Island's behalf could hold the occasion in proper order.

This time it was Lan Tieshan who appeared, which meant Gongyang Jun had no interest in such matters; given his proud and solitary nature, he indeed looked down on this sort of errand. Moreover, the two had been charged with secretly protecting Shangguan Lan'er, and now that Lan Tieshan had appeared in public, Gongyang Jun could all the more not show himself.

After Lan Tieshan, the guests from the Middle Island, the Eastern Continent, the Southern Continent, and the North Island had all successively taken their seats. Every gaze turned toward the entrance, and people whispered to one another in low voices: only the South Island remained. Who, they wondered, would the Spirit Beast clan—who never had contact with the outside world—send this time to congratulate the West Island's princess?

Beneath the gaze of the multitude, the hall's atmosphere congealed for a brief moment; only then did a figure suddenly stride in through the great doors—dragon stride and tiger tread, glances darting with godlike spirit—and in an instant he became the focus of the whole hall. Even the principal figures, Ning Shanghe and Ning Xuefei, were eclipsed by his radiance. In everyone's heart four words rose unbidden: stealing the host's thunder!

The Spirit Beast clan kept to themselves and had no dealings with the outside world; the high-ranking members known to the world were but a scant few. And this one who had appeared now was, in everyone's eyes, a very unfamiliar face. The crowd buzzed: which master of the Spirit Beast clan was this?

Surely he could not be some ordinary underling—would that not be a public provocation? Even a power as mighty as the Spirit Beast clan might not have the nerve to casually provoke the West Island, would it?