The surrounding crowd was still engrossed in the shock of the Sword God being sent flying with a single move. No one noticed what Zhang Chen had said.
"Wh-what? The renowned Sword God was actually sent flying in one move?"
"This... what kind of terrifying strength is this?"
"Even the Sword God is no match... I fear that even if we fight to the death, we won't be able to protect the citizens of the imperial capital..."
A flicker of despair flashed in everyone's eyes. This was the natural reaction of the weak in the face of absolute power.
A determined expression flashed across the Empress's face. She suddenly drew her sword, ready to shout a few words to boost morale.
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the air!
*Bang!*
A gust of wind swept through, making the banners on the city wall flutter and rustle.
It was Zhang Chen!
The explosion was caused by his flight breaking the sound barrier.
He was wearing an energy isolation suit.
The energy within his body could be used for his own use but could not be released externally.
Otherwise, it would cause an energy leak, and then it would be another zombie apocalypse.
Zhang Chen didn't want anyone to suddenly cough up blood while eating at a feast; that would be too unappetizing.
Therefore, he did not choose to snap his fingers or use energy waves for long-range attacks. Instead, he decided to personally enter the fray and use physical salvation to deal with the monster before him.
Everyone's vision blurred, and then a figure, swift as a shooting star, instantly smashed the massive body of the mother Xi Beast, deforming it.
*Bang!*
*Squish!*
The guardian beasts surrounding the mother Xi Beast didn't even have time to react before they dissipated into a cloud of white mist along with the corpse of the mother Xi Beast.
Tens of thousands of menacing Xi Beasts also slowly evaporated and disappeared together.
Although the defending army in front of the city had suffered heavy casualties and less than a third of their troops remained, they stood there dumbfounded.
The powerhouses on the city wall looked at the dense white fog filling the area in front of the city, exchanging bewildered glances.
"What on earth happened? Did the Xi Beasts... retreat?"
"It doesn't seem like a retreat... they vaporized, disappeared!"
"What, disappeared? You mean the mother Xi Beast was killed? How was it killed? We didn't see anything, just heard a huge sound!"
"Regardless... we... won!"
"To be precise... it should be that man who won..."
The Empress added in a murmur.
As her words fell, a figure, like a god of slaughter, slowly emerged from the dense fog.
Just as the man was about to reach the city, his figure flickered again, and he returned to the Empress's side.
All the powerhouses present were utterly shocked by the casual display of skill by Zhang Chen. They couldn't see how this man had jumped up, flown up, or how he had arrived.
He had simply appeared out of nowhere, silently!
Let alone the thunderous combat power just now, even his movement technique completely surpassed their imagination.
"Is it time to feast?"
Zhang Chen walked past the Empress and reminded her lightly.
"Hmm? Alright..."
The Empress was stunned. Usually calm and collected, she had shown a hint of panic just now.
Thirty minutes later, in the imperial palace's grand hall.
Hundreds of musicians played festive and harmonious music.
Dancers displayed their beautiful movements in the center of the hall.
The Empress, along with civil and military officials and powerful figures from across the land, accompanied Zhang Chen.
At this moment, Zhang Chen was clearly the most honored guest in the hall, second only to the Empress in status.
There were as many as seven or eight maids serving him.
Zhang Chen enjoyed himself for a while and nodded with satisfaction.
These performances were equivalent to the Spring Festival Gala.
He lowered his head to look at the table. Besides some dried fruits, pastries, and wine, the main meal had not yet been served.
Zhang Chen stood up and asked the maid beside him, "Which way to the imperial kitchen?"
The maid was startled and turned to look at the Empress.
The latter nodded, indicating that everything was to Zhang Chen's liking.
The maid nodded and said softly, "Divine Being, please follow me!"
"Alright, I'm short on time. If you walk at your pace to the imperial kitchen, it'll be dawn!"
Zhang Chen said, reaching out and directly putting his arm around the maid's waist. With a flash, he appeared at the entrance of the hall the next moment.
And then, he vanished!
"This young man lacks manners; he's not a divine being!"
"How could the Xi Beasts be defeated by such a youngster? It must be due to His Majesty's overwhelming fortune!"
"That's right, His Majesty is the true powerhouse of the New Year's Eve battle, but this youngster is just hogging the credit!"
"I hope His Majesty orders the historiographer to re-record the Battle of New Year's Eve and reveal the truth to the world!"
As soon as Zhang Chen left, the civil officials in the hall began to speak, one after another, indignant, as if the Empress had suffered some great injustice.
"Uh... these few jars of wine are quite good, don't drink them all!"
Suddenly, Zhang Chen reappeared in the hall as if he were a ghost. He gently touched something with his hand, and dozens of jars of aged wine, which the Empress usually hesitated to drink, vanished into thin air.
The civil officials, who had just been speaking ill of Zhang Chen, all shut their mouths, feeling more guilty than anyone.
"You guys continue your chat; I have other matters to attend to!"
Zhang Chen smiled and waved goodbye to everyone, then nodded towards the Empress before disappearing again.
This time, the civil officials fell completely silent.
What else could they say?
What if they said something wrong that Zhang Chen happened to hear? They might not even know how they died.
Although a career is important, it is contingent on being alive first.
After a while, Zhang Chen did not return, but the maid accompanying him did.
"Where is the divine being?"
The Empress asked.
"The... divine being returned to the immortal realm, passing through a celestial gate before leaving," the maid replied, kneeling.
"Gone? Just like that?"
The Empress heard the answer, and a fleeting expression of loss crossed her face. She then issued an imperial decree:
"By my decree, the anniversary of today shall be designated a festival of universal celebration!"
Those present shouted praises of wisdom and long live His Majesty.
The melodious music played again; it was time for the feast.
......
Zhang Chen returned to Royd's back.
Looking at the various delicacies made by the imperial chefs filling his ring, he was so happy he couldn't close his mouth.
Although he himself possessed master-level cooking skills, there was still a gap compared to imperial chefs.
Moreover, the ingredients prepared for the royal court were all meticulously selected, and the craftsmanship and attention to detail were incomparable.
Zhang Chen packed up all the imperial feasts for over 500 people, including all the court ministers, powerhouses, and the Empress.
He looked out the window again. It was already dusk, and the day was about to end.
But that was perfect; he could hold a personal royal feast tonight.
"Daddy!~"
Suddenly, a charming voice, laced with laziness and a hint of arrogance, came from behind Zhang Chen.
He turned around and saw an extremely sexy and alluring woman appear before him.
Short, ear-length hair, fair skin, a proud figure, and those long legs wrapped in black silk.
It was Mo Ran!
She had transformed into her mature stage!