"Hall Master, the Crown Prince invites you to attend the banquet at the palace," a servant walked into the great hall and said.
Xu Nian furrowed his brows.
The Crown Prince actually invited him to attend some banquet.
He was not familiar with the Crown Prince, and Leng Yanran had already mentioned it.
The Crown Prince had started to suspect the relationship between him and Leng Yanran.
Inviting him to the banquet at this time was probably a trap.
"Xu Nian, you must not go. The Crown Prince is cunning and ruthless. His invitation to the banquet surely bodes no good," Xia Bingling urged anxiously.
That morning, Xia Bingling had come to find Xu Nian.
Xu Nian was busy with his cultivation and did not pay her any attention.
However, Xu Xiuxue had pulled Xia Bingling aside and chatted with her all morning.
Xu Nian heard what Xia Bingling said but gave no response.
"Brother, I think it's best if you don't go," Xu Xin also said, frowning.
She knew about Xu Nian's relationship with Leng Yanran.
If it was indeed because of Leng Yanran, the Crown Prince would definitely not let him off.
"Nian'er, I advise you not to go either. The Crown Prince is ambitious and will surely harm you," Xu Xiuxue added hurriedly.
She had also heard about Xu Nian and Leng Yanran from Xu Xin.
Xu Nian was free to like whoever he wanted and do whatever he pleased, and she supported him.
Of course, all of these were under one condition—that Xu Nian was not in any life-threatening danger.
Xu Nian heard the advice from the three of them yet shook his head.
He had to attend this banquet.
If it was merely a simple banquet by the Crown Prince, then there was nothing to worry about.
But if it was a setup for him, then he had to meet the Crown Prince no matter what.
Since he had already decided to take Leng Yanran away from the Crown Prince,
how could he possibly fear the Crown Prince's provocation.
The three women saw that Xu Nian was determined to go, and anxious expressions appeared on their faces.
They all knew that once Xu Nian made a decision, it was impossible to change.
"Don't worry, even if the Crown Prince wants to kill me, I won't be harmed. Right now, unless a Battle Emperor level powerhouse makes a move, no one can hurt me," Xu Nian said with a fierce gaze.
Xu Xin and Xu Xiuxue hesitated at his words but finally nodded.
They had both witnessed Xu Nian's battle in the Xu Family Ancestral Land.
Even the Patriarch Xu, who had suppressed his realm, couldn't defeat him, and now it seemed truly no one in the Saint Realm could harm him.
Xia Bingxue was still somewhat worried.
She did not know Xu Nian's true strength.
After all, Xu Nian had just recently stepped into the Saint Realm not long ago.
"Nian'er, if you must go, we won't oppose it, but you must be very careful. Open spears are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to defend against. The Crown Prince probably won't oppose you openly, but he will definitely play dirty behind your back," Xu Xiuxue said.
People's hearts are treacherous, and she saw that clearer than anyone else.
Xu Nian nodded seriously.
He knew that he was now the Hall Master of the Divine River Palace, a sensitive identity.
The Crown Prince definitely wouldn't attack him openly, he would surely resort to underhanded tactics.
No matter the method, if the Crown Prince dared to make a move, Xu Nian would certainly make him understand what it meant to regret.
"I'll go with you tonight," Xia Bingling quickly volunteered.
"No," Xu Nian decisively refused.
Xia Bingling knew the Crown Prince's secret and had already been a target of his assassination attempts.
She had been staying in the Divine River Palace, protected by her Master, so she was safe.
But once she left the Divine River Palace, the Crown Prince would definitely not let her off easily.
"You're saying 'no' just like that? I insist on going tonight," Xia Bingling dropped these words and left in a huff.
Xu Nian felt helpless.
When it came to Xia Bingling, he really had no solution.
After all, the Emperor Palace was her home.
She wanted to return, and Xu Nian had no way to stop her.
He simply didn't want the girl to waste time and emotions on him in vain.
He had no particular thoughts regarding Xia Bingling.
"Xu Nian, really, Bingling is a good girl. Are you sure you don't want to consider her?" Xu Xiuxue asked as she looked towards Xu Nian.
Xu Nian helplessly waved his hand.
Then he left the grand hall.
Since the Crown Prince had especially set up a banquet for him tonight.
He ought to prepare some gifts.
The night fell quickly.
Xu Nian, along with the Bull Demon King, Xu Yu, and Black Wind, headed towards the Crown Prince Palace.
Originally, Xu Nian wanted to go alone.
But the Bull Demon King and the others insisted; how could they miss such a lively event.
After some thought, Xu Nian decided to bring them along.
Although they were all One-star Saints, they could certainly protect themselves.
It was time for them to experience more trials and tribulations.
The banquet set by the Crown Prince was located in the Crown Prince Palace.
Along the way, Xu Nian could see many people flocking towards the Crown Prince Palace.
"This Crown Prince seems to have invited a lot of people. Boss, I'm afraid he didn't miss any of your enemies," Black Wind chuckled.
He possessed the bloodline of the Divine Beast Bai Ze, and since he was a mutant Divine Beast, he was extraordinarily intelligent.
He recognized the hidden agenda right away.
"This Crown Prince wants to use someone to eliminate his rival, but they are underestimating the big brother too much; the knife they borrowed is not sharp enough!" Xu Yu said proudly.
A trace of disdain flashed in his eyes.
From his recent experiences, he had developed a profound understanding of Xu Nian's strength.
Black Wind, the Bull Demon King, and he had teamed up.
Yet, they were unable to handle even one hand of Xu Nian.
In the end, they were miserably defeated.
Since then, they had held Xu Nian in high esteem.
They completely scorned those so-called geniuses.
In front of Xu Nian, all geniuses were worthless.
"Humans are just troublesome, loving to play mind games. If you're capable, just strike directly; what's with all this beating around the bush? This Crown Prince is too damn like a woman," the Bull Demon King said with anger.
Hearing the talk of the three Demon Beasts, Xu Nian couldn't help but smile helplessly.
His three brothers were fearless.
If they really threw a fit, they might just overturn the entire Crown Prince Palace.
"Let's go and meet them, but be careful, and don't act impulsively. The Crown Prince Palace is not as simple as we imagine," Xu Nian said.
Even the Xu Family had three Battle Emperor Level experts and a powerful Killing Array.
The Crown Prince, being a member of the Imperial Family and having his own forces, was certainly not that simple.
The three great Demon Beasts nodded, but their faces still carried a sense of pride.
Xu Nian was helpless about this; Xu Yu and the others were all Divine Beast Bloodline Demon Beasts.
The pride was innate, and it was nearly impossible for them to restrain it.
Thus, Xu Nian led Xu Yu and the others towards the inside of the Crown Prince Palace.
The Crown Prince Palace was magnificent and splendidly opulent.
Apart from the palace buildings, there was an even larger garden area.
There was also a large artificially excavated lake that occupied tens of acres.
Pavilions, ponds, and a variety of flora and fauna were all present.
This time, the banquet was set by the lake in a pavilion.
Led by a palace eunuch, Xu Nian and the others quickly arrived at this pavilion.
Before they even entered, a melodious sound of celestial music reached their ears.
The air was also filled with a strong fragrance of wine.