CHAPTER 264: CHAPTER264-THE BANQUET

Marwan stood up, looking towards the distant emergence of sunlight, filled with anticipation, "Finally, we will meet His Highness!"

Previously, Marwan was ordered to be executed by the Second Prince, but he did not die at that moment; instead, the Queen secretly saved him.

Alison and the others also revealed smiles, as it had been a long time since they had parted ways with Owen.

Alison, in particular, missed Owen dearly, understanding the immense pressure he must be carrying on his shoulders.

"Brother Marwan, do you really plan to join the army with Tina?" Alison glanced at Marwan and his fiancée, Tina.

Marwan nodded affirmatively, saying with a smile, "Tina and I have already received a lot of help from the Sanctuary. We can’t keep troubling His Highness. We need to make ourselves useful too."

Tina’s eyes shone with happiness as she leaned closely against Marwan.

Alison looked on with envy.

Seeing this, Marwan laughed heartily, "Don’t look at us like that. Think about how you’re going to meet Owen. That’s what’s important."

On their way down the mountain, Owen and his companions encountered some disciples of the Sanctuary returning from missions.

They greeted Owen and the others with respect.

Both Anderson and Owen held high statuses within the Sanctuary.

"This is the advantage of being famous!" Kovacic said with a relieved smile.

Although he wasn’t famous himself, standing by Owen and the rest also afforded him this sort of treatment.

Olivia nodded in agreement, her expression cheerful.

Owen and the others smiled; they had grown accustomed to this and didn’t feel much about it anymore.

A quarter of an hour later, Owen and the others arrived at the foot of Sacred Mountain and seated themselves on a large boulder.

Since almost everyone wandering around the base of Sacred Mountain at midnight was a disciple of the Sanctuary, they felt no need for restraint.

Owen smiled and said, "Actually, you didn’t all have to wait with me."

Anderson waved his hand dismissively.

"No more talk, bring out some wine first."

"Yeah, if you feel bad about it, make it up to us with wine," Kovacic and Marchello said, laughing.

Owen rolled his eyes, "A bunch of drunkards."

Their laughter drew the attention of those nearby.

When they recognized Owen and Anderson sitting on the rock, their eyes widened in surprise.

"Can I come over for a drink?"

A male disciple couldn’t help himself, seeing Owen and the others drinking, and approached with a bowl in hand to join the conversation.

The people around tensed up immediately for the disciple; after all, these were prominent figures in the Sanctuary, beings of a much higher standing than them.

"Of course, you can."

To everyone’s astonishment, Owen chuckled, took out a jug of wine, and poured a cup for him.

"Th-thank you!"

Having engaged with such esteemed figures, the male disciple was overwhelmed with excitement and luck, stuttering in his speech.

Seeing this, Anderson couldn’t help but laugh, holding the wine jug and looking around generously.

"Don’t be shy, anyone who wants a drink, come over!"

At Anderson’s invitation, the crowd suddenly became eager to join.

A male disciple stepped forward immediately, holding out a jug of wine towards Anderson, and said heartily, "Senior Anderson, I’ve admired you for a long time. May I have a drink with you?"

"Of course, you can." Anderson laughed heartily, raised his jug to meet the other’s, and took a sip.

Seeing that the male disciple had successfully broken the ice, the crowd became even more eager.

Another male disciple mustered the courage to approach Owen with wine, "May I share a drink with you?"

"Come on!" Owen replied with a smile, his words concise.

He clinked jugs with the disciple and drank in one gulp.

After this disciple’s success, the others began to make their moves, each asking Owen and the rest if they could share a drink.

Owen was pleased to see the atmosphere becoming lively; he enjoyed this feeling.

While some were hesitant to join at first, after half an hour passed, they could no longer resist and joined in with their jugs of wine.

The base of Sacred Mountain, which was somewhat quiet initially, gradually became bustling.

Another half-hour passed, and the crowd was still thoroughly enjoying themselves.

At that moment, a rainbow light streaked across the sky, heading in their direction.

Everyone looked up, surprise evident in their eyes.

A disciple with considerable knowledge immediately exclaimed, "That’s our Sanctuary’s third-ranked airship. I never thought I’d see it again in my lifetime!"

Hearing this, the crowd was taken aback and looked up in astonishment.

They watched as the rainbow light grew larger in their view, and the next moment, the light vanished, revealing a massive airship not far from them.

Owen’s body shook, unexpectedly greeted by Alison escorted by the Sanctuary.

While delighted, he also felt puzzled and uneasy.

He looked towards the airship’s deck, where several voices emanated.

"Your Highness..."

Recalling the instructions from the people of the Sanctuary, Marwan quickly corrected himself, "Owen!"

In the presence of so many, it was crucial not to reveal his high status.

A graceful figure rushed towards Owen.

"Alison, it’s been a long time." Owen, with a smile, greeted Alison and the others, "Let’s go back to the Sanctuary.

I’ve prepared a lavish banquet for you all."

...

As Owen and his companions enjoyed the feast, the disciples outside the array could hardly contain their drooling envy.

Their eyes blatantly conveyed their desire, especially since Anderson had brought out such rare ingredients.

After Bella and others had put their culinary skills to work, no one could resist such temptation.

Under the watchful eyes of many, Alison felt uncomfortable and suggested to Owen, "Should we share some with them?"

"Let’s give them some then." Owen instructed Kovacic to distribute some food.

"Grab it!"

Someone shouted, and instantly, the crowd went into a frenzy, swiftly clearing out the generous portions of food.

Owen even scattered meat from mythical beasts he had received from his teacher, which could strengthen and invigorate the body.

However, its effects diminished if consumed in excess.

This action drove the crowd even wilder.

Everyone, with joy on their faces, thanked Owen profusely with bows.

Since the mythical beast meat was still raw, the crowd hurriedly scrambled to cook it after their frenzied grab.

In a short moment, the area outside the array was emptied out.

Even those few who hadn’t left could guess Owen’s intention and withdrew, not wanting to disturb the banquet any longer.

"Finally, we can eat in peace!" Alison’s eyes brimmed with happiness as she began tasting the dishes on the table.

The others exchanged smiles and didn’t stop their hands either.

This was a top-notch feast, with every dish being exceedingly precious; naturally, they wanted to savor it without regrets!

Owen took a sip of wine, curiously asking Alison, "What has happened during this time? How did you manage to escape?"

Alison glanced at everyone, not hesitating but slowly started to narrate.

After the exchange, Owen understood that the Sanctuary indeed had intervened.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible for Alison to escape unscathed.

His heart filled with even more questions.

"From today onwards, you’re also friends of mine, Anderson."

Standing up, Anderson raised his wine glass solemnly, "After this drink, we’re friends who share both the good times and the bad!"

"I’m in too!" Kovacic stood up, raising his glass with a serious look, "Though I’m not very powerful, I will never let you face danger before me!"

Bella and the others also stood up, raising their glasses solemnly.

"Well, I, Marwan, haven’t made many friends in my life, but I acknowledge you all as my friends!" Marwan laughed heartily, standing up with his glass raised, and Tina beside him did the same.

"Cheers!" Owen laughed heartily, raising his glass forward.

Everyone did the same, their glasses clinking together.

They looked at each other with smiles, not hesitating to drain the contents of their glasses in one gulp.

...

Deep into the night, Owen glanced at his companions still deep in slumber and the little Ice Soul Beast also passed out beside them.

A slight smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he waved his hand to cast a level 4 array, then walked off into the distance.

His bonds had returned to his side, and what he needed to do next was to continue growing stronger.

...

On this day, Owen learned that a dear old friend was imprisoned in the Sanctuary’s dungeon and decided to visit.

"Teacher, I want to go to the dungeon," Owen transmitted to his teacher Renat while walking towards the plaza of the first peak.

Shortly after Owen’s message, Renat replied, "The dungeon is in the Demon Battle Realm.

Show the guardian elder your token, and he will lead you there." Owen put away the transmitting stone and took out the token given to him by Renat.

He knew Renat was referring to a token of the same level as the "Saint Decree." Owen was unsure why the Sanctuary had granted him such high authority.

But since it was already bestowed, he intended to make good use of it.

Taking the teleportation array at the first peak, Owen arrived in the Demon Battle Realm, where the elder guardian noticed him.

"Oh? Renat’s disciple?" The elder, who was meditating, stood up to greet Owen with a friendly and welcoming demeanor.

"I apologize for disturbing the elder’s rest," Owen said respectfully, bowing slightly before handing over the token.

"Elder, I wish to enter the dungeon to meet someone."