Gabriel looked at him for a second before stepping out.

"Lead the way."

ChaosCleric gave a quick nod and turned around. His footsteps were a little faster than usual, and from the way his shoulders stayed tense, it was clear that the dinner was not going to be peaceful. Gabriel followed without asking more, his white mask hiding his expression while the hallway lamps cast soft light across the polished floor.

They moved through two corridors and reached a wider part of the residence. The sound of music came from ahead, calm and elegant, mixed with low voices and the faint sound of cups touching tables.

The dining hall was huge.

Several long tables had been placed across the hall, each one arranged for a different force. Warm lamps hung from above, and a group of musicians played quietly near the far side. The atmosphere looked proper on the surface, but the eyes moving around the room made it clear that peace was only being maintained by restraint.

Gabriel noticed the arrangement immediately.

There were ten main tables.

Only four belonged to outside groups.

ChaosKnight, Olympus, Holy Church, and Broken Dawn.

The remaining six were occupied by Tianlan cultivation guilds. Longsword Guild was there as well, their members sitting with obvious pride while watching the outsiders like unwanted guests.

Gabriel entered with ChaosKnight, and the moment he stepped into the hall, many eyes turned toward him.

Some were curious. Some were guarded. A few were clearly hostile.

ChaosCleric lowered his voice. "Our table is this way."

Gabriel gave no reply and followed him.

IceQueen was already seated at the ChaosKnight table with Vv nearby. Several core members glanced at Gabriel when he arrived and unconsciously straightened. He sat down calmly, one hand resting on the edge of the table while his gaze moved across the hall once.

The dislike toward non cultivators was easy to feel.

It was not just from Longsword Guild. Several of the Tianlan tables were watching them with the same look. In their eyes, the outsiders should not have been here. The mission belonged to Tianlan, the tomb was in Tianlan, and the reward should also remain in Tianlan.

At the Broken Dawn table, Sophie sat with her posture straight while Cassie, Bunny, Ragnarok99, SniperBowLegend, and Samantha sat around her.

Ragnarok99 looked toward the entrance every now and then. His brows were tight, and his hand kept tapping lightly against his cup.

"He still hasn’t shown up," he muttered.

Cassie glanced at Sophie. "Did Sarah say anything else before we left?"

Sophie shook her head slightly. "Only that he would meet us here."

Bunny leaned back in her seat, her face showing a mix of worry and annoyance. "That man really likes appearing when he wants."

Sophie’s fingers rested lightly over the table. "He will come."

Her voice was calm enough to steady them, but even she could not fully remove the concern in the air. Gabriel had said he would join them here, yet the mission was already moving toward its first stage, and he was still nowhere to be seen.

Ragnarok99 exhaled through his nose. "I just hope he isn’t doing something dangerous again."

Cassie looked at him. "With him, that is usually the safest guess."

A few of them fell silent after that.

Across the hall, Gabriel heard enough of the conversation with his perception but did not react. He simply picked up the cup in front of him and took a small sip.

The dinner continued peacefully at first.

Servants moved between tables with controlled steps. Plates were placed down. Drinks were poured. The music remained calm in the background, and Liang sat at the Martial Palace table with Evelyn beside him, watching the room with quiet caution.

For a while, no one caused trouble.

But that kind of silence did not last.

A loud crash suddenly tore through the hall.

Bang!

One of the Tianlan martial artists slammed his palm onto his table with enough force to split it down the middle. Cups jumped. Plates shattered. Food spilled across the floor as the table broke apart and tilted sideways.

Several people turned at once.

The man who stood there was broad and rough faced, with thick arms and a long scar near his jaw. His robe carried the symbol of one of the six Tianlan guilds, and his aura was not weak. His face was red with anger, as if he had been holding himself back since the station.

His name was Gao Ren.

A captain from Iron Fist Hall.

Gao Ren pointed toward the outsider tables and spoke loudly.

"How long are we going to pretend this makes sense?"

The hall went quiet at once.

Liang’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Gao Ren did not stop. "Why are non cultivators here? Why are we avoiding the obvious question? This is Tianlan’s mission. The Buried God’s Tomb is in our land, tied to our history, and we understand it better than anyone sitting at those tables."

His gaze swept over ChaosKnight, Olympus, the Holy Church, and Broken Dawn. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Splitting the rewards with outsiders will only enrich other kingdoms and guilds. Why should our own tomb become their treasure ground?"

Several Tianlan cultivators nodded at once.

"He is right," someone said from another table.

"This should have stayed within Tianlan."

"Martial Palace and Longsword would have been enough."

"Why give away six parts of our fortune?"

The atmosphere changed sharply.

The outsiders did not look pleased either. Olympus stayed quiet, but a few members had cold expressions. The Holy Church showed no reaction, though the priests watched the shouting cultivators carefully. Broken Dawn’s table grew tense again, and Ragnarok99’s anger returned almost immediately.

ChaosCleric clicked his tongue softly. "Here we go."

IceQueen’s expression did not change much, but her eyes became colder.

Liang raised a hand and pressed two fingers against his forehead.

For once, he looked genuinely tired.

"This was already resolved."

Evelyn glanced at him. "It seems they do not agree."

"They never agree unless the answer favors them," Liang replied quietly.

Gao Ren stepped away from his broken table, his chest rising and falling with anger.

"We demand that the tokens be revoked," he said. "Let the four outsider groups hand them back. Tianlan can redistribute them properly."

A few more voices followed.

"Revoke the tokens."

"Give them to Tianlan guilds."

"The Martial Council should correct this."

Liang finally stood.

The hall quieted again, but the dissatisfaction did not disappear. He looked at Gao Ren, then at the others who had supported him.

"The Martial Council approved the invitation list," Liang said. "The Emperor also gave permission. You have no authority to overturn it here."

Gao Ren’s jaw tightened. "The council can be challenged."

Liang’s eyes sharpened, a sharp killing intent leaking from his body. "Choose your next words carefully."

Gao Ren raised his chin, refusing to step back now that everyone was watching.

"I invoke the ancient martial law."

The moment those words left his mouth, several Tianlan cultivators straightened.

Even some of the outsiders sensed that the meaning was not simple.

Liang’s face darkened slightly. "Gao Ren."

The man ignored the warning.

"In Tianlan, when a decision of the Martial Council or even the Emperor is questioned by strength, the old law allows a challenge through the fist. If their right to hold the token is doubted, they can prove it."

His gaze landed on the four outsider tables.

"Let them fight. A proper spar. If they can prove they are worthy, they keep the token. If not, they hand it over."