Divine King Chishui was clearly pleased upon seeing Jiang Chen. He laughed and said, "Junior Elder Zhen, how have these past few days at Taiyuan Celestial Palace been for you?"
"Very well. The food is good, the sleep is good. It's rare to be this comfortable." Jiang Chen's answer was rather formulaic.
Divine King Chishui laughed heartily. "Have a seat. I have a few friends coming to visit shortly. They've heard this king speak of you, so they've grown very interested in you and insist on meeting you. While it's not exactly convenient here, there's no harm in a brief meeting."
Jiang Chen had no idea what exactly Divine King Chishui saw in him. The latter seemed remarkably enthusiastic about him, holding him in very high regard.
While Jiang Chen didn't mind this regard, at this critical juncture, he had no desire to become the center of everyone's attention.
Just as Jiang Chen was about to say something, a commotion arose from outside the door.
Among the voices, one hearty laugh stood out above the rest: "Haha, as expected of Brother Daoist Chishui — you've got the clout to arrange a place like this. Someone like me doesn't have that kind of pull. We're both Divine Kings, yet the place I'm staying is nothing but a rundown little manor. How depressing."
The one who spoke was a fellow with a face full of fat who bounced in like a basketball. His massive frame was downright comical, yet his smile carried an easy warmth that made him immediately approachable.
His enormous body had blocked the view of the people behind him. It wasn't until the fat man walked in that Jiang Chen noticed three more individuals trailing behind him.
One of them had well-proportioned features, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, projecting an air of righteous dignity. He looked somewhat imposing, yet inspired reverence.
Of the remaining two, one wore robes the color of azure ocean water, his entire presence clean and refreshing, as though he possessed the same vast openness as the sky and sea.
The last one was a gaunt cultivator with a rather stern expression. When he set his face in that rigid mask, he seemed thoroughly unapproachable.
However, Jiang Chen could tell at a glance that all of them should be vassal lords of the Divine King level. Though the aura each exuded was quite different, the bearing of a Divine King was unmistakable.
"Heh heh, you lot certainly put on airs. It took this king inviting you three or four times before you'd deign to come?" Divine King Chishui chuckled, rising to greet them.
The fat Divine King sighed. "Brother Daoist Chishui, we did want to visit sooner. But once we arrived, either I was busy or they were busy. Getting everyone together when we all have free time — it's no easy task."
That was the plain truth.
Every Divine King had their own social circle, and social obligations were inevitably plentiful. Especially at a gathering like this, where no one had met up in a very long time. Finding a time when everyone was free was genuinely difficult.
The blue-robed Divine King studied Jiang Chen with a smile. "This young man must be the Junior Elder Zhen that Brother Daoist Chishui is always talking about?"
Jiang Chen hurriedly cupped his fists in salute. "This junior is Zhen Shi, an Elder of the Evil Star Sect. I pay my respects to all the Divine Kings."
"So it really is him. Not bad, not bad." The fat Divine King pinched his thick chin, clicking his tongue approvingly. Fat people generally didn't like to offend anyone, so everything that came out of their mouths was always "not bad."