Banquet

The combination of life and death made it a popular place for righteous cultivators to train, not only offering them a never ending supply of opponents to hone their skills against, but also all sorts of natural resources to strengthen their cultivation.

Of course most cultivators weren't brave enough to take such a risk, but every so often a legend was born from amidst the blood and fire of the Red Earth Continent.

With Minos's Heaven Forsaken Furnace, cultivators were actually his best resource, but he wasn't evil enough to just kill innocent people, so the Red Earth Continent was seemingly made for him.

However the Red Earth Continent was quite a distance away from the Blue Line Continent, Minos having to pass through the Frozen Tundra, Mountainous Abyss, and Shadow Walker Continents before he could arrive.

One had to remember that each continent was significantly larger than the Alephora Continent, meaning that even with Minos's current cultivation, reaching it would likely take years.

Right now wasn't yet the time to make such a journey, but Minos knew he would inevitably have to go there, so he decided to learn everything he could about the place beforehand.

Finishing his cultivation, Minos tucked himself under his covers, and even though he didn't really need much sleep at his current level, he still enjoyed a proper rest every once in a while

…

Waking up early the next morning, Minos joined Jena and Old Man Joyata in the dining room, Jena having already set him a place.

"So, are you planning on going to that banquet today?" Old Man Joyata asked as he slowly sipped his tea.

"Banquet?" Jena said, not even giving Minos a chance to respond.

"That's right, Mr. Minos got invited to a banquet by Mr. Dethwin." Old Man Joyata replied.

"Mr. Dethwin!? Are you for real!" Jena said ecstatically.

"You know him too?" Minos asked.

"Who doesn't know him! The nicest hotel in Blue Beach City is owned by him. I've always wanted to stay there for a night, I heard it's super luxurious!" Jena said, her eyes fantasizing.

"Then why don't you both come with me? It'll be a bit lonely if I go alone." Minos suggested.

"Really! Can you do that?" Jena asked with excitement.

"Why not? The invitation says I can bring two guests, just enough for the both of you."

"Great! What do you say grandpa?"

"You guys can go ahead, I still have the clinic to look after."

"Come on old man, how often does an opportunity like this come? The clinic isn't going anywhere, but this is once in a lifetime!" Jena shouted.

"You heard your granddaughter, just come join us for a bit, and if you really have to leave, you can go whenever." Minos said.

"... Fine, but only for a bit." Old Man Joyata said, finally conceding.

"Yay, trust me, you won't regret it. Even the lobby of that hotel is so amazing, so just imagine what the banquet hall is like?"

"Well since we've decided, you guys get prepared, the banquet's starting in a few hours, and we wouldn't want to be late." Minos said, finishing up the last sip of his tea before heading off to clean up.

As he reentered his room, he suddenly realized he didn't actually have any proper clothes, his last robe having been torn to pieces from the ocean tides.

Currently he was wearing a loose robe Old Man Joyata had given him, but it didn't fit his body properly, making him look a bit awkward.

With money to spare, Minos decided not to skimp, so after a quick clean with some water Nux, he headed off to the fanciest clothing store he could find.

As he stepped in, his large stature immediately attracted the workers attention, but more importantly then that was his face, which was already known around Blue Beach City by this point.

Despite the workers getting excited over a star coming in, they held back, still trying to act professional.

"How may I help you Sir?" One beautiful young lady said, taking the lead among her colleagues.

"I'm looking to change up my wardrobe, I need everything from suits, to robes, to streetwear." Minos replied.

Hearing his words, the young lady's eyes couldn't help but glimmer, Minos's entire body shining like gold.

"No problem Sir, we have all that and more! Let me just get your measurements and we'll get right to it!"

Nodding, Minos walked into the measuring area and stretched out his arms, allowing her to do what she needed to.

"You're very large Sir, which is quite rare, fortunately our store is the best in Blue Beach City, so we have attire for all sizes!"

"That's good to hear."

"Well then, shall we start with suits or streetwear?"

"You decide."

Nodding, the young lady proceeded to lead Minos across the entire store, from one section to another.

With each stop, she'd pick something out for him and have him test it, giving her own personal opinion after he came out the dressing room.

Like this, an hour passed by in a flash, and fortunately the time wasn't for nothing, Minos having acquired an entire wardrobe of clothing, covering all grounds.

But leaving the best for last, he still had to acquire a proper suit, so after a quick search, the young lady handed him a blood-red suit, feeling it matched his colors.

Not one who knew much about fashion, Minos just nodded, trusting her opinion as he took the suit into the changing room.

After a minute or so, Minos stepped out, the suit fitting his body perfectly, allowing his muscles to show.

Of course compared to his younger years, Minos was as thin as a bone, but he still crushed normal men when it came to his physique.

"My heaven's, you look so handsome!" The young lady said with shining eyes, being completely genuine.

It had to be said that despite Minos's old age, he had never lost his charm, and if he ever chatted up someone's grandma, he'd likely soon become their grandpa.

Fortunately he didn't use his powers for evil, so the grandchildren of the world didn't have to worry.

"Thank you." Minos replied, not taking the compliment seriously.

"Well then, anything else you're looking for?" She asked.

"That's everything, thank you for the help."

"Then let's get you checked out." She replied, taking Minos's large pile of clothing to the checkout table.

After another five minutes or so of checking out every article of clothing, the price finally came up, totaling a whopping 1200 Nux Stones.

Not bothered, Minos handed the money over, tossing an extra hundred Nux Stones to the young lady who helped him, causing her eyes to glow and everyone else to look at her with tremendous envy.

She already got a 1% percent cut from any deal she helped make, so she ended up with 112 Nux Stones total, which equaled about three months of her pay.

Waving goodbye to Minos with a big smile on her face, Minos headed out of the store, but he didn't go home immediately, instead heading to a nearby shoe store.

He'd pretty much been walking barefoot these last few days, which fortunately with his cultivation didn't affect him much, but enough was enough.

So without holding back, Minos once again splurged, buying an entire set of nearly a dozen shoes before walking back to the clinic contentedly.

As he headed inside, he found Jena and Old Man Joyata already ready, Jena wearing her nicest dress, and Old Man Joyata his finest suit.

"Look at you two, if I didn't already know you guys, I'd swear you were fashion models." Minos said.

"Stop, you're making me blush." Jena said with a shy smile.

"You're one to talk. I look like an old fart in comparison." Old Man Joyata said, even finding himself surprised at how good Minos looked in his red suit.

"Yeah Mr. Minos, you're so handsome I bet you could get a woman a quarter your age!" Jena added.

"Maybe I will?" Minos said with a smile, though there was a sadness behind it that neither of them noticed.

After a bit more chatting and laughing, the three finally headed out, their fancy attire catching everyone's attention as they hit the streets.

Taking the lead, Minos was the first to enter the hotel, heading up to the receptionist and handing the banquet invitation to her.

"You must be Mr. Minos! Mr. Dethwin has been wanting to meet you for a while. He's quite a refined man, never having been one too fond of strength, instead much preferring intelligence."

"Then he'll love me." Minos said.