After receiving the large jar of wine, Clayton gave James a brief look, opened the jar and began to drink heartily.

Adina frowned and rose from her seat. Before she could express her discontent, James shot her a glare, signaling her to hold her peace. Then, he responded to Clayton telepathically, “Will Yehria be here?” Clayton sipped his drink and replied, “I'm not sure. I know this is a setup against you. At least eight powerhouses at the Yitro Daeclon Rank are waiting for you to make a move. Perhaps Yehria is also amongst them.”

James smiled calmly and said, “Since you already knew, why did you come? Are you also one of the powerhouses waiting to take action against me?”

Clayton's jar halted at his lips as he turned to glare at James. Then, he barked, “What the hell are you looking at me for? Do you have a problem?”

James was utterly dumbfounded by Clayton's sudden actions.

Clayton commanded, “Get up! Since it looks like you have a bone to pick with me, I'll have to teach you a lesson!”

Before James could respond, Clayton had already grabbed his arm. Then, he sent a message, saying, “Fight me, and I'll find a chance to get you out. We'll discuss the rest after we get to a safe place.”

As Clayton formulated a discreet escape plan, Adina, positioned beside James, suddenly unleashed a surge of purple-gold holy light directed at him.

Clayton instantly erupted with Murderous Energy and deflected the attack.

Boom!

A violent eruption ensued, causing shockwaves to spread throughout the hall. Pieces of Furniture were destroyed, and the grounds began to shake violently.

Amidst the chaos, James remained in his seat. Meanwhile, the other powerhouses were sent flying left and right.Material © of .

Without waiting for James to receive further cues from Clayton, Adina launched relentless attacks.

Clayton and Adina leaped into the air, changing their battlefield.

The sudden chaos left the other attendees in shock and disarray. Qadirre, the host of the banquet, was seething. “Is Clayton here to join the celebration on behalf of the Celestium Temple, or did he come just to stir up trouble?”

Ylva raised her head and asked, “Who's that woman? She seems to be holding her ground well against Clayton, who is at the Yitro Daeclon Rank.

Qadirre was instantly taken aback by the question.

Among the esteemed guests they had invited, very few were at the Yitro Daeclon Rank. Clearly, he did not recognize her.

Meanwhile, James remained calmly seated. He leisurely pulled out a jar of Chaos Absinthe and began drinking alone.

Adina’s impulsive attack on Clayton did not anger him. Instead, he grew even more calm as if everything was unfolding according to his plans. Suddenly, three purple-gold light rays appeared at James’ table, two men and one woman. They held wine glasses and settled into the empty seats at his table.

James was unfazed by their company and continued to drink his Chaos Absinthe.

The three exchanged meaningful glances and smiles.

Suddenly, one of the elderly men twirled his sideburns and exclaimed, “I heard the mortal beings’ Chosen One was remarkably brave and lawless. Seeing you today, you do indeed live up to your reputation.” The other man raised his glass and said smilingly, “He's the successor of Marciais Power, after all. An ordinary person would never have garnered Yianni's favor.