Chapter 517: All Region Teams Gathered
Hiztor wasn’t sure how to respond to so many various comments. He and his family were adamant to do everything to retain their territory’s status. But Hiztor wasn’t able to speak against his king’s warning. “... So your name’s Oliver?”
“Yeah.”
“And your last name?”
“Don’t have one,” stated Oli, confusing most people. “I’m a nomad that lost my parents before I moved to Trighton City to eventually meet Master Rhyner and then Master Zelsh... What? Do I need a last name to be a strong cultivator?”
Sighing, Hiztor nodded slowly, “No, but that means you have no clan or real backer apart from the mercy of stronger cultivators?”
All eyes on Hiztor widened as he kept verbally pushing back despite his king’s warning.
“Ha... You can think whatever you want. The same can also be true,” Oli chuckled. “Without your rich daddy and his money, would you still be standing here leading your team? Or would you be like them, playing a supporting role? Or maybe you wouldn’t have even made it here-”
.....
“That’s uncalled for-”
“So are you,” Oli kept talking, not letting Hiztor speak over him. “Stop acting like you’re a big shot and trying to kiss up to me as fellow team leaders. I never asked to speak to you and I still don’t have a reason to care about you. Make it through the first round and then maybe I’ll pay more attention to you. Anyone that only relies on their name for clout is doomed to get burned in the spotlight, but maybe you can prove that wrong.”
“... Master Rhyner, do I have your permission to fight him?”
Both teams were startled seeing how the conversation was developing. But neither of the kings present seemed to give much care to how the young cultivators were talking to each other. If anything, they would write off anything that came next since they’d already given their warning.
Rhyner nodded and sighed, “If that’s what you like, you can do whatever you like so long as you follow the rules of the competition. But don’t think that means you’re safe trying to kill Oliver. My warning wasn’t for Oliver’s sake...”
Both kings walked away, leaving Karos and the other Rhyner candidates speechless. But Hiztor silently nodded. “Good... Then I look forward to facing you, whether in the first round or the second.”
“...” Oli quietly blinked. He glanced at his teammates. Then he eyes Hiztor’s teammates. “... Do any of you also feel this way about me, even though you don’t know me?”
Immediately, everyone shook their heads in unison. Karos shook his head slowly but stopped when he noticed Yeter eyeing him. Yeter’s voice telepathically rang out, ‘Don’t even dare. Fighting him as any of you are right now can be considered suicide if he’s not feeling merciful.’
“... Leader Hiztor, perhaps we should back off,” Karos spoke up, trusting Yeter’s opinion without question. “There’s no point in making enemies for no reason-”
“He’s dared to disrespect me and call me out,” stated Hiztor, not looking away from Oli’s calm demeanor. “Since the rules say death is perfectly acceptable, I don’t see why we can’t fight seriously and just see what happens in the end. I’m confident that I’ll at least survive. You know my defenses, so don’t dare and tell me otherwise.”
“A defensive specialist, huh?” Shaking his head, Oli asked, “But why make enemies? I just asked to hear why Galdo Territory was special, but you got angry instead of explaining things.”
Pointing at Yeter, Hiztor replied, “Long-face over there dared disregard Galdo City as a mere village, knowing full well that it was a direct insult to my family. And since you’re representing him as team leader, not even asking him to correct himself, then I don’t see why I’m in the wrong. Galdo territory is proud and powerful. We’re not to be trifled with so easily.”
“... And you’re the family heir?”
Eyeing Oli, Hiztor nodded.
“... With an attitude like that, Galdo is worse off than I expected. I hope your old man is wiser than you and understands the difference between petty conversation and true insults,” sighed Oli, hiding his disappointed expression by burying his face in his hand.
“TAKE THAT BACK-”
“I won’t go for the kill unless you do,” Oli stated clearly and abruptly. “And if you dare attempt it, then don’t expect mercy. The moment the line is crossed is the moment of no return. I hope you can think about that while we wait to see if you’re lucky enough to face me later.”
“THAT’S ENOUGH!”
Jeerda’s voice cut through the tense conversation and forced everyone in the room to quiet down. Everyone’s attention was thrown to the teleportation circle, where Jeerda stood in front of six other kings including Zelsh and Rhyner.
“Welcome, all, to this year’s Permafrost Province Qualifier,” Jeerda didn’t shout but her voice was strong enough for everyone in the courtyard to easily hear her gentle tone. “It’s not yet time for me to explain what our first round will be, but I will now congratulate all of you young cultivators and your determination to make it this far.
“Many regard this as a chance for only team leaders, which isn’t entirely wrong. However, there’s a reason for that. We kings don’t only search for the strongest young cultivators but also who might make the best subordinates and supporting followers in the future. So consider this qualifier as an important opportunity regardless of whether you’re a team leader or not,” reasoned Jeerda, easing some of the repressed emotions that many of the young candidates were feeling.
“Now that everyone is here, we need all of you to properly line up,” Jeerda continued while glancing at those from Rhyner Region. “Once we’ve taken note of everyone participating, we’ll hand out a few items to help you during the first round’s team test.”
Hiztor nodded and huffed as he led the Rhyner Team back to where they once were.
Then, staff members of Permafrost Palace entered the courtyard to jot down everyone’s name, cultivation level, and team position. When everything was documented, each candidate was then handed a purple, thumbnail-sized gem with each team leader getting a slightly larger purple gem with threads of white inside.
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