Chapter 345: Chapter 339: The Lowest-Tier Empire
"Ho ho... Old Dan, your granddaughter truly becomes more lovely by the day. I remember when I first saw her, she was just a cute little girl. Now, that little lady’s title as the greatest beauty resounds throughout Holy Tomb Mountain." Dilaka stroked his beard, lavishing praise on her. His expression grew a little distant, and he suddenly sighed. "Time is such a fickle thing. It can mature a little girl into an unparalleled beauty, yet it never forgets to add a few more wrinkles to the faces of us old geezers."
Shan Qiuhen gave a resigned smile. "You old rascal, you still love dwelling on such pointless things. This is just the law of nature: the new replaces the old, and all things move in a cycle. To want to transcend it... Heh, how did I let you infect me with this mood? Let’s just listen to this girl Ziyan host."
The scene shifted to the Xuanling Empire’s viewing section. After their recent boastful declaration, the Holy Hall Demon Castle Squad was still riding a wave of excitement. However, after the bravado, every one of them understood one thing clearly: they had to give their all in the upcoming matches, no matter what. Otherwise, their words would come back to slap them hard across the face, turning them into objects of ridicule, or worse, a cautionary tale for countless other academies.
Qin Garden watched Di Cang with a complicated expression. She understood perfectly why he had done it. He had decided to burn his bridges and stake everything on this one desperate gamble. This was a make-or-break moment. If they succeeded in this tournament, it would mean the rise of the Xuanling Empire. But if they failed, it would mean the Xuanling Empire no longer had a reason to exist. An empire that couldn’t even participate in the Imperial Tournament could no longer call itself an Empire...
"Sister Bingling, that girl is so pretty!"
Just then, Ye Shuangshuang, who was sitting to Mu Bingling’s right, suddenly spoke up, her eyes fixed on the woman standing composedly in the center of the arena, filled with utter astonishment.
In fact, even before Ye Shuangshuang had spoken, Mu Bingling had already noticed the woman, whose beauty was in no way inferior to her own. For some reason, she sensed a trace of her father Mufeng’s elegant and free-spirited nature in this young woman—a feeling of transcending all worldly matters, of ignoring mortal affairs in a yearning for freedom.
What was most striking was her vibrant, lively personality. It was as if she didn’t care about the opinions of others, no matter where she went. In her world, there was only herself, content and at ease. It was a disposition that probably none of them could ever achieve.
"Friends from the various empires, welcome to the Sacas Empire’s Imperial Arena Square, the Peak of the Holy Mark! This will be the battlefield where you compete and fight against one another. I am your host for this Imperial Tournament, Shan Ziyan."
Shan Ziyan’s voice wasn’t exceptionally melodious, but it carried a soothing magic that gradually calmed everyone’s tense nerves. A faint smile graced her small, delicate lips. Despite being the focus of tens of thousands of eyes, she showed not a hint of stage fright. Her well-proportioned figure stood casually in the center of the field, her every movement carrying an air of effortless grace. Her stunning beauty attracted the frequent gazes of men from countless empires, yet they found themselves unable to form any impure thoughts, only wondering where such a naturally perfect woman could have come from.
’She’s a woman like the wind,’ Mu Bingling couldn’t help but conclude in her heart.
"She’s truly beautiful."
Even Mo Qing, at her side, couldn’t help but say it aloud. But Little Tiger, who was sitting next to her and stuffing his face, wasn’t happy. He frowned and said with a straight face, "I still think Sister Bingling, Sister Mo Qing, and Sister Shuangshuang are prettier."
Hearing this, Mo Qing, Mu Bingling, and Ye Shuangshuang all chuckled, casting appreciative glances at Little Tiger.
"This kid may be a little slow usually, but he sure knows what to say when it counts. How about I treat you to a feast after today’s matches are over?"
Ye Shuangshuang giggled. What girl doesn’t like to be complimented? Although they knew that Little Tiger’s compliments were always based on familiarity; to him, anyone he was close to was the most beautiful, regardless of their actual looks.
As soon as he heard Ye Shuangshuang was treating him to a feast, Little Tiger was overjoyed. "Okay! Okay! In that case, Sister Shuangshuang, you’d better be prepared. I can eat a lot!"
Ye Shuangshuang smiled faintly. "Don’t worry, you won’t eat me into poverty."
"Hehe..."
With that topic closed, Shan Ziyan’s opening remarks had also quickly concluded during their brief conversation. She was now explaining the rules of the tournament. Although Di Cang had already gone over the rules with them on the way, he hadn’t given them the complete picture.
As Shan Ziyan’s lively and unrestrained voice filled the air, the rules of the Imperial Tournament became clearly imprinted in everyone’s minds. Broadly speaking, the tournament consisted of four parts: the ranking competition for Low-class Empires, the ranking competition for Middle-class Empires, the ranking competition for High-class Empires, and finally, the ranking challenge matches.
These four parts would not be held simultaneously, but would proceed in order from lowest to highest. The final winner among the Low-class Empires would earn one chance to challenge a Middle-class Empire. If they won, they would replace that Middle-class Empire, taking its Empire Level and rank, and simultaneously gain the right to participate in the Middle-class Empire ranking competition.
The Middle-class Empire ranking competition would begin after the conclusion of the Low-class Empire ranking competition and the Low-class Empire’s challenge match. The final winner would earn one chance to challenge a High-class Empire. If they won, they would replace that High-class Empire, taking its Empire Level and rank, and simultaneously gain the right to participate in the High-class Empire ranking competition. The final High-class Empire ranking competition was scheduled for last, but it would be held tomorrow.
Having understood the rules, the group couldn’t help but admire Shan Ziyan. In such a high-pressure environment, most people would feel nervous just from being surrounded by the crowd. Yet Shan Ziyan not only seemed completely unfazed, but she had also explained the entire tournament’s rules in a concise and easy-to-understand manner.
"Heh heh... This little girl is quite clever. No wonder they let a young lady like her host the Imperial Tournament this time." Di Cang smiled, his eyes filled with appreciation.
"I have now finished explaining everything. The remaining time will be devoted to the first part of the Imperial Tournament: the ranking competition for the Low-class Empires. To make it easy for everyone to find their assigned arena number, the Empire’s Inspectors have already placed your participation numbers under the seats in your respective viewing areas. Will all participants of the first stage please find your arena number under your chairs, and then proceed to fight according to the summons of each arena’s referee."
After speaking, Shan Ziyan bowed to everyone. Leaving the crowd with one last, stunningly radiant smile, she turned gracefully and, with a light tap of her toes, leaped up to the special seating area. In a few bounds, she was beside Jun Wu, who was writing furiously, and affectionately hugged her arm.
"Sister Jun Wu, how was I? Did I do a good job hosting?" Shan Ziyan’s eyes were full of expectation.
Hearing Shan Ziyan’s voice, Jun Wu stopped her Elemental Power Pen, took off her glasses, and gently tapped Shan Ziyan’s nose with a smile. "Of course you were great. Much better than the old men who hosted in previous years."
Jun Wu was never stingy with her praise for Ziyan. Although she was a new student who had distinguished herself in this year’s internal selections, she had quickly won the approval of Holy Tomb Mountain’s upper echelons after her arrival, thanks to her intelligence and lively, free-spirited nature. That was precisely why Holy Tomb Mountain had allowed Shan Ziyan to host this Imperial Tournament.
"I knew Sister Jun Wu would say that."
In her family, Shan Ziyan was not an only child; she had a powerful older brother. It was because of him that she wasn’t harassed by others at Holy Tomb Mountain. But a brother was still a brother, and aside from some occasional care and concern, he rarely spoke with her. Ever since meeting Jun Wu, however, Shan Ziyan had come to see her as her own flesh-and-blood sister. That’s why Jun Wu’s approval meant so much to her.
"Little sister Ziyan, this should be your first time watching the Imperial Tournament. You should pay close attention. The number of monstrously talented Martial Artists here is no less than within Holy Tomb Mountain."
Watching Shan Ziyan’s affectionate gesture, Jun Wu lovingly stroked her hair, her eyes filled with doting affection.
Shan Ziyan pouted. "The matches between Low-class Empires are like children playing house. There’s nothing worth watching."
Hearing this, Jun Wu frowned slightly and said softly, "Ziyan, you’re mistaken. On the Extreme Martial Continent, many people are forced by circumstance to keep a low profile, to restrain themselves, but that doesn’t mean they’re weak. When someone insults or harms them, they can erupt with terrifying strength. And among these Low-class Empires, such people also exist..."
As she finished speaking, a flash of wisdom appeared in Jun Wu’s eyes. The corner of her eye inadvertently glanced toward a certain viewing area, where a few figures were frantically searching for something underneath their seats.
Jun Wu didn’t know that high above her, two old men had taken in her every expression. They exchanged a glance, and both saw a hint of confusion in the other’s eyes.
...
"Eh? I think I found it..."
A cry of surprise came from Little Tiger’s mouth. The other four all looked up at him. In Little Tiger’s hand was a Jade Token sealed with a white strip.
Di Cang reached out and took the Jade Token. Primordial Power gradually gathered at his fingertips, a detail that showed he was very familiar with these tokens. Under the impact of the Primordial Power, the seal on the Jade Token broke with a CRACK. The light faded, and two numbers clearly materialized above the Jade Token.
"One, two. What does that mean?"
Qing Lei was a bit dazed; he couldn’t glean any information from those two numbers.
But when Di Cang saw these two numbers, his recently calmed expression turned grim once more. "Heh, it seems even fate wants our Xuanling Empire to show its strength early."
Di Cang’s words left everyone confused. Seeing their puzzled expressions, he forced a smile. "The ’one’ stands for the arena number. Arena One, the very same one that young lady host was just standing on. The ’two’ represents your matchup number. If nothing goes wrong, you’ll be in the very first fight. According to the Imperial Tournament’s rules of proceeding from lowest to highest... this means the Dynasty considers our Xuanling Empire to be... the lowest of the low."
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