Chapter 182: The Night Before the Red Flag
The announcement of Tony Clark’s victory continued echoing across Nine Lotus Academy long after the spectators had left the arena.
For many participants, the tournament ended the moment they were eliminated.
For the martial world, however, the real impact was only beginning.
Before sunset had even arrived, recordings of the Golden Flag battle spread across every major martial network in the country. Countless clips replayed the same scenes repeatedly.
Tony shattering Parker’s spear with a single punch. Tony humiliating the bald monk. Tony and Emma’s final clash beneath the collapsing silver lotus. Every major news outlet competed to release analysis videos, expert reviews, and speculation regarding the mysterious dragon techniques he had displayed.
The headlines became increasingly dramatic.
"Clark Family Heir Dominates Golden Flag!"
"Tony Clark Claims Thirty World Tree Blessing Slots!"
"The Dark Horse No More!"
"Is Tony Clark the Strongest Young Genius of This Generation?"
By midnight, the discussion had completely exploded.
Millions of views.
Millions of comments.
Millions of arguments.
The martial world had found its newest obsession.
Meanwhile, the financial world reacted even faster.
The Clark Family’s business network experienced a surge unlike anything seen in years. Investors who had been hesitant only days earlier suddenly rushed toward Clark-owned companies. Family-linked corporations saw their stock values rise dramatically overnight as confidence returned to the market.
Several analysts openly described it as the "Tony Effect."
The logic was simple.
The World Tree Blessing represented opportunity.
Opportunity meant resources.
Resources meant future power.
And power always attracted money.
Throughout the night, communication departments inside the Clark Family remained fully occupied.
Partnership offers arrived continuously.
Investment proposals flooded their inboxes.
Old business rivals suddenly became friendly.
Long-forgotten allies suddenly remembered past friendships.
The entire family seemed to rise several levels in status overnight.
Inside the Clark Family headquarters, celebration filled the main hall.
Several elders laughed loudly while reviewing reports.
One old man nearly spilled his tea after reading the latest numbers.
"Another twelve percent increase!"
A second elder immediately snatched the report.
"Impossible!"
A third elder burst into laughter.
"Thirty World Tree slots! Do you think people are stupid? Every major family wants a relationship with us now."
At the center of the gathering sat Patriarch Rion Clark.
The smile never left his face.
His son had completely exceeded expectations.
Not just his expectations.
Everyone’s expectations.
Even now, he occasionally reread the official ranking announcement simply because it felt satisfying.
Tony Clark.
Golden Flag Champion.
Thirty World Tree slots.
The words looked beautiful.
Unfortunately, the subject of all this excitement wasn’t present.
Tony had quietly returned to his room shortly after the tournament ended.
The celebrations interested him far less than everyone assumed.
Meanwhile, across the city, another family experienced a very different atmosphere.
The Imperial Family residence remained unusually quiet.
Nobody celebrated.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody discussed business opportunities.
The defeat of Mark Smith had struck harder than most outsiders realized.
For years, the Imperial Family heir represented an invincible image among the younger generation. Regardless of whether he ranked first or second, people always assumed he would eventually stand above everyone else.
Then Emma Rock defeated him publicly.
The result shattered more than pride.
It damaged confidence.
Inside a private training hall, Mark sat alone.
His sword rested beside him.
The room remained dark.
Hours passed without movement.
Eventually the door opened.
King Jamie Smith entered quietly.
Unlike many fathers, he didn’t begin with criticism.
He simply walked forward and sat beside his son.
Several minutes passed before either spoke.
The silence felt comfortable.
Familiar.
Finally Jamie placed a hand on Mark’s shoulder.
"Still thinking about it?"
Mark laughed bitterly.
"How can I not?"
The king nodded.
That answer made sense.
After all, defeat always hurt.
Especially the first meaningful defeat.
For a long time Jamie stared toward the distant night sky visible through the windows.
Then he spoke calmly.
"Do you know why I came personally?"
Mark shook his head.
Jamie smiled slightly.
"Because you remind me of myself."
That finally caught Mark’s attention.
The king continued.
"When I was your age, I lost too. It felt like the world was ending. I couldn’t eat. Couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t accept reality."
Mark remained silent.
Jamie chuckled softly.
"Then my father beat me and told me to stop acting like an idiot."
Despite himself, Mark laughed.
The tension eased slightly.
Jamie’s expression became serious again.
"The Golden Flag is finished. Forget it."
Mark frowned.
"Forget it?"
"Yes."
The king’s eyes sharpened.
"The tournament isn’t over."
A dangerous aura slowly emerged from him.
"Tomorrow, the Red Flag competition begins. Twenty World Tree slots. Twenty opportunities. Twenty reasons not to make another mistake."
Mark looked toward his sword.
The disappointment inside him gradually transformed.
Not into anger.
Into determination.
Jamie patted his shoulder once more before standing.
"Learn from defeat."
Then he smiled.
"But don’t marry it."
The king left.
The room became quiet again.
This time, however, Mark’s eyes no longer looked defeated.
They looked focused.
Very focused.
Elsewhere, inside the Nine Lotus Academy guest residences, Emma Rock faced a completely different problem.
Visitors.
Too many visitors.
Ever since the truth about her background became public, powerful families suddenly developed remarkable interest in her.
An orphan.
A top genius.
A future powerhouse.
No political baggage.
No family obligations.
To many organizations, she represented a perfect investment.
Invitations arrived continuously.
Marriage proposals.
Partnership offers.
Adoption requests.
Training opportunities.
Resource sponsorships.
Some families even offered direct elder positions despite her age.
Emma looked increasingly tired.
Natasha sat nearby drinking tea while observing the pile of invitations growing larger every hour.
Finally Emma dropped another letter onto the table.
"Rejected."
Natasha smiled.
"That makes twenty-three."
Emma sighed.
"Twenty-four."
Another servant arrived.
Another invitation.
Emma didn’t even open it.
"Rejected."
Natasha nearly laughed.
"At least read them."
Emma leaned backward.
"Why?"
Natasha raised an eyebrow.
Emma looked out the window toward the distant academy grounds.
"Because none of them are offering what I want."
The older woman became quiet.
She understood immediately.
The issue was never status.
Never wealth.
Never resources.
Emma already possessed those things.
What she wanted...
Was far more complicated.
Outside, the academy slowly settled into silence.
The tournament would continue tomorrow.
The Red Flag competition awaited.
Twenty World Tree slots remained undecided.
Yet hidden beneath all of that excitement, another countdown quietly continued.
Eight days remained before the World Tree Blessing bloomed.
Eight days before the greatest opportunity of their generation opened.
And somewhere far away in the Pacific Ocean, new cracks continued spreading across the giant golden pod, while invisible waves of ancient energy pulsed through the sea like the heartbeat of a sleeping god waiting to awaken.
-
Note: Leave Some gifts for this poor author! Thank you for support guys!
