Chapter 80 Ambition's Price
"Alright, let's move on to the next contender. Long Guan, please take the stage," the emcee announced.
Amidst applause, Long Guan rose from his seat and made his way towards the stage. Many members of the Long family were eagerly awaiting his turn. Some among them were already aware of his martial spirit, and they held high expectations, believing Long Guan would shine brighter than the other young talents.
This was partly due to his unique circumstances, having delayed the awakening of his martial spirit for two years.
Arriving on the stage, Long Guan closed his eyes, and a blue aura began to emanate from his body.
In the next moment, a giant dragon emerged behind him, accompanied by a watery spectacle. It dwarfed Long Yu's dragon in size, and its form was distinct – instead of limbs, it boasted fins on both sides and a tail seamlessly integrated with its body.
Its head exuded an intimidating aura, featuring the iconic characteristics of a sea dragon.
From its appearance, it was evident that it was a sea dragon.
Long Guan grinned with satisfaction; it was his martial spirit, the Sea Dragon.
Shortly after, text appeared on the screen.
Name: Sea Dragon
Ranking: A-Class
Soul power: 2100
Many were taken aback by these results. While A-Class was expected, a soul power level exceeding 2100 was impressive, even rivaling some S-Class martial spirits.
"Remarkable, an A-Class martial spirit with an astonishing soul power. It's not far behind S-Class, truly impressive."
"Long Guan, right? He's quite talented."
"Yes, just like his father, the Sea Dragon martial spirit."
Many praised Long Guan's achievement, recognizing the extraordinary soul power level of over 2000 as a significant feat.
Long Tian, however, observed the situation with an air of indifference. He knew that soul power was often more crucial than the martial spirit's ranking. Having a powerful martial spirit was pointless if one couldn't control it; that's where soul power came into play.
The emcee was about to deliver her applause when Long Guan interrupted her by gesturing to silence.
Many in the audience, who had been preparing to applaud, redirected their attention to Long Guan, curious about his next move. Even the emcee appeared puzzled.
On the other hand, Long Tian, well-aware of Long Guan's next action, remained composed.
"I still have something to show," Long Guan stated with a grin.
With that, he closed his eyes once more, and a blue aura radiated from his body.
In the following seconds, a colossal trident materialized behind him. From its appearance, it was evidently a weapon-type martial spirit.
As people were taken aback by this sight, text appeared on the screen.
Name: Trident of the Sea
Ranking: A-Class
Soul power: 1997
The audience was astonished by this unexpected turn of events. A dual martial spirit, both of them A-Class... that was exceedingly rare!
"Incredible, a dual martial spirit, and both are A-Class! Long Guan certainly has a bright future ahead."
"Haha, he's the son of one of the elders; it's no wonder he's so talented. But I'm more curious about Long Tian's martial spirit, the young master of the Long family."
"Hey, he must have his own merits."
Conversations buzzed throughout the audience. Long Guan observed the admiration of the crowd with a satisfied grin.
This was what he had strived for in the past two years—hard training in the depths of the Sea, culminating in the awakening of dual martial spirits connected to the sea: the Sea Dragon and the Trident of the Sea.
He was confident that no one could surpass him.
Long Zhan, watching this unfold, couldn't help but feel pleased. A dual martial spirit, and both were A-Class, was a rare and remarkable feat.
The young talents, both from the Long and Xia families, were also impressed by Long Guan's achievement.
Meanwhile, in a seat nearby, a man in his fifties wore a broad smile. He was Long Guan's father, Long Fuanyang. He was immensely proud of his son.
Not only did Long Guan inherit his Sea Dragon martial spirit, but he also inherited his mother's weapon-type martial spirit.
"Wow, truly exceptional. Dual martial spirit, and both are A-Class! Let's give a round of applause to Long Guan!" the emcee exclaimed with enthusiasm.
In the following moment, thunderous applause filled the air, welcoming Long Guan and his extraordinary dual martial spirits.
He returned to his seat, basking in the admiration of those around him, his gaze firmly fixed on Long Tian, his unwavering belief in his superiority unshaken.
"After witnessing such an extraordinary dual martial spirit, let's proceed to the next contender: Long Heng, please take the stage," the emcee declared.
******************
Over an hour had passed since the martial spirit showcase began. Long Tian and Liu Qian engaged in conversation, all the while observing the young talents as they showcased their martial spirits.
As predicted by his father, this year saw a plethora of young talents. In this evening's showcase, there were over 45 young talents participating. They all summoned dragon-type martial spirits, with Azure Dragons being the most common. All of them were A-Class, except for two who possessed B-Class martial spirits.
Right now, a young man of the same age as him returned to his seat after successfully showing his A-Class martial spirit, a Fire Dragon with 1134 soul power.
"Now, let's move on to the next contender, Long Tian, please take the stage," the emcee announced.
Long Tian flashed a confident smile as he stood up, making his way toward the stage.
Many people were anticipating Long Tian's martial spirit. As the son of the Long family patriarch, he was expected to awaken the same martial spirit as his father, which was an S-Class martial spirit.
Long Guan, on the other hand, wore a smug grin, eagerly anticipating Long Tian's martial spirit. He deliberately refrained from seeking information about it to maintain the element of surprise.
After all, Long Tian couldn't possibly have a stronger martial spirit than his own dual A-Class spirits.
Long Tian ascended the stage, and he simply closed his eyes. A red aura slowly emanated from his body, accompanied by a potent pressure that several could feel.
Long Guan, on the other hand, swiftly wiped the smug grin off his face, replaced by a grave expression. It couldn't be merely the martial spirit causing such intense pressure.
Many in the audience sensed this too, but it only piqued their curiosity further.
And just a few seconds later, a colossal dragon materialized behind Long Tian. Its limbs featured sharp talons, its body adorned with crimson, sturdy scales, and its fangs could rival the sharpness of swords.
However, the dragon's most striking aspect was its sheer size, overshadowing even Long Guan's sea dragon.
The audience couldn't help but gasp in astonishment at the colossal dragon. The unanimous thought that crossed their minds was that the dragon was unbelievably massive.
As the audience remained in awe, text appeared on the screen.
Name: Shen Long
Ranking: S-Class
Soul power: 8922
Everyone was left utterly flabbergasted by these results. An S-Class martial spirit with a soul power exceeding 8922 was an unimaginable feat.
"Damn, an S-Class martial spirit?! Sheesh, talent runs in the family."
"Right, Patriarch Long Zhan's S-Class martial spirit must have influenced him. Our family has a worthy successor!"
"Remarkable, if Long Tian wants my daughter, I'd agree in a heartbeat, even if it's just as a concubine."
Words of admiration and amazement filled the air. It was exceedingly rare for someone to reveal an S-Class martial spirit in all its glory.
Long Zhan, watching from the audience, swelled with pride for his son. Long Tian was his only child, and he had no intentions of having more.
The young talents from both the Long and Xia families were equally astounded by the spectacle.
However, Long Guan's expression darkened considerably. His fists clenched involuntarily, a turbulent mix of anger and frustration surging within him.
He had firmly believed that he would outshine Long Tian, but the reality was quite the opposite. The chasm between them was colossal, with Long Tian's soul power exceeding 8000, an almost unreachable pinnacle.
Accepting this was something he couldn't overcome.
Liu Qian, oddly enough, found herself beaming with pride for Long Tian. Observing him stand there magnificently with his S-Class martial spirit filled her with an unexpected sense of happiness.
Yet, amidst her feelings of pride, she also wrestled with guilt. In front of Long Tian's family, she had introduced him proudly as her boyfriend, even though their relationship was purely pretense.
Conversely, with her own family, she had never spoken a word about Ye Chen, her boyfriend, withholding the truth from her parents and everyone else.
This inner turmoil left her feeling uneasy, questioning the depths of her feelings for Ye Chen.
In the meantime, Long Tian wore a smug grin of satisfaction as he gazed upon the results displayed on the screen. He had never expected his soul power to exceed 8000, surpassing even his own expectations. Yet, this was an undoubtedly favorable outcome.
With these impressive results, he felt no need to unveil his second martial spirit.
The colossal dragon gradually dissolved into a mere illusion, and along with it, the formidable pressure it had exerted disappeared.
Recognizing this, the emcee swiftly declared, "Let's shower Long Tian and his S-Class martial spirit with a round of applause!"
The thunderous applause and praises filled the atmosphere. Long Tian responded with a simple smile and returned to his seat next to Liu Qian.
He cast a sidelong glance at Long Guan, his expression oozing with condescension.
As he observed this, Long Guan's anger flared up once more. He had never been so infuriated by anyone in his entire life.
'Just you wait, Long Tian. I won't surrender easily!' he vowed silently.
Similarly, in his heart, Long Tian said, 'Just you wait, Long Guan. I have a perfect ending for you.'
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