LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 169: The Final!
Chapter 169: The Final!
“The sky has darkened. The competition will end here. The finals will be held tomorrow!”
The Minister of Rites announced.
The crowd, packed like a tide along the entire street, couldn’t help but let out a collective “boo”.
The Minister of Rites dropped his serious demeanor and returned to his playful old self, chuckling as he said, “Don’t think I’m deliberately teasing you all. The rules of the competition were set long before it began. Indeed, the finals must be held tomorrow because tomorrow is an auspicious day. The winner will directly marry Her Highness, the Princess.”
The crowd had no choice but to disperse.
However, Xu Lian secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He had originally thought that the elimination rounds would proceed day by day, but they had unexpectedly rushed straight to the semi-finals. In his original plan, he needed to fight and advance step by step to ensure victory.
With his current fourth-stage Grandmaster cultivation, he stood little chance against the unfathomable mysterious genius. He urgently needed time to improve his rank further.
This night of rest was crucial for him.
He had to gain progression points tonight and advance to Grandmaster fifth stage to have a chance of defeating the mysterious genius in the finals tomorrow.
Fortunately, he had specifically asked Huo Xin’er to come and watch the elimination rounds this morning. Given his display of fourth-stage grandmaster strength and heroic performance on the arena, Huo Xin’er’s admiration for him must have reached new heights. This was the perfect time to significantly boost her favorability.
“Are you tired after watching the matches all day?”
Xu Lian smiled as he walked over to Huo Xin’er and took her hand.
Huo Xin’er’s eyes were indeed filled with fervent admiration as she looked at him. “Not tired. I never expected Master to have already reached the Grandmaster fourth stage. You’ve been hiding your strength all this time.”
Xu Lian’s heart was burning with excitement. He loved seeing her admire him like this. Without hesitation, he took her back to the inn.
This was not a night of silence… but rather a night of many words.
The next day.
When Xu Lian saw the notification about his favorability points, he was struck by immense joy.
[Name: Xu Lian]
[Rank: Fourth-Level Grandmaster]
[Skills: Sacred Spirit Record (Complete), Breaking Wind Sword Technique (Volumes 1-2-3), Seven Styles of Primal Gang (Complete), Short Strike – Shadow Chase…]
[Items: Sword of Destruction (Not Equipped)]
[Note: Huo Xin’er’s favorability toward you has increased from 85/100 to 92/100. You have gained 3 progression points. You may choose to allocate them to Rank, Skills, or Items.]
Three progression points!
Gaining three progression points in one night was unprecedented. Previously, the most he had gained in one go was two progression points.
This showed how much Huo Xin’er admired him now.
“Assign the points to the rank!”
Xu Lian silently ordered.
[Rank allocation complete. Add sixteen Spirit Enhancement Pills to advance to the Grandmaster Fifth Stage.]
He glanced at Huo Xin’er, who was still asleep beside him, and took out the sixteen Spirit Enhancement Pills he had prepared earlier. Holding them in his hand, he thought silently: Add materials.
[Materials added successfully. Promoted to Grandmaster Fifth-Stage]
As the sixteen Spiritual Enhancement Pills turned to ash, his rank improved.
He continued to add points.
He continued to add materials.
Advancing to the Sixth-Stage Grandmaster!
He allocated points again.
He added materials again.
Advancing to the Seventh-Stage Grandmaster!
“Even if that mysterious genius is incredibly strong, facing a cheater like me, he can only lose…”
Xu Lian closed his eyes, deeply savoring the overwhelming sense of power he felt at this moment.
He got up, washed up, and had breakfast with Huo Xin’er, Jiang Yunyan, and Miao Yueyue. Then he took Huo Xin’er to the finals, wanting her to continue watching his matches. He felt that 92/100 favorability wasn’t Huo Xin’er’s limit. He wanted her to admire him even more, and become his devoted follower. This way, her favorability would surely rise to new heights.
The final arena was set up at the 3,764th layer, the layer closest to the imperial palace. This was the highest level most people in the capital could reach, as the palace was generally off-limits to the public.
Like the day before, the entire street was packed with people, a sea of black heads stretching as far as the eye could see, resembling a dark river.
But unlike the day before, this time it wasn’t just noblewomen, young ladies, and a few idle nobles watching the competition. The emperor, dressed in a five-clawed golden dragon robe, the imperial family, the entire court, and guests from various factions were all present.
Perhaps because of the emperor’s presence, the entire place was eerily silent. No one dared to make a sound.
Xu Lian’s eyes swept over the women beside the emperor. Unfortunately, he didn’t see either Li Xiya or Yang Chan’er. He was both disappointed and worried, wondering how Xiya and Chan’er were doing.
Suddenly, a person beside the emperor caught his attention. This person had a pale, beardless face, a gloomy expression, and a tall, thin figure. It was the man who had sneaked into his home in Green Bamboo Town.
So, he’s a eunuch… Xu Lian recognized the man’s position from the eunuch’s official robes. It seemed that he was the chief eunuch serving the emperor.
The chief eunuch clearly recognized Xu Lian as well. His expression changed slightly, and he leaned down to whisper something into the emperor’s ear. Xu Lian didn’t need to guess to know that this man was up to no good…
Sure enough, the emperor’s expression turned grim, his brows furrowed, and his gaze sharp as a sword as he stared at Xu Lian.
Xu Lian felt a stinging pain all over his body, as if his flesh were about to split open. This shocked him. With his seventh-level grandmaster cultivation, just a glance from the emperor made him feel like he was in danger of being torn apart. What kind of power was that? It was beyond his comprehension.
Fortunately, the emperor’s gaze slowly shifted away from him, and he didn’t take any further action.
Xu Lian heaved a sigh of relief. The feeling of having his life in someone else’s hands was extremely uncomfortable.
The emperor said something to the chief eunuch.
The chief eunuch immediately stepped forward and announced in a loud, rhythmic voice, “Summon Xu Lian to approach the throne.”
Everyone was a bit confused. They were sure that they hadn’t misheard. Only Xu Lian was summoned, not both finalists. This seemed unusual.
However, the emperor’s will was inscrutable, and no one dared to question his actions.
Xu Lian really didn’t want to get close to the emperor, whose cultivation was unfathomable. But he had no choice. He had to obey the emperor’s order. Step by step, he walked up to the high platform, passing by noble ladies, noblewomen, princes, dukes, and the entire court, until he reached the steps in front of the emperor’s throne.
“Your humble subject, Xu Lian, pays his respects to Your Majesty.”
Xu Lian bowed and cupped his hands in a salute. There was no kneeling in the imperial court of this world. This was the highest form of respect.
“Boom!”
A thunderclap rang out in the clear sky.
Xu Lian suddenly felt his vision blur, and the world spun around him.
The high platform was gone.
The street was gone.
The entire capital was gone. Instead, he found himself in the house on New Street in Green Bamboo Town!
What the… Xu Lian knew that this was an advanced technique. He was no longer the inexperienced novice he once was. He had mastered the Sacred Spirit Record, which contained similar techniques, though his current cultivation level wasn’t high enough to perform them.
At this moment, the house in Green Bamboo Town was eerily quiet. Only the Emperor and he were present. Everyone else had disappeared.
“A seventeen year old seventh stage Grandmaster. A truly remarkable talent. If nothing unexpected happens, you will undoubtedly become a top tier powerhouse in the future. You are truly worthy of my daughter, Xiya.”
The emperor’s voice was calm, showing no emotion.
Xu Lian didn’t dare to be careless. One wrong word could cost him his life. He bowed again and said, “Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. Your humble subject, Xu Lian, grew up with Xiya. We share a deep bond, and I cannot let her go. Therefore, I have endured countless hardships to come to the capital and participate in the selection of the royal son-in-law. I hope to reunite with her and continue our relationship. I beg Your Majesty to grant me this wish.”
The emperor said, “Who told you that this is a selection for Xiya’s husband?
Xiya is merely the illegitimate daughter of a chance encounter I had with a woman outside the palace. Even though she has perfectly inherited the imperial bloodline, it doesn’t change the fact that she is an illegitimate child. How could a princess of such low status have such a high-profile selection for a husband?
Use your brain. Such a grand selection must be for my legitimate daughter, the princess born to the empress.”
“…” Xu Lian’s mind went blank. He felt as if his head were buzzing.
The Yin Dynasty was choosing a husband for the Empress’s legitimate daughter? Not Xiya?
But the White Fox Town Guard commander had clearly told him that it was for Xiya. Given the commander’s vast connections and true identity, could she have been mistaken?
There were three possibilities.
The first possibility: The White Fox Town Guard Commander was careless and really made a mistake. This possibility was extremely unlikely. It was unlikely that the commander couldn’t tell the difference between choosing a husband for a legitimate princess and choosing one for an illegitimate princess.
Second possibility: The White Fox Town Guard Commander knew that it was a selection for the legitimate princess, but he deliberately lied to Xu Lian, telling him that it was for Xiya. This was to force him to compete with other geniuses and to temper him through the trials…
This was very plausible.
After all, the White Fox Town Guard Commander had a “track record”.
Previously, when Xu Lian needed the ingredients for Nightbloom Flower, the commander had them but refused to give them to him, forcing him to go to Yanfu County to gain experience.
At this thought, Xu Lian’s mouth twitched. The White Fox Town Guard Commander could be quite devious at times… This had really put him in a difficult position. If he angered the emperor, he wouldn’t have enough heads to spare.
Third possibility: The emperor was lying.
Maybe the emperor didn’t want Xu Lian to be with Xiya and wanted to persuade him to withdraw?
Or maybe the mysterious genius had a powerful background, and the Yin Dynasty wanted to form an alliance through marriage, and did not want someone like Xu Lian, who had no significant background, to become the royal son-in-law?
However, given the emperor’s status, he didn’t need to go through such trouble. He could simply find an excuse to dismiss Xu Lian without resorting to elaborate lies.
Therefore, the possibility of the emperor lying was low.
“Your Majesty, are you suggesting that I withdraw from the finals?”
Xu Lian was in a dilemma.
Although the possibility of the emperor lying was low, it couldn’t be completely ruled out. What if this selection was really for Xiya? If he withdrew from the final round, he would be handing Xiya over to someone else. How could he bear that?
But if he insisted on not withdrawing and tried to take both Xiya and the legitimate princess… he would likely anger the emperor and risk losing his life.
What should he do?
The emperor spoke calmly, “I am not asking you to withdraw from the finals. You have fought your way to the finals on your own. If you have the ability to win, there is no harm in betrothing both the legitimate princess and Xiya to you.”
Not having to withdraw from the finals was a relief… Xu Lian now deeply understood the ways of this world. People didn’t care how many princesses he married; the only thing that mattered was whether he had the ability to do so. His worries were totally unnecessary.
Xu Lian was curious, “What is the background of the other finalist? Why is he so mysterious?”
The emperor replied, “The finals are about to begin. If you have the ability to force him to reveal his true form, you will naturally find out. If you are easily defeated like the other geniuses, you will only know when he marries the legitimate princess”.
With that.
“Boom!”
A thunderclap echoed, and the scene of the house on New Street in Green Bamboo Town vanished.
Xu Lian found himself still standing on the high platform, in front of the emperor’s throne. No one else seemed to notice what had happened, which made him inwardly shocked. The emperor’s cultivation was truly impressive. Thinking about it, it made sense. In order to rise above the many princes and ascend to the throne of the Yin Dynasty, the emperor’s strength must be extraordinary.
The emperor said, “I have said what needs to be said. You may go.”
The crowd looked on curiously, wondering what the emperor had discussed with Xu Lian.
Xu Lian bowed and cupped his hands in salute, then retreated slowly before turning and walking down the high platform.
He returned to the waiting area for the finals.
The Mysterious Genius was already there, still shrouded in mist. No one knew his true identity.
However, the Emperor and the higher-ups of the Yin Dynasty could certainly see through the mist, but they had not revealed anything.
“The rules for the finals will now be announced.”
The Minister of Rites was still in charge of presiding over the event and serving as the referee.
“The rules of the finals are different from the elimination rounds.
The preliminaries tested the individual strength of the contestants.
The finals test the overall strength of the contestants.
Therefore, there are no restrictions in the finals.
You may use weapons, magical tools, forbidden techniques, or other items that exceed your cultivation level.
You can also call for help to fight on your behalf.
In short, no matter how you win the match, you will become the royal son-in-law.”
Damn it… Xu Lian’s heart sank. This so-called “comprehensive strength” was basically a competition of family background and connections. If the other party called in a powerful expert, how could he compete with him?
Although he had a powerful protector from the Sword Pavilion, the protector wouldn’t help him in the match unless his life was in danger.
The crowd, which had been silent the whole time, couldn’t help but murmur.
“What does ‘comprehensive strength’ mean? This is just a competition of family backgrounds. Whoever has the stronger backing among the two finalists will become the royal son-in-law.”
“This mysterious genius skipped the preliminary round and the first round, and went straight to the elimination rounds. It’s clear that he has a powerful background. This is so unfair to Xu Lian, who rose up from the commoners. What kind of background could he possibly have?”
“Sigh, we were too naive to hope that Xu Lian would become the royal son-in-law. The imperial family never intended to marry the princess to a commoner genius.”…
The Minister of Rites returned to his stern demeanor, ignoring the murmurs. He continued with the announcement, “The finals are about to begin. Please, the two finalists, enter the arena.”
The mysterious genius, shrouded in mist, stepped onto the arena.
Xu Lian considered whether or not he should just concede defeat. After some thought, he decided to step onto the arena as well.
What if a miracle happened?
If the Sword Pavilion’s powerful protector could hold off the forces behind the mysterious genius and buy Xu Lian enough time to face him one-on-one, there might still be a chance.