Chapter 166

Chapter 166: Various Calculations

"Yes."

Even though Meng Feixian, Qi Zijun, and the others felt disappointed, when they heard Ye Xu speak, they dared not refuse and could only agree.

No matter what, the Hidden Dragon Gathering had to have a perfect conclusion.

Nangong Zhandao, calm and composed, walked toward a golden bubble floating in the void.

Inside the bubble, twenty treasures drifted up and down, clearly the rewards for the top twenty of the Hidden Dragon Gathering.

Seeing Nangong Zhandao’s action, Yang Xuanzhan did not stop him.

At this moment, Nangong Zhandao, who had defeated seven opponents together, was indisputably the champion of the Hidden Dragon Gathering; he no longer needed to participate in subsequent battles and could naturally select his reward.

Nangong Zhandao mobilized his magic power, swept up the Enlightenment Tree, and placed it into his Purple Palace.

A gentle breeze blew, and the mysterious sound of the Dao echoed within Nangong Zhandao’s Purple Palace, cleansing his primordial spirit and putting him into an enlightenment state.

"Impossible? Is he going to break through?"

One Great Emperor looked on in shock; Nangong Zhandao had just advanced to saint level perfection yesterday, yet now he showed signs of stepping toward the Saint King?

"His foundation is too solid; I wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised if he advanced all the way to the great sage level in one go," the Empress of the Holy Mother Palace said.

The emperors deeply agreed.

Nangong Zhandao’s blade intent had already reached a level close to the Dao; one more step, and it would become the path of the sword.

He had already grasped the rudiments of the Great Dao.

It must be known that even seasoned great sages could never reach this state—only cultivators like Ao Bing, Yue Ruyi, and Lan Youruo, who had deep experience as quasi-emperors, had touched upon the realm of the Dao.

At such a young age, Nangong Zhandao had already comprehended the wonders of the Dao.

The emperors felt both ashamed and envious.

In all realms, cultivators were as numerous as fish in a river or stars in the sky.

Which cultivators who could prove their Dao were not talented elites?

But compared to Nangong Zhandao, they seemed mediocre and utterly incomparable.

Even among geniuses, there were hierarchies.

Dao King’s eyes flickered slightly; he had encountered many fortunes since childhood, yet it took him a thousand years to prove his Dao, and over ten thousand years to reach his current level.

Nangong Zhandao’s comprehension and fortunes made even him envious.

"He is too outstanding," Qilou Yan said solemnly, looking at Lan Youruo and advising her, "A tree that stands out will be the first to fall; if you stay with him, you will face immense pressure."

"I have no regrets," Lan Youruo said resolutely.

Since Nangong Zhandao had affirmed her feelings and been with her, she would never regret her choice.

Buzz!

The Enlightenment Tree swayed gently, its leaves adorned with mysterious patterns that held profound mysteries. To Nangong Zhandao, they appeared like traces of the Great Dao itself.

The sound of the Dao grew ever louder. Nangong Zhandao’s mystic arts spontaneously circulated, his spiritual power flowing perfectly. As naturally as water seeking its level, he advanced to the Saint King level.

This entire process took barely half the time one takes to drink a cup of tea.

Moreover, unlike Ao Lie’s breakthrough. The moment Nangong Zhandao broke through, his realm stabilized on its own. His aura was harmonious and whole, resembling a Saint King cultivator who had long been immersed in the realm.

He opened his eyes, a trace of a smile flickering within them. "Though this Enlightenment Tree isn’t the mother tree, the Dao mysteries it contains will suffice for my cultivation until I reach the peak of the quasi-emperor level."

"Thank you for bestowing this treasure, Senior."

Nangong Zhandao bowed deeply to Ye Xu.

"You defeated everyone, claimed the top spot. This is what you deserve," Ye Xu said with a light smile.

Having obtained the Enlightenment Tree, Nangong Zhandao walked down the battle platform.

Meng Feixian and her companions remained immersed in shock for a long time.

The gazes of the crowd were intensely complex—filled with jealousy, envy, fear…

"Gentlemen, let us continue," Yang Xuanzhan announced, reading the names. "Qi Wuhen, Yan Duxing."

"My lord, I fear I have no strength left to fight," Yan Duxing shook his head with a bitter laugh. Healed by Nangong Zhandao, his vital foundation was injured and required rest.

"Ahem…" Qi Wuhen said shamelessly, "Well then, this round counts as my win."

"You really have the nerve," Wei Du mocked with a sneer.

"Hmph!" Qi Wuhen retorted disdainfully, "Wei Du, even if I lose in the next matches, I’ll still rank eighth. You can’t even make the top ten. From now on, you’d better address me respectfully as senior brother."

Wei Du’s face darkened with frustration.

Yang Xuanzhan hadn’t anticipated Yan Duxing refusing to fight either. Flustered, he coughed hastily to mask the awkward moment. "Then Qi Zijun and Li Xieyun shall proceed."

These two had suffered the lightest injuries during their battles against Nangong Zhandao and still had strength remaining.

The two ascended the platform, exchanged brief courtesies, and then commenced their contest.

However, their defeat at Nangong Zhandao’s hands seemed to have greatly dampened their fighting spirit. Though their divine abilities were expansive and powerful, the entire affair felt more like going through the motions.

An hour later, the two were still locked in a stalemate.

"Not interesting," Ao Bing shook his head. "These fellows are all sharp-witted persons. After losing to Nangong Zhandao, none are willing to exert their full strength. Fighting like this, it’s doubtful they’ll ever reach a clear outcome."

Thud!

The moment he finished speaking.

Qi Zijun was suddenly blasted off the battle platform.

Li Xieyun froze for an instant, but understood immediately.

"Brother Li, what’s the use of settling for second place if you can’t get first? Doesn’t it just mean you’ll always be beneath someone?" Qi Zijun wore a self-mocking expression. "This second-place title, I’ll give it to you."

Li Xieyun’s face darkened at the clear implication that he was being made to accept the number-two spot.

"Makes sense."

Both Xuan Yu and Monk Juexin, along with the black-robed man from Yama Court, nodded thoughtfully.

"Next…"

Soon after, Xuan Yu and Meng Feixian ascended the platform.

Their duel was spectacular yet ultimately flashy, ending with Xuan Yu "narrowly" conceding defeat.

Monk Juexin and the black-robed man followed the exact same pattern.

Time crawled by, leaving everyone listless and utterly devoid of anticipation.

At noon the next day,

the final rankings were announced.

Meng Feixian took second place, while Li Xieyun, Xuan Yu, Qi Zijun, Monk Juexin, the black-robed man, Qi Wuhen, and others followed in sequence.

The result left Ye Xu both exasperated and amused.

With first place indisputably claimed, no one had bothered competing seriously for the rankings.

Of course, Ye Xu hadn’t gained nothing.

At least the deaths of Bu Linglong and Beitang Jue saved him two sacred artifacts. Applying the principle that every little bit counts, Ye Xu gladly accepted the outcome of the Hidden Dragon Gathering.

"So vast is the Yuan Realm, the grand ancestral home… it seems its legacy is now secure," remarked Mystic Law Sect’s Great Emperor, eyeing Nangong Zhandao with a smile. "Young friend Nangong, after today, your name will likely resonate across neighboring realms."

"On behalf of Mystic Law Sect, I extend an open invitation should you ever visit."

Nangong Zhandao remained expressionless, appearing to see through the Great Emperor’s intent.

His indifference cooled the Great Emperor’s demeanor. "Won’t accept grace when it’s offered," he scoffed, flicking his sleeve as he departed.

Watching Mystic Law Sect’s Great Emperor so publicly slighted discouraged others from speaking further with Nangong Zhandao.

Clearly, he was unyielding to any approach.

Recruiting him seemed impossible.

The emperors began leaving one by one.

Just before departing, Dao King sent a thread of Divine Sense into Lin Qianmo’s sea of consciousness.

"Daoist Friend Lin, regarding Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest, we rely on you to convey the message. Once arranged, we will collectively visit the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

Lin Qianmo gave a slight nod.

"Finally, it’s over."

Yang Xuanzhan breathed a profound sigh of relief.

These past few days had truly weighed heavily on him.

"City Lord, once I finish cleaning up here, we should properly have a few drinks," Yang Xuanzhan said with a smile.

"Any time you wish," the City Lord of Linglong laughed heartily.

"I’ll leave this place to all of you." Ye Xu wasn’t responsible for the cleanup work. He intended to head back to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion with Ye Xian’er in tow.

"Senior, please wait a moment."

Just then, Lin Qianmo suddenly appeared before him.

Ao Bing and the others glanced at her with surprise.

"What is it?" Ye Xu gave her a brief look.

"There are too many people around here. It might be better if I return to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion with you and explain things there slowly," Lin Qianmo deliberated before answering.

Ye Xu felt puzzled.

He couldn’t read Lin Qianmo’s thoughts without being within Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

Her request was just what he had in mind.

"Alright."

Under the perplexed gazes of Ao Bing, Yue Ruyi, Lian Jiuyou, and the others, Lin Qianmo departed the Hidden Dragon Gathering with Ye Xu, vanishing from everyone’s sight.

"Senior sister Lin isn’t a rash person. She looked quite tense just now; she must have important business," Yue Ruyi speculated.

"Matters at that level aren’t something we should get involved in," Ao Bing chuckled.

Lian Jiuyou clapped his hands lightly with a smile. "Well said, Old Dragon King."

"It’s been a long time since the few of us gathered. Why not meet today to discuss our strategy for dealing with what’s to come in a little over a month?"

"Perhaps we could join forces and form an alliance with the Dao Sect to safeguard our territory?"

Lian Jiuyou made a suggestion.

"Agreed," Yue Ruyi nodded.

She too had been considering an alliance.

The drastic upheaval in the Yuan Realm, with the emergence of ancient divine clans, was sure to turn their world upside down.

No one could predict what the situation would be like then.

They had to plan an escape route early.

"That’s exactly what I had in mind," Old Dragon King Ao Bing laughed. Lian Jiuyou’s words had hit the mark.