Chapter 624: Ch 624 - The Northern Region Awaits You

First, sorry for disappearing over the past few months. I was working 3 jobs every day, so I had absolutely no time. Sadly, because some other websites were reposting this for free, the revenue became very low, so things ended up going that way.

The good news is that I’ve gotten more familiar with the jobs now, and I finally have some time to work on updates again.

I’ll try to update daily, so please support me if you can. :) Just not through here, PayPal or crypto if possible, because the fees take a huge cut.

thanks again and enjoy.

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"Since Nangong Xi of the Frost Palace has conceded, the Tournament Champion for this round is Yino from the Grand Tutor’s He mansion, representing the Ranmo Peak of the Wuji Sect!"

Hovering high in the air, the white-haired old man shook his head in resignation as the Silver Moon Fairy collapsed, announcing the final result of the tournament in a deep voice.

The moment the words left his mouth, the crowd of Cultivators below froze in shock.

A dead silence stretched for ten seconds before the entire Immortal Alliance Pavilion erupted in a frenzy.

"What the hell? Nangong Xi, the Divine Maiden of the Frost Palace, conceded!"

"She’s the Reincarnation of the Moon Goddess, a legend who’s never lost a single battle to anyone of her generation since the day she was born!"

"Damn it, he held my goddess in his arms! That kid got to take advantage of her!"

One male Cultivator ground his teeth in pure envy amidst the roaring cheers.

Before his voice could even fade, several female Cultivators cheering nearby snapped back at him.

"Young master Yino is this year’s champion! He’s the strongest Heaven’s Pride of his generation among the Five Great Immortal Sects! If anything, Nangong Xi was the one taking advantage of him!"

"Exactly! Young master Yino comes from the Grand Tutor’s Mansion, so neither his talent nor his family background is inferior to Nangong Xi’s!"

"Damn it, I bet a whole month’s worth of food money on her!"

A Cultivator who had participated in the pre-match betting slapped his thigh in frustration.

Beside him, a young master in luxurious robes looked incredibly grim. "Stop whining, I bet fifty taels of silver and lost every single bit of it."

"Who’d have thought I’d witness lady Nangong Xi’s very first defeat? I’m going to get a severe scolding from my old man when I return home tonight!"

With two consecutive shocking upsets, the rowdy spectator stands gradually devolved into complete chaos.

During the commotion, Yino watched as a silver-haired girl from the Frost Palace flew down from the seventh floor.

Trotting up to him in a panic, she opened her mouth to speak, but Yino took the initiative to hand the unconscious Nangong Xi’s back to her.

"Your sister is fine. She merely overused her forbidden art, leaving her vitality depleted, and she just needs some rest."

He spoke softly, ignoring her faint hostility.

Hearing this, Nangong Li froze for a moment.

She held her sister tightly as her expression softened. Worried that demanding her sister back would only invite mockery, she felt a sudden pang of guilt bloom in her chest.

"Th... thank you..."

The silver-haired girl bit her lip as her haughtiness faded. Compared to her sister, she possessed a far more innocent, youthful charm.

Yino knew that although the girl shared the same surname, parents, and bloodline as her sister, their Soul strengths were worlds apart. Strictly speaking, Nangong Li was the true successor of the Frost Palace’s Holy Maiden Lineage. Nangong Xi was merely an avatar body born from the reincarnation of the Silver Moon goddess from the upper realm, essentially cutting in line as an unexpected older sister.

Later in the story, Nangong Li would suffer a tragic fate, reduced to a mere spare blood bag for her sister due to their identical bloodlines.

Having grown up in the shadow of such a flawless older sister, it was impossible for Nangong Li to develop an arrogant personality.

Because of this, Yino showed far more patience toward Nangong Li than he ever did toward her sister.

"Yes."

He nodded, signaling that she could return to her seat.

The girl nodded, straining slightly as she carried her sister away.

On the Dao Testing Pavilion, the white-haired old man who had been maintaining order descended from the sky once again.

Casting a glance at Yino, he waited for a brief moment before suddenly slamming his staff heavily against the floor.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A terrifying pressure rippled out from the base of the staff, instantly silencing the noisy clamor of the entire Immortal Alliance Pavilion.

"Silence, everyone."

The old man held his staff in one hand and kept the other behind his back as he spoke in a solemn voice.

"Next, we welcome her majesty the empress to present the grand prize of this year’s Immortal Alliance Tournament!"

Hearing mention of the grand prize, the three thousand spectators below recalled something and widened their eyes in anticipation.

Ever since the founding of the Immortal Alliance, they had served as the official host for numerous tournaments across the lands every year.

But the most anticipated event was always the Annual Tournament held in the Imperial Capital, which had essentially become an annual festival for the cultivators.

For the Annual Tournament to generate such intense hype, it naturally required the immense wealth of the Immortal Alliance, which was backed by the royal family.

In previous years, the prize for the champion was at least an Ancient Artifact of the Remnant Immortal Realm, with the second and third place prizes scaling down accordingly...

Because of this, the Immortal Alliance could attract the top Heaven’s Pride from all over the world to travel thousands of miles to compete in the capital.

In the early years of its inception, the talented youths came for the secret treasures, but as the officially endorsed Immortal Alliance grew in prestige, the rankings of the Annual Tournament became a prestigious certification of strength, much like the imperial civil service examinations for Cultivators.

The opening ceremony of this year’s Annual Tournament had even featured a personal speech from the newly crowned True Dragon Empress, making it the grandest event in recent memory!

Everyone could not help but wonder what kind of world-shaking prize the empress would bestow upon the champion today.

"He Yino..."

High on the platform, the White Dragon girl dressed in imperial robes spoke pridefully.

Hearing her voice, Yino looked up to see Nina let out a soft snort, smiling with satisfaction.

She elegantly raised her hands, forming a lotus seal before her as a melodious dragon roar escaped her lips.

Rumble!

In an instant, a golden divine aura erupted from beneath her imperial skirt.

A pair of dragon horns grew from her forehead, and she transformed into a pure White Dragon with glowing golden eyes, soaring into the sky under the gaze of the crowd.

The White Dragon circled above the crowd several times, letting out two supreme roars before descending to transform back into her human form right in front of Yino.

Instead of touching the ground, her white-silk-clad feet hovered just inches above the floor of the Dao Testing Pavilion.

"Beautiful..."

Yino stared blankly, captivated by the flawless face of the White Dragon girl.

Caught under his intense gaze, Nina blinked rapidly as a soft pink blush crept onto her cheeks, with a few faint white scales shimmering behind her ears.

But Nina was not playing around with Yino in private today. She stood here as the True Empress, with three thousand cultivators gazing upon her with deep reverence.

Clearing her throat to feign composure, she quickly returned to her state of divine majesty, her eyes turning ethereal and filled with Divinity as an awe-inspiring royal pressure radiated from her.

Floating forward slowly, she stopped right before Yino and looked down at him with admiration and approval, speaking in a clear, powerful voice that echoed across the entire arena:

[Yino, today you have triumphed over all, defeating the top talents of the Divine Abyss Gate and the Frost Palace to claim the title of Tournament Champion. This is a grand blessing for our empire!]

[The extraordinary martial skill and unyielding will you have displayed are like the dawn light piercing through heavy clouds, forcing everyone to take notice!]

Nina enunciated every word perfectly, and her speech carried a divine resonance that struck deep into the hearts of the listeners.

The divine power in her words summoned a gentle breeze, fluttering her wide imperial sleeves and skirt, while her snow-white hair, held up by the Nine Dragons Golden Hairpin, danced elegantly in the wind...

Yino watched in a daze. The lively, gluttonous girl he knew so well suddenly felt distant and holy, enveloped in a sacred aura.

Or perhaps...

Yino had indeed underestimated her all this time.

Distance truly lent enchantment. Looking up at her majestic figure, Yino finally understood the sacred image she held in the eyes of the world.

However...

Knowing her habits from their time at the Dragon Palace, Yino knew she always spent ages practicing her speeches in front of a mirror before every morning court session. She had undoubtedly memorized and rehearsed this speech countless times at home.

With that thought, her holy, majestic image crumbled slightly in his mind.

But since this was the Dao Testing Pavilion under the watchful eyes of thousands, Yino did not dare to be disrespectful, quickly kneeling on one knee and bowing deeply.

"I’m deeply honored by Your Majesty’s favor and praise!"

Nina looked down at him, her eyes softening with a proud smile.

She raised her hand, retrieving a dusty, ancient dragon-carved box from the void, and carefully presented it with both hands.

"He Yino, in this Annual Tournament where strength reigns supreme, you have emerged victorious with your extraordinary talent. Today, I present this sword to you as your well-deserved reward."

"This is not only a symbol of your personal glory, but also an inspiration to the countless citizens of our empire to strive toward higher realms of cultivation!"

"May you hold this sword with great ambition, like a roc soaring through the Nine Heavens. May you fear no obstacles on your path of cultivation and achieve even greater heights! We hope you will contribute to the prosperity of our empire, using your strength to protect the lands and establish an unparalleled legacy!"

Nina continued to recite her speech, which she had rehearsed countless times in private.

Yino listened in a daze, staring at the box radiating a true dragon aura. Memories of the White Dragon girl whispering sweet dreams in his arms that night drifted through his mind.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he accepted the box with both hands, unable to hide his emotion.

"I won’t disappoint Your Majesty!"

He spoke with firm certainty and resolve.

For a fleeting moment, Nina felt as if the youth kneeling before her was a knight being knighted, and she was the empress he would defend to his very death.

She thoroughly enjoyed this feeling, knowing that her private practice over the past few days had not been in vain.

However, she did not reveal the Ancient Imperial Sword inside the box to the public.

She wanted him to open it tonight as a surprise, planning to personally infuse her own dragon blood into the sword to awaken the Sword Spirit and teach him how to wield it step-by-step inside the Dragon Palace. This sword was their little secret!

"You may rise."

The White Dragon girl spoke in a cool, detached tone.

Yino stored the box in his spatial void and stood up.

Looking around at the crowd below, he met the eyes of his Senior Sister and the others before finally shifting his gaze to lock eyes with the young master in luxurious robes sitting in the Lin mansion’s section.

Lin Yuchen looked incredibly sullen. Remembering the threats he had uttered earlier, he glared coldly at the center of attention in deep humiliation and rage.

"The Spring of April..."

"I’ll be waiting for you in the Northern Region."

"..."

Gritting his teeth, he paused for a moment with a look of pure malice.

"Since you love playing the hero so much, you can rot in the Northern Region alongside Lin Che."