The speaker was none other than the black-robed youth who had excelled in the first three rounds. At his words, the atmosphere, which had been on the verge of erupting, fell silent.
Even Ye Fenghua’s expression shifted slightly.
The gazes of the youths in the arena sharpened. The Lanlan Empire had its share of disputes with neighboring empires, and the Young Spirit Controller Refining Competition had always barred foreign spirit controllers from participating.
They certainly didn’t want their resources nurturing another empire’s talent.
Yet, judging by the black-robed youth’s words, he clearly wasn’t from the Lanlan Empire. Somehow, he’d infiltrated the imperial city and joined the competition.
Not only had he reached the finals, but he’d boldly declared it in front of everyone, catching them all off guard.
This was an blatant challenge to the Lanlan Empire’s dignity and the Spirit Controller Alliance’s authority.
Ye Fenghua’s expression hardened, and he said coldly, “You’re not from the Lanlan Empire?”
The black-robed youth nodded without hesitation, “I am Yunfeng, a spirit controller from the Moyu Empire. I’ve long heard of the Lanlan Empire’s abundance of talent and countless young spirit controller geniuses, so I came to see for myself. I trust Alliance Leader Ye won’t object to me sparring with your empire’s youths?”
“Hmph, the Lanlan Empire’s Spirit Controller Competition is only for our own youths. You dared to sneak into the imperial city and join? You’ve got some nerve!” a youth in the arena snapped.
Yunfeng cast a disdainful glance at him, a mocking smile on his face, “Oh? Are all you Lanlan Empire spirit controllers just empty reputations? So many of you, yet afraid of losing to a single outsider from the Moyu Empire?”
He turned his gaze to Ye Fenghua, “Alliance Leader Ye, I admit joining the competition uninvited was presumptuous, but I genuinely came to test myself against your empire’s young spirit controllers. I hope you’ll permit me to compete in the finals. If I somehow win the championship, I’ll forgo the reward.”
“Of course, if you’re unwilling, I’ll leave the competition now.”
Yunfeng’s tone sounded polite, but the biting sarcasm in his words grated on everyone’s ears.
Though a Moyu Empire infiltrator had slipped in, driving him out publicly would leave the Lanlan Empire open to claims that its spirit controllers were inferior, unable to match a Moyu outsider.
This was a subtle coercion, pressuring Ye Fenghua to let him compete.
The arena fell quiet, all eyes on Ye Fenghua, awaiting the response of this titan of the spirit controller world.
Ye Fenghua’s gaze grew colder, his fingers tapping the table as he pondered. After a moment, he said, “The Lanlan Empire isn’t that feeble. If you want to compete, I’ll allow it. Should you win the championship, the reward is yours! But whether you can claim it isn’t decided by words alone.”
As the leader of the spirit controllers, Ye Fenghua prioritized the bigger picture, unwilling to let the Lanlan Empire Spirit Controller Alliance be branded as bullies or inferior in skill.
The other dignitaries on the jade platform remained silent, tacitly endorsing his decision.
“Truly, Alliance Leader Ye embodies the grace of a master. I thank you,” Yunfeng said, a glint of excitement flashing in his eyes, a sinister curve tugging at his lips. He swept an arrogant gaze over Ye Yu and the other youths, “Then I’ll gladly take that champion’s reward.”
His tone was outrageously cocky, as if the title was already his.
“Hmph, talking big won’t strain your tongue? Yunfeng, do you think the Lanlan Empire has no one capable? Claiming the championship now, aren’t you celebrating a bit too soon?”
Wu Gong stepped forward, his voice a frigid shout. As one of the top young geniuses, he’d been outshone in the first three rounds and was already seething.
Now, learning Yunfeng was an infiltrator from the Moyu Empire and hearing him claim the championship before the contest even began—completely dismissing him—how could he not be furious?
The other youths felt the same. Yunfeng’s insult targeted the entire empire’s young spirit controllers.
The elite of the empire’s youth, outdone by Yunfeng alone.
“You’re right. So what if you did well in the first three rounds? Even if you’re the top genius of the Moyu Empire, do you think we’re all pushovers?” Ye Yu’s face darkened, glaring at Yunfeng, his voice icy.
Lin Xiao’s eyes narrowed too. There was something about Yunfeng he couldn’t quite grasp.
Sure, Yunfeng had performed impressively in the first three rounds, but not as well as him. To so arrogantly dismiss him too, Yunfeng must have some hidden trump card.
Lin Xiao was curious to see what gave him such confidence.
Unfazed by Wu Gong and Ye Yu’s challenges, Yunfeng remained calm and composed. He glanced at Ye Yu, Wu Gong, and Lin Xiao, his voice dripping with disdain, “To put it bluntly, you lot aren’t worthy of vying for the championship with me!”
With that, he stepped forward, and a vast wave of spiritual power surged from his mind, a powerful pressure bearing down on Lin Xiao and the surrounding crowd.
“Third-grade advanced spiritual power!”
Lin Xiao’s expression tightened. He hadn’t expected Yunfeng to be a third-grade advanced spirit controller.
Under thirty and at third-grade advanced, no one in the Lanlan Empire had reached that level. Yunfeng stood alone in the arena.
No wonder he was so confident. With third-grade advanced spiritual power, refining a single third-grade advanced elixir would make him nearly unbeatable.
This hit Lin Xiao with a wave of pressure. He’d planned to refine a third-grade advanced Yellow Heaven Elixir for a strong shot at the title, but against a true third-grade advanced spirit controller, even a successful Yellow Heaven Elixir might not suffice.
“What, you’re a third-grade advanced spirit controller!” Ye Yu’s face grew grave.
He’d assumed Yunfeng was just third-grade intermediate. Though Yunfeng had outperformed him in the first three rounds, Ye Yu, as Ye Fenghua’s nephew, was confident in refining the highest-grade elixir.
But facing a third-grade advanced spirit controller with comparable talent, his confidence wavered.
Wu Gong’s gaze froze. At third-grade elementary, his high talent let him refine third-grade intermediate elixirs across grades, aiming to challenge Ye Yu for the championship.
Yet now, a third-grade advanced spirit controller had emerged. Unless Yunfeng failed outright, Wu Gong couldn’t compete.
The odds of a highly skilled third-grade advanced spirit controller failing in such a competition were slim.
He’d all but lost his chance at the title.
Wu Gong’s and his master Fan Renlou’s faces outside the arena turned grim.
The entire scene stiffened.
A third-grade advanced spirit controller under thirty—an unmatched talent in the Lanlan Empire today. The winner of this competition seemed obvious.
If Yunfeng were from the Lanlan Empire, reaching that level so young would’ve thrilled the crowd. But he was from the less-than-friendly Moyu Empire.
If he took the championship, the Lanlan Empire would lose all face.
Every spirit controller in the empire would feel the shame.
