"Mhm. The Four Great Dragon Families have a point. A celebration is not complete without a battle."
Ancestor Kain Bloodlife gave a heavy nod.
"True. However, I think this battle should be a manipulation of essence energy, not physical might." Ancestor Krane Parazen added.
"Ahahah! You don’t need to worry." Thorus Zlatan laughed as he mockingly cast a glance at the Nine Western Territories’ youths, "When our youths battle, they will use their Essence Gathering Cultivation instead of their Body Tempering Cultivation which is way higher than all your so-called geniuses’ Body Tempering Cultivation."
Ancestor Krane Parazen visibly heaved a sigh as if he was exasperated before he shook his head.
"No, it’s because a contest between young experts is not complete without rewards. I am willing to take out a Law Tree Fruit for the ultimate winner of this contest."
"A Law Tree Fruit...!"
Almost everyone in the hall became frozen.
Wasn’t that one of the confirmed rewards for the Nine Western Territories Young Expert Competition? Why is it being given out now?
However, the Mystic Ice Sect and Vital Tempering Sect were able to tell the reason because they knew why exactly the competition was postponed. With the new competition, the rewards must be elevated, and the previous rewards would be taken down anyway.
"Oh! Now you’re talking!" Thorus Zlatan’s eyes lit up before he shook his head, "However, such a resource, my dragon families can get it without a problem as we are wealthy and we are not attracted to such a resource either, so don’t worry."
Sarax Orcha smilingly nodded.
"Right, even if our youths ended up getting the first place after they first acknowledged an opponent in Essence Gathering Cultivation, we don’t want it. You can just give that Law Tree Fruit to the one who won the second place."
’Yes! I know that! That’s why I didn’t want you all to have it.’
Ancestor Krane Parazen inwardly mumbled, but he didn’t speak on it. He just wryly smiled, disliking the guts and arrogance of the Dragon Families, but since their arrogance was justified, he could only keep his mouth shut.
Suddenly, a melodious voice echoed.
"However, a contest between the younger generation only takes place with the permission of the host. If the host is against it, then I’m against it as well."
Sect Master Bing Luli gazed at him.
"What do you say, Ancestor Dian Alstreim?
"Why not? I’ll allow it."
Ancestor Dian Alstreim made an annoyed expression when he heard the other powers speak on their thoughts before he finally acquiesced as if he was forced to, but inwardly, he was smiling like the devil.
"Is that so?" Sect Master Bing Luli smiled with a hint of confidence, "Then I’m willing to send my top disciple to battle in this contest. Let’s make this a battle of challenges, but the powers get to decide who they send off to battle, and since this is a celebration, no one should make killing moves, and the weaker cultivator must know when to admit defeat. Otherwise, no one can blame someone else for deaths and crippling injuries."
"I agree, Sect Master Bing Luli."
Ancestor Dian Alstreim nodded as he inwardly laughed.
He was already of a mindset to showcase Davis’s prowess to the world if the chance presented itself as he was aware the powers he invited might try to put him down this way.
He didn’t even have to control the flow to make it happen.
Of course, he was only willing to show Davis’s Essence Gathering Cultivation prowess and not Soul Forging Cultivation. His Body Tempering Cultivation’s prowess at the Martial Sage Stage was already known to Dian, so he knew that no one would challenge him with that unless the Dragon Families brought powerful youths to counter him for that purpose.
With every power agreeing and wanting a battle, the scenery below the altar and the platform quickly changed, replaced with a platform that was kilometers long and wide.
The Grand Wedding Hall itself was ginormous; built to host hundreds and thousands of people with ample space, so placing a platform in the middle of the hall didn’t seem to crowd the people. Instead, the youths even shuffled and picked their spots to sit and have a better view of the battle while the ones at the Eighth Stage and the Ninth Stage all flew above, making their own platforms out of thin air, getting their cushions and flying mats from their spatial rings.
Davis felt that it was absolutely phenomenal to look at. In a short five minutes, the entire seating arrangement changed as if they had practiced beforehand. It was something mortals wouldn’t be capable of doing unless they practiced a thousand times or something of that caliber.
However, he was now seated with the younger generation, and surrounding him were naturally still his women. However, Mo Mingzhi sat beside him, holding his arm as she pushed her bosoms towards him.
"You little girl. How dare you use this confusion to your advantage?"
"Well, when life gives you lemons-"
"I know what comes after that, but seriously, you’re low-key making me horny."
Davis’s brows twitched as he tried to disgust her away.
"Really? That’s what I’m trying to do. Yay!~"
Her reply made him feel helpless, but Mo Mingzhi widely smiled as she squealed, her expression looking shy while she also seemed to crave those words from him. However, her brows frowned as she looked around slightly.
She didn’t like the attention she was getting from the youths even though she wore a black veil. Their intent was rather obvious, invoking her killing intent. However, her expression changed as he saw a person arrive in front of her. Her expression then became wry.
"That’s my place..."
Natalya, who just returned after seeing her friend Tanya Frostblight narrowed her eyes.
Mo Mingzhi took her hands away from Davis and raised them in surrender, "I’m not here to take that place away from you."
She stood up and let her over, "I’m just looking for my own place in his heart."
Natalya coldly stared before her expression was replaced with a smile, "You can sit with us."
"Sure~"
Mo Mingzhi smiled as she sat beside Fiora.
Davis was left speechless by Mo Mingzhi’s ability to gain approval from them like it was nothing.
’This is bad... She’s becoming more attractive by the second...’
He looked away, abruptly matching his gaze with two familiar women before he smilingly nodded towards them. He then gazed away and wrapped and spoke with Evelynn and Natalya, discussing the powers and the youths from the other families.
His entire group of harem listened to him while looking at him.
"How good~~~"
On the other side, three voices filled with a bit of yearning simultaneously resounded out before their expressions froze when they heard each other. They looked at each other and saw that they sat in a triangle, but in those three, two of them recognized each other.
It was none other than Tanya Frostblight and Dalila Leehan. Their eyes were wide as they saw each other’s expressions. Their cheeks instantly adopted a shade of crimson, but then, they were confused as they saw the third woman and simultaneously asked.
"Who are you?"
"Me...?"
A young black-haired woman with a black veil and a robe of the Twilight Physician Hall spoke.
"I’m called Lerissa, and I’m a core disciple from the Twilight Physician Hall, but none of that matters because I’m an avid follower of Davis Alstreim and his way of doing things. After all, he even dared to slap a Zlatan Family youth like it was nothing...!"
"Shh...! You’re too loud...!" Dalila Leehan raised her hand to her lips as her lips twitched, "Do you want them to hear you!?"
"I don’t care~" Lerissa shrugged.
Dalila Leehan sighed at this braindead follower before she cast a momentary glance at Davis.
"So he really is an Alstreim..."
"Well, no one is sure, but I think so."
Tanya Frostblight answered. However, she already knew the truth because she heard it from Natalya, but she was vague about it since she promised not to reveal it.
"I think so too!"
Lerissa cheerfully replied as she smiled, appearing as if she was an innocent lady who fell for his vile charms.
Dalila Leehan and Tanya Frostblight looked at the current him. Previously, he only had two women, but now, how did it grow into six? If this was the case, doesn’t it mean that they had a chance but failed to grasp it in the past?
"Dalila, you’re here..."
Dalila Leehan abruptly turned to look back and saw her friend Nora Alstreim.
"What...?"
Her lips opened agape behind her veil before she looked at Davis and the woman who sat behind him and beside the woman called Sophie Alstreim. She then returned her gaze back to Nora.
Becoming speechless, she slightly pointed towards that person whose eyes and forehead appeared similar to Nora and asked.
"Who’s that then...?"
Nora’s expression slightly faltered.
"Uh, she’s kind of like my little sister."
"Oh, your cousin from some distant place...?"
"You could say that..." Nora wryly smiled as she sat beside her.
"I’m sorry~"
Dalila Leehan placed a hand on her shoulder, her eyes looking as if she was consoling while Nora’s brows twitched.
’Could it be that she misunderstood that I went for Davis instead of his father, who never appeared on the scene?’
She always felt as if it was the case but basically confirmed it right now.
"It’s fine..."
She could only let it stay that way because she was told not to make their existences public since it might reveal their origin from the Forsaken Phoenix Realm.
"Still, your Thousand Pill Palace is generous as always, giving away the Law Tree Fruit like that..."
Nora bit her lips. She wanted to obtain such a reward before for her grandpa, but it was unknown if she would even be called out to battle.
"Generous?" Dalila Leehan looked as if she had heard something incredulous, "Nora, it’s obvious that we couldn’t win battles as we concentrate on alchemy. So we give out rewards and show our wealth to talents. This is how we battle and attract talents to protect and grow our power, unlike you all who showcase your cultivation prowess to attract talents."
"Right..."
Nora wryly laughed when abruptly a familiar voice echoed out.
"Youngsters!"
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim spoke.
"This is your time to shine and obtain a Law Tree Fruit by showcasing your Essence Gathering Cultivation! The Vital Tempering Sect is allowed to use their Body Tempering Cultivation since it is their main, but in that case, they’re not allowed to use their Essence Gathering Cultivation for fairness."
"The rules were already made clear before. No killing and no blaming in case something happens that also happens to be your fault. The youths participating must be within the age limit of a hundred, and since this is a challenger’s struggle until the best appears, anyone can come forward and challenge a power! Now, please come forward and issue a challenge!"
He gestured to the Emperor Grade Platform that was actually pulled out of Thorus Zlatan’s spatial ring and waited.
In a few seconds, the atmosphere became silent and expectant before a person from a certain power stepped forward and landed on the battle platform.
It was a youth from the Twilight Physician Hall.
"I, Bram Hisler, challenge the Alstreim Family to a fair battle!"
Everyone’s expression became a bit amused.
As expected, some of the powers here wanted to humiliate the Alstreim Family and didn’t spare any face, sending a top disciple in the first round to battle them!