Volume One, Chapter 51: The Princess Wants to Give a Reward—Anything Is Possible!

Qin Bao, knowing that everything had come to a close, stepped forward and said, "Your servant, Qin Bao, receives the decree."

Emperor Xuanwu spoke: "You are the first in Liang to achieve first place in the Four Nations Literary Gathering, the first to be accepted as a disciple by the Grandmaster of Confucianism, and the first to write a masterpiece for the ages. Your talent is plain for all to see."

Suddenly, a voice entered Bick's ear. A hundred meters away, Shalu approached slowly, each stride covering more than ten meters.

Lei Ming was slightly stunned, then a trace of confusion flickered across his face as he replied, "I suppose so!" In truth, the divine power within him seemed to be undergoing a transformation, gradually aligning itself with the nature of pure thunder. Moreover, he was not just of the thunder spirit root, but possessed both thunder and fire, so even he could not say for certain.

Sitting beside him, the Bayern legend Kahn and the Dortmund legend Lehmann wore almost identical expressions.

The road ahead was destined to be perilous, yet given Hao Aiguo’s arrogance and his contempt for others, it was hard to predict how much more trouble he might cause. To avoid being dragged down, it was better to part ways in advance.

Such a person, when making the slow gesture of reaching into their pocket before He Hao, would trigger the Shadow Mask, which, using its recorded data, would simulate the man's movement over the next few seconds—predicting whether he could draw a gun and fire. While simulations could not guarantee the final outcome, the accuracy was nearly indistinguishable from reality.

As the crowd roared in frenzy, three judges, all dressed in black robes embroidered with golden patterns, stepped onto the three stages. Under the gaze of thousands, they bowed slightly to the audience before announcing the first group of competitors.

The number of people on the field suddenly diminished by more than half—a necessary measure, for if a hasty retreat became necessary, too many people would make withdrawal impossible in time.

Moving swiftly, Murong Feng had already fought his way to the entrance. In that moment, he stood alone, the center of a circle devoid of living beings, surrounded only by zombies who charged forward, unafraid of death.

Even Wei Zhuang wore an ugly expression at that moment; with a cold snort, he intended to press forward.

The metallic orb that had grazed his hood circled once before returning to the mechanical fiend’s side, revolving once more and then hovering steadily in midair.

"I see, I understand now," Liu Bin nodded quickly in agreement. If Shangguan Zheng had not explained, he really would have thought all of this had been a premeditated scheme against him.

The young man raised his eyes slightly, a hint of moisture within them. "Master Guan, you are the empire’s greatest alchemist—can even you not diagnose my royal father’s illness?" He was the eldest prince of the Imperial Dominion, Su Junyi, elder brother to Su Junlai.

Secondly, when Yuzi was awakened by the maids, she was astonished to find that not only had she slept until the bed collapsed, but she had somehow managed to cover herself tightly as well.

"Last time, you escaped with a doppelganger, but this time, you won’t be so lucky." Fidel’s lips curled in a mocking smile. In his hand, a wand that seemed carved from dead wood rose before his chest, a ball of fire beginning to form at its tip.

This plan was not a whim, nor something he felt compelled to do—it was a sudden task issued by the system.

"There’s still no result. I said I’d spoken to him, but the president hasn’t agreed," Jiang Wei replied with her head bowed to Feng Zexi’s question. She now deeply regretted not having refused Feng Zexi’s request outright before.

"Seventy percent. If you wish to back out now, you still can! But the Life-Avoiding Pill is not refundable," Han Li said with a smile, clearly pleased with the outcome and the acquisition of the pill.

"Boss... are we really just going to let it go like this?" Before leaving, Fidel cast Zhao Yi a resentful glare, as if trying to etch his face into memory forever.