Chapter 121: Appearance

Chapter 121: Appearance

The Millennium Celebration of Queen Ayaki's birthday was drawing near, falling on the 19th day of Xiyue.

The atmosphere in Yunxiao City grew increasingly festive.

The Winged Folk adorned the entire city meticulously. Poles were erected along the streets, adorned with exquisite vertical banners bearing well-wishes for the Queen, recounting her accomplishments, and displaying intricate portraits of her majesty. These banners waved majestically in the wind, creating a spectacular sight.

The city was filled with decorations, adorning flower beds and trees, exuding a joyous ambiance.

Yunxiao City was enveloped in celebration.

Shops launched promotional activities and even gave away free items to welcome the grand occasion, causing a surge in pedestrian traffic. Whether Winged Folk or otherwise, passersby exchanged greetings of "Long live the Queen's birthday."

Ji Xinghuo, with little else to occupy him, strolled through the entirety of Yunxiao City.

He had abandoned the idea of taking action.

Once the Millennium Celebration concluded, he planned to leave Yunxiao City and return to Olympia.

Xiyue 17th.

As was his habit, Ji Xinghuo awoke and performed a magnetic field scan to check on the situation with Lin Yan Yongfeng.

As expected, Lin Yan Yongfeng was practicing martial arts.

This Dragon Lord was diligent, diligently practicing martial arts and cultivation in alternation.

The necklace he wore around his neck was his most closely guarded secret, never removing it even when bathing, eating, or sleeping. He kept it on even during his nocturnal silver parties. Occasionally, those who shared his bed would grow curious and attempt to touch the necklace, only to be stopped and punished promptly.

At that moment, Lin Yan Yongfeng was engaged in martial arts practice.

Ji Xinghuo glanced at the scene casually before heading downstairs to the hotel restaurant for breakfast.

Suddenly, a conversation from the neighboring table caught his interest.

"The martial arts tournament starts today. Aren't you going to participate?" The question was posed in Dragonese. Ji Xinghuo's gaze flickered towards the speaker, a human with a pale pink complexion—a common Dan among the stars, clad in dragon-patterned armor, likely a subject of the True Dragon Dynasty.

The man was addressing his companion, another Dan dressed similarly.

"Still thinking about it."

"With your strength, you're definitely capable of ranking among the top few." The younger Dan remarked, "Queen Ayaki has prepared generous rewards for the tournament. It would be a shame to miss out."

Ji Xinghuo's heart stirred.

He, too, had heard whispers of this martial arts tournament, one of the hottest topics in Yunxiao City in recent days.

The tournament was part of the Millennium Celebration, organized to commemorate the Queen's birthday. Queen Ayaki herself would be present to witness the competition and bestow accolades upon the victorious warrior.

In addition to the champion, those who placed within the top ten would also receive substantial rewards.

Queen Ayaki was known for her generosity, and the prizes included not only True Dragon currency but also various weapons, equipment, exotic creatures, and even expansion curiosities.

Ji Xinghuo was particularly intrigued by the expansion curios, though he had never considered participating.

He had smuggled himself into Yunxiao City and needed to maintain a low profile. Entering the tournament would draw unwanted attention, and even a slightly higher ranking would lead to scrutiny.

However, purchasing a ticket to observe the tournament was unproblematic.

The two Dans continued their conversation.

"I heard that the young Dragon Lord of the Lin Yan family will also be participating in the martial arts tournament." The older Dan hesitated, "His martial prowess is formidable, and I'm afraid I'm no match for him."

"It's fine to lose as long as you give it a try. What's there to fear?" The younger Dan dismissed the concern.

"You don't understand..."

The Dan shook his head. "The young Dragon Lord of the Lin Yan family is ruthless and bloodthirsty, taking pleasure in cruelty. He shows no mercy to those he defeats, and losing to him could very well mean losing your life."

Ji Xinghuo's eyebrows furrowed slightly, seemingly intrigued by Lin Yan Yongfeng's less-than-stellar reputation.

"The martial arts tournament is meant to celebrate the Queen's birthday," the younger Dan mused, "Surely the young Dragon Lord will restrain himself and not go on a killing spree?"

"If you knew his character, you wouldn't think so," the Dan scoffed, "The young Dragon Lord of the Lin Yan family holds an extremely high status, and even within the Dynasty, he acts according to his nature, unleashing his true dragon nature. Even if he disrupts the tournament, Queen Ayaki won't do anything to him."

As he spoke, his voice lowered towards the end.

There were many subjects of the True Dragon Dynasty in the hotel restaurant, and he had noticed Ji Xinghuo sitting nearby, so he chose to end the conversation there.

Ji Xinghuo pretended not to have heard and finished his breakfast before leaving the hotel.

Moments later.

He arrived at Yunxiao City's largest martial arts arena, the venue for the tournament. The place was already bustling with people, and numerous Winged Folk flew in the sky above, with even more rushing to join the crowd.

"Sir, would you like to buy a ticket?"

A Winged Folk landed before Ji Xinghuo, waving a tournament ticket in his hand and asking cautiously.

Ji Xinghuo gave him a glance and inquired in Dragonese, "Are there any front row seats available?"

"Yes, yes!" The Winged Folk hastily replied, "I have a great seat in the seventh row. Considering you're a distinguished guest from the Dynasty, I'll sell it to you for just five hundred dragon coins."

A hint of displeasure flashed across Ji Xinghuo's face.

During his time in Yunxiao City, he had come to understand the purchasing power of True Dragon coins. If converted to the Earth's yuan, one dragon coin was roughly equivalent to 450 yuan, and it was less valuable in the Skyfeather Court. However, in terms of purchasing power, it was comparable to approximately 200 yuan.

Yunxiao City boasted the highest cost of living in the Skyfeather Court, and the average daily income for Winged Folk residing there was around 50 dragon coins.

Selling a martial arts tournament ticket for five hundred dragon coins was at least a seven to eightfold markup.

"One hundred dragon coins."

Ji Xinghuo stated firmly, tossing a black dragon coin worth one hundred coins to the Winged Folk and taking the ticket from his hand.

The center of the arena was an oval-shaped clearing, approximately 300 meters long, surrounded by tiered seating that rose higher and higher, resembling a stadium on Earth, capable of accommodating hundreds of thousands of spectators. On one side stood a hundred-meter-high VIP platform, offering a bird's-eye view of the entire arena from outside.

At that moment, half of the seats were already occupied.

More and more spectators poured in and took their seats, creating a cacophony of voices. Ji Xinghuo, seated in the seventh row, was quite close to the combat area, with a distance of only about twenty meters.

Soon after.

Bang! Bang! Bang...

A thunderous drumbeat resonated, silencing the entire audience.

A lavishly dressed Winged Folk flew to the very center of the arena, ensuring that all eyes were on him. He opened his mouth, and his voice carried across the arena, conveying nothing but birthday wishes for Queen Ayaki, expressing excitement for the martial arts tournament, and explaining the competition's process and rules.

The tournament would span two days.

Today was the first day, and participants would draw lots to determine their order of appearance. As long as one emerged victorious in five consecutive matches, they would advance to the finals tomorrow.

Contestants' tiers could not exceed the fourth tier, and they were only allowed to use their physical strength during the matches. While there were no restrictions on weapons and equipment, the use of bows, arrows, or long-range weapons was prohibited.

There were no rules regarding life and death in combat.

Then came the rewards for the winners, which included prizes for the champion and those ranking up to the tenth place.

After explaining the rules, the tournament commenced without delay.

Amidst the crowd's cheers, the first contestant entered the arena—a female Winged Folk from the Ayaki Clan. Her opponent was a male warrior from the Patrol Forest tribe.

Both of them were fourth-tier.

Due to their natural gifts, the Winged Folk could fly and possessed remarkable speed and agile movements. Consequently, their profession templates primarily focused on speed.

After a brief exchange, the female Winged Folk emerged victorious, but she did not kill her opponent.

Then, she proceeded to accept the next challenger.

Ji Xinghuo watched with great interest, thinking to himself that if he were to join the tournament, it would be incredibly challenging to defeat this female Winged Folk without activating the Myriad Phenomenon.

She was evidently a carefully selected participant by the tournament organizers, chosen to be the first competitor to showcase the prowess of the Winged Folk.

The female Winged Folk continued her winning streak, advancing to the next round amid the audience's cheers.

The subsequent matches were equally captivating.

Ji Xinghuo realized that he had been rather narrow-minded. The brave contestants, regardless of their race, were almost all fourth-tier experts, with the lowest martial arts rank being seventh or eighth dan. It would be no easy feat for him to win against any of them if he were to compete.

Advancing to the finals by winning five consecutive matches was extremely challenging. The tournament had been going on for four to five hours, and only fewer than ten contestants had managed to secure their spots in the finals for the following day.

Among the contestants, Ji Xinghuo also spotted one of the two Dans he had encountered at the hotel restaurant.

Ultimately, the Dan had decided to sign up.

Whoosh...

A gale swept through the arena, causing everyone to look up and witness a massive Phosphorus Flame Dragon descending from the sky and landing in the center of the arena.

The terrifying aura of the True Dragon sent shivers down everyone's spines.

Two contestants who had been engaged in combat quickly retreated to the side, their eyes fixed on the figure atop the dragon.

"Welcome our most esteemed guest and participant in this martial arts tournament, the Young Dragon Lord of the Phosphorus Flame Family from the True Dragon Dynasty, Lord Phosphorus Flame Yongfeng!" The announcer's voice reverberated throughout the arena, followed by thunderous cheers from the tens of thousands of spectators.

"Young Dragon Lord!"

The crowd stood and chanted in unison, their eyes filled with envy as they gazed upon the figure riding the True Dragon. Again and again, they shouted, their voices threatening to overturn the entire arena.

Phosphorus Flame Yongfeng exuded confidence and pride, waving his hand to acknowledge the crowd.

Ji Xinghuo had been observing him for several days, and this was the first time he had seen him up close.

Phosphorus Flame Yongfeng stood tall, towering over 1.9 meters, with a robust build. He wore lightweight armor and carried a broadsword on his back.

He embodied all the characteristics of a True Dragon descendant, with pale yellow irises, a cold demeanor, subtle scale patterns beneath his skin, well-defined features, and golden hair cascading over his shoulders. His entire being exuded power and wildness, making him incredibly attractive.

The bloodline of the True Dragon descendants set them apart from ordinary humans.

Their dragon-like irises, vibrant hair colors, scaled skin, robust and tall stature, and exceptional natural gifts combined all the advantages of humanity.

Powerful, confident, and perfect!

True Dragon descendants emanated a unique noble aura from within, as if they were born rulers.

In comparison, other humans felt inferior, like the difference between a pebble and a pearl. The True Dragon descendants were the rulers, while the rest were the ruled.

Under the gaze of tens of thousands of spectators, Phosphorus Flame Yongfeng leaped off the dragon's back.

His dragon took flight and departed.

"Now, let the challenger against the Young Dragon Lord step forward!" The announcer shouted, and a Winged Folk rose from the audience, flying into the arena and taking a stance about thirty meters away from Phosphorus Flame Yongfeng.

"It's an honor to face the Young Dragon Lord. Please give me your guidance," the Winged Folk said confidently.

The Winged Folk spectators cheered loudly for their fellow tribesman.

Many recognized this Winged Folk, who was quite famous, and Ji Xinghuo assessed his strength to be comparable to that of the first female Winged Folk competitor.

However, Phosphorus Flame Yongfeng didn't even bother to reply, nor did he draw the sword on his back.

"Begin!"

As the command was given, the Winged Folk took the initiative and attacked first.

His weapons of choice were a pair of curved blades, and his speed was astonishing. With a flap of his wings, his figure resembled a flying swan, and his dual blades slashed towards Phosphorus Flame Yongfeng. Many spectators couldn't even follow his swift movements.

Clang!

A metallic clang rang out, and the Winged Folk's head went flying, his headless body collapsing at Phosphorus Flame Yongfeng's feet.

Suddenly, the cheers ceased, and the entire arena fell into an eerie silence.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end