Chapter 374: My Dear Xixi is So Helpful, a Six-Year-Old Dragon Hatchling Claims the Top Spot and Win

Chapter 374: My Dear Xixi is So Helpful, a Six-Year-Old Dragon Hatchling Claims the Top Spot and Wins the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach [Seeking Monthly Votes]



In the dark void, a black flame lotus quietly burned.

At the edges of the lotus, the space distorted, revealing fine cracks that seemed to devour all light.

Within the black flame lotus, a graceful maiden appeared, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, and her ebony eyes gazing at Xixi with a smile.

Kill... Her?

Xixi blinked, sensing the unwavering determination in the older girl's words.

It seemed as if killing her would be as easy as squashing an ant, a display of overwhelming might. Could it really be that simple?

For Xixi, the question was whether or not to kill her.

Where was this place, and where was this older girl? Was she inside Xixi's body?

Xixi wasn't foolish; she had just been battling Zhang Yunlong in the Thousand Zhan altitude, completely entrusting herself to the Temple God.

Why was she here now?

Was this inside Xixi's body? Xixi had a hunch. Zhang Yunlong had been insisting that there was something strange inside Xixi's body that he wanted to see.

This Zhang Yunlong loved to see others' hidden strengths, as if his own weren't enough to satisfy him.

Xixi had initially thought there couldn't be anything strange inside her body.

But now it seemed...

Hey, there really was!

"Can you kill her?" Xixi asked curiously.

"Yes," the black-haired girl replied with a gentle smile.

"Then kill her, no need to spare the Emperor Xixi's face!" Xixi grinned, hands on her hips, and puffed out her little belly.

"Okay..." The girl whispered.

Boom——!!!

The black flame lotus shed its petals, one by one, they transformed into a black flame.

...

...

At the Thousand Zhan altitude, the wind howled. Raindrops were sliced apart by the overwhelming purple sword aura, turning into powder and unable to get close.

In front of Xixi, within a few feet, her body was covered in purple divine armor, and behind her, the shrine embedded in her back, was Zhang Yunlong, suspended in mid-air.

Countless purple feathers formed wings that slowly spread out, each feather resembling a sharp sword blade.

Zhang Yunlong, confident in his victory, mockingly stared at the little girl who seemed to be overwhelmed by his sword intent.

Xixi's eyes were closed, her long lashes trembling.

Zhang Yunlong chuckled softly, "That's all..."

"Without your mechanisms, you don't even qualify to fight me." Zhang Yunlong shook his head, feeling a bit bored.

He had revealed his trump card, which was so domineering and powerful, the strongest of all.

Yet, Li Nuanxi's trump card had been crushed by him before it could even appear.

So, Zhang Yunlong found it uninteresting.

He wanted to end this quickly.

Using the power of the Temple God, he would annihilate this little girl...

Even though he looked down on Xixi's mechanisms, he had to admit that Xixi's talent was indeed exceptional! It was even stronger than his, as a six-year-old, she had reached this level and could compete for the top spot in the Dragon Hatchling Competition. He, Zhang Yunlong, couldn't compare.

Because he couldn't compare, he was jealous, and because of his jealousy, he wanted to destroy her!

Why was this girl more powerful than him, Zhang Yunlong?

Die!

Kill this girl.

This so-called top spot in the Dragon Hatchling Competition would undoubtedly be his.

Buzz—

The purple sword wings on his back suddenly spread out, aiming their sharp blades at Xixi.

Then, with a sudden shake, a soaring sword intent seemed to fill the sky!

It swiftly pierced towards Xixi's forehead, the speed so fast that it seemed to distort the air, creating twisted shadows.

However.

A sudden chill appeared in Zhang Yunlong's divine sense, causing his hair to stand on end, and every inch of his flesh and blood to tremble.

The immense threat made the Temple God's power within his blood and bones tremble uncontrollably! What was going on? Zhang Yunlong's pupils constricted slightly.

His carefree smile instantly vanished.

In his divine sense, Xixi seemed to have transformed into an "abyss," devouring everything around her.

Air, divine power, heavenly energy, and everything else were swallowed up, and the surroundings seemed to collapse! The Temple God's power surged through her veins, and in the next moment, the Temple God seemed to regain its will, controlling his body and attempting to retreat swiftly.

But...

He couldn't retreat! Zhang Yunlong felt like the Temple God within him was completely petrified by some terrifying presence.

It was like a cat encountering a real tiger, with an urge to bury its head in the ground.

Behind him, the scorching heat devoured all light!

In Zhang Yunlong's eyes, his forehead's acupoint seemed to twitch and jump, and he saw Li Nuanxi open her eyes.

In her pitch-black eyes, black flames seemed to burn.

She looked at him calmly, as if gazing at a dead person.

Her gaze...

was completely different from the excited, manic girl who had bombarded the mechanisms. It was as if they were two different people.

Her gentle gaze fixed on Zhang Yunlong, who felt his heart trembling with fear as boundless terror engulfed his body from all directions.

"You..." Zhang Yunlong opened his mouth.

Then, he noticed the girl raising her hand, her fingers incredibly smooth and without any hindrance...

She pinched his neck!

In that instant, the shrine embedded deep in his flesh...

Was being pushed out by an invisible force.

The purple tadpole curse seal covering every inch of Zhang Yunlong's body began to fade away, bit by bit, like a receding tide.

As the shrine was forced out, the power that had fused with his bones and flesh was being extracted, leaving him powerless.

Finally...

It returned completely to the shrine, stripped away from his body.

A sense of loss and a feeling of falling from a great height instantly spread through Zhang Yunlong's heart, making him want to burst into tears.

But Zhang Yunlong dared not cry.

He stared in horror at the cold-eyed girl.

The girl's plump hand pinched his neck, as if holding a mere ant.

What terrified Zhang Yunlong the most was...

He felt the temple deity, which he had always been proud of and nurtured, trembling in fear within the shrine embedded in his back.

As the deity's divine essence left Zhang Yunlong's flesh, he saw Li Nuanxi staring at him indifferently.

She slowly spoke.

"I heard..."

"You're looking for Ji?"

...

...

Second City of Divine Capital.

Inside the large tent.

The powerful cultivators' hearts trembled slightly, and they all looked up, observing the situation occurring at the Thousand Zhan Altitude.

They could vaguely see the battle between Zhang Yunlong and Li Nuanxi.

Zhang Yunlong had allowed the temple deity to completely possess his body, transforming his flesh with the deity's divine essence and granting him tremendous power.

Under this power, Li Nuanxi, who was adept at both intricate and explosive mechanisms, was at a disadvantage, completely suppressed by Zhang Yunlong.

Lu Tai Bai's eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes flashed with a fierce light.

His silver hair billowed, and his wide sleeves fluttered as the Taibai Sword hummed within his sleeve.

When even his most powerful mechanisms couldn't blast through Zhang Yunlong, Lu Tai Bai decided to intervene, and indeed, he saw Li Che preparing to do the same.

Given his understanding of Li Che, he knew this man would prioritize his daughter's safety above all else.

However, Li Che didn't act; instead, a peculiar expression appeared on his face.

Then, he halted in his tracks, quietly observing the Thousand Zhan Altitude.

Hmm?

Lu Tai Bai was taken aback.

He looked up towards the Thousand Zhan Altitude, and his soul trembled, instantly sensing the past.

He perceived the deafening purple sword aura filling the sky and the overwhelming divine essence of the temple deity dissipating!

Before Lu Tai Bai could understand what had happened, he witnessed the temple deity's shrine being expelled from Zhang Yunlong's body, which had been occupied by the deity.

Then, Xixi stepped forward in mid-air, and with the support of the two Windfire Golden Light Wheels, she grasped Zhang Yunlong's neck.

A crisp sound rang out.

The sound was so clear that even those on the ground could hear it distinctly, despite the distance.

Snapped... Snapped?!

Zhang Yunlong's neck had been twisted?!

Moreover, it wasn't just his neck; in that moment, Zhang Yunlong's very life seemed to be extinguished with that twist! Everyone's hearts skipped a beat.

Then, they saw Xixi casually toss Zhang Yunlong's body, his neck crooked and body limp like a ragdoll, from high in the sky.

"Ah?!"

"Brother Yunlong!"

"Ahhhh! Brother Yunlong!"

...

A horrified cry of shock echoed through the Purple Mansion Divine Sect.

Buzz—

The purple-robed Lian Gong Gong instantly flashed and appeared beside Zhang Yunlong's lifeless body, his neck twisted and eyes unfocused.

Lian Gong Gong's face contorted as he grabbed Zhang Yunlong's body, but in that instant, his expression changed as if he had touched something scalding hot, and he quickly flung Zhang Yunlong's body away.

The cultivators of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect's faces darkened upon witnessing this.

"Sigh—"

A soft sigh escaped the lips of the sect leader, Zhang Wuxi, carrying a hint of regret.

Subsequently, Zhang Yun Hu, Zhang Yun Huang, and the other cultivators of the sect saw Zhang Yunlong's body as it fell.

Black flames erupted from his mouth, nose, and eyes, resembling an empty porcelain vessel.

Lian Gong Gong, understanding the implications of his actions, quickly pursued the falling corpse, his divine essence surging forth to form a net that caught Zhang Yunlong's body.

As it descended, the net gradually slowed its fall.

Finally, it gently landed on the square, now a charred ruin.

Zhang Yunlong's body was laid flat on the ground.

Hoo—!

A sudden, shrill scream erupted from the Thousand Zhan Altitude.

The temple deity, within the shrine hovering in mid-air, let out a piercing cry.

The overwhelming divine essence of the temple deity surged like a tidal wave, and purple sword auras encircled it. Countless purple sword rays converged, forming a massive purple dragon-like entity. The tip of the purple sword emitted black and white light, causing the air within a ten-foot radius to ripple with waves of wrinkles.

Clang-clang-clang—

The sword hummed, divine essence surged like a tide, ripples shook, and black, white, and purple sword beams intertwined.

However...

Lixi's eyes, as black as jujubes, showed no emotional fluctuations.

She clenched her five fingers.

In an instant, purple dragons and snakes coiled, and the Purple Flame Spear Gun appeared in her hand.

She gripped it tightly, and the spear trembled!

The air exploded instantly!

The Purple Flame Spear Gun turned into a golden light, like an arrow bursting forth, piercing the shrine in an instant, as if drilling through the shrine god within.

Bang—!

The shrine was instantly covered in extremely fine cracks!

From a thousand zhan altitude, it descended with a howl.

Bang—

The Purple Flame Spear Gun pierced the shrine, pinning it to the ground.

The ground caved in, and then the ripples of cracks expanded, spreading to the edge of the Jade Square, only stopped by the four commanders of the Divine Capital Imperial Guards.

Crack—

An extremely crisp sound, like a tile breaking, a pebble shattering.

The shrine, pierced by the Purple Flame Spear Gun, was covered in extremely fine cracks, and finally...

With a shattering sound, it turned into countless fine fragments, shattering into pieces with a clatter.

The sharp purple sword aura also disappeared without a trace.

Only the spear that pierced the shrine, killing the shrine god, remained, still swaying slightly in the ground.

Dead... dead?!

The person is dead, and the shrine god... is also dead!

At this moment, gasps of shock filled the air.

Lian Gong Gong looked at the Purple Flame Spear Gun, then at Zhang Yunlong's lifeless body, and raised his head.

He saw two Windfire Golden Wheels spinning, supporting the six-year-old girl, her small body floating ten zhang above the square.

Lixi opened her eyes, her consciousness returning, and instinctively hugged her chest, sticking out her little belly.

She saw Zhang Yunlong lying on the ground and the shattered shrine god's shrine.

That shrine god...

Was truly killed!

Missy... so powerful!

Lixi took a deep breath.

Missy's power is Lixi's power!

Lixi hugged her chest, raised her head proudly, and her two braids soared into the sky.

Lian Gong Gong's gaze became increasingly intense.

What monster is hiding in this little girl's body?!

Why did you provoke Him?!

Why provoke this thing?

Being blasted by that terrifying mushroom cloud explosion would have caused severe injuries, but it might not have been fatal.

But now...

Is he dead?

Lian Gong Gong sighed.

In the Dragon Victory Tournament, death is a normal occurrence, and there have been deaths in previous tournaments.

After all, there are times when participants unleash powerful, self-destructive abilities.

Shi Xuan, for example, possesses such power but chooses not to use it.

However, killing someone is still quite rare.

It's more likely to happen in the Hero Victory Tournament, but even in the Dragon Victory Tournament, the strongest participants are only at the Three Flowers Great Master level.

With countless Absolute Peak and Divine beings watching, causing a death is not an easy task.

However, in this tournament...

Someone died in the Dragon Victory Tournament.

And it was the first dragon of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect!

Boom——!!!

"Wretch!"

A terrifying aura erupted instantly, and in a flash, the main banquet area of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect was affected.

A figure pulled out countless afterimages, drawing his sleeves behind him, and appeared in the charred ruins of the Jade Square.

He approached Zhang Yunlong's corpse.

A

He fixed his gaze on the floating Lixi.

T

Like a collapsing mountain, it bore down on Lixi's body, attempting to force her down from the sky.

Lian Gong Gong's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

The purple-robed figure's robe fluttered in the wind, and with a weak body, he extended his five fingers and slapped the approaching Daoist.

"Sir, please calm your anger. This matter is our fault. We failed to stop this deadly calamity."

Boom——!!!

Lian Gong Gong intervened, and the Daoist's aura seemed to ease slightly, perhaps giving some face due to Lian Gong Gong's status, and he did not attack.

But in the moment Lian Gong Gong breathed a sigh of relief...

The Daoist's gaze suddenly sharpened, and with a swing of his arm, he pressed down, extending his five fingers. Golden light flowed, and a golden sword light surged forth, like a raging dragon roaring towards the floating Lixi.

Bang—!

An enormous palm strike descended with a mighty roar, accompanied by a vast, surging heavenly soul.

Li Che appeared beside Lixi, not sure when.

Activating the Heaven and Earth Mimicry Divine Embryo Secret Technique, he enveloped Lixi, protecting her.

Li Che held Lixi within, his palm on her shoulder, the other hand behind his back, and the golden lotus embroidery on his ink-colored robe fluttering.

With indifferent eyes, he stared at the attacking Daoist.

The Heaven and Earth Mimicry clashed with the golden sword light...

Divine essence and blood exploded, but the powerful aura was instantly suppressed by Lian Gong Gong, and the four commanders of the Divine Capital Imperial Guards also rushed in.

Their gazes were all extremely sharp, directed at the black-robed Daoist from the Purple Mansion Divine Sect.

The black-robed Daoist's robe fluttered, and the black jade hairpin on his head seemed to reflect a glow. His eyes were cold and murderous.

He stared at Lixi, sheltered by Li Che's Heaven and Earth Mimicry.

"Little girl... such ruthless methods!"

The black-robed Daoist spoke with icy words.

Li Che rubbed Xi Xi's head, "You did well."

"That Zhang Yunlong has lost all sense of decency, offering his flesh and blood to feed the shrine deity. He didn't want to live anymore, and Xi Xi just fulfilled his wish to die."

"My Xi Xi is so kind-hearted."

"Indeed."

Xi Xi was stunned and raised her head, blinking her dark eyes.

"Huh?"

"Dad, are you serious?"

Li Che smiled, "Of course I'm serious. He wanted to die, and you helped him on his way. Isn't that being kind-hearted?"

Xi Xi immediately broke into a brilliant smile, shaking her head with joy.

She didn't believe Li Che's words at all.

But having her father unconditionally on her side made her very happy! She didn't want to see her father abandon his son for the greater good, like the Third Prince's father, and even plot against him in the end.

Xi Xi thought her father was the best in the world, and she wanted to be just like him!

"Absurd!" The black-robed Taoist from the Purple Mansion Divine Sect glared, his eyes filled with anger.

"The Dragonlet Competition is a normal contest, but this little girl... Why did she strike with such malice?!"

The black-robed Taoist was enveloped in a powerful killing intent.

"Hahahaha—"

Suddenly, a terrifying sword intent swept through, and a silver light flashed across.

The black-robed Taoist felt immense pressure on his shoulders and saw Lu Tai Bai with his silver hair flying and sleeves billowing, striding forward with a silver sword.

He looked at the black-robed Taoist as if he were a fool.

"Feeding his flesh and blood to the shrine deity in exchange for its power, and then being killed by my disciple, Lu Tai Bai's disciple. If he couldn't defeat my disciple, then his death is well-deserved! When did the Dragonlet Competition become risk-free?"

"There have been deaths in every Hero Competition and Dragonlet Competition. What? When disciples from other divine sects and aristocratic clans die, why can't disciples from your Purple Mansion Divine Sect die?"

Lu Tai Bai stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an overwhelming pressure like a mountain, being unreasonable and imposing it on the black-robed Taoist.

The black-robed Taoist's face turned red, his divine essence and vital energy completely suppressed.

Compared to Lu Tai Bai, who stood at the pinnacle of the divine realm, the black-robed Taoist fell short.

"Zhang Xuan Lei, that's enough... Yunlong was outmatched. Collect his body and come back."

Suddenly, a faint voice echoed from the main banquet area of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect, floating in the air.

Zhang Xuan Lei, the black-robed Taoist, was filled with resentment.

His eyes turned red, "Sect Master... my son..."

"Enough, do you want to make more of a fool of yourself?"

Before Zhang Xuan Lei could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Zhang Wuxi, the purple-robed Taoist, who frowned.

"My Purple Mansion Divine Sect can afford to lose. We've lost, and that's that. Even if Zhang Yunlong hadn't been killed by Li Nuan Xi, his fate wouldn't have been much better. Don't you know that as his father?"

Zhang Wuxi waved his dustpan, "I told you not to spoil him. You should have been stricter with him. Now look at him, arrogant and impulsive, even giving up his humanity and bottom line after a setback."

"He had the talent to nurture a shrine deity, but he couldn't even bear a single failure. He chose to let the shrine deity consume his flesh and blood to gain its power..."

"Even if he won, he would have become a cripple!"

Zhang Wuxi's rebuke made Zhang Xuan Lei's eyes widen in anger, his body trembling uncontrollably.

He stopped speaking and collected Zhang Yunlong's body.

Zhang Yunlong's body was just a shell, his bones, organs, and flesh all turned to ashes by the Hell Lotus flames.

If it weren't for Lian Gong Gong's intervention to suppress the flames with his divine essence, even the skin would have been burned.

Zhang Xuan Lei carefully picked up his son's body, his eyes filled with murderous intent and deep resentment.

It happened too quickly...

It all happened too fast.

Zhang Xuan Lei was surprised that Xi Xi managed to kill Zhang Yunlong after he had completely sacrificed himself to the shrine deity and even after gaining the deity's power.

He couldn't understand it, but that didn't stop his anger at seeing Zhang Yunlong's death.

"Well done, Li Bansheng. You've raised a good daughter. You say my son Zhang Yunlong gave up his principles and offered everything to the shrine deity, nurturing it..."

"But isn't your precious daughter doing the same?"

"Your daughter is also nurturing a shrine deity! If she hadn't used its power, how could she have killed my son?"

Zhang Xuan Lei's teeth clenched with murderous intent.

His words resonated with the powerful figures from various divine sects and aristocratic clans in the grand tent, making their hearts tremble.

Li Nuan Xi, nurturing a shrine deity? It probably wasn't the same method used by the Purple Mansion Divine Sect.

Ji Mo Li sat upright, holding a cup of wine, and smiled, "Hell Lotus, nurturing... It seems that the Hell Lotus of the Golden Mansion's Eight-Armed Hell Lotus Furious Third Prince Shrine is within this little girl!"

"What audacity!"

"She's not afraid of being devoured by the shrine deity!"

"Yellow Eyebrow Great Mage, what do you think?"

Ji Mo Li looked at the Yellow Eyebrow Great Mage, who nodded with his palms pressed together.

"Indeed, she has great courage."

...

...

It was clear that Zhang Xuan Lei intentionally spread this rumor.

No one knew if Xi Xi was truly nurturing a shrine deity, but Zhang Xuan Lei's words made her a target of criticism.

Lu Tai Bai, the sect master of the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect, had already mastered the Dao Essence Tribulation Sword and was a powerful cultivator at the half-step divine tribulation level, ready to challenge the Three Disasters Nine Tribulations and ascend to the divine tribulation.

As the young master of the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect, Li Nuan Xi's nurturing of such a powerful shrine deity was driving a wedge between her and Lu Tai Bai.

Even if Lu Tai Bai didn't mind, the powerful cultivators from various Divine Sects would remember it, because Li Nuan Xi, who is nurtured by a Four Virtues rank Temple God, may very well become the pillar of the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect in the future.

In other words, the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect will gain the support of a Four Virtues Temple God in the future, which is a significant boost for the sect.

Li Che's eyes filled with a chilling intent.

Zhang Xuan Lei gave a cold laugh, "Li Bansheng, your daughter killed my son. This grudge... I, Zhang Xuan Lei, will remember it. At the Hero Competition... I will settle the score."

"Conflicts between children should naturally be resolved by us parents."

Li Che's body emanated the power of Heaven and Earth Mimicry, and his voice seemed to carry the authority of a deity, shaking the surroundings.

"What you say makes sense."

Li Che responded calmly.

Zhang Xuan Lei stared at Li Che, puzzled by the sudden surge of confidence and determination in Li Che, who had just undergone a Divine Embryo transformation.

Zhang Xuan Lei carried Zhang Yunlong's body, each step heavy with grief. With every step, it was as if he was gathering killing intent, and he returned to the main banquet area of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect.

He didn't even acknowledge the Sect Leader Zhang Wuxi, his heart filled with resentment. He went straight back to his own banquet area, sat at the table, and gently caressed Zhang Yunlong's body, overwhelmed with sorrow.

The purple-robed elder, Zhang Wuxi, sighed, flicked his dust-sweeping brush, and sighed softly.

He knew that Zhang Xuan Lei held some resentment towards him.

However, even though Xi Xi had indeed killed Zhang Yunlong, Zhang Yunlong was already doomed. Moreover, Zhang Yunlong had sacrificed himself to feed and strengthen the Dragonlet, intending to kill Li Nuan Xi with power far beyond that of a Dragonlet...

The killer must be killed... what wrong could there be in that?

The disciples of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect had become arrogant and overconfident, blinded by the prestige of being the first Divine Sect in the Grand Capital, and the power of nurturing a Temple God, which granted them invincible divine strength at the same rank as the Temple God.

Zhang Wuxi sighed softly.

Nurturing a Temple God had its advantages and disadvantages...

If this continued, where would the Purple Mansion Divine Sect end up?

Of course...

What truly worried Zhang Wuxi was something he had vaguely seen and sensed.

His gaze swept across the crowd and landed on Xi Xi, who was being led by Li Che, her eyes filled with a chilling coldness, like a terrifying divine might that could open up the depths of an abyss.

There was a hidden, scorching heat within that coldness.

Could it be...

A Temple God?!

Temple Gods are all dead spirits, deceased deities, who enter temples after their death.

Could there be a true living...

God within that little girl?!

...

...

The tense atmosphere dissipated as Zhang Xuan Lei returned to the main banquet area of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect with Zhang Yunlong's body.

Xi Xi remained in her original spot, and the purple-robed Eunuch Lian Gong Gong, standing beside her, had a complex expression, with a hint of disbelief as he looked at Xi Xi.

"Six years old... to become the champion of the Peach Banquet hosted by the Empress at such a young age... it's truly legendary."

"I've hosted several Peach Banquets, and this is the first time I've ever seen..."

Lian Gong Gong looked at Xi Xi, his astonishment unconcealed.

Despite the unexpected events caused by this young girl, Lian Gong Gong had to admit that even when Xi Xi fought with the Thousand-Handed Guanyin Battle Formation, planting a golden mushroom cloud in front of the Emperor and Empress, he never thought she would emerge victorious.

Could this girl truly be nurturing a Temple God within her, as Zhang Xuan Lei claimed?

Lian Gong Gong exhaled.

He walked up to Xi Xi's side and bowed slightly.

Li Che and Lu Tai Bai exchanged a glance and swiftly moved to a distance, leaving the stage to Xi Xi, who was about to become the center of attention in the Divine Capital for the day.

"Congratulations to the first Dragonlet of the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect, Li Nuan Xi, for winning the championship of this Dragonlet Competition!"

"Congratulations..."

"And for winning the Nine Thousand Year Peach!" Lian Gong Gong announced with a bow.

His voice thundered like a bolt of lightning, creating a wave of sound that reverberated and spread, echoing throughout the Second and Third Districts.

The stunned crowd, shocked by the unfolding events, snapped back to attention, as if a golden thunderclap had sounded in their ears.

Xi Xi, upon hearing the announcement, couldn't help but smile with joy, her face beaming with happiness that couldn't be contained.

Although her face was pale, drained of vitality and divinity by the Thousand-Handed Guanyin Battle Formation, her joy and excitement at winning were undeniable.

Most importantly, Xi Xi had finally won, earning the Nine Thousand Year Peach for her mother.

Xi Xi stood tall, her chest puffed out, a smile curving her lips that she couldn't suppress.

Lian Gong Gong also smiled.

He asked Xi Xi to wait for a moment, then approached the main banquet area where the Emperor and Empress were seated, bowing respectfully as he took small steps towards them.

However, just as he was about to receive the Nine Thousand Year Peach as a reward and present it to Xi Xi...

The Empress extended her hand and gently pressed down.

"I will personally present this reward."

The Empress, in her radiant beauty, wore a gentle smile.

The phoenix hairpin trembled, and her flowing robes fluttered as she lifted the peach, preparing to leave her seat.

But...

Just as she stood up, a hand grasped her white wrist.

The Empress was taken aback.

She saw the Emperor, dressed in golden yellow robes, slowly rise to his feet. His aura was like a mighty mountain, causing the entire venue's atmosphere to tremble and swirl.

The Emperor's face, obscured by vitality and divinity, revealed no emotion.

But his voice was firm and unquestionable.

"This reward..."

"I will present it."

Second update: Today's update is earlier than usual. Please support with monthly votes, recommendations, and continued reading! Your continued reading is crucial during the recommendation period, so keep it up! Many thanks from Old Li!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end