Qin Zhi Zhen remained silent. Jiang Wang, already possessing the answer to his query, took a step back.

“The victor of this battle, Qi Country’s Jiang Wang!”

Yu Xi’s proclamation, timely and resonant, echoed through the arena.

Zhang Gu himself ascended the platform, helping Qin Zhi Zhen down. Though defeated in this bout, Qin Zhi Zhen was still a Heavenly Pride of Qin; the state would not allow its talent to feel disheartened.

Qin Zhi Zhen’s Yan Luo Heavenly Emperor True Body lay shattered, his internal organs hollowed out – a fatal injury indeed. While Yu Xi had managed to suspend his life, genuine recovery would inevitably require Qin Country to expend considerable resources, or as they say, “blood capital.”

Of course, for those who fought for their nation, no amount of “blood capital” was excessive. In the main competition of the Huang He Assembly, provided they did not perish on the spot, every country would exert their utmost to treat and restore their cultivators to their former peak. The significance of this went far beyond the future of a single Heavenly Pride.

Only after Yu Xi formally announced the outcome did a sudden realization dawn upon the spectators: the two cultivators representing the pinnacle of divine power mastery, and thus naturally the strongest within the Tianfu realm, had both failed to claim the championship! One could only secure a tie for second, while the other had been halted in the top four!

The lineup of this year’s Huang He Assembly was truly terrifying. The under-thirty unrestricted category had yet to even commence, and already, people were left in awe. It was impossible to predict how many of these shining stars in the Outer Building and Inner Mansion realms would reach Shenlin or Dongzhen in ten or a hundred years, and how many would simply fade away! Before reaching the Shenlin realm, countless lives were squandered, and among them, Heavenly Prides were never a rarity!

At this moment, Jiang Wang stood solemn upon the martial platform. The winds and fires around him had subsided, his divine light now restrained. Though bloodstains marred his blue robe, he possessed an inherent nobility, appearing as ethereal as an immortal.

The entire arena fell silent. Witnessing that world-shattering sword strike, the shock lingered in the hearts of the onlookers for a long time.

Suddenly—

“Qing Yang, Qing Yang, you are the strongest!!”

In the Qi Country viewing seats, Xu Da Cai Zi, his face flushed and ears red, waved his arms and bellowed.

“Jiang Wang, Jiang Wang, first place is in sight!!”

Zi Shu, his fists clenched, also shouted with fervent energy.

Jiang Wang nearly stumbled. The air of pride and invincibility surrounding him instantly dissipated. He clearly saw True Monarch Yu Xi, who had been about to speak, suddenly stop, seemingly suppressed by the sudden surge of slogans…

That Xu Gao Tou could even momentarily silence a True Monarch was truly a once-in-a-lifetime genius!

The reactions among the various countries’ audiences present were varied. In the momentous setting of the Huang He Assembly, shouting such exaggerated slogans seemed somewhat inappropriate.

However, with the preceding battle as a backdrop, these slogans, though lacking in literary refinement, inexplicably felt entirely justified. He was indeed the strongest, first place was indeed in sight!

Instead, a certain True Person surnamed Ye finally seized the opportunity, tsk-tsking repeatedly: “Look, look at what kind of people are in Qi Country! Pure flatterers! If An An were to follow them to Qi Country, who knows what he would become later! Our Yun Country is still good. Yun Country people are simple and honest!”

Beside him, Ye Qing Yu covered her mouth and stole a laugh: “I rather think his friends are quite interesting.”

A certain True Person surnamed Ye suddenly felt his teeth itch.

Huang She Li, casting an envious glance towards the Qi Country side, nudged Zhong Shan Wei Sun with her elbow: “Hey, I say, our Jing Country’s sense of ceremony needs to keep up! As fellow great powers, how can we be outdone? Earlier, I fought hard and returned victorious, but the cheering was not loud enough, still sparse and scattered, not at all unified!”

Zhong Shan Wei Sun seethed with a million grievances internally. What good did telling him all this do? This matter wasn’t under his purview! The valiant cavalry great commander was right there, wasn’t he? Huang, couldn’t you find the right person? Of course, the most important point was, you were asking a defeated person to consider the final treatment of the winner… wasn’t that a bit too cruel? Did she think he, Zhong Shan Wei Sun, was easy to bully?

As Zhong Shan Wei Sun simmered with indignation, he suddenly reacted, looking at Huang She Li in horror: “You aren’t thinking of having me shout slogans for you, are you?”

Huang She Li’s face was a picture of “you can be taught.” Reaching out to pat Zhong Shan Wei Sun’s shoulder, she said, “Since you’re volunteering, I’ll leave this matter to you. The slogan must not be weaker than Jiang’s. This decisive battle requires not only strength but also momentum. A slight weakness in momentum can easily affect the overall situation and lead to a crushing defeat. Wei Sun brother!” She smiled, her eyes narrowed into slits, and said, “You don’t want me to lose, do you?”

Inside, Zhao Tie Zhu roared wildly: “Can’t you just say you’re being vain directly? You’re telling me all this nonsense! Don’t I know you? What kind of person is I, Zhong Shan Wei Sun, a nation’s Heavenly Pride, whose divine powers cover the world, to be shouting such shameful slogans for you? Don’t even think— Wait! Are you already starting to make excuses? If you win, it’s all your Heaven-bestowed talent, Huang She Li! If you lose, then you’ll blame me for not generating enough momentum for you? Huang, you are so insidious, you are bullying people too much!”

On his face, Zhong Shan Wei Sun offered a faint smile, stiff yet with a touch of elegance: “I will… try my best.”

Huang She Li simply gave him a look that said “you are sensible,” and then heard Yu Xi’s voice. This True Monarch from Yu Jing Mountain was addressing her: “For the sake of fairness in the competition, I will now solidify your body state temporarily. You just rested for how long? Qi Country’s Jiang Wang will also rest for how long. Then we will restart the final and contend for the championship. Do you have any objections?”

Huang She Li blinked her eyes. In her heart, she thought, “I wasn’t seriously resting just now? I went to watch the beautiful… competition!” The words that came out of her mouth, however, changed: “Then you wait for me to strike a better pose!”

Yu Xi: …

To think that he, a dignified and powerful Yan Dao expert, a True Monarch in the present world, was left speechless yet again. Earlier, when he was about to speak, the noisy highbrows from the Qing Ya Book Academy had interrupted him; he truly hadn’t known how to continue. Amidst those shameful slogans, if he spoke, it would seem like he was cheering for Jiang Wang…

Now, this Huang She Li from Jing Country. If you said she didn’t respect him, her tone was polite and she used honorifics. If you said she respected him, she was still telling a True Monarch to wait a moment! The reason was “to strike a better pose”?

What was wrong with today’s youth? Had they all cultivated “gall” first? To think that when he was young, before senior True Monarchs, he had been trembling with fear, walking on thin ice…

True Monarch Yu Xi’s thoughts were naturally unknown to anyone. Everyone only saw him pause for a moment, then raise his hand, a clear light winding around his fingers…

“No need.”

A voice spoke thus. The voice came from the ancient martial platform. The speaker was, of course, only that one person.

All were surprised and doubtful, even Yu Xi turned his head to look.

On the martial platform, Jiang Wang calmly said: “Today, Heavenly Prides gather, nobles are in attendance. The Supreme descends his dharma image, the long river for this stops its waves. The battle between two individuals is but a ripple in history, floating dust in the world. How could I trouble the various lords to wait long?”

“Jiang Wang does not wish to waste even a few finger snaps of time. Please begin this match quickly, and allow Huang She Li and I to perform for the world!”

Having spoken, he respectfully bowed towards Yu Xi: “Thank you for True Monarch’s labor in hosting.”