The Dragon Contention

"Sovereign, spare our lives!" In the face of a legendary Sovereign, how would they dare act out of line? Legend had it that when a Sovereign was enraged, a million corpses would carpet a thousand li. It was precisely because a Sovereign presided over the City of Sin that they lived in such utter dread. Yet the terrifying might contained within that shocking thunder crashed directly toward them. "No—!" The five powerhouses tried to flee, but how could they possibly withstand such lightning? The thunderbolt struck their bodies, and they watched helplessly as their flesh dissolved into ash. The five rulers of Blood Slaughter City perished on the spot. "*Pfft!*" Ning Tao's diminutive frame was tossed into the air like a kite with a snapped string, tumbling to the ground far away. Merely the aftershocks of this lightning strike had severely wounded her. Blood seeped from the corner of her lips, yet a sweet smile graced her face. "Husband, is this your way of warning me? "Only a powerful man is worthy of me, Ning Tao! "Husband, you still care for me after all. This Origin Divine Ability hurt me, but you only did it so I could better comprehend an Origin Divine Ability, right?" With a sweet smile on her face, Ning Tao looked just like an obedient, doting little wife. Had Qi Yuan been here to hear her words, he would have certainly said, *"Little beauty, your imagination is running way too wild."* Of course, what he did not know was that the once baby-voiced girl was already older than he was. Meanwhile, atop Seven Colors Peak. Qi Yuan was infuriated. "Damn dog game! Trashy tease of a game! You keep making an NPC call me 'husband' to seduce me, but you won't even let me play, huh?!" After his divine soul grew substantially, he attempted to force his way into the game. In the end, he still failed. Just as his divine sense drew close to the game icon, an intensely fierce counterattack suddenly lashed back. He could only curse aloud! At the same time, he also caught fragments of Ning Tao's inner thoughts, in which she referred to him as her husband. He swore up a storm. "No way, I have to strengthen my divine soul and show this game who's boss!" Qi Yuan began cultivating. Nearly two months flashed by in the blink of an eye. Qi Yuan opened his eyes. Looking at the meager increase in dharmic power within his body, he was left speechless. His strength was growing far too slowly. During these two months, Qi Yuan focused primarily on the soul-augmenting cultivation art, with the *Qi Yuan Scripture* as his secondary art. Over these two months, he tried entering the game many times, but every attempt ended in failure. And he heard Ning Tao's voice seven more times; he responded four times, but couldn't be bothered to respond the other three times. After all, during those last three times, she didn't call him 'husband'. She might not even have been calling out to him, and he wasn't about to put his warm face against Ning Tao's cold backside. "Eldest Senior Brother, the Dragon Contention is about to begin. You have to head out," Jiang Lingsu called out, sounding just like an automated smart speaker as she urged Qi Yuan to leave. "Alright." Qi Yuan glanced at his junior sister, who wore a slightly thick dress against the spring breeze, and stepped out of his wooden cabin. ... Rong City was originally a mortal city subordinate to the Divine Light Sect. Over the past two months, however, the city had undergone a massive transformation. From time to time, mortals caught sight of immortals soaring across the horizon. Others saw stone giants, thirty feet tall, carrying timber and boulders outside the city to construct palaces. In less than two months, palatial complexes rose from the ground one after another. Outside Rong City, it was practically a paradise of immortals. At that moment, three streaks of light swept across the vault of heaven. Several voices reached Qi Yuan's ears. "Great Shang transitioned from a mortal realm into a cultivation dynasty, largely due to the opening of the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm in the imperial capital. "Within the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm lie countless secret treasures. Great Shang leveraged those very treasures and resources to leap forward and become the most formidable power within its own borders," the white-haired Kang Fulu explained, seasoned and knowledgeable. "However, over the years, as the Demonic Desire Sect grew in power, the Great Shang dynasty ceased to be as prosperous and mighty as it once was." Hearing this, Dong Xian remained completely unfazed. The decline of the Great Shang dynasty was already inevitable. He harbored no grand ambition to make Great Shang great again. To him, only his own strength was true strength. "Now, outside Rong City, a second Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm has been discovered. That is why the venue for this Dragon Contention was relocated to the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm here in Rong City." None of this information was a secret; had Qi Yuan not been entirely ignorant of it, Kang Fulu would not have bothered to explain. Hearing this, Qi Yuan said, "So you're saying this Dragon Contention is not only a battle for the throne, but also a scramble for resources." Qi Yuan simply found it a bit odd. Rong City was so close to the Divine Light Sect, so logically, when a second Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm opened, it should have been completely monopolized by the Divine Light Sect. But then Qi Yuan recalled that practically everyone in this sect had issues. In that case, it wasn't much of a surprise. Even the sect master was a spy, and many elders and disciples had shady secrets. Even Kang Fulu, the sect master's son-in-law, had his own minor problems. As far as Qi Yuan was concerned, he was probably the only clean and innocent person in the entire sect. "This time, we have three major adversaries. The first is the Eldest Prince, backed by Floating Mountain. "The second is the Seventh Prince, backed by the Demonic Desire Sect. "The third is the Eighteenth Prince, the youngest prince. Behind him... is the Palace of Light." "The Palace of Light?" At those words, Qi Yuan's eyes lit up. His white moonlight had arrived? "The Palace of Light has deep roots and hails from the Eastern Lands. The representative who arrived this time is named Po Lang, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. He has not come with good intentions, so we must be cautious," Kang Fulu warned carefully. Qi Yuan, however, was already sharpening his blades. The Great Shang dynasty was simply too poor—it was basically a village-tier entity. To this day, he had yet to encounter a single Mystic-grade cultivation art within Great Shang. But Zhu Lianhua from the Palace of Light—his very first white moonlight—had truly lived up to coming from a big place, carrying a Mystic-grade art on his person. Since the first white moonlight had died a tragic death in Great Shang, this second white moonlight who came along would definitely be even stronger. Thus, the treasures on him might be even better. This filled Qi Yuan with immense anticipation. ... "Cough, cough..." A pale-faced man lay in bed. Each cough brought up a mouthful of blood, an unrelenting fit racking his body. "Imperial Father." Seeing this, the Eighteenth Prince wore an anxious expression. This man coughing up blood was none other than the supreme ruler of Great Shang. "Step down," the Empress commanded. Draped in a purple-and-gold gown, her countenance was dignified and stern. "Your imperial father needs rest." Looking reluctant to leave, the Eighteenth Prince nevertheless withdrew. In the cavernous palace, only Great Shang's Emperor and Empress remained. "Empress, during my seclusion to heal my wounds, it was fortunate that you managed the court affairs. You have worked hard." The Emperor reached out, wanting to grasp the Empress's hand. Unexpectedly, the Empress rose directly to her feet. "Your Majesty, you need to rest." With that, the Empress turned and strode away. She still had people to meet and had no desire to keep this puppet-like emperor company. "Cough, cough..." Inside the palace, the Emperor's coughing grew harsher, sounding all the more desolate. Meanwhile. The Eighteenth Prince returned to the temporary palace constructed for him in Rong City. Before he even stepped inside, he heard the breathless gasps of a woman coming from the room. His expression flickered between dark and pale. For that woman was his princess consort. He stood outside the chamber, like a eunuch. Just then, a mocking voice called out. "Eighteenth Prince, since you're back, come inside. I like having you watch from the side." Hearing this, the Eighteenth Prince immediately lowered his head and entered, his face plastered with a humble, servile smile. "Mister Po Lang." He glanced over and saw his consort on the bed, her eyes filled with wanton affection, a sheer veil draped loosely across her body. Po Lang was already fully dressed. A sharp gleam glinted within his viper-like eyes. "How did it go?" Keeping his head down, the Eighteenth Prince stammered, "Empress Mother... she was unwilling to speak with me." "Useless trash," Po Lang cursed under his breath, despising the Eighteenth Prince even more. Yet it was precisely because the prince was such worthless trash that he was easiest to control. "If the Empress refuses to cooperate with our Palace of Light, then so be it for now." Displeasure flashed in Po Lang's eyes. Remembering something, he asked, "Have the people from the Divine Light Sect arrived?" "They just reached the palace complex." The Eighteenth Prince kept his head low, full of humility. But then, as a thought crossed his mind, he whispered, "Mister Po Lang, Seventeenth Brother is... very kind. Inside the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm, could you... spare him this once?" Seventeenth Brother was Dong Xian. Like the Eighteenth Prince, Dong Xian had never been favored. Yet Dong Xian had always looked after him, and the bond between them was close. "Out of consideration for your face, I can spare his life. "However, the other two from the Divine Light Sect—I intend to keep their lives here." A flicker of murderous intent surfaced in Po Lang's eyes as he spoke. Zhu Lianhua had died in Great Shang at the hands of the Divine Flower Society. To Po Lang, this was a humiliating disgrace. The current plot encompassing the Hundred Dynasties was spearheaded by his master. Once successful, his master's standing in the Palace of Light would soar. Yet who would have thought Zhu Lianhua would be killed right near the Divine Light Sect? Even though members of the Divine Flower Society had committed the murder, the Divine Light Sect was undoubtedly implicated. "Of the two who came from the Divine Light Sect, who is stronger?" Po Lang asked, struck by a thought. "Kang Fulu of Five Lights Peak is stronger. He is a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, the son-in-law of the Divine Light Sect Master, and the final disciple of the Five Lights Peak Lord." The Eighteenth Prince had met Kang Fulu and remembered the lengthy self-introduction he had once heard from him. "He also ranks among the top three of the Great Shang Ten Paragons." The Great Shang Ten Paragons referred to the ten most talented young Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Great Shang dynasty. "The Great Shang Ten Paragons?" Scorn flashed in Po Lang's eyes. He was a man ranked within the top seven hundred of the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll. Naturally, he looked down on any so-called Great Shang Ten Paragons. To him, they could be dispatched with a single sword stroke. "You and I will step outside. A friend of mine wants to enjoy her as well, and he doesn't like having company," Po Lang said coldly, recalling something. Still bearing that sycophantic smile on his face, the Eighteenth Prince obediently walked out. ... "Not bad, not bad at all. It's actually more luxurious than my Foundation Establishment cabin," Qi Yuan mused inside the palace. Gazing at the golden goblets and jade platters, he felt a strong urge to pack them all up and take them back to Seven Colors Peak. Kang Fulu remained completely composed as he spoke unhurriedly: "Shortly, we will be meeting face-to-face." By now, representatives from all the sects had assembled. All the imperial princes had arrived as well. They needed to hold a joint gathering before unsealing the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm for the Dragon Contention. Qi Yuan nodded, his heart full of anticipation. His Po Lang white moonlight. Since some time remained before the gathering, Qi Yuan grew rather bored. After some thought, he extended his divine sense into the Divine Flower Society jade slip. He had noticed quite a few messages popping up in their group chat, the Four Divine Sovereigns of Divine Flower. "I've got good news for everyone: today, I made it onto the Eastern Lands Lesser Heavenly Pride Roll at rank 300," spoke Rogue Celestial Venerable. "Congratulations!" "Congratulations!" "Boss, please carry me!" Everyone in the group piped up. Qi Yuan also felt a burst of admiration for Rogue Celestial Venerable. At most, Qi Yuan was currently a village-tier top-ten Foundation Establishment cultivator, while his chat buddy was already a provincial-tier prodigy.