Chapter 1148: Mediation |
TL: GoldenLung
There were only two possible outcomes regarding Lan's punishment: either disqualification from the competition, or permission to continue competing. More severe penalties were highly unlikely. After all, Lan was a Higher Dragon. Celestial Dragon Planet was not like Douluo Planet; here, the classes were unequal. The result was naturally announced on the third day of the round-robin tournament, which was also the day of the third round. Early in the morning, Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu finished their morning routines and went to the dining hall for breakfast. To their slight surprise, not only was Huang Yuanlang waiting there to dine with them, but Huang Daoqi had also come. Huang Daoqi looked somewhat weary; it was worth noting that fatigue was very rare for a god-ranked powerhouse.
"Father," Bai Xiuxiu saw him and quickly stepped forward to greet him with a bow.
Huang Daoqi smiled faintly: "Good daughter, well done. As planned, you will win today without a fight, and you could already be considered to have two wins and one loss." Bai Xiuxiu smiled back: "That's all because my older sister is so formidable!" Lan Xuanyu also bowed slightly to Huang Daoqi in acknowledgment. Seeing "her" respectful demeanor, any negative feelings Huang Daoqi had harbored instantly dissipated. In his view, although the incident the day before had been somewhat troublesome, in a sense, Lan had also vented some anger on behalf of Fenglong City.
The fact that Lan had already signed a thousand-year contract with the family had not yet been made public, but Huang Daoqi knew it himself. Lan's strength and potential were indisputable; even the Mokong Dragon Knight had been full of praise.
"What happened yesterday was just an accident. If anyone asks, just answer that way," Huang Daoqi said to Lan Xuanyu with a smile. "Sit, let's eat and talk. Remember, you have matches later." Hearing him say this, Lan Xuanyu understood that the matter had basically been resolved; otherwise, he would not be so relaxed.
"Patriarch, sorry for the trouble," Lan Xuanyu bowed again to Huang Daoqi before sitting down. Huang Daoqi waved his hand: "It's nothing. With Lord Luo Lan around, and yesterday's incident being an accident, after discussions at the higher levels, it's mostly settled. However, in future matches, you still need to be careful. Avoid repeating the same situation if possible. Otherwise, even Lord Luo Lan might not be able to protect you. After all, we are all of the same clan. Show mercy whenever you can." Lan Xuanyu immediately nodded in agreement. He certainly could not keep killing opponents; that would definitely invite investigation. He was not a violent person by nature. His actions the day before were partly to test the waters and partly because Shao Xiu had shown him deep malice. In subsequent matches, he truly did not plan to do the same again.
Seeing that "she" was receptive to advice, Huang Daoqi became even more satisfied. He gestured for "them" to eat and said with a smile: "You are both the future hopes of our family. Be careful in the coming matches and prioritize your safety. Yesterday, both of you achieved victories, which brought honor to our Fenglong City. Especially you, Lan, who is now a hot contender to advance deep into the tournament. This is something Fenglong City hasn't seen in many years." As he spoke, Huang Daoqi could not help but glance at Huang Yuanlang, who was eating with his head lowered and looking meek. Huang Yuanlang had lost his match yesterday, and quite badly at that. The high spirits he had shown after his first victory were completely gone. Clearly, one's true strength spoke for itself; Huang Yuanlang's chances of standing out from the round-robin were infinitesimally close to zero.
Huang Daoqi, now in high spirits, smiled and said: "Yesterday, I went to see Lord Luo Lan immediately. After watching the match recording, Lord Luo Lan did not criticize your performance at all. On the contrary, he praised you highly, saying your fighting style resembles his, and that you are truly worthy of being from our Fenglong City. Later, Lord Luo Lan personally went to discuss how to handle the matter with the higher-ups. With his staunch support and mediation, the issue was de-escalated. Lord Luo Lan asked me to tell you that combat spirit is the most important quality for a Dragon Knight. In the heat of battle, do not overthink. Only by charging forward relentlessly can you shine most brilliantly. So, those words about showing mercy just now were my personal opinion; Lord Luo Lan did not say them, haha."
However, he secretly found these people terrifying, so indifferent to life, even the lives of their own clan members. Huang Daoqi continued: "Lord Luo Lan should be present again today to lend you his personal backing. So, if there is any unfavorable public opinion, do not take it to heart. With Lord Luo Lan around, there will be no problems."
Hearing this, Lan Xuanyu deliberately expressed great delight, an even broader smile appearing on his face: "Lan will never forget Lord Luo Lan's guidance and support. I also thank the Patriarch for mediating on my behalf." With Luo Lan present, he would be able to absorb large amounts of dragon energy again, further aiding his companions in their tempering cultivation.
If he could use this Rising Dragon Competition to help all his companions complete their foundational tempering, everyone's strength would likely rise to a new level. Such cultivation speed would definitely be much faster than even cultivating in the Inner Court of Shrek Academy. Over the past few days, both he and Bai Xiuxiu had felt significant progress. With his Dragon God bloodline, the speed of their Dragon Force Tempering was much faster than that of ordinary dragon creatures, provided they had sufficient dragon energy support. The Rising Dragon Competition offered them such a nearly perfect opportunity. Being able to draw in the Dragon Knight again was a great boon. If Huang Daoqi had known what Lan Xuanyu was actually thinking, he would have been speechless.
Seeing Lan Xuanyu overjoyed, Huang Daoqi could not help but laugh: "We are all family; no need for formalities. By the way, we have reported to Celestial Dragon City that you two have signed the thousand-year contract. However, we used our connections to temporarily keep this news under wraps, planning to announce it only after the Rising Dragon Competition ends."
"Why is that?" Bai Xiuxiu asked, feigning curiosity.
Huang Daoqi explained: "Primarily for your safety. Your performances have been outstanding, and other major families are surely paying attention to you, perhaps even wanting to recruit you. Since they want to recruit you, they naturally will not go all out to harm you during the competition. But if they find out you have already signed a thousand-year contract with our family, and that they have no chance of winning you over, your opponents will become much more ruthless when fighting you." He did not elaborate, but Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu already understood his meaning. They had to admit he was truly calculating, having thought of all these details. He was indeed looking out for them.
After breakfast, the two set off again for the competition.
For some reason, on the way to the Rising Dragon Platform, Lan Xuanyu noticed that Huang Yuanlang kept his distance from him, no longer trying to strike up a conversation as usual. Was he frightened by Lan's performance the day before? Still, not having to deal with Huang Yuanlang's pleasantries was a good thing, and Lan Xuanyu appreciated the peace.
When Lan Xuanyu flew up to the Rising Dragon Platform again, before he even ascended, the looks from the various spectators lining the grand dragon path on both sides were noticeably different from before. Beyond mere admiration, there was something else. Additionally, Lan Xuanyu felt the gaze of powerful dragon experts. His Golden Dragon Princess was garnering increasing attention.
Some of the younger-generation dragon experts, who had previously seen him merely as an up-and-comer, were now shifting their focus onto him. He remained true to himself, arriving at the rest area of Battle Zone Three. The rest area was missing the largest figure that had been there before, which made the other contestants in the same zone sigh with relief. Lan Xuanyu's gaze immediately landed on the largest remaining contestant in Battle Zone Three.
That was his opponent for the day, a Higher Dragon that had not yet been able to take human form. This Higher Dragon was covered in silver scales, over thirty meters long, emanating a faint silver glow. Sensing Lan Xuanyu's gaze, it instinctively looked back at Lan Xuanyu. When their eyes met, the Higher Dragon's body trembled slightly. It bared its teeth, as if offering a smile to Lan Xuanyu. Lan Xuanyu looked away, ignoring that Higher Dragon.
Ranked by Huang Yuanlang as third from the bottom in Group Three, this opponent was not worth his attention. After all the contestants had arrived one after another, the silver light gate opened again, and figures emerged one by one. The Dragon Force light pillars rose, dragon energy churned, and the god-ranked dragon experts had brought their benefits once more.
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