Chapter 54: Victory

When two powerful Origin Realm cultivators clashed, the resulting commotion was truly earth-shattering. The entire square trembled violently, and even the expanding aftershocks caused countless people to feel suffocated.

As Zhou Qing's angry roar echoed, a large contingent of imperial guards suddenly surged out from the rear of the square like a tide. Simultaneously, figures within the square reached for weapons concealed beneath their clothes, subtly moving closer to King Qi.

Both sides were on high alert.

Instantly, the atmosphere across the entire square turned grim. Various factions were secretly shocked, wondering if the Imperial Family and King Qi's Residence were about to openly declare war today.

Neither side was clearly prepared for war. Such a conflict would undoubtedly plunge Great Zhou into civil strife and attract numerous covetous eyes.

Zhou Qing's expression was cold and severe. Mighty crimson flame-thunder qi continuously roared forth from the crown of his head, faintly accompanied by thunderous rumbling, hovering in the sky above him and exuding an astonishing aura.

He stared coldly at King Qi Qiyuan, ready to strike if the latter made any unusual move.

Under Zhou Qing's hawk-like gaze, Qiyuan's face twitched slightly. Although his eyes surged with rage and killing intent, he was, after all, a cunning schemer. He knew that engaging the Imperial Family in battle at this moment would inevitably lead to a mutually destructive outcome, ultimately benefiting only outsiders.

So, he took a deep breath, and the mighty Genesis Qi that had roared out from above his head suddenly rolled back, receding into his body.

A smile appeared on his gloomy face. He clasped his hands towards Zhou Qing and chuckled, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I was merely too impatient for a moment. I hope Your Majesty will forgive my rashness."

Then, he looked at Zhou Yuan on the stone platform and said, "If I startled Your Highness earlier, I hope Your Highness will not take offense."

Looking at the smile on Qiyuan's face, Zhou Yuan couldn't help but think, "This King Qi is truly a cunning schemer, adaptable and pragmatic. No wonder he has caused so much trouble for my father."

Zhou Yuan grew even more wary of Qiyuan, but maintained a smile on his face, apologizing profusely, "It's not King Qi's fault. It's my fault for being unable to control my power earlier and severing Brother Qi's arm. That's why I must apologize."

Qiyuan glanced at Qiyue, who was still wailing while clutching his severed arm. His eyelid twitched, and he replied with a forced smile, "Fists and feet have no eyes; accidents always happen. This can only be attributed to Qiyue's inferior skill."

"If King Qi can understand, then that's excellent," Zhou Yuan said, seemingly relieved and delighted.

"Haha," Qiyuan chuckled, then his gaze flickered. "The art Your Highness used earlier, was that our King Qi's Residence's Xuanmang Art? I wonder where Your Highness obtained it?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan chuckled, "Some time ago, while I was cultivating in the Blackwood Mountain Range, someone attempted to assassinate me. After I killed him in self-defense, I discovered the Xuanmang Art on his person."

"So that's how it is," Qiyuan said with realization. "Some time ago, our King Qi's Residence was robbed, and we coincidentally lost this Xuanmang Art. I suppose the one who attacked Your Highness must have been that very thief."

Qiyuan smiled gently and said, "We have Your Highness to thank; otherwise, our King Qi's Residence would have lost this art forever."

Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly. This King Qi was truly cunning and sly, attempting to demand the Xuanmang Art back with just one sentence. It wouldn't be that simple.

Zhou Yuan immediately sighed and said, "If the Xuanmang Art were still in my possession, returning it to King Qi's Residence would naturally be the right thing to do. Unfortunately, when I was battling a Genesis Beast some time ago, it was tragically bitten and shattered by the beast, so I simply discarded it."

Qiyuan's smile froze, and he couldn't help but clench his fist. Zhou Yuan's words were so obviously untrue that even a three-year-old child wouldn't believe them. Clearly, Zhou Yuan had no intention of returning the Xuanmang Art.

Yet, he had few options unless he wanted to openly turn hostile towards the Imperial Family right then.

Zhou Qing scoffed inwardly upon witnessing this. He then reined in his surging Genesis Qi. Although he was extremely enraged by Qiyuan's audacity, he also understood that now was not the time to go to war with King Qi's Residence.

As their auras receded, the tense atmosphere over the square gradually relaxed.

Everyone knew that the Imperial Family and King Qi's Residence were in opposition, but the final thin veil between them had not yet been torn. If it were torn here today, Great Zhou would surely be plunged into turmoil, and no one would be able to avoid the consequences.

Qiyuan waved his hand, and two figures darted onto the high platform, helping the wailing Qiyue down. At this point, the referee on the side finally came to his senses and loudly announced, "Institute Alpha, Zhou Yuan wins!"

"Institute Beta has lost all its combatants! Institute Alpha wins this challenge and shall be ranked as the top institute this year!"

As the referee's voice reverberated, the many students of Institute Alpha immediately cheered. Within the square, countless spectators erupted in thunderous applause.

All eyes were filled with astonishment as they gazed at the slender young figure on the stone platform. No one had expected that this former crippled prince, once believed by all to be incapable of cultivating due to his blocked meridians, could achieve such a feat.

Some who had experienced the incident more than a decade ago secretly sighed with emotion, noting that even that catastrophe failed to completely destroy His Highness. This showed just how resilient his destiny truly was.

However, Zhou Yuan had, after all, lost his former Saint Dragon destiny. Therefore, it was difficult to ascertain how far he could advance in the future.

After all, the Saint Dragon destiny that originally belonged to him had now become the nation-stabilizing destiny of Great Wu, bringing success to the pair born at the same time as him, who possessed the "Python-Sparrow" destiny. Reclaiming it, relying on Great Zhou's strength, would likely be harder than ascending to heaven.

Compared to the cheers from Institute Alpha, Institute Beta was utterly silent, the atmosphere stifling. Dean Xu Hong of Institute Beta was ashen-faced, like a volcano about to erupt.

He was just one step away from becoming the Great Zhou Governor. He had originally expected to gain control of the Great Zhou Prefecture after today, but who could have anticipated the situation turning out like this?

Qiyue, who was originally guaranteed victory, had actually been defeated by Zhou Yuan!

Nearby, Liu Xi, who had fainted, finally regained consciousness. However, when she heard the referee's announcement, her pretty face instantly turned ashen.

"Qiyue lost to Zhou Yuan? How is that possible?!"

She stared blankly at the stone platform, where Zhou Yuan stood with his hands behind his back. The young man's posture was tall and straight, and his slender face now carried a keen edge, making him a figure no one dared to underestimate.

"How is that possible... How could he contend with Qiyue! He's just a crippled prince!" Liu Xi murmured, still in disbelief.

The other students from Institute Beta felt a certain satisfaction seeing Liu Xi's reaction. On ordinary days, Liu Xi was arrogant and proud, never truly acknowledging anyone else besides Qiyue as worthy. Even among her peers in Institute Beta, she always maintained a superior attitude.

"You used to call His Highness Zhou Yuan a toad, claiming you looked down on him, but now he is so outstanding that even Qiyue cannot compare."

"It seems what Su Youwei said earlier was correct: compared to His Highness Zhou Yuan, Liu Xi is the truly self-important toad!"

On the high platform, Qiyuan already knew his plot for the Great Zhou Prefecture had failed, and his expression was somewhat gloomy. He looked at Zhou Qing and smiled faintly, "This prefectural examination was truly surprising. Congratulations, Your Majesty."

Zhou Qing's expression was calm as he replied, "It's just a pity for all the effort King Qi has put into the Great Zhou Prefecture over the years."

Qiyuan chuckled, "Consider this a misstep for my King Qi's Residence. However, Your Majesty should not get too complacent. Without this Great Zhou Prefecture, my King Qi's Residence remains King Qi's Residence."

"Additionally..."

He paused, then glanced at Zhou Qing and smiled faintly, "My eldest son, Qi Hao, is reportedly quite appreciated under the Great General now. So, Your Majesty might want to pay a bit more attention."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing's pupils contracted slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. "The Great General is not a rebellious person; this King still believes that."

"Heh, I hope so. But it seems what Your Majesty believes in has never yielded particularly good results in the end," Qiyuan said with a meaningful smile. He then said no more, clasped his hands towards Zhou Qing, and turned to leave.

Watching Qiyuan's retreating figure, Zhou Qing's gaze grew much colder. He knew that by thwarting King Qi's Residence's plot for the Great Zhou Prefecture this time, they would certainly not let it go. It seemed the struggle between the two sides would only grow fiercer in the days to come.

However, no matter what, he would not allow what happened in the past to repeat itself!