Chapter 198: Reward Worth Envying

In the hierarchical structure, unlike the regional lords who report to their respective Stellar Lords, the Stellar Lords themselves do not report directly to the Left and Right Grand Marshals. Instead, they report straight to the Heavenly King, the supreme leader of Sheng Shenzhou. While the Left and Right Grand Marshals outrank the Stellar Lords, they do not possess direct administrative authority over the regions; they function solely as the Heavenly King's chief aides.

Under normal circumstances, it was a rare sight for all seven Stellar Lords to gather in one place. Normally, the seven Stellar Lords disdained attending such events. They were only present because they knew the Right Grand Marshal would be there, and their absence might be perceived as a slight.

This time, the regional lords, unlike their previously carefree and disorganized seating, all stood respectfully behind their respective Stellar Lords.

After a prolonged wait, the Right Grand Marshal still hadn't appeared, and murmurs of confusion about his absence began to spread. After all, with all seven Stellar Lords present, it seemed inappropriate for the Right Grand Marshal to keep them waiting indefinitely without any explanation.

As sunlight pierced through the mountains surrounding the training ground, it illuminated the top of the massive, ice-encased stone pillar. The reflected light was dazzling, shimmering amidst the vast, cold air.

Just then, a person quickly approached, respectfully cupped their hands before the seven Stellar Lords, and announced, "Esteemed Stellar Lords, the King has summoned the Right Grand Marshal for an urgent matter. He won't be able to come for now. Please proceed with the event as planned."

Everyone wondered what urgent matter could cause the Right Grand Marshal to cancel his appearance at such a crucial moment.

The seven Stellar Lords exchanged glances. One of them stood up and simply said, "You may continue." Showing no intention of lingering, they left immediately. Not only him, but the other six Stellar Lords also departed silently and completely.

To them, this was merely a children's game; had the Right Grand Marshal not been expected, they wouldn't have bothered showing up at all. What else could a competition among high-level martial cultivators be in their eyes but a children's game?

The competition in the Western Extremity Arena might have seemed grand and attention-grabbing, but that was only because it represented a struggle for specific interests. Once divorced from those interests, it was, at its core, just a fight among low-level high-martial cultivators. Not to mention these prominent figures, even most sects and factions looked down on it.

The Right Grand Marshal's attitude of simply not showing up if he didn't want to also indicated that he didn't take this event very seriously.

The remaining regional lords looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"What do we do now?" Wei Mo asked. His Shengzhou was in first place, so he cared about the proceedings. The regional lords who hadn't secured a ranking, however, couldn't care less about how things proceeded. So, in the end, Wei Mo took charge of the proceedings. With the Right Grand Marshal absent, he saw no need to follow all the elaborate procedures. After clarifying the essential steps, he streamlined the process.

Just as the spectators in the training ground were also growing curious about why the event hadn't started yet, a figure shot out across the sky and landed gracefully on the massive, ice-encased stone pillar. It was Wei Mo.

After surveying the entire ground, he stomped his foot. A rumble echoed, and the ground trembled slightly as cracks rapidly appeared in the ice encasing the massive pillar. With a crashing and clattering sound, the thick ice armor suddenly collapsed like an avalanche, piling up at the base of the massive pillar. It looked like shattered jade heaped into flowers, guarding the pillar's perimeter, with cold mist rising like smoke.

A colossal, four-sided stone pillar was revealed. All four faces were carved with text, in a script large enough for everyone in the training ground to read clearly. All four sides bore the same inscription: "Skyfall Meteor Tournament Rankings."

This listed the first to tenth-ranked prefectures. This was followed by the first to tenth-ranked sects. And then the first to tenth-ranked individuals.

The first-ranked prefecture was Shengzhou, the first-ranked sect was Wukang Mountain, and the first-ranked individual was Shi Chun.

In one of the pavilions, Wu Jinliang nudged Shi Chun with his elbow, excitedly whispering, "Look, our names are up there!" Shi Chun appeared calm on the surface, but he was also very excited internally, believing he had finally made a name for himself. He wondered if that person would notice him after today. His biggest concern now was that when that woman was still around, his name was simply "Chun." He wondered if she would recognize him by "Shi Chun."

Bian Weiying also saw her name, ranked fourth among individuals. It was her first time seeing her name displayed before so many people, and she felt quite embarrassed. The problem was that she hadn't done anything; she had simply "lain down" and secured fourth place.

Upon seeing Wukang Mountain genuinely ranked first, Bian Jixiong's expression was complex. He felt undeserving of the position and was apprehensive, fearing misfortune.

"Mother, the first place really went to Shi Chun," Miao Yilan whispered softly to her mother, tilting her head. Looking at the names on the ranking, Lan Qiaoyan shook her head with a wry smile, her face filled with emotion. Given her husband's well-connected network, she had a general idea of Shi Chun's entire championship journey. He truly dared to think and act, dared to seize and fight. His methods and abilities were exactly those of the former chieftain of Dongjiuyuan, without a doubt. He simply went from plundering in the Land of Exile to plundering in the Western Extremity; he had just changed his location for robbery.

She even felt embarrassed for Xuanzhou, whose hard-won first place had been snatched away by Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang. Anyone with foresight knew that the Skyfall Meteor Tournament was just a minor event. The true arenas of power lay outside the competition grounds. The tournament was transient, whereas the numerous established powers outside were the enduring entities.

Those two guys were truly audacious! Weren't they afraid of being killed by Xuanzhou? Her husband had even advised her and her daughter to maintain a suitable distance from them, simply out of fear of being implicated.

Two more figures flew up onto the stone pillar in full view of everyone, positioning themselves to Wei Mo's left and right. One of them, using a magical amplification, announced loudly, "Wukang Mountain of Shengzhou, having achieved first place in the Skyfall Meteor Tournament, please come forward to receive your reward!"

As the words fell, someone from the pavilions immediately gestured for Bian Jixiong to come forward. Bian Jixiong did not hesitate; he flew over quickly, landing on top of the stone pillar as well.

Wei Mo, smiling, handed a decree to Bian Jixiong. "Sect Master Bian, congratulations. After the assembly, take this to the Royal Construction Office. The office will follow the decree and specifically forge a batch of Xun Gate passes for Wukang Mountain disciples, to facilitate your disciples' free movement throughout Sheng Shenzhou in the future."

With everything finally settled, Wei Mo's mood today was excellent. It was his first time speaking to Bian Jixiong with such a pleasant demeanor, which flattered Bian Jixiong immensely, causing him to nod and bow repeatedly in acceptance.

The announcer immediately used a spell to project his voice throughout the entire ground again: "All disciples of Wukang Mountain are granted permanent free passage through all public Xun Gates within Sheng Shenzhou!"

Although it had been rumored before, now that it was officially announced, a wave of uproar still swept through the training ground. Xun Gate passage fees were not cheap. For all disciples of a sect to enjoy permanent free passage, the immense cumulative benefits were undeniable, but the sheer honor alone was extraordinary! It was the only sect in Sheng Shenzhou to possess this honor, a permanent source of pride shared by all its disciples!

Even if Bian Jixiong felt undeserving, his blood was boiling with excitement at that moment. Regardless, this honor would forever shine gloriously upon Wukang Mountain!

"Damn it, Wukang Mountain must have gotten incredibly lucky," someone muttered, "to use two people just released from prison as placeholders and actually come out first." Many sarcastic remarks, tinged with envy, jealousy, and resentment, suddenly erupted.

The elders of Jieyun Mountain, including Wu Handong, who were quietly seated, all had taut expressions. They were Shengzhou's largest sect, and the widespread attention Bian Jixiong was now enjoying should, in their imagination, have belonged to them. Of course, they wouldn't dare claim that without Wukang Mountain they could have taken first place in Sheng Shenzhou; such a statement would be ridiculed. But with Wukang Mountain securing it, they felt that people would still laugh at them, leaving a bitter taste.

Elder Lin, from the side, whispered, "Senior Brother, is it true that the Regional Lord said the sect that takes first place in Shengzhou will have a Xun Gate built right at their doorstep?" This question made Wu Handong feel even more sour. Without Wukang Mountain, they wouldn't have secured first place in Sheng Shenzhou anyway, but they could have achieved first place within Shengzhou.

In other words, because of Wukang Mountain's sudden emergence, a Xun Gate that would have been built at Jieyun Mountain's doorstep was forcefully snatched away, and there was no way to argue against it. Throughout Sheng Shenzhou, sects with a Xun Gate at their doorstep were very few. The opportunity had originally been within Jieyun Mountain's grasp.

The value of a Xun Gate was immense. A single Xun Gate was enough to transform a desolate wilderness into a prosperous city. Didn't they see how eagerly even the regional lords of various prefectures vied for them? A Xun Gate right at their doorstep, coupled with permanent free passage rights... Just thinking about the convenience Wukang Mountain was about to gain, an unidentifiable rage welled up in Wu Handong's heart. He turned to glare at Bai Shuchuan, a participating disciple seated beside him, and coldly rebuked, "Useless good-for-nothing!"

Bai Shuchuan immediately felt wronged, lowering his head with reddened eyes. He believed he had already given his utmost and fought desperately, leading his fellow disciples into and then out of the Moon Sea amidst monsters. He had tried every possible means to secure a top position, originally claiming first place, but who knew Wukang Mountain's "monsters" would emerge? He really wanted to ask, "If I had also impersonated Mulan Qingqing's fiancé like Shi Chun did, would you elders have been afraid? Could you have protected me?"

In the VIP stand, Chi Rang, the Regional Lord of Xuanzhou, also felt a bitter taste, and the regret on his face was obvious. The reward of permanent Xun Gate passage for the first-place winner was actually his suggestion and something he had strongly campaigned for. His original intention was to tailor it specifically for Su Yuanzong, to persuade them to exert themselves fully and help his Xuanzhou secure more Xun Gates.

Su Yuanzong had so many disciples. With a Xun Gate right at their doorstep, the allure of free passage was immense, as one could imagine. As a result, Su Yuanzong sent out their eligible elite disciples, and even Mulan Qingqing participated, which clearly indicated this motivation. Who would have thought that the benefits he had worked so hard to secure would end up benefiting someone else? "Alas!" At this moment, he could only sigh. Afterward, he had tried hard to reverse the outcome, but the resistance was too great. In the end, he could only accept his fate.

On the stone pillar, Bian Jixiong bowed respectfully to various parts of the training ground, as a gesture of humility. After a moment, Wei Mo patted his arm and smiled, "I will not go back on the reward promised by Shengzhou. Go back and prepare for site selection. Once the Royal Court is ready to begin construction, you will have priority. All right, you can step down now. Don't obstruct others."

He was genuinely in high spirits. He had aimed for a good ranking, but he never expected Shengzhou to secure first place, which was a huge surprise. It would be unreasonable to still be dissatisfied with Wukang Mountain now. Bian Jixiong, who had always felt uneasy, had actually forgotten about the Xun Gate being built at their doorstep for a moment. With this reminder, he felt somewhat stunned and overwhelmed by the continuous benefits of being first place, and became rather excited. For a fleeting moment, a thought crossed his mind: "To gain such immense benefits, is it perhaps worth offending some people?"