SWNOVELXO Chapter 337: Feng?
Chapter 337: Feng?
“Your Highness the First Prince and Your Highness the Fifth Prince, only the two of you remain. Please enter the arena.”
The Minister of Rites, who had previously maintained a stern expression, now smiled warmly.
This was the final match. Whether the First Prince or the Fifth Prince emerged victorious, one of them would become the Crown Prince. Since it was between these two, he dared not show any favoritism.
The First Prince and the Fifth Prince entered the arena and engaged in their ultimate showdown without even a moment’s rest. Sometimes, the ability to endure prolonged battles was itself a measure of strength.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Both princes fought with everything they had, holding nothing back.
Their cultivation levels were equal, and even the fighting techniques they used were similar. After all, as the direct descendants of the Emperor, neither would willingly concede superiority to the other. In this situation, there was no choice but to fight for their lives.
The officials and nobles who supported either prince watched the battle with bated breath. The outcome of this battle would determine their future influence at court, as well as the distribution of power and benefits.
As the saying goes, “One dynasty, one set of ministers.” Once the old emperor passed away and the new emperor ascended the throne, he would undoubtedly build his own inner circle. Those officials and nobles who had supported the new emperor would naturally be the first choice for key positions. As for those who had backed other princes, the new emperor might harbor some lingering resentment toward them. While it wouldn’t lead to something as extreme as family annihilation, being sidelined, marginalized, or given unimportant roles was almost inevitable.
Thus, the outcome of this battle was crucial for the officials and nobles.
On the other hand, those who had supported the Third Prince or the Seventh Prince watched with complicated expressions. The princes they had supported had already been eliminated. Regardless of whether the First Prince or the Fifth Prince won, it no longer mattered to them-they were destined to be marginalized.
“Fifth Prince, give it your all! Whether or not I get to oversee one of your exclusive cultivation resource zones is entirely up to you!”
Xu Lian silently cheered for the Fifth Prince, his heart racing with anxiety. He was so eager that he felt like jumping into the arena himself to fight on behalf of the Fifth Prince… delivering a single powerful blow.
Ning Meixue also nervously clenched her hands. Over the past few days, she had completely devoted herself to her junior brother, practicing the Dual Malevolence Technique with him to enhance their strength. They were now ready to take on their senior brother, Zhao Ming. All they needed now was for the Fifth Prince to secure the position of Crown Prince – the final piece of their plan.
Only if the Fifth Prince succeeded in becoming the Crown Prince would their plan bear fruit. If the First Prince were to become the Crown Prince, he would never allow Zhao Ming to independently manage an exclusive cultivation resource zone. In that case, killing Zhao Ming would be pointless.
“Fifth Prince, you must win! I’ve staked both the Marquis Zhao household and my own future on you.”
Zhao Ming muttered under his breath, praying for the Fifth Prince’s victory, unaware that two “schemers” had already set their sights on him.
Boom!
Suddenly, a black sunlight-like ray erupted from the arena!
The First Prince spat out blood, his body flying backward. A large, charred hole had caved into his chest, and his internal organs were severely damaged – he was gravely injured!
The Fifth Prince, his eyes bloodshot, held a black jade ruyi in his hand. It emitted waves of dark light, carrying with it a faint aura of Sage-level power.
“Fifth Brother, you’ve broken the rules by using a weapon beyond your own abilities!”
The First Prince coughed up blood and glared at the Fifth Prince with fury.
The crowd erupted in shock.
“The Fifth Prince has broken the rules! Does that mean the First Prince has won?”
“The First Prince has secured the position of Crown Prince! He will ascend to the Crown Prince!”
Marquis Zhao, Marquis Qin, Duke Ning, and other nobles and officials who supported the Fifth Prince could only smile bitterly. In terms of raw strength, the Fifth Prince was no weaker than the First Prince. If he had continued fighting fairly, he might still have emerged victorious. But using a weapon beyond his level was clearly not a wise move.
An elderly duke who supported the First Prince turned to the Minister of Rites and said, “Minister, what are you waiting for? Proclaim the First Prince’s victory at once!”
The Minister of Rites felt a deep sense of bitterness. He was one of the supporters of the Fifth Prince and didn’t want to see him lose. However, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, he had no choice but to declare, “The victor of this match is His Highness the First Prince…”
“Wait!”
Suddenly, the old emperor raised his hand to interrupt.
The officials and nobles were confused. Was His Majesty going to give the Fifth Prince another chance to compete?
However, the emperor’s next words shocked everyone. With an unwavering tone, he declared, “I hereby announce that the Fifth Prince is the victor. He will be crowned Crown Prince and will inherit the throne in the future!”
Everyone was stunned.
Marquis Zhao, Marquis Qin, Marquis Ning, and the other nobles and officials who supported the Fifth Prince were initially dumbfounded, but then overwhelming joy washed over them. Luck had come so unexpectedly!
On the other hand, the elderly duke and others who supported the First Prince were struck by lightning. They couldn’t believe it. Despite the Fifth Prince blatantly breaking the rules in front of everyone, the Emperor had chosen to ignore it and directly declared the Fifth Prince the winner.
The First Prince’s face flushed red with anger, and he knelt on the ground shouting, “Father Emperor, I cannot accept this! Fifth Brother used a weapon beyond his capabilities, yet you chose to overlook it and declared him the victor! If I have done something wrong to displease you, please enlighten me!”
The old emperor sighed softly. “My son, you have done nothing wrong. It’s just that there is a simple truth that you have failed to grasp. The true pillars of the Empire are the Supreme Beings, not the Emperor. The emperor is merely the visible ruler; his personal strength is not what truly matters.
The most important thing for an emperor is his ability to handle the affairs of the court. One must not be too rigid or bound by outdated rules.
For the sake of the empire, there are times when an emperor must break the rules. In short, an emperor must know how to adapt and not be too inflexible.
In this battle, I have seen the Fifth Prince’s ability to adapt, while you, my son, are too bound by convention. I believe that the Fifth Prince is more fit to be emperor than you are.”
The Fifth Prince knelt down and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Father Emperor!”
The First Prince trembled with rage and roared angrily, “I refuse to accept this!”
The old emperor gave him a cold look. “If you refuse, then keep it to yourself. My decision is final. The Great Arena Competition is over. The court is dismissed.”
With that, the old emperor rose from his seat and departed, followed by a grand procession.
“Farewell, Your Majesty,” the officials and nobles said in unison, bowing deeply as they watched the Emperor’s retreating figure.
“Farewell, Father Emperor!”
The Fifth Prince wore a victorious smile as he turned to the nobles and officials who had supported him. “Tonight, I will host a banquet at my residence. I hope that all of you esteemed lords will attend.”
Marquis Zhao, Marquis Qin, Marquis Ning, and others who had supported the Fifth Prince beamed with joy. Their gamble had paid off, and they readily agreed to attend.
The Third Prince approached, forcing a smile onto his face as he clasped his hands together. “Congratulations, Fifth Brother.”
The Seventh Prince also hurried over, offering his congratulations. “Fifth Brother has both strength and wisdom. I have lost to you before, and I wholeheartedly admit my defeat.”
“Third Brother and Seventh Brother are too kind. We are all family here. Winning or losing isn’t that important,” the Fifth Prince replied with a nod and a smile. As he spoke, he glanced pointedly at the First Prince, clearly implying that these words were meant for him as well.
Xu Lian couldn’t help but silently criticize: Winning through rule breaking and then acting like it’s no big deal… This Fifth Prince is ruthless. He wins unfairly and still expects the First Prince to be magnanimous?
After the grand arena competition ended, the officials and commoners gradually scattered. In the end, only the First Prince remained, slumped on the arena, his face ashen. His eyes were bloodshot, like those of a wounded beast. Losing due to inferior skill would have been one thing, but to be defeated by the Fifth Prince through foul play was utterly humiliating.
The officials and nobles who had supported the First Prince wore somber expressions. After a few words of consolation, they also began to leave one by one. Survival of the fittest, victory for the strong and defeat for the weak – it was the way of the world. Now that the First Prince was in disgrace, being too close to him would only raise the Fifth Prince’s suspicions.
Suddenly, a spirit stone engraved with characters caught the First Prince’s attention. Who dropped this spirit stone here? Was it intentional or accidental?
Out of curiosity, the First Prince picked it up. Two lines were inscribed on it:
“For those with ambition, success will come.
For those who toil with perseverance, heaven will not forsake them.
Feng?”
The First Prince muttered aloud, “Who is ‘Feng’?”
Frowning, he mentally reviewed the names of the officials and nobles. Among them, the only person with “Feng” in their name was Qin Feng, the second son of Marquis Qin.
He didn’t know much about Qin Feng, only that he was studying alchemy under Chi Sui.
“But isn’t Marquis Qin’s household allied with… that Fifth Thief? Why would this Qin Feng leave this spirit stone for me? What is his intention?”
He couldn’t make sense of it.
By now, the Emperor had already declared the Fifth Prince as the Crown Prince, a decision that could not be reversed.
At best, the future of the First Prince was to become an idle prince within the empire, with no access to cultivation resources. Even if the Fifth Prince were to allocate some resources to him out of pity, it wouldn’t amount to much.
All he could do was indulge in food, drink, and entertainment until his lifespan ran out – that would be his remaining life, the fate of every sidelined prince.
What use was it for Qin Feng to leave this spirit stone to console someone like him who had no prospects, no future, and no hope?
In truth, Xu Lian had no special intention behind leaving the spirit stone. It was just a casual move to plant a random seed for the future. After all, even toilet paper had its uses.
If he could win over the First Prince, that would be ideal. If not, no harm was done. Besides, the First Prince wouldn’t dare take the Spirit Stone to the Fifth Prince to report him and curry favor – it would only make the First Prince look desperate and unhinged, as if he was trying to frame Qin Feng out of spite after losing the Crown Prince competition.
Meanwhile, Xu Lian arrived at the Ministry of Finance to claim five Roots of Passage. These were rewards for producing Metamorphosis Elixir in the Exclusive Cultivation Resource Zone.
Although his cultivation had reached the eighth stage of Origin Tracing, he no longer needed the Roots of Passage himself. However, he could exchange them for a strand of Origin Tracing Light. Even the smallest gain was still worth something.
As for saving them for future generations, that wasn’t necessary. There were too many descendants, and giving them to one would only spark jealousy among the others. It was better not to give any at all.
Let his descendants rely on their own abilities to cultivate themselves. If they were talented and advanced quickly, the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands would provide them with cultivation resources. As their “ancestral patriarch,” he didn’t need to worry about it.
This was the advantage of joining a top-tier power: food, shelter, and even the cultivation of future generations were taken care of. How could he not be loyal? The Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands had already tied him firmly to their chariot-the doors were welded shut, and there was no getting off.