Volume 7, Chapter 463 – You Dare Lay Hands on an Immortal Alliance Disciple? (Part 1)

After Steward Cai finished speaking, a glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes. Though he knew that even if someone took over, the outcome wouldn’t change, he would still feel a sliver of satisfaction if it caused even the slightest trouble for Qi Huang.

“What kind of joke is this? Even the elite disciples of the major sects got wiped out when they teamed up. Are we, with our measly strength, just asking to be humiliated?”

“Humiliated? More like asking to die! With that demoness’s methods, cultivators of our level might not even leave behind intact corpses!”

“Exactly. Just smell the air, the stench of blood is still lingering. That’s from the elite disciples. I heard several of them suffered severe injuries. Even if they recover, they’ll be left with lasting damage.”

“Not surprising. Being crushed by the divine sense of a sixth-layer Divine Ability Realm cultivator and still surviving is already a stroke of luck.”

The cultivators below averted their gazes, not daring to even glance at the offer, let alone take it.

“No one wants it? Think carefully, taking this second place lot is like securing a direct ticket to the finals. If you win, the rewards are beyond imagination. Do I even need to elaborate?”

Steward Cai, unwilling to give up, continued to egg them on.

“I’m confused. Why did the Longchang Sect choose to forfeit instead of admitting defeat? If they had surrendered, they could’ve at least kept second place. By forfeiting, they’re just handing their spot to someone else.”

Shen Yuan voiced her doubts.

“Because the Evergreen Conference doesn’t allow surrendering, only forfeiting.”

Wang Zong replied. As the one in charge of gathering intelligence, he was well-versed in such details.

“There’s such a rule?”

Shen Yuan’s face showed surprise.

“Of course. Otherwise, why haven’t we seen a single sect surrender by the end of the conference? They all forfeited!”

Xu Mei reminded her.

“Why would they set such a rule?”

“Two reasons,” Qin Quan, the seasoned veteran, explained. “First, the Immortal Alliance wants to maintain the seriousness of the Evergreen Conference, forcing sects to think twice before giving up. Second, to ensure fairness. If surrendering were allowed, matches could be rigged. Bribes for victories, hired thugs to injure opponents, just like what happened today with the Longchang Sect. Injure one side’s Immortal Seed, and the other wins without a fight.”

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“The rule is well thought out, but the administrators have forgotten its original purpose. That’s why the Evergreen Conference is still so corrupt.”

Qi Huang shook her head regretfully before raising her voice. “I advise everyone to think carefully. The Sixth Princess has fought for the cultivators of the Western Radiance Dynasty. If you take that token, you’re stealing the fruits of her victory. And when that happens, I won’t hold back.”

Hearing this, the cultivators below grew even more hesitant to act.

Steward Cai, unwilling to let the Honghua Sect win without a fight, continued relentlessly inciting the crowd, refusing to announce an end to the proceedings.

“Steward Cai, should we head back to the inn first and wait for you to figure this out before informing us?”

Qi Huang couldn’t take it anymore and mocked him outright.

Steward Cai’s face darkened with disappointment before he finally gave up and announced in defeat:

“Since no one is willing to take the first place lot, I hereby declare the winner of this Evergreen Conference: the Honghua Sect of Huangtian Prefecture! They will represent Yongning Prefecture’s immortal sects in the upcoming national-level Evergreen Conference, competing against sects from across the dynasty for even greater glory!”

“Hahaha! We took first place! We took first place! Who dares call Huangtian Prefecture a rat’s nest now?”

The Honghua Sect disciples erupted in cheers.

“Fairy Qi took first place! Fairy Qi took first place! So much for ‘superior bloodlines’. What’s so great about them? Who dares look down on us commoners now?”

“Fairy Qi may be of lowly blood, but she crushed the elites of every sect! That proves the Honghua Sect’s uniqueness. I’m pulling my daughter out of her sect and sending her to the Honghua Sect right away!”

“Fairy Qi has avenged us all! From now on, in the world of cultivation, I recognize only the Honghua Sect!”

The ordinary people peering over the walls also erupted in celebration.

In stark contrast, the disciples of the other sects inside the walls trudged out of the Immortal Alliance branch like defeated roosters, their spirits crushed. They knew that from this day forward, merely possessing an Immortal’s Token would no longer grant them supreme status.

With Steward Cai’s final announcement, the Evergreen Conference officially concluded. The next step was awarding the prizes to the first and second-place winners. Since no one dared take the Longchang Sect’s token, they retained their second-place position.

Despite the rankings being settled, Steward Cai showed no intention of distributing the rewards, coldly retreating into the main hall alone.

“When will the rewards be handed out?”

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Qi Huang couldn’t help but ask Qin Quan.

“According to past rules, prizes should be distributed immediately after the finals!”

Qin Quan was equally baffled.

“What’s that old bastard up to? Trying to renege?”

Shen Yuan cursed.

“Let’s wait a little longer,” Xu Mei advised.

They waited for hours. By then, two-thirds of the crowd had already left, yet Cai De still hadn’t reappeared to explain.

“Strange. Why hasn’t the Immortal Alliance given the Honghua Sect their first-place rewards yet?”

“What, are you worried they won’t get them? The emperor isn’t anxious, so why is the eunuch worrying ¹ A saying that describes a situation where observers are more anxious about a matter than the person directly involved ?”

“What do you know? In previous years, Steward Cai would hand out the prizes right after the finals and invite everyone to celebrate. This time, he hasn’t even mentioned it.”

“You think he’s refusing to give them?”

“It’s possible. After all, the Immortal Alliance has a grudge against the Honghua Sect.”

“If that’s the case, then all the Honghua Sect’s hard work might end in vain.”

“Do you think they’ll just let it go?”

“No way. With personalities like Cheng Hongling and Qi Huang, they won’t take this lying down. Stay put, this is going to get interesting.”

Even the surrounding cultivators sensed something was off and stayed to watch the drama unfold.

“Why are you still here? The Evergreen Conference is over. This is Immortal Alliance territory, no loitering!”

Just then, several Immortal Alliance disciples emerged to clear the area.

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“It’s over? Then where are our rewards?”

Qin Quan stepped forward to question them.

“What rewards? I don’t care about any damn rewards. Get out now!”

The disciple dismissed him coldly.

“You’re reneging? You dare embezzle the Evergreen Conference’s prizes? Aren’t you afraid we’ll report this to your superiors?”

Qin Quan demanded, shocked, unaware that the rewards had been personally funded by Elder Zuo.

“Too much nonsense.”

Cheng Hongling’s figure vanished from her spot, and in the next instant, her sword was already resting against the disciple’s neck.

“What’s happening? Has Cheng Hongling lost her mind? She actually has a sword to an Immortal Alliance disciple’s throat!”

“Right? Does she really think she’s invincible? Qi Huang’s just a crippled Divine Realm cultivator, while the Immortal Alliance’s leader and left and right protectors are Heavenly Tribulation Realm powerhouses!”

“What leader and protectors? To crush the Honghua Sect, they wouldn’t even need to mobilize such figures. Any one of the hundred Divine Realm elders could do it.”

“Ridiculous. If the Immortal Alliance wanted to deal with the Honghua Sect, they wouldn’t even need to lift a finger. With cultivation resources so scarce these days, the only way to obtain them is through the triennial Evergreen Conference. Just revoke their participation rights, and they’ll wither away on their own.”

The cultivators present perked up, eager to see the Honghua Sect suffer.

“Y-you dare hold a sword to my neck?”

The disciple blustered, though his trembling body betrayed his fear.

“Cai De! Get out here now, or I’ll take these disciples’ lives in place of our rewards!”

Cheng Hongling remained unmoved as she issued her ultimatum.

“Audacious! You dare raise a hand against an Immortal Alliance disciple?!”

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Cai De stormed out of the hall in a rage.

“You’re the bold one, embezzling the Immortal Alliance’s rewards.”

Cheng Hongling shot back.

“Embezzle? These prizes are extremely valuable. I need time to gather them. Once they’re ready, I’ll hand them over.”

Cai De argued weakly.

“So what you’re saying is, if you can’t gather them, we get nothing?”

Yun Fei pressed.

“Not necessarily. Given enough time, they’ll be ready. Go home and wait.”

Cai De replied smugly.

“What a joke. I’ve never heard of Evergreen Conference prizes being put on credit. Aren’t you afraid of losing credibility? Who’d participate next time?”

Xu Mei snapped.

“Who says no one will participate? We all will!”

“Exactly! The Immortal Alliance has sacrificed so much for us sects over the years. Look at how modestly Elder Zuo and Steward Cai dress! It’s understandable if they can’t produce the rewards immediately.”

“Right! If the Honghua Sect has any conscience left, they should voluntarily give up those prizes as repayment for the Immortal Alliance’s kindness!”

The remaining cultivators seized the chance to kick them while they were down.

“Seems like reasoning is pointless.”

Qi Huang shook her head helplessly before unleashing her overwhelming divine sense, crushing down upon Cai De without warning.