Dong!

From outside the teahouse, toward the north of the capital, a deep, ancient bell tolled, echoing endlessly.

At the sound of the bell, everyone inside and outside the teahouse stood mesmerized.

This was the New Year’s bell, and simultaneously, the Immortal Alliance’s signal declaring the opening ceremony of the annual martial tournament.

The bell chimed three times. The disciples in the teahouse rose to their feet, and the crowds wandering the streets all surged in the same direction.

"Yuyan, the tournament is starting. We need to go draw lots."

"I heard the drawing ceremony this year is grander than ever. Tonight, the White Dragon Empress from the Dragon Palace will personally take the stage to host... And the disciple who wins the crown will receive a mysterious grand prize bestowed personally by Her Majesty?"

Zhihan smiled, downing the dregs of her tea. She stood up, hugging the sealed Primordial divine sword to her chest.

The other three followed suit.

"Mm, indeed."

"Let’s hurry over. Big Sister probably hasn’t met the newly enthroned Empress yet."

Thinking of a certain little white dragon girl who clung to Yino and Yunjin every day at the Dragon Palace, Yuyan couldn’t help but smile faintly with a sense of quiet confidence.

Usually, the annual tournament in the capital was hosted by the Chief Disciple from the Five Great Immortal Sects.

As the Wuji Sect’s leading sword chief, Yuyan had naturally been honored to host the drawing ceremony one year.

However...

This year was special. Nina heard that Changli was making Yino participate, so she eagerly volunteered to host the draw herself.

"From how Yuyan speaks, could it be you’ve already met the new Emperor?"

Zhihan glanced at her, inexplicably feeling that Yuyan was acting a little smug, as if she were hiding a fair amount of secrets.

The latter glanced at Yino beside her and smiled meaningfully.

"You will understand once we get there."

"Is that so..."

...

"Honestly, the opening ceremony has been going on for so long..."

"Why isn’t Yino here yet?! And to think I was waiting to draw his lot and personally award him his prize later!"

On the north street of the capital, atop the top floor of the Immortal Alliance’s Dao Testing Pavilion, behind the royal golden curtains, the white dragon girl sat on the dragon throne, resting her chin on her hand. Her pale golden dragon eyes gazed boredly at the performances below.

In front of her, Yunjin was similarly slouched against the royal windowsill.

"Ah!"

"Senior Brother and the others are here!"

At some point, the drooping ahoge on Yunjin’s head suddenly stood straight up. Caught up in the capital’s grand and bustling tournament atmosphere tonight, Nina couldn’t help but get excited.

"Really? Looks like it’s finally time for me to make my grand finale entrance and draw the lots for everyone!"

The white dragon girl perked up, squeezing next to Yunjin to search for Yino in the dense crowd below.

She finally spotted him and flashed a tentative smile, only to find him busy placing bets. He didn’t notice her at all, as she puff out her cheeks in disappointment.

...

"Alright! Alright!"

"Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen! The first round of betting is about to close!"

"Next, I ask all the Heavenly Geniuses and young heroes gathered here from the four corners of the world to quiet down for a moment!"

"Because next, we invite the living true dragon of our Great Dragon Dynasty, Her Majesty the Emperor, to give her blessing, draw the lots, and determine the upcoming match schedules for all the disciples present!"

...

"Back in the teahouse, you clearly used the excuse of a shoulder pat to secretly probe Lin Che’s foundation and spiritual energy..."

"So why did you intentionally bet such a large sum of money on Lin Che just now?"

Beneath the Dao Testing Pavilion, right after Yino finished placing his bet, he had barely taken two steps before Zhihan stopped him at the corner.

Yino halted and looked back. "Does Lady Pei have so little faith in her own disciple?"

"I only look at strength. Lin Che is currently only at the Core Formation stage; there’s truly no possibility of him taking the top three," Zhihan said coldly, her beautiful eyes laced with desolation.

Yino walked up to her, his tone heavy with implication. "Then I can only say that Lady Pei has eyes but fails to see beyond. Your devotion to the sword has made you foolish, completely blind to the true potential of a black horse."

At these words, a mix of shock and humiliation colored Zhihan’s fairy-like face.

"Do you think you understand Lin Che better than I do?" she sneered, raising an eyebrow.

After half a year of nurturing, no one knew Lin Che’s strength better than Zhihan.

He possessed the rare Pure Yang Holy Physique, yes, but even the best physique would amount to nothing without sufficient talent and cultivation.

In Zhihan’s eyes, Lin Che’s baseline cultivation was at the Core Formation stage, and even if his physique erupted with its full potential, it would at best reach the Nascent Soul stage.

And this annual tournament wasn’t some minor local competition. This grand festival in the capital had gathered the True Inheritor disciples from all major Immortal Sects.

Forget making the top three; whether Lin Che could even break into the top ten was highly questionable...

"Lady Pei, rather than wasting our breath, how about we make a wager?"

Yino, holding the original game’s script in his mind, naturally understood the protagonist’s true strength perfectly well and was utterly fearless.

Zhihan raised a delicate brow. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the Yino standing before her was a completely different person from the one she had met during the day alongside Yuyan.

Or perhaps... when Yuyan and Lin Che weren’t around, this private, unmasked persona was Yino’s truest face?

"Fine. What do you want to bet?" Zhihan crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. Being repeatedly challenged by Yino seemed to have ignited her long-dormant competitive spirit.

"Let’s bet on whether Lin Che can defeat Ji Zichen the upcoming tournament. How about that?" Yino shrugged with a smile.

As soon as he said this, Zhihan’s face first registered shock, quickly followed by a deepening sense of insecurity.

First of all, she couldn’t understand why Yino was so certain that Ji Zichen would end up fighting Lin Che.

Secondly, if Zichen really did face Lin Che in the tournament, it would be the exact scenario Zhihan feared and dreaded most!

Because Zichen had borne a grudge against Lin Che for a long time. If given the chance, he would mercilessly humiliate Lin Che in front of everyone, and by extension, humiliate Zhihan sitting in the audience!

The mere thought filled Zhihan with an overwhelming wave of frustration.

"Though Zichen isn’t a peerless genius, he’s at least at the Divine Transformation stage. That’s two major realms above Lin Che’s Core Formation stage..."

"Ah, Lady Pei, why do you cling so stubbornly to this rating system?" Yino spread his hands, sighing impatiently. "This man-made realm division, it alienates a person’s true strength. Understand?"

"What are you saying?" Zhihan half-understood, her brows knitting together as her assessment of Yino deepened profoundly.

"Anyway, I’m betting Lin Che can beat Ji Zichen, and I’m willing to wager a magic Treasure. How’s that for sincerity?"

Speaking casually, Yino reached into his robes and pulled out the Purple Phantom Spirit Abyss Mirror that Ruoning had gifted him earlier.

The moment it appeared, Zhihan’s beautiful eyes widened. This was an ancient Treasure from the Spirit Immortal realm! Even when her Master, the Primordial Sword Ancestor, was still alive, she had only occasionally seen such an item in his Three Thousand Treasures Pavilion!

"This Treasure is far too valuable. I can’t match that bet..."

"It doesn’t matter. Lady Pei doesn’t need to wager anything. If I lose, this Treasure is yours. If I win, simply you owes me a favor. That is enough." Yino smiled breezily.

He naturally didn’t care. Even if he actually lost the Treasure, this jade mirror would protect Zhihan. Come spring, when Yino ventured to the Northern Region ruins to force her into Demonic Cultivation and claim her, wouldn’t the Primordial Sword Art her Master passed down to her, along with this Purple Phantom Spirit Abyss Mirror, all belong to him anyway?