If the emperor stood up, how could the accompanying officials dare to remain seated?
The accompanying close advisors immediately stood up, exchanged glances, and all understood the meaning in each other's eyes.
Well, His Highness the Crown Prince is His Majesty's own son, representing the Imperial Family and all the nobles in the court, and representing the face of the court. In the past, he has indeed been invincible among his peers.
Now that Your Highness has been defeated, it's obvious even to a child that His Majesty is very unhappy.
And Li Mo...
Put yourself in my shoes: your heir, whom you've nurtured for years, suffered a crushing defeat. Doesn't that make me look incredibly incompetent? It's infuriating!
You, Li Mo, are just a disciple from a sect that guarded the imperial tombs of the previous dynasty. What level do you have to dare to defeat His Highness?
"This Li Mo..."
"What an audacious and lawless scoundrel! He must have used some underhanded methods!"
"Where did those swords come from? They don't comply with the tournament's regulations. A thorough investigation is necessary! The results are void!"
"Why do so many prodigies on the Hidden Dragon Ranking recognize him? I suspect he harbors ulterior motives and is forming cliques for personal gain!"
"When I saw his face... well, he is quite handsome, but when I saw his character... um, never mind, what good person can someone who practices hammer techniques be!"
"My intuition is usually quite accurate; something's not right with this kid."
"I watched the blacksmith's competition. Did you all see how his arm suddenly became thicker in one area? I suspect it's related to the Divine Strength Powder '!"
The ministers, for once, managed to understand the emperor's thoughts in unison.
He ran out of things to say towards the end, and even started throwing around accusations related to the Divine Strength Powder. Even the civil official himself doubted whether he had gone too far, and his colleagues looked at him with slight surprise.
What connection does Li Mo have with Heavenly Venerable Brand Instant Noodles? That's a bit of an awkward smear campaign.
But that's not important.
The important thing is to make a statement and show that we are of one mind with His Majesty.
After everyone had expressed their opinions, Emperor Jingtai casually uttered the second half of his sentence:
"Indeed, heroes emerge from among the young. As for Jiang Yu, life is never smooth sailing. It's better to suffer some losses and lose face now than to become arrogant and conceited in the future, causing chaos in the country."
"..."
The scene was quiet for a moment, then the sound of someone slapping their face could be heard.
But for these officials to have risen to their current positions, thick skin has long been an essential skill.
"I've heard he's known in the martial arts world as a benevolent and charitable gentleman with a wide circle of friends; indeed, seeing is believing."
"Our Hidden Dragon Assembly has been held for so many sessions, and it has always been fair, just, and transparent!"
"A hammer represents honesty and integrity. How could someone who uses a hammer be a bad person?"
"Your Majesty Sagacity!"
While the courtiers secretly wondered if the boy was His Majesty's illegitimate son, they showered him with praise.
The Hidden Dragon Ranking changed hands, and the team didn't even make it to the finals.
Chaos reigned throughout the Imperial Capital; this was truly an earth-shattering event.
The grand scene in front of the Meridian Gate needs no further explanation.
"Divine Hammer Little Overlord! I'm your fan!"
"I love Little Tyrant! I love Little Tyrant!"
"They're all fake fans! A divine hammer? A divine sword!"
"I suggest that the Divine Hammer Little Overlord be renamed the Divine Sword Little Gentleman."
"Hey? Where's the best sword in our village?"
Some were stunned, some cheered excitedly, and some bent over on the ground searching for the village's best sword... The entire area around the arena was in complete chaos.
Li Mo, who had truly enjoyed being a swordsman, walked off the stage on his own before the purple-robed eunuch could announce the results.
Despite the stares and cheers from all sides, he felt no joy as he had imagined.
Is it the loneliness of Dugu Qiubai, like Dugu Qiubai, whose sword was sharp but useless, leaving all heroes helpless?
Are you kidding me? He's only at the third realm.
"Isn't my dream to be a swordsman, to display my prowess before others?"
Li Mo was a little confused about what he was being sentimental about.
"Brother Li!" Xiao Qin, who was not good with words, looked at him excitedly.
"Old Li, you actually won! Here, I still have some of the 'Face-Shattering Powder' left, use it to heal your wounds first." Huang Donglai were heartwarming.
"We are the champions!" Murong Xiao roared.
The monks from the nearby Longxiang Ancient Temple looked completely bewildered. Their junior brother Guankong hadn't even gone up yet; when did the competition end?
The scene was so chaotic that everyone almost forgot the Hidden Dragon Assembly wasn't over yet.
"Li Mo also had a encounter with Cold Fairy."
"I will always support Ying Bing." This is a fan of Ying Bing.
"Even the Crown Prince lost, Cold Fairy might not have a chance of winning, right?" This was a comment from a fan of the champion.
"Does it matter who wins? We'll both have to fight anyway!" That's Shang Qinqing.
As Shang Qinqing spoke, she looked into the distance and narrowed her eyes slightly.
That feels good.
She noticed that Li Mo didn't give a post-match interview or any comments, seemingly not caring much about what had just happened. He walked straight through the crowd, and only when he saw Ying Bing did he show a relieved smile.
Not far away, Ying Bing had lost her previous aloofness; her expression was like ice and snow melting away, pure and gentle, and even her steps became lighter.
So who wins or loses doesn't matter at all, okay?
CP fans will always be undefeated!
"Why don't you say something?" Ying Bing turned her head to the side, as if she had just realized he had come down.
"It wasn't entirely my victory; it was quite tiring anyway," Li Mo shook his head.
"I don't."
Ying Bing shook her head.
She did indeed allow Li Mo to become one with the Heavenly Human Divine Sword for a short period of time during the Taiyin Will Soul Connection, but what happened afterward was no longer his concern.
The sword's essence will open its doors to him because he is the one wielding the sword, not himself.
"You've done what you've always wanted to do, aren't you happy?"
"Not as exciting as I imagined."
Her delicate hand gently curled up in his large hand. Ying Bing suddenly looked up and stared at him intently.
It was still that boy's face; his features hadn't changed at all.
But there was a clear depth in his eyes...
She had to admit it.
At times, having been reborn with the experiences of her previous life, having been an empress and the mistress of the Cassia Palace for so long, she often unintentionally places herself in the position of a master.
Even though I've almost never won in the system's rankings...
Yet, I still subconsciously try to teach this incredibly talented but immature kid...
In a daze, he had already lost the Hidden Dragon Ranking and become the first-rate talent of the Dragon Gate, admired by all the young heroes of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Just as she was lost in thought, she heard Li Mo suddenly lean close to her ear and whisper:
"Ice Block, we agreed to be inseparable, right?"
Why bring this up all of a sudden?
"What I mean is, since that's the case, it doesn't matter who wins. Let's just skip the fight later, just make a token appearance, and then I'll head down."
"Why?" Ying Bing frowned slightly.
If he beats himself again, he will basically secure the top spot in the Hidden Dragon, an opportunity that countless people dream of.
And she was also somewhat curious.
Who won this system ranking...?
"I want to go back as soon as possible. You know I've always been very curious. I've always been curious about whether the pearl-white lotus root fabric feels better or the Black Cloud Gauze is superior."
"..."
Ying Bing's breath hitched, and she reached out and pinched his waist.
She pinched his waist, Ying Bing paused for a moment before saying:
"No, we have to compete."
"Oh well..."