Early morning.
5:55.
Jiangnan slowly opened her eyes and sat up from the soft couch.
He frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.
"How could I have had a wet dream?"
Jiangnan pondered to himself.
He had already resolved the issue of his Dragon Nature before heading to Soul Return Town.
Logically, he should be in a state of enlightenment right now.
Could it be...?
It's because of the Phoenix Emperor I saw last night, both its appearance and its perfectly ripe figure.
Everything was exactly what Xiao Tou wanted, which is why it triggered this uncontrollable physiological reaction?
This has never happened before.
Jiangnan, expressionless, threw back the covers and looked down at Optimus Prime.
An ordinary man would probably be smug at this moment.
But for Jiangnan, who is absolutely rational, any physiological impulse that is not under Da Tou's control is not an option.
These are all provocations against one's own will!
"You worthless piece of trash, get out of here!"
Jiangnan's eyes turned cold, and he raised his right hand, slapping the man across the face!
"Hiss..."
It seemed that they could truly feel the unyielding anger and murderous intent emanating from Big Head.
Left with no other choice, Little Head could only reluctantly obey the order, quickly quieting down and lying down.
Seeing this, Jiangnan nodded in satisfaction, having completely regained control of his body.
"It's almost dawn, time to go find Guo Shuai and the others."
He rolled out of bed, put on his flying fish robe, wrapped the Godslayer Spear in black cloth, and tied it to his back.
Just as he turned to leave, Jiangnan's gaze inadvertently swept over the large bed behind him.
He paused in his steps.
"Um?"
Jiangnan's eyes sharpened as he keenly noticed that Little Sparrow had clearly laid out a layer of soft gold-threaded satin sheet last night.
But now, the color of the bed sheets has changed!
It had become a plain-colored bed sheet, and a faint fragrance seemed to linger in the air.
The sheets had been changed...
Jiangnan's brain, as precise as a computer, was working at lightning speed.
Could it be...
Last night wasn't a dream?!
But if it wasn't a dream, who was that person?
Phoenix Emperor?
No, the taste and sensation don't match.
Just as Jiangnan frowned and began to have doubts.
The moment the hands of the clock struck exactly 6:00 AM!
"Buzz!!!"
A familiar, wicked voice echoed throughout the entire Barbaric Realm!
The Sky Curtain descends!
Good morning, my dear warriors! Welcome to Day 8 of Left 4 Dead!
[Just yesterday, many extremely interesting stories happened in this Barbaric Realm!]
[This was truly a Sky Curtain for me!]
[Especially in a certain small town... tsk tsk tsk.]
[A certain proud and arrogant older woman, whose surname starts with "Qin," actually deserted at the crucial moment!]
This farcical portrayal of someone who professed to Sky Curtain but was terrified of it is so ridiculous it's laughable!
[Haha, all those thousands of years of life were wasted~]
"Bang!"
Inside Central Forest Garden, Phoenix Emperor, who was hiding under the covers in frustration, heard this sarcastic remark broadcast over the entire screen.
Enraged, she slammed her hand down on the priceless dressing table, shattering it, her pretty face flushed crimson.
"You insolent brat! How dare you spy in the shadows!"
"Once my plan succeeds, the first thing I'll do is go to Dragon Xia Imperial City and slap you in the face!"
The Phoenix Emperor was furious.
It was as if they knew the Sky Curtain.
As for the Sky Curtain, it's unclear whether it was out of fear or simply because the time had come.
Then we got to the main topic.
Alright, enough chit-chat! Warriors, listen up!
[On the tenth day, a trial for beginners will begin!]
[Rewards and risks go hand in hand, please consider carefully!]
[Of course, this Sky Curtain really encourages everyone to participate!]
After all... this is related to your way home!
[And finally, as usual, here's the part you've all been waiting for!]
[The Novice Ranking for day seven is here!]
[1st Place: No Need for Further Words (Huaxia Country)]
[Location: Weird Island (S-class)]
[Battle Record: Killed Master Ghost - Righteous Aura x1 (S-class), Killed Master Ghost x1 (B-rank)]
[Points: 55000 (Sky Curtain: Finally, I don't have to smash the abacus anymore)]
[2nd Place: Eat Now or Get Old]
[Location: Polar Icefield (A-Class)]
[Status: Killed Frost Drake (A-Class) x 1]
[Points: 10000]
[3rd Place: Needs More Roasting]
[Location: Polar Icefield (A-Class)]
[Battle Record: Killed Undying Snow Mountain Fox (Rank B) x 1]
[Points: 5000]
[20th Place: Foundation General]
[Status: Dead]
[Sky Curtain: During the battle, this warrior, while touching up his makeup in the wind, refused to wear a defensive helmet to maintain his hairstyle, and was tragically killed by a low-level monster with an arrow to the head, achieving an epic "underdog victory"! Let's mourn for his beauty for three seconds~ Hahaha!]
[Location: Polar Icefield (A-Class)]
[Status: Killed 15 Frost Skeleton Archers (E-class)]
[Points: 1500]
Jiangnan's brow furrowed for only half a second.
They then completely forgot about the age-old mystery of who it was last night.
Anyway, he's the one who's enjoying himself, not the one who's suffering a loss.
Delving into this kind of thing is a waste of time.
He regained his composure and turned his gaze to the top reward for the seventh day that the Sky Curtain had just distributed.
A wooden statue fell into his palm.
[Item]: Immortal Totem
[Type]: Disposable item
[Level]: S-class
[Function]: Automatically triggered when near death, instantly restoring 40% of health.
[Message]: Want to die? I disagree!
"Nice one."
Jiangnan toyed with the small totem in her hand.
This thing reminded him of the [Death-Substituting Scarecrow] he had used in the Rose Middle School instance before.
Although both are life-saving artifacts, they are fundamentally different.
The Death-Substituting Scarecrow is an active defense mechanism and needs to be activated in advance to take effect.
Once ambushed and instantly killed, there's not even a chance to activate it.
The [Immortal Totem] is a passive skill.
As long as you carry it with you, it will automatically activate the effect the moment you are about to die, maximizing your margin for error!
Jiangnan silently hung the Immortal Totem on his belt, standing it side by side with the [Human Emperor Lamp].
Then, he pushed open the door of the Perching Phoenix Pavilion and left Central Forest Garden.
I planned to head towards the Third Ring Town to meet up with Guo Shuai and the others.
Central Forest Garden, main hall.
Through the carved window, the Phoenix Emperor peered into the shadows, watching Jiangnan's departing figure.
Seeing that Jiangnan didn't stay to live off her, but instead went to participate in the selection process.
Instead of being disappointed, the Phoenix Emperor smiled.
"I like men who are ambitious."
Phoenix Emperor's red lips curved slightly as she sat back down in the main seat at the very center of the hall.
"Since you want to participate in the competition based on your own strength, then I, the Emperor, will naturally give you a [fair] stage."
In high spirits, she called out towards the outside of the hall, "Little Sparrow! Come in!"
However, the echoes lingered in the hall, but no one responded for a long time.
Phoenix Emperor frowned slightly, thinking to herself, "Could it be because I deserted in the face of battle last night?"
"Leaving her alone on the rooftop in the cold wind, that brat got angry and deliberately avoided me?"
Just then, a young maid who was in charge of cleaning came in, knelt on the ground, and reported.
"Reporting to Your Majesty the Phoenix Emperor... Sister Little Sparrow can't come today."
"What's going on?" Phoenix Emperor asked, puzzled.
The maidservant reported truthfully, "Sister Little Sparrow said that when she was patrolling the roof last night..."
"Because the tiles were slippery, he accidentally fell off the roof."
"Both legs were badly injured; they couldn't close properly, and I could only walk with my toes pointing outwards..."
The maid swallowed hard and continued.
"Sister Little Sparrow was in so much pain that she went to see the imperial physician first thing this morning."
She instructed that if the master had any orders, they could temporarily delegate them to us servants.
"Oh, I see."
"I knew that brat dared not answer."
Phoenix Emperor nodded in sudden understanding.
Regarding Little Sparrow's "work injury," this 5,000-year-old Chu woman, as pure as a blank sheet of paper, didn't even consider any other possibilities.
She simply thought the explanation was perfectly reasonable.
After all, Perching Phoenix Pavilion had been in disrepair for years, and she could hear it all from inside the room last night...
Crack, crack, crack That's probably the sound of tiles falling.
"The roof of the Perching Phoenix Pavilion really needs repairs."
"Give the order to have someone go to the Third Ring Town and find a few repairmen. Make sure they fix the roof before nightfall tonight."
To prevent drafts.
"This is what the Phoenix Emperor gave the order."
"Yes, sir."
The young maid nodded repeatedly.
"In addition..."
The Phoenix Emperor's expression turned serious. "Go and summon the host of this groom selection competition. I have important business with her."
"Yes, ma'am."
The young maidservant acknowledged the order and withdrew from the main hall.
About ten minutes later.
A tall, slender, and beautiful woman entered the main hall.
She was wearing a black and white Daoist robe, and her long hair was tied into a long black and white ponytail.
He was also holding a folding fan in his hand.
This is the female scholar whom the Phoenix Emperor took in a thousand years ago.
Now, he is fully responsible for the daily management of the second and third ring roads of Soul Return Town, as well as being the overall person in charge of this selection competition...
Shangguan Shuyi.
Shangguan Shuyi walked into the hall and put away her folding fan.
She then knelt on one knee, clasped her hands in a fist salute, and said, "Your Shangguan Shuyi, greets Phoenix Emperor Majesty, Phoenix!"
"No need for formalities, my dear subject."
Phoenix Emperor slightly raised her hand.
Shangguan Shuyi stood up, bowed her head respectfully, and waited for instructions.
Phoenix Emperor coughed lightly and spoke in a serious tone.
"Shangguan, the groom selection competition will officially begin at noon today."
"This competition concerns my life's most important event, as well as the reputation of Soul Return Town."
"As the person in charge, you must ensure absolute fairness, openness, and transparency!"
"All participants must be treated equally, without the slightest favoritism. Do you understand?"
Shangguan Shuyi's expression hardened, and she immediately cupped her hands and replied loudly, "Your subordinate understands!"
"Maintaining absolute fairness in the competition is my duty!"
"Please rest assured, sir, any scoundrel who dares to cheat in the competition will be severely punished!"
"Yes, very good."
Phoenix Emperor nodded in satisfaction.
With the groundwork laid, now comes the main event.
Phoenix Emperor leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and used a code word to instruct Shangguan Shuyi.
"But... Shangguan..."
"Among the contestants this time, there is a young man named Jiangnan."
"This person... has a somewhat special situation."
Phoenix Emperor gave Shangguan Shuyi a knowing look, subtly hinting at something.
"In the following rounds of the competition, as the examiner, you must act on my behalf..."
"Give this Jiangnan special treatment."
"Remember, never neglect him."
Do you understand what I mean?
The original meaning of "Phoenix Emperor" is...
This man is my chosen husband, so you, as his subordinate, better be quick-witted!
Just give him the green light during the competition and send him all the way to the finals!
However.
Their thought processes were like chatting across different servers!
Upon hearing these words, Shangguan Shuyi was standing below, instantly achieved logical consistency.
"Phoenix Emperor just emphasized that the competition must be fair and impartial!"
"And then, in the next second, they called out someone named Jiangnan?"
"Hiss... I get it! This guy named Jiangnan is definitely trying to use connections!"
"Or perhaps a participant who has offended Phoenix Emperor!"
"Sir, you're deliberately giving me a warning. We absolutely cannot let someone who undermines fairness take advantage of this!"
"So, what the adults meant by special care and not to neglect me was clearly an implication!"
"We must be extremely demanding of this Jiangnan!"
"We must use the strictest rules and the most hellish difficulty to target him!"
"Make him give up, or eliminate him directly in the competition as a warning to others!"
Shangguan Shuyi's eyes were full of wisdom.
"Your subordinate fully understands!!"
She clasped her hands in a fist and solemnly promised.
"My lord, please rest assured! I've got this under control!"
"Your subordinates will definitely give him the strictest special care!"
"I promise he'll never forget this, and I will absolutely not let him down!"
Hearing this confident guarantee, the Phoenix Emperor felt very gratified.
"Excellent! As expected of my beloved minister, you are always reliable in your work."
"Go, I will be here waiting for your good news."
Phoenix Emperor waved its hand, beaming with a smile.
As for the Heavenblade Dragon King who just came begging and pleading?
Phoenix Emperor snorted coldly; she had no intention of telling the Heavenblade Dragon King that the reincarnation of the Dragon God was also in this town.
Who told that stubborn guy to dare use the "saving the world" rhetoric to Moral Kidnapping her?
Let him go cool off somewhere else!
"Your subordinate takes his leave!"
Shangguan Shuyi bowed respectfully and walked out of the main hall.
Stepping out of the gate of Central Forest Garden, Shangguan Shuyi opened her folding fan and fanned herself in the cool morning breeze.
As a [latecomer] who arrived in Soul Return Town a thousand years ago.
She had no idea what the legendary Dragon God looked like, let alone that the Dragon God was named Jiangnan.
Her mind was now completely occupied with how to fulfill Phoenix Emperor Phoenix's secret instructions.
"Jiangnan, right..."
Shangguan Shuyi tapped her folding fan against her palm.
"How dare you play tricks and undermine fairness right under Phoenix Emperor Phoenix's nose?"
"Hmph, now that you're in my hands, I'll show you what true hellish difficulty is like..."