"I'm fifth. Your ranking isn't much higher than mine!"
Upon hearing that Prince Ru Xia's Soul Gathering Azure Spirit Lamp ranked fourth, Prince Liu Mu was the happiest of all.
Having just been mocked, he immediately returned the favor, his face breaking into a wide grin.
No matter how fine the gift was, failing to make the top three meant the Emperor had not truly taken a liking to it. What use was it then?
"I've only ever seen the Soul Gathering Azure Spirit Lamp and the Soul Stabilizing Bead in ancient records. They're both divine artifacts from antiquity, each worth a fortune and impossible to obtain even for ten thousand gold. Yet neither made it into the top three! I really wonder what earth-shaking treasures the top three must be!"
"Yeah, I can't wait to see them!"
"The Emperor has high standards. Anything that catches his eye and ranks in the top three must be extraordinary. We only need to wait and see!"
The Twelve Dukes' Estate and the eight princes were all drawn in as well.
Previously, they had thought this was merely a ranking of gifts presented by the younger generation, nothing worth much notice. But now, seeing treasures like the Soul Gathering Azure Spirit Lamp and the Soul Stabilizing Bead fail even to rank in the top five, their interest was instantly piqued.
"Good, next I shall announce the treasures in the top three! Third place!"
Seeing that everyone's interest had been stirred, Old Man Jie Mo stroked his beard and smiled. "Third place goes to... Prince Duobo's Seven-Day Soul-Returning Pill!"
"The Seven-Day Soul-Returning Pill? Third place?"
The moment Old Man Jie Mo's words fell, the smiling crowd froze in unison. Every one of them stood dumbfounded, unable to believe what they had heard.
When