"Eldest Brother Taiping really did behead that demon dragon!"
In the spectator seats of Spring Rain Pavilion, the hearts that had hung in suspense for so long finally settled as the demon dragon's head fell to the ground.
"It's over! The Dragon-Slaying Assembly is over!"
"Eldest Brother Taiping took first place!"
Chu Xiaoxiao and Duan Xiaoyu, seated at the same table, abandoned all concern for decorum and cheered in unison.
Even the Old Martial God Zhu Huai was wreathed in smiles.
Only Xiahou Qingyuan still wore a deep frown.
It was not that he envied Xu Taiping, but that he found Dragon Emperor Ao Yan's behavior just now utterly baffling.
With a thoughtful expression, he murmured:
"For Ao Yan to have killed the Heartless Demon Emperor like that, he must still have had considerable strength left when he conceded to Xu Taiping earlier."
"If so, why did he not resist, but instead beg Xu Taiping to cut off his head?"
Ao Yan's inconceivable behavior left Xiahou Qingyuan deeply puzzled.
Beside him, Xiahou You dismissed his concerns when she heard this:
"Being able to defeat the Heartless Demon Emperor doesn't mean he could defeat Young Master Taiping."
"After all, here in the Lower Realm, even three Heartless Demon Emperors probably couldn't match Young Master Taiping's combat strength now."
Xiahou Qingyuan did not argue with Xiahou You, but shook his head and said:
"That's not it."
He continued:
"The reason certainly can't be that simple."
Xiahou You paid Xiahou Qingyuan no heed. Instead, she let out a long breath, then said with a smile:
"Whatever the case, Young Master Taiping has won this Dragon-Slaying Assembly for the Shangqing Cultivation World and prevented an outright war between the Cultivation World and the Nine Abysses."
Xiahou Qingyuan nodded as well.
"This time, the entire