The atmosphere in the office grew a little heavy, until the door opened.
Yet when Master Leng turned around, thinking Lu Guangming had already brought Su Ping back, he froze at what he saw.
Everyone who noticed his astonishment also paused, then turned to look at the unexpected arrival.
A head of long, ice-blue hair!
Skin so white it was almost transparent, and equally blue eyes that held two utterly contrasting qualities: an indescribable liveliness and a cold, imposing dignity.
The Ice Dragon King!
One of the most exceptional Dragon Kings even within Dragon City.
An existence with a chance of advancing to Legend, who already fully qualified as half-step Legend tier, stood worlds apart from an ordinary Saint Spirit tier existence, even if one was a Beast Tamer and the other a pet beast.
Yet clearly, none of those present had expected the Ice Dragon King to come here at a time like this.
"Lord Ice Dragon King? What brings you here?"
Sage Sang spoke instinctively.
The Ice Dragon King broke into a smile. That ice-crystal face, seemingly sculpted with exquisite care, became as dazzling as flowers and sunlight:
"Lord Sacred Dragon specifically asked me to come and pass on a message. He is very pleased that you could all come to watch and take an interest in the battles of the Dragon Nation's younger generation of Beast Tamers.
"But you must also remember your standing. Do not interfere with the smooth running of the competition, especially by meddling with its results and rankings."
At those words, Master Leng frowned slightly, while the white-browed elder gave him an interested look before smiling:
"Of course. This year's youth Professional Assessment is being conducted on principles of absolute fairness, impartiality, and transparency."
The Ice Dragon King smiled again:
"Then that could