"Eunuch Hong, are you going to attack me?"
Xi Zhaoqu sneered repeatedly as he watched Hong San walk toward him, step by step.
"I wouldn't dare disobey the little prince's orders."
Hong San looked utterly serious.
"Hahaha..."
Xi Zhaoqu burst into wild laughter. "If this were three years ago, I really would have been no match for you. But now your divine body has long since collapsed, and your cultivation has plummeted. I advise you not to invite humiliation!"
"Three years ago, I took good care of you and even recommended you to take over the position of chief steward. Now that I want to teach you a lesson, how can you have the nerve to resist?"
Hong San stopped in front of Xi Zhaoqu.
"Why wouldn't I have the nerve to resist?"
Xi Zhaoqu snorted. "On the Divine Firmament Continent, the strong reign supreme! I'm afraid your cultivation has probably fallen below the Martial Emperor Realm by now, hasn't it? You're no longer stronger than me, so what gives you the right to put on airs in front of me?"
"How heartlessly you've turned on me!"
Hong San sighed.
"This world has always been heartless. You're so old, yet you can't see something so obvious?"
Xi Zhaoqu mocked him mercilessly. "You're unbelievably stupid! The little prince slapped me, and I didn't dare hit back. But if you, Hong San, dare lay a hand on me..."
Whoosh!
Hong San couldn't be bothered wasting any more words. His right arm suddenly swung out.
Xi Zhaoqu narrowed his eyes at once. Already on guard, he swiftly raised his left arm to block.
However-
His movement was still half a beat too slow!
Smack!!
Hong San's right hand lashed across Xi Zhaoqu's face with blinding speed!
"Hong San! Have you gone mad?"
Xi Zhaoqu flew into a rage. He circulated all his power wildly, and his presence abruptly soared!
Whoosh!
Hong San swung his left arm this time!
Xi Zhaoqu darted aside.
But no matter how he dodged, Hong San followed him like a shadow. He couldn't shake him off at all.
Smack!
Xi Zhaoqu defended himself with all his might, but he still couldn't avoid another slap across the face from Hong San!
Both sides of his face swelled up!
The slaps left Xi Zhaoqu dizzy and disoriented, spitting blood again and again!
Teeth tumbled out among the mouthfuls of bloody spittle!
He was a miserable, battered sight!
What shocked Xi Zhaoqu most was that he couldn't fight back at all!
Hong San completely overwhelmed him!
Clearly, this could only happen when there was an enormous gap between their cultivation levels!
"Y-you... your divine body has recovered?"
Xi Zhaoqu could naturally tell that Hong San hadn't used his power just now. His presence had been completely restrained, and he had relied solely on his body's strength and speed to strike!
"May I put on airs in front of you now?"
Hong San asked indifferently.
"Uh..."
Only then did Xi Zhaoqu realize that Hong San really was different from how he had been over the past three years.
Hong San's complexion was even better than it had been three years ago!
That was an outward sign of a breakthrough in cultivation!
"Is the little prince satisfied?"
Hong San cupped his fists and bowed to Lin Heng as he asked.
"All right, let him get lost!"
Lin Heng waved a hand, his interest waning.
"Chief Steward Xi, aren't you leaving?"
Hong San turned to look at Xi Zhaoqu.
"This servant will get lost right away!"
As if granted a full pardon, Xi Zhaoqu promptly slunk out of the Heartwarming Pavilion.
The martial arts arena at the Chishui Royal Palace was not particularly large.
Not far from the palace gates, it was an open square measuring only thirty zhang on each side, surrounded by stone steps.
There were only three tiers of stone steps on each side, each tier two chi high, and they were already packed with people.
The important members of the Chishui Royal Clan had all come, including the ruler, Lin Changqing!
Besides the royal clan, many of the kingdom's senior officials and the heads of the martial arts families in the royal capital were all present.
Among them was Su Song, commander-in-chief of the Demon-Subduing Army!
Many people had also come from all over the kingdom!
They included officials from various regions, commoners, and people from the kingdom's various sects!
On the Divine Firmament Continent, the Human Race lived in dire circumstances!
Demons surrounded them on all sides, always seeking to wipe out the Human Race!
To protect themselves and ensure the survival of their race, the Human Race naturally placed exceptional importance on selecting and nurturing martial arts geniuses!
In the Chishui Kingdom, the martial arts tournament held every two years served to select and reward martial arts geniuses from across the kingdom!
Newly selected geniuses would earn the opportunity to further their studies at Chishui Academy!
Chishui Academy had been founded by the Chishui Royal Clan. Anyone who gained admission would receive the academy's experts' devoted instruction.
All the cultivation resources the martial arts geniuses received at Chishui Academy were free, and their families would also receive preferential treatment within the kingdom!
As long as they cultivated diligently and made no serious mistakes, students could remain at the academy until they turned thirty!
The only requirement was that Chishui students had to swear a soul oath before admission, promising never to become enemies of the Chishui Royal Clan!
After completing their studies, they did not have to pledge loyalty to the Chishui Royal Clan, but they could never become its enemies!
Selecting gifted students for Chishui Academy was only one of the martial arts tournament's purposes.
The gifted students already enrolled at Chishui Academy, along with the elite disciples of the major sects and martial arts families, would display their respective strength at the tournament.
Those who proved outstanding in strength would be rewarded by the Chishui Royal Clan, regardless of their backgrounds!
"Chief Steward Xi, what happened to you?"
Seeing Xi Zhaoqu approach with a hand over his face and blood still at the corner of his mouth, Shi Feifei, the principal consort seated beside the ruler, asked in surprise.
Lin Changqing also frowned and looked at Xi Zhaoqu.
"This servant was just ordered to the Heartwarming Pavilion to invite the little prince to watch the tournament. Who could have known that the little prince was angry that his recent meals hadn't been lavish enough, and actually ordered Hong San to slap this servant twice!"
Xi Zhaoqu felt deeply aggrieved.
Whatever else might be said, he was not only the chief steward but also a dignified Martial Emperor Realm expert. Having his face slapped repeatedly like that was simply too much for him to stomach.
"Hong San dared lay a hand on you?"
Shi Feifei asked in puzzlement.
"Of course Hong San dared!"
Lin Changqing looked displeased. "Chief Steward Xi was promoted by Hong San, after all. He owes Hong San a debt for recognizing his worth!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Xi Zhaoqu did not mention that Hong San's divine body might have recovered. If he did, he would very likely lose his position as chief steward.
In any case, Hong San hadn't told him outright, so not reporting it to the ruler didn't count as deliberately concealing it.
"Your Majesty, the little prince is growing more and more unrestrained. If this goes on, I fear he'll develop an arrogant, wildly overbearing character!"
Shi Feifei naturally wouldn't pass up a chance to disparage Lin Heng.
Lin Changqing did not respond to Shi Feifei. Instead, he turned to Xi Zhaoqu and instructed him, "It's getting late. Chief Steward Xi, let the martial arts tournament begin!"
"This servant obeys!"
Xi Zhaoqu circulated his power to reduce the swelling in his face, then wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth before departing to carry out the order. He walked to the very center of the arena.
That morning, gifted students would be selected for Chishui Academy.
The selection process was simple!
All the young people who had registered would gather in the arena and first endure a wave of pressure from an expert. Anyone who could hold out for ten breaths would pass.
Before the first round of selection began, Lin Heng arrived.
He hadn't come to watch the tournament in obedience to Lin Changqing's order. He had come to join in the excitement.
He wanted to see what these so-called martial arts geniuses were like.
He didn't go over to Lin Changqing. Instead, accompanied by Hong San, he found an empty spot at random on the lowest tier of stone steps on the east side and sat down.
He didn't know that this section belonged to Chishui Academy.
Nearby were not only the expert instructors of Chishui Academy but also its elite students!
"See him? That's the little prince, Lin Heng, the freak who could speak as soon as he was born!"
"I heard he's only three, yet he's already grown so tall!"
"If the goddess hadn't ascended to the God Realm, he would surely have enjoyed honor and glory all his life as the divine child!"
"Being the divine child is just a halo. If he's no good himself and doesn't work hard, that halo might even become a shackle!"