ETR | Chapter 84

Xiao Wan was a bit surprised by Lu Ming coming to find him, and the few words he said were also unexpected.

"Do you want me to win?" he asked.

"Of course!" Lu Ming answered frankly, "Anyway, my ranking is already out. That water element user always gives off a shady vibe, I don't like it. After fighting her, my bones ached for days, a chill just kept coming out. I just don't want her to take first place. And also..."

"And also what?"

Lu Ming’s eyes shifted.

“You’re the child of the Dijun and Your Excellency Xueman! When we first found out about you, many people in the sect secretly called you Little Prince.

But later the Dijun said Your Excellency Xueman didn’t want to be the Empress, so the sect didn’t dare call you that anymore.”

But no matter what, you're still related to the Wangtian Immortal Gate. Even though I didn't win this time, if you win, it's almost the same."

Xiao Wan: "...Not even close."

But before he could argue further, Lu Ming hurriedly left. He was still injured, probably sneaked out, and couldn't stay here for long.

Xiao Wan watched Lu Ming run off, and as he ran, his voice echoed from afar.

"Of course, don't get too cocky! Next time at the Blue Sea Competition, we'll definitely be in the same group again. I'll train hard and definitely beat you!"

Xiao Wan: "...Oh."

Today, as he stepped onto the finals arena, seeing his opponent reminded him of this, and he didn't feel too nervous. Instead, he recalled Yun Rong's words of encouragement.

"For the money we've saved over the years, charge!"

Alright, no matter for whom, for this money, this first place is a must.

Outside the arena, on the judges' seats, Shen Guan sat next to Xiao Xueman. He had indeed been very busy recently. He knew a lot had happened to Xiao Xueman lately, but hadn't had the chance to chat with him. Now, he finally had some free time.

Before the finals, there was some preparation time. Qin Lou, as the chief judge, was busy at the back and hadn't come over yet, so Shen Guan could clearly discuss this matter with Xiao Xueman.

"...I could foresee things between you two becoming like this, it's normal," Shen Guan sighed, "Qin Lou, well, that's just how he is with you."

These two have been entangled for hundreds of years, and he's seen enough as a bystander.

"But I haven't thought about what to do in the future," Xiao Xueman rubbed his temples, "Let's take it one step at a time, for now, let's finish Xiao Wan's matters first."

Shen Guan thought for a moment.

“How about I go to the Tai Xu Secret Realm with you? Once the Blue Sea Competition is over, the Fox Clan will have some free time, and I can take a break, have some free time.”

Xiao Xueman hesitated a bit, thought it over, and said.

“If you want to go, I naturally won’t stop you. At that time, we’ll see based on Qin Lou’s prophecy and Yun Heng’s feelings, adapt accordingly. If it’s really dangerous, Qin Lou and I can go, you don’t have to risk it for Xiao Wan, just taking care of him outside is already a big help.”

The Tai Xu Secret Realm itself has varying levels of difficulty. Not to mention spirit gods, even some spirit lords can handle it, but they mostly linger around the outer circle.

Shen Guan going in is normal; he also needs to prepare some things for the Fox Clan. The outer circle’s things are not something Xiao Xueman or Yun Heng would care for; they naturally aim for the center of the secret realm.

But the risks there are high, and even Shen Guan, a spirit god level three, might find it hard to protect himself. Protecting Xiao Wan is one thing, but Xiao Xueman doesn’t want others to lose their lives over this.

As they were talking, the arena lit up, and Qin Lou took the stage.

His Wangtian Immortal Gate indeed made a big splash this time, still holding the top sect position at the Blue Sea Competition, with all achievements far ahead.

Now, as the chief judge of the individual competition, Qin Lou stepped onto the arena as the opener for the last match of the Blue Sea Competition, and the scene immediately quieted down.

Xiao Xueman sat below, also watching him.

He had been a judge before, so he knew this process.

This individual competition final was special, so they changed the venue to a larger one.

Besides reinforcing the arena’s protective shield, the biggest change was the increase in spectator seats.

Contestants who had finished their matches and stayed in the First Heaven could come to watch. Some who didn’t make it past the preliminaries had left, but most stayed, with still seven or eight thousand people remaining, sitting in a large crowd below.

The chief judge's speech was actually meant for these young people below, to encourage them and motivate them to work harder in the future.

But the Blue Sea Competition had been held for a long time, and the speech was always similar. Xiao Xueman had heard it all before, hoping it would end quickly so the competition could start.

There were eight groups in the individual competition, all to be completed today, so time was tight.

But with Qin Lou's status, no one dared to rush him. He was known to be a man of few words, so he probably wouldn't speak for long.

Xiao Xueman thought, given his personality, he'd just recite the usual lines. Xiao Wan was in the first group, and he was just waiting to watch his son.

But Qin Lou didn't act as he expected. He cleared his throat, not high and mighty, his tone was very calm, not reciting the usual lines, more like sharing some heartfelt words with everyone.

"Hello to all the contestants present."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

“This year’s Blue Sea Competition, I am honored to be invited as the chief judge. I’ve seen many capable and thoughtful young people.

Whether from the Wangtian Immortal Gate, the arena, the Mercenary Guild, or the demon clan, or some smaller sects, everyone standing here—

The organizers strive to uphold the Blue Sea Competition’s purpose: maintaining balance and equality, letting everyone stand on the same stage, only considering the ups and downs of spiritual power, not the highs and lows of background.

To those who achieved good results in this competition, on behalf of the organizers, I congratulate you.

If the results are not ideal, I hope you have confidence in the future and strive unremittingly.

When I was just an adult, I was only a spirit practitioner level two. If judged by that time, everyone here is stronger than me.

Young people should not judge success or failure by a single competition; the road ahead is long, and you never know what opportunities or people you might encounter.”

When he said the last sentence, he glanced at Xiao Xueman sitting in the judges' seats.

What happened to Qin Lou was probably known to everyone present. His words were self-deprecating, almost teasing, but everyone listened, feeling a bit more relaxed.

Xiao Xueman was taken aback, then lowered his head and smiled.

To others, it was just a story or a joke, but he knew how much effort Qin Lou had put in to say it so calmly now, something others wouldn't understand.

Qin Lou continued with a faint smile: "One regret is that I, sitting as the chief judge, never participated in the Blue Sea Competition. The competition slots are limited, even now in the Wangtian Immortal Gate, those who can participate are the lucky, outstanding ones.

The Blue Sea Competition is naturally an excellent platform, a top-notch competition on the Spirit Realm Continent. But outsiders say the Blue Sea Competition's essence lies outside the competition. As someone who hasn't participated, I find this true.

Many young people see themselves clearly here, gain insights, appreciate others, and even see the situation clearly, fighting for glory for their family, sect, or clan for the first time.

But no competition is about winning or losing at the moment. Because the purpose of cultivation is not in the competition, not in a moment’s test, not even in how to stand high above others.

I always feel that the most important purpose of cultivation is to have enough ability to protect those you cherish. And this person can be family, a mentor, a friend, even a rival, or a lover.

The Blue Sea Competition is a stage for the young, and outsiders say it’s the first step for many great powers who left their mark on the Spirit Realm Continent.

You’ve already taken this step, and you’ll encounter more complexities beyond your imagination, far less pure than this arena, with clear black and white boundaries.

To face all this, you must hold onto your heart to avoid getting lost in this long cultivation journey, and the person you cherish is your heart.

“Many contestants told me after the competition that their future wish is to become like me,” Qin Lou smiled, his last words falling, “I also have a heart, always have. Looking back, there’s often confusion, but whenever I think of it, I will and always strive for it. I hope you do the same.”

Clearly, Qin Lou hadn’t prepared much. He seemed to have come up and said this directly.

Of course, it wasn’t as polished as the script prepared by the organizers, which was meticulously detailed, even marking where to pause and raise the tone, without any mistakes.

But what he said wasn’t well-structured, more like speaking whatever came to mind, a bit spontaneous.

He rarely spoke such long sentences to the public, and because it was spontaneous, it wasn’t perfect, nor was it a long speech.

But it was sincere, not high and mighty, truly like an elder expecting the young people in the seats to achieve something in the future, to protect important people with their own hands.

After the chief judge's speech, the audience applauded as usual, but Xiao Xueman felt the applause was more enthusiastic and sincere.

Qin Lou soon returned to his seat. As the chief judge of the individual competition, he sat with the individual competition judges, not next to Xiao Xueman, who was there to watch after completing his task.

The chief judge's seat was separate, with a transparent protective shield around it, blocking out external noise and allowing him to see the arena clearly and accurately from the best angle.

But Xiao Xueman could feel his gaze, not strong, but always present.

Today, besides being a judge, Qin Lou was also concerned about the prophecy. He wasn't prepared before, but today he wouldn't be interrupted again—if he could indeed see something through this opportunity.

"Some of his words seemed directed at you and Xiao Wan," on this side, Shen Guan also found it interesting, "I think I'm not the only one who can hear it."

"I think you should stop overthinking and focus on the competition," Xiao Xueman turned his head back, "We're here to watch Xiao Wan, the competition is about to start."

Indeed, Xiao Wan was already on the arena, standing straight like a tall young tree.

He faced his opponent calmly, just waiting for the arena's gong to start the match.