The long-awaited day finally arrived, the day Long Yifei was scheduled to awake from the dream array. Nobody knew when exactly it was supposed to happen, not even Chen Wentian. The only thing he knew for certain was that she was still in the dream array and that she would awake sometime today.
Just to make sure, Chen Mo was keeping a close eye on both Immortal Gentle Lotus Gong Liyun and Abbotess Liang and the two female Spirit Kings were still patiently waiting.
Chen Wentian's heart was fluttering with nerves but he did not show it as he hovered above the entrance to the Lotus Spire. He took in the scene below him which was one of barely contained energy and anticipation. It was an amazing scene unlike any other. Before the spire, covering every available length of ground for many kilometers was a jam-packed sea of people. They were all here for the marriage-seeking event, they were all here for Long Yifei!
It was a who's who of young talents and famous people of the capital and the whole subcontinent. There were princes and young masters from no fewer than five Spirit King families as well as countless Spirit Lords. Over ten thousand had registered in the end and they had all made it here this morning. Some had even camped out in front of the spire for many weeks to get the best position upfront. Others arrived the previous night or before sunrise, eager to make sure they weren't late or at the back of the line. In addition to those registered, there were perhaps three or four times that number in supporters and friends who packed into the surrounding streets to give their candidates support.
This was exactly what Chen Wentian had planned for. Such a massive show of force was his only hope of standing up to Abbotess Liang. He fully intended to use the masses to counteract the strength of a Spirit King. If that didn't work, he still had backup. Although Spirit Kings such as Immortal Light of Daybreak Ming Mu and Immortal Solemn Duke Huang Wuji had not shown their faces, Chen Wentian knew that they were nearby and paying attention. They could not ignore it when their most prized descendants and disciples were taking part in this event against their rivals.
The sun slowly rose and cast a crimson light upon the sea of eager faces. Ten thousand hopeful young men stood shoulder to shoulder, their names registered, and money paid.
Chen Wentian floated above them, close to the entrance of Lotus Spire by himself. His disciples were conspicuously absent but it was by design. If and when the fighting started, he didn't want them anywhere near here.
"When is the event starting?"
"Where is Long Yifei!"
Several inpatient and impertinent voices interrupted the morning serenity.
Chen Wentian did not react and merely smiled lightly. He did not reply as it was beneath his status to respond to such inane outbursts.
"Silence!" Another one admonished his peers, "We have all waited for this moment for weeks, what's a few more hours. If you don't even have this much patience, then shut up and go stand in the rear with the rest of the losers!"
An argument followed, then a minor scuffle. The miscreants were beaten up and dumped at the back of the crowd. The strongest and biggest factions were already showing their power by bullying the weak. With so many entrants to the event, they had to ensure that their candidate won and obtained Long Yifei. They would do anything to put down the riff-raff as well as their competitors.
Chen Wentian watched them silently and let it happen. Over the next hour, the crowd shifted and adjusted. In the end, the areas closest to him and the entrance were occupied by four distinct groups.
The one to his right was the Eastern Light Clan. Ming He stood in the front row along with several other men of equal stature and brilliance. Together, the contingent from the Eastern Light Clan consisted of over fifty. They were optimistically hoping that all fifty finalist places will be taken by their clan. The chance of this was close to none but it was still worth it to try. Even if they failed, they would at least push their competitors out of the final fifty.
The group next to them belonged to the House of Armament. Tian Yunhao stood at the front, in a similar position to Ming He comparatively. They had also brought fifty people, having decided on the same strategy as their most hated rivals. The Eastern Light Clan and the House of Armament were unwilling to let the other obtain Long Yifei and the respect and honor that came with it. They were both determined to see themselves win and the other fail.
The third group was not as obnoxious as the first two but still strong. A contingent of thirty was led by Huang Kaifeng, representing the Duchy of Gold. There was an additional familiar face among that crowd, the sly Huang Wenshu who had harassed Li Yuechan weeks ago.
Chen Wentian's temper flared, realizing that this vile creature dared to covet two of his disciples. If he had his way today, people like Huang Wenshu would not be able to survive the day!
The fourth and last group were not residents of the Eastern Sanmu Metropolis but they were still feared and respected. They were the Beast God Sanctum and numbered around thirty. Two familiar faces stood at the front; Qu Jing, fourth-place finisher in the Monster Fighting Competition, and Yang Cang, fifth-place finisher in the same competition. They had already emerged from the dream array and naturally would not miss the marriage-seeking event. They were men and Long Yifei was a divine daughter, irresistible to all men under the heavens.
Chen Wentian nodded at the crowd, finally satisfied with the situation.
"Noble talents of the Eastern Sanmu Subcontinent!" His enhanced voice boomed out, catching everyone's attention.
"I, Immortal Blue Dragon Chen Wentian, Master of Ten Thousand Flower Valley, Lord of Dragon Flower Province, welcome you all to this grand marriage-seeking event!"
A deafening cheer erupted. Every single person in the crowd was excited. Their hearts were ablaze with passion and hope and could not be extinguished by anything!
Chen Wentian waved his hands and the noise subsided. "The event will soon commence. Once Long Yifei awakes from her long dream, it shall begin immediately with the preliminary elimination event. I will explain all the rules and tests once that time arrives so please be patient. For now, remain vigilant for we can start at any moment!"
Another cheer followed, rousing their excitement even further.
Chen Wentian gave a bow and smile that was not a true smile. He was eagerly and nervously waiting for Long Yifei to wake up but he had absolutely no intention of submitting her to a humiliating marriage-seeking event. How could he do so when she belonged to him already? He wasn't dumb enough to wear a green hat himself!
No!
He hadn't prepared at all for a preliminary elimination event. It didn't exist. There was no main event for the fifty finalists either. None of it existed and none of it was needed.
All he had to do was wait for Long Yifei to wake up and for Abbotess Liang to cause chaos and upend the entire capital!
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