At the same time, Prince Jiang Feng arrived at the Inner Palace to face his father after his utter failure. Worse, he fled the battlefield with a tail between his legs.
Arriving at the throne hall, his father, King Long Feng sat in the middle. The crown prince, Prince Guang Feng sat on the right side. Meanwhile, the second prince, Prince Yu Feng, sat on the left side.
No seat for Jiang Feng, which indicates that Jiang Feng has been disowned, and banished. His sovereignty has been stripped entirely.
"Father!" Jiang Feng prostrated himself before the king.
The crown prince arose from his seat, the second Jiang Feng addressed the King so casually.
"How dare you address our king as your father! You failed and you still have a face to show up? Huh! I would slit my throat if I were you."
The king raised a hand before the commotion got too far.
"Little Jiang, I shall give you one more chance. Kill the one who bested you, and I will welcome you back to the family."
Holding his tears, Jiang Feng fueled with rage and revenge.
"Yes, my king. I will present Ling Zhao's head in this very room."
"Very well…" the king nodded. "Guards, escort him out."
'Just you wait, Ling Zhao! I will gut you in front of your mother's grave!'
***
Prince Yu Feng, a fine young man in his eighteen years who always looked calm and composed finally stood from his seat.
Despite looking nonchalant about everything that happened inside the palace, Yu Feng was an ambitious and excellent leader, commanding the Second Order of Kowloon Soldiers that consisted of thousands Earth Realm Cultivators from behind the scenes while Guang Feng fight at the front line.
Of course, Ling Zhao and Qiqi piqued his interest, Peak Ninth Stage Body Foundation in such an early age was such a rare feat within Kowloon Kingdom, he couldn't let such talent slip from his hand.
In his thoughts, Ling Zhao and Qiqi would be his biggest assets if he could get them under his wing.
Wasting no time, he hurried to call his men to spy on them.
"Excuse myself, Your Majesty. There is a matter that I have to attend to."
"You are excused," said the king.
"Me too, my king. My troops need my presence in order to defend the eastern border." Said Guang Feng.
"I see… Just hold them a bit more and we will commence the offensive operation."
"Certainly, my king. I will wait for the Sovereignty Order to trample our enemy."
"And the Nine Clouds Continent shall be ours to take."
***
The awaited day had come at last. The top ten students who participated in the Battle Royal Tournament stood proudly at the stage.
Thousands of students of the Kowloon Academy huddled together in the Grand Hall to attend the Awards Ceremony.
The Dean of Kowloon Academy, Fang Zheng, had been waiting to give the awards to these champions.
Under the azure canopy of the Eastern sky, the Kowloon Academy's Grand Hall buzzed with anticipation. The scent of cherry blossoms mingled with the hint of incense, carried on a gentle breeze that whispered secrets of ancient wisdom.
Qiqi, her ebony hair adorned with silken blossoms, radiated an aura of quiet confidence. Her eyes, pools of obsidian, held a fire that spoke of unyielding determination.
In the stillness, her crimson robes billowed, a vibrant contrast against the muted hues of her companions.
The Dean, Fang Zheng, strode forward, his robes embroidered with serpentine dragons. A venerable figure with eyes that gleamed with the wisdom of countless ages, he carried an air of serene authority. With a nod, he acknowledged the champions, his gaze settling on Qiqi.
Fang Zheng flicked his hand, and a golden box suddenly appeared from his Spatial Ring.
"A Golden Dragon Pill, May this gift will help your development and nurture your cultivation further."
"I humbly accept this gift, Fang Zheng Shifu."
The crowds murmured high and low. The Golden Dragon Pill was considered a national treasure. If one consumes this pill and is able to fully absorb the abundant Qi energy inside the pill, his or her cultivation would be increased by leap and bound.
A key ingredient to breakthrough the Body Foundation Stage.
Only the Royal Family could have access to this treasure, however, since Fang Zheng was the inventor of this Golden Dragon Pill, he has the right to give it to anyone worthy enough. And Qiqi had proved herself that she's worthy to handle such precious treasure.
Fang Zheng proceeded to the next champion and gave the gifts one after another. Until finally, it was Ling Zhao's turn to accept his gift.
The boy was nonchalant and didn't care about the gift. Instead, he's eager to go back home and train as he pleases.
"Ling Zhao…" Fang Zheng called. "Your bravery and determination truly befitted this pendant. Please accept it."
Everybody laughed when they saw the pendant. It was so plain and looked like counterfeit jewelry which was sold by streetside peddlers.
However, Ling knew exactly what the pendant really was. He even didn't believe himself that such a thing existed in the Nine Clouds Continent.
"This pendant… a Celestial Blood Stone-" Ling Zhao quickly muffled his mouth before anyone caught what he's talking about.
Fang Zheng winked one eye. "Take care of this pendant, and only 'use' it when you are ready."
Ling Zhao wore the pendant on his neck and cupped his fist together to pay his respect. Amongst all gifts, this Celestial Blood Stone would cost a fortune just to obtain a gram of it. Not to mention the size of a pendant.
"Thank you for the gift, Fang Zheng Shifu. I humbly accept this gift."
With that said, the awards ceremony comes to an end.
***
Later that event, Ling Zhao secluded himself in the forest like usual and fell into a deep thought while meditating.
Fang Zheng really knows how to put him in a pinched situation. If the public knows the true nature of this pendant, there will be a bounty for his head.
However, Ling couldn't possibly reject such treasure that only appears once in millenia.
A crystalized blood from an unfathomable number of deceased humans. For Ling Zhao as Blood Iron Art practitioner, this Celestial Blood Stone was a priceless treasure and the very source of energy to further strengthen his cultivation in the long run.