The good thing?
Of course, Eddie quickly pocketed it without a second's hesitation.
Jean was curious about the crescent-shaped silver ornament and wanted to take a closer look. However, Eddie, being the miser he is, quickly pocketed it, much to her frustration.
Nangon slightly bowed to Alexander and nodded elegantly to Eddie, performing a gesture that seemed to be a common etiquette among Innates, "Eddie, since you've decided to stay in Dragon-Tern Continent for the time being, let's meet again in nine months!"
Eddie thought, unless he reached at least the fifth level of Innate within nine months, he wouldn't bother with the Innate Covenant. Why bother with such nonsense?
The sixth level of Heaven-Reaching Tower was fraught with dangers, including the sinister leader of Myriad Demons waiting to trouble him.
Unless the mysterious introducer herself personally comes to fetch him, that might change things... Then, perhaps he could finally see the Night Queen's true face and closely examine Phoenix's fragrance to determine if it's truly the scent of a virgin.
That's something to clarify.
If it is, he might as well conquer Phoenix, who has been teasing him relentlessly. Not conquering her would only lead to her making a move on him eventually.
While Eddie was lost in his wild thoughts, Nangon had already bid farewell to everyone.
The two War God Servants, too, prepared to leave, each using different teleportation scrolls. As they left, they both glanced back at Eddie, their looks complex.
Jean felt she had to be wary of those looks in the future. Eddie already had enough women around him, and adding two dragon maidens to the mix would leave no room for her.
She resolved to warn him not to follow in his father's footsteps and accumulate a large harem.
"What are you daydreaming about? They're already gone!" Jean tapped Eddie's forehead with her slender finger.
"I was wondering how much prize money the Elite Academy Tournament offers..."
Eddie's remark stunned everyone. Already an Innate, and he's still participating in the Elite Academy Tournament?
What's the point?
It would be a total massacre!
"Don't worry, I've already registered you for it. One is a team event, and the other is an individual comprehensive challenge...
""It's a pity you weren't interested back then; you could have also signed up for the individual combat skill or beast combat challenges, securing three championships."
Hessian Fat and Yehken regretted not signing Eddie up for more events, knowing he had the potential to win.
"You're not seriously going to compete, are you?" even Old Fox couldn't stand it.
Although Old Fox wanted Capital Academy to win, having an Innate like Eddie compete in the Elite Academy Tournament seemed overkill. What if he made all the other participants cry?
Eddie protested, "Hey, I'm a student too, right? I have every right to participate in the Elite Academy Tournament. There's no rule saying Innates can't participate. "
"Besides, I don't have Innate powers right now; I overextended myself killing Tucker. If a righteous hero like Kieran Shaw shows up, he could easily take me down. "
"I'm risking my life to compete, and you're criticizing instead of supporting?"
Everyone sweated at his logic.
As if anyone, even the entire Shaw family, could pose a threat to him. He just wanted to vent his frustration on the Shaw family.
Now, with the Shaw family cornered like doomed dogs, no one dared to help them.
Facing an Innate, who would dare? Even those who secretly supported the Shaw family from Purple Gold Country, the sixth-level masters, and seventh-level tyrants quietly distanced themselves, silently drawing a line between them and the Shaw family.
Without an Innate, the Yew family was formidable enough, but with an Innate like Eddie, they were untouchable. Even a fool wouldn't consider starting a conflict with the Yew family now.
"I was wrong! Waaah, my mind was clouded by foolishness, I've been ungrateful, I'm not human... Old Marshal, remembering the days when you led us through battles in the south and north, please spare our Shaw family. I'm here to apologize, to kowtow to you!"
Tidal Shaw suddenly knelt down, weeping and sobbing, slapping himself on both sides of the face until his face swelled like a pig's head, nose bleeding profusely.
He then crawled to Haye Yew's feet, continuously kowtowing, a lord making a pitiful scene of 'if you don't forgive me, I'll cry myself to death.'
Tome Shaw and Rage Shaw also signaled all members of the Shaw family and their guards to kneel.
The shame of kneeling, compared to the annihilation of their clan, was trivial.
With so many powerful figures watching, even if Haye Yew was ruthless, he couldn't possibly order the extermination of the Shaw family, no matter how severe the punishment, it wouldn't lead to the destruction of their door!
On the contrary, if they resisted to the end, without even needing Eddie, the Innate, to take action, many powerful figures would voluntarily step in to wipe out the Shaw family...
After all, with the Shaw family gone, it would be no loss to them, and thus, one less competitor.
"Grandpa, please deal with this. Personally, I think severe punishment is necessary."
Eddie, dragging the barely alive Temple Pine and Black Crane, turned and left. His manner was very appropriate.
Being an Innate, his words carried significant weight, allowing Haye Yew to use his statement as an excuse.
There was no way for the Shaw family to escape punishment completely!
Also, being a junior, if he were to raise the sword of extermination against the Shaw family under everyone's watchful eyes, it would put the elders in an awkward position and possibly leave an irreparable psychological scar on other families.
Now, by turning and leaving, he's showing that he, as an Innate, does not meddle in worldly affairs, leaving enough face for everyone, who would undoubtedly be grateful. Haye Yew glanced at Eddie and nodded silently.
This task, had it been left to his son Yehky, certainly wouldn't have been handled this way. His character was too straightforward; he neither understood nor liked to use the methods of those in power.
This Eddie, indeed, proved to be more exceptional than his father...
Alexander and Old Fox also nodded secretly, even the fierce-looking General Windstorm showed a gleam of approval.
Apart from them, only a few like Quintus Xue, Atticus Phone, and Thaddeus Yen from the Xue, Phone, and Yen families respectively, could grasp a bit of the situation.
Within the Shaw family, only Tome Shaw, upon hearing Eddie's words, felt relief instead of sorrow.
Had Eddie left quietly, Tome Shaw estimated that it wouldn't be long before Eddie would come after the Shaw family, annihilating them completely.
Tome Shaw was utterly convinced that Eddie was the type to eradicate the roots of his enemies...
Now, mentioning severe punishment instead offered a way to use the Shaw family as an example while giving them a chance to live, demonstrating the Yew family's benevolence.
By leaving the matter to Old Marshal Yew, it was the greatest grace.
With Old Marshal Yew handling it, the Shaw family definitely wouldn't face extinction...
Tome Shaw breathed a sigh of relief, and looking back at Eddie's departing figure, his eyes even held a trace of gratitude.
If he were an Innate, he couldn't have easily spared an enemy.
This might be why Eddie, at such a young age, was already an Innate, while he, after years of hard training, remained merely a transformed tyrant.
Haye Yew, the senior of the Yew family, proposed the first condition: to keep Eddie's status as an Innate a secret.
Aware that this secret couldn't be kept forever, he hoped to delay its disclosure as long as possible. His precious grandson, after all, still had much to accomplish in the Dragonrise Continent, and revealing his strength prematurely would not be beneficial.
While secret whispers among some couldn't be entirely prevented, openly spreading the information about Eddie being an Innate was strictly forbidden.
Jean, Sophia, and Rue hurried to catch up with Eddie, curious about how he had become an Innate at such a young age.
While Sophia and Rue were baffled, Jean suspected that Eddie's advancement to Innate might be related to the ancient runes on the cliff at Cloudtop Pool, though his innate talent played a bigger role.
Eddie was the only one who could activate the ancient rune formations, benefiting everyone involved.
Hessian, Yehken, and the Ly siblings were ecstatic, unable to fathom Eddie's transformation into an Innate but choosing not to dwell on the how. They knew that following Eddie promised a bright future.
Jean wasn't keen on participating in the Elite School Tournament, suggesting they undertake the World Tree mission or clear the Gemini Temple instead. She felt unbeatable at her current strength in the tournament.
Eddie, however, noted that this year's tournament was different, highlighting three rising stars: the young master of the Floating Mist Sect, a prince from the Purple Gold Kingdom, and a prodigy from the Lion Tower of the Western Prison, each with formidable talents. Rue subtly warned Jean about her admirers participating in the tournament.
Jean reluctantly agreed to join the team event.
When asked about the third rising star, Rue described the Prince of Tianluo Kingdom as the world's most handsome man, whose mere presence caused accidents from distracted admirers.
Despite the Prince's beauty and allure, he was uninterested in anyone but his training and beasts.
Jean, skeptical of the prince's exaggerated allure, remained cautious, knowing to avoid discussing handsome men around Eddie, whose jealousy could rival a tsunami.
She found Eddie increasingly attractive, a bad boy charm that grew on her. If only Eddie could act more dignified, she thought, his appeal would multiply.
Unaware of the sisters' thoughts, Eddie focused on the tournament, misunderstanding their concern for financial gain.
The Shaw family, realizing their dire situation, begged for mercy from the Yew family, fearing the wrath of an Innate.
Eddie's choice to leave the punishment to Haye Yew showed his maturity and understanding of his position, earning respect and gratitude from the elders and a reminder of the gap between them and Eddie's exceptional nature.
The Shaw family's fate, now in the hands of the Yew family, highlighted the consequences of underestimating Eddie and the power dynamics within the Dragonrise Continent.
However, Eddie was irked by the idea of someone being more handsome than himself: "I despise any creature that might be more handsome than me. If I see one, it's kill on sight!"
Hessian, hearing Eddie's sour and murderous remark, was relieved about his own appearance: "Luckily, I'm safe in the looks department. Sometimes, being unremarkable is a blessing."
Yehken speculated, "Beauty is subjective, right? Girls might prefer the delicate pretty-boy type, but we guys don't necessarily see that as handsome."
Sophia was excited about the competition: "With the three Great Stars plus three rising stars, this year's Elite School Tournament will be thrilling."
Rue added, "It's not just the six of them. There are also the Holy Lance Knight from Tianluo Academy, the Azure Dragon Envoy from the East Sea Crystal Palace, and others who are favorites to win. Their odds at the Thieves' Guild betting markets are nearly the same as those for the Great Stars."
Eddie was curious about the sudden emergence of so many young talents.
Jean realized the Elite School Tournament was more than a competition; it had become a chessboard for geopolitical maneuvering, with the young generation serving as pawns for their countries or powers.
Likely, only Eddie and his friends were there purely for the competition, without political agendas.
Eddie decided to prepare for the tournament, mainly focusing on training Sophia and also giving some pointers to Yehken and Hessian.
Returning to the first level of Heaven-Reaching Tower, Yehken and Hessian undertook the "Buffalo Valley" mission, collecting ten Bull King horns.
Meanwhile, Sophia re-entered the Gemini Temple with Eddie. Although they ultimately fled, Eddie confirmed many theories and even spotted some details Rue's master had missed.
Eddie felt more confident about clearing the Gemini Temple but knew he had much to prepare for, far more than for the Elite School Tournament.
One crucial skill was learning the feigned death technique from Laura, the city lord of Falling Flower. Without it, breaking the shadow replication curse was impossible.
Eddie penned a letter to Laura, playfully reminding her of his unpaid salary and expressing his longing to see her again.
Jean, while amused by the letter, was particularly concerned about the mention of Laura being the "most beautiful."
She suggested removing those words or replacing the name altogether.
Eddie's response was typical: "Go away, don't hinder me from flirting. If you're willing to flirt, go ahead. Why do you always have to act like a princess? I'm trying to charm a lady here, do you know how hard that is for me?"
Jean's reaction was to threaten physical violence, showing she didn't care about Eddie's newfound Innate status when it came to defending her dignity.
Eddie quickly tried to charm his way out of the situation, proving effective as Jean couldn't help but laugh, despite giving him a stern look for his jest.
This playful banter illustrated the deepening relationship between Eddie and Jean, with Eddie using humor and charm to navigate the complexities of their interactions.