Chapter 196: Martial Tournament for Marriage? Thanks, but Dragon Saintess is Already Home.
After kidnapping the Dragon Saintess, Bai Jiuli leisurely left the Dragon Palace. Coming and going as she pleased—that was her greatest strength.
Within the Lotus Realm, Lin Qi’an and Su Xueni were both present. Before them lay a young woman in a cyan dress, unconscious.
Her attire rippled like flowing water, dreamlike and ethereal. Her skin was as fair as snow, and her delicate features seemed sculpted by the heavens.
A few translucent dragon scales shimmered at the corners of her eyes and forehead, while a pair of small, jade-white dragon horns perched atop her head.
She was completely different from Lin Qi’an’s other stunning maids—exuding a unique charm of her own.
She was Qing Youling, the Saintess of the Azure Dragon Clan, the very woman at the center of the martial tournament for marriage. Countless young men had gathered, eager to win her favor. But now, she had already been abducted by Lin Qi’an.
> Ding!
> Host has successfully kidnapped a Daughter of Luck. Obtained “Blessed Land Celestial Pearl”!
Su Xueni asked cautiously, “Your Highness… what do you plan to do with her?”
“Keep her tied up in your courtyard for now. Make sure she doesn’t figure out our identities. She needs to stay confined for at least seven days.”
“Understood.”
Lin Qi’an then turned his attention to the Blessed Land Celestial Pearl and carefully placed it into position.
The results were astonishing. The spiritual energy within the Lotus Realm surged, instantly doubling in abundance. Not only that, but the speed of cultivation within the realm also increased twofold.
Such an effect alone would be enough to drive all cultivators to madness. This was now a true sacred land that people would fight for without hesitation. And this effect was permanent.
Bai Jiuli immediately sensed the anomaly.
“What’s going on…?”
“Why do I feel that the spiritual energy here just doubled in an instant?”
Lin Qi’an chuckled. “Ever heard of Blessed Land?”
Bai Jiuli’s pupils shrank, “How did you manage this…? That’s impossible!”
She had seen more of the world than even Great Emperors, so if she deemed something impossible—it truly defied all logic.
At that moment, Su Xueni hurried over.
“Your Highness, she’s awake.”
“Alright, let’s go take a look.”
As they walked, Su Xueni couldn’t help but murmur, “Strange… why does the spiritual energy in the Lotus Realm feel so much richer now?”
Though she was startled, she was also delighted. Since they couldn’t show their faces freely during this period, they would be staying in the Lotus Realm for quite a while. Initially, she thought it might become tedious, but this was an unexpected boon.
Lin Qi’an disguised himself with an illusion technique before stepping inside the courtyard.
Qing Youling sat on the floor, her hands and feet bound, unable to channel her spiritual power. Upon seeing an unfamiliar man enter, her expression turned pale with fear, her delicate body trembling as she instinctively shrank into the corner.
“You… who are you?! Where is this place?!”
Lin Qi’an crouched down and examined her closely, “I’m called An Lin. This is my cave dwelling.”
He found the crystalline dragon scales on her snow-white skin rather adorable.
“You kidnapped me…! I have the Twin Soul Jade my father gave me—he’ll find me!” Qing Youling pouted, trying her best to sound threatening despite her delicate voice.
“You’d best release me! Otherwise, when my father comes, it’ll be too late for regrets!”
Lin Qi’an smirked, “Oh, thanks for the reminder.”
With a glance, he signaled Su Xueni. The veiled beauty swiftly approached, searching Qing Youling’s body. Sure enough—she found a jade pendant.
“Got it. I’ll toss it into the sea right now.”
Qing Youling: ???
Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She never expected her captors to be this despicable.
“You… you can have anything you want! Just let me go, okay?”
Lin Qi’an waved his hand dismissively, “Enough with the nonsense. Just scream if you want.”
Qing Youling blinked in confusion, “Scream?”
Lin Qi’an’s smile deepened, “You can scream as much as you like—no one will come to save you.”
“Help! Someone help me!” Qing Youling shouted at the top of her lungs, only to be met with absolute silence. Her face turned deathly pale.
Just who were these people? How dare they abduct her—from the Dragon Palace, no less? And why… why wasn’t her father reacting at all? He was a Great Emperor.
She felt utterly wronged. The martial tournament for marriage was about to begin soon. She had hoped to meet the imperial prince, but now—everything was ruined.
Yet what puzzled her even more was the golden dragon aura faintly swirling around this man. The flowing Dao rhythm, the overwhelming spiritual energy of this cave dwelling—wasn’t it even more blessed than the Dragon Palace’s sacred grounds?
The next day, Lin Qi’an left Qing Youling in Su Xueni’s care. The martial tournament for marriage had officially begun.
The island was now teeming with young prodigies from distant lands. The spectators filled every inch of space, turning the entire island into a bustling sea of excitement.
“Finally, it’s starting!”
“Why hasn’t the Azure Dragon Saintess appeared yet? We all came just to see her!”
“Exactly! I traveled all the way from the Canglan Dao Domain just to witness the beauty of the Dragon Saintess!”
Discussions among the crowd grew louder, filling the air with anticipation. Sitting at the highest seat, the Azure Dragon Emperor wore a visible expression of anxiety.
“Still no sign of Qing’er?”
“None yet… We’ve almost turned the entire sea region around the Dragon Palace upside down and found not a single trace of her. Everyone we’ve questioned swears they haven’t seen the Saintess leave the palace.”
“Useless! Keep searching!”
That morning, they had discovered the Azure Dragon Saintess had gone missing.
In his fury, the Azure Dragon Emperor ordered an immediate search, but no matter how hard they looked, she was nowhere to be found.
Now, with the tournament participants already gathered, they couldn’t just delay indefinitely, so he had no choice but to go forward with the competition despite the Saintess’ absence.
“The tournament begins!”
Lin Qi’an had also come to watch the spectacle.
Since he had already kidnapped the Azure Dragon Saintess, he was curious to see how these men planned to claim her hand.
“Brother An, there’s quite a lot of competition here!”
Lu Ming sighed. “No surprise. The Azure Dragon Saintess is famed far and wide. Even cultivators from the Canglan Dao Domain have come to compete for her!”
“I wonder how the news even spread so far. I just finished watching a grand ceremony over there when I suddenly received word and rushed over.”
This was no coincidence. The Azure Dragon Clan had intentionally spread the news to Canglan Dao Domain, hoping to attract Lin Qi’an.
Neither he nor they realized the irony of the situation.
“There are indeed many people here. Are you going to give it a try, Brother Lu?”
“Honestly? Even if I participate, you and I are just small fries. There’s no way we’d be worthy of the Azure Dragon Saintess!”
Lu Ming sighed. “If I had to say which man truly deserves her, it would have to be the Imperial Prince of Beiyang.”
Lin Qi’an chuckled. “Oh? Is the Beiyang Prince really that formidable?”
“You don’t know? Have you been living under a rock? He dominated the recent grand ceremony, crushing every genius from Tianhai Dao Domain. None of them made it out unscathed.”
Lu Ming shook his head. “Forget it, I won’t waste my breath. Let’s just enjoy the show.”
The tournament was a points-based competition. Winning a match earned one point, and those who reached ten points advanced to the next stage.
The finalists would continue competing until a champion was determined.
Lin Qi’an, of course, had no intention of participating—he was here purely for entertainment.
“I’ll go first!”
A figure suddenly soared onto the arena. It was none other than Chen Yan, the Destined Child! He had endured humiliation for far too long, all for the sake of this day.
No matter how hard he had tried in the past, he had never been able to get close to the Dragon Saintess—his status simply wasn’t high enough.
He had suffered endless mockery and scorn because of it. But today, no one would stop him. Not even the Azure Dragon Emperor.
“This bastard! I told him to hold off and only enter near the end to guard the final stage, but now he’s jumping in first?” The Azure Dragon Emperor was both shocked and furious.
Not only had Qing’er vanished, but now even his designated pawn was disobeying orders.
Lu Ming was itching to participate. “I’ll go first! At least let me win a few rounds and put up a fight!”
Lin Qi’an shook his head. “Brother, I strongly advise against it… If you fight him, you will lose.”
After all, this was the Destined Child.
“Shut up with your jinxing! I might not be the best, but I can at least win a match or two. If you’re scared, just sit there and watch!” Lu Ming leaped onto the arena, brimming with confidence.
“Both contestants are in position. Begin!”
Ten rounds later.
Lu Ming was utterly defeated. He was sent flying, crashing heavily at Lin Qi’an’s feet.
“Ugh… damn it…” Lin Qi’an sighed. “Brother, wise words are hard to hear.”
Lu Ming had become nothing more than a stepping stone for the Destined Child. A first-round defeat meant instant elimination.
“What a shame. The Dragon Saintess truly missed out on her destined one.” Clutching his swollen face, Lu Ming lamented his tragic fate.
Meanwhile, Chen Yan’s War God Technique allowed him to grow stronger the more he fought. Victory after victory, he dominated without any resistance. Ten consecutive wins—earning admiration from all.
“Hmph, they’re all trash! The champion of this tournament will undoubtedly be me!”
—
Within the Lotus Realm, Lin Qi’an controlled what could be seen outside. Both women inside the realm could watch the competition unfold.
Qing Youling was utterly shocked. Not only had this man kidnapped her, but he had the audacity to watch the tournament as well? How brazen could he be?!
“Father! Father, save me!” She screamed until her voice was hoarse.
Su Xueni shook her head. “You can stop calling. No one will hear you.”
“Big sister, please! Just let me go… I beg you! I’ll give you anything you want, okay?” The Dragon Saintess looked pitifully distressed.
Su Xueni couldn’t help but smirk. Being kidnapped by the Imperial Prince of Beiyang? You should be thanking the heavens instead of trying to escape.
“This is a blessing, girl. Others would kill for this chance. Just listen to your big sister. One day, you’ll be grateful.”
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