"Truly remarkable!" Seeing that Tang Yan was the one who had persisted until the end, Mo Bin clicked his tongue in amazement, looking at the youth as if he had discovered a rare treasure.

Since things had come to this, Fang Wentian could only sigh. "Brother Lin, your Yun City has truly shocked us all this year."

"Haha, I've sat at the bottom for long enough. It's time to change seats." Lin Xiao was overjoyed, a bright smile spreading across his face. "Since Tang Yan won, the reward should be delivered now."

"You old scoundrel, do you think I would pocket it for myself?" Fang Wentian joked. He then stood up and announced loudly, "The result of today's Grand Competition has truly exceeded my expectations, and at the same time, it has taught all martial cultivators a valuable lesson.

"Let us congratulate Tang Yan of Yun City for winning this Grand Competition.

"This Spatial Spirit Ring shall go to Tang Yan! Young Master Tang, come up and receive your prize!"

Tang Yan was overjoyed. He stepped onto the stage, accepted the Spatial Spirit Ring, thanked the crowd, and returned to the Yun City seats.

"This Eastern Region Grand Competition has finally reached its conclusion. Lastly, Elder Mo will announce the roster for entering the Azure Dragon Academy," Fang Wentian declared.

After a round of enthusiastic applause, Mo Bin pondered for a moment, carefully choosing his words. "To be honest, this Eastern Region Grand Competition has truly exceeded my expectations. Many talented individuals have shown exceptional aptitude, catching my eye. According to convention, we will select five people from this competition to participate in the Azure Dragon Academy's selection process."

Everyone held their breath, listening intently as Mo Bin announced the list.

"The five spots are: Tang Yan of Yun City, Fang Xuan of Fang City, Wan Fei of Fang City, Du Shu of Qing City, and Lin Dongxue of Yun City. Five days from now, you will all gather in Fang City, and I will take you to the Azure Dragon Academy!"

Mo Bin took out five tokens from his robes. Infusing them with True Qi, he tossed them into the air, and the five tokens flew accurately into the hands of the five chosen youths.

With that, the Eastern Region Grand Competition officially came to an end.

Lin Xiao and the other City Lords still needed to find an opportunity to build rapport with the Azure Dragon Academy, so they dragged Mo Bin off for a drink.

Tang Yan called out, "Let's go, we'll head back to the courtyard first."

"Mm," Lin Dongxue nodded slightly, but her expression was extremely unnatural.

Tang Yan noticed her shift in mood. Along the way, he couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with this girl.

Upon arriving at their small courtyard, Tang Yan was about to walk Lin Dongxue inside when she turned and began strolling along the lake in the backyard.

The Myriad Directions Tower truly lived up to its reputation as the premier establishment in Fang City. Even though winter was approaching, the backyard still featured rippling blue waves, lush trees, and clusters of blooming flowers, making it feel just like spring.

"Where are you going?" Tang Yan asked with a smile.

"Just taking a stroll. Congratulations on winning the championship." A hint of shyness flashed across Lin Dongxue's face.

Seeing Lin Dongxue's cheeks as red as the evening sunset, the flush adding a striking touch of allure to her beauty, Tang Yan's heart suddenly pounded.

Suddenly, a mischievous grin appeared on his face. He gave Lin Dongxue a meaningful look and said, "Miss Dongxue, I recall that we made a bet back then."

"Wh... what bet?" Lin Dongxue's heart raced like a startled deer. This scoundrel, why was his memory so good?

"Has Miss Dongxue truly forgotten? Then allow me to offer a friendly reminder. At that time, a certain someone told me that if I didn't win the Eastern Region Grand Competition, I would have to be her sparring partner for a month. But if I happened to win..." Although Tang Yan left the sentence unfinished, the blatant hint made Lin Dongxue blush furiously.

"You... you scoundrel," Lin Dongxue shot him a complaining look.

"As the daughter of the City Lord's Manor, how can you break your word? If this gets out, how will outsiders view the City Lord's Manor?" Tang Yan dramatically waved the banner of the manor's reputation.

"Hmph, lecher!" Lin Dongxue spat.

"A bet is a bet, you have to accept the loss," Tang Yan continued to tease her.

"Smack!"

A crisp sound rang out. Tang Yan, who had been wearing a mischievous grin, froze in stunned silence.

That momentary softness and warmth sent a roar through his mind, leaving it completely blank.

It took a long time for his gaze to finally refocus.

At this moment, Lin Dongxue was staring at him with wide eyes, a mix of intense shyness and determination flickering within them. When she saw Tang Yan suddenly look back at her, she lost all her previous courage. Letting out a soft whimper, she pushed him away and ran briskly toward her own small courtyard.

"Tang Yan, this is a secret between us. Don't you dare tell anyone! Otherwise, you're dead meat!" Lin Dongxue's threatening words drifted over from afar, drawing a wry smile from him.

Returning to his own courtyard, the thought of Lin Dongxue's stunning beauty stirred ripples in Tang Yan's heart.

However... a bed of roses is a hero's grave. What he needed to focus on now was the pursuit of the martial Dao!

After finally calming the turmoil in his heart, Tang Yan looked down at the Spatial Spirit Ring on his finger. He picked up the Unblemished Sword that Shen Shan had given him, and with a single thought, he stored it away.

With another thought, the heavy sword reappeared in his grasp.

He repeated this a few times before finally stopping. The Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron could also store and retrieve items, but what it held were generally high-grade spiritual medicines; almost no other items could be stored inside. This Spatial Spirit Ring, however, was incredibly miraculous. As long as there was enough inner space, any inanimate object could be kept within.

Taking out the martial technique that came paired with the Unblemished Sword-the Mountain-Shattering Wave-Treading Sword-Tang Yan began to study it carefully.

This was one of the more advanced martial techniques currently in his possession, reaching the level of Earth Rank Middle Grade. Naturally, such a high-grade technique was much more complex to cultivate. Tang Yan read through the manual more than ten times before he finally grasped some initial clues.

Just as Tang Yan was about to take out the Unblemished Sword to practice, a knock sounded at the door.

Seeing that it was already late, Tang Yan was puzzled. Who could be visiting at this hour?

Opening the door, he was surprised to find that the visitor was Lin Dongxue.

Her usual composed and elegant demeanor as a lady of a noble house was completely gone, replaced only by a fidgety shyness. Her delicate, alluring appearance stirred his heart once more.

"Miss Lin, what brings you here so late?" Tang Yan asked with a smile.

"The horses are ready. We're leaving Fang City tonight. Hurry up and prepare." Lin Dongxue spoke rapidly, then lowered her head and quickly walked away.

Tang Yan was taken aback. Leaving so soon? Packing his important items into the Spatial Spirit Ring, he stepped out of the small courtyard.

Not far away, Lin Xiao and Lin Dongxue were waiting with three fine steeds.

"We're leaving now?" Tang Yan walked up and asked.

"We only have five days before you must head to the Azure Dragon Academy. Traveling day and night, we can reach Yun City in two days. If we leave tonight, we can stay an extra night in Yun City," Lin Xiao explained with a smile.

Lin Xiao was in extremely high spirits. In this Eastern Region Grand Competition, Yun City had stolen the show, greatly boosting his prestige.

Tang Yan understood. The three of them mounted their horses and quickly rode out of the city.

As the night descended, Tang Yan constantly calculated in his mind. If he was going to leave for the academy, the Liu Family had to be eliminated first.

After hesitating for a moment, Tang Yan said, "City Lord, no matter what happens, my Tang Family will always fully support the City Lord's Manor. But in Yun City, we cannot rule out that some people might still harbor ill intentions..."

At this, Tang Yan turned his head to look at Lin Xiao.

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