Chapter 167: End of Tournament

The silence after Bai Zhu’s fall was thick, laden with shock and unspoken questions. Before anyone could move, the leader of the Military Force Branch, a man whose face was a map of scars and contained rage, strode toward the platform.

“Dong Zhen! This… this Qi of his, that flame! This is not the path of blood! This is—”

“Silence.”

Dong Zhen’s word was not loud, but it cut the protest like a blade. His authority, usually a constant presence, became a wall of ice.

He looked at the leader of the military branch, then swept his gaze over all the other leaders whose faces also showed confusion and alarm.

“No questions will be asked.” Dong Zhen said, his voice making it clear that this was an order, not a suggestion.

“The decision has already been made. The truth that all saw is this. Kyrian won. He is the champion. The rules were clear. He used the power at his disposal.”

He paused, allowing his words to weigh down.

“Therefore, the terms of victory will be fulfilled. The main resources of the Bloody Court for the next five years will be allocated, in first and greatest priority, to Kyrian, of the Main Branch. Only after his needs are met will the surplus be distributed among the other branches, proportionally to the performance of their disciples.”

A murmur of resignation passed through the leaders. It was a defeat for their branches, but Dong Zhen’s following statement changed the game.

“Furthermore, the future of the Court does not depend on just one. Collective strength is what sustains us. Therefore, the following disciples, for demonstrating exceptional talent and potential, will be transferred to the main fortress, effectively joining the Main Branch for intensive training under my direct supervision.” Dong Zhen continued.

Everyone held their breath.

“Bai Zhu. Li Fen. Yan Ling. Kai. Mei Li.”

The names echoed, one by one. Five of the most talented youths of the generation, each from a different branch.

“They, together with Kyrian, will form the core of the next generation of the Court. Over the next five years, they will be my direct disciples. They will be nurtured, trained, and forged here.”

The atmosphere shifted instantly. The leaders’ frustration gave way to rapid assessment.

Yes, their branches lost the largest share of resources, but having their most promising disciple chosen to be personally trained by Dong Zhen? That was an immense prize, an investment in the prestige and future power of their branch.

Moreover, the most astute, like Leader Meihong and the leader of the Shadows, perceived the political move.

Dong Zhen was consolidating all exceptional talent under his control, preventing inconvenient questions about Kyrian from spreading among the leaders. It was an elegant silencing and a consolidation of power.

No one complained. Some even nodded with a mixture of pride and acceptance.

“The tournament is concluded.” Dong Zhen declared.

“The visitors and branch leaders are welcome to remain in the fortress today. Tomorrow, at dawn, all will return to their posts.”

The order was given. The audience began to disperse, the murmur now filled with conversations about the chosen ones and about the gray flame, but all restrained, whispered.

The weight of Dong Zhen’s authority imposed a veil of discretion.

He then looked directly at Kyrian, who was still at the center of the arena.

“Kyrian. Come with me.”

Without a word, Kyrian followed Dong Zhen, leaving the arena marked by blood and ashes. They walked in silence through the cold corridors, Dong Zhen’s presence a contained storm.

They reached the office. The heavy door closed, isolating them from the world.

Dong Zhen turned, his sharp eyes piercing Kyrian. There was no audience left to impress. The question came directly and without preamble.

“How?” His voice was rough.

“You demonstrated an affinity for blood that rivals the best. The core test, your control… the inheritance. Everything pointed to that. Shouldn’t you follow only the path of blood?”

Kyrian remained calm under Dong Zhen’s questions. He had expected this.

“I never said the path of blood was my only path.” Kyrian replied, his voice as neutral as ever.

“It is just one of several that I possess.” He paused, his eyes fixed on Dong Zhen.

“My true path… is my eyes.”

And then, he demonstrated.

Kyrian’s eyes with dancing gray flames transformed. The gray color disappeared, replaced by an icy sky blue. At the center, the pupils became geometrically perfect snowflakes.

A wave of intense, dry cold emanated from him, causing the air in Dong Zhen’s office to drop several degrees instantly, a fine frost forming along the edges of a metal jug on the desk.

Dong Zhen did not move a muscle, but his breathing stopped.

Before he could speak, the vision changed again.

The sky blue and snowflakes dissolved. In their place, a vibrant green emerged, the pupils narrowing and elongating, transforming into two tiny, sharp swords.

The energy Kyrian exuded changed completely, now he seemed like a drawn blade, sharp enough to cut everything, his presence aggressive and penetrating.

Dong Zhen could not help it. He rose from his seat, an involuntary reaction of pure shock. His eyes, normally so controlled, widened.

“This…” The word came out like a breath.

He was seeing it. The change was not only visual. Kyrian’s Qi changed with each transformation. From flame Qi to icy, then to a sharp Qi, and finally back to crimson blood.

“What… an aberration…” He corrected himself quickly, not as an insult, but as an observation of something that defied comprehension.

“So this is the true nature of an Innate Talent? I should have imagined… to rival a celestial physique…”

Kyrian neither confirmed nor denied. He simply let his eyes return to crimson, the pressure in the air dissipating. The question that interested him was more practical.

“How will the distribution of resources work?” Kyrian asked, straight to the point.

Dong Zhen, still processing what he had seen, swallowed and regained some of his composure. He sat down again, slower this time.

“You will have absolute priority. In everything the Court possesses that can help you advance, you will be first.”

Kyrian thought for a moment.

“I do not need Qi pills. Nor spiritual herbs that expand meridians or cleanse impurities or that solidify the foundation. Any treasure that affects the body of an ordinary cultivator… is useless to me.” His voice was simple and factual.

“As I am a mortal, these things do not work as they should.”

Dong Zhen understood. Kyrian’s mortal body was an anomaly due to the Innate Talent. What strengthened a cultivator was inert to him.

“Then? Speak. What you need will be provided.”

An almost imperceptible satisfaction passed over Kyrian’s face.

“I mainly need spirit stones. The more, the better. Just that.”

Dong Zhen looked at him, somewhat incredulous.

“That’s all? Spirit stones? Nothing else?”

Kyrian nodded only once.

“Yes. At the moment, I see no need for anything else. Besides, of course…” He paused deliberately.

“Access to the Blood Library.”

Dong Zhen nodded, the logic being clear.

Spirit stones definitely to fuel Kyrian’s unique advancement, the library to seek knowledge about his own condition.

“Very well. Tomorrow, I will give you an insignia that grants unrestricted access to the library. As for spirit stones… You will have a monthly quota that surpasses any elder. If you need more, come speak with me.”

“Understood.” Kyrian said. He nodded briefly and turned to leave.

“Kyrian.” Dong Zhen called, making him stop at the door.

The leader of the Bloody Court looked at him, his expression now serious, evaluative.

“What you showed me today… this stays between us. The Court is now also your home. Your strength is our strength.”

Kyrian looked back, his crimson eyes meeting Dong Zhen’s without hesitation.

“I understand.” He said it simply and then left.

The path back to his dormitory was different. The few servants and disciples he encountered along the way no longer looked at him with curiosity or disdain, but with a respect mixed with fear and a hint of fascination.

They stepped aside and lowered their heads. News of his absurd victory and of the rise of him and the other five had already spread.

Kyrian ignored them. Upon reaching the dormitory, he closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a long sigh that finally carried some of the day’s tension.

The silence of the small room was the best thing for Kyrian. He could hardly wait for dawn, when the fortress would empty of visitors and return to that inhabited, oppressive, yet comforting silence he had found when he first arrived at the fortress.

Now, however, he would no longer be alone. There would be five others. Potential allies, rivals, and problems. But it was not something he was thinking much about at the moment.

What mattered most was the library. Where there would be a sea of books full of answers to his questions and the mountains of spirit stones for his eyes to devour.

The tournament had finally ended, and now he would have time to focus on other things.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep