Chapter 190 - 258 — The Tournament

Chapter 190: Chapter 258 — The Tournament

Chapter 258 — The Tournament

Victor looked toward the man standing on the stage.

He wore a confident smile as he raised the microphone.

"My name is Nathan Spire, and I hope you’re all enjoying yourselves this evening."

Nathan Spire?

Victor hadn’t heard the name before.

He wondered who the man was, but before he could give it much thought, Nathan gestured toward the person standing beside him.

"And joining me as tonight’s co-host is someone I’m sure needs no introduction. Please welcome Patriarch Clifford Brightshield!"

Victor recognized the man immediately.

He’d spent enough time studying portraits of the Tower’s prominent figures to recognize Zack’s father.

Clifford Brightshield stepped forward, holding a microphone of his own.

"Thank you, thank you."

He smiled toward the audience, looking completely at ease beneath the attention.

"We have quite a few things planned for tonight, including several surprises I’m sure you’ll all enjoy. But first, Nathan has something he’d like to share with everyone."

Clifford turned toward him.

"Why don’t you tell us a little more about this Spire Crest?"

Nathan nodded.

"Thank you, Patriarch Brightshield."

He faced the audience again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what you’ve just witnessed is the result of a new invention I’ve been developing. The Spire Crest is a special formation designed to draw upon the World Laws."

A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd.

"The World Laws?"

"Isn’t that something beasts are more naturally attuned to?"

Nathan smiled, apparently having heard the question.

"That’s correct. Beasts generally possess a much stronger natural connection to the World Laws than humans do."

He gestured toward the young cultivator who had demonstrated the crest earlier.

"However, through extensive research, we’ve developed a formation that allows humans to take advantage of those laws as well."

He let the statement settle for a moment.

"As you witnessed earlier, a Spirit Gathering Rank Two cultivator was able to defeat someone at Rank Four with a single attack."

Excited conversations immediately broke out.

"That’s incredible!"

"How do we get one?"

Nathan laughed.

"I’m glad you asked."

He waited for the crowd to settle before continuing.

"The Spire Crest will be available for purchase throughout the Alchemy Tower. We intend to establish facilities on the Main Floor, Second Floor, and Third Floor, allowing cultivators from every level of society to obtain one."

He raised two fingers.

"And the price will be just two hundred credits."

"Two hundred?"

"That’s it?"

Several guests exchanged surprised looks.

Victor understood their reaction.

For something capable of producing the effect they had just witnessed, two hundred credits was almost absurdly cheap.

Nathan’s smile widened.

"However, there is something important you should know. That price will only remain available for the first six months following the product’s release."

He paused deliberately.

"After six months, the price will increase to two thousand credits."

The reaction was immediate.

"Two thousand?"

"That’s ten times the price!"

"Then we’d better get one before the price goes up!"

Victor listened quietly as excitement spread through the ballroom.

A formation capable of temporarily increasing someone’s strength by two ranks was already impressive.

Offering it for only two hundred credits made it difficult to ignore.

And judging from the conversations around him, Nathan knew exactly what he was doing.

Six months was more than enough time for people to convince themselves they were getting a bargain.

Clifford stepped forward again.

"Well, I have to admit, those Spire Crests sound rather impressive."

He turned toward Nathan.

"But I’m sure everyone here has the same question. Does the crest work equally well for cultivators in different realms?"

Nathan nodded.

"An excellent question."

Clifford continued.

"For example, would someone in the Spirit Core Realm receive the same benefits as someone in Spirit Gathering? And what about cultivators in Body Tempering?"

Nathan raised his microphone.

"At present, the Spire Crest is most effective for cultivators in the Spirit Gathering Realm. Those in the Spirit Core Realm will still experience an increase in strength, although the effect won’t be quite as dramatic."

He paused.

"Unfortunately, Body Tempering cultivators won’t be able to use it."

A few disappointed murmurs followed.

"The formation requires the user to have entered the Spirit Gathering Realm and possess Spiritual Energy of their own."

Clifford nodded thoughtfully.

"Interesting. In that case, I’ll definitely have to get one for Zack."

He smiled.

"Especially with the tournament we have coming up."

Nathan turned toward him.

"Did you say tournament, Patriarch Brightshield?"

Clifford laughed.

"Why, yes, I did."

Victor’s attention shifted fully toward him.

Clifford faced the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I’m pleased to announce that one month from today, the Brightshield family and the Spire organization will be hosting a tournament here in the Alchemy Tower!"

The announcement immediately drew a fresh wave of excitement.

"This tournament will be open to all Spirit Gathering cultivators under the age of eighteen, regardless of cultivation rank."

Voices filled the ballroom, although not everyone sounded pleased.

"Under eighteen?"

"Man, I just turned nineteen!"

"Tell me about it. I turned nineteen two months ago. Why couldn’t they have held this tournament earlier?"

Clifford allowed the complaints and excited conversations to run their course before raising his microphone again.

"And now, I’m sure you’re all wondering what the prizes will be."

The crowd gradually quieted.

Clifford smiled.

"For the winner of this tournament, we will be awarding a Tier Two Spirit Core Breaking Pill!"

For a moment, the ballroom went silent.

Then the reactions erupted.

"A Spirit Core Breaking Pill?"

"Are you serious?"

"That’s the grand prize?"

Victor’s attention sharpened.

A Spirit Core Breaking Pill?

Every Spirit Gathering cultivator eventually faced the same barrier—the transition into the Spirit Core Realm.

A pill capable of assisting with that breakthrough was extraordinarily valuable.

His gaze remained fixed on Clifford.

For the first time since the announcement began, the tournament itself had Victor’s full attention.

Clifford seemed pleased with the reaction.

"I don’t believe I need to explain just how valuable such a pill is. Every Spirit Gathering cultivator dreams of advancing into the Spirit Core Realm, and this pill can help make that dream a reality."

He paused.

"But that’s not all."

The crowd quieted again.

"The second-place winner will receive a Tier Two alchemical sword, while the third-place winner will be awarded two hundred thousand credits!"

The ballroom erupted once more.

"Two hundred thousand credits?!"

"That’s insane!"

Another guest scoffed.

"Two hundred thousand is nothing compared to a Tier Two alchemical sword! Those things can cost three hundred and fifty to four hundred thousand credits!"

A third guest shook his head.

"You two are missing the point. Forget the credits and the sword. You can’t even buy a Spirit Core Breaking Pill with money!"

He looked toward the stage with obvious frustration.

"That’s the real prize. Man, I wish I were still eighteen."

Similar conversations spread throughout the ballroom.

Some guests excitedly discussed their chances of winning, while others complained about the age restriction.

Victor could already imagine what would happen over the next month.

Every talented young Spirit Gathering cultivator in the Tower would hear about this.

And with prizes like these, nearly all of them would have a reason to enter.

Nathan stepped forward once more, raising his microphone as the crowd gradually settled.

"And before we continue with tonight’s festivities, I’d like to extend an invitation to everyone interested in learning more about the Spire Crest."

He smiled.

"You’re all welcome to visit the Spire headquarters, where we’ll be happy to explain the formation in greater detail and answer any questions you may have."

Victor’s eyes drifted toward the young cultivator’s tattoo once more.

A formation that supposedly drew upon the World Laws.

A tournament open to the Tower’s entire younger generation.

Tonight had suddenly become much more interesting.