Chapter 1053: Palace Grand Competition

"If His Majesty hadn't intervened, I fear you would have completely disgraced the Royal Family."

"To be blunt, today's competition is all for this so-called Black Iron Token. Still, I hope you will not let it damage your relationships and make a laughingstock of us in the eyes of outsiders."

As she spoke, the elegant and dignified empress put away the Black Iron Small Shield and slowly rose to her feet.

"Very well, the martial competition may now begin," she declared. "The final victor shall claim this Black Iron Small Shield."

"If any of you desire it, then prove your worth and win it by your own skill."

No one had expected the empress to attend the match in person.

However, on second thought, they realized it made sense. The Black Iron Small Shield had originally been found by a palace maid, and as the mistress of the inner palace, the empress would naturally be the one to hold the Black Iron Token.

The moment the empress announced the start of the competition, the atmosphere in the Dao Discussion Arena turned murderous.

Boom!

Several Void Refinement cultivators simultaneously unleashed their auras, causing the sky to churn violently.

"Heh heh, young people certainly have a lot of drive," Prince Huai chuckled. With a wave of his hand, he instantly suppressed the chaotic auras of the Void Refinement cultivators.

His cultivation was incredibly profound, just a single step away from the mid Body Integration Realm. He accomplished the feat with effortless ease.

"But let's draw lots to determine the groups first. It would be too chaotic to have twenty-eight people fighting all at once."

As his words fell, a pitch-black lot jar materialized in midair.

"Infuse your mana into it, and then draw your lots."

The cultivators quickly complied, each sending a wisp of mana representing their identity into the jar.

Moments later, twenty-eight wisps of mana flew back out.

Li Qing looked up at his own wisp, which now bore the inscription 6C. This indicated he was the sixth seed in Group C.

The twenty-eight participants had been divided into four groups—A, B, C, and D—with seven cultivators in each. They would fight in pairs, with the seventh seed in each group receiving a bye in the first round.

Once each group had determined its final winner, these four champions would face off in the final two rounds to decide who would claim the Black Iron Token.

Intriguingly, the three late-stage Void Refinement cultivators present had all been placed in different groups, and each had drawn the seventh seed—the bye position for the first round.

No one voiced an objection to the draw. Even if they suspected the results had been tampered with, they had no choice but to accept them.

In such a competition, there can be only one winner, leaving no room for luck.

To seize the Black Iron Token, one must defeat all other competitors.

Li Qing glanced at his Group B. He was fortunate not to be placed with the three late void refinement realm experts.

However, the competition in his group was still fierce. Both Li Yu, the direct grandson of the Prime Minister's Manor, and Prince Louheng, the Fifth Imperial Grandson, were in Group B. Both were at the mid void refinement realm.

The other four contestants were relatively unremarkable: two imperial grandsons with promising futures but only at the early divine transformation realm, another imperial grandson at the early void refinement realm, and Her Highness Princess Qinghe.

Li Qing's luck wasn't too bad. His first-round opponent was an imperial grandson at the early divine transformation realm—a match he couldn't possibly lose.

"The Dao Discussion begins!"

Boom!

The Palace Grand Competition commenced swiftly. As the first and sixth contestants of Group A took the stage, the entire Dao Discussion Arena sprang to life.

Four pillars of spiritual light shot into the sky, each emitting a brilliant beam that completely enveloped the vast Dao Discussion Arena.

Below, multiple restrictions also glowed with spiritual light, ensuring that the spell duel in the arena would not affect the outside world.

With several princes of the Body Integration Realm on guard, the protective measures for this small palace competition could be described as thorough.

Li Qing stood below the platform, quietly watching the two cultivators from Group A determine their winner, before ascending the Dao Discussion Platform.

His opponent was an imperial grandson, exceptionally handsome, clad in golden soft armor and wielding a silver lance.

"Though I know my cultivation is far inferior to yours, don't you dare say anything stupid like asking me to concede."

Upon hearing this, Li Qing cupped his fist and said, "Then please excuse my offense, Prince Huai Nan!"

Boom!

As soon as he spoke, the imperial grandson named Huainan immediately unleashed his strongest Daoist art.

A phantom shadow of a fire qilin leaped from behind him, charging at Li Qing with an impressively powerful aura.

I didn't expect him to have mastered the Qilin Treasure Art so soon, but his cultivation is still too low to unleash much of its power, Li Qing commented inwardly, his expression remaining completely unchanged.

He pointed a finger, and a wisp of pitch-black flame flowed out, quickly transforming into a wall of black fire.

Spirit Devouring Demon Flame!

When facing a cultivator whose realm was far below his own, even if the opponent possessed a True Spirit Treasure Technique, Li Qing would never directly reveal his trump cards.

He merely unleashed a sliver of his Heavenly Spirit Fire to engage the foe.

In his hands, the Spirit Devouring Demon Flame could now manifest as various demon beasts, each one lifelike and vivid.

From within the black flame wall, demon beasts wreathed in black fire charged out one after another.

There were flood dragons, fierce tigers, soaring birds, and powerful bears—all so realistic they seemed nothing like creatures formed from fire.

The battle was decided without any suspense. Under Li Qing's exquisite control of the flames, the fire qilin summoned by Prince Huai Nan was swiftly defeated.

"Hah, the gap in our cultivation is just too great. I concede!" The favored Imperial Grandson admitted defeat readily, without a hint of hesitation or struggle.

In response, Li Qing cupped his fists and said, "You flatter me, Prince Huai Nan!"

The other members of the Royal Family weren't too surprised by the outcome of the spell duel. They all nodded in praise. "Prince Huai Nan's understanding of the Qilin Treasure Art is very thorough. If his cultivation could advance further, the outcome of this battle would still be uncertain."

"Hmm, Prince Huai Nan is still young. In the future, when his mana becomes deeper, the Qilin Treasure Art will truly shine in his hands."

"..."

After the battle ended, Li Qing returned to the platform.

Fighting a cultivator at the early divine transformation realm, he had barely even depleted his mana. Thanks to the circulation of the five elements spirit root in his body, he had already recovered it in a short time.

The others didn't even pay him much attention. If he hadn't been recommended by Prince Ning, perhaps no one would have even looked at him.

Right now, the impression he left on everyone was merely that of an early void refinement realm cultivator who was slightly proficient in the fire dao, far from being worth any special attention.

However, the subsequent few people who took the stage left a deep impression on everyone.

Soon, the second round of the competition began. Li Qing looked at his next opponent.

Princess Qinghe!

"A formation master, huh..."