This wait continued for another half hour. As evening approached, small black dots suddenly appeared in the distant cloudy sky. Yang Lin immediately shot up, even his cloak fell down from his shoulders.
All the nobles, martial artists, generals, and so forth all stood up at the same time. There were those with a deeper cultivation that were able to clearly see that these small black spots were actually Qin Ziya and his group returning on Heavenly Wind Eagles.
“They’ve arrived!”
Everyone left their seats, and the young palace ladies rubbed their frozen legs, ready to toss out fresh flowers. The reporters who worked for the Sky Fortune City gazette were ready and waiting, pulling out pen and paper in order to record every detail that would happen. Recently, under Yang Lin’s behest, the national gazette had launched complete coverage of the Total Faction Martial Meeting that was like a nationwide propaganda campaign.
There had been so many notes, papers, gazettes, and fliers passed out that even the old aunty who managed the closest tea shop and sold boiled eggs would know just what the Total Faction Martial Meeting was, and could tell anyone who cared to listen just how important the Total Faction Martial Meeting was to the martial artists of Sky Fortune Kingdom.
Flap flap flap
Six Heavenly Wind Eagles flew down one after another, landing on the open square and kicking up enormous gusts of snow beneath them. As Qin Ziya dismounted the Heavenly Wind Eagle, he had a wide smile on his face. Seeing this smile, the anxiety in Yang Lin’s heart eased by about half. It seemed as if Lin Ming had successfully reached the top 50.
He walked up with Marshal Qin Xiao, welcoming their arrival. Qin Xiao heartily laughed, saying, “I congratulate Martial House Master Qin on his triumphant return. Everyone, it’s been tough on you all, but good job!”
Qin Ziya cupped his fists together in greetings and said, “I’ve troubled Your Highness the Crown Prince and Marshall Qin Xiao. Thankfully, good fortune was with us this time. During this Total Faction Martial Meeting, we had very good results.”
Hearing this great news from Qin Ziya, Yang Lin’s heart beat sped up. He glanced around the six people, but there was no shadow of Lin Ming.
Where was Lin Ming?
He was about to ask where Lin Ming was, when Qin Xiao exuberantly laughed, and then tugged on his favorite granddaughter’s hands, “Xingxuan, how did you do?”
“Rank 169.” Qin Xingxuan hugged onto Qin Xiao’s arm, somewhat embarrassed. She had just managed to pass the mountain gate trial, and was still eliminated in the first group stage.
But even so, to have such a ranking at her age was still a very splendid result. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been chosen as a Seven Profound Valleys inner court disciple.
Sun Youdao stroked his beard, and said with a smile, “Marshal Qin, You have a fantastic granddaughter. Xingxuan has already been chosen by Elder Wen Hui of the Sword Faction, and will be a Sword Faction inner court disciple. Elder Wen Hui has been in the Xiantian realm for many years now, he has an unfathomable strength.”
“Xiantian!?”
Qin Xiao’s eyes flashed with awe. He didn’t know what it meant to rank 169th in the Total Faction Martial Meeting, but the shock of hearing about a Xiantian elder was just too great.
Qin Xiao had already stayed at the Houtian realm for many years, and had a deep understand of what the Xiantian realm was. To him, the Xiantian realm bottleneck was an impassable ravine. For the 80 years since Sky Fortune Kingdom was established, a Xiantian master had never appeared.
If Qin Xingxuan could become the disciple of a Xiantian master, then her future could be imagined.
“Hahaha! Good! Good! Very good!” Qin Xiao was overjoyed and surprise. He had worried that after he died, his Qin Family would decline. However, now that there was Qin Xingxuan, the fortunes of his family would continue for centuries.
At this moment, Yang Lin impatiently asked, “Martial House Master Qin, what about Lin Ming? What is his ranking?”
At this time, Yang Lin was even more excited than Qin Xiao. If Qin Xingxuan could become an inner court disciple with a ranking of 160, then Lin Ming was at least that.
Qin Ziya took a deep breath, his smile gradually spreading wider and wider. A full five breaths of time passed, and then Qin Ziya slowly spoke, stressing each and every syllable in an earnest manner, “Lin Ming, is the champion!”
“What!?” Yang Lin was stunned. For a time, he couldn’t even react. He almost wanted to ask what rank the champion was. He just couldn’t believe this – he didn’t dare to believe this!
Sun Youdao spoke up, sighing as he said, “Lin Ming became the champion of the Total Faction Martial Meeting, taking first place. He has already become one of the direct disciples of the Seven Profound Valleys…”