Grinding Cultivation Toward Martial Saint-Chapter 1410 - 247: Martial Champion! (2)

Upon hearing these two words, a hint of bitterness appeared on Wan Jianyi’s face.

Being ranked in the top three and securing the third place in the Martial Examination would be a joyful matter for others.

But for him, it seemed exceptionally ironic.

Before this, he believed he would undoubtedly be the Martial Champion.

His first-place ranking on the Heavenly List signified that he was the foremost among the young generation of the Thirty-six Prefectures of the Nine States.

But now, the reality before him was particularly sarcastic.

At this moment, he recalled his dissatisfaction at being ranked third after the first round of evaluation.

He wished to prove himself in the second round, defeating Jiang Ning and Mingxin.

In the second round, however, he didn’t even qualify to stand before Jiang Ning.

He could not surpass this great mountain called Mingxin.

He initially thought it was because Mingxin was deeply concealed, and he had to wait for a favorable moment to prove he was stronger than Jiang Ning.

Now he found that there would no longer be such a favorable moment.

He could not surpass this great mountain called Mingxin.

And Mingxin could not surpass the great mountain called Jiang Ning.

By comparing the two, he didn’t have the qualification to stand in front of Jiang Ning.

...

At this moment, Wang Hong’s voice rang out once more.

"By command of the Holy Emperor, Martial Champion Jiang Ning, Martial Eye Mingxin, and Third Place Wan Jianyi are requested to come to the stage."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately looked towards the northern high platform.

That was the direction where the Dragon Throne was located, as well as where the Imperial Princesses and Princes, and the royal ministers were seated.

He had already noticed upon entering the venue.

Regarding that emperor, he felt a bit curious.

This was a dynasty that had lasted for more than eight hundred years in peace and prosperity, and that person was its highest ruler.

One could say, every gesture and word of the man above the Dragon Throne could decide the life and death of millions.

With a thought, the three moved forward.

...

The northern high platform.

As Jiang Ning and the other two ascended the wooden stairs.

Wan Jianyi looked at the two figures ahead, clenching his fists.

Feeling the countless gazes gathered from behind, he had never experienced such a feeling before.

The yearning in his heart had never been so intense.

To be ranked third and honored as Third Place.

For others, this is a great honor.

Among the Martial Arts prodigies of the Thirty-six Prefectures, he was now the third among those stars.

This honor was immense.

But for him, it was completely unacceptable.

Especially feeling the various gazes from behind, he found it even more unacceptable.

In the past, the gazes were always of admiration, treating him like a deity.

But now, those gazes contained pity, compassion, and other emotions.

As thoughts flowed.

The three had already ascended to the high platform.

Jiang Ning’s gaze was immediately attracted by Ji Mingyue.

Because Ji Mingyue’s smile was exceptionally bright, her features were picturesque, her brows shaped like crescents.

Among the royal daughters, she appeared uniquely elegant and otherworldly.

At this moment.

Ji Mingyue noticed Jiang Ning’s gaze and revealed a mischievous look, blinking playfully at him.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning’s lips curled up slightly.

"Please step forward, you three!" Wang Hong said, standing next to them.

On hearing this, Jiang Ning finally noticed the man with a blurred expression above the Dragon Throne.

The starlit heavens covered by mysterious gauze weighed heavily.

Under the cover of the gauze, the vision was blurred, unable to discern the true appearance of the man on the Dragon Throne, only feeling his imposing presence.

"You three, step forward and let me have a good look at the prodigious talents of Great Xia, and also see what makes the new Martial Champion captured the heart of Little Shiqi."

After his words, everyone’s gaze on the high platform focused on Jiang Ning.

Everyone present was aware of the previous event regarding the Seventeenth Princess Ji Mingyue.

But some were unaware of the specific details.

Now, with the event being mentioned again, upon hearing what the man on the Dragon Throne said, they understood that this new Martial Champion was the one favored by the Seventeenth Princess.

With countless gazes falling on him, Jiang Ning remained composed, slowly stepping forward. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Until he was less than two yards away from the man on the Dragon Throne.

At that moment, a breeze seemed to lift, causing the hanging gauze to lightly lift.

Jiang Ning narrowed his eyes, feeling a strand of terrifying aura erupt from ahead.

Boom——

Above in the sky, suddenly, there was a loud boom.

The sound was like a thunderclap out of clear skies.

Accompanying the sound in the sky, the gauze in front lifted to reveal a thin slit.

Through this fleeting glimpse, Jiang Ning saw the man above the Dragon Throne.

Purple lips, skin sallow and emaciated, dark brown eye sockets, and sparse hair.

All these signs showed that the Emperor of Great Xia, Emperor Ning had come to the last of his days.

Impossible!

Jiang Ning was shocked, as the lifted gauze slowly fell.

In that fleeting moment, he realized that the long-reigning Changning Emperor, who ruled Great Xia for eighty-three years, was now terminally ill, on the verge of closing his eyes for good and slipping into eternal rest.

He was filled with disbelief.

The Changning Emperor, what a noble status, possessing the resources of the Thirty-six Prefectures of the Nine States.

Moreover, judging from Ji Minghao’s earlier performance, the Great Xia Imperial Family controlled Cave Heaven Blessed Lands, possessing Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures only found in Ancient Times.

Such a person could acquire any treasure, his serious illness should not exist.

Besides, it was merely the eighty-third year of Changning, meaning this emperor had reigned for only eighty-three years.

For an emperor, being over a hundred years old did not mean reaching his end.

And extending life might be difficult for ordinary people, but it’s not a hard task for the Great Xia Imperial Family.

Countless tributes flow into the royal treasury from the Thirty-six Prefectures of the Nine States.

Additionally, controlling Cave Heaven Blessed Lands and possessing Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures unimaginable to ordinary people.

These thoughts quickly flashed through Jiang Ning’s mind.

Boom——

Another loud explosion was heard in the sky.

"Hmph——"

A cold snort resounded, causing the sky to clear rapidly, clouds dispersing, and countless miles becoming clear.

"Come so far, and wish to leave without revealing your identity?"

In the next moment, the voice sounded again.

"Still these hiding mice!"

At this moment, Jiang Ning could feel two spiritual energies erupting in the sky.

After several breaths, everything returned to silence.

If not for the murmurings around proving it, it seemed like everything had never appeared, just an illusion.

A figure flickered and appeared before Jiang Ning.

"A technique for traversing the depths of space!!" Feeling the surrounding void fluctuations, Jiang Ning understood in his heart.

After reaching small success in Taixu Yin Yang Sword, his understanding and perception of space had deepened, making him more sensitive in this regard.

At this moment, he also understood where this person hidden beside him was.

"Mr. Jiu!"

"Greetings, Mr. Jiu!"

"..."

A group of princes and princesses saw the man in white appearing beside Jiang Ning and quickly stood to bow.

"Did you also identify the hidden ones?" The man on the Dragon Throne spoke calmly, his harmonious voice reached their ears through the gauze.

"Still the same people!" the man in white replied.

"As expected, still the same group! Always hiding, daring not truly to test my depths," the man on the Dragon Throne said calmly, his voice giving an inexplicable reassurance.

"Holy Emperor, what should be done next?" asked the man in white.

"Ignore them, continue the process, let the new Martial Champion thunder the Drum of Thunderous Bull, proclaim it to the world!" The man on the Dragon Throne stated through the gauze.

Thunderous Bull Drum?

Jiang Ning pondered.

From what he knew.

Each new Martial Champion needed to thunder the Drum of Thunderous Bull, the sound echoing throughout the Royal Capital, informing the world that this year’s new Martial Champion had been chosen.

According to legend, the Thunderous Bull Drum was made from the hide of the Ancient Beast Thunderous Bull, possessing the effect of refining body with heavenly thunder.

But according to records, it appeared only once five hundred years ago.

As for its authenticity, he could not confirm.

He only read about it in books.

But the Thunderous Bull Drum was a conventional process for each new Martial Champion.

The stronger the drumbeat, the greater the commotion, the higher the world’s recognition for the new Martial Champion.

Correspondingly, the benefits like official titles and rewards would be greater.

This was the final step for the new Martial Champion to prove himself.