Unlike the astonishment or admiration on most faces, Liu Zhengyang's reaction was starkly different. The moment Lin Feng revealed the tokens, Liu's pupils contracted sharply. His fists clenched involuntarily, and a tsunami of murderous intent surged within him.
These tournament tokens, jointly supervised and forged by the Five Cities Alliance, were practically impossible to counterfeit. They were identical in every way—except for one detail. Liu Zhengyang, responsible for safeguarding Zhenhai Alliance's tokens before distribution, had secretly marked each one with an undetectable trace. Only he could identify which tokens belonged to his alliance's participants—and even pinpoint which token belonged to which individual.
Now, among Lin Feng's twenty-six tokens, Liu spotted four marked for Zhenhai Alliance contestants. And one of them… belonged to Duan Weiqi, his own disciple!
Earlier, when Lin Feng appeared unscathed on the surveillance screens while Duan Weiqi remained conspicuously absent, Liu had felt a gnawing dread. He'd suspected the worst but refused to believe it. Seeing Duan Weiqi's token now crushed that denial. His disciple was almost certainly dead—killed by Lin Feng!
In Zhenhai City's Golden Core cultivator circles, Lin Feng was a rising star. Within the Zhenhai Alliance, many saw potential in him—Yu Ping most enthusiastically, treating Lin Feng as a prime investment. Against opposition, Yu Ping had secured Lin Feng a tournament slot despite his non-member status. But others resented Lin Feng for "stealing" a spot meant for Liu Zhengyang's second disciple, Gu Yulu, who'd vanished mysteriously during the last Demon Loong Island expedition. That loss had festered into resentment—not just toward Lin Feng, but toward Yu Ping, the expedition leader.
As the master, so the disciple. Gu Yulu's past behavior mirrored his master's worldview. To Liu Zhengyang, Lin Feng—a nobody with no backing—had no right to possess such rare treasures. From the moment Yu Ping proposed Lin Feng for the tournament, Liu had plotted. In fact, Duan Weiqi's ambush was his direct order.
While the tournament rules didn't explicitly forbid harming "allies," doing so would ruin one's reputation if exposed. Though surveillance arrays were sparse near the starting zone, they did exist, making such attacks risky. Duan Weiqi had acted boldly only because Liu revealed the locations of those arrays, ensuring secrecy.
Yet, their plan had backfired catastrophically. Not only had they failed to eliminate Lin Feng, they'd lost their lives. And because they'd chosen a blind spot for the ambush, Liu now had no proof Lin Feng killed his disciple. Even if he could prove Lin Feng possessed Duan Weiqi's token, Lin Feng could claim he'd taken it from another contestant. Exposing his own tampering with the tokens was out of the question.
Worse, even if Lin Feng confessed, Liu could do nothing openly. Life and death were fated in the tournament. Public retaliation would damage Liu's own standing as a prominent figure. Any revenge had to remain hidden.
Though Liu longed to tear Lin Feng apart limb by limb, centuries of cultivation honed his self-control. After a flicker of turmoil, his expression smoothed into practiced calm. He even managed a benign, congratulatory smile—as if genuinely pleased by Lin Feng's victory. The crowd's attention remained fixed on Lin Feng; only Yu Ping noticed Liu's momentary lapse, casting a subtle, unreadable glance his way before turning back.
...
Lin Feng remained unaware of Liu's murderous thoughts. After displaying the tokens, he gathered them into an empty spirit storage ring and handed it to Yu Ping. Hesitantly, he asked,
"Elder Yu… does this confirm my first-place position?"
Yu Ping smiled warmly.
"Absolutely. You are undoubtedly this tournament's champion."
Lin Feng rubbed the back of his neck, a hint of sheepishness in his tone.
"Then… might I receive the rewards now?"
He couldn't help his eagerness. The prizes were too enticing. Until they were in his hands, doubt lingered.
Yu Ping blinked, momentarily taken aback. This was unprecedented. He couldn't decide alone. He turned to the other elders, his gaze seeking consensus.
Several elders chuckled at Lin Feng's directness. One, friendly with Yu Ping, spoke first.
"Heh. Impatient, this young friend Lin Feng is… But since first place is indisputably his, I see no harm in granting the rewards early."
"Agreed. They'll be his eventually. If he's eager, why wait?"
"I concur…"
"No objection here. City Lord Wang, your thoughts?"
Several elders aligned with Zhenhai Alliance voiced support. It was a minor breach of precedent—but Lin Feng himself was unprecedented.
The final arbiter was Wang Yun, Lord of Dragon Pool City. Clad in yellow robes, his demeanor was genial, yet his cultivation surpassed all present—rumored to be half-step into the Nascent Soul Transformation realm.
"Hmph!!" A cold snort, thick with suppressed fury, cut through the murmurs.
"The Five Cities Tournament has always distributed rewards AFTER the competition concludes! This is only the fourth day! Would you break tradition? I say we wait until all contestants arrive and rankings are finalized!"
The speaker was Qin Huangtian, Lord of Black Loong City—Qin Yulong's father.
"That's Qin Huangtian. Qin Yulong's father," Yu Ping murmured beside Lin Feng, confirming his earlier suspicion about the source of the hostile gaze.
Qin Huangtian's argument held superficial logic, but everyone knew his true motive. No one seconded him. All eyes turned to Wang Yun.
Wang Yun's gaze drifted dismissively over Qin Huangtian before settling on Lin Feng. A faint, approving smile touched his lips.
"Early reward distribution is indeed unprecedented in the tournament's history. However…" He paused meaningfully.
"Young friend Lin Feng is also the first contestant to ever secure twenty-six tokens this swiftly. His victory is beyond doubt. Since the majority of judges approve, I see no issue in granting the rewards now."
Qin Huangtian's jaw tightened, but he remained silent. Resistance was futile.
Seeing no further objections, Wang Yun produced a spirit storage ring. With a casual flick of his wrist, it floated on an unseen current of energy toward Lin Feng.
Lin Feng's eyes lit up. He caught the ring, resisting the urge to inspect it immediately. Instead, he bowed deeply to Wang Yun and the supportive elders.
"My deepest gratitude to all esteemed elders…"
Yu Ping handed the ring containing the tokens to Wang Yun, then turned to Lin Feng.
"Lin Feng, you must be weary. Rest now. Though you have your reward, the tournament officially concludes tomorrow. You cannot depart until then."
"Understood." Lin Feng nodded. He followed Yu Ping to a clear spot nearby, sat cross-legged, and began meditative breathing.
The gathered elders, all distinguished Nascent Soul cultivators, didn't crowd him with praise like the Golden Core juniors back in Zhenhai City. Once he settled, they returned to their positions, refocusing on the ongoing tournament displayed across the floating screens.
...
Lin Feng wasn't truly exhausted. After a brief period of feigned cultivation, he opened his eyes. Seeing no immediate attention on him, he eagerly retrieved Wang Yun's ring.
First, he extracted eight jade pill bottles. A swift sweep of his spiritual sense confirmed their contents: exactly as Yu Ping had promised.
Three Nascent Soul Consolidation Pills.Two of each of the Seven Elemental Soul Consolidation Support Pills.
Satisfaction flooded him. After the tournament, I'll go into seclusion immediately. Time to strive for Nascent Soul formation!
Next came a hefty spirit stone pouch. Five million mid-grade spirit stones—a substantial fortune.
Finally, the top-grade spirit artifact. To his surprise, it was a light cyan robe-like garment. Far more practical than another offensive weapon, it was a welcome bonus. Lin Feng traced its smooth, faintly glowing fabric, already appreciating its future utility.