The red sun rose, and white clouds drifted.

On the one hand, Fang Yang was absorbing Primordial Qi from Yuan Stones to replenish the True Essence in his True Essence Sea.

On the other hand, Fang Yang was awaiting the distribution of the champion’s reward.

In this grand military tournament, the champion of each realm would be awarded twenty great merits.

Minor merits were easy to come by, but great merits were hard-earned.

The value of a single great merit couldn’t be measured by Yuan Stones alone.

A Silver Tribe putting forth all its effort to complete a large-scale mission would only be rewarded with two or three great merits.

And now, Fang Yang could obtain twenty great merits simply for his position as champion.

It was clear just how generous this reward was.

But Fang Yang wasn’t just looking forward to the twenty great merits.

What he was waiting for was the supreme fortune slip!

’The supreme fortune slip said that if I won the champion title in the grand competition, I would obtain a Tier Five opportunity.’

’Based on my earlier guess, this Tier Five opportunity will very likely trigger my luck with fortunes again, evolving into a supreme treasure related to the Saint Realm.’

’An item of the Saint Realm...’

Fang Yang mused.

He lowered his gaze, a gray mist flickering deep within his eyes.

He was incredibly eager to receive the Tier Five opportunity.

This competition alone proved it: a single *Manifestation of Fortune*, an item connected to the Saint Realm, had not only allowed the White Feathered Eagle to stage an incredible comeback but had also secured Fang Yang a decisive victory.

This just went to show how precious the Tier Five opportunity would be!

Of course, the reason the White Feathered Eagle could overcome the Electric Python wasn’t solely because of the *Manifestation of Fortune*, a Spiritual Object, but also due to its own tireless efforts.

But without the *Manifestation of Fortune*, it’s likely that no amount of effort from the White Feathered Eagle could have been converted into tangible strength.

"Your twenty great merits have been recorded. You can go and exchange them for cultivation treasures at any time."

The acolyte Mingxin came before Fang Yang and said, "Furthermore, once all five champions have been decided—which will be tonight—you and the other champions must travel together to Star Fall Mountain."

Twenty great merits secured... a trip to Star Fall Mountain with the other four champions tonight... a meeting with ’Monarch’ Sen Yue!

In an instant, inspiration struck Fang Yang.

He instantly realized: the Tier Five opportunity he had been so eagerly awaiting would be granted to him by Sen Yue tonight.

Instinctively, Fang Yang’s thoughts began to churn.

But after a moment, he suppressed the flood of complex thoughts.

’I’m too weak. Thinking too much is useless.’

’Besides, I shouldn’t be afraid of Sen Yue plotting against me. What I should fear is being ignored by him!’

Meanwhile, with these twenty great merits, Fang Yang had unexpectedly vaulted into the top three hundred on the war merits leaderboard!

"Twenty great merits... That’s enough to plan an advancement to Tier Four, or even the Tier Five realm."

"Damn that Cyan Aura for being so useless! He couldn’t even pose a shred of a threat to Fang Yang. Pah!"

"It looks like as long as Lady Sen Wei stays out of it, Fang Yang is truly untouchable as the number one of his generation."

"..."

This development immediately drew gasps of astonishment from the crowd.

It was worth noting that those in the top three hundred of the war merits leaderboard were either advisors from Monarch Senyue’s camp or Clan Leaders of the Silver Tribes. The weakest among them was a Tier Five Great Cultivator—all were true elites. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The fact that Fang Yang, a mere Tier One champion, could break into their ranks was simply incredible!

This was not just about fame; it was about tangible benefits!

The crowd was overcome with envy.

Especially the Cultivators who weren’t from the Changkong lineage of the Golden Clan; they were green with envy, their hearts blazing.

"It seems the *Manifestation of Fortune* truly has deeper mysteries to be explored," Desert Dragon mused.

"A second Carp Eagle? No, with talent like this, Fang Yang has already surpassed his sainted ancestor at the same realm," Qingkong said, his expression surprised.

"Aptitude, talent, combat skill, even his luck is top-tier... So, is Fang Yang Sen Wei’s replacement?" Yuxuan was starting to grasp Sen Yue’s intentions.

「At the same time.」

Sen Yue stood with his hands behind his back, the hem of his Daoist robe fluttering in the wind.

He gazed at Fang Yang from a great distance, his sight traversing space itself.

"Not bad, not bad at all. He’s not the type of brute who relies solely on ferocity," Sen Yue remarked with admiration, finally giving his approval of Fang Yang’s performance.

He was even more pleased with Fang Yang when he saw him pick up the White Feathered Eagle and comfort it.

Whether Fang Yang was putting on an act or not didn’t matter. The fact that he did it was what counted.

It also showed that if his younger sister, Sen Hui, were to actually become Daoist companions with Fang Yang, he would humble himself and treat her well.

Like a domesticated hunting falcon!

Fang Yang could be tamed!

Of course, Sen Yue wasn’t actually very optimistic about the nascent affection between Fang Yang and Sen Hui.

’A young girl’s heart is like the weather in April or May—it changes in an instant.’

’Perhaps as time goes on, Xiaohui will gradually lose interest in you.’

’But no matter what, you are on my radar now. Keep cultivating diligently.’

Sen Yue lightly waved his sleeve, withdrawing his Divine Techniques.

At that moment, Fang Yang had truly, genuinely caught Sen Yue’s attention.

...

The Sen Feng Gambling House was a scene of noisy chaos.

Accompanied by his younger cousin, Zhang Le, Zhang Ye walked slowly out of the gambling house with a smile on his face.

Suddenly, Zhang Ye looked back, his gaze fixed on the distant martial arts arena.

’Fang Yang, Flying Eagle... I will, I will definitely be back.’

’Since you’ve already dominated the heavens, then the boundless ocean will be my, Zhang Ye’s, domain!’

Zhang Ye vowed to himself.

He then strode away with purpose, his imposing aura like that of a hungry crocodile emerging from the sea.

「Not long after.」

Hong Qishang also walked out of the gambling house, accompanied by Wei Rubao and Chen Yuan.

Thanks to their faith in Fang Yang, this trip to the gambling house had been incredibly profitable for them, especially for Hong Qishang.

And yet, carrying such a huge sum of money, Hong Qishang felt a faint sense of unease.

After all, he had, in a sense, made a fortune by riding on the coattails of Fang Yang’s luck.

’But the question is, was Fang Yang’s luck so easily borrowed?’

’The way of fortune is mysterious and profound, strange and unpredictable... Oh, right, the White Feathered Eagle tribe!’

Suddenly, Hong Qishang’s eyes lit up.

In this grand competition, aside from Fang Yang, it was the White Feathered Eagle that had left the deepest impression on Hong Qishang.

Because of Fang Yang’s special connection to fortune, Hong Qishang didn’t dare to approach Fang Yang directly.

He could, however, try to get in touch with the White Feathered Eagle and its tribe.

Just as Hong Qishang made up his mind, Lu Yao—the third leader of the White Feathered Eagle tribe—emerged from the gambling house, accompanied by Second Uncle Fang.

"This is great! With this money, we can expand our tribe and make it stronger and more prosperous," Lu Yao said, her eyes crinkling into a joyful smile.

She too had won big this time, reaping a handsome profit.

But at the same time, a question lingered in her mind: ’How could our Lord have been so certain of his ultimate victory?’

If Fang Yang knew of Lu Yao’s question, he would surely look at the supreme fortune slip within the *Seek Fortune, Avoid Disaster* orb of light and smile without a word.

’When you’ve drawn the most supreme fortune slip, and you give it your all, how could you possibly fear failure?’

As for the fact that Fang Yang had won the championship, some rejoiced while others grieved.

In a certain palace.

Inner chamber.

A crowd had gathered, their faces filled with concern.

Cyan Aura, who had been beaten into a coma by Fang Yang, slowly opened his eyes at this moment.

As his vision cleared, so too did the memories in his mind.

Instantly, the image of Fang Yang’s overwhelmingly powerful and heroic figure pierced his mind like a sharp spear.

"AAAH—" Cyan Aura trembled and cried out in panic.

If not for an incredibly miraculous power that had protected him at the last moment, he would have truly died!

"It’s alright, it’s alright. Your match with Fang Yang is already over."

Someone mentioned Fang Yang’s name, and in an instant, the color drained from Cyan Aura’s face, his expression turning to one of sheer panic.

He paled at the very mention of Fang Yang’s name!

In a corner, Le Shiyu saw Cyan Aura’s wretched state and was greatly disappointed.

The conversation from that day slowly surfaced in her mind:

"Ah Mang, I hope we can meet in the final battle."

"No, you’re being too optimistic. You probably couldn’t even beat Fang Yang."

"Huh?"

"This time, Fang Yang had better pray he doesn’t run into me. If he does, I’ll be sure to deal him a heavy blow, shatter his Dao heart, and make him shudder in fear at the mere mention of my name!"

Somehow, Le Shiyu suddenly felt that Cyan Aura had become so... ordinary, while the radiance surrounding Fang Yang was far more dazzling.

Le Shiyu’s heart was in turmoil.

It wasn’t that she had developed feelings for Fang Yang. Rather, he had abruptly usurped the place Cyan Aura once held in her heart.

That figure, like a young war god, had forcefully taken root in her heart, impossible to erase!

...

The sky darkened, and one by one, the stars began to shine.

Fang Yang followed in the acolyte Mingxin’s footsteps, boarded a Flying Boat, and headed for Star Fall Mountain, which hung suspended in the sky.

It was worth mentioning that by now, all five champions had been determined.

Aside from Fang Yang, the other four champions all came from the great Dao-seed clans of the Changkong lineage, like the Yu clan, the Lin clan, and so on.

Such an outcome was expected, but it still made people feel a sense of despair.

It made one wonder: ’Without the bloodline of a Golden Clan, without a contemporary Dao-seed, can an ordinary person truly never reach sainthood?’

Such a world was too cruel.

No wonder demonic cultivators were becoming more and more common.

The only thing that brought the masses a slight surprise was perhaps the sudden rise of Fang Yang.

But even so, Fang Yang was seen by the public as half a Sen, making his victory at best a matter of internal strife.

’Star Fall Mountain... Sen Yue... a Tier Five opportunity...’

At this moment, Fang Yang’s thoughts were a complex tangle.

Finally, he was about to meet Sen Yue face-to-face...