Listening to the rewards that were enough to make any martial force red-eyed with envy, Su Yueli walked forward with a calm expression.
She nodded to the referee and reached out to take the purple-gold wooden plaque that symbolized Great Li's number one martial genius.
After a moment of thought, Su Yueli decided to go to the imperial family to redeem this promise once the tournament had completely concluded and the crowd had dispersed.
Turning around, she walked down from the stage amidst a wave of cheers.
She cast her gaze not far away, where Lin Ye was leaning against the wall in a corner.
Thanks to the potent medicinal power of the Rejuvenation Pill, though the kid's face was still pale, he was clearly doing much better.
Seeing Su Yueli claim the championship, Lin Ye twitched his swollen lips, forcing out a slight smile.
Su Yueli walked over and helped the heavily injured youth up from the corner.
The two of them followed the flow of the crowd out of the Royal Martial Arena.
Along the way, the taverns and teahouses on both sides of the street were filled with bustling discussions.
“Have you heard? The champion of this year's Martial Arts Tournament is actually a woman!”
“Her name is Su Yueli! She is ridiculously strong. She defeated the core geniuses of the Four Great Families one after another, completely suppressing those arrogant noble descendants!”
Hearing the amazement around her, Su Yueli remained calm, calculating her next steps in her mind.
Now that she had claimed the championship, she would collect her rewards from the imperial family and resolve this deadly deadlock with the Pang family once and for all.
Once things in the Imperial City were settled, she would immediately set off for Qingzhou City.
Having been away for so long, she hadn't seen Tie Tu and Ling'er in quite a while. The overt and covert struggles of the Imperial City ultimately didn't suit her.
As they walked, Lin Ye winced in pain but couldn't help but grin. “Miss Su... congratulations. The number one martial artist of Great Li—this title is an immense honor.”
At this, his eyes dimmed slightly, filled with guilt. “I'm sorry. If I hadn't insisted on sticking my nose where it didn't belong back then, you wouldn't have been dragged into this mess with the Pang family...”
Su Yueli gave him a somewhat helpless look.
Having been treated like a soft target and brutally beaten on the stage, this guy had learned a hard lesson. Hopefully, the next time he encountered trouble, he wouldn't blindly play the hero without considering his own strength.
“What's done is done. There's no point in talking about what-ifs,” Su Yueli interrupted him. “Save your energy to heal.”
Back at the inn, Su Yueli settled Lin Ye into bed.
After instructing the innkeeper's assistant to keep an eye on him, she didn't linger. Taking the wooden plaque, she walked toward the Great Li imperial palace.
The imperial palace was a heavily guarded place.
As soon as Su Yueli reached the palace gates, she sensed that the guards standing on both sides all exuded the blood qi of Fifth Realm martial artists.
Using Fifth Realm martial artists as gatekeepers—the imperial family's foundation was indeed unfathomable.
Su Yueli took out the purple-gold wooden plaque and showed it. The guards immediately stepped aside respectfully and told her where to go to collect her rewards.
Following the steps, Su Yueli arrived at a magnificent grand hall.
The hall was quite empty, with only two young men sitting inside.
Sitting in the host's seat was the Fourth Prince, Zhao Yan, while the young man in a plain robe sitting casually beside him was the cultivator named Gu Chen.
“Greetings, Your Highness,” Su Yueli said, stepping forward and cupping her hands.
Zhao Yan sized up Su Yueli, the admiration in his eyes completely undisguised as he praised, “A twenty-year-old Fifth Realm Martial Opening martial artist who can even defeat a martial artist who took a Bloodburst Pill with a single punch. Miss Su, your talent and combat power are truly unprecedented. I have truly opened my eyes today.”
“Your Highness flatters me,” Su Yueli humbled herself with a bow, not engaging in such meaningless pleasantries.
Seeing her cold temperament, Zhao Yan didn't mind. He went straight to the point. “In a moment, Gu Chen will take you to the imperial armory to select that Earth-grade low-rank weapon. As for the other reward...”
Zhao Yan paused, leaning forward slightly. “State your request. As long as it does not harm the interests of the Great Li Dynasty, I can grant it.”
Silence fell over the grand hall.
Su Yueli's brow furrowed slightly as she fell into deep thought.
Originally, her plan was simple: to use this promise to have the imperial family step in and resolve the life-and-death conflict between her and the Pang family.
Although the Pang family was one of the Four Great Families of the Imperial City, they were still subjects before the Great Li imperial family and would never dare to defy an imperial decree.
But now that the moment to speak had arrived, she found herself hesitating.
To use an unconditional request from the Great Li imperial family just to trade for a temporary peace seemed like too much of a waste.
This was an opportunity to grow stronger that she had fought for with her life.
However, if she asked for top-tier cultivation resources without addressing the grudge, given Pang Jinbiao's extremely vindictive nature, the moment she took half a step out of the Imperial City, she would definitely face the relentless, life-and-death pursuit of the Pang family.
Even if she obtained the resources, she wouldn't have the life to absorb and refine them.
If she chose resources, she would die before she could even leave the Imperial City. If she chose mediation and survival, she would waste a shortcut to ascending the martial path.
Su Yueli's thoughts spun rapidly. Suddenly, she raised her head and looked directly at Zhao Yan. “Your Highness, I would like to ask if the imperial family has a place of seclusion where I can accelerate my cultivation to become stronger, and where absolutely no outsider would dare to disturb me?”
As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao Yan froze.
Beside him, Gu Chen also stopped fanning himself and raised an eyebrow.
Neither of them had expected that after hesitating for so long, this girl would make such a request.
“A place of seclusion?”
Zhao Yan was somewhat puzzled. “If you want to become stronger, wouldn't it be more direct to ask me for a few bottles of top-tier demon beast essence blood or rare martial path pills?”
Su Yueli's expression remained calm as she laid out the stakes clearly. “If I only take pills, the Pang family will never let me go. Your Highness is surely aware of the deadly grudge I've formed with them at the inn and on the stage.”
“I need a place where I can fully digest the resources and increase my strength. As long as I am inside, the Pang family won't be able to touch me.”
Zhao Yan and Gu Chen exchanged a look.
A faint smile played at the corner of Gu Chen's mouth, finding it quietly amusing in his heart.
This mortal girl's way of thinking was truly a bit too whimsical.
So what if she went into seclusion? A mortal's lifespan was merely a short few decades. Even if she were given a blessed land, could she hide inside and cultivate for ten or twenty years?
Did she really expect to stay in seclusion until she became a Tenth Realm martial artist before coming out?
Without an immortal Bone Talent, the martial path only became exponentially harder the further one went.
Even if her talent was exceptional, after a few years of seclusion, she would at most reach the Sixth Realm.
Once she emerged, the Pang family would still kill her all the same.
This girl didn't seem to have a clear understanding of a mortal's pathetic lifespan limit.
Giving up an absolute life-saving imperial protective talisman just to exchange it for a turtle shell to temporarily hide from the wind.
Zhao Yan held the same view in his heart, but since he had already made the promise, he naturally would not go back on his word.
“Since this is your request, I will grant it.”
Zhao Yan tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said calmly, “My Great Li Dynasty does indeed have a special place. Not only does no one dare to disturb it, but the environment inside is also highly suitable for a martial artist like you to cultivate.”
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