Chapter 422 Awarding The Winners

The Outstanding Talents Exchange Games hosted by the Emperor of the Violet Orchid Empire had finally drawn to a close.

The top three on the ranking list were as follows.

Austin ranked first, Leo second and Symon the third.

Strictly speaking, among the three of them, only Leo belonged to one of the main five sects, which was a fact that brought great shame to the Sect Leaders. It was a relief that Austin was originally from the Sun Sect, or else they would have been even more embarrassed.

The audience had been abuzz about the results, quietly discussing them in whispers. When the Emperor rose from his Golden Throne, his smile hushed everyone into silence. The supreme authority looked around solemnly without saying a word.

His innate regal dignity commanded everyone's attention naturally. The ornate canopy over his head was gradually lifted up, adding even more stateliness to the moment.

Embroidered with multi-hued clouds and nine-claw golden dragons, the canopy captivated the audience. The dragons flitted between the clouds as if they were blessing the mortal world with rain and dew—a symbol for the imperial rule as part of the divine order.

The crowd including the powerful sect leaders watched the Emperor in awe. They too had grown silent ever since the Emperor rose from his seat.

The fact was that the Emperor, the one and only ruler of the Violet Orchid Empire didn't command respect and awe only because he was supreme royalty. That he belonged to the Sky Realm filled everyone with wonder.

For most cultivators, Sky Realm was unattainable despite dedicating their whole lives to that aim. An emperor in the Sky Realm was enough to put down any differences.

"Attention please."

The Emperor started his eloquent speech.

"I'm pleased to announce that

the Outstanding Talents Exchange Games of this year have successfully ended.

It is an event that time and again defines honor, courage and excellence. Cultivators have always vied for the top, simply because, they understand the significance of the tournament, which represents everything a cultivator ought to be, at his finest. The talents that have marked themselves apart from hundreds of warriors

will be the force driving the future prosperity of the Violet Orchid Empire. In a way, the rise or fall of the Empire greatly relies on them."

"Tin, why is he so cheesy? And his

t blocked by another sense which was nearly as strong as mine. How odd! There's no way that he owns such a strong spiritual sense. He just made a breakthrough into the Mysterious Realm! Why? But obviously if he is blocking his elixir field, his secret lies in there somewhere.'

The Emperor ruminated over his attempt.

"All right. Now, the top fifty cultivators and the Sect Leaders of the five main sects, please come with me. We shall be awarding the winners in the Imperial Golden Hall."

Right after the Emperor, the rest mentioned followed him into a teleportation array. In just a couple of seconds, they were already in a magnificent palace.

The ceiling seemed to reach for the sky as it could accommodate 10 elephants one on top of the other. The mesmerizing white jade paved the floor and glistering gold sheathed the walls. The hall was dotted with several sculptures of beasts that were embedded with rubies and sapphire adding to the grandeur of the palace.

The legendary Golden Throne gleamed with the shine of thousands of jewels encrusted into a special gold. This was the Emperor's seat from where he looked down on everybody.

The rest, including the top fifty contestants, the Sect Leaders, the Emperor's counsels and generals, stood stately in two lines.

Each position was arranged strictly according to their status and everything was orderly.

At this moment, the Emperor finally didn't look as stern as before and smiled faintly.

"Tonight, I will live up to the promise I made before the Games!

Austin, the champion of this year, come to me!"