Chapter 1044: The Sought-After Jin Miaolin

"Yes! As long as you win the championship, even the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor won't force you anymore!" Su Qin's beautiful eyes brightened as she chimed in.

Luo Qingzhu gave a wry smile. "It's not that we didn't think of it before, but that we never believed Little Mei could actually win the championship. Who would have imagined that she would become so strong? And it's all thanks to Tang San. You know, I used to resent Tang San a little for costing us the Celestial Plume, but now, I feel that was a small price to pay. The power of Little Mei's divine sword is simply too great. I think she truly has a shot at winning. Among the divine weapons we've seen so far, only the Light Sprite of Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu comes close."

Mei Gongzi smiled faintly. She certainly wasn't about to explain what the Asura God Sword actually was and what level it was at. Compared to it, what was the Light Sprite? But her mothers were right: If she could win the championship, everything would fall into place.

She couldn't always rely on Tang San. To truly control her own destiny, she needed to seize it herself.

Her beautiful eyes glowed with firm resolve at the thought.

***

Just as Tang San expected, the moment he returned to his residence, he was told that letters and notes from all sides were flooding in, mostly from people requesting meetings with him. He instructed the Grand Elder to tell them he was in seclusion preparing for the next match, and that any meetings would have to wait until after the Battle for the Throne.

The Blue Gold Tree clan's neutral status wasn't just a boon for the clan; it made Tang San, as clan leader, a highly sought-after figure. Even Mei Gongzi, who had been so cold to him, had come to seek him out. What need was there to mention the other main cities?

The Blue Gold Tree clan would be sending powerful representatives to various main cities, but

who

was sent mattered greatly. The dozens of Nymph King elders were good, the three Great Nymph King elders were great, but the most valued of all was... Jin Miaosen.

After all, the only direct descendants of the Ancestral Tree were Jin Miaolin and his sister. As Lord of Skytree City, Jin Miaolin would naturally be either in his own city or at the Ancestral Court. That left Jin Miaosen, and if she became a Great Nymph King, which she undoubtedly would, the benefits of having her around would be enormous.

And here Tang San's absolute authority in the clan paid off. The Grand Elder reported that all those who couldn't see Tang San personally had tried to negotiate with the elders, but had been firmly refused. The reason was simple: all final decisions rested with Clan Leader Jin Miaolin.

Tang San wanted to cultivate this image of himself as a precious resource. That way, even in the coming matches, few would want to make enemies of him. After all, Blue Gold Tree life energy benefited everyone, and the clan's coffers were massive and packed full. Combined with Jin Miaolin's power alongside the Scourge Dragon, they were practically among the real powerhouses of this world.

He'd been building up for this for a long time, and finally, all the pieces were falling into place. In fact, it was better even than he'd hoped. Losing the right to pair with Nihil in battle had been well worth it to secure Blue Gold Tree neutrality.

The night passed quietly as all these matters continued to ferment.

The next morning, as usual, Tang San and the elders took their carriage to the arena.

Just as they entered through the VIP passage, they ran into familiar faces—starting with today's opponent, Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu.

Xu An'yu approached with a friendly smile, placing a hand on Tang San's shoulder. In a low voice he said, "Today's our match. Don't worry, Brother Jin; whatever other people say or do, I stand by my word. Today you'll have ten points and be sure to advance."

Tang San noted that his interlocutor was no longer calling him the formal "Clan Leader Jin."

"Thank you, Brother Xu," Tang San said with a smile.

Xu An'yu added quietly, "I hope you won't think me too forward, but I heard about your clan's neutral status. That's unprecedented! You're truly brilliant, I have to say. This will ensure your clan is protected for good. Since our dragon race and your clan are allies now, if I become lord of Crystal City, I hope you'll support me. We'll look out for each other."

Tang San chuckled. "Of course. Actually, when that happens, I'll come to Crystal City personally to congratulate you for inheriting the Dragon Lord throne. And I won’t come empty-handed."

That pleased Xu An'yu immensely. Tang San's promise to visit showed real sincerity. He slapped Tang San's shoulder merrily and headed inside.

Then, Ning Chen'en came sidling up with a big grin. "Brother Jin, congratulations! Your clan's greatest worry is solved, and you are now a true blue bigshot. We've bumped into each other a lot lately, and I hope we'll keep in touch."

It was as if he'd forgotten all his previous mockery. His smile was utterly sincere.

Tang San smiled back. "Why, Brother Ning, thank you for the kind words! But are you representing the Golden Mammoth clan or the Adamant Nymph clan when you say that?"

Ning Chen'en's expression shifted slightly but quickly recovered. "Of course I represent the Golden Mammoth clan. I have no ties to the Adamant Nymph clan. I told you that from the start, no?"

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Tang San chuckled. "It doesn't matter. Though the Adamant Nymph clan harmed my clan before, their Emperor is gone. And since we've chosen neutrality, we'll treat everyone equally. We'll send people to help their growth too. After all, they need life energy even more than most. No worries, Brother Ning."

That surprised Ning Chen'en. He gave Tang San a thumbs-up, and this time, it was truly heartfelt. "You know, you really are a true model of virtue. If I were in your place, I really don't know if I could repay evil with kindness."

Tang San smiled modestly. "I don't deserve the praise."

In fact, he'd already decided who to send to Adamant City. Ironically, it was the safest place. The Ancestral Tree had personally slain the Adamant Nymph Emperor there, so who would dare harm a Blue Gold Tree now?

Even the Ancestral Court couldn't touch the Ancestral Tree, due to it merging with the plane itself and governing all life. The tree's revival changed everything, and that was why the Emperors treated Tang San so courteously now.

One reason they hadn't approved Blue Gold Tree neutrality at first was also fear that the clan would become too influential, but after prohibiting Tang San from using the Scourge Dragon and effectively preventing him from getting an Emperor's seat, they'd had no choice but to relent. Now, he was finally able to set a solid foundation for his long-term plan.

Suddenly, a towering figure approached and bowed deeply to Tang San.