Chapter 1070: The First Round of the Finals Concludes

In midair, radiant light streamed from the Light Sprite behind Xu An'yu. On the other side, Jiang Chenchou had transformed into a colossal Scorching Sunflower, and the sky above was blanketed in blazing brilliance. In the next instant, a violent elemental clash fully erupted.

Xu An'yu's strategy in this battle was oddly reminiscent of Tang San's earlier approach. He didn't rush to attack Jiang Chenchou. Instead, he relied on his perfect mastery over light to engage in a prolonged war of attrition.

High in the sky, light and fire exploded and collided. Blazing brilliance burst forth again and again. With every surge, the air rippled violently; with every clash, a cascade of radiant rain scattered through the heavens. The entire sky now resembled a breathtaking fireworks display.

After just a few moments of watching the scene, Tang San already knew the outcome.

The Undying Golden Body was indeed a powerful defensive artifact, but it wasn't as useful in this fight as it had been against Mei Gongzi. Jiang Chenchou's burst-type offense was also formidable, but unfortunately for her, her opponent was Xu An'yu.

Xu An'yu not only had superior cultivation, but as a dragon, his physique, bloodline power, and innate talent for elemental control, as well as his battle instincts, were all first-rate. From among the many powerhouses of the strongest race on the Daemon Continent, Xu An'yu had been chosen by everyone to represent them in the competition for control of Crystal City—a selection, needless to say, based purely on strength. On top of that, his Light Sprite generated an almost endless supply of light energy. From the moment the match began, he was already in an invincible position. That's why Xu An'yu opted for the most cautious combat strategy. There was no need to take any risks; he only needed calm and relentless offense to wear down Jiang Chenchou.

This match actually lasted longer than Tang San's battle against Lan Moqian—two full hours. It wasn't until Jiang Chenchou was too drained to even move a vine that the curtain finally fell.

The first round of the finals concluded.

In the winners' bracket, there were Mei Gongzi, Tang San, and Xu An'yu. The losers' bracket held Jiang Chenchou, Lan Moqian, and Ning Chen'en.

Tomorrow, two matches would take place: Tang San vs. Xu An'yu, and the husband-and-wife showdown—Lan Moqian vs. Ning Chen'en.

In the winners' bracket, whoever won would gain the right to challenge Mei Gongzi. As for the loser, they would drop into the losers' bracket to await further challengers.

There was no doubt: the three competitors who won in the first round now held a massive advantage in securing a top-three position. In a tournament of this level, if not for the wildcard that was the Amethystine Coin Warrior, the rankings would have been practically set after round one.

As the Battle for the Throne edged toward its conclusion, the atmosphere within the Ancestral Court began to subtly shift.

The final six contestants were now confirmed. The three spots for new Emperors would be chosen from among them, so beyond the literal power struggle, the political power struggle had become very important as well.

At present, the Solstice Empire was disadvantaged. Of their two-and-a-half entrants into the finals, only Tang San had won his first match. Jiang Chenchou had lost to Xu An'yu. The upcoming match between Ning Chen'en and Lan Moqian would determine the next to advance, but beneath the surface, this also involved the interests of multiple parties.

Just as Tang San had said to Mei Gongzi earlier, the next match in the winners' bracket was critical. Tang San would face Xu An'yu, while Mei Gongzi could sit back and conserve energy. Meanwhile, one of those in the losers' bracket would be eliminated directly.

From the Empyrean Dominion's side, the final contenders included one dragon, one Behemoth, and one Peacock Demon representative—Mei Gongzi was not a tiger race representative, and as for her human bloodline, that was not even taken into account. Ning Chen'en also only represented the Golden Mammoth race.

Surprisingly, the phoenix race, which currently had two Emperors, had no representative make it into the finals. This unexpected result was actually a relief to both the demon and nymph sides. If the phoenix race had a third contender vying for Emperorhood, they would definitely have been targeted. So now the key question was: Which finalist would be most acceptable to both sides as the next Emperor?

This became a matter of utmost importance.

There was no doubt: The dragon race was going all in. Li Zhaopeng had been forced to withdraw due to the Misfortune Pearl's backlash, leaving Xu An'yu as their sole hope. With only the Tenebrous Demon Emperor left among the dragons, and not even among the top Emperors, this situation was almost unprecedented. Naturally, they were determined to win a new Emperor's seat to preserve their influence. Though Xu An'yu might not measure up to the former Crystal Demon Emperor, he was younger than Tenebrous and he was bound to be stronger once he ascended. And with two Emperors, they would easily be able to maintain their status. As the most powerful race on the Daemon Continent, they would stop at nothing. Crystal City could not be taken away from them.

Then there were the Behemoths. Jin Anguo's failure to reach the finals was also unexpected—and ironically, he had been eliminated by his own brother-in-law and ally, Ning Chen'en. Now only Lan Moqian remained. Whether the Behemoths could secure a second Emperor's seat remained uncertain.

Other races, naturally, preferred not to see powerful groups like the dragons or Behemoths gain another Emperor. Too many Emperors in one race threatened the delicate balance of power.

Xu An'yu's position was somewhat more acceptable. Not only did the dragons already wield great influence, but the previous Crystal Demon Emperor's seat had just been vacated due to death. Crystal City was crucial to their interests, and losing it was unacceptable and could well result in a war. Hence, there was relatively little opposition to Xu An'yu.

Similarly, and in stark contrast to his wife, Ning Chen'en was more widely accepted. After all, he inherited the bloodline of the late Adamant Nymph Emperor. According to Ancestral Court tradition, when an Emperor died, members of the same clan were considered the most eligible successors, and also faced the least resistance. So despite his first-round loss, Ning Chen'en didn't have many opponents. Unfortunately, as the lowest-ranked contestant from the preliminary points round, his path forward would be arduous. Making it into the top three was a tall order.

But interestingly enough, among the demon side, the one facing the least resistance at the moment was actually Mei Gongzi.

Why?

Naturally, because she had demonstrated overwhelming strength with her perfect win streak in the preliminaries and a victory in the first finals round. She already had one foot in the top three. She was also a city lord in her own right, and she was from the Peacock Demon clan—a long-time rival of the phoenix race. It had been many years since the Peacock Demons produced an Emperor, and on top of that, she bore the bloodline of the White Tiger Demon Emperor. All of this combined made opposition to her minimal.

Internally within the Ancestral Court, the only real doubt about Mei Gongzi stemmed from her human bloodline. But this matchmaking tournament was meant to resolve that issue. As long as she chose a husband afterward, all dissent would disappear. Even the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor would back her ascension. For the stability of the continent, having more Emperors among the demon race was undoubtedly preferable.

Given the current situation, on the Empyrean Dominion's side, Mei Gongzi and Xu An'yu were now the most likely candidates for ascension.

As for the Solstice Empire, Jiang Chenchou remained the highest-ranked in the losers' bracket. She still had a shot, but she would need to defeat the one who lost between Tang San and Xu An'yu, and before that, overcome the winner between Lan Moqian and Ning Chen'en. Only by winning these rounds could she secure a top-three spot.