Chapter 589: This Is Not An Exchange

Then it was the turn of the gloomy-faced Scorching Sword Pair to choose. To everyone's surprise, the Red-Crowned Crane demon walked up to Mei Gongzi and said in a deep voice, "We have two selection slots. If there's something you want to choose, you can tell me. I can exchange two divine items for the Red-Crowned Divine Sword you have obtained."

The Red-Crowned Divine Sword was obviously the beak of the ancestor Sword Saint Demon Emperor.

Mei Gongzi was stunned, and her beautiful eyes revealed a look of realization. She turned to look at Tang San, her eyes full of admiration.

Exchanging one for two, turning four items into five. This was obviously the smartest choice. No wonder Tang San had her choose this way.

However, to Mei Gongzi's surprise, when she looked at Tang San, she saw him shaking his head.

Not exchanging one for two? This made no sense. The Red-Crowned Divine Sword was indeed not very useful to them, far less effective than it would be when used by the Red-Crowned Crane, and it wasn’t like the latter was their enemy.

The face of the Red-Crowned Crane instantly turned grim.

"Make your selections," came the voice of the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor.

In front of this Ancestral Court ruler, no matter how much resentment the Red-Crowned Crane felt, he couldn't express it now. He and his Scorching Sunflower partner stepped forward together, choosing the brilliant small sword and the funnel from the first case respectively.

"That is the Primal Chaos Funnel, known for having the largest space among all storage items. In terms of actual value, it is actually the crown jewel of all ten divine items this time. Not only does it have a huge capacity, but also has the ability to absorb the opponent's spiritual power and divine consciousness during battle, greatly affecting the opponent's performance. This is one of the most treasured items of the Ancestral Court, and the highest reward for this competition.

"The sword is the Holy Light Divine Sword, from the distant Holy Clear Sea. It’s an item passed down by the Holy Light clan—it should be obvious from the name that it is a light-attribute item, and most suitable for beings with a similar attribute. It matches well with the Scorching Sunflower clan, and when you use it, your flame will be imbued with that holy light. Your choices are very good."

"Alright, since you have all made your choices, today's award ceremony concludes here. The Ancestral Court Elite Tournament is now complete."

The announcement from the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor signaled the successful conclusion of this tournament.

The remaining four divine items disappeared with a wave of the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's hand, and he vanished simultaneously.

Mei Gongzi looked at Tang San, who pulled her along towards the two contestants of the Scorching Sword Pair.

The Red-Crowned Crane looked at Tang San and Mei Gongzi with an icy gaze as they approached.

"You did this on purpose. I’m not sure why, and it doesn’t matter, honestly. If you are willing now, I can still exchange the two items we got for the Red-Crowned Divine Sword. You must have heard the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's explanation. Both of these items are very powerful, especially the Primal Chaos Funnel."

Tang San silently shook his head and said, "Before coming to the competition, I climbed the Sword Saint Palace and received guidance from the Sword Saint Demon Emperor. I am grateful for that. The Sword Saint Demon Emperor then gave me the Sword Saint Order. We chose this Red-Crowned Divine Sword not for profit, but to give something back to the Sword Saint Palace."

As he spoke, he took the Red-Crowned Divine Sword from Mei Gongzi and handed it to the Red-Crowned Crane. "Please deliver this item to His Majesty on my behalf. This is the Peacock Demon clan's token of respect for the Sword Saint Demon Emperor."

The Red-Crowned Crane stared at Tang San, utterly bewildered. Not exchanging it for two excellent items but instead

gifting

it to the Sword Saint Palace? What the hell was this man thinking?

After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "What do you want?"

Tang San shook his head once more. "Nothing. Just relay my exact words to His Majesty."

The Red-Crowned Crane looked at Tang San, then at the Red-Crowned Divine Sword. Finally, he accepted the sword. This divine sword was too important for the Sword Saint Palace and for him personally; it was even the key to becoming a Demon Emperor in the future. That was why he was willing to exchange not one, but

two

powerful items for it.

Yet, Asura and the Peacock Princess didn't want anything in return and just gave it to him. What a turn of events...

The resentment almost instantly vanished, and the Red-Crowned Crane asked, "How about we give you one item?"

Tang San smiled and said, "No need, no need. This is our Peacock Demon clan's gesture of friendship. We are all from the avian demon lineage, so there’s no need to be polite. Anyway, we need to leave quickly, or the spectators will swarm us. Let's go."

With that, he motioned for Big Cat to come to their side. After nodding to the Red-Crowned Crane and the Scorching Sunflower, Mei Gongzi initiated teleportation, transforming all three of them into a beam of silver light and disappearing into thin air.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Looking at the Red-Crowned Divine Sword in his hand, the Red-Crowned Crane couldn't help but feel bewildered.

Are there really such good people in this world? How could anyone give away such an important item just like that?

The Red-Crowned Divine Sword might not mean much to other races, but for the Red-Crowned Crane clan, it was a foundational divine item! Moreover, they’d kept the other two items, one of which was the top reward. For some reason, even though they’d lost the championship, he felt that he and his partner were the biggest winners of the competition.

"Stop thinking about it, just go back and give it to His Majesty," the Scorching Sunflower said gently.

"We didn't even introduce ourselves. I swear, some people..." The Red-Crowned Crane stomped his foot, feeling a mix of emotions.

***

Meanwhile, with a flash of silver light, Tang San and his group reappeared outside the Ancestral Court Plaza.

Big Cat couldn't help but look at him weirdly. "You just gave it away? Why didn't you take the items?"

Tang San replied, "Because I have a very strong desire to keep living. Compared to the items, the friendship of the Sword Saint Demon Emperor is more important. Big Cat, let's part ways here. I look forward to your breakthrough."

Big Cat wouldn't be leaving the Ancestral Court for now. He would be advancing toward the god level with the help of the Golden Lion King. Now he had two divine items, and with the full support of the lion race, a breakthrough was imminent. And given the tier and power of his bloodline, once he did break through, he would immediately be able to obliterate other gods in a fight.

Big Cat nodded at him and said, "Alright, let's stay in touch. Once I complete my breakthrough here, I'll come to Kali City to find you."

In front of Mei Gongzi, he didn't mention the name Golden Valley.

After bidding farewell to Tang San and Mei Gongzi, he left immediately.

"Big Brother, we need to leave the Ancestral Court quickly. From what the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor hinted, it seems the Ancestral Court intends to act against us. We can't stay."

A sense of impending crisis had lingered in Mei Gongzi's mind since the awards ceremony.

If someone else had spoken of such a crisis, she would have dismissed it as mere drivel. As the heir to the Celestial Plume, she had the ability to see the future, and if there was danger, she would sense it to some extent. But the one speaking was the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, the Master of Destiny. They couldn't afford

not

to believe him.

Tang San calmly said, "Don't panic. We definitely need to leave. But since it's a calamity on that level, trying to avoid it might not be feasible. Let's return to the hotel first and make use of the items we've obtained before we leave."

As they spoke, a flash of silver light appeared, and the Peacock Great Demon King was suddenly beside them. He said in a deep voice, "Follow me immediately. The competition is over, and we must leave quickly to avoid any action from the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor. We need to hurry and leave."

Tang San replied, "City Lord, we can't rush. Whoever intends to harm us must have guessed that we would leave immediately. Do you think they are not prepared for it? With that in mind, we mustn't be hasty. In the Ancestral Court, even a Demon Emperor must think twice before acting. We should make use of the items we've just obtained first; it will make our next steps easier."

The Peacock Great Demon King looked at him in surprise. Tang San nodded to him and said, "Please trust me. I wouldn't gamble with my own life or Little Mei's life."