Chapter 197

Qin Gaoyang led the Princess Consort Qi and two concubines all the way to the central high platform.

Afterward, the few of them sat down, overlooking the numerous figures below the platform.

When everyone's gaze swept over Lu Zhangsheng and Qin Ruobing's group, they all revealed a trace of strangeness.

Princess Consort Qi Xiaoyun was a beautiful woman wearing purple palace attire, with a dignified and generous face, and her martial aura was quite extraordinary.

At this moment, she was looking at Lu Zhangsheng with great interest.

She had indeed received some intelligence about Lu Zhangsheng; this Godly Son from Qingzhou might be in trouble.

Regarding what might happen next, she became increasingly curious.

At this moment, Lu Zhangsheng suddenly sensed a strange fluctuation.

It came from the high platform in front.

"Is there a powerhouse who has fused with demon power? Or something else unknown?"

He quickly scanned the Prince of Yong and the several concubines beside him.

He didn't even let Princess Consort Qi Xiaoyun off, but he didn't find any abnormalities, as if it had never appeared.

"It seems that the Prince's Mansion in the Capital City is not simple either."

Lu Zhangsheng did not pry too much, so as not to alert the enemy.

Just at this moment, Qin Gaoyang on the platform scanned the entire scene with a friendly face:

"Today is the family banquet of the Prince's Mansion; I am very happy that you could all make time to come; we are all family, so there is no need to be restrained."

After speaking, he laughed heroically and picked up the wine cup in his hand to drink freely.

"Your Highness is too polite."

Seeing this, everyone raised their wine cups one after another to toast the other party.

With the Prince of Yong taking the lead, the scene suddenly began to become lively.

As a group of people toasted each other, the atmosphere became increasingly harmonious.

Qin Kaishan and the others were not in a hurry to make trouble and were all waiting quietly.

Time passed slowly, and soon more than half an hour had passed.

Seeing that the banquet was already more than half over.

Just at this moment.

Qin Gaoyang turned his head toward Qin Zhaoyang and asked, pretending not to know:

"A few days ago, I heard that there was a joyous event in the mansion?"

"As the father, why didn't you notify your mother beforehand?"

His tone was very flat, making it impossible to see whether he was happy or angry.

Upon hearing this, Princess Consort Qi revealed a trace of self-reproach: "It was my negligence."

Seeing the good show begin, the surrounding crowd also turned their gazes toward Lu Zhangsheng and Qin Zhaoyang's group.

Everyone was waiting to see how Qin Zhaoyang would end this.

Qin Kaishan and the others' eyes were full of schadenfreude.

Qin Ruobing and her mother tightly pinched their sleeves, feeling very nervous.

A trace of anxiety appeared on their faces one after another.

Lu Zhangsheng gently patted Qin Ruobing's small hand to soothe her.

He was not in a hurry to step forward, but was waiting for Qin Zhaoyang to speak.

At this moment, Qin Zhaoyang stood up unhurriedly, bowed to Qin Gaoyang, and said in a respectful tone: "Reporting to Father and Mother, my daughter and Supervision Envoy Lu are in love with each other and have long since set a marriage contract..."

"Mother was away these days, so I didn't have time to notify you."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Qin Gaoyang's eyes moved slightly.

He did not choose to expose this matter.

"I did hear Zhaoyang mention it; I heard that Supervision Envoy Lu is a one-in-ten-thousand genius from Qingzhou, and this marriage is also a heaven-sent match."

"Both of them are martial artists, so breaking a few rules is not a big deal."

Qi Xiaoyun also smiled and helped explain.

"Very well, let's make up for the wedding later, so as not to let the outside world see our Prince's Mansion as a joke."

Qin Gaoyang took the opportunity to step down and planned to let the matter pass.

Just at this moment.

"Reporting to Father, I heard that Supervision Envoy Lu has quite a reputation; I have several friends who have long wanted to see it for themselves."

"Besides, if you want to marry a daughter of the Prince's Mansion, you must have some confidence yourself."

Qin Kaishan said with a smile.

His words implied that Lu Zhangsheng's strength was likely not enough to convince the public.

He was not stupid; it was impossible to publicly refute Qin Gaoyang's meaning.

Instead, he chose to use Lu Zhangsheng as a breakthrough point.

He wanted to use this matter to firmly suppress Qin Zhaoyang, so he naturally would not let it go easily.

"Oh? What is your suggestion?"

Qin Gaoyang smiled faintly and took a sip of spirit wine.

He suddenly became interested.

He had many children; just the adult sons alone numbered eleven.

However, only Qin Zhaoyang and Qin Kaishan had reached the Grandmaster realm.

The position of Heir was also wavering between the two.

Today, he also wanted to take this opportunity to settle this matter.

For himself, to become the Heir, besides his own strength, the most important thing was how many resources and powerhouses he could win over.

Even he had to rely on these powerhouses to compete for the throne.

This was also one of the abilities to measure an Heir.

"Today, both Yang-di and I have brought five powerhouses; how about we have a competition here?"

"It just so happens that Supervision Envoy Lu is also here, so we can see how strong our Prince's Mansion's son-in-law is."

Qin Kaishan's eyes carried a smile.

"That works, let's make it best of five."

Qin Gaoyang decided directly.

Afterward, he looked at Qin Zhaoyang.

"Everything is as Father says."

Qin Zhaoyang said immediately; he had prepared for many years for today, and at this moment, he could no longer escape.

He was also somewhat unsure in his heart; the two Godly Sons Qin Kaishan had found had quite a reputation in the Capital City.

Lu Zhangsheng and the others might not necessarily be able to defeat the other party.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd turned their gazes toward the teams of Qin Zhaoyang and Qin Kaishan.

The atmosphere on the scene gradually became tense.

"Swish..."

At this moment, a red light flew toward the lake in the center of the garden.

In the blink of an eye, it landed on the surface of the lake.

This person stood with his hands behind his back, scanning Lu Zhangsheng's group with a proud face.

"Let me start first; who among you will come first?"

The loud words resounded through the entire scene, extremely arrogant.

Qin Zhaoyang and the others' expressions were quite ugly.

"This person is the famous Godly Son of the Capital City, Yao Bin; his strength is extraordinary, and he has defeated many Grandmaster powerhouses."

Qin Zhaoyang explained to Lu Zhangsheng and the others in a very solemn tone.

"Marquis, let me make the move for the first battle."

Beside Qin Zhaoyang, a middle-aged man in black stood up.

As a powerhouse in the late Grandmaster stage, he wanted to meet this Godly Son.

"Very well, Mr. Zhou, be careful."

Qin Zhaoyang nodded with a smile.

The first battle was quite critical; his subordinate, Mr. Zhou Qingyu, had quite extraordinary strength.

Among his retainers, he was also one of the top two powerhouses.

"Your Highness, don't worry."

Zhou Qingyu flew forward with a free and easy look.

In an instant, he arrived at the center of the lake, standing on the water to confront Yao Bin.

"Please."

Zhou Qingyu bowed.

Yao Bin always had a look of disdain, as if he didn't take his opponent seriously at all.

Such an arrogant attitude made the martial artists on Qin Zhaoyang's side extremely angry.

"Kill."

In an instant, Zhou Qingyu made his move directly.

He channeled his entire body's Gang Qi and thrust his sword forward.

"Zzz..."

The brilliant sword light flickered in the void, like stars falling to the human world, with astonishing power.

With this sword, he had already used his full strength.

Although he hadn't condensed one of the Five Elements Godly Hearts, it was still quite extraordinary.

"Trash, you haven't even condensed a Godly Heart."

Seeing that his opponent was still in the Water Domain, Yao Bin sneered.

Then he slashed his blade forward.

"Clatter..."

The blade light full of destruction seemed like a heavenly river spanning the void, making even the scorching sun in the high sky seem somewhat eclipsed.

He directly activated his 20% Destruction Godly Heart to the limit.

He just wanted to crush the opponent's "beautiful dream" in one move, letting people know that the status of a Godly Son was definitely not something that any Tom, Dick, or Harry could challenge at will.

"Boom boom boom..."

In an instant, the blade and sword of both sides collided.

The violent roaring sound resounded through the clouds, the surrounding Gang Qi splashed wantonly, and the water in the lake began to surge wildly.

"Pfft..."

Under one strike, Zhou Qingyu's face turned pale, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

His eyes were full of horror.

He didn't expect the other party to have already reached a 20% Killing Godly Heart.

He was definitely not a match and could only try his best to consume a wave of the other party's Gang Qi.

Otherwise, the situation behind would become increasingly unfavorable.

"Good, Lord Yao is truly powerful."

Qin Kaishan's group was full of joy, as if victory was already in their grasp.

Their eyes were full of provocation as they looked at Lu Zhangsheng and the others. Qin Zhaoyang's expression tightened; he was afraid he would lose the first battle.

Sure enough.

In the center of the lake, the two began to fight fiercely.

Although Zhou Qingyu tried his best to erupt, it was difficult to reverse the decline.

Not long after, he could no longer hold on and began to become precarious.

"I admit defeat."

Zhou Qingyu quickly avoided the other party's blade and landed on the ground by the lake.

Afterward, he admitted defeat directly.

He returned to Qin Zhaoyang's side in silence, seeming somewhat sorry.

"I have disappointed the Marquis."

"It's fine, Mr. Zhou did his best."

Qin Zhaoyang squeezed out a smile.

The loss of the first battle was a relatively big blow to him.

However, he adjusted quickly, preparing to face the next battle.

The expressions of Qin Ruobing and the others around were also quite heavy.

No one expected to lose the first battle.

This Godly Son Yao Bin was indeed worthy of his reputation.

Qin Gaoyang and Qi on the platform revealed a trace of appreciation in their eyes.

Although this person was quite arrogant, as long as he had strength, it was not a shortcoming.

"Who is up for the next round?"

Yao Bin did not choose to leave the field, but spoke again.

His eyes became increasingly confident.

Today, he was prepared to defeat all five of the other party's people alone to achieve his own reputation.

Qin Kaishan also did not speak to stop him, his face full of joy.

The position of Heir seemed to be beckoning to him.

To invite the two Godly Sons to make a move, he had paid a not-so-small price.

Seeing it today, it was also extremely worth it.

Qin Zhaoyang's expression was very solemn: "For the next battle, I can only ask Mr. Wu to take the field."

He turned his head to look at a middle-aged man in green.

The man had a slender figure, and his aura was much stronger than Zhou Qingyu's.

Under the premise of losing one battle, he had to win the next, otherwise, he would face a desperate situation.

If he lost two more consecutive battles, it would be completely over.

"Marquis, I understand."

Wu Zhihang bowed solemnly.

He also knew the heavy burden he was shouldering.

However, the other party had just fought a fierce battle, and the consumption must be quite large, so he still had some confidence.

"Hoo..."

Afterward, he carried a golden long spear, leaped, and flew rapidly toward the lake.

In the blink of an eye, he arrived not far in front of Yao Bin, and the two confronted each other.

"Kill."

As soon as he entered the field, Wu Zhihang thrust his spear forward violently, not giving the other party any chance to catch his breath.

The sharp spear light condensed in the void, as if a great mountain was attacking, with fierce and unparalleled momentum.

His Earth Godly Heart was already close to 20%, and his strength was a powerhouse even in the late Grandmaster stage.

"Petty tricks."

Yao Bin looked cold, then drew his blade and slashed quickly.

"Clatter..."

Sonic booms came from the void, and even the lake water below was split apart; this blade seemed capable of splitting rivers and overturning seas, with monstrous power.

"Boom boom boom..."

Violent Gang winds swept in all directions, nearby fallen leaves danced and scattered randomly into the lake.

Under one strike.

Wu Zhihang suddenly retreated more than ten meters, his face full of solemnity.

His right hand holding the spear couldn't stop trembling.

That sharp Gang Qi made his arm numb.

He also didn't expect that after defeating Zhou Qingyu, the other party hadn't consumed much at all.

He was still not his match, which caused a trace of gloom to rise in his heart.

"Good, well done."

Qin Kaishan and the others waved their fists, full of excitement.

They would likely win this battle again, and they were only one step away from securing victory.

"It seems Qin Kaishan is going to win today."

Princess Consort Qi smiled and said.

With two consecutive losses at the start, it was difficult to recover from the defeat.

Even the group of concubines around expressed their agreement upon hearing this.

It was almost impossible for Qin Zhaoyang to reverse the situation next.

"I think it's not that simple."

Qin Gaoyang smiled mysteriously.

He also understood his son Qin Zhaoyang; he had always been steady and would never do anything without confidence.

"Could it be that he has placed all his 'bets' on Lu Zhangsheng?"

He pondered to himself; after all, relying solely on Wu Zhihang and the others, the defeat was already set.

Except for Lu Zhangsheng, whose depth he didn't know.

Lu Zhangsheng, this Godly Son from Qingzhou, made him increasingly curious.

He really wanted to see what means the person Qin Zhaoyang valued so much had.

"Giggle... Your Highness might be mistaken this time."

Qi smiled beautifully, full of charm.

She also understood that Qin Zhaoyang was prepared to rely on Lu Zhangsheng to turn the tables.

However, even if Lu Zhangsheng's strength was extraordinary, it was impossible for him to fight five battles in a row.

With two Godly Sons taking turns to consume him, they could exhaust the other party to death.

Qin Zhaoyang, not far away, saw this, clenched his fists, and his expression became increasingly gloomy.

He also didn't expect Yao Bin's strength to be so astonishing.

Everything had disrupted his own plan.

An Youyun and Qin Ruobing's expressions were also quite nervous.

The entire Qin Zhaoyang lineage fell into a silence.

"Lu Zhangsheng, do you have confidence? If not, I won't force you."

Qin Zhaoyang said to Lu Zhangsheng in a low tone.

He didn't force Lu Zhangsheng to defeat five people alone; that was clearly impossible.

It was somewhat forcing someone to do something difficult.

Not to mention, Lu Zhangsheng was his son-in-law, not an outsider.

"Marquis, don't worry."

Lu Zhangsheng's expression was as calm as water, showing no joy or anger.

"Good."

Qin Zhaoyang felt as if he had taken a reassurance pill.

He was very clear about Lu Zhangsheng's growth path; it was simply a miracle.

In this battle, he could only believe in Lu Zhangsheng.

Just as everyone was discussing, the battle on the field was nearing its end.

"Pfft..."

With another astonishing collision, Wu Zhihang spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward violently.

His face was as pale as paper, and he landed beside Qin Zhaoyang.

"Marquis, I am powerless..."

Wu Zhihang's tone was very guilty.

Because of his failure, Qin Zhaoyang was already in a desperate situation.

"Mr. Wu, take a good rest."

Qin Zhaoyang comforted him with a smile.

The other party had clearly done his best, so he couldn't blame him.

"Who is up for the next battle?"

At this moment, on the lake, Yao Bin scanned Lu Zhangsheng and the others with an arrogant face.

The surrounding crowd was stunned; they didn't expect the other party to want to defeat all five of Qin Zhaoyang's retainers alone.

It was simply too arrogant.

The remaining two middle-aged men who were supposed to fight lowered their heads one after another, looking ashamed.

They were clearly afraid.

They didn't even have the courage to make a move.

Seeing this, Qin Zhaoyang became even more furious.

On weekdays, he hadn't given them less in terms of offerings, but at the critical moment, the two retreated.

"Qin Zhaoyang, you should just admit defeat directly, so as not to make the following scene too ugly."

Qin Kaishan raised the corners of his mouth, his eyes full of mockery.

"Marquis, let me come."

At this moment, Lu Zhangsheng got up and patted his white robe.

He looked relaxed and easy.

"Husband, be careful."

Qin Ruobing's eyes were somewhat worried.

The scene of the two retainers being injured was still fresh in her memory.

"Just do your best, don't force yourself."

Qin Zhaoyang's tone was quite solemn.

"Swish..."

Lu Zhangsheng leaped and flew rapidly toward the lake, like a bolt of lightning.

In an instant, he landed on the surface of the lake and confronted Yao Bin.

(End of chapter)