Chapter 916: Rewards

When Li Luo, Li Li Fengyi, Li Jintao, and Deng Deng Fengxian stepped out of the space vortex and returned to the Longya Mountain plaza, a deafening cheer erupted, flooding their ears and leaving their heads ringing.

Li Luo rubbed his ears, gazing helplessly at the flag members on the plaza, now utterly out of control with excitement.

Yet he understood their loss of composure—after all, the position of Dragon Chief had long been monopolized by the Dragon Bloodline, and the Longya Line had been relentlessly suppressed by them; whenever they argued with Dragon Bloodline members, the latter would sneer and ask, "How many generations has your Longya Line gone without winning the Dragon Chief title?"

That single sentence would leave Longya Line members stifled and unable to refute it.

This time, even the four-flag members likely had no real hope for the Dragon Chief title; even Zhao Zhao Yanzhi and Li Luo's direct followers probably thought he might achieve a decent result—but the Dragon Chief? They never dared to dream of it.

After all, Li Li Qingfeng stood like a mountain before them, his Xing Tian Zhu Jing cultivation already far surpassing the other major flag chiefs.

But who could have foreseen that Li Luo wouldn't just cross over Li Li Qingfeng's mountain—he also entered the ninth round, engaging in a cross-temporal duel against Li Taixuan, the Dragon Chief ranked among the top three in the twenty-flag history?

Most importantly, Li Luo ultimately won—thus, the true value of this Dragon Chief title was elevated.

Judging by this combat power, shouldn't Li Luo's Dragon Chief position qualify him among the top three in history?

Moreover, among this ranking, Li Luo's Xiangli level was the weakest—but that weakness wasn't due to his own talent; it was because of the burden of Outer Shenzhou. If this Dragon Chief contest had been delayed by half a year, and Li Luo's Xiangli caught up to Li Li Qingfeng and the others, how astonishing would his performance have been?

Thinking of this, many felt a pang of regret.

Yet they knew it was nitpicking—Li Luo's achievement alone was enough to greatly boost the morale of the Longya Line.

"Congratulations to Great Flag Chief Li Luo for securing the Dragon Chief title! Uphold the glory of Longya!" On the plaza, tens of thousands of four-flag members finally calmed slightly, yet still shouted with excitement and fervor, their voices rising and falling.

Even the Jin Guang Flag members, who viewed Qing Ming Flag as rivals, offered sincere congratulations.

Facing countless excited gazes, Li Luo smiled and bowed his hands—he knew that after this battle, his prestige among the younger generation of the Longya Line had been utterly elevated; previously, Deng Deng Fengxian had at least been able to stand on equal footing with him, especially within Jin Guang Flag, where Deng Deng Fengxian's reputation still surpassed his—but from today onward, things might be different.

Of course, Li Luo had no interest in meddling in Jin Guang Flag affairs; after all, Jin Guang Flag belonged to Jin Guang Academy, and its Grand Academy Head might not wish to witness this scene.

Behind Li Luo and the others, space rippled suddenly, and figures emerged directly from the void; as they appeared, the previously roaring tens of thousands of flag members instantly fell silent, daring not to raise their voices.

For the arriving group was the senior leadership of the Longya Line, led by Li Li Jingzhe.

Li Li Jingzhe wielded immense authority within the Longya Line; before him, not only ordinary flag members, but even the heads of every academy, behaved with strict propriety, daring not to overstep.

Li Li Jingzhe scanned the flag members on the field, yet made no reprimand; instead, he said coolly, "You all have brought some honor to our Longya Line this generation—far superior to those previous slackers."

The flag members exchanged uneasy glances, offering awkward smiles, saying nothing.

"Li Luo's victory for the Dragon Chief title is a joyous occasion. The cultivation resources for Jin Guang Flag, Zi Qi Flag, and Chi Yun Flag this month are doubled; as for Qing Ming Flag, they are tripled for three months." As Li Li Jingzhe's calm voice echoed across the field, every flag member present wore expressions of ecstatic joy.

This was real, tangible benefit!

With these increased cultivation resources, they could now advance their strength.

"Thank you, Pulse Chief!" Tens of thousands of flag members quickly bowed.

"Thank Li Luo instead—this is all he earned for you through his own performance," Li Li Jingzhe said.

"Thank you, Dragon Chief!" Then tens of thousands of flag members bowed again, this time toward Li Luo.

Behind Li Li Jingzhe, the senior leaders of the Longya Line exchanged glances—they all understood: this was Li Li Jingzhe deliberately building Li Luo's prestige, consolidating his reputation. Clearly, though Li Li Jingzhe appeared calm on the surface, he was utterly delighted by Li Luo's performance in the Dragon Chief contest.

"Disperse," Li Li Jingzhe waved his hand.

Instantly, tens of thousands of flag members said not a word and withdrew like a receding tide; soon, the once densely packed plaza stood empty.

Then Li Li Jingzhe turned to the senior leaders of the other academies and said, "Spread the news of Li Luo's Dragon Chief victory across the entire Longya Domain as swiftly as possible. Our Longya Line hasn't won this honor in many years—it's time for celebration, to uplift the morale of our younger generation."

The senior leaders' eyelids twitched—Pulse Chief wasn't trying to uplift morale; he was clearly showing off his grandson and maximizing Li Luo's reputation throughout the Longya Domain.

Though the Dragon Chief title was a decent achievement among the younger generation, for the entire Longya Line, it wasn't truly earth-shattering—it was merely a competition among Tian Zhu Jing cultivators, hardly stirring any ripple among the many Marquis Realm experts.

On Tianyuan Shenzhou, prodigies were countless; only after entering the Marquis Realm could one truly be called a significant figure.

Of course, though they thought this, none dared spoil Li Li Jingzhe's current mood—would anyone dare advise that a mere youth competition didn't warrant such fanfare?

Thus, the senior leaders all respectfully agreed.

Seeing this, Li Li Jingzhe waved them off; Deng Deng Fengxian also departed. Li Li Jingzhe turned his gaze to Li Luo and the other two, his stern expression softening slightly. "Come with me."

He then turned and headed toward the back mountain. Li Luo and the other two exchanged glances, then obediently followed.

Under Li Li Jingzhe's lead, the group proceeded to the bamboo grove in the back mountain. Li Li Jingzhe said nothing, merely silently picking bamboo shoots, leaving the three to chat idly in the courtyard.

Perhaps because over the past half-year, Li Li Fengyi and Li Jintao had followed Li Luo and gradually seen a less stern Li Li Jingzhe, they had slowly grown more at ease, no longer as stiff as before.

Li Li Jingzhe picked bamboo shoots alone, then prepared a simple meal for the three.

When the moon rose above the treetops, the four sipped wine together in the courtyard.

"You all performed well this time," Li Li Jingzhe said under the moonlight, gazing at the three youths; his usually stern, aged face now appeared unusually gentle, a faint smile on his lips.

Li Li Fengyi and Li Jintao exchanged glances, both astonished—they had never imagined seeing the old man smile.

"Jintao, though your temperament doesn't suit the Longya Line, since you've found your own path, stick to it," Li Li Jingzhe told Li Jintao.

Li Jintao nodded quickly.

Li Li Jingzhe turned to Li Li Fengyi: "Your talent is inferior to theirs, but your sense of responsibility surpasses both. In the future, you may have to manage affairs for them."

Li Li Fengyi scratched his head sheepishly.

Li Li Jingzhe took a sip of wine, then looked at Li Luo. "You're a decent lad—you knew to strive for the Nine-Striped Holy Heart Lotus. Otherwise, I'd have had to pay a heavy price to acquire it from those bastards."

"About the Nine-Striped Holy Heart Lotus—don't rush. After I retrieve it, I'll keep it here for now. When you need it, come and take it. It's too valuable; Marquis Realm experts covet it fiercely. If you carry it constantly, ruthless individuals will target you—it's dangerous."

Li Luo smiled. "I leave it entirely to Grandpa's discretion."

Li Li Jingzhe nodded. "You've brought honor to our Longya Line before the other four lines—so I won't let you go unrewarded."

He swept his sleeve, and three glowing specks drifted out slowly; within each speck, an artifact shimmered, radiating an astonishing surge of energy.

Seeing this, Li Luo and the other two instantly brightened.

These… were Treasures?

Grandpa's mood must be exceptionally high—he's really found every excuse to hand out gifts!