Black sail

Chapter 664 XLIV. The Night of the Box's Demise
The Eternal Cult wields immense power and has its own exclusive seating area in the Imperial Arena. It is a spacious, independent platform with an extremely ornate curtain made of silver silk, and the bright red dragon lord emblem is extremely eye-catching.

There was no sign of the Pope in the audience; only some priests in white robes and dragon-faced helmets were present. The throne was empty.

The Pope was only there to give the Emperor a hard time; he would only come to present the champion with a grand gift at the very end.

But what is truly surprising is...

The Emperor was not present this year. In the center of the stadium's largest platform, under the bright red curtain, sat the Emperor's second son, Prince Phoenix, in the seat that the Emperor should have been in.

Inheriting the bloodline of emperors, he had three-dimensional and deep features, broad shoulders and back, and a firm waist and abdomen. Yet he was tall and well-proportioned like a theatrical performer. His black hair was slightly curly. Even though he was not yet twenty years old, he had a regal air about him as he sat there, like a sculpture on the throne. He had the iron will of a soldier, but also a touch of scholarly refinement in his eyes.

Those sky-blue eyes were the most captivating, revealing an undeniable decisiveness.

The emperor's left and right arms were on either side of him.

Cicero, the legendary warrior who once decisively defeated the capital of Old Aran, wears a silver eyepatch, has lost a leg and has replaced it with a prosthetic, and also uses a cane to move around. These injuries were caused by Zote, the deputy head of the Old Aran Witch Hunters' Secret Service.

Sitting to the right of the Second Prince Phoenix, he was dressed in court attire as the current president of the National Bank, which made him appear less ruthless, but still couldn't hide his air of authority.

Augustus, the acting chairman of the Aran Military Council and the supreme commander of the military, sat on the left, dressed in a black military uniform with his cap brim pulled low.

He was a monster-like man; every line beneath his cold military uniform exuded power about to erupt. His eyes, shadowed by the brim of his military cap, were like abysses. Beneath his high, straight nose, his thin lips were pressed into a sharp arc.

The Royal Guard was also protecting Phoenix.

The captain of the guard was none other than the previous champion, Lockhart, who had been granted a three-year tax exemption for his homeland. He was also the legendary Alan Superman who swam for seven days and seven nights in the icy waters of the North Sea, annihilating the orc army on the northern border. His gleaming silver-white magic-patterned armor made him look incredibly heroic.

Among the members of the Imperial Guard, there was of course the beloved Black Sword Netherflame.

Years ago, during the Battle of Bema, he successfully joined the Imperial Guard by framing and killing Zahak's father in a duel.

Black Sword Netherflame's armor was also entirely black, and the strange sword at his waist was also overflowing with eerie black flames in its sheath. Beneath his serpentine white curly hair was a sinister face. His gaze swept over Death Dance Julius among the contestants. He had heard about Julius's plan to take revenge on this occasion and found it quite amusing.

The surrounding area also includes various high-ranking legions created by the Emperor: the Army, Navy, Military Police, Royal Knights, Tax Corps, National Guard, Ministry of Energy...

Those with weaker mental fortitude wouldn't dare glance in that direction.

The Western Continent is divided into two halves by the Narrow Sea. In the eastern part, the absolute power of Aran is upheld by these people.

Of course, at the military competition in mainland China, we should not discuss national affairs.

The situation in the Aranite kingdom is very complicated.

The eldest prince was not born to the principal wife, but to a concubine, who seemed to be involved with some anti-imperialist forces.

The second prince, of course, was born to the emperor's principal wife, the eldest daughter of the Astalia family.

This martial arts tournament on the mainland is clearly partly a political maneuver, aimed at building momentum for the Second Prince.

The host wouldn't be so foolish as to ask why the Emperor wasn't there; he simply knelt on one knee and bowed to Phoenix.

The entire audience stood up and bowed.

Gerdrey was shocked. The Emperor hadn't shown up. He hadn't anticipated this situation. Calm down...

The most explosive thought was slowly taking root in my mind: it concerned my homeland and its people, and today's matter could only succeed, not fail.

For the top 16 contestants, Aranians were required to kneel on one knee, and foreigners were required to bow. Kaden's perfunctory bow was outrageous; anyone but the Emperor, even the Second Prince, could have done it, but what the hell was going on?
Sallet was also somewhat taken aback.

Because on that platform, there was a very familiar figure; Salert had gone to the Cloud Palace with him a few months ago.

Wesker was tasked with investigating the matter of the Overlord's descendants. He reported the situation to the commander of the Royal City Army and successfully brought Ben to the Supreme Special Seat of the Continental Martial Arts Tournament.

Because the timing wasn't right and due to their status, Wesker and Ben couldn't speak with Phoenix for the time being; they were simply waiting on the edge of the special seating area for the introductions to end.

Ben is now playing the game of officialdom, and Wesker can do whatever he wants. But he's also gotten too cocky, standing there dressed in court attire, arms crossed, looking down on everyone with disdain.

It seems that fate is still on my side. I haven't wasted my skills this year. I've honed my card skills even more. Given time, I'll become a high-ranking military officer. It would be so impressive that even my mother would be attending a funeral. I'd be so proud that I'd cry!
After the ceremony was completed.

The host introduced the sixteen contestants, each wearing a one-shoulder cape, to Phoenix as they entered the venue. After the introductions, Phoenix gave a speech.

And so, the night of elimination officially began.

Salert stared intently at Ben, while Kaden, though he dared not reveal the truth, was lost in thought. If this shady character had already told him the whole story, the crime of deceiving the emperor would be punishable by immediate beheading.

at the same time.

Within the territory of Mulong, outside the city of Drifting, the Black Sail gang set up an oasis camp beside the river oasis.

A message from the second prince of Aran to all the contestants also came over the radio.

【Warriors, citizens of the empire, friends from afar】

I know that you have been sweating profusely on the training field or honing your skills on the brink of life and death for this moment, driven by your desire to be the best and your dedication to victory.

I want you to remember that true warriors possess not only the sharpness to break through enemy lines and slay the enemy, but also the magnanimity to respect their opponents. Show your strength with your swords, interpret your glory with your actions. Regardless of who ultimately receives the crown, everyone who stands here today is a hero of the empire.

Now, in the name of the Second Prince of the Aran Empire, I declare the Continental Martial Arts Tournament Finals open! May courage be with you, and may glory illuminate your journey!

However, Lister and his group were completely uninterested in Kiba's polite words. The Emperor wasn't there, and the Second Prince was too?

"What the hell is going on? It's one thing that Salet hasn't made a move, but even that snake-kissed bitch Kaden hasn't made a sound?"

Lisite was deeply shocked. Had something unexpected happened? Was it related to the snake kiss incident earlier that day? Lisite herself didn't even know how the snake kiss story had gotten out.

"And who is Phoenix's mother?"

Morrison munched on a tangerine. "Tonight is awful," he thought, "meaning Master McDormand's adventure will be even more terrifying."

"Phoenix is ​​a songstress, right? Maybe the Queen's service wasn't good enough. That concubine's skills in bed were much better. Anyway, the First Prince isn't the Queen's child; Phoenix is."

Raine had been in an adventurer's guild; these are all old, unoriginal gossip.

Damn it, anyway, the girl I met during last year's train robbery, Alani, is related to Phoenix by blood; she's his cousin.

Li Site felt terrified; things hadn't gone as planned, and the expected verbal sparring that started five seconds after meeting hadn't materialized.

Micah's train journey will take just over an hour.

Salert, Demon Eye Mad Blade, Blade Bro, maybe you can only avoid serious trouble if you make it into the top three!
(End of this chapter)