I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

The royal city was once the core of the Eastern clans.

It has now been expanded into the capital of the entire Xia Kingdom, and is the most important hub and key point for the human race.

The streets in the city are several times wider than before, and the road surface is repeatedly compacted with a mixture of gravel and clay, with shops lining both sides.

The signs are all kinds of signs with big characters engraved on them. Now that more and more people can read, there is no longer a need to use pictures to identify them.

The royal city is exceptionally lively today.

The once-every-five-years Totem Walker selection competition is being held at the Central Training Ground.

The training ground is located next to the altar where the tree god's branch is located, and stone steps and stands are built on all four sides, which can accommodate thousands of people to watch the battle.

This was expanded after Qi became the Grand Commander; the intention was very direct—

This will allow every member of the Xia clan to witness firsthand how the new generation of travelers have emerged.

As the morning light began to spill over the city walls, the stands were already packed with people.

People from all walks of life, each with their own unique characteristics, spoke in different provincial accents, passionately discussing the battle situation.

Qi's gaze fell on the center of the training ground.

Two young figures are engaged in a fierce battle.

One of them was burly, shirtless, with a wolf's head pattern painted on his chest, and holding a heavy iron-spine broadsword.

The other was thin and wore a fine linen garment. He wielded a pair of short blades and moved with the agility of a monkey.

Their spiritual light surged around them, and each collision exploded into a dazzling burst of light.

Qi slightly narrowed his eyes.

The shirtless young man was named Qi.

Born in the Northern Province, his parents were ordinary farmers with no background in cultivation.

When he was ten years old, he was discovered to have outstanding talent by the patrolling monks and brought into the provincial training camp. He entered the Qi gathering stage at the age of twelve, began body tempering at the age of fifteen, and broke through his limits at the age of twenty.

He is thirty-five years old this year and has already reached the threshold of the Mingling Realm's Seeking the Law stage.

The high-ranking officials in the stands nodded secretly, delighted that another outstanding talent had emerged from the human race.

His opponent, the well-dressed young man, was named Yu.

Qi's only son.

Yu's talent is actually quite good. Before he was forty, he had reached the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, making him an outstanding person among his peers.

But the difference of an entire realm made the outcome of the fight a foregone conclusion.

Although Qi kept her offensive in check, the occasional bursts of spiritual light she emitted were enough to steadily suppress her opponent.

Yu's lips pressed into a line, and he swung the short blade faster and faster, which in turn revealed his weakness.

Qi instinctively swung his broadsword, stepped forward, and struck Yu's short blade with the back of his sword.

The force was not great, but the angle was extremely precise.

Yu felt a gentle force travel up his arm, the short blade flew out of his hand, and he staggered and fell to the ground.

The outcome was clear, and cheers erupted across the training ground.

Qi put away her weapon, took a step forward, and stretched out her free hand toward Yu.

With a sharp, jarring "snap," the sound was deafening.

Qi's hand froze in mid-air, her expression freezing for a moment.

He didn't say anything, took a step back, and stood quietly.

Yu slapped away the outstretched hand, struggled to his feet, and turned to walk towards the sidelines.

Qi stood up from the high platform and walked to the center of the training ground.

The cheers around them gradually subsided, and thousands of eyes were fixed on the Xia Kingdom's Grand President.

"Qi." Qi's voice wasn't loud, but every word was as clear as if it were right next to his ear.

"Your performance in the competition was outstanding and evident to all."

"By unanimous approval of the council, you are hereby appointed as the captain of the Royal City Guard, in charge of the daily patrols of the Royal City."

"You have full authority to command your three hundred guards."

Three hundred elite warriors obeyed his orders.

This is a crucial position in the royal city's defense system, a position few ordinary people of the clan can attain.

Qi's body trembled slightly. He had traveled this road for thirty-five years from the frozen north to the warm capital, and had finally arrived.

"By the Tree God."

Even the toughest man couldn't help but have tears welling up in his eyes at this moment. "Qi, I will live up to the expectations of my people!"

The training ground fell silent for a moment.

Then--

"good!"

It's unclear who shouted first.

Cheers erupted from all directions, like a torrent bursting its banks, like thunder rolling across the sky.

Celebration was the most vibrant color in the royal city on this day.

……

The night was deep, but the lights in the Royal City Council Hall were still on.

Qi sat at the stone table, processing the intelligence reports sent from various places.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps.

It was very light, and there was a hint of hesitation in it.

"Come in."

Yu pushed open the door, still wearing his dark blue linen clothes, which were covered in dust from the training ground.

Qi put down the intelligence report and looked at his only son with a blank expression.

The silence lasted a long time; the torch flames flickered a few times before settling back down.

"Father...I lost."

Yu's fingers gripped the hem of his clothes, his knuckles turning slightly white.

"He could have won from the start, but he deliberately dragged it out for so long."

Everyone is watching... watching me.

"Look at this good-for-nothing me, look at how the president's son is being mocked and humiliated..."

Yu's voice began to tremble, filled with uncontrollable anger.

"How did he win?"

"what?"

I asked, "How did Qi win?"

Qi repeated the question, his tone as hard as a newly forged iron ingot.

"He...slapped my short blade with the flat of his knife, and I lost my balance..."

Yu's lips trembled slightly, but he did not answer.

"Did he chase after you while you were down? Did he make any sarcastic remarks? Did he boast to the stands?"

Yu lowered his head, his fingers clenching even tighter.

"You said Qi humiliated you?!"

Qi stood up, walked up to Yu, and looked down at him.

"He's three years younger than you, and he suppressed his cultivation level to fight you for dozens of moves."

"Playing only defense the whole time, then reaching out to you after winning—is that considered humiliation?"

Yu's eyes were filled with tears, and his lips moved, but he couldn't speak.

Or perhaps—

"You think 'the president's son' can't lose?"

"Especially, we can't lose to the son of a border farmer!!"

Qi's words were like nails, piercing straight to the heart.

"That's right! What makes him think he can beat me?"

Yu's voice carried a long-suppressed, almost distorted resentment.

"How can a farmer's son who can't even read properly be better than me?"

"How dare he beat me? How could he possibly win!"

Qi shook his head. More disappointing than the failure was his son's ferocious expression.

"Do you know that before Qi was ten years old, she couldn't even get a decent meal?"

"Do you know that his parents are still farming in the frozen wasteland of the North to make a living?"

"Do you know how much he sacrificed to get onto this training ground?"

Qi pushed open the window, and the night wind rushed in, making the documents on the table rustle.

"You are my only son. From childhood to adulthood, I have given you the best of everything and placed the greatest expectations on you."

"I thought you would become the backbone of the next generation of the Xia Kingdom..."

Qi's voice suddenly lowered, as if he was sighing about something.

"Go back, go back and think it over carefully."

"You are only the son of Qi, not the son of the Great Ruler of Xia."

"The border is still short of some patrolmen. Go back and pack your things, get ready to take up your posts."

Yu stood there for a long time before finally dragging his heavy steps out of the council hall.

I opened my eyes to the window, and the night breeze rushed in, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.

On the distant altar, the tall elm tree gleamed under the moonlight.

"By the Tree God."

"What should I do...?"