I became the Lord of the Eternal World in Tokyo.

It came like thunder, but fell as lightly as a feather.

And that speed at which it went from the edge of the field of vision to right in front of you in an instant... you don't even know where the sword was swung from.

Uesugi Tetsu opened his mouth, but finally asked the truth: "What if you, Ms. Gen, can never surpass your older sister in your entire life?"

"Then we can't surpass it."

To his surprise, Yuan Jingshui, who was determined not to lose, was surprisingly open-minded.

Minamoto Shizumizu stood up from the ground and smiled when she saw his expression: "Uesugi-kun, I just want to hold onto the possibility of surpassing that Minamoto Shinsui, that's all."

"After all, no one can predict the future."

He narrowly escaped death because of a single word of encouragement, and also gained the key to the gate to the supernatural through that same word.

But now, Yuan Jingshui has deliberately discarded this key.

Thinking of this, Uesugi Tetsuya suddenly asked,

"What if Lord Yuanxinshui didn't say 'Keep it up,' or if that 'Keep it up' didn't come, or if it came too early or too late?"

"Then I'll die."

Yuan Jingshui's eyes held a tranquility born from having witnessed the immense terror between life and death: "Once you fall completely into the sea of ​​calamity, no one can save you."

In other words, different from others.

What Yuan Jingshui faced was real death.

"People must pay the price for their choices and bear the corresponding consequences."

Yuan Jingshui said, "In order to win, I am prepared to face death."

"I didn't know that a simple 'keep going' would have this effect, and I'm afraid even my older sister doesn't know..."

Maybe she just saw how hard I was working and decided to give me some encouragement on a whim.

At this point, the girl smiled with relief.

"So, the fact that I'm still alive and able to talk to you, Uesugi-kun, is just pure luck."

Uesugi Tetsu shook his head: "Good luck is also a kind of strength."

"If Uesugi-kun says so, then it must be so."

Yuan Jingshui did not argue with him.

She deflated like a punctured balloon, her aura returning from the so-called "half-step ghost god" level to three and a half stars.

However, it did not cause any aftereffects of failing to break through to the spirits.

Luck...

Uesugi Tetsu touched the golden ball bell hanging at his waist, then looked at the referee and the audience in the stadium who were staring at him intently.

He was about to take a step forward when he heard a voice calling out from behind him in a rising tone.

"Uesugi-kun."

Yuan Shizumi, cradling the motionless Hotaru, smiled radiantly at him, her cheeks flushed.

"It's been a pleasure fighting you to this point."

"Ah."

Ignoring the flood of pop-up notifications, Uesugi Tetsuya replied just as sincerely.

"Me too."

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the piercing referee and the very center of the stadium.

Because of the end of the seed battle, countless notifications suddenly popped up in Yu Guangli's mind.

The mountain of proficiency increases, even breakthrough prompts, attribute boosts from the Bloodlust of the Crimson Prajna, strange changes in the gacha pool after obtaining the three-star Half-Eyed Demon incarnation, changes in sword skills and sword principles, and even rewards from seed battles...

There are so many more.

But these hints won't disappear; they'll just stay put and wait quietly, so they're irrelevant for now.

Now, the important thing is—

Uesugi Tetsu walked slowly to the referee's side, and then to the first seat in the rankings, which was now bathed in golden light and located in the very center of the arena...

No, it should now be said that it is next to the throne.

The remaining 127 seats were arranged around him, like stars in a row.

Uesugi Tetsu calmly looked up.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators stood up and cheered like a tsunami.

The leader has returned to his position, and all the stars are gathered around him!

Chapter 308 The Champion's Trophy, the Sword Saint's Appreciation! The name "Uesugi Tetsu" swept across the entire internet like a tidal wave!

"Uesugi Tetsu!"

"Uesugi Tetsu! Uesugi Tetsu! Uesugi Tetsu..."

In the Sky City Arena, which can hold tens of thousands of spectators, only this one name echoed at this moment.

Everyone cheered.

In the very center of the arena, Uesugi Tetsu stood before the golden champion's chair.

At this moment, he didn't feel particularly excited.

Rather than saying I wasn't excited, it would be more accurate to say I was unusually calm.

On the contrary, Nissa, who was still in Niou form, ran over with cheers and scooped him up on his shoulder and lifted him high. He looked like he was having a blast.

Kaga Kiyomitsu, who hadn't said much throughout the seeding battle, also sprang out of his scabbard, buzzing in mid-air.

It was even more excited than when it had received several soul enhancements itself.

The contestants behind also cast different glances—envy, disappointment, melancholy, and joy…

All kinds of emotions.

Uesugi Tetsu sat on her soft yet firm shoulders and gently ruffled the hair on her head.

If I had to say what was exciting, it would be the moment I beheaded Minamoto Shizumi and confirmed that I had won the match.

That's the real race against time, where even a difference of a thousandth or ten-thousandth of a second can change the outcome.

and so……

Uesugi Tetsu thought that winning the seeding tournament was indeed a commendable honor, and it might also be one of the titles that would be associated with the future saying, "There's not enough room for everyone here."

But this is not the end.

He only won the championship among his peers in a certain region of the world, proving that he was indeed rarely matched by ghosts and gods.

This seeding battle has indeed yielded fruitful results.

As he ran around the two-foot-wide lap of cheering figures, Uesugi Tetsu's eyes swept over one ghost after another who was smiling and clapping at him, and a fighting spirit welled up in his heart.

I want to become stronger, I want to become a demon or god, I want to compete with them, and then prove myself...

What is stronger?

Uesugi Tetsu let out a soft breath, suppressing these inappropriate thoughts.

He shook his head inwardly, wondering if he had also been influenced by battle maniacs like Ririko and Minamoto Shizumi.

A battle where everything is at stake is truly terrifying...

Uesugi Tetsu glanced at the groups of spectators, smiling and waving in response to their cheers.

As a result, the calls grew louder and louder.

The live-streaming drone zoomed in for a close-up shot, faithfully recording the scene.

—Ye Chun, who was far away, had extremely fast hands and immediately clicked to save more than a dozen images.

—Tamamo seemed to have regressed to an ancestral state, making many "oh-hoo" sounds, saying that she would run to take a group photo later.

At this moment, the two-foot-tall man slowly stopped walking.

Uesugi Tetsu looked down.

He is the referee.

The referee, dressed in a suit and holding a microphone, was a ghostly figure... or rather, the host was looking up at him with a warm smile.

Uesugi Tetsuya understood that they were going to do a victory interview with him.

So he jumped down from the two-foot-tall man's shoulders and landed next to the referee, who was raising his other hand and speaking.

"First of all, let's give another round of enthusiastic cheers to Uesugi-kun, the champion of the seeding battle!"

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh—!"

The sound waves, seemingly materialized, soared into the sky, making Uesugi Tetsuya's ears ache.

The referee raised his hand again to signal the end of the cheers, and then asked Uesugi Tetsuya, "Uesugi, do you have anything to say now, or a victory speech?"

If they say no at this point, it would put the referee in an awkward position.

So Uesugi Tetsu took the microphone and thought for a long time.

During those ten seconds, the entire venue fell into a deep silence.

"The seeded players are all very strong, with superb skills, solid foundations, and many techniques that I've never seen before..."

Honestly, my victory and first place were purely by luck.

Upon hearing Uesugi Tetsu's "humble remarks," a chorus of boos erupted from the audience in response to Versailles's statement.

Just kidding. Everyone who saw it from beginning to end knew that you, Uesugi Tetsuya, fought your way up with strength a thousand times harder than steel.

Putting everything else aside, you've beaten seven out of the top ten!

Most of them were still one-sided victories!

Uesugi Tetsu continued, "I am very happy and excited to have won this championship from Minamoto Shizumizu."

Very happy?

The audience looked up at the almost expressionless face on the big screen.

Saying such things with that expression, Uesugi Tetsuya...aren't you ashamed of yourself?!

This man is not just scary, he's absolutely terrifying!

Ririko, standing behind, didn't have much doubt.

—With Suguru Tetsuya's level of mental cultivation, he could easily suppress all his excess emotions and prevent them from showing.

However, he has maintained this habit even after winning the championship.

As expected of him.

Ririko sighed inwardly.

Ignoring the differing opinions of the audience, Uesugi Tetsu continued, "Although I have won the championship, I will not become arrogant or complacent and live off one title for the rest of my life."

As soon as he said that, the venue erupted in laughter.

Uesugi Tetsuya paused, then took a deep breath and spoke with a slightly serious tone.

"Now that the world is recovering and the concentration of spiritual energy is rising day by day, cultivation in this era is much simpler than in the last thousand years. It is the best era."

However, demons, monsters, and evil spirits have also become active, and the mythical world has risen to the surface. The next wave is approaching, and without sufficient power, it may be difficult to protect oneself.

Therefore, this is also the worst of times.

After those two sentences, the entire venue fell silent instantly.

Most people fell silent and focused their attention on him.

Only a very small number of ordinary people who believe that these demons, ghost stories, and supernatural forces have nothing to do with them are still laughing and joking without a care in the world.

"The seeding tournament title is just a stop on my journey. I receive glory and praise here, but I will not stop here."

Relentless climbing, endless progress, the pursuit of strength, and never being satisfied.