I became the Lord of the Eternal World in Tokyo.

Only in this way can we avoid being left behind by the new era.

After surveying the venue, Uesugi Tetsuya solemnly began to speak.

"Finally, I wish you all great military success in this new golden age!"

The venue fell silent.

Then, thunderous applause erupted.

This wasn't just a modifier; the overwhelming applause truly thundered, expressing their approval of Uesugi Tetsuya.

At that moment, Uesugi Tetsuya was unaware that videos and clips of his remarks had already been forwarded by countless people like a virus.

It has already become a hot topic on the internet.

And it's getting bigger and bigger, showing no signs of stopping.

Uesugi Tetsuya, having simply said what he was supposed to say, didn't think much of it and handed the microphone back to the referee.

"Uesugi-san," the referee chuckled, patting Uesugi Tetsu on the back. "I look forward to the day when I can address you as Lord Uesugi."

Just as Uesugi Tetsu was about to make a polite remark, he noticed that the demon referee had already started walking off the stage.

The awards ceremony did not seem to be hosted by him.

He looked down at the audience and saw the imposing figure who had announced the end of the first round of the seeding battle in mid-air earlier.

Yin and Yang power assist.

The sharp-looking man was talking to Nanjo Ai, smiling without any attempt to hide his laughter.

"Nanjo-sama, you really have a keen eye... You noticed back then that Uesugi-kun's talent was extraordinary."

Nanjo Aimi shrugged: "Just like he said, this is only the beginning of the future."

"Then I'll wait and see."

Yin Yang Quanzhu, who came from the Minamoto family, nodded expectantly and walked towards the stage.

The man walked slowly to Uesugi Tetsuya's side. Although he had no spiritual energy or protective aura around him, he still made Uesugi Tetsuya feel an extraordinary pressure.

Yin Yang Quanzhu nodded to him, then reached out towards the leader's seat behind Uesugi Tetsuya.

With just a faint flash of golden light, the originally large and imposing throne was transformed into a angular and exquisitely crafted golden trophy.

"—Uesugi-kun, congratulations on winning the first seeding tournament in the Eastern Region!"

Yin Yang Quan Zhu didn't use a microphone, yet his voice reached the ears of every audience member present.

His voice was gentle and gratified as he handed the heavy trophy to Uesugi Tetsuya.

Uesugi Tetsu thanked him, and then unexpectedly saw an item notification pop up on the trophy—

[Champion's Trophy]

【Quality: Epic+】

[Effect 1: Tranquility. Practicing near the "Champion's Throne" makes it easier to calm the mind, and wicked spirits cannot approach.]

[Effect 2: Attachment to the Divine Casket. The "Champion's Throne" can be used as an attachment object for most shikigami, and also as a casket for most shikigami when they are worshipped.]

[—This is the trophy awarded to Tetsuyuki Uesugi, the champion of the first seeded tournament in the Eastern Region.]

Slightly taken aback, Uesugi Tetsuya's pupils narrowed slightly, and the corners of his mouth turned up a little.

Trophys that are more symbolic than practical have this quality, not bad at all...

Just as he was about to lift the trophy like all the champions he had ever seen win, Yin Yang Gongzhu's voice came softly.

"Uesugi Tetsuya, the Sword Saint himself said he has high hopes for you... Keep up the good work."

Uesugi Tetsuya looked up with a start and met Yin Yang Gongsuke's warm gaze.

Sword Saint...?

Oh right, I almost forgot about him.

Among the rewards for the champion of the seed battle is "the opportunity to meet the Sword Saint".

He marveled inwardly.

I wonder what kind of person the legendary Sword Saint, who could single-handedly subdue the other three major families, was like. Now I can finally satisfy my curiosity.

After raising the champion's trophy and taking a photo with Yin Yang Quan Zhu, the latter went to collect the remaining medals and awarded them to the TOP2 through TOP10.

The final rankings of the seeded teams from second to tenth place are as follows:

【TOP2: Yuan Jingshui】

[TOP3: Kitada Kei]

【TOP4: Tokugawa Ririko】

[TOP5: Ryuichi Saito]

[TOP6: Kamo Teruichi]

【TOP7: Aonosuke】

【TOP8: Kitamura Yoyu】

【TOP9: Takizawa Kai】

【TOP10: Lin Renye】

Including himself, there were five people who were in the top ten from the beginning.

This shows that the preliminary rounds were quite competitive.

Taking advantage of the medal presentation, Uesugi Tetsuya also glanced at the rankings of the other people he was following.

Higashiyama Kei, a young colleague from the Special Affairs Department, ranked eleventh.

After undergoing some kind of internal struggle, Yan Liu, whose eyes hardened, ranked twelfth.

Haruhiko Tokugawa ultimately failed to return to the top 20, ranking last among the ancient clan players participating in this seeding battle, a huge embarrassment.

I wonder what kind of punishment I will receive when I return to the Tokugawa family.

Further on... Yagyu Akira, who ranked twenty-fourth, greeted him with a rare relaxed smile; Akechi Yuya, who ranked ninety-second, looked on with envy, but lowered his head and avoided Uesugi Tetsuya's gaze when he looked over.

Finally, there was the opponent that Uesugi Tetsu had fought with all his might to defeat in a real sword duel—

The second disciple of Oboroyado, Kuzunoha Chihaya.

It ranks sixty-first.

The woman was looking down, rubbing the still-sharp blade with her fingernails, lost in thought.

Uesugi Tetsu opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing more.

After scanning the area once, Uesugi Tetsu ignored the two adults who were having a blast and Kaga Kiyomitsu, and secretly retreated to the edge of the ring and crawled down.

As for the complicated rituals and procedures that followed, let the two little ones have fun if they want.

He stopped participating.

After all, there are still so many eagerly awaiting tips for him to read one by one!

Before long, many viewers who wanted to take photos discovered that Uesugi Tetsu had disappeared, and they all sighed with regret.

Just now, the name "Uesugi Tetsu" swept across the entire internet, ranking first on the trending searches of major websites.

Whether it was his acceptance speech, his spectacular fight, or even his seemingly insignificant little gestures...

Any video related to Uesugi Tetsu is currently experiencing a terrifying surge in views.

"Chisa-chan! Let's go! Let's go downstairs and take a picture with Big Brother!"

Shocked by the terrifying traffic, Tamamo clicked her tongue and, without saying a word, grabbed Chisa's wrist and ran towards the aisle outside the seats.

Okabe Motonobu watched the sisters' backs as they walked away, hesitated repeatedly, but ultimately did not reach out his hand.

This is between her and Che; it shouldn't involve ordinary people.

……

Just as he sneaked downstairs, Uesugi Tetsu spotted a familiar figure from not far away.

Nanjo Manami, who had slipped away before him, stretched and muttered unhappily.

"It's over! It's finally finished. Seriously... why did that brat Uesugi have to hit so hard?"

Uesugi Tetsuya, who was trying to startle her by taking slow, deliberate steps, had just gotten close to her from behind when Nanjo Manami wrapped her arm around his shoulder from the front.

"Congratulations on winning the seeded tournament."

Before Uesugi Tetsuya could speak, the woman, her face relaxed and cheerful, raised her chin and said...

"If you want to redeem the champion's reward, just ask a staff member to take you to the redemption room on the other side of Sky City. Most of the redemption lists are there."

Uesugi Tetsuya was stunned, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt.

"Nanjo-nee, how did you know I was going to ask that?"

"Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? Pfft."

Nanjo Ai-mi casually let go of her hand: "But for the Spider Cutter, we'll have to get it from the Minamoto family."

Meeting Uesugi Tetsu's exasperated gaze, Nanjo Manami helplessly shrugged.

"Hey Uesugi-kun, you don't actually think such a valuable thing would be left out in the open, do you? I heard that the five of them tried to take it out before, but were refused."

That old relic is probably still in the Yuan family's forbidden area.

She thought for a moment, then held up her finger.

"Moreover, it is said that to become the new master of the Spider Cutter, one must pass its test to obtain it, otherwise one will have to exchange it for other rewards."

Uesugi Tetsu nodded, indicating that he understood.

—It seems that the spider cutter also possesses intelligence, and it must be quite high.

At least, he's on par with Jia.

It's normal for a knife to be accepted as its new master.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the empty chair by the wall, Uesugi Tetsuya pretended to be tired and sat down.

"Nanjo-nee, I'll just sit here and rest for a bit. You go ahead and do your work."

"What a vicious curse..."

Nanjo Manami walked away with a twitching brow.

As soon as he sat down, Uesugi Tetsuya's fatigue vanished, and his eyes instantly shone with a brilliant golden light.

—Because there are still countless clues waiting for his favor!

[Your skill, Natural Rational Flow proficiency +102! ]

And just the prompts prefixed with "Your skill, Natural Mind Flow"... there are more than a dozen of them!

Chapter 309 Six Thousand Points of Proficiency, A Complete Breakthrough! A swarm of them—are these the high and mighty ghosts and gods?

There were so many similar prompts that Uesugi Tetsuya was momentarily overwhelmed.

"Merge like terms".

In a flash, the previously densely packed notifications became much cleaner.

The first "big" notification that appeared after the merger left Uesugi Tetsuya stunned.

[During the "Seed Battle," due to your participation in numerous high-intensity battles, your skill, Natural Mindfulness Style proficiency, has increased by 1722!!!]

Damn it.

1,700 proficiency points?

Uesugi Tetsu blinked several times to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"This is amazing..."

He covered his mouth with his hand to suppress his laughter and tried his best to remain calm.

But the corners of his mouth under his palm couldn't help but stretch wider and wider. If they weren't in a public place, Uesugi Tetsuya would almost have burst out laughing like a certain Kami.