Chapter 1176: Qi Tianlong’s Resolve!

The final stage of the competition adopted a knockout format, meaning that the loser of each match would be immediately eliminated. Thus, every contestant had only one chance. Moreover, no one yet knew how many of the finalists possessed their own Dragon Mounts. Contestants with Dragon Mounts would not be permitted to use their Divine Dragon Armor or Dragon Spears in the subsequent battles. But that would still be two against one! The advantage was abundantly clear. Of course, no one would choose a Dragon Mount lightly. Once chosen, it could never be changed for life, and would accompany them for eternity, even if they ultimately failed to become a Dragon Knight.

Today, there was only one arena on the entire Rising Dragon Platform, unlike the previous rounds where multiple matches had been held simultaneously. Every match would be watched by the entire populace, and each would be a spectacular contest. All drawing ceremonies would be conducted under the witness of Dragon Knights to ensure absolute fairness in the finals. At this stage, no means could sway the course of the competition; everything had to proceed in the fairest manner possible. This was the rule of the Celestial Dragon Alliance. Even Dragon Knights were absolutely forbidden from engaging in favoritism or fraud at this stage. According to the rules of the Celestial Dragon Alliance, the finals of the Rising Dragon Competition generally required at least six Dragon Knights to bear witness—more than the number who had attended the decisive battle between Lan Xuanyu and Xu Yanmo. Qi Tianlong was among the earlier arrivals among the contestants.

The rest area was located to the side of the silver light gate, and to the right front of Rest Area 096 was the viewing zone for the Dragon Force Pillar of Light. After sweeping his gaze across the Dragon Force Pillar area, Qi Tianlong fixed his eyes on the arena, somewhat lost in thought. His sole objective in this competition was to claim the championship. In truth, he had long ago reached the pinnacle below the god rank. Had he not deliberately suppressed his advancement, he could have crossed into that echelon long before. He had refrained from stepping into the god rank precisely for this Rising Dragon Competition. The moment the tournament ended would be the moment he achieved godhood. As the direct disciple of the Celestial Dragon Planet’s Head, he was regarded as the heir to the Head’s position. The Head held great expectations for him. In terms of raw power, not many among this year’s contestants posed a real threat to him. But that Golden Dragon Princess had emerged from nowhere, seemingly making everything different. Qi Tianlong did not have a Dragon Mount. His plan was to select his Dragon Mount when vying for the rank of Dragon Knight. At that time, the mounts he could choose from would be the most powerful. As long as he gained the recognition of a Dragon Mount of compatible attributes, his strength would skyrocket. Relatively speaking, the more unruly the Dragon Mount, the more formidable it was. This was also why most young dragon elites were in no hurry to choose a mount. A Dragon Mount selected before becoming a god would inevitably be below the god rank, and it was uncertain whether the mount would be able to ascend alongside its master in the future. Hence, they all preferred to wait until after achieving godhood and directly select a god-rank or even true-god-rank Dragon Mount. That was the best shortcut. But Qi Tianlong could see that Lan and Xiuxiu shared an exceptionally close bond, which meant that “they” would most likely become a Dragon Knight and Dragon Mount pair.

That day, in the battle against Xu Yanmo, Lan’s tenacity and unyielding spirit had left a deep impression on everyone. Lan’s strength, while inferior to Xu Yanmo’s, was by no means weak. What was even more terrifying was “her” growth. The feedback “she” had received from the Rising Dragon Platform that day was what had shocked Qi Tianlong the most. The scene of four Dragon Knights personally standing guard had astounded and envied all. As the disciple of the Head, Qi Tianlong had naturally obtained relevant information afterward. Lan had not only fully recovered but had truly gained the benefits bestowed by the Rising Dragon Platform. Lan had become noticeably more formidable in overcoming opponents. The subsequent rounds had verified this. In such a state, if Lan were to be joined by Xiuxiu as a Dragon Mount, that would undoubtedly be an extremely difficult combination to handle. Xiuxiu appeared to be exceptionally fortunate, but no matter how lucky she was, reaching the finals still required a considerable level of strength. Perhaps this duo would be the greatest obstacle on his path forward. At that thought, Qi Tianlong felt as if a flame were burning in his chest—not from fear, but from excitement. What he loved most was accepting challenges: challenging the strong and being challenged by them.

At the same time, he realized that his attention toward Lan was growing increasingly intense, as if some uncontrollable emotion was spreading within him. That day, when Lan had been knocked down by Xu Yanmo time and again, only to rise and continue fighting each time, Qi Tianlong had suddenly discovered an irrepressible fury surging within him—a desire to tear Xu Yanmo to shreds. Lan’s indomitable spirit had deeply shaken him, filling him with immense admiration for this wild dragon woman who bore such noble blood. After stepping onto the Rising Dragon Platform, his gaze had actually been searching for that figure all along. It was precisely because Lan had not yet arrived that he had appeared so distracted. Just then, accompanied by the sound of breaking air, two figures drifted upward and landed on the Rising Dragon Platform. Qi Tianlong’s eyes immediately brightened.

“They” were hand in hand, both with flowing long hair and breathtakingly beautiful features, their expressions cool and aloof as they strode forward proudly, walking slowly toward the rest area. “They” had arrived! It wasn’t only Qi Tianlong who noticed “their” arrival; every contestant present in the finals took note. For a moment, countless gazes fell upon “them,” each face displaying a different expression, but all without exception carrying a hint of admiration.

Even Xu Yanmo, who had once been defeated by Lan Xuanyu, broke into a smile upon seeing “them” and even rose proactively to greet “them.”

 “Lan, Xiuxiu, hello.” Xu Yanmo stepped before Lan Xuanyu and nodded respectfully to “her.” 

“Hello.” Lan Xuanyu nodded back to him, while Bai Xiuxiu merely smiled without speaking. 

Having lost to Lan Xuanyu that day, pinned to the ground by “her,” Xu Yanmo had sustained considerable injuries, but after timely and effective treatment, his subsequent matches had not been affected. After that bout, he had carefully pondered the entire process and could not help but deeply admire Lan Xuanyu. He understood that he had actually fallen into “her” trap from the very beginning. Lan Xuanyu’s forbearance, the final explosion, and the persistence throughout the battle—every aspect was commendable. Although Xu Yanmo did not believe he would necessarily lose again if he faced Lan Xuanyu once more, at least in that match, he had been convinced fair and square. 

Xu Yanmo looked at Lan Xuanyu, then at Bai Xiuxiu, and smiled. “Are you two going to fight together?” 

Bai Xiuxiu asked, “What, are you here to scout us out?”

Xu Yanmo smiled wryly. “I just hope I don’t get drawn against you two. Whenever I see Lan, my body still trembles—it’s practically become a conditioned reflex.” 

Hearing that, Lan Xuanyu could not help but smile. That day, under the Dragon God Shock that “she” had unleashed at all costs, Xu Yanmo had truly been rattled. The Dragon God Shock invading one’s body was no easy thing to endure. Even for dragons with their robust physiques, that terrifying destructive force was hard to withstand. Relying on his formidable mastery over light elements, Xu Yanmo had barely managed to suppress most of the damage, but it had still taken him much longer to fully dissolve that power. If he were to face Lan Xuanyu again, even if he could win, he would surely pay an even heavier price, which would inevitably affect his later matches. Therefore, his statement about not wanting to encounter Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu was heartfelt. 

Lan Xuanyu said, “Yes, Xiuxiu and I will be fighting together.” 

Xu Yanmo had actually only been probing, but he had not expected Lan Xuanyu to give such a direct reply, and surprise flickered across his face. Then he nodded and said, “Then you two are certainly the favorites to win the championship. From what I know, among the clansmen who have made it to the finals, aside from you two, there are two others who have Dragon Mounts, but their mounts are not ranked in the top thirty.”