163: Chapter 163 System Rewards

"Father! By interfering so forcefully, have you ever sought my consent?" Frog Fairy's willow eyebrows furrowed tightly.

Although Xiang Tian was her savior, the matter of a Dao Companion concerned her entire life.

How could it be decided so rashly?

"Frog Fairy, this matter is settled," the Arrow-Poison Demon Sage's expression darkened slightly.

"If you dare to object again, I guarantee I will make this Human Race brat wish he were dead."

Xiang Tian and Frog Fairy exchanged a glance.

A wise man does not fight when the odds are against him, so Xiang Tian quickly leaned in toward Frog Fairy.

He lowered his voice and urged, "Frog Fairy, let's just agree with your father for now. We didn't say we had to become Dao Companions right away; let's just steady him for now."

Frog Fairy blinked. "Master, you aren't just agreeing because you covet my body, are you?"

"You girl!" Xiang Tian almost blurted out, "You're a frog."

He quickly coughed twice to hide his embarrassment.

"Frog Fairy, how can you say that? Your father traveled so far to find you; it wasn't easy. Let's let him leave in peace first, and we can discuss the rest later."

The Arrow-Poison Demon Sage spoke impatiently, "Frog Fairy, it is settled. I have many important matters to attend to and cannot stay long."

Frog Fairy's willow eyebrows knitted even tighter as she turned to look at Xiang Tian.

"I can agree, but you are not allowed to do anything strange to me, otherwise I will never forgive you."

"That goes without saying!" Xiang Tian quickly stated his position.

What bad intentions could he possibly have?

Although Frog Fairy's human form was indeed dainty and moving,

the moment he recalled her previous ugly, large frog form,

that faint spark of thought in his heart instantly vanished.

"Then it is a deal." The Arrow-Poison Demon Sage said no more.

With a stretch of his large hand, he picked up Xiang Tian and Frog Fairy.

His figure flashed, turning into a streak of light, and he sped off in the direction of the Xiang Family.

Above the Xiang Family,

the Old Ancestor hovered in mid-air, his tone as majestic as thunder.

He ordered the Xiang Family Disciples below in a deep voice, "Everyone of the Xiang Family, come out and report! You must clearly state who that evil-minded Xiang Jue contacted and where he went. Do not hide a single detail!"

"We respectfully obey the Old Ancestor's decree!"

The Xiang Family Disciples cupped their hands and bowed in unison.

In the crowd,

discussions and curses rose and fell.

"I didn't expect Xiang Jue to actually collude with the Demon Race and attempt to destroy the entire Xiang Family. He is truly despicable!"

"I blame myself for being blind; I actually admired that animal. Thinking about it now, I am truly ashamed!"

"It is fortunate that he is dead; otherwise, our Xiang Family would have been destroyed by his hands sooner or later. He deserved to die!"

"Everyone, be quiet." Yue Lin walked forward slowly, her jade hand lifting slightly.

She raised her eyes and swept across the crowd.

She spoke slowly, "Actually, successfully defeating the Demon Race and eliminating Xiang Jue this time was not a coincidence..."

As she spoke, Yue Lin presented the Formation and Talisman that Xiang Tian had given her beforehand.

She explained in detail the entire process of how Xiang Tian had secretly laid out the plan and used her hand to resolve the Xiang Family's crisis.

After hearing Yue Lin's words, the entire crowd was in an uproar.

"Hiss—so that means the Prince of Equal Status actually indirectly eliminated the Demon Race and saved our entire Xiang Family?"

"I deserve to die! I was always mocking the Prince of Equal Status and looking down on him. Thinking about it now, it was truly foolish!"

"The Prince of Equal Status's Opportunity and strength are simply not something we can compare to. No wonder he could be conferred as the Prince of Equal Status by the Emperor; it is well-deserved!"

"I hope that when the Prince of Equal Status returns, he will not blame us for our previous rudeness..."

Everyone chimed in, their tones filled with guilt and regret.

Yue Lin stood where she was.

Watching the shift in everyone's attitude, a satisfied smile curled at the corners of her lips.

As the Queen of Dayue, her husband should naturally be respected and loved by all.

Just as everyone was full of anticipation and whispering Xiang Tian's name,

a streak of light suddenly descended. The Arrow-Poison Demon Sage gently set Xiang Tian and Frog Fairy down.

Without even an extra word, he flashed and disappeared into the horizon.

"It's the Prince of Equal Status! The Prince of Equal Status is back!" Someone was the first to react, shouting excitedly.

As soon as the words fell, the present Xiang Family Disciples swarmed over.

They quickly surrounded Xiang Tian and cupped their hands and bowed in unison.

Their voices were loud enough to resound through the heavens: "Greetings, Prince of Equal Status!"

This sudden respect and cheering caught Xiang Tian off guard.

For a moment, he was even a bit dazed, not quite used to such a display.

Patriarch Xiang stood at the front of the crowd, his eyes lighting up at the sight.

He quickly turned his head to look at the Second Elder standing behind him. "Second Elder, since the Prince of Equal Status has returned and everyone is present, hurry up and announce the final result of this Young Lord competition!"

Upon hearing this, the Second Elder dared not delay in the slightest.

He immediately moved his body and flew into mid-air.

He raised a large hand and said in a deep voice, "Silence!"

The entire scene instantly quieted down, and everyone's eyes converged on the Second Elder.

The Second Elder cleared his throat and spoke slowly, "This Xiang Family Young Lord competition, although it encountered the twists and turns of the Demon Race colluding with a traitor midway, fortunately, it concluded smoothly. After deliberation and adjudication by the clan's Elders and the Old Ancestor, the final result of the competition is—Prince of Equal Status Xiang Tian has won the championship and officially becomes our Xiang Family's Young Lord!"

The moment the words fell, the Xiang Family Disciples once again cupped their hands in unison.

They bowed and saluted toward Xiang Tian, their voices even louder and more respectful than before. "Young Lord! Young Lord! Young Lord!"

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, two System notification sounds rang out in succession in Xiang Tian's mind.

[Ding, congratulations to the host for completing the task, cultivation level increased by one layer, rewarded with 200,000 face-slapping points and one lottery chance.]

[Ding, congratulations to the host for completing the task, cultivation level increased by two layers, rewarded with 500,000 face-slapping points and two lottery chances.]

Xiang Tian was instantly excited.

A surge of majestic spiritual power instantly swept through his entire body.

He clearly felt that his cultivation had improved by a full three layers.

His whole body was filled with an unprecedented sense of comfort, and even his blood Qi became increasingly surging.

Besides that, he also gained 700,000 face-slapping points and three lottery chances.

This wave could be described as winning big.

But before he could savor this joy and check the face-slapping points he had obtained,

a System notification poured a bucket of cold water on him.

[The debt owed by the host, excluding interest, is automatically deducted.]

Black lines instantly covered Xiang Tian's forehead.

Looking at the amount instantly reduced on the points panel, the corners of his mouth twitched a few times.

He cursed inwardly, "How detestable! This wretched System, can't it let me be happy for a few more seconds?"

Xiang Tian quickly composed his mind.

He cupped his hands toward the Ancestor of the Xiang Clan, the Emperor, and others present, saying, "Respected Ancestors, Emperor, today's matters are concluded, and I wish to take my leave for now."

After speaking, he turned around and walked toward the gate of the Xiang Family with Xiahou Yu and the others.

Seeing this, the Xiang Family members felt reluctant but could not urge him to stay.

Having experienced the chaos of the Demon Race, the entire Xiang Family had already become ruins.

Just as they were about to walk out of the Xiang Family,

Xiang Tian's gaze suddenly swept across the crowd, his eyes turning cold.

He said in a deep voice, "Xiang Hua, where did you think you could escape to?"

He stretched out his large hand and lifted Xiang Hua, who was hiding in the crowd.

Then, taking Xiahou Yu, Yue Lin, and the other women, his figure flashed.

They turned into a streak of light and sped toward his Prince's Mansion.

Inside the courtyard of the Prince's Mansion, Xiang Tian sat upright by the stone table, his expression indifferent.

Beside him, Xiahou Yu, Yue Lin, and the other women sat nestled close.

Xiang Hua was held captive to the side, her expression stubborn, head tilted up.

She looked at Xiang Tian with cold eyes. "Now that I have fallen into your hands, whether you want to kill me or torture me, do as you please; there is no need for more words."

"Hehe!" Xiang Tian chuckled lightly.

"Is this how you view me, your cousin? Sigh, it seems you still don't understand me too well."

He stood up slowly and walked in front of Xiang Hua.

He said word by word, "When we were in the Xiang Family, you and your siblings, relying on your outstanding talent, always looked down on me, mocked me, and targeted me everywhere. I only slapped you because you were rude, and you then degraded yourself, not hesitating to sell your own body just to take revenge on me. Is it worth it?"

He paused.

Xiang Tian's tone softened slightly, but it still carried an irrefutable firmness.

"The reason I am sparing your life is not because I fear you, nor because I am soft-hearted, but only because you are a member of the Xiang Family and are the child of the Fourth Uncle. From now on, don't even think about stepping out of this Prince's Mansion. I will have the Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt discipline you properly and let you reflect on your mistakes."

After speaking, he gave a look to Xiang Yuan, who was to the side. "Take her away."

"Xiang Tian, on what grounds are you imprisoning me? What right do you have!" Xiang Hua instantly shouted excitedly, struggling to break free from her restraints.

Xiang Tian did not stop, speaking indifferently.

There was not a ripple in his tone: "You are able to keep your life only because you are the child of the Fourth Uncle. If it were not for the sake of the Fourth Uncle, you would already be a corpse."

Xiang Yuan dared not delay and immediately stepped forward. Holding the still-shouting Xiang Hua, he turned and left.

Watching Xiang Hua's retreating figure, Xiahou Yu's willow eyebrows furrowed slightly.

She turned to look at Xiang Tian and asked softly, "Xiang Tian, do you intend to keep your cousin imprisoned in the Prince's Mansion forever?"

"Oh?" Xiang Tian raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Xiahou Yu.

"What, do you think I shouldn't imprison her? I thought that with your personality, you would advise me to kill her directly to eliminate future trouble."

Xiahou Yu shook her head gently and said softly, "I know a little about your situation in the Xiang Family; the way she treated you before was indeed detestable. It's just that I didn't expect you to spare her life and not kill her off completely."

"In my eyes, she is ultimately just an ignorant younger sister whose mind was muddled by jealousy." Xiang Tian shook his head slowly.

"At most, I will abolish her cultivation, letting her completely lose the ability to do evil, but I won't truly kill her—after all, blood is thicker than water."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiang Tian's gaze slowly swept across the women around him.

A suggestive smile curled at the corners of his lips, "Now that the crisis of the Xiang Family has been resolved and the position of Young Lord has been settled, shouldn't we properly relax?"

But before the women could respond, their gazes converged behind Xiang Tian.

"This young lady, who are you?"

Frog Fairy quickly stepped forward and performed a graceful bow to the women.

"Greetings, Mistresses. I am Little Fairy, the one who was always by Master's side before, that..."

"Ah? You are that Little Frog?" Yan Linfei was the first to react.

"But you look completely different now, like a different person. You're much prettier than before; I didn't recognize you at all!"

Duanmu Hongdie also frowned, her Face full of question marks, "Exactly, your transformation is too big!"

For a time, the women gathered around Frog Fairy, chatting away, chiming in one after another.

They had long since cast Xiang Tian to the back of their minds.

Xiang Tian sat to the side and rolled his eyes helplessly.

Truly, a woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea; in the blink of an eye, no one was paying attention to him anymore.

He did not step forward to disturb them, taking advantage of the gap in their chatting.

He stood up quietly, wanting to find a place to properly digest the cultivation he had just improved.

But just as he had taken a few steps, a voice came over: "Xiang Tian, stop, come with me."

Xiang Tian's footsteps paused, and he turned to look.

He saw Princess Zhou Zhiyan standing not far away, looking at him with a firm gaze.

He was puzzled and walked up to ask, "Princess Zhou Zhiyan, what is it? What matter is there that must be said to me in private?"

Princess Zhou Zhiyan did not explain much, simply walking up and gently taking Xiang Tian's hand.

"Don't ask too much. You will accompany me to the palace now; when we arrive, you will naturally know."

After speaking, she held Xiang Tian's hand.

Her figure moved, and she walked in the direction of the Imperial Palace.