C2 King's Gauntlet

Everyone turned to look and saw a young man with silver hair and purple eyes approaching them in a peculiar carriage.

What made the carriage so odd?

It was neither powered by magic circles nor pulled by spirit animals. With one wheel in front and two behind, the young man sat squarely in the middle, pedaling furiously on the footboards at either side.

It seemed like a relic of a bygone era, a contraption born of forgotten mechanical arts.

As he propelled the carriage forward, he also rang a bell on the handle and called out confidently.

"Make way, make way! Don't try any tricks; if you get hit, I'm not responsible."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the young man leisurely made his way through the main gate.

"Isn't that... Shen Wuyou? I thought he was mute. How is he speaking?"

"With silver hair and purple eyes, who else could it be but the Crown Prince of Dawnward?"

"Oh dear, this fool with no powers actually showed up."

The final contestant, Shen Wuyou, had arrived. The Golden Armored Guards granted him entry, and a sea of citizens surged into the training field.

At that moment, inside the training field.

The Emperor of the Auslathen Kingdom sat majestically on the viewing platform, flanked by various lords, ministers, and military officers. The royal presence commanded the utmost reverence from the many onlookers.

Shen Wuyou pedaled his tricycle toward the stage at the center of the training field.

The stage stood twenty feet high, a hundred feet long, and wide, with Skyglass on all sides to project images so that the audience could have a clear view.

Many young prodigies and members of the royal family had already used their abilities to ascend to the stage. For them, a height of twenty feet was no challenge.

But for Shen Wuyou, who lacked any cultivation, it was a significant obstacle.

Having reached the base of the stage, he grumbled to himself, "Couldn't they have put in some stairs? What kind of preparation is this..."

The murmurs of the crowd betrayed their amusement. Who would have imagined that someone without any powers would dare to enter the competition?

"Ah, there's no other choice..." Shen Wuyou sighed in resignation, dismounted from his tricycle, and began to climb up the wooden pole beside the stage.

In full view of the onlookers, a royal family member was scaling the pole like a monkey. What made it worse was that the Skyglass projected and magnified the scene, allowing the surrounding crowd to see every detail.

Laughter and snide comments erupted from all directions.

The royal family members in the stands shifted uncomfortably at the sight.

Halfway up, Shen Wuyou suddenly slid back down the pole.

Someone snickered, "Ha, looks like he got tired halfway up!"

"Shen Wuyou, the fool, must be here for comic relief!"

"Hey, what the—!" Shen Wuyou suddenly shouted, "Lottery staff, yes, you, the staff, come here!"

He pulled out a stack of silver notes and declared, "Put it all on number ninety-nine to win, all of it!"

Number ninety-nine was Shen Wuyou's own entry number.

Betting on the King's Gauntlet had become a popular pastime among the people. While the royal family neither endorsed nor suppressed it, a Crown Prince openly wagering on his own victory was quite unseemly.

The faces of the royal family on the high platform darkened further.

The prince standing second to the left of the emperor turned to the King of Dawnward on his left and said sternly, "You should not have allowed your son to compete."

The four princes from the east, west, south, and north stood flanking the emperor. The one who spoke was the King of Mistward, whose son, Shen Wushang, was a favorite to win the King's Gauntlet.

The King of Dawnward remained silent, watching Shen Wuyou continue his climb.

Three days prior, Shen Wuyou had pleaded with the King of Dawnward to let him enter the competition. Knowing his son was innately incapable of cultivation, but hearing him call him father for the first time in eighteen years and asking a favor, the King of Dawnward couldn't bring himself to refuse.

Shen Wuyou finally managed to climb up the high platform using the wooden pole and made his way toward the area where the princes stood.

Throughout his journey, the eyes of many promising young talents watched him with scorn and contempt.

What did it matter if he was born into the royal family? Was he not still an idiot incapable of cultivating? Shen Wuyou's presence undoubtedly offered these young geniuses, long oppressed by the royal offspring, a sense of psychological relief.

Yet for the other royal princes and princesses, it was nothing short of disgrace!

As Shen Wuyou walked past one of the princesses, she whispered derisively, "Mute, fool!"

Shen Wuyou gave the princess a glance and playfully stuck out his tongue at her, unfazed by the insult.

Approaching his designated spot, Shen Wushang, who stood beside him, spoke with a dark expression, "You shouldn't have come."

Shen Wuyou paid him no mind and brushed off the dust that had gathered on his clothes from the climb.

The dust drifted toward Shen Wushang, who, looking slightly annoyed, said, "Do you realize that by participating in the King's Gauntlet, you're disgracing not only your father, the King of Dawnward, but the entire royal family? A waste should know their place and stay put in the House of Dawnward! Don't come out and make a spectacle of yourself."

Only then did Shen Wuyou turn to face Shen Wushang, responding calmly, "I'm not here to make a spectacle. I'm here to claim my fief."

"Haha, how ridiculous. With no cultivation to speak of, how do you expect to win?"

"By having the right timing, location, and people on my side."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Just then, a series of bells and drums sounded.

The state preceptor from the Imperial Board of Astronomy, holding the sacred decree, declared the official commencement of the King's Gauntlet.

Following a melody of heavenly music and dance, the state preceptor revealed the challenge for the first round.

"The first round of competition: ascend Godsbane Peak!"

"The trek to Godsbane Peak spans two hundred miles. All competitors must seal their spiritual energy, refrain from summoning spirit animals, and are prohibited from using any talismans or glyphs. Violators will be disqualified immediately. This round will test each competitor's ability to adapt and respond to unforeseen challenges."

"Two hours. Only the first thirty-two to reach Godsbane Peak will advance to the next round."

Once the rules for the first round were declared, the state preceptor formed a hand seal, and a fire lotus soared into the sky, blooming high above. His voice boomed, "The King's Gauntlet begins now!"

No sooner had his words faded than the competitors leaped from the high platform and sprinted towards Godsbane Peak.

Even without employing their immortal force or riding their spirit animals, these young prodigies moved with the speed of wind and lightning.

"You'd do well to get eliminated quietly in the first round."

Shen Wushang had barely finished his taunt to Shen Wuyou before he too leapt from the platform, vanishing from sight in an instant.

Now, Shen Wuyou stood alone atop the platform.

He strolled leisurely to its edge.

And then... with all eyes upon him, he descended by shimmying down the wooden pole.