I can increase my power through breathing.

Chapter 65 The Day of the Competition: The Grandmasters of the Earth Ranking Make a Joint Appearance (Please Read On and Vote for Monthly Tickets)
Time passes quickly.

In the blink of an eye, three days have passed.

The grand ceremony for the succession to the throne of Baoyu Kingdom was held as scheduled.

The princes, their invited helpers, and high-ranking officials and nobles from the Kingdom of Baoyu all headed to the royal palace's training ground.

The eldest prince, Gong Yuxin, was the first to enter, dressed in magnificent attire, accompanied by a tall, imposing, and composed middle-aged man.

This person is none other than Meng Feng, the Mountain Lord, one of the three heroes of the Imperial Heaven Sect and the forty-first ranked master on the Earth Ranking.

Both Prince Gong Yuxin and Lord Mengfeng remained calm and composed, clearly confident of success.

"Look, the eldest prince has actually invited Lord Meng Feng of the Mountain. The eldest prince has a very high chance of winning this competition."

“The eldest prince has been a disciple of the Yutian Sect since he was a child. If he becomes the king, the Yutian Sect will probably become the state religion of the Baoyu Kingdom.”

"If the Yutian Sect could become the state religion, that would be excellent. With the Yutian Sect's protection, we might not have to pay tribute to the Great Xuan Dynasty anymore."

"Does the eldest prince's invitation to Lord Mengfeng of the Mountain guarantee victory? Not necessarily. I heard that the fifth prince, Gongyu Yang, invited the Poison Demon, ranked thirty-ninth on the Earth Ranking. In terms of ranking on the Earth Ranking, he is even above Lord Mengfeng of the Mountain."

Some people in the crowd whispered among themselves.

However, upon hearing the name "Poison Demon," a look of fear appeared in the eyes of all the officials and nobles.

Upon seeing the appearance of the Fifth Prince, Gong Yuyang, accompanied by a mysterious figure shrouded in black robes, exuding a chilling aura, the surrounding officials and nobles kept their distance, not daring to approach.

This person is the Poison Demon, ranked thirty-ninth on the Earthly Ranking. He is ruthless and has no bottom line. Once you offend him, the consequences are unimaginable. No one knows his name; everyone just calls him the Poison Demon.

"The Fifth Prince, Yu Yang, has actually invited the Poison Demon. It seems he is determined to seize the position of heir."

"Yes, the eldest prince has the support of Meng Feng, the Mountain Lord, and the fifth prince has the help of the Poison Demon. I heard that the eleventh prince, Gong Yulei, has also invited Shen Fang, the Wind and Thunder Palm, who is ranked forty-sixth on the Earth Ranking. This battle is going to be quite a spectacle."

The murmurs among the crowd grew louder, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense.

Each prince has invited a grandmaster to assist him. The fact that they can invite a grandmaster from the Earth Ranking indicates that these princes have considerable power and influence, which should not be underestimated.

"It seems that this struggle is not only a contest between princes, but also a power struggle between the forces behind them."

Someone sighed softly.

The crowd's gaze swept back and forth between the princes and their supporters.

Just then, several more figures slowly entered the arena.

"That's the thirteenth prince, Gong Yuxuan. He's backed by the Yue family of Dongzhou, and this time he's also invited a True Gang Grandmaster."

“A True Qi Grandmaster is one of the top ten strongest experts in the entire Baoyu Kingdom, but he is indeed lacking in ability to win the position of Crown Prince.”

“The nineteenth prince, Gong Yuchen, is backed by the top-tier business association, Sihai Pavilion.”

"Compared to the Imperial Heaven Sect, the Five Thunder Sect is weaker. Even the Pavilion Master of the Four Seas Pavilion can only barely make it into the Earth Ranking and is at the bottom."

"Wait a minute, look at the protector following the nineteenth prince, Gong Yuchen. Why is he a young man who looks even younger than the nineteenth prince?"

"What? The Nineteenth Prince's protector is a teenager."

Immediately, all the officials and nobles turned their gazes toward the back of the nineteenth prince, their eyes fixed on Zhou Qing. "Judging from his appearance, this person is indeed only sixteen or seventeen years old, but a grandmaster who has cultivated to a high level can use some special techniques to make people rejuvenate."

"Could this be a powerful ally that the Four Seas Pavilion has spent a fortune to hire?"

"Wait, why does this young man look so familiar? It's like I've seen him somewhere before... I remember now, in the Earth Ranking released by Feng Manlou not long ago, I saw his portrait in a list of Earth Ranking experts that I bought. He is Zhou Qing, the outlaw ranked thirty-fifth on the Earth Ranking!"

someone exclaimed.

As soon as this statement came out, there was an uproar in the venue.

"What? This young man is actually Zhou Qing, the outlaw ranked thirty-fifth on the Earth Ranking? How did the Nineteenth Prince manage to get such a powerful ally?"

"Hiss, Zhou Qing, the outlaw! This is the ruthless man who killed Lu Yuan, the Dragon of the Raging Sea, and Xu Feiyu, the Great Sorrow Sword, both of whom are ranked as Earthly Masters!"

"This is going to be interesting. I wonder if this Zhou Qing can help the nineteenth prince win the position of heir apparent."

"Whether Zhou Qing can defeat Meng Feng, the Poison Demon, and Shen Fang can only be known after they actually fight. After all, no one witnessed Zhou Qing killing Lu Yuan and Xu Feiyu. Perhaps he used some kind of treasure. This competition, however, prohibits the use of spiritual weapons and other external objects. We can only rely on our own cultivation to fight."

"No one saw Zhou Qing kill Lu Yuan and Xu Feiyu, but countless people witnessed him slaying thirteen True Qi Grandmasters with a single sword at the Zhanzhou City dock. He definitely has the strength of a Earth Ranking Grandmaster."

"No matter what, the upcoming competition will be a fierce battle, and no one can predict the outcome. We can only wait and see."

Everyone's gaze became intense.

The competition for the position of heir apparent has become even more exciting because of Zhou Qing's appearance. Even those nobles who originally supported Gong Yuchen but had given up hope now have their eyes sparkling, as if they have seen a glimmer of hope again.

After all, Zhou Qing's ranking on the local list speaks for itself.

Among the several masters on the Earth Ranking present, Zhou Qing had the highest ranking, followed by the Poison Demon, then Mountain Lord Meng Feng, and Wind and Thunder Palm Shen Fang.

If the nineteenth prince, Gong Yuchen, were to truly seize the position of heir apparent, then his supporters would also reap immense benefits.

"Damn it, isn't Xiao Shijiu backed by the Sihai Pavilion? How did he get involved with Zhou Qing? This is troublesome."

Gong Yuxin's face was gloomy.

He originally thought that his main rivals were the Fifth Prince and the Eleventh Prince, but unexpectedly, the Nineteenth Prince, Gong Yuchen, appeared, adding another variable to the mix.

"Gong Yuchen, what price did you pay to actually get Zhou Qing to come?"

The fifth and eleventh princes also looked grim.

"Hehehe, this is more interesting."

The Poison Demon beside the Fifth Prince let out a strange laugh.

He has mastered the Ten Thousand Poisons Manual to perfection. In his presence, no matter what kind of Wind and Thunder Palm, Mountain Lord, or outlaw madman you are, you will all be poisoned to death.

"The King has arrived!"

With this shout, the entire training ground fell silent.

Immediately afterwards, everyone stood up, and in their eyes appeared an old man with white hair wearing a royal robe, who came to the training ground surrounded by a group of guards.

(End of this chapter)