Chapter 596: Third Round
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, he chuckled. "If Uncle doesn’t want to sing, I can."
Axel immediately rolled his eyes. "Go ahead. I honestly can’t keep up with my niece anymore."
Shaking his head helplessly, he turned around and walked away.
Mr. Crow, who had been quietly sitting nearby all this time, looked toward Lana before sighing.
"You’ve finally managed to chase Axel away."
He shook his head. "Sometimes... I truly don’t understand you."
Lana smiled calmly.
"Don’t worry. He only says those things because he’s worried that I’ll receive backlash if I continue acting so arrogantly."
She waved her hand dismissively. "Forget about it."
Meanwhile, Lucian walked closer before gently asking,
"Do you plan to do something grand at the International Mystic Cultivator Competition?"
Lana slowly opened her eyes before smiling warmly. "Only my boyfriend understands me."
Lucian nodded with amusement. "Then, what kind of lullaby would my princess like to hear?"
Lana rolled her eyes playfully.
"More than a lullaby... I’d rather have something else."
Without another word, she reached out, grabbed Lucian by the collar, and gently pulled him closer. Their lips met.
Lucian smiled against her lips before returning the kiss with equal tenderness.
Watching the two of them, Mr. Crow dramatically covered his eyes.
"You two should seriously get a room."
He shook his head exaggeratedly.
"Kissing in front of an innocent animal, you’re abusing the poor animal."
Lucian finally pulled away before looking toward him.
"If you’ve got a problem with it, you can just find a room for yourself."
Mr. Crow immediately snorted. "What do you mean by that?"
Before the two could continue arguing, Lana interrupted them.
She gently looked at Lucian. "This room belongs to Mr. Crow too."
Then she turned toward Mr. Crow with a smile.
"But... I’d like some privacy now, partner. Would you mind giving us a little space?"
Mr. Crow paused for a brief moment.
Seeing Lana defend him first somehow made him feel much better.
Finally, he waved his hand.
"Fine. I’ll stop disturbing you."
He sighed dramatically. "Young couples these days..."
Muttering to himself, he slowly walked out of the room.
The moment the door closed, Lana immediately wrapped both arms around Lucian’s neck and pulled him toward her once again.
This time, she became far more passionate than before.
.......
The next morning, Lana slowly opened her eyes.
She stretched comfortably beneath the blanket before letting out another lazy yawn.
"Sometimes... I really think the rainy season should officially become the season for sleeping."
Looking outside at the gray sky, she couldn’t help smiling.
The weather made her want to stay curled up beneath the warm blanket forever.
Unfortunately, today was the third round of the competition.
Reluctantly climbing out of bed, she freshened up before heading toward the venue.
Today would not only host the third round...
It would also announce the official rankings for yesterday’s competition.
Just as Lana had expected, she ranked first.
The audience erupted into applause.
Meanwhile, the eliminated contestants were officially announced.
Alex, Freya, Trent, and Chuck.
Their elimination shocked countless viewers.
Many had expected the male contestants to dominate the competition.
Instead... Four women ultimately remained standing proudly on the stage.
Vanessa, Janet, Shelly and Lana.
The remaining contestants exchanged complicated glances.
Vanessa, Janet, and Shelly all wore bitter smiles.
After witnessing Lana effortlessly exorcise a seven-hundred-year-old ghost without relying on future knowledge... they already understood one painful truth.
When the third round arrived, a competition based purely on cultivation level and overall strength, none of them stood much of a chance against her.
Taking a deep breath, the host walked toward the judges’ platform before stopping in the centre of the stage.
Looking at the remaining contestants, he smiled. "Today’s competition will be fairly simple."
He paused for a moment, allowing the anticipation inside the arena to build.
"You only need to reveal your cultivation level."
The moment those words were spoken, excitement immediately swept through the audience.
Everyone leaned forward in their seats.
After three days of watching these talented young mystical cultivators display their techniques, they were finally about to witness the foundation behind all of that strength.
One by one, the contestants stepped onto the stage. The first was Vanessa.
She calmly placed her hand on the testing crystal. A brilliant light erupted. "Heaven Rank, Fourth Level."
The announcement echoed throughout the arena. It was already considered an exceptionally high cultivation level for someone of her age.
Loud applause instantly erupted. Many audience members enthusiastically cheered for her achievement.
Soon afterward, it was Jenny’s turn. She nervously walked toward the crystal. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand on the crystal.
Moments later, the same brilliant glow appeared. "Heaven Rank, Fourth Level."
Although she had reached the same cultivation level as Vanessa, she still let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Next came Shelly. The entire arena unconsciously quieted.
Everyone stared at the stage with anticipation.
As soon as she infused her spiritual energy into the crystal, an even brighter radiance burst forth.
"Heaven Rank, bottleneck of the Celestial Master Core Rank."
The announcement immediately caused countless gasps throughout the stadium. The livestream comment section exploded.
"Wow! They’re so powerful! They truly deserve to stand where they are today!"
Another viewer quickly typed, "I want to become someone like them someday."
Despite the overwhelming admiration from the audience... Mason, Jessica, and Vincent quietly shook their heads.
They knew far better than anyone present. Compared to the true monsters who participated in the International Mystical Cultivation Competition, this level of cultivation simply wasn’t enough.
However, none of them voiced their disappointment.
At the very least, there was still one promising seedling. Shelly.
And there was also a true trump card. Almost simultaneously, all three judges shifted their gazes toward Lana.
Lana merely smiled before casually placing her hand on the testing crystal. The crystal instantly exploded with dazzling brilliance.
A majestic pressure silently spread across the arena. "Celestial Master Core Rank..."
The announcer stared blankly at the result before swallowing hard. "...Level One."
For several long seconds, the entire arena became deathly silent.
Even the livestream comment section froze.
"What?! Am I seeing things?"
"How is she already at Celestial Master Core Rank Level One?"
"She’s only this young!"
As countless discussions erupted, Shelly herself couldn’t help but stare at Lana in complete surprise.
’I still remember, when she first visited us, she had only just stepped into the Heaven Rank. And now, she’s already reached the Celestial Master Core Rank.’
Shelly couldn’t help but smile bitterly. ’Her growth is truly terrifying.’
Without any further suspense, the third day’s competition came to an end. Lana was officially declared the winner.
Among all the contestants, only Shelly and Lana advanced to the final round.
Of course, everyone already understood that it was merely a formality. The outcome had long since been decided.
No one possessed the qualifications to challenge Lana anymore.
Even so, the audience still enthusiastically applauded.
Although many people had found Lana’s confident attitude rather arrogant, they couldn’t deny her overwhelming strength.
Strength naturally earned respect. As the spectators gradually began leaving the arena, Lana looked toward Shelly.
"Want to grab some hotpot?"
Shelly smiled. "Sure. Why not?"
The two girls left the venue together while chatting casually.
As they arrived near the main entrance, they noticed Mason standing nearby.
He appeared to be waiting for someone. Or more accurately, he seemed to be waiting for Lana.
However, the moment he saw Lana and Shelly walking together, he shifted his attention toward Shelly instead. "I can see that you possess considerable potential."
His expression remained calm.
"If you continue cultivating diligently, you may very well obtain an excellent ranking in the next International Mystical Cultivation Competition."
After a brief pause, he asked, "Would you like me to become your coach?"
Shelly’s eyes widened. She was genuinely caught off guard. Before answering, she instinctively turned toward Lana.
Lana simply shrugged. "This old man definitely holds some kind of grudge against me."
She pointed toward Mason with a teasing smile. "That’s why he refuses to coach me. Since he’s offering you the opportunity, you’d better take it."
She grinned mischievously before adding, "I’ve heard he possesses quite a few valuable cultivation resources."
She looked directly at Mason. "Isn’t that right, Old Man?"
Mason’s lips twitched. ’This girl...’
Taking a deep breath, he looked directly at Lana. "I simply think you’re far too arrogant."
Lana calmly shook her head. "I merely stated the truth."
She looked straight into his eyes. "You couldn’t accept it because you didn’t know the future."
Hearing those words... Mason blinked.
Only then did he suddenly recall what had happened before the competition began.
Lana had confidently declared that she would become the champion.
At the time, everyone had dismissed it as baseless arrogance. Yet, she had actually become the champion.
Realization slowly dawned on him. ’She wasn’t boasting, she was simply stating facts.’
Lana continued,
"You can’t label me arrogant when my competence perfectly matches my words."