Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy

Yang Ziwei explained the rules of the competition to the little one as he led their group to the venue. The competition ground was located in a neutral area between the Domain of Myriad Demons, the Artifact Domain, and the Xiuyuan Realm.

Wu Tian had also come along today. After all, this was a rare competition for his daughter, and as her parents, he and Qin Yuhan wouldn’t miss it for the world. As for Dao Feng and the others, they remained at the Royal Palace to cultivate. The little one was dressed quite imposingly, and Qin Yuhan looked just as impressive in a form-fitting white outfit that made her look exquisite.

She stood right beside Wu Tian. A gentle twitch of his nose brought the distinct, pleasant scent of a woman into his nostrils.

"The rules are the same as a normal competition, with just one new addition," Yang Ziwei said, his brow furrowed. He felt something was off. He continued, "It was suddenly proposed by the judging panel last night. It’s a team system, which requires everyone to work together. That means, President, you’re responsible for refining the final Formation Pattern, but tasks like cleaning brushes, analyzing formations, and mixing ink will be your teammates’ jobs. The team that performs the best wins."

A team competition? Wu Tian found that a bit odd as well.

"Mr. Wu Tian, that’s why we have to be especially careful," Yang Ziwei sighed, turning to advise the little one, "President, you need to be very careful this time."

The little one raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying they might deliberately make things difficult for me?"

"It’s not ’might,’ it’s a certainty," Yang Ziwei said with a wry smile, his voice filled with helplessness. "My rival holds a rather high position in the Array Master Guild. Having the judges make things difficult for us is bound to happen."

"Hmph." The little one puffed out her chest and declared valiantly, "Then let the storm rage even harder!"

A while later, the carriage finally stopped, arriving at the competition ground. Construction on the site had begun three days prior. Array Masters were the mainstream profession of the era, and every one of them came from a wealthy and prominent family. They had each contributed some money to construct this venue. Even the Royal Palace of a Three-Star Power would have found it difficult to complete a grand plaza like this in just three days, but the Array Masters had managed it. When it comes to being the top-earning profession, Array Masters are number one, without a doubt.

The plaza was predominantly white. It reminded Wu Tian of the Roman Colosseum on Earth, yet it was large enough to hold 100,000 spectators.

There was still an hour before the competition began, but the audience was already a sea of people, their faces filled with excitement as they awaited the start of the Three Realms Array Masters Friendship Competition.

"Each team must have at least five members," Yang Ziwei mused. "Both the President and the Vice President must participate. I’ve already found my four teammates."

The little one furrowed her brow. She looked at herself, then at Qin Yuhan and Wu Tian, and said, "I only have three people."

Qin Yuhan’s pretty face froze, not expecting her daughter to include her in the count. She felt a bit nervous. The normally icy CEO felt a pang of self-doubt when it came to formations.

"Don’t worry, I’m here." Wu Tian took a soft step forward and gently patted Qin Yuhan’s shoulder, a silent promise that he was her Haven. With him there, nothing would be a problem.

"Mm," Qin Yuhan nodded.

The little one couldn’t watch anymore. Honestly, how could her parents be so lovey-dovey in public all the time? She immediately turned to Yang Ziwei and said, "I’m still two teammates short."

"I brought extra people this time. Follow me." Yang Ziwei gestured for them to follow, and Wu Tian, Qin Yuhan, and the little one went with him.

It turned out the Colosseum even had private lounges.

"This is the lounge for our Xiuyuan Realm’s branch of the Array Master Guild," Yang Ziwei explained as he pushed the door open. Inside, nine people dressed in Array Master attire were deep in discussion. Seeing Yang Ziwei enter, they all stood up.

Yang Ziwei smiled and announced, "The President is here. Everyone, say hello."

Hearing this, they nodded and turned toward the little one, their expressions complex.

"Good day, President," seven of them greeted crisply.

Of the remaining two, one hesitated for a moment before offering his greeting as well. The last person, however, didn’t open his mouth, showing no intention of greeting her. He had a ruddy complexion and a slender build, and was dressed in the blue uniform of the Array Master Guild. He simply snorted, ignoring the President completely.

"Who is he?" the little one asked coldly.

"He is Zhang Tie, a member of our Xiuyuan Realm branch of the Array Master Guild," Yang Ziwei introduced him. "He is already a Second-Rank Array Master with three Formation Patterns on him: two Second-Rank and one First-Rank. His skill in grinding ink is exceptional. Having him on your team would greatly increase your chances of winning."

The little one let out a dry laugh, but before she could say anything, Zhang Tie suddenly spoke, his voice dripping with disdain, "Grind ink for a child? She’s not worthy."

Zhang Tie had always assumed he would be Yang Ziwei’s successor. He never expected Yang Ziwei to step down to Vice President and give the presidency to a four-year-old child. Zhang Tie was indignant. Just how long would he have to wait now? He looked down his nose at the little one, his stance utterly condescending. As his words fell, the atmosphere in the lounge froze.

Yang Ziwei’s face darkened. He valued talent and knew Zhang Tie had some, but how could he speak like that? Didn’t he know the President’s father was right here? He tried to de-escalate the situation. "Zhang Tie, you must be running a fever. Take back what you said right now and apologize."

"A fever? I’m not running a fever." Yang Ziwei had offered him a way out, but Zhang Tie refused to take it. He snorted coldly and looked at Yang Ziwei, biting the hand that fed him. "Vice President Yang, how could you make such a foolish decision? Giving the presidency to a child?"

"The position of President isn’t for any Tom, Dick, or Harry. Even I consider myself too young and believe I would need another ten years to be ready for such a heavy responsibility." Zhang Tie vented all of his pent-up frustration.

Tom, Dick, or Harry? The little one was not happy, and the consequences would be severe. Her small fists were already clenched tightly.

Noticing this, Yang Ziwei took a step forward and roared at Zhang Tie, "Apologize! Immediately, right now, this instant! Stop judging others by your own narrow standards. You’re like a frog in a well, unable to see the vastness of the sky."

"You want me to apologize? And you call me a frog in a well?" Zhang Tie sneered at the accusation. "My path was set from birth. During the ceremony to foretell my future as an infant, I grasped an Array Master’s pen. I was destined to be intertwined with the path of the Array Master.

"At three, an Array Master passing by my home saw my potential and took me in as his Disciple. He declared that I would undoubtedly become a prodigy of my generation.

"By five, I was already able to assist my teacher in crafting Formation Patterns.

"At ten, I could craft First-Rank Formation Patterns on my own.

"By nineteen, I could complete Second-Rank Formation Patterns.

"At twenty-one, I passed the examination for Second-Rank Array Master with the top score.

"My accomplishments, if I were to list them all, would take seven days and seven nights to recount.

"And you say I’m a frog in a well? Ridiculous! I can see the full expanse of this sky with perfect clarity."

Zhang Tie stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes gleaming with absolute self-confidence.