It was that same familiar little tavern. Tang San made his way to the innermost corner, sat down, and waited quietly. Today, the tavern had no other patrons, likely because everyone was watching the Battle for the Throne. The barkeeper brought Tang San a mug of ale without saying a word, then retreated on his own. Before long, a vague, illusionary figure began to condense at the table opposite Tang San, as if mist had suddenly gathered and then taken on life. "How's it going?" Tang San asked calmly. "Smoothly. Separation has begun. Must be cautious, progress will be slow. Confident you can fool his senses? Otherwise it's pointless." Tang San nodded slightly. "I've paid you good money already, I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't confident. Just follow my plan. There's no rush. The Battle for the Throne will go on for a while yet, more than enough time for your preparations. Stealth is the top priority. When the time comes, I'll tell you." "As long as you're sure. Money's non-refundable." "I'm not asking for a refund. Just get it done as agreed." With that, the light around Tang San gently twisted, and in the next instant, he vanished into thin air. The cloaked figure froze for a long moment before slowly exhaling. Then, their form dissolved into mist and disappeared as well. Back in the White Tiger Grand Hotel, the lingering twisted light remained, evidence of the Spacetime Lighthouse's power. In the midst of the distortion, Tang San materialized once more, this time in the form of Jin Miaolin. During the time he was gone, even if the divine consciousness of an Emperor probed the room, it would have only detected him cultivating inside. Tang San slowly stood up. It was time for another part of his plan to be put into action. Next was the third round of the elimination matches. He'd breezed through the first two rounds thanks to the Sword Saint statue—but what about the third? He left the White Tiger Hotel alone, without calling the other elders. It took him more than half an hour of walking before he reached his destination. Before him rose a towering Sacred Mountain. Tang San stopped and sat cross-legged at its base. As soon as he sat down, a dense surge of life energy erupted from him. At once, the surrounding vegetation seemed to awaken; it started swaying gently, stretching, and rapidly growing. On a radius of nearly a kilometer, life flourished. The guards at the base of the mountain noticed him immediately, but as soon as they sensed the immense life force he exuded, their expressions turned dreamy and intoxicated. Immersed in this nourishing energy, they were unable to approach or interfere, and even if they could interrupt Tang San, they had every incentive not to. Such was the wonder of the Life-Bestowing Domain. Even the Blue Gold Tree clan members themselves couldn't wield it properly, but in Tang San's hands, it had become endlessly versatile. He sat there silently, deep in meditation. Time passed by quickly. Eventually, a warm voice rang out in his sea of consciousness. "Are you here to see me?" Tang San opened his eyes, rose lightly, and bowed toward the Sacred Mountain. "Yes, Your Majesty." "Come up then." A golden-red beam of light, like a blazing sun, descended from the sky and enveloped Tang San. His life force surged even more vigorously. Without resisting, he allowed the golden-red radiance to lift him up. In the blink of an eye, he vanished. Yet even after he was gone, the area remained rich with vibrant life energy. In the next instant, Tang San stood before a grand palace. A refined-looking man was waiting there, none other than the Sunborne Nymph Emperor. The Sacred Mountain Tang San had stopped by was naturally the Sunborne Sacred Mountain. Seeing him, Tang San quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully. The Sunborne Nymph Emperor gave him a quick once-over and said, "You certainly surprised a lot of people today. I expected you to have some tricks, but I didn't anticipate that your life-bestowing abilities would reach this level. To think you're able to channel your core essence through an artifact to such a degree.... That truly exceeded my expectations. That's why you won." Tang San smiled. "Since I joined the tournament, I must give it my all. But I have to say, the only reason I could get through this round was that the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's statue contained incredibly potent sword intent. Without that, I wouldn't be here." The Sunborne Nymph Emperor furrowed his brow and nodded. "I didn't expect him to improve so quickly over the years.... His ranking might be the same for now, but he is by no means a weakling, not in the slightest. To embed such powerful sword intent in a mere statue means he must have reached a new realm of enlightenment." Tang San chuckled, "Compared to you, he's still far off." The Sunborne Nymph Emperor shot him a glance. "Alright, enough with the flattery. Why are you here? Is it about the next round?" Tang San nodded. "Your Majesty, I want to win. Since I'm already in the tournament, I want to try to reach the top." The Sunborne Nymph Emperor looked at him with surprise. "You have your sights set on an Emperor's seat?" Tang San countered, "Your Majesty, don't you think it would benefit our side if I secured one of the seats? And the Empyrean Dominion wouldn't oppose it too much, either. I could remain in the Ancestral Court with legitimacy and potentially become its life core in the future. That benefits all of the Emperors. Besides, I'm your loyal ally. Naturally, I'll follow your lead in everything." The Sunborne Nymph Emperor laughed. "Since when did you become my loyal ally?" "Since the first time we met and we had that discussion, I considered myself a member of your camp." "So now you're just clinging to me?" Tang San shrugged. "Mainly because I think I'm still useful. And since you're the strongest of this era, how could I not cling to such a powerful backer?" The Sunborne Nymph Emperor raised an eyebrow and looked at Tang San rather intently. Yet Tang San remained composed under the scrutiny. "I can't help you. You should know how important the Battle for the Throne is for the Ancestral Court and even the entire continent. There's no way I can help you pull any strings. That Celestial Fox guy has the Celestial Fox Vision; in front of him, any cheating would be immediately exposed. Honestly, even that Scorching King youngster can't possibly get any help from me. You'll have to rely on your own strength." Tang San smiled bitterly. "Your Majesty, you underestimate me. How could I ask you to help me cheat? I'm a city lord and a clan leader now, after all." The Sunborne Nymph Emperor raised an eyebrow. "You ran here right after your match. Wasn't it to ask me to help you cheat?" Tang San rolled his eyes. "Of course not. I don't want you to assist me during the match or anything. I'd just like a little help before it. I have some things I need to deal with and I need your protection while I'm doing that." This time, the Sunborne Nymph Emperor looked intrigued. "Protection? What kind of protection?" Lowering his voice, Tang San whispered a few words. The Sunborne Nymph Emperor's eyes lit up. "You think you can pull that off? How confident are you?" Tang San said, "It was a bit of a coin's toss before, but that was on the premise that I'd have to do everything myself. If you are there to assist me so I can give it my all, I am almost certain that I can do it. And if it succeeds... hehe. You know what that means." The Sunborne Nymph Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in thought. "If you succeed and luck isn't terrible in the semifinals, you should have no problem advancing. But to go all the way to the end, even that won't be enough."