Evan Chu's attitude left Rainbow Court Mistress Rainveil and Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable momentarily stunned. How could he refuse such a heaven-sent opportunity? It was genuinely disappointing. But since he insisted, they could only let it go.
"Brother, you really need to think this through. When the Marriage Tournament begins, you might be facing late-stage God-Emperor contenders. With your current strength, you won't be able to handle it. Even if Zoe wants to choose you, she'll be powerless, and Rainbow Court will be thrown right back into crisis," Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable warned.
"Old brother, I get what you're saying, but I really don't want to do it that way. If I'm truly fated with Miss Zoe, I believe I can hold out to the end. That's the bare minimum respect I owe her, and it gives everyone in the Marriage Tournament a fair shot. It's just how I am—please understand," Evan replied.
At that, Rainbow Court Mistress Rainveil was at a loss for words. Evan felt like the stubborn type, unable to adapt. After glancing at Zoe, she asked, "Qin'er, what do you think?"
"Mom, I actually agree with Evan. This way, no one can use it as leverage to attack Rainbow Court. The God Realm may look peaceful, but it's already teetering on the edge. I believe he'll pull through in the end," Zoe said, gazing at Evan with deep feeling.
"Since that's settled, I won't say any more. Just try to make the top ten. As long as you do, Zoe will have a chance to choose for herself. If you can't, there's nothing we can do. You're a smart guy—I hope you understand what I mean," Rainveil said.
With that, she and Zoe left. Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable stayed to chat with Evan a bit longer, then also departed, leaving Evan alone in the room to ponder the challenges ahead.
Honestly, he really didn't want to join the Marriage Tournament. He liked Zoe, but there were just too many problems piling up right now—he could barely keep his own head above water. What mattered most was boosting his strength, finding a quiet place to go into seclusion, and breaking the seal on the Timewheel Bracelet so he could cultivate inside.
Only after he emerged would he have enough strength to protect himself. Even if others found out his true identity, so what? It was bound to come out sooner or later anyway.
The next morning, Evan Chu tidied himself up and stepped out. By then, Rainbow Court Manor’s western Martial Testing Ground was already packed with people. All the Marriage Tournament hopefuls had long since registered—Evan’s entry had been handled by Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable.
He hadn't gone far before running into Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable. "Brother, today's a critical day, so make the most of it. With Rainbow Court backing you, your future prospects will be much brighter. Stormtower may want to recruit you, but they can't offer nearly as much. You know what I mean, right?"
"Thanks for worrying about me, old brother. I know where I stand. I realize what I said yesterday probably made Rainveil pretty mad, but that's just how I am. Hope you and the others don't take it to heart," Evan said.
"Don't worry about it. Whatever you decide, I've got your back. The Marriage Tournament's about to start—let's head over!" Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable said.
The two of them quickly made their way to the western Martial Testing Ground. Zoe and Rainveil were standing above the main platform, while ten or so powerful elders sat at the edge—one seat left empty, which Evan was sure belonged to Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable.
"Brother, I'll go up first. Looking forward to seeing you shine out there—don't let me down," Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable said.
"Wait, old brother—do you have any strong martial techniques, specifically sword arts? My current sword skills are way too weak; getting into the top ten is going to be tough," Evan asked.
"Why didn't you say so earlier? At this point, it's almost pointless—you're about to go on stage. Are you planning to learn it right before the fight?" Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable said.
Evan nodded with a grin. "That's exactly what I'm hoping for—if you're willing to part with it, that is."
"You really are something. Here, take this Wind‑God Sword Art and study it. Honestly, it probably won't help much, but if you can master even one move in such a short time, that's impressive. If you pair it with the Snowbound Divine Sword, you might barely withstand a late-stage God-King's attack." With that, Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable produced a jade tablet from his storage ring.
"Thanks, old brother. Go on up—I'll just stay here and study," Evan said calmly.
Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable was about to head up, but after a few steps he stopped and added, "This sword art is closely linked to the Wind Element, but you don't know how to use wind yet. Learning even the first sword will be tough. Just remember—speed is everything."
"Got it, old brother. I won't let you down," Evan replied calmly.
After Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable went up, Evan sent his divine sense into the jade tablet. Even with the Martial Testing Ground packed to the brim, nothing could distract him from studying its contents.
"Welcome, friends, and thank you for coming to my daughter's Marriage Tournament. Over a thousand have signed up—the weakest are early-stage God-Lords, the strongest late-stage God-Kings. That's a huge range, so we've chosen ten judges to fairly assess everyone's strength.
God-Lords will fight God-Lords, God-Kings against God-Kings. Each realm will pick ten to advance. In the end, the twenty qualifiers can challenge each other or fight across realms—but only God-Lords can challenge God-Kings, not the other way around.
Another thing: each time you defeat an opponent, you get an Immortal Token. Whoever collects the most advances. When the final twenty clash, you can win all your opponent’s tokens at once. The last three standing will be my daughter's candidates—her future husband will be chosen from them.
If anyone's confused, check the notice on the leftmost screen by the platform. Now, all registered contestants, please step forward. You'll each get a token. God-Lords and God-Kings, line up separately. Each round, fifty go up at a time and get eliminated.
Since the numbers of God-Lords and God-Kings aren't even, there'll be some imbalance. But we'll only keep the top ten who collect the most tokens. If you make the cut, it's up to you. Good luck to everyone!" Rainveil announced loudly.
The crowd buzzed with excitement—no one had ever seen a Marriage Tournament arranged like this before. But since it was Rainbow Court’s decision, nobody dared complain.
Evan, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in the Wind‑God Sword Art. Rainveil’s words went in one ear and out the other. Would he make it through the first round…?