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“Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests of the Xedrios Continent, a warm welcome to Jeorgetown City of the Holy Dragon Empire! Here we are, in the golden month of September, gathering for this grand event that takes place once every five years. I am Dowd, your host for the Martial God Tournament of the Great Celestial Rite.”

As the entire host stage came into full view, Dowd, a seasoned host of the Great Celestial Rites in previous years, commenced his opening speech with finesse.

The atmosphere reached its peak as clamor threatened to engulf the entire arena. Dowd tapped the magical prop, a sound amplifier, before him. The sharp buzzing sound brought silence to the arena once again.

“Sitting beside me is the special guest of this occasion, the exceptionally talented Miss Fenice, who holds numerous prestigious positions across the continent. Miss Fenice, please say hi everyone.”

“Hello, everyone.” Fenice merely smiled and waved without saying anything else. Her gaze swept across the audience as if searching for someone.

After an awkward pause, Dowd felt a sudden headache.

Did she not catch the cue to take over and transition into a more detailed self-introduction? Do I have to recite her lengthy list of titles?

“Miss Fenice…”

Dowd covered the spectrum stone to prevent it from amplifying his voice and tapped the script in front of him.

“Self introduction…” he softly urged.

“Huh?”

Fenice tilted her head, seemingly puzzled by Dowd’s cryptic word. When she noticed the script Dowd was tapping on, realization finally dawned upon her.

Yes! Yes! Your self-introduction!

The corner of Dowd’s lips curled up into a smile as he sat up straight. Indeed, with a professional host like him, nothing could go wrong.

Under Dowd’s relieved gaze, Fenice retrieved a small slip of paper from her chest pocket and began reciting:

“Go Liᵒᵒᵒ! Our eyes have been on you! Go Liᵒᵒᵒ, as the ᵒᵒᵒ of the ᵒᵒᵒ, we, the ᵒᵒᵒ, will be sure to ᵒᵒᵒ you, so please be sure to ᵒᵒᵒ your ᵒᵒᵒ! From all the ᵒᵒᵒ.”

Dowd’s face instantly stiffened, confusion etching his features as he stared at Fenice.

W-W-What? What are you talking about? Aren’t you supposed to be introducing yourself? What’s with that cryptic message? How do you manage to create those censor effects while speaking?

Glancing around and realizing there was no one else in the entire room, Dowd felt his decades-long career as a host shaken at this moment.

“Haha, it seems like our Miss Fenice is very shy.”

Forcing a smile as he smoothed over the situation, Dowd’s hands discreetly signaled for assistance under the table, urgently seeking help from the backstage crew.

HOST IN DANGER, REQUESTING CHANGE OF GUEST!

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

“Are you confident there are no issues with these cheer chants? I have some reservations about them.” A burly man examined the stack of supportive messages in his hand, rubbing his chin skeptically.

“Absolutely fine. I’ve pondered over them for several nights before finalizing.” Green Emperor rolled his eyes at the burly man.

He shook his head ruefully and added, “It can’t be helped. Even though it’s to show our support for Her Highness, we still have to adhere to the two principles set by Her Majesty. One is not to reveal Her Highness’ identity, and the other is not to disclose our own identities. In fact, those two principles initially made it challenging for me to craft words of support. Think about it… Without the freedom to casually mention our Dragon Clan, the impact of the message is reduced significantly.”

“How did Your Excellency come up with this cheer chant?”

“It occurred to me suddenly while I was rushing for a deadline. If certain words can’t be expressed openly, why not censor them? Similar to some paintings deemed inappropriate for children, as long as we carefully censor them, the paintings would quickly pass scrutiny.”

“No, I don’t think it will work even with censorship…” the burly man remarked casually before pointing out, “Won’t a significant portion of the meaning be unclear after it’s censored?”

“Not necessarily. Before one has seen the paradise, concealing it with censorship will make it impossible to guess what’s beneath the mosaic. However, anyone who has caught a glimpse of paradise before, they would quickly understand what’s concealed beyond the mosaic,” Green Emperor said confidently.

“Language works the same way. Consider this example: Her Highness pulled out the holy sword in the lake, causing the water to splash everywhere. After censorship, it becomes: Her Highness pulled out the ᵒᵒᵒ in the ᵒᵒᵒ, causing the ᵒᵒᵒ to splash everywhere.”

“Without prior knowledge that Her Highness had performed this action, the message being conveyed might be unclear. However, if we know the context, the meaning immediately becomes clear!”

“So, as long as Her Highness notices us, she will definitely understand the intended meaning of our words right away,” he assured.

“Green Emperor, you…”

The burly man gave Green Emperor an incredulous look, then said, “You’re such a damn genius!”

“I know, right?!”

“How brilliant! I’m sure Her Highness will definitely feel our fervent love!”

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

“This is your preparation room.”

Guided by the staff, Lilith and the others arrived at a spacious area temporarily partitioned into thousands of small rooms, each designated with a unique number.

The staff brought them to the door of Room 2222, then handed out identity tags and the key to them.

“There are screens in the room, allowing you to watch the live broadcasts of other participants’ matches. We’ve also prepared food and various recreational equipment. It’s advisable to relax before your match. However, do pay attention to our announcements. Being late for the match will result in a disqualification,” the staff informed.

“Thank you.”

Accepting the key, Lilith watched as the staff hastily departed. Given the tight scheduling for an event of this magnitude, the staff members were short-handed.

“Let’s go in.”

Lilith turned the doorknob and entered the room.

“Huh, it’s quite spacious here.”

The interior surpassed Lilith’s expectations, with some form of spatial magic seemingly employed to conceal its size from the exterior.

At the far end of the room, the wall facing the door featured a massive screen displaying the fireworks at the lively arena.

In front of the screen was a huge couch that could easily accommodate five people. To the right was a counter that offered a variety of beverages.

Various recreational tools filled the left side of the room—gym equipment, spectrum stones recording the strongest duels, and an assortment of books.

Lilith could not help but notice the cover of what suspiciously resembled a risqué magazine.

“The Holy Dragon Empire’s imperial family is wealthier than I expected.”

Skarst headed straight for the bookshelf, casually pulling out the suspicious-looking magazine and began flipping through its pages with interest.

“It’s just a standard room.” Luna pouted, rubbing against Lilith’s side.

“If Master Lilith is willing, I can take you to the special preparation room that features a private hot spring. Soaking in one before the match can be highly beneficial.”

“I’ll pass. I don’t want to draw unnecessary attention.” Lilith gave Luna a knowing look, waving dismissively as if to say, “I’ve seen through your motives long ago”.

Lilith found the most comfortable spot on the couch and settled into it. Luna nestled beside her, clutching her arm.

Skarst continued reading the risqué magazine. Little Cornelia played with Lacey, hoisting him into the air.

Skarst of mysterious origin… Little Cornelia, a former deity… Lacey, a doll with strange abilities… Luna, the exceptionally talented and somewhat eccentric princess of the Holy Dragon Empire… and Lilith herself…

This was the current lineup of Lilith’s five-member team.