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Lilith was unable to spot any other dragons at the moment. The sheer number of two hundred thousand in the audience was simply overwhelming.

The view on the screen had been zoomed out to cover the entire arena, causing the faces in the audience to appear blurred.

Even Lilith’s powerful dragon eyesight proved futile. Enlarging the image within her field of view revealed nothing but fuzzy pixel dots, making it impossible to identify any dragons hidden among the sea of two hundred thousand people.

Damn it, what in the world are those guys up to?

Lilith fixed her gaze on Fenice on the screen, biting her fingernail in annoyance.

I wonder how many of them are here. A few dragons might be manageable, but all of them…? Because of these guys, the terrains and sceneries on Dragon Island never stayed the same, even with the Queen’s protective barrier in place.

Likewise, the plants on Dragon Island were extremely resilient. Lilith vividly recalled seeing a type of bizarre plant that could “unroot itself and flee” upon detecting the presence of dragons.

Humans had long believed that the dragon’s habitats were havens for remedies like the “Dragon Saliva Grass” that could cure all ailments.

However, the reality was far different. Those poor plants did not evolve due to the influence of the dragon but rather as a survival strategy amidst unfavorable circumstances!

The thought of an unknown number of dragons coiled up in Jeorgetown City sent shivers down Lilith’s spine.

“Master Lilith, is something wrong?” Luna asked, noticing Lilith’s unease.
“Is Jeorgetown City resilient?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Defensively. Can this city withstand an assault? How proficient is it in managing mass evacuations?” Lilith continued asking.

“I don’t quite understand your question,” Luna said. However, the serious look on Lilith’s face prompted Luna to delve deeper into her thoughts before giving an answer.

“Jeorgetown City, as the capital of the Holy Dragon Empire, is fortified by protective arrays that have been repeatedly reinforced for nearly ten thousand years. It has remained impervious to any intrusion or force throughout its history. Moreover, following the Demon King’s invasion a few decades ago, the city was further fortified. So, I believe that not even the Demon King could breach it now.”

Skarst, who had been resting his eyes, discreetly raised an eyebrow upon hearing Luna’s response.

“I may not fully comprehend Master Lilith’s concerns, but Jeorgetown City is extremely secure.” Luna offered a reassuring smile that could give anyone a sense of security before adding, “And even if all else fails, Lord Taylor will be here to protect us.”

“Ugh… You have no idea…”

Lilith sighed, harboring doubts about relying solely on Taylor. To her, Taylor was just another kid among the idiots she knew. What could he, a dragon, achieve alone?

Besides, her biggest worry was that Taylor would stir up chaos in the city with those other idiots.

No… There was no need for her to worry. She was certain that he would definitely do so. Despite never meeting him before, Lilith assumed all dragons shared similar traits.

Poor Jeorgetown City…

In her mind’s eye, Lilith could already envision a group of dragons reveling amid the ruins of the city.

“There’s little for me to do at this point. I can only take it one step at a time,” she concluded, running her thumb over the ruby pendant in front of her chest.

If things took a turn for the worse, she would have to seek her mother’s help.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

“Ahem, may I ask why I have to be the guest of honor?”

In the host room, Dowd, who had momentarily switched off the sound amplifier, forced a smile and responded to Grez, “I’m truly sorry, Third Divine Elder. This is an emergency.”

“But don’t you already have a guest of honor here?” Third Divine Elder Grez asked, sweeping his gaze over Fenice, who sat on the side with a smile.

He was genuinely surprised to see a saint-level expert as the guest of honor. Although he could not determine her exact strength, the aura she exuded suggested considerable strength.

“This young lady should be more than qualified as the guest of honor. Why involve an old man like me?”

“I admit that this is a rash decision, but having the Third Divine Elder present will surely elevate the crowd’s excitement,” Dowd replied, gesturing to the lively audience.

The atmosphere surged with energy as people took notice of the Third Divine Elder’s unexpected presence, a figure who usually maintained a low profile.

Of course, Dowd refrained from expressing his private sentiment that he found Fenice to be an unbearable guest.

“Very well then… Since I’m here, I don’t mind taking a seat anywhere. I’ll make an exception to be a guest,” Third Elder Grez said, stroking his beard, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

At his age, the time had come to seek out a disciple.

The anticipation of witnessing the grand spectacle unfold before his eyes brought a smile to Grez’s face as he looked forward to selecting a fortunate participant as his disciple.

“I shall resume the program, then.”

Returning his attention to the front, Dowd switched on the sound amplifier and wore a professional smile on his face.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize for the sudden turn of events.”

Dowd directed the audience’s attention toward Grez and introduced, “Let us warmly welcome the Holy Dragon Empire’s Third Divine Elder, Grez, who graciously joins us as our additional guest of honor for the Martial God Tournament!”

“Greetings! I’m Grez Gerd, the Third Divine Elder of the Holy Dragon Empire.”

“Whooooaaa!!”

The audience’s excitement surged, further highlighting Third Divine Elder Grez’s popularity.

Among the nine divine elders, there were often elusive figures, shrouded in mystery and rarely seen or heard.

Third Divine Elder Grez, however, stood out as the most approachable elder. He frequently adopted the guise of an ordinary elderly man, strolling through the city and even taking it upon himself to apprehend thieves and criminals when necessary.

There were rumors that Elder Grez had personally funded the Gerd Orphanage in the western part of the city. He was known to visit the orphans regularly, investing time in those who showed potential for cultivation.

For the majority of the Holy Dragon Empire’s residents, Third Divine Elder Grez was likely the most recognizable among the divine elders.

“Seems like the Martial God Tournament in this year’s Great Celestial Rite is bound to surpass its previous glory,” Dowd declared, skillfully rallying the crowd.

“In the last Martial God Tournament, we had over 29,000 participants. Can you guess how many are participating this year?”
“30,000!”
“32,000!”
“35,000!”

The guesses echoed in the lively atmosphere.

“Your enthusiasm is commendable, but let me share something else first,” Dowd said.

Elder Grez seemed like he wanted to say something but decided against it. Under his strange gaze, Dowd picked up his script and proceeded to the obligatory program of the day.

“The Great Celestial Rite this year is exclusively brought to you by t-the Cutest Liᵒᵒᵒ, Liᵒᵒᵒ Number One, I Love Liᵒᵒᵒ and Liᵒᵒᵒ the Greatest of All Time.”

Dowd stuttered for the first time in his career.

He slowly turned his head, shooting a dismayed look at Fenice and silently mouthed, “What the hell are you trying to do?”

“Hmm?”

Fenice merely looked at him innocently.

Quit pretending to be innocent! You were definitely the one making those noises to censor out parts of my speech, you b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲!

Dowd looked at the sponsors section filled with “Cutest Lilith, Lilith Number One…”

Although he did not know who this Lilith was, it did not stop him from wanting to slap the script directly on Fenice’s face.

Inhale… Exhale…
No, I’m a professional, I can’t get mad.
I must do my best to host the show.

Dowd sat up straight again and took a few deep breaths, secretly reminding himself not to let his emotions get the better of him again. No matter what happened, he must not react strongly to it!

It was at this moment that Miss Fenice, who had been deep in thought, suddenly realized something and clapped her hands.

“AHA! You didn’t read all the sponsor names! Your pay is getting docked!”