"Jiang the Military Advisor, did we really break through?"
The Third Prince was on Huo Wu’s back, still in disbelief. It was the first time he had ever come so close to first place.
That’s right. Behind them, there was no longer any sign of the Crown Prince’s or Second Prince’s men.
Wen Shiren still found it so incredible he felt as if he were dreaming.
Jiang Chen glanced back and saw that the Crown Prince and Second Prince seemed to have given up.
He nodded. "Your Highness, this time, first place is yours and yours alone."
However, he felt a sense of grim irony.
Although Wen Shiren could take first place this time, the price was extremely high. For the Third Prince to win was to defy a royal edict—a crime punishable by death.
They were risking everything to seize first place.
Indeed, first place was almost within their grasp, but the final outcome might not be as wonderful as they imagined.
The Third Prince was thrilled, ecstatic.
But then, a thought struck him, and a chill instantly ran down his spine.
’This way, my father, the King, will surely have me killed.’
"Jiang the Military Advisor, can what you said before really save me?"
He was facing execution, having strayed further and further down the path of defying the royal edict.
Right now, his biggest worry was his own life.
It was hard to say if he could truly be saved.
Even though Jiang Chen had spoken with such confidence.
Jiang Chen shook his head. "I’m not certain either, but you must do this."
An even deeper chill washed over the Third Prince.
Huo Wu didn’t slow in the slightest, continuing its mad dash forward.
At the summit, a group of Fire Sparrow Kingdom guards had been standing in wait for some time.
One of them, clad in full armor, was none other than Grand General Ming Chang, the younger brother of Grand General Ming Zhe.
At this moment, he wore a smile as he spoke to a monk standing nearby, "Jue Wu, I’m guessing our Crown Prince will be the first to plant his flag on the summit this time."
The monk was Jue Wu, a disciple of National Preceptor Yuan Hui.
He was a master at the Martial King Seventh Heaven realm.
He sneered contemptuously. "Come on, stop boasting. It’ll definitely be our Second Prince who reaches the summit first."
Both men were full of confidence in their respective princes.
Ming Chang glanced down the mountain, but the distance was too great to see anything clearly.
He spoke again, "How about we make a bet? We’ll see whether the Crown Prince or the Second Prince arrives first."
"If our Crown Prince gets here first, how about you give me one hundred million essence crystals?"
"Conversely, if your Second Prince arrives first, I’ll give you one hundred million essence crystals."
Ming Chang was naturally competitive. In previous years, it had always been a contest between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.
The two of them took turns taking first place.
From the very beginning, they hadn’t even considered the Third Prince. They knew his strength was simply beneath their notice.
Jue Wu laughed heartily. "Fine, a bet’s a bet."
"It’s only a hundred million essence crystals."
And just like that, the two placed their bet.
Afterwards, they both looked down the mountain again.
One of them said with some curiosity, "What was that explosion from down the mountain earlier?"
"No idea."
Jue Wu suddenly said, "Right, there’s also the Third Prince. What if he takes first?"
Grand General Ming Chang scoffed, full of disdain. "Are you kidding me? The Third Prince? As if he’s worthy of first place."
"He’ll be lucky to hold onto third."
His words clearly showed he didn’t take the Third Prince seriously at all.
In his mind, the Third Prince couldn’t even be compared to the other two princes.
It was no wonder they thought this way. Not only was the Third Prince part of a rival faction, but more importantly, he had never won in previous years. Not even once.
And the Third Prince had no noteworthy experts by his side.
Everything seemed to be a foregone conclusion.
"What’s this about ’holding onto third’? Third place was always his to begin with," Jue Wu reminded him.
The two of them burst into laughter.
This time, they were specifically waiting on the mountain for the princes to arrive.
「A while later.」
Grand General Ming Chang said, "Judging by the time, they should be here soon."
"I’m looking forward to our Crown Prince arriving first."
Jue Wu snorted but didn’t reply.
His eyes just darted about, staring intently at the mountain path.
Until, at last, several figures appeared on the path, rushing toward the summit.
At this point, they were only about two hundred meters from the top.
"Haha, our Crown Prince has arrived..."
Grand General Ming Chang immediately broke into a hearty laugh.
Jue Wu’s expression, however, suddenly turned strange.
He said coolly, "I wouldn’t be so sure."
"Something seems different this time."
What?
Grand General Ming Chang immediately took a closer look.
The next moment, his expression contorted.
He cried out in alarm, "Impossible! This is impossible!"
"How could it be the Third Prince? How is that possible?"
He simply couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing.
Because the first ones to ascend the mountain were actually the Third Prince’s men.
The Third Prince was being carried on one of his men’s backs, charging for the summit.
Four people in total.
Even though there was still some distance, they could see them clearly.
There was no mistaking them; it was clearly the Third Prince’s group.
Jue Wu also took a deep breath, his expression ugly. "It seems we were both wrong this time."
"The Third Prince actually appeared first."
They both looked behind the Third Prince’s group but could see no one else.
The other two princes they had been expecting were nowhere in sight.
"This..."
The two men looked at each other in dismay.
Finally, they swallowed hard.
Because the Third Prince’s group was already almost at the summit.
Many of the guards stared with wide eyes.
Everyone found it utterly bizarre.
It wasn’t the Crown Prince, nor the Second Prince. It was the Third Prince.
"It... it really is the Third Prince! Why is it him this time?"
"The Third Prince made a comeback! Heavens, this is incredible! It’s unprecedented!"
Everyone was shocked to their core.
Because the Third Prince had always finished last, and now he was suddenly in first place.
It wasn’t just Grand General Ming Chang and Jue Wu who couldn’t believe this result; everyone else found it hard to accept as well.
’We’re almost there.’
The Third Prince’s eyes were full of excitement. Even though he knew the danger that came with victory, he was still willing to take first place just this once.
As the saying goes, "To learn the truth in the morning is to die content in the evening." It spoke of a spirit of relentless pursuit, and at this moment, the Third Prince embodied that very spirit, unafraid of death in his quest for first place.
The Crown Prince and the Second Prince seemed to have given up.
Now it was Cao Yang carrying the Third Prince.
The four of them quickly charged to the summit.
At the summit were three large boulders, arranged to mark first, second, and third place.
The boulder for first place was clearly set at the highest point.
When the Third Prince reached the top, he was overjoyed.
He jumped off Cao Yang’s back, flag in hand, ran to the boulder, and planted the flag right on top of it.
The flag unfurled in the wind, like the fervent passion burning in the Third Prince’s heart.
For the first time, he had overshadowed his two older brothers.
The sense of accomplishment was indescribable.
The feeling could be summed up in one word: exhilarating. He felt absolutely euphoric, completely satisfied.
"First place... it’s mine! Wen Shiren’s!"
"Hahahahaha...!"
He let out a booming laugh.
Grand General Ming Chang and the others could only stare at each other, speechless.
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