The staff looked at Aldrian healing Kang Yongjin in astonishment. They had already come to the conclusion that Kang Yongjin needed a miraculous healing pill of at least excellent grade. His injury was too severe to be healed by anything below that grade. There were some pills of such quality in the Black Dragon Pavilion's treasure vault, and they were treasures from the distant past.

However, even if Kang Yongjin took that pill, they believed there would still be lingering traces of him having used that powerful technique. His arm might carry hidden injuries that could relapse if he used that technique again or any other that placed great strain on his right arm. The staff physicians thought that perhaps the only way to fully heal Kang Yongjin was for him to swallow a pill of unblemished grade.

But the problem was that no pill of that grade had appeared for a very long time, leaving only one solution: to plead with the emperor to heal Kang Yongjin. The story of his miraculous healing ability was already well known to many, and he might be able to completely restore Kang Yongjin's injury.

And just as they had hoped, once again Aldrian displayed another of his capabilities, making them regard him as a cultivator who seemed capable of anything. With everything he could do, it was no wonder there was a religion that regarded him as a god.

What he achieved as a cultivator was impossible to replicate—not in the past, not in the present, and not in the future. At least, that was what they believed.

The injury they thought would be difficult to heal without miraculous pills was healed with just the emperor's technique. They were truly amazed by Aldrian's unique energy, which carried an extremely potent healing property that allowed him to heal anything without exception. This kind of ability was what all physicians dreamed of.

After a few moments, Kang Yongjin's condition finally returned to normal. His right arm's meridians and tendons were restored to a perfect state, and both his hidden and visible injuries were healed. He was as flawless as he had been before fighting any opponents today.

"I think this is enough. I will go back to watch the tournament, as they will not start the last battle until I appear," Aldrian said, which made Sect Master Kang instantly bow to him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity in healing Kang Yongjin. I am truly grateful."

"No problem, Sect Master Kang. The empire is truly fortunate to have someone like Kang Yongjin as one of its talents, and I hope Sect Master Kang will guide him to become a great cultivator in the future," Aldrian answered with a smile.

"I will, Your Majesty."

After that, Aldrian came out of the room after giving a message to Zander. Not long after Aldrian left, Kang Yongjin slowly regained consciousness. He blinked a few times as he adjusted to the new environment before turning his head to look around. He saw his master, a few staff members, and also Zander lying on a bed some distance away.

"How do you feel?" Sect Master Kang asked.

Kang Yongjin did not answer immediately. He blinked a few times until reality settled in, then let out a heavy sigh.

"I lost," he said, to which Sect Master Kang responded with a nod.

"You already did your best, but that guy over there is truly strong. It's no shame to lose to him," he replied, giving a subtle glance toward Zander.

Kang Yongjin looked at Zander and couldn't help but chuckle.

"So that is you without the mask. I think you are much younger than me. What is your name?" he asked.

"Zander."

"Zander… Zander… I see. To think that I—"

"He is His Majesty's disciple, the one rumored to have been accepted not long ago," Sect Master Kang cut him off, causing Kang Yongjin's eyes to widen in shock. He had already heard the name Zander, Aldrian's newly accepted disciple, but he never imagined that the very person he fought in the arena was him!

But then he sighed again. At least he felt much better now that he had lost to someone connected to the person he admired. He felt that Zander truly did not bring shame to his master and was worthy of being the emperor's disciple. That sword strike was truly powerful, and if Orlav had not stopped it, he would have been dead on the spot.

"You are strong, I give you that, but don't think I will stay back and let you keep walking and leave me behind," Kang Yongjin said, which made Zander smile.

"Then I will not let you overtake me. I will keep making you always look at my back," Zander answered, which drew a smile from Kang Yongjin.

"Is that so? Then I—"

"Aish, you were just healed by His Majesty, and you better rest for now instead of talking about the future competition," Sect Master Kang cut him off, which made Kang Yongjin widen his eyes.

"His Majesty healed me?"

"Who else could heal you this fast besides him? If not for His Majesty, your body might have ended up with hidden injuries that could hinder your future cultivation, so you better thank His Majesty later if you get the chance," Sect Master Kang answered.

Kang Yongjin looked at his body once more and sighed again. No wonder he did not feel any pain and only felt weak from lack of energy. He knew that using Breaking Void at his stage harmed his own body, and he had felt it the moment before he unleashed it.

His master had also warned that the technique might truly harm him, but at the time Kang Yongjin felt that if he did not use it he would regret it. It had been a good opportunity to strike Zander by surprise, and he had thought his plan would work.

However, to think that Zander could break free from the dragon's intimidation and even counterattack with that powerful sword technique—there was nothing he could do but accept his loss.

But then he shrugged. "I will do that later, Master. But I will still do what I can to surpass my current self and become stronger in the future. I will retake the title of the strongest in my cultivation realm." As he said that, he glanced at Zander, who also glanced back at him, still wearing that confident smile that seemed to say, you may try.

Sect Master Kang could only sigh at his sole disciple, who was still full of spirit. Yet he was glad he was that way. Kang Yongjin did not dwell too much on his defeat and instead, he used the experience to push himself forward. Sect Master Kang had worried about how he would react to losing against someone of the same cultivation realm, since he had never been defeated by an opponent in the same realm before.

But it looked like that worry was unnecessary, for Kang Yongjin had found determination even in his loss.

The tournament continued with the final match of the Marquess Stage category, which also marked the closing battle of the tournament. As expected, the fight was far more destructive, with power and strength that could rival the attacks and movements of Duke Stage cultivators.

Even so, the battle between Zander and Kang Yongjin remained the most memorable. Their strength and the way they fought were extraordinary, standing apart even among these geniuses.

It was true that the competitors here possessed great talent and powerful battle techniques, yet none of them had managed to reach the same intensity displayed by Zander and Kang Yongjin. Their strength alone was outside the norm, even among geniuses.

Still, the Marquess Stage final was fierce, and in the end a contender from the Demon Territory emerged as the victor. He was a disciple of the Piercing Heaven Sect, one of their core disciples, and had actually comprehended three elements.

With the battle concluded, so too was the main event of the tournament. The exciting clashes between geniuses finally came to an end, and it was time for the award ceremony. The winners of each category gathered in the center of the arena.

Zander also arrived after being informed about the ceremony. At this moment, under the spotlight and the cheers of millions of spectators, he and the other winners stood side by side to receive their rewards.

Aldrian himself personally presented the awards. He shook hands with each participant before handing over their reward—a storage ring containing the main prize, along with a trophy.

The trophy was a beautiful, long blue crystal, one meter tall and fifty centimeters wide. On one side of the crystal's surface was engraved the title of winner for their respective category in the first edition of the Grand Barisan Tournament.

When Zander received his reward, he nearly burst into tears, but held them back.

Once the award ceremony for the winners was completed, Orlav stepped forward to make another announcement.

"I have an announcement from His Majesty. In addition to the main reward, the winners of each category, along with those who placed second and third, will be given the chance to cultivate in the imperial palace for a month!"

The moment Orlav said this, the participants who had placed second and third became ecstatic. They had thought they would leave with nothing, but to be granted the opportunity to enter the imperial palace, a place not everyone could even hope to step into, was beyond their expectations.

"So we have finally come to the end of our event, marking the conclusion of the first edition of the Grand Barisan Tournament, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Orlav, and let us meet again in the next edition of the Grand Barisan Tournament!"

And so, under the beautiful moonlight and the countless glimmers of stars, the tournament officially came to an end.