1162 Backlash

Even with the coolness, Alex felt in his mind, he found it hard to think of just what exactly had happened.

The only thing he could think of was the divination from over 15 years ago. The one that showed him a vision of a crown that laid on his head.

A second divination had come true.

The crowd wasn't as stunned as Alex, so they immediately started talking within themselves to make sense of what they had just heard and seen.

If it were only the words, they could've imagined that the phoenix spoke wrongly, but seeing her put her own crown on Alex's head solidified her statement as to exactly what it was she wanted here.

Without a single say from anyone in the crowd, Alex had just become another Ruler of the Southern Continent.

The people didn't know how to feel about it all. "Your Majesty, what are you saying?" the elders quickly walked up to Scarlet and asked her.

"What?" Scarlet looked at them. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, that's…" the elders themselves weren't sure what to make of the situation. "Is this the right thing to do, your Majesty?"

"Why would it not be?" Scarlet asked.

"We don't know," the elders said. "It's just that such a thing is unprecedented. You should consider it for a while before making a decision."

"Do you think I made my decision on a whim?" Scarlet asked. "I have spent all the time I had since yesterday on this one decision, and I have decided to make Alex the ruler whenever I am absent. Even in my presence, he will be the second highest authority of the continent."

The elders quickly shook their heads. "If you have given your decision some thought, we have no complaints at all," one of them said.

Scarlet nodded and turned towards Alex.

"You don't seem thrilled to suddenly be named a king," she said.

Alex finally got out of his stupor and looked at Scarlet. "Why did you not tell me you were going to do something so reckless," he said.

"Why should I? My decision wouldn't have changed either way," she said.

"Why me?" Alex asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Because we are bonded," Scarlet said.

A few people that were close to the stage heard the conversation and were more than surprised by what they heard. Within moments, the gossip found legs and made its way around the crowd.

Soon enough, everyone was talking about exactly that very information.

Scarlet noticed the rumor that was spreading and decided to stop it at once. "I have bonded with this young human, that is true," she said.

"Isn't that biased?"

"Why him? There are many better candidates."

People started complaining finally, and no one could stop anyone from speaking out of their turn. The elders tried to make them stop, but Scarlet stopped them. She let the crowd vent out their anger and frustration.

Instead, she turned back to Alex again who seemed ready to question her again.

"They are right," he said. "Why did you make such a biased judgment? Why me?"

"I am not biased," Scarlet said. "Even without our bond, even if I had only ever heard of you, I would have chosen you. Your accomplishments are not something anyone can imagine doing. You alone are worthy in this entire continent."

"Maybe," Alex said. "But what about the main problem? The fact that I'm not from this continent. At some point, I will have to leave this place and return."

"I know," Scarlet said. "You told me so. Did you think I made such an important decision without thinking about that?"

"So you knew I would leave and you still decided to make me a king?" Alex asked.

"When you say return, what is the name of the place you will be returning to?" Scarlet asked.

Alex frowned for a second. "That's…" he found it hard to speak the name of a place that he considered he was returning to.

For a moment he thought of the Central continent, but that wasn't right. Pearl was there, and his old house was, but that was now a place he could only ever say he was visiting, not returning.

As for the Western Continent, he could say he was returning to that place too, but where exactly in that continent was it?

He thought of the Hong Wu sect and the Tiger sect, but they were places he had left behind long ago. That place held his memories, not his home.

As for the Beast realm or the Luminance Empire, there was really only one place he would be returning to there. It was to his mother.

Wherever his mother was, he would go there.

But then… couldn't he just bring his mother to the Southern Continent?

"You told me you don't have a house to go back to, you only have a family. You can easily have your family members gather in this continent, can't you?" Scarlet asked. "You already have two here, you only need to bring the rest."

Alex slowly nodded when he heard that. That was the truth, no matter how he viewed it. His home was where his family was, so as long as they were there, he would forever remain in the Southern Continent, with no need to leave the place

Alex couldn't help but sigh in the end. "I have no interest to rule, nor do I have the ability to do so. Even then, if you want me to become the ruler, then I shall do it," he said.

"Leaders and Rulers aren't born with the ability to lead and rule. They are made by the teachings and actions of those around them. You might not have the ability to rule right now, but in just a few years, you would be making decisions that only a ruler can make. I guarantee you at least that."

Alex didn't doubt that, but still. It simply felt wrong for him to become a ruler. He didn't feel like he deserved it.

"You fought and survived people that were nearly 30 realms higher than you. Why are you suddenly scared of just having to make a few decisions?" Scarlet asked.

Alex thought about it for a second and sighed. "When you put it like that, I might really be overreacting," he said. He took a deep breath as he remembered the divination.

Was he afraid of becoming a ruler because that would make a second divination come true? Was he trying to fight fate so he could make sure the divinations could also turn out to be wrong?

Now that he thought about it, he had always feared the one prophecy that told him when he would die.

He would die when helping a fallen power restore itself. Was he afraid that Scarlet was that power?

'What's done is done,' he thought. 'If the divinations are to come true, they will. I can't stop it.'

"Alright, I am willing to become the ruler," Alex said with a straight back as he looked at Scarlet.

Scarlet smiled and turned towards the crowd that was still talking amongst themselves, clearly unsatisfied.

"You all must believe that I made a biased choice today?" Scarlet asked.

The crowd quietened down. They all believed so, but no one wanted to be the one to say it to their new ruler.

"You are right," Scarlet said. "It is a biased choice. However, the bias is not based on my closeness with the young man, but rather my understanding of what he can and cannot do."

The crowd was confused slightly, so they let her continue.

"Who here can fight someone more than 3 realms higher than their own cultivation base?" Scarlet asked.

The crowd looked at each other, trying to find a face that would match the question, but there wasn't any.

"Alex here can fight someone 10 realms higher than his cultivation base," she said.

Sounds of awe and surprise sounded from all over the yard as people were made aware of the fact.

"10 realms? That shouldn't be possible," someone said, and the others hummed or nodded in agreement.

"You!" Scarlet pointed to a certain middle-aged man, who had a cultivation base of Saint Core 3rd realm. "Do you disagree with my decision?"

The old man being singled out by the phoenix immediately started sweating profusely. He had been vocal about the disagreement, but he thought he had been hiding quite well.

"O-of course not, your Majesty," the man said.

"No, you have been," Scarlet said. "I have heard your voice. I have heard everyone's voice. So, I shall give you a chance to undo my decision."

"You will fight him in front of us all for exactly 3 clashes. If Alex loses, I will take back my decision to make him a ruler as well," she said. "Do you agree?"

The man was put in a tough position as he didn't want to offend anyone, but from the glares of the many people around him, he was forced to accept the battle.

"And if I lose?" he asked.

"Nothing," Scarlet said. "I will still let you all complain."

"I agree to the fight," the man said immediately after hearing that.

"Must we do this?" Alex asked Scarlet quietly.

"The only way to prove your legitimacy is by showing others how strong you are," she said. "Now, go ahead and fight him."

"Fine," Alex said and stepped away from the stage and flew into the sky. The man followed behind a moment later, and soon enough the two were in front of each other, ready to battle.