He was nervous because the principal reason he had attended the Void Cup was neither for fame nor the Void Throne, but rather for a precious herb for his sister, Zhang Hanxiang. In his past life, he had heard rumors that this was one of the prizes awarded to those champions of the Void Cup. Whether or not that prize did exist, however, wasn't something he was certain about.

He had never mentioned this to anyone else, not even his teammates, but even so, some thoughtful people had noticed.

"Captain, are you worrying about whether or not the prizes will include the fruit of life?" Sun Mengmeng asked, shocking Zhang Lie.

"Mengmeng, how did you know—"

"Isn't it obvious? You would surely prioritize your sister above all else. Apparently, one fruit of life has been handed to almost every champion in past iterations of the Void Cup, allowing them to strengthen their soulspace.

"Really?"

"Within the past three iterations, at the very least."

"Wonderful— thank you, Mengmeng!"

Zhang Lie's worried expression was replaced with one of relief.

"What's going on, Captain? Are you hiding something from us?" Yang Ze, noticing the hushed conversation between Zhang Lie and Sun Mengmeng, crept over.

"Ah, shoo! What's there to hide from you? We're simply discussing the prizes that will be handed out." Zhang Lie's words drew the others' attention.

Of the seven hunters of Team Zenith, five were in the top ten, Li Feng was in the top twelve, and even the unlucky Sun Xiaowu was in eighteenth place. Their rewards would surely be impressive, and everyone was excited to discuss what they would get.

Before they could discuss it in much detail, however, Yan Long and Su Feng rushed over. Zhang Lie and the others were competitors with a specialized passageway for entrance and exit to the tournament grounds, but Yan Long and Su Feng had been stuck amidst a crowd of people and had only just rushed back.

"Congratulations, Zhang Lie! All of you really did it!" Yan Long shouted.

Su Feng clapped Zhang Lie's shoulders a few times, so agitated that he was at a loss for words.

"You're all curious about the prizes you'll receive, aren't you?" Yan Long asked.

The hunters all looked up. Indeed, they might not be well aware of just what the prizes would entail, but Yan Long and Su Feng, who had been responsible for escorting the human representatives for quite a few iterations of the Void Cup, did have some idea.

"Commander Yan Long, please, tell us more!" Yang Ze requested.

Yan Long motioned for everyone to sit down. "First, I'll mention the prizes for the champion of the Void Cup."

Everyone turned to Zhang Lie.

"The prize that everyone cares most about is naturally the Void Throne. It's a throne sculpted out of one of the most precious minerals to be found in deep space, by the most renowned sculptor in the world federation."

"A... decoration?" Fang Yi seemed rather disappointed upon hearing Yan Long's explanation.

"No, no, of course not. It's a domain artifact! The mineral itself is a treasure of unimaginable worth, and the amount of it required to make a throne is sufficient to enhance the rate at which genetic energy condenses for all lifeforms on the planet—and even over the solar system at large.

"This effect is enhanced the closer you are to the throne: if you cultivate while seated directly on it, it'll be at least a tenfold boost; those in the same room will experience a fivefold boost; those in the same city, a twofold boost; those in China, perhaps a boost of 70%; those on Earth, 30-50%; and even those in the Solar System, 10-20%!

"Do you see why everyone's so invested in winning the Void Throne for themselves now?"

Everyone's eyes bulged.

"Commander Yan, doesn't that mean mankind is set for life after winning this throne?" Fang Yi gasped.

"It's a five-year rental, nothing more. It'll pass to the next winner of the Void Cup in five years' time," Yan Long explained.

"Oh? In that case, we'll just have to train the disciples of the Zenith Dojo well and have them win the next Void Cup!" Because of Zhang Lie's overwhelming strength, Fang Yi didn't have a sense of just how difficult his claim would be to realize.

"If you really can do so, I'll thank you on behalf of all the citizens of China." If Fang Yi were able to train such excellent students, then so much the better.

Yan Long then turned to Zhang Lie. "Zhang Lie, thank you. The effects of the Void Throne will surely cultivate a generation of geniuses on Earth—and this is all thanks to you, you and the members of Team Zenith! On behalf of all China, I thank you for what you've accomplished."

Beside him, Su Feng nodded formally.  

Flustered, Zhang Lie waved his hands, not intending to claim full credit for the victory. In fact, the primary reason he had wanted to participate in the Void Cup was to cure his sister's paralysis. He had heard of the Void Throne, and he knew it was an extremely potent artifact, but not precisely what it did. After all, in his past life, he had certainly never qualified for the Void Cup. 

So this was why the four prime races placed so much attention on a first-realm tournament—it was all for the throne!

A moment later, he asked, "What other prizes are awarded to the winner? Surely there must be more than the throne itself?"

Yan Long nodded. "Of course. As the champion of the Void Cup, you can choose three items—growth-type soulshards or rare herbs from the third realm and up—in the world federation's treasury."

Zhang Lie's lips quirked up in a smile. If he remembered correctly, the fruit of life was indeed a third-realm spiritual treasure.

"Commander Yan, do you know if I'll be able to acquire a fruit of life?"

"Ah, yes—I almost forgot about your sister! Don't worry, the fruit of life is an additional reward handed to each champion of the Void Cup, with the ability to restore nerve damage and to expand one's soulspace."

Only then did Zhang Lie feel as though a weight had been relieved from his chest.

Once he returned, his sister would be cured. It had taken him eighteen long years and two lives to fulfill his promise to his sister, to let her stand on her own without any external assistance whatsoever.

Zhang Lie turned to the east. Thinking about how his sister had been forced to suffer for so long, his eyes couldn't help but turn misty.