Soon, they all arrived at the venue and entered the area that had been prepared for them. The Silver Body Clan's designated area was at the very bottom of the seating arrangement, as no one was yet aware of the changes within the clan. Therefore, they were seated in the section reserved for the weakest clans.

"Hey! Isn't that the Silver Body Clan?"

"Yes! Oh, I didn't expect them to show up. Maybe the rumors about their youngsters being able to withstand the City Governor's attack made them decide to participate?"

"Ha ha ha, that young man? But he might not be from the Silver Body Clan. As far as I remember, the Silver Body Clan doesn't have anyone that young!"

"Even their clan leader is only at the first level of the Immortal Soul stage. A youth from a medium-rank clan could easily defeat him."

Ha ha ha!!!

The crowd began to gossip as they saw the Silver Body Clan walk in and take their seats. They insulted and mocked the Silver Body Clan, knowing it to be a very weak clan.

These words made the youths of the Silver Body Clan feel extremely dissatisfied, and they wanted to yell back and inform everyone that their clan leader was not the same person anymore. However, the elders accompanying them forbade it, telling them to keep their mouths shut and that those who laugh last usually laugh louder.

Hearing this, the youths grudgingly held their tongues, though they were still displeased. Upon reflection, they realized it was better to wait until the results of the competition were revealed. If they spoke up now, no one would believe them. It would be wiser to wait until victory was achieved, as there was nothing to lose by being patient.

More clans began to arrive. Most were lower- and medium-ranking clans that typically arrived first. The higher-ranking clans preferred to arrive later, seeking the admiration of others. Just then, the sound of excitement rippled through the crowd.

"That's the Blood Wolf Clan!"

"And that's the Flaming Chameleon Clan!"

"It's said that the youths of those two upper-medium-ranking clans are lovers."

"If those two clans are allied, their combined power will surely be greater."

After those two medium-ranking clans entered, several other medium-ranking clans followed closely. However, these clans were not as prominent as the first two, so they did not attract as much attention unless someone mentioned their youth.

As for the Silver Body Clan, none of the other clans thought to greet them. That was until two clans that had once been creditors of the Silver Body Clan arrived and took seats next to them.

"Oh! Brother Song-Lang, I didn't expect to see you here," said the middle-aged man leading one of the clans, his expression laced with slight disdain.

"Why wouldn't I come? This is the Competitive Rally Among the Clans," Song-Lang replied calmly, maintaining a composed demeanor.

"That's true, Brother Song-Lang. This is the Competitive Rally Among the Clans. But you guys... um... do you have any youngsters capable of competing now?" interjected another middle-aged man, the leader of the other clan seated on the opposite side. This clan leader was another former creditor of the Silver Body Clan.

"You don't need to worry about that. By the way, are your youngsters ready?" Song-Lang asked perfunctorily, but his question carried an undertone of insults.

"The youths of my clan are all in the advanced Immortal stage. I'm confident they can secure a spot in the top two hundred. Once they do, my clan will be elevated to a rank higher than Brother Song-Lang's Silver Body Clan," the clan leader boasted confidently, certain that his youngsters would succeed.

Huh!!!

Song-Lang didn't bother to respond further; he simply snorted and went silent. The clan leader who had spoken quickly followed suit, saying nothing more.

Now, the high-ranking clans were beginning to arrive. There were a total of seven top-level clans, including the Flaming Dawn Clan, the Frenzy Lion Clan, and the Lightning Bird Clan—three of the top-ranking clans. Among the medium-ranking clans were the Copper Scale Clan and the Flaming Bull Clan, whose young generations Zheng-Fu had encountered at the Enchanted Monster Tavern.

The lower-ranking high-ranking clans included the Iron Fortress Clan and the Monster Liquor Clan. These two clans were not battle-focused, so their rankings were at the bottom, despite their considerable strength. The Iron Fortress Clan, in particular, was renowned for its defensive abilities as a forging clan in Huang-Di City.

Today, their youngsters were also competing, with energy levels reaching the third level of the Immortal Soul stage.

Shortly after all the clans from inside and outside the city had assembled in the arena, the referee announced that all competitors should proceed to the competition area. The Silver Body Clan had a total of twelve competitors, whereas the other clans sent more than thirty each.

However, the upper medium-ranking clans and above only sent a few of their most brilliant youths to compete, aiming only for the top ranks.

In a seat on a high tower...

"This rally has even more contestants than last time," said a large middle-aged man with a lion's head, smirking to reveal his sharp teeth. This man was the clan leader of the Frenzy Lion Clan, one of the top-ranking clans.

"So many contestants, and so what? They're just extras to make the event seem lively," a gaunt middle-aged man interjected suddenly, his body brimming with lightning energy. He was the Lightning Bird Clan Leader, and his tone was filled with disdain and mockery toward the lower- and medium-ranking clans.

"But this year's rally will be more interesting than the previous one. I have a feeling," said another middle-aged man with light red skin, smiling happily as he stared down at the floor, sensing something unusual.

Huh?

"It's strange to hear you say that, Flaming Dawn Clan Leader. But if you think so, there must be something exciting today. I feel the same way," Dan-Ge, seated at the very center, suddenly spoke, his eyes fixed on Zheng-Fu and Jin-Tian, who were sitting together.

Dan-Ge sensed that these two young men were hiding something from him. But over the past month, his spies had reported that they hadn't gone anywhere. This only piqued Dan-Ge's curiosity about Zheng-Fu and Jin-Tian even more.

When the others on the tower heard Dan-Ge's words, they couldn't help but wonder why the City Governor had said that. Was there something special about the youths from certain clans? Or was it someone from a medium-ranking clan?

Finally, the time had come. The chairman of the opening ceremony, none other than Dan-Ge, the Huang-Di City Governor, rose and stood on the tower's balcony. Then, in a voice that echoed throughout the city, he shouted,

"Start the Competitive Rally Among the Clans!"

Hey! Hey! Hey!

The cheers of the audience erupted in excitement. This competition wasn't held annually but only once every three years, so the crowd was thrilled. Simultaneously, the gamblers appeared.

"Place your bets, place your bets!"

"Accepting bets, accepting bets—win or lose, it's not about the bookie!"

"Three to one! Come on, are you interested in betting? I'm offering good odds—three to one!"

The Competitive Rally Among the Clans was divided into three sessions. The first session was a group competition to whittle the number of contestants down to just one thousand out of a total of three thousand. When there were fewer contestants in previous years, fewer participants advanced to the next round. But this year, with so many participants, the number of finalists would be larger.

However, by the second round, they would be reduced to only two hundred, and the final session would determine the last twenty.

The entire competition would take three days to complete. As the number of contestants had increased, so had the time required. Now, the first round had begun, with all contestants placed in different maneuver arenas.

There were ten maneuver arenas in total, with each arena hosting four hundred contestants, of which only one hundred would qualify for the next round. In each arena, once the number of qualifiers reached the specified limit, the referee would immediately stop the fight.

The advantage of this group competition was that any clan could send many contestants, and they would all be placed in the same maneuver arena. If the number of contestants exceeded the arena's capacity, the overcrowded clan would be split to maintain balance.

All twelve youths from the Silver Body Clan were placed in the same maneuver arena because their numbers were far fewer than those of the other clans. Their designated arena was the tenth maneuver arena, where all the lower-ranking clans were gathered.

Every year, the Silver Body Clan was always assigned to the tenth maneuver arena because it was reserved for the lowest-ranking clans within the city.

In the tenth maneuver arena...

"Big Brother Den, how long do you think it will take us to deal with these people?" Diao suddenly asked his brother, his voice neither too low nor too loud, ensuring that everyone could hear him.

"Just one incense stick... No, half an incense stick is enough," Den replied, having assessed the situation and the energy levels of everyone present.

"Very arrogant!!!"

Suddenly, a fierce-looking young man from the opposite side of the arena strode past the other contestants and stopped in front of Den and Diao, glaring at them with an insulted expression.

"What did you just say?" the fierce-looking young man demanded in an impudent tone.

"Why should I tell you what I said?"

"You!!!"

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