Chapter 9

The competition begins!

First up is the 10-12 age group competition.

In this age group, the six major families collectively sent 82 young contestants to participate.

The competition format involves one-on-one battles, with the losers being immediately eliminated and the winners continuing to fight according to their numbers, avoiding internal family conflicts. In just one hour, the two spots for this age group were claimed!

One spot went to the Nalan family, and the other to the Hu family.

Cheers and applause erupted in the camps of these two families. Although they each secured only one spot, it was still a good start, worthy of celebration!

"Uh..." In the Fengyun family camp, the family head, Fengyun Mo, frowned slightly. He was well aware that the Fengyun family had little competitiveness in this age group and shouldn't harbor any侥幸心理 (侥幸心理 means侥幸 psychology, but in this context, it can be translated as "false hope"). However, what made him feel embarrassed was that the Fengyun family's young contestants were almost immediately defeated by their opponents upon entering the stage! They lacked even the strength to engage in a prolonged struggle!

A sense of foreboding suddenly descended upon Fengyun Mo.

A younger brother of Fengyun Mo quickly whispered in consolation, "Big brother, don't worry. The main event is still to come! In the 13-15 and 16-18 age groups, our Fengyun family is very competitive! There are still 8 spots left to fight for, so why be overly concerned and worry needlessly?"

Fengyun Mo thought about it and agreed; the Fengyun family's greatest reliance was on the 16-18 age group!

The competition proceeded in a tight and intense manner.

13-15 age group!

As expected, in this age group, the Fengyun family began to show some advantages.

On the stage...

"If you know what's good for you, you'll surrender now! Weapons have no eyes, and I won't be responsible if you get hurt!" Fengyun Changtian, a 14-year-old prodigy of the Fengyun family, had reached the 3rd rank of the Xuan Qi cultivation, and was a key talent being groomed by the family. He was extremely confident and had already begun to grasp the essence of the family's highest secret manual, the 'Thirteen Deadly Swords'.

"Hmph! Why say such nonsense? Let's see who's better in a real fight!" Fengyun Changtian's opponent, Hu Jiange from the Hu family, was 15 years old and also at the 3rd rank of Xuan Qi cultivation. He was a standout in his age group within the Hu family. He held a finely crafted steel folding fan, exuding a graceful and elegant demeanor even at his young age.

"Defeat!"

Fengyun Changtian let out a low roar, his long sword suddenly circling and creating a silver sword shadow. His movements were swift, and the sword shadow was already aiming for Hu Jiange's throat!

It was an incredibly ruthless move!

Hu Jiange remained calm, his fan flicking out a few times, and he immediately unleashed the Hu family's highest secret manual, the advanced Yellow Rank Wind and Thunder Fan Technique. The fan's wind was fierce, and the momentum was astonishing!

Fengyun Changtian's Thirteen Deadly Swords were executed with increasing speed, showcasing the essence and subtleties of the sword technique to the fullest!

The two figures moved rapidly on the stage, each move deeply rooted in their respective family's martial arts, making it difficult to distinguish the winner for a moment!

In the audience, everyone was in awe. Fengyun Changtian and Hu Jiange were indeed prodigies, and given time, they would surely become great talents!

On the judges' platform, the three representatives of the Aohan Sect smiled and sipped their tea, not even lifting their eyelids. It seemed that this level of competition was not enough to capture their attention.

On the stage, Fengyun Changtian ultimately had the upper hand in talent. By the 65th move, he shouted and thrust his sword, piercing Hu Jiange's wrist and causing the fan to fall to the ground!

"I surrender!" Hu Jiange's face turned red with embarrassment, his eyes filled with despair as he leaped back and trembled.

At 15 years old, this defeat meant he would never have the chance to join the Aohan Sect again!

Cruel! This was the cruel nature of the selection process!

For some family disciples, one defeat meant losing everything!

Fengyun Changtian was in high spirits, sheathed his sword, and bowed to the audience. Then, he went to a corner of the stage to take a 'Xuan Qi Recovery Pill' provided by the Aohan Sect representatives, swallowed it, and descended from the stage to quietly meditate and recover his Xuan Qi, preparing for the next opponent.

In the 13-15 age group competition, Fengyun Changtian indeed overcame all obstacles, securing a spot for the Fengyun family. This also earned him the basic qualification to enter the Aohan Sect!

However, for the Fengyun family, the only flaw was that in the 13-15 age group, the second prodigy, Fengyun Ba, was defeated by a single move by Nalan Hua of the Nalan family in the final round, resulting in the second spot in this age group being claimed by the Nalan family.

Thus, the four spots in the first two age groups were decided...

Nalan family: 2 spots;

Hu family: 1 spot;

Fengyun family: 1 spot.

The main event of the selection process was about to begin!

16-18 age group!

This age group was the most important for all the major families! There were 6 spots to compete for! In the previous two age groups, some families had no achievements, but they had not given up. They were placing their bets on the final age group!

The competition for 6 spots was the most crucial!

"Children!" Fengyun Mo called all the Fengyun family disciples participating in this age group. "The rise and fall of the Fengyun family rests on the swords in your hands! When you fight, give it your all! Unleash all the fierce and deadly moves of our Fengyun family's sword techniques! Remember, the enemies you face are your lifelong mortal enemies! Kill them!"

"Currently, the Nalan family has won 2 spots and is temporarily leading us... Kill! Overtake the Nalan family!"

"Yes!" The Fengyun family disciples about to enter the stage seemed to be injected with adrenaline, their eyes beginning to turn red!

Only Fengyun Xue, the first prodigy of the Fengyun family's younger generation, maintained a relatively calm demeanor. He held his sword in one hand and gently stroked the blade with the other, vowing in his heart... "I will definitely enter the Aohan Sect! I will definitely ask the Aohan Sect's innate experts to help Wuheng remove the dantian seal!"

The competition for the final 6 spots began!

The battles on the stage were more intense, more tense, and more suspenseful than those in the previous two age groups!

Some used exquisite techniques, some used brute force with Xuan Qi, some turned the tide, and some won by taking risks... Only at this moment did the three Aohan Sect representatives put down their teacups and begin to watch the battles on the stage.

After two hours of fierce competition, 11 contestants were eliminated, 25 were seriously injured, and 57 were lightly injured. In the end, 12 contestants remained!

Fengyun family... Fengyun Xue; Fengyun Tiegang; Fengyun Kun; Fengyun Rui; Fengyun Yaqin.

The five most competitive disciples of the Fengyun family all made it to the final! Among them, Fengyun Xue and Fengyun Tiegang were at the 6th rank of Xuan Qi cultivation, and the remaining three were at the peak of the 5th rank of Xuan Qi cultivation!

An incredibly strong lineup!

The remaining 7 contestants...

1 from the He family.

1 from the Chen family.

1 from the Hu family.

2 from the Yelü family.

2 from the Nalan family.

In total... 12 contestants!

Exactly, 6 spots would be decided from these 12 contestants!

From the surface, the Fengyun family's advantage... was terrifying!

Out of the 12 contestants, the Fengyun family occupied 5 of the competitive spots!

From the most optimistic perspective, if the 5 Fengyun family disciples all defeated their respective opponents, the Fengyun family would secure 5 spots!

Adding the one spot they won in the 13-15 age group, the Fengyun family could secure 6 spots in this selection process!

If this were to happen, it would undoubtedly be the most glorious achievement in the history of the Fengyun family!

In the previous selection process, the Fengyun family only won 4 spots, which was already an extraordinary achievement, making the Fengyun family almost the top family in Qiuhe City!

If this time...

The Fengyun family camp was filled with excitement!

"Ha ha ha! The children have done us proud!" Fengyun Mo was overjoyed and laughed heartily.

"Big brother, with this situation, we can say that the Fengyun family is a sure winner!" Fengyun Mo's younger brothers all laughed. "We can definitely secure our current status, and now we just need to see if we can do even better!"

On the judges' platform...

The three Aohan Sect representatives were also now interested. After all, the bloated competition had been refined to its final essence. The remaining 12 contestants were the top young disciples of the six major families!

12 contestants, 6 matches, each with high stakes.

"Ha, Ximen brother, Dashe brother, look at the Fengyun family's overwhelming advantage! Out of the 12 contestants, they have 5 spots, and two of them are at the 6th rank of Xuan Qi cultivation!"

"Ha ha ha! Li brother, that's surprising! The Fengyun family's advantage is just an illusion!"

"Oh? Li brother, what do you mean?"

"Simple, the Fengyun family has 5 contestants in the final, right? However, only 2 are at the 6th rank of Xuan Qi cultivation. Their opponents, the He family, Hu family, Chen family, Nalan family, and Yelü family, have only 7 contestants in the final, but all 7 are at the 6th rank of Xuan Qi cultivation... Ha ha, and I favor the Nalan family! Ximen brother, Dashe brother, look, the 2 Nalan family disciples, who appear to be at the 5th rank of Xuan Qi cultivation, are actually using precious concealment pills to hide their true cultivation. Their true strength is at the 6th rank of Xuan Qi cultivation! Such hidden strength is meant to create a false impression and deliver a fatal blow! This is a well-thought-out strategy! I favor the Nalan family!"

"Um... Li brother, you make a good point! The Yelü family is also strong, with 2 contestants at the 6th rank of Xuan Qi cultivation, one of whom is at the mid-6th rank, and cannot be underestimated!"

"Oh ha ha... So, the Fengyun family's advantage is just a mirage?"

...

The three Aohan Sect representatives, with their superior cultivation and keen eyesight, could grasp the subtle nuances of the situation much better than the family heads and elders of the major families.

"The final 6 matches! To decide the 6 spots for the 16-18 age group! I declare! The first match, Fengyun family's 4th contestant versus He family's 5th contestant!"

Ximen, the judge, announced clearly.

On the stage...

The Fengyun family's 4th contestant was the graceful female disciple, Fengyun Yaqin, 18 years old, at the peak of the 5th rank of Xuan Qi cultivation. She held her sword, exuding a refined and spirited demeanor.

Her opponent was the only contestant from the He family, He Huzi, 18 years old, who had just reached the 6th rank of Xuan Qi cultivation the day before, and his cultivation was not yet stable!