Clan Competition Begins

As the morning sun rose over the horizon and shone upon the earth, a ray of dawn light fell upon an exquisite Bamboo House within Gu Saint Mountain.

Inside the Bamboo House, a little girl was arranging her clothes. Her delicate, doll-like appearance was utterly adorable, while her star-like eyes seemed to possess an innate spirituality. Three Thousand Green Silks cascaded to her waist, and her pale green dress and accessories, combined with her uniquely cool and noble temperament, made one unable to help but marvel: She was already like this at such a young age—how breathtaking would she be once she grew up?

Beside the little girl stood a somewhat illusory figure, seemingly teaching her how to dress.

"Yes, yes, yes. You can wear a bracelet here; it'll make you look more elegant. Hmm... not bad, very pretty."

The illusory figure was Yun Xi. Looking at the exquisite little girl before him, he could not help but praise her.

Hearing Yun Xi's compliments, a trace of bashfulness immediately appeared on Xun'er's little face. She said shyly, "R-really...? Thank you."

She had not expected Yun Xi, who could be aloof at times and silly at others, to actually understand clothing. Beyond her surprise, she felt rather delighted.

After all, everyone loved beauty, especially Xun'er, who was still quite young and placed even greater importance on her appearance.

"Alright, get ready to leave. The Clan Competition should be starting soon." As he spoke, Yun Xi turned into a streak of light and entered her body.

After looking herself over once more, Xun'er smiled faintly, feeling thoroughly satisfied. With light little steps, she headed toward the Trial Grounds where the clan competition would be held.

Gu Clan Training Ground

As far as the eye could see stood a massive bluestone platform, etched with ancient patterns. The marks left behind by countless battles proved that this was the competition venue.

At every entrance and exit of the Trial Grounds stood figures clad in black armor. Their strength was all above that of Dou Huangs. They were the Gu Clan's Imperial Guards—the Black Annihilation Army.

Meanwhile, the numerous seats above were already packed with people. A casual glance revealed quite a few powerful experts from outside clans.

Seeing such a grand scene, Xun'er felt somewhat helpless. Her temperament was naturally on the colder side, so she did not particularly enjoy such a noisy atmosphere.

"Miss, you must be careful. I just noticed quite a few formidable individuals among these juniors."

Ling Ying's figure appeared at her side. His brow was slightly furrowed as he spoke with concern.

Xun'er nodded. Just as she was about to rise and head toward the seats above, she sensed a faint trace of killing intent.

She abruptly turned around and looked toward the bustling crowd in the distance, frowning slightly. Though the killing intent was faint, she could still roughly sense that it came from behind her. Yet with her strength, she had no way of finding that person.

She did not understand the reason, but clearly, she was the other party's target. It was possible that she had been under their surveillance from the moment she entered this place.

Seeing Xun'er's reaction, Ling Ying asked in confusion, "What is it, Miss?"

"N-nothing." After looking once more at the noisy crowd behind her, Xun'er withdrew her gaze and slowly made her way toward the seats.

In the direction Xun'er had just been watching, a man in black robes quietly stared at her retreating back and muttered coldly, "As expected... the Golden Emperor Burning Flame... and... divine-grade early-stage bloodline... She is a great threat... We cannot let her grow up."

After entering the seats reserved for contestants, Xun'er looked at the several hundred people bearing the Gu Clan insignia, and her fighting spirit rose.

"Are these the juniors of your Gu Clan? They seem a little weak. With your strength, wouldn't you be able to crush them all?" Yun Xi suddenly teased from within her body.

"Maybe. But why haven't those people arrived yet?" She looked around, searching through the crowd for the formidable opponents in her eyes.

She sat quietly like that for half an hour.

Xun'er let out a soft sigh. "Sigh, this is so boring. How much longer do we have to wait before it starts?"

Bored, she looked around idly. Suddenly, her gaze stopped at the entrance, where several figures entered. At their head was Gu Qingyang, while the Gu Clan's elite gradually arrived behind him.

The moment Gu Qingyang and the others appeared, waves of exclamations erupted among the younger generation.

"Wow, so that's the number one among our juniors? He's so handsome!"

"Look, it's Gu Qingyang and Gu Yao! They're incredibly strong."

"This Clan Competition is going to be worth watching."

"I just hope I don't run into them the moment I step onstage."

Listening to the whispers of the juniors behind her, Xun'er felt a little upset. She had been here for so long, yet not a single junior had recognized her. The moment they arrived, they stirred up such excitement... Annoying... so annoying... She would definitely beat Gu Qingyang up later...

Yun Xi also heard Xun'er's thoughts, and he suddenly felt that Gu Qingyang was rather pitiful.

He had merely been sitting in the arena when disaster fell from the sky.

Looking at Xun'er in the distance with a smile, Gu Qingyang said lazily, "Miss Xun'er is quite strong. If we happen to face each other later..."

Xun'er: "I'll definitely smash your head in!"

Gu Qingyang: ⊙_⊙

What was going on? Why did she want to beat him up right away? Had he said something wrong?

Ignoring Gu Qingyang's dark expression, Xun'er swept her gaze over the people behind him, taking in their approximate strengths.

"They're all very strong... Gu Xing, Gu Hua, Lin Xiu, Ling Quan, Yang Hao, and... Gu Yao..."

Gu Yao, who stood at the very back of the group, saw Xun'er looking at him and immediately became a little shy. Even his black-and-white bangs seemed to curl slightly.

"Miss... please show mercy..." Gu Yao said softly.

He had always harbored feelings for Xun'er, but because of the occasion, he did not dare say anything else to her.

Dong~~

Just as Xun'er was about to say something, an ancient, resounding bell rang out between heaven and earth. The majestic chime spread throughout Gu Saint Mountain and Gu Saint City.

"The time has come. The Gu Clan Competition is about to begin."

After the bell's echoes faded, a calm voice rang out across heaven and earth. Carried by space itself, it entered everyone's ears, and the authority in its tone made the hearts of everyone present tremble.

In a corner of the venue, the Black-Robed Man slowly raised his head and stared intently at a certain spot in the sky, a faint smile curling his lips.

"Gu Yuan, after all these years, you're still a Nine Star Dou Sheng. In that case, it seems your Gu Clan is about to be finished... Ahahahahaha."

After the majestic voice ended, Gu Yuan and the Elders slowly stepped out from space. Though their faces were expressionless, they still exuded an imposing aura without needing to show anger.

Gu Yuan sat in the foremost seat, while the Elders sat in order beside him. From their positions, they could take in the entire massive Trial Grounds.

"Alright, let us first go over the rules of the Clan Competition."

The Great Elder's aged voice slowly echoed throughout the venue.