On the day of the Hidden Dragon Ranking selection, Heavenly Martial City boiled to its utmost limit.
Before dawn had even broken, the city was already packed shoulder to shoulder.
Martial artists from the twenty-three provinces of the realm gathered in this ancient city, which had existed for more than a thousand years, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.
The streets and alleys were filled with wandering martial artists carrying sabers and swords, sect disciples dressed in every variety of attire, and discussions spoken in dialects from every corner of the land.
"Make way, make way! Disciples of Cangwu Sect from Qing Province have arrived!"
"The Bai Family of the Eastern Sea has come! What a grand display—nine True Core Realm demon beasts are pulling that carriage. Could the one inside be the Bai Family's prodigy, Bai Aotian?"
"The Wu Family of Desolate Province has arrived too. Look at those with totem patterns painted on their faces—they're disciples of the Wu Family."
Outside the Martial Arts Arena at the center of Heavenly Martial City, the gathered crowds began filing inside.
The Martial Arts Arena was enormous, capable of holding a hundred thousand people.
Yet there were simply too many martial artists who wished to watch the Hidden Dragon Ranking selection. Even with room for a hundred thousand, tickets had to be fought over. Even a seat in the farthest stands sold for ten thousand taels of silver.
Tickets for the inner grounds reached a hundred thousand taels of silver.
As for the VIP seats, they were occupied by representatives from the major factions. Only representatives of at least four-star Overlord-Tier Factions, or Great Grandmasters, were qualified to enter them.
Guiyuan Sect, Ten Thousand Sword Villa, the Blood Fiend Devil Sect, Subduing Dragon Temple... nearly all the six-star factions