As the Great Thousand Palace's Demon-Slayer King, Futu Yijing had firmly secured his position as the first candidate to become clan chief. With such a forceful young master at the helm, the Futu Ancient Clan's internal strife had mellowed considerably, with far fewer situations where swords were drawn and bows bent.
Strictly speaking, this was merely competition within the clan now, hardly internal strife at all.
At this Branch Martial Assembly, the Xuan Lineage and Mo Lineage had not joined forces against the Qing Lineage, either.
Competition among the three main branches was what best served the Futu Ancient Clan's growth and prosperity.
Boom!
Vast spiritual energy suddenly erupted like a volcano, ravaging heaven and earth.
Dozens of figures in the sky transformed into radiant spiritual bodies almost simultaneously, their every movement radiating terrifying power.
A fierce battle erupted at once.
Vast spiritual energy surged like an ocean, crashing in wave after wave and making the towering peak tremble. The constantly spreading pressure of the Heavenly Sovereigns weighed heavily on the people atop the surrounding peaks.
The violent battle filled everyone with overwhelming pressure, but also immense excitement.
Opportunities to witness Heavenly Sovereigns battling at such close range were rare, let alone so many Heavenly Sovereigns fighting at once.
In the melee overhead, Qing Tian, the Qing Lineage Chief, and Qing Xuan of the Qing Lineage held the advantage. Yet the Qing Lineage still had too few Heavenly Sovereigns, laying bare its decline.
On the Qing Lineage's peak, the clansmen's faces were slightly pale. Clearly, they all knew how unfavorable the situation was for their lineage.
For a time, a bleak atmosphere hung over the entire Qing Lineage. Not only the younger clansmen, but even some elders wore sorrowful expressions. Though they would not be stripped of their status as a main branch, the signs of decline were already plain.
Qing Shuang also looked worried. Her pearly teeth bit down on her red lips until blood seeped between them, but she paid it no mind. She merely stared unblinkingly at the earth-shaking battles on the white jade platforms, as though she could already see the Qing Lineage's bleak future.
The battles on the white jade platforms soon ended.
The Branch Martial Assembly was not a fight to the death. Everyone stopped short of causing serious harm; otherwise, the Grand Elder, a Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign, was certainly no paper tiger.
Once the battles ended, Futuo Xuan's voice rang out across heaven and earth.
"The contest for seats is over. The young prodigies' tournament begins now."
As his words fell, resonant war drums sounded once more. The Futu Ancient Clan's young prodigies rubbed their fists and palms, eager to try their strength. The Qing Lineage's younger generation in particular swore to win back some honor for their lineage in the tournament.
Numerous young figures now appeared on the enormous white jade platforms.
Three white jade platforms each held a single person: the young masters of the three main branches-Qing Shuang of the Qing Lineage, Xuan Luo of the Xuan Lineage, and Mo Xin of the Mo Lineage. These three were all leading pillars of the Futu Ancient Clan's younger generation.
The young prodigies' tournament had an unwritten rule: anyone from the three main branches who defeated their own lineage's young master could take their place.
At this moment, however, no one challenged any of the three.
Just then, a man rose from the peak belonging to the Maha Ancient Clan and walked toward the white jade platforms.
He wore black-and-white robes and carried himself with noble bearing. Most striking of all were his eyes, one black and the other white, which looked extraordinarily mystical. His black-and-white robes proclaimed his identity.
He came from the Maha Ancient Clan, foremost of the Five Great Ancient Clans.
The visiting guests from the Great Thousand World's supreme powers looked at the man in surprise.
"It's Maha You!"
"What is he going to do?"
The Futu Ancient Clan's spectators all watched Maha You, a trace of confusion in their eyes.
The next instant, that confusion turned to anger.
"I am Maha You of the Maha Ancient Clan. I would like to see the strength of the Futu Ancient Clan's young masters. Would that be possible?" His arrogant voice echoed across heaven and earth.
An uproar immediately swept through the surroundings.
Where were they? This was the Futuo Realm, the very heart of the Futu Ancient Clan-its own territory. Even if the Maha Ancient Clan stood foremost among the Five Great Ancient Clans, how could it provoke them like this?
Did he not have a brain at all?
Were the Futu Ancient Clan's twenty Heavenly Sovereigns overhead mere paper tigers?
Could the Maha Ancient Clan possibly have brought twenty Heavenly Sovereigns along to attend the ceremony?
The Futu Ancient Clan's members wore extremely ugly expressions, while the guests from the top supreme powers quietly watched the spectacle.
"Insolence!" The spiritual energy of an Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign erupted from Xuan Guang, the Xuan Lineage Chief, as he fixed Maha You with a cold, fierce stare.
"Please, do not be angry. Our clan's prodigy simply grew eager at the sight of worthy opponents and wished to exchange a few moves with the Futu Ancient Clan's prodigies. He meant no provocation." From the Maha Ancient Clan's peak, the spiritual pressure of another Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign erupted, countering Xuan Guang's.
The old man rose unhurriedly, a kindly smile on his face.
Although the Futu Ancient Clan's Heavenly Sovereigns and clansmen were furious, given the Maha Ancient Clan Heavenly Sovereign's explanation, they could hardly use their authority to suppress him. Surely they could not admit that the Futu Ancient Clan dared not accept the challenge?
Besides, they were being provoked on their own territory.
Qing Shuang and the other two looked even grimmer. Maha You was the younger brother of the Maha Ancient Clan Chief, and his cultivation had already reached complete earthly sovereign. They were only lower earthly sovereigns; the gulf between their realms was plain to see.
"The Maha Ancient Clan really is a pack of arrogant, narrow-minded fools." Just then, a domineering voice suddenly rang out across heaven and earth.
Everyone was startled. The speaker was insulting them without the slightest restraint.
They turned toward the voice and saw a strikingly handsome young man in black battle armor, a golden crown atop his head, slowly walking through the air.
At that moment, everyone from the Futu Ancient Clan fell silent.
"And who are you?" Maha You asked haughtily, a trace of anger in his eyes.
This fellow actually dared to insult his Maha Ancient Clan like that.
"Futu Yijing of the Futu Ancient Clan!"
The young man who had insulted the Maha Ancient Clan was none other than Futu Yijing. He clearly had not expected its members to dare come to their doorstep and provoke them.
"Young Master!" The Futu Ancient Clan's members called out respectfully upon seeing Futu Yijing.
"You three, step back. Leave this fool to me. I'll teach him some manners," Futu Yijing told Qing Shuang and the other two, making no attempt to soften his words.
"Fool" and "teach him some manners"-those words filled Maha You with fury, a savage gleam appearing in his eyes.
The guests from the surrounding supreme powers were all watching the drama unfold.
On the Endless Fire Domain's peak, Xiao Xiao covered her mouth and giggled. "Grandmaster, this young master of the Futu Ancient Clan really doesn't mince words. He isn't considering the effect on relations between the two clans at all."
Medicine Elder also found it rather amusing, yet he wholeheartedly approved of Futu Yijing's approach.
When a tiger had its jaws around your head, there was no reasoning with it!
The only way out of such a situation was to meet force with force, head-on!
Before you continue