C38 Han Rou

Han Feng paused for a moment before declaring, "I've not only made a breakthrough, but I've also reached the peak of the fourth Main Bloodline. Who knows, I might even break through again before the trial starts and enter the fifth Main Bloodline."

Han Lin's face took on a look of shock, tinged with envy. Despite this, he ultimately decided to accompany Han Feng to the main training grounds.

As Han Feng's group made their way to the Han family's main training grounds, another group was also en route to the same destination.

The main training grounds served as the training site for Han family members between fifteen and twenty years old.

Today was no ordinary day. It was a holiday, yet a handful of them had opted to stay, eager to witness the day's matches.

Among the eight youths present, a man in a blue shirt rubbed his chin and remarked, "Today, we'll get to see Rou Rou outshine them all."

Another youth snickered, "Rou Rou's probably cleared seven Main Bloodlines by now. You're her brother, but next to Rou Rou, you're practically nothing."

The youth in the blue shirt retorted, visibly irritated, "How can you even say that? I've been in the late period of Mortal Rank for a while now. My Attribute Genuine Qi is nearly half condensed. You, on the other hand, probably haven't even managed to condense a tenth of yours."

The other youth's face flushed with embarrassment.

He then sighed, "Your sister isn't even fifteen yet, and she's already cleared seven Main Bloodlines. Chances are she'll step into the late period of Mortal Rank before her fifteenth birthday."

"By the time she's our age, she might well have advanced to Human Rank."

The blue-shirted youth said with a hint of pride, "Well, she is my sister, after all."

This proud brother was Han Gaang, Han Rou's blood brother and Han Feng's cousin, the son of Han Tianli.

The other youth, a collateral disciple of the Han family, was named Han Ti.

The remaining youths watched Han Gaang and Han Ti's exchange from the sidelines, choosing not to join in.

They were a mix of collateral family members and sons of servants, but they shared a commonality: their cultivation foundations were modest at best.

At fifteen, they had managed to open merely one or two Main Bloodlines. Now, a few years later, they had progressed to just five or six.

In terms of status, they couldn't hold a candle to Han Gaang and Han Ti.

Out of the blue, Han Ti remarked, "Let's not focus solely on your sister. Your two cousins are quite formidable as well. Just look at Han Lin; he's consistently performed well."

"Han Feng has made quite a name for himself. In just over a month, he's managed to outpace Han Lin in strength. That rate of improvement is something even your sister can't match."

Han Gaang's face fell at the mention of Han Feng, recalling his father Han Tianli's recent admonition to treat Han Feng kindly, which made him purse his lips in disdain.

Seeing this, Han Ti offered some counsel, "I know you're not fond of Han Feng, but we shouldn't let past generations' issues affect the next. Besides, he's your cousin by blood."

"Furthermore, the Han family places great importance on Han Feng now."

Han Gaang opened his mouth to respond, but ultimately, he held his tongue.

Deep down, it was pure jealousy that he felt towards Han Feng.

Even Han Lin harbored envy for Han Feng, who had once saved his life.

"Enough chatter, Instructor Lin and Instructor Mu have arrived," whispered a young man nearby.

Han Gaang and Han Ti snapped to attention, their gazes brimming with confidence as they watched a group of over twenty people approach.

"There's Han Gaang, Han Rou's own brother."

"Han Gaang has reached the esteemed Late Period of Mortal Rank. Rumor has it he's already half-way to condensing his Attribute Genuine Qi. It makes you wonder when we'll ever get to that stage."

"We may be the Han family's cream of the crop, but those standing with Han Gaang were once in our shoes. They unlocked one or two Main Bloodlines in their time, but now, after two or three years, they've only managed five or six. The more time passes, the wider the gap grows between us and these prodigies. To reach Han Gaang's level, we're looking at a minimum of twenty years."

"To attain Instructor Lin's level in our lifetime would be an achievement in itself."

The crowd burst into a buzz of conversation, a young girl among them.

For anyone who had advanced to the Late Period of Mortal Rank, there was a sense of deep envy.

Meanwhile, Han Feng and Han Lin maintained stoic expressions beside Instructor Lin, with Han Rong looking somewhat more pleased, while the rest were visibly stirred with excitement.

For Han Feng and Han Lin, the gap between their levels and that of Han Gaang's seemed negligible.

Han Feng, in particular, knew that with an advancement in the Nine Flames And Strange Fire Art and enough Spirit Creatures to refine, reaching the Human Rank in short order wouldn't pose much of a challenge.

Han Gaang and Han Ti basked in the adulation of those around them, their pride evident.

On the training field, they were recognized as experts, yet they didn't rank among the elite.

The elite were those on the cusp of transitioning from the peak of the Late Mortal Rank to the Human Rank, as well as those who had already achieved Human Rank status.

Take Han Mo, for instance.

At nineteen, Han Mo was the preeminent figure among the Han family's under-twenty demographic, already a One-star Human Rank expert. Rumor had it he was on the verge of ascending to Two-star Human Rank, positioning him as a formidable contender for future leadership within the Han family.

Moreover, with the aid of his Cultivation Method, many within the Han family saw Han Mo as a potential candidate for the Mystic Rank.

In contrast, Han Gaang and Han Ti couldn't command the same reverent stares in the training field.

As Han Feng accompanied Instructor Lin, he noticed a woman in her thirties leading a group of ten young girls onto the field.

The girl at the forefront exuded a serene yet icy demeanor, her long ponytail accentuating her unapproachable aura.

"Han Rou," Han Feng muttered under his breath.

Of the Han family's younger generation, Han Rou was the one Han Feng despised the most. Her pride ran deep, and her disdain for Han Feng knew no bounds.

Han Mo was somewhat more tolerable. Now nineteen and considered an adult, his thought processes had matured. While not overtly friendly towards Han Feng, he seemed far more palatable compared to Han Rou.

Han Feng and Han Gaang chose to disregard Han Rou.

She was always quick to deride Han Feng upon seeing him, and had he not intentionally steered clear of her, she would have likely unleashed even harsher barbs.

Han Rou's eyes landed on Han Feng, who responded with a scornful glance. She leaned in to murmur something to the women next to her, and their subsequent looks of pity towards Han Feng said it all.

With a grimace, Han Lin lamented, "This generation is truly a case of the yin overshadowing the yang. On Han Rou's side, there are two who match me in strength. And there's no shortage of those who have unlocked three Main Bloodlines. I bet this time around, only three or four of us guys might make it into the top ten, if that."

"All we need to do is focus on what we're doing," Han Feng replied. "We can't worry about everything else."

"Losing this time isn't necessarily bad," he continued. "It's the perfect wake-up call for some of our side's elites."

Han Lin paused, taken aback, then nodded in agreement. "You're right. Our side suffers from a lack of competition, which is why their cultivation levels aren't that high. When I last saw the Chang family members, it was clear they're a whole level above us in overall strength."