C48 Family Trials Began(last part)

The City Lord surveyed the crowd and proclaimed with a resonant voice, "Young men, your presence here at the Family Trials of Renzhong City signifies that you are the cream of the crop from your respective families, the true talents of our Great Jin Nation!"

"I trust you've all been briefed by your families."

"Indeed, the victor of these trials will be graced with a Human Origin Fruit from myself, the City Lord. Furthermore, the winner will be granted access to the Martial Arts Pavilion within the City Lord's Mansion to select a martial skill."

"Ladies and gentlemen, give it your all."

The crowd buzzed with excitement.

Even among martial skills of the same tier, there were distinctions in quality.

For instance, within the Basic Upper-grade Martial Skills, the Claw Condensation Technique pales in comparison to the Bone Crushing Hand.

The City Lord's Mansion is an extension of the nation itself; could the martial skills housed within its Martial Arts Pavilion be anything less than exceptional?

Even a Lower-grade Human Rank martial skill from there would undoubtedly surpass those of the Han, Chang, and Hong families in might.

A sense of eager anticipation shone in the eyes of the young men gathered.

Chang Wenjun and Chang Wenhua were no exception.

Though their elder brother was a member of the Mystic Sect, the sect's martial skills were strictly confidential, and any leak would bring severe consequences not just for their brother but for the entire Chang family as well.

The Mystic Sect, while a common entity in the Great Jin Nation, loomed as a behemoth over Renzhong City and families like the Changs.

To cross the Mystic Sect could mean swift and effortless ruin for the Chang family.

"The Lower-grade Human Rank martial skill will be mine!" Chang Wenhua silently vowed with fierce determination.

With a downward gesture, the City Lord silenced the assembly of youths.

"Now," he continued, "I shall declare the rules of this trial."

He tapped the Storage Bracelet on his wrist, and a flurry of tokens burst forth. With a sweep of his sleeve, each token found its way securely into the hands of the participating youths.

"Storage Bracelet!"

Han Feng's eyes narrowed in recognition. "A Storage Bracelet, such a rare and valuable storage device."

"This City Lord is no mere Twelve-star Human Rank powerhouse. The forces backing him are substantial. He likely hails from one of the Great Jin Nation's illustrious families, a match for the Mystic Sect, or perhaps even surpassing it in strength!"

The other youths gasped in unison, their surprise echoing through the air.

Han Yu and his companions surreptitiously mopped their brows, their earlier skepticism about the City Lord's formidable backing now replaced by reluctant belief.

They were relieved they hadn't crossed paths with the City Lord in a bad way.

The Chang family's head felt a shiver of unease, his displeasure evident. "Curse it, the City Lord possesses a Storage Bracelet, a rarity even within the Mystic Sect. If the force behind him rivals the Sect, then even if the Chang family rises to be the preeminent clan in Renzhong City, we'd still fall under his sway."

In the Great Jin Nation, some families wielded such power that they dominated entire cities, unchallenged and revered.

Within these cities, their word was law, and none dared provoke them.

Not even the nation itself would dare appoint a City Lord to interfere with their dominion.

Such families were few in the Great Jin Nation, yet their renown was immense, each boasting Heaven-ranked experts among their ranks.

The City Lord, noting each token had found an owner, spoke calmly, "These tokens are what you'll vie for in the trials."

"Each token is worth a point. In three days, the one with the most points will be deemed the victor of the trials."

"Given the turnout, only fifty participants may enter the Jade Peak Mountain Range at a time."

"Examine your tokens. They're numbered from one to over a thousand. The first fifty, according to their token number, will enter first, and so on."

The youths quickly scrutinized their tokens.

Han Feng checked the back of his token—number 932!

He grimaced. That number put him at a considerable disadvantage.

Han Lin, standing on tiptoes, glanced at it and offered a sympathetic look. "Tough luck. The earlier you enter, the better the odds. You could even lay traps for those who follow."

Han Feng let out a cold huff, "Being ambushed suits me fine. It's an opportunity to turn the tables and claim their tokens."

Han Lin nodded, realizing Han Feng had a point. After all, if Han Feng could take down a Savage Bear, who among the trial participants, except perhaps the enigmatic Chang Wenhua, could pose a real threat to him?

Han Feng glanced at the token in Han Lin's hand—it was number 31!

He was dumbfounded. "It's actually from the first batch!"

Han Rou came over and flipped her token.

Number 180!

The numbers varied among the other seven—some were higher, some lower, but none lagged behind Han Feng.

He had the highest token number among the ten of them.

Following him was Han Rong, with number 768.

The City Lord's voice resonated once more, "I trust you've all committed your token numbers to memory. Now, I shall make the announcement."

"The Family Trials of Renzhong City begin now!"

"Those holding the first fifty tokens, proceed to the Jade Peak Mountain Range."

Fifty participants, including Han Lin, made their way into the mountain range.

"Tokens 51 to 100."

Another group followed.

Among them was Chang Wenhua.

"Tokens 101 to 150."

Batch by batch, the young men and women filed into the Jade Peak Mountain Range. Before long, all nine individuals beside Han Feng had entered.

Han Feng cast a surprised look at Chang Wenjun. His token was also one of the latter ones, but it was unclear who had the higher number.

"Tokens 901 to 950, enter!"

Han Feng rose and headed toward the Jade Peak Mountain Range. Noticing Chang Wenjun's stillness, he had a good idea of the token numbers.

Chang Wenjun's expression darkened. "Damn it, now I can't set up an ambush for Han Feng."

"Good thing I came prepared. With others to delay him, I'll have enough time to catch up."

Before long,

"Tokens 1150 to 1200, enter!"

Chang Wenjun finally sprang into action, eagerly sprinting into the Jade Peak Mountain Range.

Once everyone had entered, the City Lord addressed the assembly of Family Heads and senior members, "Will you all wait here for three days?"

Han Yu quickly responded with a smile, "A mere three days is nothing. If our esteemed City Lord can wait, how could we possibly leave?"

The others agreed, indicating their willingness to stay.

The City Lord nodded. "Very well, let us wait here for the next three days."

Having spoken, the servant at the City Lord's side swiftly set up a chair, upon which the City Lord promptly seated himself.

Within the Jade Peak Mountain Range, Han Feng strolled unhurriedly.

Before long, Han Feng cast a cryptic glance at a clearing. Breaking into a sudden smile, he said, "No need to continue with this charade. Just show yourself."

Clearly, a trap lay before him. Though it appeared flawless, under Instructor Lin's tutelage, Han Feng could easily spot its numerous flaws.

From behind the towering trees, over twenty figures emerged, each with a fierce and hostile stare.

With a scornful chuckle, Han Feng remarked, "And here I was, expecting someone of importance. Turns out it's just a handful of the Chang family's lackeys!"