C56 Trials Ended

Han Feng had originally intended to eliminate Chang Wenhua.

Yet, just as Chang Wenhua had underestimated Han Feng's formidable power, Han Feng had also failed to anticipate the depth of Chang Wenhua's cultivation foundation.

While Han Feng was certain he could wound Chang Wenhua, he had no assurance he could actually kill him.

Chang Wenhua, nearing the late stages of the Mortal Rank, could summon a continuous stream of ice attribute Genuine Qi, something Han Feng was unable to do.

Ultimately, both Chang Wenhua and Han Feng, unbeknownst to each other, decided to back down.

Shortly after parting ways, Chang Wenhua had a sudden realization, "No, I've been duped!"

"He's merely at the Middle Period of Mortal Rank, unable to sustain the mortal fire for long. If I can just hold out, Han Feng and Han Rou will be like fish on a chopping board. I hope they haven't gotten far."

Chang Wenhua quickly made his way back to their previous battleground, only to be met with disappointment.

His face turned a livid shade of iron, seething with rage, "Bastard, you damn bastard!"

"Han Feng, I pray we don't cross paths again, for I will surely kill you!"

The swift manner of Han Feng's departure, akin to a flight, only served to confirm Chang Wenhua's suspicions.

Eventually, Han Feng and Han Rou regrouped with Han Yutong and Han Lin.

The quartet parted ways on the morning of the third day.

Aware that Chang Wenhua wouldn't easily forgive and forget, they proceeded with extreme caution, preferring to collect fewer tokens than to risk an encounter with him in crowded areas.

And so, they safely made it through the third day.

By the afternoon, the young participants began to make their way toward the exit.

The City Lord and the heads of the major families had long been in attendance, awaiting their arrival.

The first to emerge were the youths from the periphery of the Jade Peak Mountain Range.

Having been stripped of their tokens and unable to outmatch their peers, they had no desire to fall to the hands of the more powerful and thus remained on the outskirts of the range.

Having taken part in the Family Trials on numerous occasions, the City Lord and the Patriarchs were well aware that this first wave of youths had likely come away empty-handed.

The City Lord and the clan elders paid little heed to the disheartened youths before them. It seemed likely that their futures would plateau at the late Mortal Rank stage.

As more youths emerged, none from the three major families appeared. This was no surprise to the City Lord, Han Yu, and their companions. These elite members of the major families, standing at the pinnacle of strength among thousands, could even contend with Level 2 and Level 3 Devil Beasts. It was highly probable they had ventured beyond the periphery of the Jade Peak Mountain Range, daring to penetrate the outer and possibly even the inner rings. Those who ventured so deep would naturally take longer to return.

By the time the third and fourth waves of youths returned, many brandished tokens—some with one or two, others with two or three. Out of the thousand participants in the Family Trials, fewer than a hundred had secured a token.

Soon, the young elites of the three great families made their appearance. Leading the pack were several from the Chang and Hong families, with the Chang's standout holding over ten tokens.

The Hong family, having invested heavily in Hong Xingbao, saw their members return with a mere four or five tokens each—hardly surpassing the haul of other mid-tier family elites.

Upon witnessing this, the Chang family head sneered, "Family Head Hong, it seems your performance this year is lacking. At this rate, the Hong family's status among the top three is in jeopardy."

Family Head Hong responded with a cold huff, offering no retort. Their hopes rested squarely on Hong Xingbao.

Master Chang's expression twisted into one of even greater mockery and contempt.

The City Lord's brow furrowed. While the three families were adversaries, Master Chang's barbs were uncharacteristically blunt. Little did the City Lord know that Master Chang believed the Han and Hong families would be decimated within six months, hence his indifference to any fallout from his taunts.

The City Lord burst into laughter and said, "Master Chang, judging by your words, you seem quite confident in your family's capabilities."

Master Chang, not daring to show arrogance before the City Lord, quickly responded in a subdued tone, "To the City Lord, indeed, that is the case!"

The City Lord's gaze was teasing as he asked, "Oh? Has a medium-class genius emerged within your ranks?"

With a low chuckle, Master Chang replied, "Not exactly. Chang Wenhua of our family ventured out of the city for training a few days ago. He encountered a stroke of luck and has now become an expert in the Late Period of Mortal Rank!"

Of course, Master Chang would never reveal their family's connection with the Mystic Sect.

That would only displease the City Lord.

Late Period of Mortal Rank!

Han Yu and the Hong Family Head exchanged a look, both taking in a sharp breath.

The two Family Heads were filled with concern. A Late Period Mortal Rank expert could spell trouble if they encountered their family's elite.

The Hong family's higher-ups grew restless, their eyes fixed on the exit, each of them hoping that Hong Xingbao would be the next youth to emerge.

But hope after hope was met with disappointment, adding to the Hong family's growing unease.

The City Lord gave Master Chang a penetrating look, remaining silent, prompting Master Chang to secretly wipe off a bead of sweat.

Time ticked away.

Now, only the elites from the three major families had yet to return.

So far, only four of the Hong family's elites had made it back, with no others in sight, leaving the Hong Family Head and the senior members visibly distressed.

Even more anxious was the Han family.

To date, only one had returned!

Han Feng, Han Lin, and the rest were still missing.

The faces of Han Tianxing and his brothers were drawn tight, their hands trembling, betraying their deep anxiety and fear.

"Someone's coming out! Another one has emerged!"

A shout of surprise suddenly rose from the crowd.

All eyes were glued to the exit.

Before long, three figures came into view.

The Han family's spirits soared.

It was Han Lin, Han Rou, and Han Yutong.

"That's a relief, you're all safe."

Han Yu let out a sigh of relief, his face alight with emotion as he clapped Han Lin and the others on their shoulders. He had been in a state of panic when he learned that Chang Wenhua's internal strength was at the late Mortal Rank.

In that moment, Han Yu couldn't care less about Tokens or scores. The only thing that mattered was that Han Lin and the rest were unharmed.

"Family Head, here are our Tokens."

Outside, Han Lin and the others respectfully addressed Han Yu as Family Head, rather than the more affectionate 'grandpa.'

With his emotions steadied, Han Yu began to inspect the Tokens.

Han Rou had the most, a substantial collection ranging in the dozens, possibly even over a hundred.

Both Han Yutong and Han Lin also had a significant number of Tokens; Han Yutong had over fifty, while Han Lin had more than thirty.

Such results were impressive enough to potentially place them in the top ten.

Yet, even with their combined efforts, the Tokens they had gathered accounted for just under half of the total thousand-plus, leaving the majority yet to be found.