Xiao Ling`er and Xiao Chen followed Ji Tianxing, one on his left and one on his right.
The two were very close and respectful to Ji Tianxing, treating him like a god.
The three flew through the night sky. Along the way to Evergreen Mountain, they met many Xiao Clan disciples.
The Xiao Clan members from the various branches were all rushing to Evergreen Mountain in groups of three to five.
There were men and women, young and old. They were all filled with anticipation for the Holy Fire Festival tonight, discussing it as they traveled.
Xiao Chen and Xiao Ling`er were famous people of the Xiao Clan's younger generation, the most outstanding Martial Dao geniuses. They attracted attention wherever they went.
Along the way, people continuously greeted the two.
When the crowd saw Ji Tianxing, they found him very unfamiliar and could not help sizing him up.
This was especially so when Xiao Chen and Xiao Ling`er treated Ji Tianxing warmly and respectfully. This made the crowd even more curious about Ji Tianxing's identity.
Soon, the three arrived at Evergreen Mountain and landed in the vast plaza.
Thousands of people were already waiting in the plaza, which was one kilometer in diameter.
Bonfires were set up around the plaza. The flames rose fiercely, illuminating the pitch-black night sky.
About four thousand Xiao Clan members were divided into nine regions, standing in the plaza.
There was a tall arena one hundred meters in diameter in the center of the plaza.
A strong Spirit Grade formation protected the arena. No matter how the young geniuses fought in the arena, it would not affect the people in the plaza.
After Ji Tianxing, Xiao Ling`er, and Xiao Ling`er arrived at the plaza, they walked into the crowd of the third branch disciples.
The three stood still in the crowd, waiting for the Holy Fire Festival to start while sizing up the surroundings.
The plaza was bustling with noise and excitement. Everyone was discussing, and countless people had expectant smiles on their faces.
Many young disciples were also rubbing their fists, eager to give it a try.
Naturally, Xiao Ling`er and Xiao Chen were somewhat excited. They were very confident about tonight's test.
However, the two of them did not look around. They kept Ji Tianxing by his side, telling him about the origin of the Holy Fire Festival and some of the interesting things related to it.
Ji Tianxing listened quietly, nodding or commenting from time to time. His expression remained indifferent the whole time.
Suddenly, he felt a few sharp auras staring at him from the shadows.
He turned his head and saw a well-dressed young man staring at him coldly from the crowd of the second branch disciples next door.
That young man was Xiao Chong. He was surrounded by a group of disciples from the second branch. His expression was cold, but there was a sneer in his eyes.
Xiao Ke and a few other young men of the Xiao Clan were among the people of the fourth and fifth branches who were further away. They cast their cold gazes at him from time to time.
Obviously, these people all had their own thoughts and were waiting to watch a good show.
Ji Tianxing couldn't be bothered to pay attention to them as he chatted and laughed with Xiao Ling`er with an indifferent expression.
Not long after, there was a commotion in the crowd, and there were exclamations and discussions.
"The elders are here!"
"Get out of the way! The Holy Fire Festival is about to begin!"
When Ji Tianxing heard the crowd's shouts, he looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of elders in purple robes walking over in a dignified manner.
Swish! Swish!
Swish! A total of eight elders passed through the crowd in the square and flew to the arena in a row.
Other than the Third Elder, all the elders from the eight branches were present.
The leader was a tall and burly elder with white hair and a beard.
This person was the current ruler of the Xiao Clan, the First Elder with the most authority.
His bright eyes swept across the square as he raised his hand slightly to signal for the crowd to quieten down.
Instantly, the thousands of Xiao Clan members in the square quietened down and didn't make any noise.
This was the prestige of the First Elder. Every action of his could command the entire Xiao Clan, and no one dared to disobey him.
In fact, the First Elder was the third most respected person in the Xiao Clan.
The most respected person was of course the Xiao Clan's Patriarch, Xiao Wentian.
However, he was the Xiao Clan's Patriarch and hadn't been involved in worldly affairs for hundreds of years.
In the hearts of the Xiao Clan members, he had become their spiritual leader and was almost like a deity.
Second only to the Xiao Clan's Patriarch was the Grand Elder.
However, the Grand Elder was in seclusion all year round and rarely interfered with the clan's affairs.
Therefore, the First Elder, who was ranked third, was the ruler of the Xiao Clan. His words were the law.
"As everyone knows, tonight is the Holy Fire Festival that is held once every 20 years in the Xiao Clan!
Since the Patriarch set this rule a thousand years ago, it has continued to this day and has never been changed.
The Patriarch's motive for setting the Holy Fire Festival is to give the young disciples of the Xiao Clan an opportunity to interact and improve their relationship. It is also an opportunity for everyone to showcase their strengths.
Most importantly, the Holy Fire Festival is to test the results of everyone's cultivation! "
The First Elder looked at the crowd sternly and said solemnly, "In this world, cultivation resources are always in the hands of the minority!
Only the martial arts elites and geniuses have the right to enjoy and distribute resources.
Regardless of whether it is the aristocratic families, sects, or any other forces, they have to follow the law of survival of the fittest.
Therefore, tonight's test will determine the strength ranking of the 48 young disciples.
The two strongest disciples would be rewarded handsomely. They would be able to leave the Xiao Clan and head to the Central Region to explore the world.
The remaining 46 disciples will also enjoy different levels of resources and treatment according to their rankings.
Destiny is ultimately in your own hands!
Whether you live a mediocre life or shine brilliantly, it will all depend on how much effort you put in! "
The First Elder said these words with a solemn expression. His voice spread throughout the entire plaza, causing the expressions of the thousands of people to turn solemn. The atmosphere was extremely solemn.
The 48 young disciples were all motivated to the point that their blood was boiling. Their hearts were filled with fighting spirit.
The thousands of bonfires around the plaza were like their emotions. They were burning fiercely and surging with high spirits.
The First Elder paused for a moment before announcing with a solemn expression, "Tonight's test will follow the usual practice. The Second Elder will start with the preliminary ranking of the 48 disciples.
Only the young disciples who have reached the Heavenly Origin Stage and above are qualified to enter the arena and draw lots to fight.
This Seat and the other Elders will be overseeing the situation together! "
After the First Elder finished speaking, the skinny Second Elder took a step forward and announced loudly, "Those who are 16 years old and have not participated in the test, step forward!"
Following the Second Elder's command, Xiao Ling`er, Xiao Chen, and the others immediately walked out of the crowd and walked to the arena.
Within the ninth branch, there were a total of 48 young disciples standing in a circle around the arena.
Among these young disciples, there were 19 females and 29 males. They were all between 16 and 35 years old.
Among them, the strongest people, such as Xiao Chen, Xiao Ling`er, Xiao Chong, and Xiao Ke, were all around the fourth level of the Heavenly Origin Stage.
As for the weaker disciples, they were all at the Origin Core Stage and the seventh or eighth level of the Tongxuan Stage.
The Second Elder's gaze swept across the crowd like lightning and quickly announced the preliminary ranking.
Only 12 young disciples had reached the Heavenly Origin Stage and were qualified to enter the arena.
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