Time passed by like a striding white foal, and very soon, the time had arrived for the clan competition.
At this time every year, the clan would hold the clan competition. Unlike the clan festival, only the clan members who became demon tamers after the previous clan competition were eligible to participate in this year's clan competition. The participants also had to be below 16 years of age, which was also the age limit for the big institutions' admissions.
Compared to the Li Manor which was nestled within Nero City, these institutes were behemoths. Even the lowest-grade institutions were far beyond the reach of the Li Clan.
On that morning, after finishing his daily routine, Li Changsheng left the residence and headed toward the training ground.
The clan competition would be held on the training ground!
Along the way, Li Changsheng saw many of the clan members. Some of them were walking together, some of them were walking alone. However, their destination was the same, which was the training ground.
Most of these people would be spectators, and only a few of them were participants.
Among them, there was a particularly eye-catching team.
It was a group of girls roughly similar in age, about fifteen or sixteen years old. Their figures were just beginning to show, and they were laughing as they walked, sometimes making ringing sounds and attracting the attention of those around them.
However, upon closer inspection, you would be able to feel their true nature from their speech and their actions.
The pretty girl in a billowy dress did not seem to say much. Sometimes she would purse her lips lightly, giving off a gentle and quiet impression.
She was called Li Jingyi, and she had been a demon tamer for half a year. Her grandfather was the high-ranking, powerful Demon Garden clan elder, and this made her the favorite of this year's clan competition.
Due to the main cultivation of omniscience, the demon tamers' five senses were extremely sensitive. Therefore, as Li Changsheng was observing her, Li Jingyi reacted immediately. When she realized that it was Li Changsheng, she could not help bowing her head, which was her form of greeting.
Based on the genealogy, Li Changsheng and Li Jingyi's grandfathers were cousins. Unfortunately, when it reached their generation, the two young ones rarely interacted anymore. This caused the two to not be overly close, but at the same time, they had no conflicts either.
Similarly, Li Changsheng bowed his head in greeting, and soon, he had arrived at the training ground.
Unlike the previous day, the originally empty training ground had changed drastically. Numerous tables, chairs, and benches surrounded several arenas for the clan members to watch the battles.
Due to the limited space, many of the clan members had no choice but to wake up early. This made the training ground extremely lively, and there were barely any empty seats.
There were only so many seats. Those who came later would have no choice but to watch the battle standing up.
Once he arrived at the contestants resting place, Li Changsheng randomly chose a position and began to wait patiently.
Next to Li Changsheng sat a teenager named Li Xiaogong. However, he was not a direct descent of the Li main family and was instead from a branch of the Li family.
The Li Clan had a relatively long familial history. A dozen generations of the family members had branched out into other branch families. They were mainly distributed around towns under Nero City's jurisdiction, collecting resources for the main family.
In terms of the number of people, the total number of clan members in these branch families might exceed the main family, but in terms of power and influence, they were several levels behind.
The main family and the branch families had a very close relationship. To draw the branch families closer as well as weaken them, and also to increase the main family's power, the main family had also formulated a special set of rules. As long as any of the members of the branch families showed strong talents or achieved a binding contract with a high-grade demonic pet, they could join the main family. While imparting their knowledge, they would also be eligible to participate in the competition for academic places.
As long as they performed well, they might be able to leave the branch family and join the direct line.
After taking a glance at Li Changsheng, Li Xiaogong frowned. Due to the difference in their status and their treatment, there was a natural estrangement between him and the direct descendants, which was difficult to reverse in a short amount of time. This was also the main gap between the branch families and direct descendants.
Ignoring Li Xiaogong's gaze, Li Changsheng's eyes remained closed as he rested, intending to face the upcoming clan competition at his peak condition.
During the waiting process, high-ranking clan members began to come in one after the other. As a sign of their importance, the clan had specially built a high platform for them so they could watch everything on the training ground from a condescending height.
Not long after that, the Clan Head, Li Wenbo, led the high-level officials to the scene. He appeared to be around 50 years old, with an upright posture and a firm expression. In the past few years, Li Wenbo had made great achievements. Under his leadership, the Li Clan had defeated the Lin Clan and won a small Soul Crystal Mine.
At the same time, Li Wenbo was the only Level 4 Demon Tamer in the clan.
Li Wenbo stood on the high platform. Without beating around the bush, he announced loudly, "Following the practice of the previous years, the clan competition is separated into two parts. The first part would be the Test of Power. The newly-promoted demon tamers who pass the test will automatically advance to the semi-finals. Those who do not pass the test will compete for the remaining spots for the semi-finals in the elimination round!"
With the amplification of the omniscience, the entire training ground could hear Li Wenbo's voice clearly as if it was echoing beside their ears
However, Li Wenbo had yet to reach the level of extreme meticulousness. Some of the clan members who were closer could feel that their ears humming, showing signs of temporary loss of hearing.
There were a total of twenty-odd competitors in this year's clan competition. The fact that they could become a demon tamer before the age of 16 was a natural representation of their talent.
To them, a recommendation to an institute was extremely important. This would allow them to step onto a higher platform, broaden their horizons, and obtain more resources and knowledge.
For the sake of the recommendations, it did not matter who they were, they would give it all they had.
Similar to the previous year, the clan elder from the internal affairs hall served as the referee. He slowly walked to the ring in the middle, pointed to the huge stone beside him, and shouted, "Release your demonic pets and attack this obsidian rock. As long as it can leave a mark on this rock, you automatically advance to the semi-finals! First up, Li Changchong!"
The piece of obsidian was more than three meters in height. It was thoroughly black without a trace of other colors, and it looked quite sturdy.
The only advantage of the obsidian was that it was sturdy. It did not have many practical uses, and was mainly used to assess the demon pets' strength.
Just as the clan elder finished speaking, a plain-looking teen left the competitor's seat. He was Li Changchong and was the first to be tested.
As soon as he arrived at the venue, Li Changhong immediately summoned his Cardinal Demon Pet, and a Colorful Tiger appeared.
Colorful Tiger: Upper-class Servant, with durable physical strength and is known for its aggressive offensive attacks.
Under Li Changchong's commands, the Colorful Tiger leaped up and swiped its right paw's claws with all its might. There was a flash of sharp glint as it collided with the obsidian.
Bang~
Despite the muffled sound, the obsidian did not budge at all, and there was not even a trace on it. On the other hand, the Colorful Tiger's claws had broken, and it was dripping with blood.
The internal affairs hall's clan elder shook his head and exhaled sharply, saying, "Unqualified!"
Li Changchong was filled with disappointment. After recalling his Colorful Tiger, he returned to the competitor's seat with his head bowed. He glanced at the next clan member that was participating in the test, praying that they would not pass the test either.
Screech~
The next moment, a pale green wind blade had scratched across the surface of the obsidian. There was an ear-piercing screech, but unfortunately, the obsidian did not move at all, and there was still not a single scratch on it.
With two consecutive players biting the dust, the atmosphere of the competitor's seats became heavier.
"Isn't this too difficult?!"
"This is bad, I don't think I can pass this level either!"
"Me too!"
…
Many contestants exchanged nervous glances, but only a few were self-assured and always full of self-confidence, Li Changsheng included.
Soon, five more people came up to participate in the test. Surprisingly, none of them passed. This made the internal affairs hall's clan elder's expression slump, and he had no choice but to call the crowd favorite, Li Jingyi, forward.
"Begin!" Compared to before, the clan elder's voice seemed to hold a greater hint of anticipation.
Li Jingyi nodded slightly. To everyone's surprise, she did not summon a demon pet. Instead, she threw forward the Purple-Striped Chipmunk in her arms.
They could not be blamed for their surprise. The Purple-Striped Chipmunk's biggest advantage was its agility, and attack strength was not its strong point.