After Lin Shenhe and Xiao Wanshan left, Jiang Yun turned his attention to the participants from the other two families. He was familiar with all three members of the Jiang family: Jiang Feng, Jiang Yu, and Jiang Zhe. They seemed relaxed, chatting among themselves, as if they were merely accompanying the crown prince.
Jiang Yun didn't know any of the three members from the Ye family, but Lin Sen introduced them to him. There was Ye Qin, the top young expert of the Ye family and rumored to be a powerhouse at the Qi Martial Ninth Layer. Then there was Ye Shu, a young man in his early twenties, at the Qi Martial Seventh Layer. Although his strength was not low, it wasn't particularly high either.
Lin Sen mentioned another person from the Ye family who deserved attention, Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan was a rough-looking man with a beard. He had represented the Ye family four years ago but was defeated by Xiao Dong, only managing to secure second place. This time, Lu Yuan was probably aiming for Xiao Dong again.
Soon, there was a commotion around the martial stage as a man in his mid-twenties led two others toward it. All eyes were fixed on the man in the lead.
"So, Xiao Young Master has returned to represent the Xiao family in this tournament. Looks like the first place will go to the Xiao family again."
"I heard that Xiao Young Master has become a core disciple of the Qingmu Sect. It's surprising that he still came back to participate in the Yanjing Martial Tournament. But who knows, maybe he returned because of the death of Xiao Second Young Master."
As people below were discussing, Jiang Yun understood that the person in the lead was Xiao Dong and carefully observed him. Xiao Dong exuded a powerful and imposing aura, clearly displaying his formidable strength.
Xiao Dong arrived last, and after checking the time, the host realized that the Yanjing Martial Tournament was about to begin. He walked up to the podium and discussed with the four family leaders for a while before heading towards the martial stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Yanjing Martial Tournament, held once every four years in Yanjing City, is about to begin. Let's have all the participants come up on stage for the draw."
The host's words were concise and to the point, instantly prompting cheers from the audience.
Jiang Yun and his companions stood up and made their way towards the stage. At the same time, the other nine participants also walked towards the martial stage. Since Jiang Yun and his group acted first and were closer to the stage, they reached the steps of the stage first.
Just as Jiang Yun was about to step onto the stairs, Lin Feier pulled his sleeve and whispered softly beside him, "Let's wait and let the previous champion go up first. In this case, it should be Xiao Dong and his group. It's an unwritten rule of the Yanjing Martial Tournament."
Jiang Yun smiled, unaware of this unspoken rule of the tournament, and planned to step back. However, at that moment, the three members from the Xiao family happened to arrive and saw Jiang Yun with one foot on the stairs.
Xiao Dong furrowed his brow slightly when he saw Jiang Yun, wondering how there could still be someone who didn't understand the rules. One of the other two members of the Xiao family noticed Xiao Dong's frown and immediately rushed forward, extending his hand to pull Jiang Yun back.
"Does the Lin family have no one left? How can there be someone who doesn't understand the rules? Can the order be messed up? What qualifications do you have to go first?"
Jiang Yun originally didn't care about the order, but this person's rude behavior, directly grabbing his collar and speaking with an arrogant and condescending tone, irritated him.
"Let go," Jiang Yun's voice was icy cold as he turned to face the person.
"Xiao Suo, let go first. Brother Li Tao didn't mean it," Lin Feier also spoke with slight annoyance.
Xiao Suo looked at Jiang Yun with a cold gaze as he turned his head, causing a moment of unease in his heart. He immediately stiffened his neck and said, "You kid are quite arrogant. Do you know what it means to respect your elders?"
Jiang Yun, still maintaining a cold tone, repeated, "I'll say it again, let go."
"Xiao Dong, Brother Li Tao is participating in the Yanjing Martial Tournament for the first time. He didn't mean to offend you," Lin Feier interjected, knowing that everyone in the Xiao family held Xiao Dong in high regard, and she spoke to Xiao Dong.
"Xiao Suo, release him," Xiao Dong commanded expressionlessly, then nodded at Lin Feier, as if saying, "I'll give you face."
With Xiao Dong's words, Xiao Suo released Jiang Yun and spitefully said, "Pray that I don't encounter you up there, otherwise I'll make you regret it."
As Xiao Dong walked past Jiang Yun, he whispered softly, "The rules of this world are not about who comes first, but about strength."
Jiang Yun snorted coldly, watching as Xiao Dong and his companions went up on stage, and he stepped aside.
"Brother Li Tao, I'm sorry. It's my fault for not explaining it to you," Lin Feier reproached herself.
"It's okay. There's no need to apologize for such trivial matters," Jiang Yun replied with a relaxed smile. He wasn't going to blame Lin Feier.
"Yeah, I know Brother Li Tao wouldn't mind these things," Lin Feier said with a cheerful smile, relieved to hear Jiang Yun's understanding.
After Jiang Yun stepped back and waited for the three members of the Ye family to go up, he finally stepped onto the stage again. After the Jiang family trio also ascended, the host approached with a wooden box for everyone to draw lots and determine their opponents.
Before Lin Shenhe and Jiang Yun went their separate ways, Lin Shenhe had discussed the draw with him. Inside the box were a total of twelve number cards, with each pair of numbers representing opponents, such as 1 and 3, 5 and 7, and so on. The advancement process was 12 into 6, 6 into 3, and then the three remaining participants would take turns competing.
Jiang Yun drew number 2, Lin Feier drew number 7, and Lin Sen drew number 11.
After everyone finished drawing lots, the host examined them one by one and announced the results. Upon hearing the host's announcement, Jiang Yun smiled because his opponent, number 4, happened to be Xiao Suo, their fated rival.
When Jiang Yun looked at Xiao Suo, Xiao Suo happened to look back and gave him a fierce glare, implying, "Kid, you're in trouble now."
Jiang Yun didn't respond to him because Lin Feier had approached, playfully saying, "Ah, he's your opponent, how pitiful for him."
Lin Feier always believed that Jiang Yun was a formidable martial artist, so she wasn't worried about him. She had pulled Jiang Yun back earlier because at that time he was representing the Lin family, and it wouldn't be good for people to gossip about his lack of adherence to the rules. Now that Jiang Yun and Xiao Suo were facing each other on the stage, she didn't care about Xiao Suo's well-being.
The first match was between Jiang Feng from the Jiang family and Ye Shu from the Ye family.
There was a considerable gap in strength between the two. Jiang Feng was only at the fourth level of Qi Martial Realm, while Ye Shu was already a master at the seventh level. Coupled with the difference in martial techniques, the outcome was predictable. In less than ten moves, Jiang Feng gracefully raised the white flag, conceding defeat.
Although the match between Jiang Feng and Ye Shu was short, Jiang Yun had keen eyesight and could tell that Ye Shu's specialty was likely blade techniques. Just by observing his slashing and chopping motions on the stage, it was evident that he excelled in vigorous and aggressive blade techniques.
After the two contestants left the stage, it was time for Jiang Yun's showdown with Xiao Suo. Jiang Yun brushed off the dust from his clothes and made his way towards the arena.
Jiang Yun and Xiao Suo stepped onto the stage almost simultaneously. Upon ascending, Xiao Suo assessed Jiang Yun's strength, but due to the presence of his mask, Xiao Suo couldn't gauge Jiang Yun's true abilities. He only sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy from him, which made Xiao Suo's face contort into a sinister grin, as if he wanted to give Jiang Yun a harsh lesson.