Chen Feng offered no further explanation, simply instructing, "Put these gold coins away. When you use them, it’s best not to exceed ten at a time. This will also prevent anyone with ill intentions from noticing."

Old John nodded. Though honest, his advanced age had given him a deep understanding of the principle: never flaunt your wealth.

In the end, Old John refused to take all five hundred gold coins, only accepting one hundred. To him, the sum was simply too vast. For someone with his spending habits, it was an unacceptable amount!

Understanding this, Chen Feng didn't press the issue. He took back the remaining 400 gold coins, bid farewell to Yas, and walked out of the room without acknowledging Judy waiting outside. He turned and left the blacksmith shop!

Outside, snow had begun to fall, the white flakes dancing in the air, like frigid spirits blanketing the entire landscape in white.

Gazing at the monochromatic world, Chen Feng let out a breath. To seek a breakthrough, he needed to move toward populated areas. Behind him lay the boundless Frozen Demon Garden. The only path to larger towns was through Gnamm Town.

Not long after walking, he heard a rustling sound behind him. A figure was hurrying to catch up. Chen Feng knew who it was without looking and stopped, watching Judy approach, her face flushed slightly from the exertion of running.

"Why are you following me?" Chen Feng’s tone was less than friendly.

"Iori Yagami…" Judy paused to catch her breath, ignoring his tone. Brushing snow from her long hair, she asked, "Where… where are you headed now? Are you planning to enter the Imperial Rookie Selection Tournament as well?"

"Imperial Rookie Selection Tournament?" Chen Feng was momentarily stunned, hearing the term for the first time.

Judy nodded. Seeing his genuine confusion, she couldn't help but press, "You haven't even heard of the Imperial Rookie Selection Tournament?"

Chen Feng affirmed this with a nod, his usually cold face betraying no emotion.

"It's the selection trial held by the Rocky Empire for young people under the age of twenty-five, intended to qualify participants for the joint Rookie Tournament held by the Four Great Empires!" Judy explained.

"A joint tournament by the Four Great Empires?" Chen Feng frowned.

Judy nodded again. "It's a tradition among the Four Great Empires, held every five years to display their collective strength. It’s been exactly five years since the last one."

Judy continued to elaborate, and after listening for quite a while, Chen Feng finally understood. Because the Four Great Empires were relatively balanced in power and wary of each other, they held this competition to maintain good relations. The primary goal, however, was to scout talented young individuals for future use within the empire. Any participant who managed to place within the top fifty in the Imperial Rookie Selection Tournament would almost certainly be noticed and heavily cultivated by the great powers of the empire.

Thus, the Imperial Rookie Selection Tournament served as a stepping stone for those unrecognized talents to be discovered and utilized.

Naturally, each empire had its own agenda. By pitting their selected rookies against those from the other three empires, they could gauge the strength of their neighbors while simultaneously strengthening the sense of national belonging among the selected youths.

It was much like the Olympic Games Chen Feng had known in his previous life; when athletes represent their nation, a good result brings immense national prestige. Even failure could boost the cohesion of the populace. Therefore, regardless of victory or defeat, the event benefited the empire.

Chen Feng grasped the concept quickly. Seeing the eagerness in Judy's eyes, a thought struck him. "The reason you came here to participate in that Pterodactyl Selection Trial—was it to try your luck at obtaining a Pterodactyl to enhance your strength?"

Judy’s expression shifted to surprise. "How… how did you know I was here for the Pterodactyl Selection Trial…" But she stopped halfway, suddenly realizing, "Oh, right. How could I forget? How can you command a Pterodactyl to obey you? What exactly is going on?"

Chen Feng didn't answer her question, instead asking, "Are pets allowed in this Rookie Tournament?"

"Of course!" Judy immediately replied. "This competition isn't just for Fighters; Mages and any cultivator can participate. There are no strict regulations; you just need to win the match, regardless of whether you use magic pets or anything else!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Feng’s eyes grew serious. Earlier, when Judy mentioned competitors under twenty-five, he hadn't paid much mind. No matter how prodigious someone under twenty-five was, reaching the Fighter Master (Dou Shi) realm was unlikely. Considering Spencer was hailed as the youngest Ninth-Rank Dragon Knight at thirty, reaching Fighter Master before twenty-five was incredibly difficult.

Those below the Fighter Master level posed no threat to Chen Feng, so he had never bothered to worry about them. However, learning that anything goes as long as victory is achieved sparked his interest in this so-called Rookie Selection Tournament.

Strength and cultivation level are crucial, but they aren't the only factors. External elements like equipment are also vital. If a Level One Fighter possessed a Level Four magic scroll, they might not fear a Fighter Master they encountered.

Similarly, a low-level Fighter with a high-level magical beast could secure victory simply by summoning that beast to fight for them. This thought process is what piqued Chen Feng’s interest in the Rookie Selection Tournament.

Having already intended to broaden his horizons and improve his cultivation, such a competition presented itself as a worthwhile trial.

With this in mind, Chen Feng asked, "When does the trial begin, and where is the location?"

Seeing that he was now invested, a look of successful scheming crossed Judy’s face. "In one month, at the Imperial Capital!"

"The Imperial Capital?" Chen Feng frowned.

The capital city of each of the Four Great Empires was referred to as the Imperial Capital. The capital of the Rocky Empire was named Norbia City, spanning nearly a thousand miles, with a population exceeding one hundred million—a true metropolis.

It was located in the far north of the Rocky Empire. To reach the capital, even flying would take a month, and he couldn't fly yet! He almost laughed at himself. Influenced by his past life, he thought flying was the fastest way. This world had magic; magic arrays were certainly the most direct and quickest means of travel!

He surmised that Judy had also used a magic array to travel from the capital to this location.

"Alright, I understand. Thank you." Having learned everything, Chen Feng didn't linger with Judy and turned toward Gnamm Town.

Though he didn't know the exact location of the magic arrays, he could certainly find out by asking around.

"Hey…" Judy was annoyed that he turned to leave immediately after getting the information. She stomped her foot in frustration and hurried after him. "You… you actually intend to enter the Rookie Selection Tournament yourself?" Her tone was odd.

Chen Feng stopped and turned back, asking in confusion, "What? Is there something strange about that?"

"Strange?" Judy nearly laughed. "Don't you know that anything goes in the Rookie Selection Tournament? To prevent any single individual from relying excessively on equipment or pet strength and skewing the results, all participants must compete in teams?"

"Compete in teams?" Chen Feng paused again.

"Yes!" Judy confirmed eagerly. "According to the tournament rules, all entrants must form a team of at least three people to compete!"

"A team of three?" Chen Feng's expression immediately became peculiar because the rule reminded him of another competition with a similar structure—the King of Fighters tournament!

Since '94, the King of Fighters had always involved teams of three. Like the Japanese team in '97—Shingo Yabuki, Goro Daimon, and Benimaru Nikaido—or the Kyokugenryu style team of Ryo Sakazaki, Robert Garcia, and Yuri Sakazaki… even the aloof Iori Yagami had been part of a team, the Three Sacred Treasures team with Kyo Kusanagi and Chizuru Kagura in King of Fighters 2003.

This was why Chen Feng exhibited that strange expression upon hearing about team formations.

Judy, oblivious to his internal musings, continued, "Yes, teams of three. Do you have teammates yet?" Seeing Chen Feng shake his head, she pressed on, "Since you don't have any, how about I team up with you?"

Chen Feng looked at Judy, finally understanding why she had waited for him at the blacksmith shop.

She must have learned of his strength and wanted to leverage his power to win the competition. A thought flickered in his mind. Judy's primary purpose for coming here was the Pterodactyl Selection Trial, hoping to gain a Pterodactyl as an asset for the tournament. But after seeing him standing atop a Pterodactyl while destroying the City Lord's Mansion, she likely realized her hope of obtaining one was gone, leading her to seek an alliance with him instead.

He hadn't expected this beautiful girl to be so intelligent and so thoroughly calculating.

Staring at the beautiful girl, Chen Feng delivered a line that nearly shattered her composure: "I don't team up with people who are weak!"