The moment he struck, the greatest, most formidable master in their minds—Joshua, a Dou Zun powerhouse—was slammed to the ground, utterly incapable of fighting back. No one present was foolish; they understood that a person operating at this level was simply beyond their capacity to offend. Consequently, not a single person dared to utter another word. Many even felt a sudden urge to applaud, realizing how utterly absurd and shameful it had been just moments before to show respect to Joshua.

Such is human nature: few offer aid in times of trouble, but many rush to kick a man when he's down. Not only did Joshua suffer physical pain, but his heart endured a catastrophic shift. The pride that had made him seem more arrogant than royalty moments ago had vanished, reducing him to something less than a beggar in the blink of an eye.

Faced with this reality, he naturally felt too ashamed to remain any longer. Stripped of his guise as an "otherworldly master," he slunk away.

With his departure, the meal naturally concluded with everyone present being "delighted." The guests were figures like Xiao Hu and his companions, while the entire City Lord’s mansion staff cooked solely for their table, dispatching Dou Shi-level experts on the fastest horses to procure anything lacking immediately. How could they not be delighted?

Though Joshua had left, they had managed to cultivate a relationship with Chen Feng and his group. If such supreme masters could be persuaded to lead troops... how could the City Lord not be overjoyed?

However, while these two parties were elated, others were far from it. They finished their meal trembling, only relaxing when they saw that Chen Feng’s group showed no anger over their earlier "blindness."

……………………………………………………………………

“You must invite all of them here!” the City Lord instructed Xile.

“Yes!” Xile replied, unable to stop himself from marveling. In his estimation, the young man before them appeared to be the least powerful of the group, someone who would blend in anywhere. Yet, he had managed to seize a Dou Zun expert in his palm and deliver slaps with impunity. What level of cultivation did he truly possess?

“Hmm, come here. You performed admirably this time. The Vice City Lord has long been searching for suitable personnel, and I believe you possess great talent!” the City Lord said, oblivious to Xile’s distraction.

“Thank you, City Lord!” Hearing this, Xile’s spirit snapped back into focus. He trembled with excitement.

The position of Vice City Lord was something he had coveted for a long time. Unfortunately, his own strength hadn't stood out among his competitors, leading to stagnation. To think that the City Lord had decided it with a single sentence—how could this not thrill him?

“Alright, hurry up. They are finishing their meal!” the City Lord continued. “Handle this well, and when I profit, I certainly won't forget you! By then, will you still need to worry about that Vice City Lord position becoming permanent?”

“Yes…” Xile, practically floating with excitement, hurried over to where Chen Feng and the others were seated. Seeing they were nearly done eating, he finally spoke, “My Lords…”

“What is it?” Chen Feng asked.

“With your cultivation so high, surely you don’t wish to contribute to the Tony Empire and forge a name for yourselves…” As Xile spoke, he noticed an expression of impatience cross Chen Feng’s face and quickly changed tack: “The reality is this…”

He then recounted the situation.

As it turned out, the Tianfeng Tournament was indeed the result of endless warfare between the Four Great Empires, a conflict that had claimed countless lives and inflicted immense disaster upon both national strength and populace. The Fenlai Empire and the Kote Empire, having been tricked by Tony and Loki, were severely weakened. Pressed by the allied forces of their enemies, they were forced into a constant contraction of territory, shrinking back almost to the Imperial Capital, on the brink of collapse.

The Emperor had fallen in battle at the critical moment, and the Third Prince, Austin, ascended the throne. Austin was brave and decisive. Knowing continued fighting meant national ruin, he committed an act that defied universal condemnation: sacrificing ten thousand soldiers to summon the ancient, devastating curse known as the "All-Conquering War Pact!"

The "All-Conquering War Pact" was an unavoidable contract, woven by rituals utilizing the blood sacrifice of warriors to summon a Demon God Emissary.

This contract cursed anyone—regardless of whether the allied armies of the Loki and Tony Empires consented—who entered the vicinity of Maya City, the capital of the Fenlai Empire, during the fifty-year duration of the pact's effect with a fate worse than death.

While the ten thousand soldiers’ blood successfully protected Maya City, it also dealt a staggering blow to the pride of the Loki and Tony Empires.

In retaliation, the allied forces of the Loki and Tony Empires unleashed widespread massacre and plunder across the other towns of the Fenlai Empire, behaving like butchers.

How could Austin stand by while his people were slaughtered? With no other recourse, he was forced to seek aid from the Tianfeng Academy. The Academy, apparently displeased by the unrestrained brutality of the two empires’ joint forces, stepped in to mediate.

Of course, this intervention was also partly because the Tianfeng Academy feared the unchecked growth of these two empires. After all, the system of mutual checks and balances among the four empires greatly benefited the Academy; if the four consolidated into two, or even one, the Academy’s transcendent status would surely be lost.

With the Academy’s mediation, the Loki and Tony Empires dared not act too wantonly. Finally, the four nations agreed to conclude this chaotic era of imperial struggle through a competition.

The Four Great Empires would still participate as joint forces: Loki and Tony together, and Fenlai and Kote together.

Each side would select seven warriors to participate. These seven individuals had to represent seven distinct age brackets: 1–20 years old, 21–40, 41–60, 61–80, 81–100, 101–120, and over 120 years old.

For a side to claim victory, they needed to secure four wins out of the seven matches.

The scope of post-war reparations and land cessions would vary based on the final count of victories. In the best-case scenario—if the Fenlai and Kote joint force achieved seven wins out of seven—the Loki and Tony Empires would have to return all occupied lands.

Conversely, if the Loki alliance triumphed, the Fenlai and Kote Empires would have to abandon resistance and declare fealty to the other two empires.

It was, by all accounts, a gamble of monumental stakes, but the Fenlai and Kote Empires had no choice. The previous Emperor had feigned death to lure the enemy, successfully annihilating three million elite troops from the two rival empires in three separate campaigns, leaving them already crippled and utterly incapable of resistance, even if they wished to fight back.

The competition was scheduled to take place in a year, with the venue set at the Tianfeng Academy; hence, the event was dubbed the Tianfeng Trial.

Because this contest involved stakes as massive as an entire war, all four empires treated it with utmost seriousness. To secure excellent contestants, each empire needed to conduct preliminary selections internally.

This selection process was several times stricter than the rookie tryouts: first, every city held a round of selection; the winners then advanced to the provincial or county level; and finally, selections were made in the Imperial Capital. Even this was not the end. The two allied nations would exchange candidates before finalizing the seven participants.

This chain of selection meant the process was intensely rushed, taking over a month, yet the arrow was already on the string, demanding release. This frenzy drove every City Lord to summon talented individuals like a madman.

The purpose of the Sunset Glow City Lord gathering all local talents today was precisely this rigorous screening. The primary reason he had painstakingly sought out the Dou Zun, Joshua, was to train these young prodigies, hoping they might seize a chance at victory in the "Tianfeng Tournament" and bring glory to the nation...

Naturally, every City Lord was also looking out for his own interests; if someone from his city truly won the competition, he could use that success to climb the ranks himself...

The Lord of Sunset Glow City had certainly considered this, and his calculations were meticulous. Even if Joshua proved a poor trainer, as a powerful expert himself, he could still participate in the matches. Even if he didn't secure the final victory, the sheer prestige of a Dou Zun expert would earn the Emperor’s favor.

In short, the City Lord viewed this as an opportunity; grasping it correctly promised rapid advancement.

Now that Joshua had been chased away, and Chen Feng’s group had suddenly appeared, given their age and cultivation levels... the City Lord felt he could already glimpse the dawn of victory.

This was why he sent Xile, hoping they would agree to participate in the competition.

“His Majesty the Emperor has explicitly decreed that any participant who wins the competition will be rewarded with an Imperial Special Merit, directly granted a Count’s title, and receive the treatment afforded to a General…” Xile finished explaining the benefits of entry, hoping to pique their interest. To his disappointment, though these dozen or so youths were not old, they seemed uninterested in high office and wealth. After listening to the explanations of the "All-Conquering War Pact" and the "Tianfeng Tournament," they stopped paying him any attention.

“Boss, what should we do?” Xiao Hu asked, looking at Chen Feng.

As soon as Xiao Hu spoke, all eyes fixed on Chen Feng. The remaining ten individuals, not to mention the entire hall, instantly fell silent.

Chen Feng ignored the "eager" gazes, smiled faintly, and looked at Xiao Hu: “Are you full?”

“I’m full, I haven’t eaten this well in a long time!” Xiao Hu, unsure of the meaning behind the question, could only tell the truth.

“Since we’re full, let’s go then!” Chen Feng stated casually.

“My Lord… If you don't help me with this, I’m truly finished…” Xile panicked when he saw the group preparing to leave and shouted out anxiously.

“We have no time, and even if we did, we wouldn't participate in such a boring contest!” Chen Feng replied coolly, walking toward the exit with his companions.

“My Lord…” Xile rushed forward to block their path, his face etched with desperate pleading.

“Why are you still chasing us? Oh, this is for the meal!” Chen Feng said, tossing out a pile of gold coins, then added coldly, “We’ve paid for the food. I don't want anyone else appearing before my eyes. Otherwise... I will get angry!”

Xile remembered Joshua’s miserable state and shuddered, daring not to take another step. His expression was worse than if he were weeping as he debated whether to continue pursuing them when Chen Feng suddenly stopped.

“My Lord… You agreed…” Xile cried out with a sudden smile.

But before the words fully left his mouth, a faint voice drifted back: “The food at your City Lord’s mansion is truly excellent! If you converted it into a proper restaurant, you would certainly do good business!”

ps: Only one update today; I will make up for it tomorrow with a burst of updates. My apologies!!! (To be continued. For future installments, please log in to m for more chapters, supporting the author and genuine reading!)