In Xianyang City, there was an inn that, while not luxurious, was among the best in the entire realm. Since it was the height of the lunch hour, it was packed shoulder-to-shoulder, with waiters constantly rushing back and forth. Despite being utterly swamped, they maintained bright, professional smiles.

It was at this precise moment that Zhong Shenxiu and his party entered. Seeing the sheer number of people, Zhong Shenxiu couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Brother Xiao Xiu, there are so many people here. Should we try finding another place?" Tiya asked, looking somewhat troubled.

This was already the fifth inn they had tried, and the situation was identical! Forget about securing a private room; just finding an empty table felt like a stroke of luck. Looking around, over ninety percent of the patrons were mercenaries.

"Perhaps we should wait a while before eating?" Mako Xin suggested.

She wasn't hungry yet and still wanted to browse for treasures.

Before Zhong Shenxiu could reply, a particularly sharp-eyed waiter approached them, a smile plastered on his face. "Esteemed guests, all the inns are this crowded right now; it's unavoidable. You've arrived at peak time. If you don't mind, I can try to find you a spot..."

Zhong Shenxiu offered no comment, tacitly agreeing. Seeing his silence, the others also accepted the waiter's offer.

The members of the "Falling Cloud Mercenary Group" certainly offered no alternative suggestions; in front of Zhong Shenxiu and his companions, they dared not interject carelessly. However, they were currently alight with anticipation, as sharing a meal with Zhong Shenxiu's group was a profound honor for them.

Inside the same inn.

In a smaller hall, there were also many people gathered, though the atmosphere was slightly less frenetic than the main dining area.

At this moment, Cai Ni, the leader of the "Sky Rending Mercenary Group," was seated at the same dining table as Xilaine, the leader of the "Cross Sword Mercenary Group," discussing matters concerning the upcoming "Mercenary Alliance Tournament."

Because they both hailed from the "Winter Moon Empire," their two groups shared a natural affinity that other mercenary bands lacked. As it happened, Cai Ni and Xilaine had struck up a friendship over an earlier meal, finding their conversation incredibly congenial, which quickly solidified their alliance.

"If we manage this, we only need two more mercenary groups to join us to qualify for the competition!" Cai Ni said with a measure of hope. (It had been previously established that qualification for the "Mercenary Alliance Tournament" required gathering four mercenary groups.)

It was worth noting that the "Mercenary Alliance Tournament" wasn't just a great chance for practical experience; it was an unparalleled opportunity to raise the ranking of their respective mercenary groups. According to the information released by the "Mercenary Association," all missions completed during the tournament would yield double experience points!

This was unprecedented—a first in history. Even if they couldn't fight their way to final victory, the allure of "double experience points" was enough to draw countless mercenary groups into the fray. This was undoubtedly the major highlight of this year's "Mercenary Alliance Tournament!"

"There are too many competitors in this 'Mercenary Alliance Tournament.' With just the strength of our two groups, we might be eliminated in the knockout rounds," Xilaine expressed his concern.

Looking around, every mercenary group in sight seemed formidable. Figuring out how to stand out among such a dense field of rivals was genuinely vexing!

Truthfully, both the "Cross Sword Mercenary Group" and the "Sky Rending Mercenary Group" were first-time participants in a competition of this magnitude; denying their nervousness would be a lie!

"Isn't there a resurrection match?" Cai Ni inquired.

Xilaine laughed, a self-deprecating sound. "The resurrection match is reserved for mercenary groups with true, exceptional strength. For groups like ours, if we lose in the knockout stage, we can forget about getting another chance!"

"Why is that?" Cai Ni clearly knew little about the specific rules.

"Do you know who the so-called resurrection match is actually prepared for?" Xilaine countered with a question instead of an answer.

Cai Ni shook his head. He only knew that if one lost in the "knockout stage," there was a chance to revive through the "resurrection match," but he was ignorant of the finer details.

"The difficulty of the 'resurrection match' is so high that ordinary mercenary groups absolutely cannot clear it. Its existence is for those groups eliminated in the early rounds due to being too evenly matched. It’s like the world's number one mercenary group facing the number two; in such a clash of titans, one must eventually fall, and the 'resurrection match' is designed for that fallen party."

"Ah, if our former leader hadn't left, we wouldn't need to fear anyone!" Cai Ni finally grasped the implication of Xilaine's words and spoke with a touch of wistfulness.

"Former leader?" Xilaine blinked, clearly missing the context of Cai Ni's remark.

"To be frank, the first leader of our 'Sky Rending Mercenary Group' was not me; it was Xia Luo. Have you heard that name before?" A flash of light crossed Cai Ni's eyes, and in his heart, he wondered where Xia Luo was now, and if there was any chance of seeing her again.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I have," Xilaine replied apologetically.

"You haven't heard of her?" Cai Ni's reaction was strong, his tone bordering on incredulous. After a pause, he pressed, "Then have you heard of the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group'?"

The moment he uttered this, he drew the attention of everyone in the small hall. Nearly everyone dining there was a mercenary, and they were all intensely curious about whether the Ethereal Mercenary Group would participate in this "Mercenary Alliance Tournament." Hearing someone mention the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" suddenly acted like a trigger, eliciting an immediate response.

The surrounding noise of clattering bowls and chopsticks instantly ceased. The room became eerily quiet.

"Of course, I know about them. Which mercenary group doesn't know about the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' these days? Why are you suddenly asking me that?" Xilaine hadn't noticed the shift in atmosphere and stared at Cai Ni with surprise.

Cai Ni, sensing the sudden change in tension, moved his chair closer to Xilaine's, lowering his voice. "The current Vice-Captain of the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' is Xia Luo!"

Recalling their chance encounter in the "Forest of No Return," Cai Ni's memory was still vivid. Especially the words Xia Luo spoke while they were being pursued by hundreds of level-six demonic beasts, the "Wind-Rending Wolves": Don't worry, no matter how many of these wolves come, I can handle them!

Whenever he remembered the sight of Xia Luo dominating those wolves, Cai Ni felt his blood surge. It had been too powerful, too visually thrilling!

"What?" Xilaine, hearing Cai Ni's declaration, gasped and shot up from his chair with a sharp whoosh. This action drew even more attention from those nearby.

Though they hadn't caught the whispered words, Xilaine’s dramatic reaction suggested something significant had been shared. Could it be that the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" had already arrived?

Cai Ni noticed the suspicious glances of the surrounding mercenaries and quickly pulled Xilaine back into his seat, murmuring again, "Don't get agitated!"

However, saying it was easy was very different from doing it. At least the look of utter shock on Xilaine's face did not diminish, and his gaze towards Cai Ni seemed unfocused.

"Are... are you telling the truth?" After a long moment, Xilaine finally managed to ask in a low voice.

Cai Ni nodded, then continued, "Several months ago, I encountered Xia Luo in the 'Forest of No Return.' She told me herself. I don't think she would lie to me, and at that time, the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' wasn't even famous yet!"

Xilaine fell silent. To be precise, he was speechless. He could never have imagined that the Vice-Captain of the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" would originate from the "Sky Rending Mercenary Group." Rumor had it that every single member of the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" was a monster capable of fighting ten thousand foes. To think that one such monster came from here...

"Please keep this matter a secret for me!" Cai Ni said, his expression turning serious.

Just as Xilaine was about to respond, a series of footsteps sounded from outside, breaking the silence.

Moments later, the hall door opened, and a waiter poked his head in. After making a 'come this way' gesture, he said with a smile, "Esteemed guests, we do have a few spots available here. If you don't mind the slight inconvenience, please follow me."

As the waiter finished speaking, three figures stepped into the hall first: Zhong Shenxiu, Robin, and Rachel.

The instant these three appeared, Xilaine shot up from his chair again with a loud whoosh. He recognized these three. Zhong Shenxiu and Robin needed no introduction, but the third, Rachel, was none other than the battlefield scout known as "Eagle Eye," who had guided them through the "Forest of No Return!"

Back then, Rachel had urged them to flee the demonic insects while she stayed behind to hold them off. After that parting, there had been no news of "Eagle Eye." Everyone assumed she had met a grim end, so seeing her here now was completely unexpected!

Cai Ni, seeing Xilaine's astonished state, was utterly perplexed. Though he also recognized Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, their appearances had changed considerably, so he hadn't immediately placed them.

"Xilaine, why are you—" Cai Ni stopped mid-sentence as several more people entered from the hallway. Among them was the very person he had just been discussing: Xia Luo!

This was beyond coincidence; it felt like deliberate arrangement by fate. He never imagined that people with such intertwined pasts would converge here!

In the next second, Cai Ni also shot up from his seat with a whoosh, joining Xilaine in bewildered synchronicity. Both wore expressions of stunned disbelief, looking utterly defeated.

Their bizarre reactions immediately drew the attention of everyone else toward Zhong Shenxiu's party, their gazes filled with speculation.

"Cai Ni? What are you doing here?" Xia Luo also spotted her former subordinate and stopped short, clearly surprised.

Cai Ni couldn't fathom how Xia Luo had appeared here either. Could this all be a hallucination?

The atmosphere grew even stranger than before. Even the waiter was momentarily stunned by the actions of both parties, frozen in place.

If the crowd were to learn the identity of the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" at this very moment, how chaotic would the scene become?

Ah, it seems I've arrived at a truly inconvenient time...