When the various leaders of Baijiali emerged, all traces of the "Misty Mercenary Group" had vanished. Zhong Shenxiu and the others, after completing the forms, handed the waiting process over to Cai Ni and left on their own accord. The waitress, naturally too intimidated to stop them, finally handed over the prepared badges to them at Cai Ni's urging.

Though Baijiali was deeply irritated that he couldn't keep the "Misty Mercenary Group" around, he didn't blame anyone, knowing that recriminations now would serve no purpose. After a brief round of questioning, he requested the application forms that Zhong Shenxiu and his group had just filled out.

The moment his eyes landed on the words "Misty Mercenary Group," the hands holding the form trembled involuntarily.

The "Tornado Mercenary Group," which had caused them so much headaches in the past, was already incredibly formidable. But this "Misty Mercenary Group" was an upgraded, reinforced version; they could so easily wipe out the "Tornado Mercenary Group"—what could they not accomplish?

It was precisely because they recognized this fact that they placed such immense importance on the "Misty Mercenary Group"!

"The 'Cloud Drifting Mercenary Alliance'?" Baijiali had already etched the name firmly into his memory. He was certain he would encounter the members of the "Misty Mercenary Group" again soon, so he felt no need to rush.

Five li north of "Xianyang City," one could see numerous mercenary groups gathered, busily setting up their respective tents or crude huts.

The area of "Xianyang City" was limited and could not possibly accommodate every arriving mercenary group. Consequently, some groups decided to camp outside the city walls; after all, sleeping rough in the wilderness was already second nature to them. They found it far more spacious and comfortable here than fighting for the limited lodging inside!

Upon a rather inconspicuous small hill, fifteen individuals stood leisurely, observing the industrious activity of the other mercenaries below, faint, knowing smiles playing on their lips.

These people constituted the newly formed "Mysterious Mercenary Group." One should never underestimate them simply because of their small numbers; they possessed exceptionally uncommon backgrounds!

It might shock people to learn that every single one of these individuals was a "War Officer"! This was only the second mercenary group composed entirely of "War Officers" to appear following the "Tornado Mercenary Group." The sheer extent of their power needed no further verbal description.

"Ugh, how boring. I’ve watched for ages and haven't spotted a single one worth mentioning," lamented one of the blond-haired men, sighing deeply.

"Corlinc, you can't say that. Perhaps there’s a hidden powerhouse among them that we haven't noticed!" another man said with a degree of seriousness.

"Hmph, them? Don't make me laugh! Hortiz, I’m not bragging, but with a mere flick of my finger, I could put them all down!" Corlinc said, displaying a palpable arrogance.

"I advise you to curb that wretched habit of yours. Don't assume others are so easily crushed. Have you forgotten how the 'Tornado Mercenary Group' was annihilated? If they hadn't been so high-and-mighty and showy everywhere, would they have invited such a disastrous end?" Hortiz adopted a stern, reproving tone.

"Don't even compare those weaklings from the 'Tornado Mercenary Group' to us. If they hadn't been wiped out first, I really would have liked a chance to test them," Corlinc sneered, glancing sideways at Hortiz before abruptly changing the subject. "Heh heh, I wonder if that 'Misty Mercenary Group' will show up. Since they destroyed the 'Tornado Mercenary Group,' perhaps we should meet them instead!"

Hortiz flinched and scolded again, "Corlinc, don't bring trouble upon us! Have you forgotten the Commander's orders? Until we understand the true strength of the 'Misty Mercenary Group,' we must not act rashly!"

"What are we afraid of? Do they sprout three heads and six arms? Don't let rumors frighten you. Those are just wild exaggerations," Corlinc insisted, stubbornly sticking to his own view.

"But, the 'Misty Mercenary Group' managed to eliminate the entire 'Tornado Mercenary Group,' which proves they must possess immense strength."

"That’s not necessarily true!" Corlinc argued evasively. "Maybe they used some sort of foul trickery, or perhaps the 'Tornado Mercenary Group' was severely injured before they even encountered them. Didn't you hear about the 'Demon Worm' infestation erupting in the capital of the 'Autumn Cloud Empire'? The 'Tornado Mercenary Group' might have sustained losses fighting those worms, resulting in..."

"You are twisting words!" Hortiz, realizing he couldn't persuade Corlinc, snapped back resentfully. "If you're so capable, go tell the Commander. What’s the point of showing off to me?"

"Tell the Commander what? Do you think I'm afraid? It’s just that the Commander isn’t here right now. If she were..." Corlinc hadn't finished speaking when a voice suddenly interrupted him.

"If I were here, what would you do?"

Hearing that soft voice, all fifteen people present froze momentarily before turning to look.

"Commander..."

Seeing the person who arrived, Hortiz quickly hurried over, not forgetting to cast a triumphant glance at Corlinc.

In contrast, Corlinc now wore an expression as sour as a gourd. He hadn't expected their Commander to return so quickly, and so perfectly timed—appearing precisely when he was making those grand statements.

In the entire "Mysterious Mercenary Group," the only person he genuinely feared was their Commander—Clementine!

Though Clementine was a woman, and a strikingly beautiful one at that, Corlinc never dared to act presumptuously in her presence. She was a being capable of defeating him within three moves!

Everyone in the "Mysterious Mercenary Group" held a deep, genuine respect for Clementine. This wasn't merely because of her formidable strength, but also because of an indescribable aura that surrounded her!

Following their gazes, they saw a tall woman with short, plainly styled hair slowly approaching. Although she emitted no overtly powerful aura, everyone present dared not meet the gaze of her beautiful eyes directly!

"Commander... you're back," Corlinc's tone had completely shifted; he now sounded like a thief caught red-handed.

Clementine merely spared Corlinc one look, instantly deflating the arrogance out of the man who had been so domineering moments before, turning him into someone standing sheepishly aside, afraid to utter another foolish word.

"Corlinc, didn't you have something you wanted to say to the Commander just now? Why the silence?" Hortiz chuckled at Corlinc's embarrassment.

Corlinc shot Hortiz a glare but remained silent. He wasn't foolish; he knew when to keep quiet.

Hortiz ignored Corlinc and turned to Clementine, asking, "Commander, did you find any trace of the 'Misty Mercenary Group'?"

Clementine shook her head, a thoughtful look on her face. She was intensely focused on this "Misty Mercenary Group." It was precisely because of this interest that they had all applied to participate in the Mercenary Alliance Tournament—they hoped to catch a glimpse of the legendary "Misty Mercenary Group"!

Yet, she had questioned so many people, and not a single one had actually seen the "Misty Mercenary Group," nor could anyone pinpoint their whereabouts. Was this trip going to be for naught? Or had they already arrived, and she simply couldn't locate them?

"Corlinc, I am warning you now: do not stir up any trouble for me, or I will not hesitate to enforce justice against my own people," after a brief silence, Clementine suddenly looked up and spoke coldly to Corlinc.

It seemed she had overheard the entire exchange between Corlinc and Hortiz!

Time flew by swiftly, and over ten days had passed. There were now only three days left until the "Mercenary Alliance Tournament."

Looking now at "Xianyang City," it was completely jammed with people. Outside the city walls, countless mercenary groups were gathered, a dense, oppressive mass.

The air was thick with the nervous tension preceding the competition—an almost unbearable pressure!

To alleviate the atmosphere and disperse the crowds, the "Mercenary Association" issued a task to prepare the "Competition Venues." This offered not only double experience rewards but also an early chance to scout the grounds, immediately garnering enthusiastic responses from many mercenary groups.

Most groups had already registered; they were simply awaiting the tournament's start. These three days were the final preparatory period for the "Mercenary Alliance Tournament," and the draw for group pairings had already commenced.

The contenders were divided into twenty-six major competition zones for the elimination rounds, and each major zone was further split into twenty smaller sectors for qualification bouts. Only the final victor from each small sector would advance, meaning each major zone would yield only twenty qualifying spots. The competition would be fierce!

Amidst the anxious waiting, the official start day of the "Mercenary Alliance Tournament" finally arrived.

The match schedule and the detailed rules for the Northern Tournament were distributed to every mercenary alliance. Now, each alliance knew who their first opponent would be, though this only extended to knowing the opponent's name!

Zhong Shenxiu's group had drawn number 7, a relatively early slot, meaning they would have a match that very morning.

The elimination rounds employed a "best-of-three" system: first, a singles match, followed by a doubles match, and finally, a team match with the number of participants ranging from 5 to 9, to be negotiated by both sides! Only winning two rounds was necessary to advance! Worth noting, these three matches would take place simultaneously in three different arenas. One objective was to save time during the tournament, but a more crucial one was to prevent the same individual from participating in all three matches!

It was strictly forbidden to kill an opponent during the match; doing so resulted in immediate disqualification.

Furthermore, prohibited items like "Magic Scrolls" could not be used, as this would be ruled cheating!

While their opponents and the referee waited, Zhong Shenxiu and his comrades slowly sauntered onto the stage. Their expressions were so leisurely, they looked nothing like fighters about to battle—more like tourists out for a stroll!

For this opening battle, Zhong Shenxiu intended to participate personally, not for any serious reason, but simply for amusement! He would find it entertaining, but his opponents might weep.

Alas, he wondered which mercenary alliance was unlucky enough to face a monster like him in the first round. Oh, no—he corrected himself—to face monsters like them!

He hoped they wouldn't completely collapse from shock!!! May fortune smile upon them!