The alliance that Huo Zhong Shenxiu and the others were about to face was called the "Seven Towers Mercenary Alliance." In terms of sheer numbers or sheer bulk, they were nothing compared to what Zhong Shenxiu and his group could handle!
The "Seven Towers Mercenary Alliance," which had been tense moments before, immediately relaxed their strained nerves upon seeing the "Ten Clouds Drifting Mercenary Alliance," their faces breaking into the smiles of imminent victory.
"Heh heh, I told you not to be so nervous. This Ten Clouds Drifting Mercenary Alliance seems weaker than we imagined. Look at those skinny frames; I could crush half the life out of them with just one press!" a burly man rumbled, his contempt perfectly visible on his face.
"Looks like we're in for a great start! Look at those few people—they are clearly students who just graduated from the academy not long ago. How could they compare to battle-hardened veterans like us!" another man chimed in agreement.
"If you ask me, should we even go easy on them in a bit? If we knock them down too quickly, won't it get boring?"
"Now, the only question is who they'll send out. If it’s those beauties, maybe I’ll think about holding back a little!" another man added with a lecherous grin.
They conversed here with complete abandon, never minding whether Zhong Shenxiu and his group could hear them. In their eyes, this victory was already in the bag!
Zhong Shenxiu listened to their talk without a hint of anger. On the contrary, the smile playing on his lips grew wider. He could finally let loose and have some real fun!
Although Xia Luo and the others also overheard the "Seven Towers Mercenary Alliance's" chatter, they paid it no mind. To them, these were just mere clowns putting on a show; they weren't worth getting angry over!
The "Misty Mercenary Corps" possessed excellent composure, but that didn't mean the "Sunset Glow Mercenary Corps" could tolerate such remarks. Especially since the words spoken seemed specifically aimed at them, anger instantly flared, ready to erupt!
Just then, the referee overseeing the matches approached, his face calm. "Contestants, please prepare yourselves!"
"I will take the single match," Zhong Shenxiu's unhurried voice cut through the air, immediately drawing everyone's gaze.
Especially the other members of the "Misty Mercenary Corps," who stared at Zhong Shenxiu in disbelief, one thought repeating endlessly in their minds: Heavens, the Young Master is going to fight personally?!
Although the decisions for the Mercenary Alliance were supposedly settled by the joint consultation of the four mercenary corps, in reality, the "Misty Mercenary Corps" held absolute decisive power, and what Zhong Shenxiu said was akin to an imperial decree!
Since he had spoken, who dared to argue? They could only offer silent prayers for their opponents in their hearts!
Seeing Zhong Shenxiu stepping up to fight, Di Ya found it amusing. She even pulled Robin close and said, "Sister, let Robin and me handle the double match. Two sisters working together, nothing can break our bond!"
Her words, unintended or not, immediately caused Xia Luo and the others to secretly wipe their brows, thinking: If the two of you team up, breaking metal is the least of it!
Robin did not refuse, and thus the participants for the double match were decided.
It was truly unexpected that the very first round would feature the two top powerhouses of the "Misty Mercenary Corps" stepping out, eliminating any suspense from the match—it was destined to be an overwhelming rout by one side against the other!
"That sounds like fun. Then I'll participate in the multi-person match. Laurent, want to join me?" Solomon asked Laurent beside him.
"Of course! How could I miss out on something like this!" Laurent replied, his fists already clenched. "Those guys look like they have decent resilience; it should be a good warm-up!"
Thus, the participants for the multi-person match were also confirmed: Solomon, Laurent, Rhys, Franck, Wayne, Paul, and Wade!
The nearby "Sunset Glow Mercenary Corps," "Rift Sky Mercenary Corps," and "Cross Sword Mercenary Corps" could only watch dumbly as the contingent from the "Misty Mercenary Corps" prepared to fight. They felt a mixture of shock and excitement!
Shocked that the "Misty Mercenary Corps" had claimed all three matches for themselves; excited that they were about to witness the true prowess of the "Misty Mercenary Corps"—were the rumors of their might true, or would they see it with their own eyes!
Turning their attention back, the opposing "Seven Towers Mercenary Alliance" was currently in an uproar, seemingly arguing over something. Upon listening closely, they realized the argument was about who would participate in the "double match" against Di Ya and Robin. Everyone wanted a chance to face the beauties, hoping to gain some advantage in a close-quarters fight. Since no one would yield, they started squabbling!
Finally, the two Corps Leaders of the "Seven Towers Mercenary Alliance," to prevent the argument from escalating, decided to step in themselves. However, their expressions carried a lecherous look of "If I don't go to heaven, who will?"—a clear indication of impure motives!
"Contestants, please enter the arena!" At this moment, a referee's voice rang out.
Zhong Shenxiu strolled slowly toward the arena, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.
The venue for the single match was a hundred-square-meter platform, constructed of Dragon Gold Stone and protected by a barrier capable of withstanding immense kinetic energy!
"Mother, my sister and I are heading out. You must cheer for us later, okay!" Before stepping onto her stage, Di Ya acted spoiled in front of Paggy.
Paggy offered a gentle smile and advised her with maternal depth, "My dear daughter, don't hit them too hard later. Just teach them a lesson!"
"Don't worry, my sister and I know our limits," Di Ya stuck out her tongue, then pulled Robin toward their designated area.
The double match arena was unique: one thousand meters long and five hundred meters wide, encircled by magical runes. The opposing sides stood at opposite ends, forbidden from approaching each other before the match officially began!
This arrangement was made to accommodate mages who were not skilled in close-quarters combat!
"Let's go, time for us to enter the stage," Solomon said, already impatient.
They had already agreed beforehand: once on the field, each would select their target, and once the fighting started, they could only engage their assigned opponent, not interfere with another's warm-up pleasure!
The members of the "Seven Towers Mercenary Alliance" had yet to realize the predicament they were in. They remained supremely confident, looking down on others, swaggering with self-importance, and smiling as they made their way onto their respective stages!
Following custom, before the official start, the referee was required to explain the rules: no prohibited weapons, no killing the opponent, and strict adherence if the referee called a halt to the fighting...
While the referee was explaining the rules, a group of people approached from the distance, looking hurried!
As they drew closer, it became clear: they were the leadership from the "Mercenary Association," including the female clerk who had handled the registration for Zhong Shenxiu and the others previously.
Undoubtedly, they had come because of the "Misty Mercenary Corps"!
To avoid attracting the attention of the two mercenary alliances (though attention had already been drawn), they stopped at a vantage point where they could observe all three matches simultaneously.
"Thank goodness, the matches haven't started yet!"
Bagali first calmed his slightly ragged breath, then turned to the female clerk, asking, "Yifang, do you remember who belongs to the 'Misty Mercenary Corps'?"
The clerk named Yifang glanced around left and right, her gaze finally settling on the contingent of Xia Luo and the others. She stammered, "Th-they are... they are them!"
Following the direction of her pointing finger, Bagali and the others turned to look curiously at Xia Luo's group. However, due to the distance, Yifang could not precisely indicate which ones belonged to the "Misty Mercenary Corps" and which did not!
"Who is the leader of the 'Misty Mercenary Corps'?" Bagali suppressed the surging excitement in his heart and asked again.
When registering for the "Mercenary Alliance Competition," one section of the form required the personal signature of each Corps Leader. This meant Yifang had seen the true leader of the "Misty Mercenary Corps"!
The mystery was about to be unveiled. To finally know who led the much-talked-about "Misty Mercenary Corps"—how could this not excite Bagali? He could even clearly hear his own heartbeat now!
Yifang was also searching the crowd for Zhong Shenxiu or Xia Luo. When registering that day, Zhong Shenxiu had left a deep impression on her, not just because he was young, but because of that slightly wicked smile and those deep eyes that could draw one in completely! At that moment, she had completely forgotten to question Zhong Shenxiu's identity!
"Ah!" Just then, a sharp gasp escaped Yifang's lips. She then stared with wide, disbelieving eyes at the single match arena!
Heavens! The leader of the 'Misty Mercenary Corps' is fighting personally?
Yifang felt the world spin slightly. In her estimation, an entity as powerful as the "Misty Mercenary Corps" would not easily enter the fray. Yet, for the very first battle, they deployed their leader—what an astonishing event!
"What is it? Did you find something?" Although Bagali was startled by Yifang's cry, he became even more desperate to know the answer to his burning question.
"He, he... he is the leader of the 'Misty Mercenary Corps'!" Yifang trembled, pointing toward Zhong Shenxiu's position, taking great effort to finish the sentence!
"You... what did you say?" Bagali's eyes snapped wide open, fixing themselves on the small figure in the center of the arena.
He? How could he possibly be the leader of the 'Misty Mercenary Corps'? How old is he?
Just as Bagali struggled to accept this reality and was about to press for more information, sudden cannon fire echoed from the skies above.
"Boom—"
That was the signal that the matches were officially beginning!
The head referees of the three arenas shouted almost simultaneously: "The competition begins!!!"