They saw Clement walk effortlessly up to the trapped individuals, not even exerting a trace of fighting spirit!

Even the Sword God Scoria couldn't manage such ease; how did this woman do it? Could she possibly be stronger than the Sword God?

Under their incredulous gazes, Clement seized one person by the collar. Without any apparent effort, the individual was flung straight out of the arena.

The old man hadn't snapped out of his shock before his trapped companions were similarly ejected by Clement, one after the other. They never imagined the intractable problem that had stumped them would be solved so simply by Clement; the gulf in strength was clearly no small matter!

"How... how does it feel?" Although the old man addressed those who were rescued, his gaze remained fixed on Clement on the stage.

Clement didn't hurry down. Instead, she paced slowly around the arena, her serious expression suggesting she was pondering some deep question.

"Commander, what are you looking for?" Colinck asked with some curiosity, making a move as if to step onto the stage.

"Let's go!" Clement gave him no chance to ascend, hopping off the stage and stating coolly.

Colinck seemed wary of Clement and reluctantly abandoned his idea of going up. Just then, the old man approached, his face flushed with excitement, offering Clement torrents of profuse thanks.

Clement spared him a glance, spoke only a single sentence, and then left with her team: "Your victory this time is attributable to luck!"

※※※※※※

Meanwhile, Zhong Shenxiu and his departing group were utterly dejected and listless.

"What are your thoughts on the match?" Zhong Shenxiu watched them with a smile, unable to detect any trace of sadness or frustration on his face.

"Please, train me again!" Cai Ni did not directly answer Zhong Shenxiu’s question but instead put forth her own request.

"Teacher Zhong, please guide us one more time!" Ingrid followed suit.

A hint of cunning flashed in Zhong Shenxiu's eyes. He feigned an utterly nonchalant demeanor and stated, "Give me half a month, and I can increase each of your strengths fivefold!"

The moment Zhong Shenxiu finished speaking, those who had been listless suddenly snapped to attention as if injected with a stimulant, all turning to stare at him, their eyes brimming with ardent longing!

A fivefold increase in strength? Heavens, what did that even mean? Shouldn't growth become exponentially harder the further one progressed? How could such a monstrous rate of improvement exist?

Though the others were immensely astonished, they did not doubt Zhong Shenxiu’s words for a moment, because the preceding three days of special training had taught them one undeniable truth: there was nothing Zhong Shenxiu couldn't achieve that they couldn't imagine!

"Don't celebrate too soon!" Zhong Shenxiu’s tone shifted abruptly, like a bucket of ice water being thrown over them. "You must be prepared to endure fifty times the pain!"

The group seemed to simultaneously recall the physical and mental agony inflicted during those three days of training, and an involuntary shiver ran down their spines!

"I... I am prepared! As long as I can grow stronger, I won't give up even for a hundred times the pain!" Ingrid declared with an expression of facing death without regret.

She hadn't really felt weak before, but since participating in this 'Mercenary Alliance Tournament,' she had witnessed masters from all directions, making her feel instantly minuscule. She felt deeply unwilling—this resentment wasn't just about losing today’s match, but fundamentally about her own power!

Cai Ni certainly wasn't going to let Ingrid outdo him, and he, too, expressed his willingness to accept whatever arrangement Zhong Shenxiu made. He clearly understood this was a decision concerning his entire future; missing this chance meant lifelong regret!

The others were also passionate individuals, and not a single one backed down; all were prepared to follow Zhong Shenxiu’s arrangements! They harbored a similar dream in their hearts: no longer to be mere background filler, but to finally play the leading role in a contest!

Losing a match due to being outmatched could be understood; but if one lacked the courage to surpass oneself, what good were dreams anyway!

Thus, their new round of intense training commenced…

※※※※※※

The Mercenary Alliance’s failure in the 'Elimination Round' did not mean they were completely out of the running; they still held one chance to return to the competition: the 'Revival Round,' also known as the 'Revival Quest.'

As long as they successfully completed the mission assigned by the 'Mercenary Association,' they could continue participating in the subsequent stages!

Of course, these missions were not the sort that any average mercenary group could handle. They carried numerous restrictions and demanded exceptionally rigorous standards of skill among the mercenaries!

These 'Revival Quests' were conducted uniformly after the 'Elimination Round' concluded and operated via a lottery system; no one could be certain what mission their team would draw.

Seven days later, the 'Elimination Round' finally concluded, and Zhong Shenxiu and his group temporarily halted their intensive training, arriving at the 'Mercenary Association.'

Although many mercenary alliances had been eliminated, not many showed up to register here. This was because many groups possessed self-awareness, knowing that even if they registered, they likely couldn't complete the task, and might even end up losing their lives in the process.

The Association had posted all the missions. Each mission briefing bore a numbered identifier. The mercenary alliances registering for the 'Revival Round' simply needed to match the number plate they drew to the corresponding entry, a system designed to effectively prevent cheating!

After paying the registration fee, Xia Luo drew the lot on behalf of the 'Ten Clouds Drifting Mercenary Alliance.' From a specially made metal box, she pulled out a palm-sized number plate. Glancing at it, she saw it read E63!

After the attendant registered the number, they handed over a packet of documents and kindly stated, "Here is the relevant information for your mission. We wish you success!"

"Oh, this mission looks good—only requires killing twenty Level Eight Magical Beasts: Scarlet-Tailed Lizards!" Jamie cheered excitedly upon seeing the mission details.

She had been worried the mission might be too difficult, but this was far easier than she had anticipated!

"Jamie, if you think this mission is easy just based on this, you are gravely mistaken!" Ingrid stated with a serious expression. As the commander of the 'Setting Sun Mercenary Corps,' she possessed a certain level of insight and judgment!

Seeing Jamie’s confused expression, Ingrid quickly explained, "This mission looks simpler than others on the surface, but that's deceptive. It has very stringent limitations. Firstly, time: according to the notice, we must complete this within half a month. However, based on the location specified, even traveling at our maximum speed will take at least three days to reach. That's six days just for the round trip."

"But that still leaves us nine days, doesn't it?" Jamie still looked perplexed.

"You overlooked one crucial point: the location marked is only approximate. This means that even once we reach the designated area, we will still have to spend time searching for the exact spot... If we're lucky, we might find it in a day, but if we’re unlucky..." Ingrid left the sentence unfinished, confident Jamie understood her implication.

"How can this be? That would use up so much time!" Jamie’s eyes widened.

Ingrid nodded and continued, "Furthermore, these 'Scarlet-Tailed Lizards' are a problem. They possess fire affinity and are highly venomous; dealing with them isn't as straightforward as it seems. Moreover, according to the description, these 'Scarlet-Tailed Lizards' excel at concealment, making them extremely difficult to locate, let alone twenty of them!"

After Ingrid's analysis, expressions of difficulty immediately crossed the faces of the others…

However, they had clearly forgotten one thing: once Zhong Shenxiu gets involved, common sense no longer applies!

※※※※※※

To avoid wasting any time, the members of the 'Ten Clouds Drifting Mercenary Alliance' set off immediately, boarding the Azure Shadow and flying toward the mission destination.

The speed of the Azure Shadow was astonishingly fast—one could even call it freakishly rapid. It reached the destination, Flat Rock Town, in less than half a day!

Flat Rock Town was small; viewed from high above, it looked much like an ordinary village. It was surrounded by dense forest, and the only route connecting it to the outside world was by water, making it quite isolated, bearing a resemblance to 'Gulu City'!

"We... we've arrived?" Jamie couldn't quite believe it. That was too fast; hadn't they estimated at least three days?

Ingrid was also somewhat dazed, having received a greater shock; she hadn't anticipated that her careful analysis contained such a significant margin of error!

Zhong Shenxiu merely offered them a slight smile without a word, slowly walking toward the town.

"Huh, it's awfully quiet. Where is everyone?" Tiah asked with some curiosity upon entering the town.

Looking ahead twenty meters, there was only a small girl staring at them with an expression of sheer bewilderment; apart from her, not another soul was visible on the desolate street.

"Maybe it was sparsely populated to begin with!" Paige offered, her own face showing confusion.

"Let's just ask," Kaini said with a smile, seemingly finding a solution. She turned to Niu Niu behind her, "Niu Niu, go ask that little girl where everyone went and if there's an inn nearby..."

Paige shot Kaini a sidelong glance—making such a young child ask for directions!

However, Niu Niu herself didn't seem to mind and appeared quite pleased, trotting happily over.

Zhong Shenxiu’s expression had grown strange ever since entering the town, and when he released a mental wave to scan the area, he froze, as if he had discovered something significant.

Kaini, being quite perceptive, noticed Zhong Shenxiu's abnormality and quickly whispered, "Xiao Xiu, what is it?"