. In the very center of the square.
As the resounding voice slowly faded, three well-dressed elders of the Ancient Clan rose from their seats nearby with solemn expressions and slowly walked into the center of the square.
Numerous props were already laid out there. The coming-of-age rituals of ancient races were quite elaborate, not just for the Ancient Clan, but also for the Yao Clan and even the former Xiao Clan.
For these ancient races, only after undergoing the coming-of-age ritual could one be considered fully grown. Only after this ceremony could the younger generation truly become the core of the clan. Even marriages could only take place after the coming-of-age ceremony had been completed.
Chen Guan gazed out and saw that aside from these presiding elders, no other powerful Ancient Clan members had appeared in the square.
"What a pity,"
Chen Guan shook his head inwardly. He had hoped to take this opportunity to witness Gu Yuan's demeanor.
Despite the serene Soul Emperor and the disheveled head of the Ancient Clan, these impressions were merely preconceived notions. Chen Guan was eager to meet this supreme being.
After all, seeing is believing; one couldn't underestimate Gu Yuan simply because of a joke.
Even though Gu Yuan and the other powerful figures hadn't made an appearance, a subtle aura still lingered in the sky. It seemed these powerful figures were secretly watching, yet simply remained hidden.
With his powerful soul perception, Chen Guan keenly sensed some fluctuations; it seemed as if someone was frequently casting glances at him.
This included Xiao Yan beside him, of course.
However, seeing Xiao Yan staring blankly at the center of the square, he was clearly oblivious.
"The ceremony begins. First up, Ling Quan!"
As Chen Guan pondered, the three Ancient Clan elders in the square prepared themselves and, following a list, called out the name of the first person Chen Guan knew.
Hearing the three elders' shouts, Lingquan quickly rose to his feet. With a flourish, he swept into the arena with considerable vigor and respectfully bowed to the three elders.
While there were many young adults in the Ancient Clan, those who could hold a coming-of-age ceremony in such a setting were still rare.
These individuals were undoubtedly the best of the Ancient Clan's younger generation, so it was no wonder that Lingquan's face shone with a hint of pride.
In the arena, a solemn-looking elder of the Ancient Clan clenched his palm, and a nearly ten-foot-wide star disk appeared before him. Lingquan quickly stepped forward, placed his palm on the disk, and closed his eyes.
The next moment, a powerful light suddenly erupted from the disk, and six stars slowly emerged.
Upon seeing the six stars, the ancient clan elder nodded and shouted, "Lingquan, Seventh Commander of the Black Annihilation Army, one-star Dou Zun strength, sixth-grade bloodline, by the deliberation of the Council of Elders, is granted a golden clan emblem!"
"A golden clan emblem, worthy of the Seventh Commander."
Envious voices echoed throughout the square at the elder's shout.
A flicker of joy flashed in Lingquan's eyes as he knelt on one knee and raised his head. An ancient clan elder, holding a shimmering golden brush, danced his arms, leaving traces of shadows. Immediately, a mysterious rune appeared on Lingquan's forehead, radiating golden light and permeating with a unique energy wave.
At this moment, whether by coincidence or design, Lingquan glanced in Chen Guan's direction, like a proud rooster, his words unspoken yet his meaning clearly expressed.
It seemed to be saying to Chen Guan, "So what if you're powerful now? I have a sixth-grade bloodline, so it's only a matter of time before I surpass you. Envy, aren't you? Jealous, aren't you? "
Chen Guan simply sneered at this.
"What a clown! "
Meanwhile, murderous intent grew within him.
However, considering the other party belonged to the Ancient Clan, with such a colossus at his back, even Chen Guan, with his scheming mind, felt somewhat helpless.
Perhaps the Heavenly Tomb offered an opportunity?
"I hope you don't seek your own death..."
Shaking his head slightly, Chen Guan put the matter aside.
Twenty days ago, he might not have dared to take action, but a trip to the Canaan Academy's underground and the beating he received had emboldened him considerably.
"Are the Ancient Clan mistaken? Can someone with this kind of character lead the Black Annihilation Army? A sixth-grade bloodline, coupled with this kind of personality, without a truly extraordinary opportunity, he'll never reach the level of a semi-saint in this lifetime."
Beside Chen Guan, Mang Tianchi shook his head and commented.
He also saw Lingquan's expression, clearly conflicting with Chen Guan and the others. His tendency to side with his relatives, regardless of the law, made Lingquan seem more and more unbearable the more he looked at her.
However, in reality, the Ancient Clan's bloodline was divided into ten grades, with Grade One being the lowest and Grade Ten being the highest. A bloodline of Grade Four or higher was required to qualify for the Coming of Age Ceremony. After
so many years since the Ancient Emperor's passing, a Grade Six bloodline was considered quite impressive, otherwise it wouldn't have attracted such envious glances. As long as one survived premature death, there was still a slight chance of achieving sainthood within one's lifetime.
"Dean, you have a point."
"Yes, Brother Guan means what I mean."
"..."
Mang Tianchi rolled his eyes. Two flatterers.
"Dean, what is this clan emblem used for?" Xiao Yan questioned, his eyes flickering as he looked at Lingquan's forehead.
Although he didn't know the details, he had a feeling it was something valuable, something with a touch of unspoken wisdom.
"Clan crests are a comprehensive evaluation of the ancient clans based on the level of their bloodline, or rather, the concentration of Dou Di blood. These crests, passed down from ancient times, can temporarily surge the bloodline power of the ancient clan members in times of crisis, thereby increasing their strength and averting danger. These crests are divided into four levels: silver, gold, purple gold, and seven-colored gold, distinguished by color. Lingquan's golden crest sounds nice, but it's actually the last. I don't know how he can be so proud of it." Mang
Tianchi grumbled with disdain, much to the amusement of Chen Guan and Xiao Yan beside him.
Third from the top, second from the bottom, there was no way to refute it.
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After a moment of teasing, Xiao Yan's mind wandered a bit, and he couldn't help but think about himself.
The Ancient Clan had clan crests, so did the Xiao Clan, also one of the Eight Ancient Clans, once have such a thing?
"Looking at these people is boring. The only thing I'm interested in right now is this girl named Gu Xun'er. She's the daughter of Gu Yuan. Whether it's her identity, her strength, or her status within the Ancient Clan, she's very enviable. Her bloodline, a ninth-grade bloodline is definitely not difficult to achieve!"
"Hehe, according to the Ancient Clan's bloodline levels, anyone who can reach the ninth-grade bloodline has a very high chance of advancing to the level of Dou Sheng. As for a divine-grade bloodline, that potential is enough for her to reach the level of Gu Yuan. Of course, this should also be quite difficult. Divine-grade bloodlines haven't appeared in many, many years."
Mang Tianchi still hadn't gotten over the brief encounter and thought highly of Gu Xun'er.
Of course, he didn't know that, despite having overestimated Gu Xun'er, he'd actually still underestimated her...
"Next, Lin Xiu!"
"Lin Xiu, Third Commander of the Black Annihilation Army, Five-Star Dou Zun, Sixth-Rank Bloodline, Granted the Golden Clan Mark!"
"Next, Gu Zhen!"
"Gu Zhen, Grand Commander of the Black Annihilation Army, Seven-Star Dou Zun, Seventh-Rank Bloodline Power, Granted the Purple-Gold Clan Mark!"
"..."
The coming-of-age ceremony proceeded in full swing, each time the Gu Clan elder's voice rang out, waves of exclamations erupted.
With the appearance of Gu Zhen's purple-gold clan mark, Hun Ya, Huo Zhi, and the others became more serious.
Of course, there were two exceptions: Mang Tianchi and Chen Guan.
The former's strength was already evident, and Gu Xun'er was the only one he was interested in.
As for Chen Guan, he already knew the outcome, so naturally, he wasn't overly surprised.
"Next, Ancient Demon!"
"Ancient Demon, one of the four great commanders of the Black Annihilation Army, an eight-star Dou Zun, possessing the power of an eighth-grade bloodline, endowed with the purple-gold clan emblem!"
The appearance of an eighth-grade bloodline stirred up another wave of excitement, and it also made Dean Mang even more certain that Gu Xun'er must be a ninth-grade!
Just as many people shared the same thought and were eagerly anticipating the outcome, an unexpected twist occurred.
After receiving the clan emblem, the ancient demon did not immediately step down. Instead, he interrupted the ceremony.
"Wait."
"Huh?" Seeing this, the three elders were startled, their brows furrowed. "Ancient Demon, do you have any objections?"
Although Gu Yao was one of the four great commanders of the Black Annihilation Army and had a bright future, until he attained sainthood, he would always be a junior. In such a situation, if he dared to do anything that would bring shame to the ancient clan, the three elders would not show mercy.
"I dare not. The Ancient Demon is very pleased with this outcome. I simply wish to ask, do I have the right to freely challenge anyone during the coming-of-age ceremony?"
Under the gaze of many, the Ancient Demon clasped his fists in apology, his voice calm.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of many in the square changed, especially Lingquan, whose gloating gaze almost instantly shifted towards Xiao Yan and Chen Guan. Clearly, he had anticipated this.
Chen Guan, startled, glanced at the Ancient Demon, then at Xiao Yan, then at Gu Xun'er.
It didn't make sense. This was more innocent than scallions and tofu. How could they even target Xiao Yan?
Even if some radical members of the Ancient Clan despised the current Xiao Clan, it was unbelievably shameful for an Ancient Demon to publicly challenge Xiao Yan.
He couldn't understand it, truly couldn't.
In the center of the square, the three elders hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"According to the rules, during your coming-of-age ceremony, you can challenge anyone from your clan. However, if the opponent isn't from your clan, their consent is required before you can engage them."
The ancient demon nodded slowly, then turned around. His black and white hair gave him a distinctly childish look. At that moment, his icy gaze fixed directly on the young man not far away.
"I heard from Lingquan that a remarkable genius has emerged from the Zhongzhou Dan Pagoda. Not only is he a top-tier alchemist, he's also incredibly powerful. Hearing this, the ancient demon is itching to challenge him. Chen Guan, do you dare challenge me?"
Suddenly, all eyes in the square turned to Chen Guan.
Xiao Yan, who had been frowning, turned back in confusion, his eyes seeming to say, "
Brother Guan, I'm looking for you!"
Chen Guan, the person involved, was equally bewildered.
How could someone with such an unrelated relationship even consider challenging him?
After much deliberation, the only possibility seemed to be Lingquan.
Ancient Demon and Mang Tianchi are both protective of their own people. They can't stand seeing outsiders bullying their own people. So they want to help Lingquan find a place?
Funny, right?
Frowning, Chen Guan stood up with the help of the table.
Since he can't figure it out, then forget about it.
It's just a fight, who's afraid of who!
(End of this chapter)