Under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd, the Ancient Demon, with a cold expression, walked slowly into the center. He then bowed slightly to the three elders, but unlike Lingquan and Guzhen before him, he did not kneel on one knee. Instead, he stood straight, like a sharp lance exuding a cold aura. The three elders, however, did not show any displeasure at his action. Although the Ancient Demon was not as senior as them, his reputation in the Ancient Clan was extremely high, and his extraordinary strength made it normal for him not to kneel. They glanced at each other and waved their sleeves, causing the star chart, about a zhang in size, to float gently in front of the Ancient Demon, with points of light seeping out from it.
“Your turn, Ancient Demon,” one of the elders said.
The Ancient Demon nodded calmly. Under the watchful eyes of many, he slowly extended his hand and gently touched the star chart.
As his hand touched the star chart, there was a moment of silence. Then, after a while, the star chart trembled abruptly, and dazzling light burst out from it, revealing a series of stars.
“One, two, three… eight!”
Seeing the eight stars slowly appearing on the star chart, the crowd erupted in a commotion, even some of the elders nodded with slight amazement. Clearly, this test had met their expectations.
“It’s an eighth-grade bloodline level. As expected of one of the four commanders.”
“Back when Young Miss tested, it was also only eight stars, right? I didn’t expect that Commander Ancient Demon would almost catch up to her…”
“But that was a long time ago. Who knows how much Young Miss’ bloodline has improved by now.”
The members of the Ancient Clan in the square were all whispering to each other, their voices spreading quickly.
“This guy really reached the eighth-grade bloodline strength,” Xuner said, looking at the figure in the center, sighing lightly.
Xiao Yan’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart was slightly shaken. Compared to the Ancient Demon, so-called young geniuses like Lingquan and Linxiu were insignificant. The reputation of this Demon Commander was indeed well-deserved.
The three elders also seemed a bit dazed by the eight stars. After a moment, they recovered and showed a smile on their serious faces.
“Ancient Demon, one of the four commanders of the Black Ancestral Army, Eight-Star Dou Zun, possesses an eighth-grade bloodline. Granted the Purple-Gold Clan Mark!”
With those words, the Purple-Gold Dragon Pen in one of the elders’ hands emitted a brilliant light, and the dense energy gathered at the tip of the pen. As the elder moved his arm, a mysterious rune appeared on the Ancient Demon’s forehead.
Phew! This so-called Purple-Gold Clan Mark seemed to drain a lot of Dou Qi. So, when the last stroke was completed, the elder’s forehead was slightly sweaty. He let out a long breath and stopped writing, and the brilliant light at the tip of the pen gradually weakened.
As the elder’s hand left, a vivid, deep purple-golden clan mark appeared on the Ancient Demon’s forehead, its color several times deeper than the previous Purple-Gold Clan Mark on Gu Zhen’s forehead!
This clan mark was obtained solely through the Ancient Demon’s own strength, not like Gu Zhen’s, which required special permission and could barely be obtained.
“The clan mark is complete. Ancient Demon, you may step down. Next…”
The elder smiled and waved his hand, saying, “Wait.”
However, before the elder’s words faded, the indifferent Ancient Demon suddenly spoke up.
“Hmm?”
Seeing this, the three elders were stunned, frowning slightly. “What is it?”
“At the coming-of-age ceremony, do I have the right to challenge anyone at will?” the Ancient Demon asked in a flat voice under the gaze of many people.
At this, Xiao Yan on the seat clenched his fists tightly. What was bound to come, had finally arrived.
Hearing the Ancient Demon’s words, the expressions of many people in the square changed, especially Lingquan and Linxiu, whose gazes of schadenfreude instantly turned to Xiao Yan. Clearly, they had anticipated this all along.
The three elders hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “According to the rules, at your coming-of-age ceremony, you can challenge anyone in our clan. However, if the opponent is not from our clan, you need their consent to fight.”
The Ancient Demon slowly nodded, then turned around. His head of black and white hair was particularly noticeable. At this moment, his icy gaze locked onto the slender young man not far away, and he said calmly, “You should know that I am here for you. If you want to chat merrily in the Ancient Clan, then show your true strength. Otherwise, people will always look at you with mockery and pity… Now, I can give you this chance. You can challenge me, of course. Whether you have the courage to do so is your business. But I hope that if you refuse, you will leave the Ancient Realm within today…”
The rules of the coming-of-age ceremony allowed the Ancient Demon to challenge anyone, but what he said was to make Xiao Yan challenge him!
Challenges were usually issued from below to above. Clearly, in the Ancient Demon’s mind, the one who should issue the challenge was not him, but Xiao Yan!
Whoosh!
As soon as the Ancient Demon’s words fell, all the eyes in the arena froze on the slender figure. Many people’s eyes held a sense of schadenfreude.
“He is the disciple of the discarded member of the Medicine Clan? It seems he is quite hated. But the Ancient Demon moved so fast. I wanted to meet this kid first and let him understand that the so-called champion of the Dan Assembly is just a child’s game, not worth bragging about,” a man with a medicine gourd pattern on his forehead, leaning lazily on a railing in a high place in the square, laughed, looking at the distant slender figure.
“Don’t worry. As long as he can survive the Ancient Demon, you still have a chance. What real accomplishments can these external alchemists have?”
A voluptuous woman with exposed clothing and a fiery body, who also had a special pattern on her brow, sneered. She seemed to be from the Medicine Clan as well.
“Ha ha, but this looks quite difficult. The number of people who can survive against the Ancient Demon is quite small,” she said.
“Oh, this guy even dares to snatch my target. I hope this kid can last a bit longer. Otherwise, it would be too boring.”
In another corner, a figure entirely wrapped in a black robe raised its head slightly, revealing a particularly pale young face. It was none other than Soul Yan, who had met Xiao Yan on that day.
“As expected, someone couldn’t hold back.”
In the special zone, Huo Xuan looked at the figure not far ahead and sighed, saying, “And it’s the Ancient Demon. Xiao Yan, it seems he’s in for a tough time.”
The red-clothed woman with a veil on her face also said softly, “He should’ve waited until he was stronger to come here. Fifth-Rank Dou Zun, although rare in the Central Plains, such a level is common in the Ancient Clan.”
The man with a slightly frivolous expression nodded, saying, “I hope he can survive.”
“Xuan, he is a guest. Your request is going too far!” Xuner, clenching her fists, couldn’t help standing up, her eyebrows slightly raised, speaking solemnly.
“That’s the rule. Because he is a guest, I granted him the right to challenge me. He can refuse!”
The Ancient Demon’s gaze was fixed on Xiao Yan, his voice calm, “If he says no, this match can be skipped!”
Xuner’s face was icy. She understood that if Xiao Yan refused, he would be immediately despised by everyone in the martial-minded Ancient Clan. Avoiding a fight was considered the most shameful behavior.
“Young Miss, there is nothing wrong with what the Ancient Demon said. It all depends on the person’s will,” the white-haired Elder Gushan said indifferently.
Xuner, clenching her fists, felt guilty. If she had known Xiao Yan would be so troubled coming to the Ancient Clan, she wouldn’t have agreed to his request to come here!
In this strange atmosphere, the smile on Mang Tianchi’s face slightly faded. Twisting the ring on his finger, he turned his head slightly, looking at the silent young man behind him. He couldn’t help in this matter, and he wanted to see how this best student, praised by Su Qian, would handle this difficult situation.
“Xiao Yan, I have already spoken. No one can replace you today. To fight or retreat, give me your answer!” The Ancient Demon stared at Xiao Yan, his cold voice echoing across the field.
“Phew…”
Under the watchful eyes of the countless people, Xiao Yan, who had his eyes closed, slowly opened them and rose to his feet, smiling and speaking softly, “Since Commander Ancient Demon is so insistent, then Xiao Yan, on behalf of the Xiao Clan, accepts this challenge!”
This battle, from the moment Xiao Yan entered the Ancient Realm, he knew it was inevitable. Since avoidance was futile, he would fight!
To advance is to fight; to retreat is to be disgraced! And the Xiao Yan of today could fight, but not be disgraced!
Even if his opponent was this top genius of the Ancient Clan!
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