Miss Loser is too enchanting

Additionally, there was a special viewing area that at first glance seemed similar to the other areas, but upon closer inspection, one would notice that the chairs were all made of sandalwood, and not just any sandalwood—they were made from sandalwood that was thousands of years old. Moreover, each chair was outfitted with a soft cushion, making them extraordinarily comfortable to sit on.

This area was primarily reserved for the representatives from the Royal Families of the four nations. In addition to students and teachers, each Empire had also sent members of their Royal Family as representatives to witness the competition and to attest to the outcome.

At 8 o’clock, the contestants from all four nations entered the arena punctually from four entrances and took their seats in the resting area of the battle zone, guided by the staff. The competitors from the different countries exchanged glances, and instantly sparks seemed to fly.

The resting area for the host, Chanquan Empire, was located on the north side of the arena; the resting area for Mors Empire was on the west; Glei Empire on the south; and Gabina Empire on the east.

Dugu Qianye followed the old man and had just sat down when she felt a gaze filled with intense hatred shooting from the resting area of Cangqiong Empire. Turning her head, she saw a man in a black robe with a gaunt, pale face, and high cheekbones, exuding a domineering and sinister aura.

Without further thought, this must be Cang Jin, whom Grandfather Xie mentioned yesterday—the young prodigy of the Ma family, older brother of Ma Zilong. A 24-year-old level 6 Phantom King who, it was said, was close to stepping into the realm of level 7 Phantom King.

When Cang Jin saw Dugu Qianye looking over, his lips moved slightly, silently mouthing, "Prepare to die!"

Dugu Qianye smiled and silently replied, "I’ll take you up on that!" Then, she turned her head away, paying him no further attention.

"Cousin, what do you think of Baili Xie?"

Cang Rui, the sixth prince of Cangqiong Empire, asked Cang Jin in a low voice after witnessing the silent exchange.

"A formidable opponent," responded Cang Jin coldly, before closing his eyes to meditate. Seeing that Cang Jin was no longer paying attention to him, Cang Rui, knowing his cousin was obsessed with cultivation, cast another glance at Dugu Qianye and then fell silent.

As the competitors for the competition entered, murmurs spread throughout the spectators in the stands. The atmosphere inside the arena became lively. After a short while, a special passageway opened at the side of the arena, and everyone quieted down, standing up to look at the people who were slowly making their way into the field.

This passageway was specially prepared for the envoys from each nation.

Dugu Qianye glanced up and noticed that the one leading the way was likely His Majesty of Cangqiong Empire, Cangqiong himself. He appeared to be around 40 years old, draped in a yellow brocade robe that exuded majesty, with a pair of hawk-like eyes emitting a piercing gaze.

The tradition in Cangqiong Empire dictated that upon ascending the throne, regardless of his former name, the reigning Emperor would uniformly adopt the name Cangqiong.

Following Cangqiong were various princes. At the forefront was the crown prince of Glei Empire, Lin Yuze. Lin Yuze was not particularly striking in appearance; his gentle face was always adorned with a smile, giving off a refined and cultured impression. But with Dugu Qianye’s keen observation, she detected a subtle and hard-to-perceive coldness in his eyes.

Beside Lin Yuze were the fourth prince of Mors Empire, Ares, and the prince of Gabina Empire, Jiaye.

Following them were the princes and princesses of the Cangqiong Empire. Dugu Qianye counted them, finding there to be more than a dozen. Since the women were ranked separately, even though Cang Rui was ranked sixth, there were many elder sisters ahead of him.

Walking at the very end were envoys from various countries, officials of the Cangqiong Empire, and representatives of major powers.

Cangqiong led everyone to the rest area, then waved his hand to signal everyone to sit down. Once everyone was seated, he came forward and said, "Welcome to all who have come to participate in or watch the once-in-twenty-years competition of the four great empires! This year, the Cangqiong Empire has the honor to host this competition. As the ruler of the Cangqiong Empire, I feel very honored. I believe you do too. I won’t say much more; here, I wish everyone the best in achieving your desired results!"

His voice was not loud, but the tens of thousands of spectators heard him clearly, which showed that his Phantom Power was not weak either.

After Cangqiong finished speaking, he returned to his seat. Then a middle-aged man stepped forward and said, "Next, I will explain the rules of the competition. The competition is divided into battle testing, alchemy, artifact refining, and Beast Taming. The first three are divided into preliminary, intermediate, and final tests. The Beast Tamer’s competition is unique, so every day participants can come to the competition field to tame Phantom Beasts. On the last day of the entire competition, the highest-level Phantom Beast tamed by the participant will be used for the final evaluation. The specific methods of the first three competitions will be explained to you by the examiners of each area. Alright, now please, the Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, and Beast Tamers, proceed to the other three competition fields."

Upon hearing the man’s words, Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, and Beast Tamers from the four countries stood up and followed their respective teachers to their competition fields.

As Mo Feng and the others left, they couldn’t help but look towards Dugu Qianye. Feeling their nervousness, Dugu Qianye smiled and said, "Just do as you usually do, don’t get distracted by the external environment. Go for it!"

"We will definitely give it our all!" someone said.

"Yes, I believe in you! Go ahead."

Dugu Qianye urged everyone to leave since the contestants from the other three empires had already taken their places. Some spectators interested in alchemy and artifact refining also moved to the corresponding stands.

When only the Phantom Masters and Sword Masters remained, the man began speaking again, "This morning we will conduct the preliminary team group competition. Now, representatives from each group, please come forward to draw your numbers."

There were five people per group, fifteen groups per country, totaling sixty groups. Soon, those who drew numbers returned. Folded numbers were marked with black and white for 1—30, with those drawing the same number facing each other as opponents. After checking, only two groups from the same team had drawn each other, which was considered relatively fortunate.

"Now, please, all contestants prepare yourselves, as we will begin the competition shortly. Let me state the rules again: no matter by what means, if you knock your opponent off the stage, you win. Or if one side concedes defeat. The groups that drew numbers 1—10, please go to your corresponding stages and wait. All judges, take your positions."

As the man finished speaking, all the judges ascended to their stages. Dugu Qianye noticed that they were all at least of Phantom Ancestor level or higher. With such officials, any accidents that might occur on the stage could be promptly averted.

Dugu Qianye also noticed that when the judges stepped onto the stage, streaks of blue light appeared at the edges of the stage. She asked Xie Ping, who told her that it was because there were Testing Stones placed on the platform. Dugu Qianye, following the direction Xie Ping pointed, indeed saw a blue stone on each stage.

Testing Stones are the simplest type of stones used to test age, with different colors being effective for different age groups. The blue Testing Stones are for testing individuals up to the age of 25. When someone older than 25 enters its range, the Testing Stone emits a blue light, just as it did when the judges took the stage.

The Mors Empire had six groups that drew numbers 1—10, with most of their strength being below that of a low-level Phantom King or Sword King. This strength was even lesser than that of the Gabina Empire, which was quite insignificant compared to the Cangqiong Empire and the Glei Empire, where the majority were of low-level Phantom King strength. The Cangqiong Empire had five groups, the Glei Empire had four, and the Gabina Empire had five.