That night, the main force of the Jiang family arrived.
They still traveled in the same enormous artifact airship, but the number of people on board was not large, only a little over a hundred. However, every single one of them was a high-ranking member of the Jiang family, the true powerholders, the big shots.
Xu Mu did not go out to greet them, as he did not know any of them. He simply gathered with Qian Qian and Jiang Sheng, briefly discussing recent events, and then shut himself in.
He ignored the summons from the high-ranking members, claiming he needed to recover from his injuries and cultivate.
Meanwhile, Charles was engrossed in his research, creating one high-tech device after another, constantly expanding Xu Mu's understanding.
This continued for nine days.
On the ninth day, as the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds shrouding the Holy City, everyone within the city instantly ignited with fervor, rushing towards the center in a frenzy.
At the Four Symbols Inn, the Wine Immortal Daoist, accompanied by Yan Yu who had just emerged from seclusion, silently knocked on the door of the adjacent room. He then invited out a Daoist with a lean face and a tall, slender build.
This Daoist was Yan Yu's master and the Wine Immortal's elder martial brother. He was a Human King of the seventh stage.
The three of them left the inn, blending into the surging crowd and calmly heading towards the center of the Holy City.
...
At the Eight Immortals Restaurant, members of the Jialan clan were fully prepared, boarding a dark, formidable warship and soaring into the sky with imposing momentum.
"Today we go to battle, and we shall return victorious!"
"We shall return victorious! Hail the Ghost Domain!"
The patriarch of the Jialan clan roared, his dense ghost mist shaking the very space. Those around them hastily retreated, unwilling to be in the same vicinity, fearing contamination by the sinister aura.
Just as the Jialan clan departed, the Ye clan members also gathered on the main street.
This time, they did not travel by artifact. Instead, they chose mounts: rare and exotic beasts possessing ancient bloodlines. As they hovered in the air, terrifying pressure emanated from them, sweeping across the surrounding space. During their flight, all cultivators had to make way.
An elder stood at the forefront, speaking in a deep voice, "This time, our Ye clan shall undoubtedly wash away our shame!"
...
At the Pure Bright Immortal Abode, a woman whose face was obscured by a veil emerged. She wore a white robe as pure as snow, embroidered with plum blossoms treading on waves. Her eyes were clear and elegant.
"Let's go," she said.
Her voice was light. She moved her long, straight legs beneath her skirt, and instantly, a lotus flower appeared beneath her feet, extending all the way into mid-air.
She walked on lotuses, treading the air with unhurried grace, seemingly very confident about the upcoming Ten Thousand Races Summit.
Nangong Maoguan followed behind her, a look of contentment on his face, and could not help but sigh:
"It's a shame the Patriarch couldn't come. I'm already eager to let them witness the young lady's current strength."
"To break through to the third stage at such a young age, she is no less remarkable than her elder brother was in his prime. I wonder where she will rank in this Ten Thousand Races Summit. Will she secure a spot in the top three?"
As Nangong Maoguan pondered this, he suddenly remembered a certain young man. He had met that young man in the Realm of the Perilous Night, and his talent and strength were equally peerless.
"I wonder if that kid has come."
"If he has, then the Ten Thousand Races Summit will undoubtedly become even more spectacular with his presence!"
...
At the same time, above the Hidden Dragon Inn.
The Jiang family's artifact airship hovered high in the sky. Inside, many cultivators stood in small groups, Xu Mu among them.
"It's about to begin. I didn't expect it to be so soon."
Qian Qian walked to Xu Mu's side, gazing at the surrounding clouds and the sky just within reach, and let out a somewhat emotional sigh.
In his impression, the Ten Thousand Races Summit was still a distant event. He never expected time to pass so quickly; in the blink of an eye, it had already begun.
However, even so, Qian Qian was quite confident in himself. His recent arduous training had yielded significant results, and his strength had improved considerably. Even if he wasn't as strong as Xu Mu, he wouldn't lag behind the geniuses of other families, and the same applied to Jiang Sheng.
Jiang Zheyie and Jiang Taixu sat side by side. They occasionally opened their eyes to glance at Xu Mu but did not approach to speak, their thoughts unknown.
The Holy City was not large, and their journey was silent. Soon, Xu Mu and the others arrived at the very center.
This location was situated above the Star Picking Holy Court.
Passing through layers of clouds, they finally arrived in a clear and pure aerial world, like a tranquil sea reflected in the azure sky. Sunlight refracted, casting illusions, and making one's cheeks flush.
"This space is called the Sacred Platform. It was forcibly constructed by the Xuanyuan clan based on countless spatial Great Daos. On the surface, it appears to be nothing, but in reality, it is no different from solid ground," an elder from the Jiang family explained. He was the first to step out of the artifact airship and stand in the transparent space.
Other experienced cultivators also stepped out, accustomed to such arrangements. Only the young people attending the Ten Thousand Races Summit for the first time marveled at the sight.
Xu Mu had already discerned the peculiarities of this space. He slowly descended from the airship, his expression calm.
He surveyed the surrounding space, intricate and complex, all Great Daos. Ancient and mysterious runes served as the structural support, holding up this seemingly boundless heavenly kingdom.
And here, the crowd was already vast. These were geniuses from the lands of a hundred races, all gathered for the Ten Thousand Races Summit. Each of them was almost certainly accompanied by their clan's strongest experts, forming an incredibly grand assembly.
The Jiang family retracted their airship and led their contingent forward, parting through the throng of crowds before arriving at a stepped formation of clouds.
Their group ascended the cloud stairs and entered another spatial region.
This space was equally vast, capable of accommodating nearly ten thousand people. However, compared to the tens of millions below, this was already a paradise.
Undoubtedly, this was a special resting area provided for the one hundred major clans who held actual power in the Ten Thousand Races Summit.
"They're here, they're here! The Jiang family has arrived!"
"The elder with the crane-like hair and youthful complexion at the front, that must be Jiang Hanhai! He's a legendary figure among the ancestors, his strength unparalleled even among the Domain Lords on the entire continent!"
"That should be him. I never expected the Jiang family to even invite Senior Jiang Hanhai. It seems they have absolute confidence in this Ten Thousand Races Summit and intend to advance further."
"Alas, speaking of which, I heard that the preliminary matches in the Jiang family's competition sector were quite lively. The Jiang, Qi, and Ye families were engaged in mutual ambushes and chaotic battles. Not only were there hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the small preliminary matches, but in the end, two geniuses of the third stage even fought!"
"What? Third-stage ability users? With that level of strength, they would be considered rare even among all the participating contestants. They actually fought in the preliminaries?"
"Yes, the reason is said to be because of Ye Gong, a genius sword cultivator from the Ye clan, who missed the internal qualification selection for the Ten Thousand Races Summit due to closed-door cultivation. He had no choice but to participate in the preliminaries. The Jiang family, wanting to prevent his breakthrough, sent people to intercept him. Little did they know, this was a trap; Ye Gong had already broken through!"
...
Within the space, discussions continued unabated. The focus of these discussions was not the higher-ranking major clans, but the Jiang family in the central position.
Their influence grew, and even in a corner, a large crowd gathered. These were not members of a single family, yet they were still discussing matters concerning the Jiang and Ye families, occasionally mentioning the Qi family.
After all, among all the competition sectors, only the sixteenth sector had the most exciting battles, encompassing the top geniuses of the three major families, arguably a premature commencement of the Ten Thousand Races Summit.
"Later on, Jiang Zheyie made a mistake, and just when he thought he would surely lose, a physical cultivator of the third stage emerged from the Jiang family. Although he was no match for Ye Gong, he ultimately drove him away with numerical superiority, seizing Sky Peak and securing first place in that round!"
"Not only that, but that physical cultivator ascended eighty-four steps in just fifteen seconds during the third round's Fake Saint Stair Climbing segment, surpassing everyone!"
"How impressive!"
"Tell us more details!"
...
"Alas, the Qi family has suffered an unwarranted disaster this time. They gained no benefits and even lost Qi Ye. Although the Ye family offered compensation, I know Qi Ye's strength. If he were present, he could have ranked within the top five hundred. What compensation can possibly make up for that!"
"Indeed, the Qi family has bitten off more than they can chew this time. However, the Ye family doesn't seem to be faring well either. It is said that Mu Xu encountered an assassination attempt in the Holy City, suspected to be the work of the Ye family. Even a Domain Lord was dispatched, but the attempt ultimately failed..."
Not far away, the Ye clan members heard the discussions in the space and their expressions began to darken.
Undoubtedly, the failure to assassinate Xu Mu was a disgrace to the entire Ye clan.
A Domain Lord and a Lord, with meticulous planning and top-tier artifacts, taking advantage of favorable timing and location, and yet they couldn't kill a young man of the third stage. This was simply a colossal shame!
"Ye Xiao, upon returning to the clan, you will report to the Ancestral Shrine for punishment!" the true elder of the Ye clan stated, his eyes gleaming. His vital energy and spirit were vigorous, like a lion in its twilight years, ready to spring at any moment, causing Ye Xiao to tremble.
"Yes, Ancestor."
"Hmph!" The Ye family's elder snorted, deeming it insufficient. He then casually said, "Make them shut up. I'm tired of hearing it!"
Ye Xiao nodded, then turned to sternly reprimand them. He found, however, that the people in the discussion group belonged to various clans, even including major clans ranked in the top ten, such as the Dongfang and Xuanyuan clans.
"Ancestor, this... the Ten Thousand Races Summit hasn't even begun, and we don't seem to have the authority to make them shut up. Please consider..." Ye Xiao said, somewhat sheepishly.
"But rest assured, I have already inquired about this year's rules. It's primarily combat-oriented. I have instructed Ye Gong that no matter what, he must not let that brat survive the first round!"
"Furthermore, the Jialan clan and the Qi family are willing to assist us. The Jiang family is now on the verge of death; they won't be able to be arrogant for much longer!"