My Brother's the Protagonist? Good Thing I Awakened My System!

Amidst the stunned onlookers, the Feng Clan's participants entered the venue.

Participants were required to enter through a separate entrance from the spectators, meaning Feng Chen and the Feng Clan participants would have to part ways.

"Best of luck!"

Feng Chen said, his tone filled with encouragement.

The elders echoed his sentiment, offering words of support.

It was already a great joy for the Feng Clan to have more than six participants eligible for the Dragon and Phoenix Competition, let alone ones with such exceptional talent.

The Feng Clan participants nodded confidently before heading through the designated path for participants.

Meanwhile, Feng Chen and the elders made their way to the entrance reserved for spectators.

"Please show your identity token!"

A guard requested as they approached.

Feng Chen retrieved his token and handed it over. The guard inspected it briefly, and his demeanor shifted instantly.

"O-Oh, it's the esteemed Feng Clan Leader. Apologies for not recognizing you!"

The guard stammered, bowing slightly.

Feng Chen acknowledged the apology with a calm nod, unbothered by such trivial matters.

He was not the type to demand respect purely based on his status.

The guard quickly added, "Please, this way. The Fifth Princess instructed us to prepare a private room for you and your esteemed elders."

Feng Chen raised an eyebrow in surprise.

( The Fifth Princess? )

He thought, intrigued.

Wang Zhiqing's gesture was unexpected, but it seemed she was making a concerted effort to secure his favor.

As they followed the guard through the grand halls, Feng Chen took in the opulent surroundings.

The venue's towering pillars, intricate carvings, and the palpable energy of countless powerful cultivators underscored the prestige of the Dragon and Phoenix Competition.

Feng Chen's sharp senses detected the presence of several Three Elements Divine Realm cultivators—an impressive concentration of power rarely seen in one place.

Eventually, the guard stopped in front of a lavishly decorated room. Bowing deeply, he gestured toward the entrance.

"This is the room prepared for you, esteemed Clan Leader Feng. Should you require anything, the attendants stationed outside are at your service."

The guard said respectfully.

Feng Chen nodded and stepped inside, followed by the elders.

The room was spacious, adorned with luxurious furnishings, and offered a panoramic view of the arena below.

A table laden with refreshments stood at the center, and the faint aroma of calming incense filled the air.

The elders marveled at the accommodations.

They still found it difficult to comprehend that a Royal Princess was going so far as to get their clan's favor.

It was something that they wouldn't even dream of three years ago.

Now, they don't only have so many talented participants from their clan, they even got a special room to witness the competition.

***

Meanwhile, in the participants' section, the Feng Clan participants found themselves in a vast hall filled with thousands of competitors.

The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation, conversations blending with the occasional clash of auras as rivals assessed one another.

"Look, it is the participants from the Feng Clan."

"Hmph! So what? I can easily crush them!"

"Stupid! You know that there was a commotion outside right now?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"The commotion is caused by them. Turns out the six of them are all in the Grand Qi Condensation Realm!"

"G-Grand Qi Condensation Realm!?"

…

Their entry caused a lot of people to pay attention to them as those who knew their strength began sharing them to their friends who became shocked after hearing about their cultivation realm.

Other participants slowly distanced themselves from the Feng Clan's participants as they were afraid of offending them.

Of course, there were also those who weren't scared and just looked at them in curiosity and competitiveness.

Those people were also in the Grand Qi Condensation Realm though it was just a very small number of people.

Feng Liang scanned the room, his sharp eyes observing the competition.

"So many people… but how many of them are truly strong?"

Feng Jianhong smirked. Find exclusive stories on empire

"Not many, I'd wager. The Selection phase is mostly about weeding out the weak. The real competition would only start after those geniuses from sects join!"

Other Feng Clan participants nodded.

The real challenge wasn't among these people but those renowned geniuses from sects like Mystic Flame Sect.

The Dragon and Phoenix Competition were mostly won by those geniuses for the past ten years.

Anyways, they seemed to be isolated from other participants as others kept their distance from them.

As the Feng Clan participants observed their surroundings, a group of three approached them.

Leading the group was a young man with a confident stride and an air of familiarity.

It was Yuan Ling, who had crossed paths with Feng Jianhong and Feng Liang in the Eastern Gathering.

While they weren't close friends, there was a sense of mutual respect between them especially since both their clan leaders were somewhat close.

"Feng Jianhong, Feng Liang!"

Yuan Ling greeted me with a slight bow, his tone polite yet casual.

"It's been a while."

"Yuan Ling. You were already here?"

Yuan Ling nodded and then gestured to the two individuals behind him.

"These are my clanmates, Yuan Yue and Yuan Ming."

Feng Liang's gaze shifted to the two.

Yuan Yue, a young woman with a calm demeanor, offered a polite nod.

Yuan Ping, a slightly older man with a robust build, gave a curt but respectful bow.

"It's good to see familiar faces."

Feng Liang said.

The group moved to a quieter corner of the hall, away from the more crowded areas.

Yuan Ling's clanmates seemed content to follow his lead, though Yuan Yue occasionally cast curious glances at the Feng Clan participants, clearly assessing their strength.

"So," Yuan Ling began, breaking the silence, "I heard the commotion outside. All of you are in the Grand Qi Condensation Realm? Impressive!"

Feng Liang smirked.

"Word travels fast, doesn't it? Yes, we are. And you?"

Yuan Ling chuckled.

"I'm at the Initial Grand Qi Condensation Realm. Yuan Yue and Yuan Ming are at the peak of the Core Formation Realm."

Feng Jianhong raised an eyebrow.

"Not bad. Your clan has trained you well."

"Haha… not as much as you all though. Who would have thought that the Feng Clan would give birth to six Grand Qi Condensation Realms?"

Yuan Ling continued.

"And that is not considering Feng Yun, Feng Mei, and Feng Xiaoyu. What realm should they be in? I am really curious!"

Yuan Ling said powerlessly.

At one point, he competed with them and although he had lost, he didn't think there was much difference between them.

But now, the difference was showing slowly.

Feng Jianhong and Feng Liang whose realm was similar to his in the Eastern Gathering have now surpassed him.

Not to mention, two of them weren't even the greatest genius of the Feng Clan.

"We would also like to know!"

Feng Jianhong replied excitedly.

Although they would only see Feng Mei and Feng Xiaoyu in the next round after the selection phase, they were certain that Feng Yun would make his appearance in the selection phase.

Feng Ruolan was even looking around, thinking that Feng Yun might have already entered before them.

As the group settled into a rhythm of light conversation, the tension in the hall began to ease slightly.

While the competition loomed large, having a familiar company provided a brief respite from the pressure.