After Kevin Qin and Jenna Jiang returned, they stayed in the rooms of the various clan leaders, discussing matters at length.
Harvey Li, having nothing to do, wandered around freely, and nobody bothered him.
The Ancient Martial Family Gathering was originally scheduled to take place on the rooftop platform of the hotel, but since the rain never stopped, it was moved at the last minute to a basement more than ten meters below ground level.
They called it a basement.
But in reality, it was a training hall buried deep underground.
The place was huge.
It was as big as two football fields put together.
This project was initiated by the Qin Martial Clan, and the Lu Family spent a fortune to make it happen.
All the walls underground were made of high-strength alloy.
The ceiling was fitted with high-powered lights.
“Xinxin, if you get the chance, I really hope you can strike up a connection with the Qin young master.”
He says this with genuine feeling, turning to look at the girl sitting next to him.
Hong Xinxin had gone all out with her outfit today.
But her gaze kept drifting toward Ethan Lu, not far away.
The swelling on Ethan Lu’s face had gone down a lot.
Now he was sitting with the Lu Family, and every time an Ancient Martial scion walked by, he’d flash a big smile, trying to cozy up to them.
But most of the time, nobody bothered with him.
Ethan didn’t seem embarrassed at all.
“Ethan’s not bad, but he’s still not one of the Ancient Martial Clans. You know how it is—our vassal families might look rich to outsiders, but inside the real clans, we’re not even on par with their ordinary members.”
The Hong patriarch kept persuading her: “Besides, you see it yourself—Ethan greets everyone he meets, always with a warm smile.”
Especially when he’s talking to the girls from the Ancient Martial Clans, his smile gets even warmer. Believe it or not, if just one of them showed him a little kindness, he’d latch right on.
Even if it meant becoming their servant.
The Hong patriarch was about to say more.
"Grandpa, stop saying that! Ethan isn’t that kind of guy!"
Hong Xinxin listened, a bit annoyed.
She really didn’t care much about all these Ancient Martial Clan relationships.
But she’d liked Ethan Lu since they were kids.
They used to go fishing and swimming together as kids, watched movies and ate out as they got older.
All those years built up feelings.
At eighteen, Hong Xinxin finally realized she liked Ethan, and started chasing her own happiness.
But Ethan always treated her like a little sister.
The older they got, the more distant he became.
Last time, he even fought with her over Mia Chen.
That really left Xinxin feeling unhappy.
“Anyway, Ethan’s way better than most of those Ancient Martial Clan snobs!”
Hearing Xinxin’s words, the Hong patriarch didn’t argue anymore—he just shook his head and looked off toward the arena.
Over in the main arena, all the Ancient Martial Clan people had basically arrived.
Kevin Qin sat in the Qin clan area, right next to the Qin patriarch. Calm and composed, his presence felt solid and mature.
Jenna Jiang sat beside Douglas Jiang, quietly holding her own. Harvey Li, not officially a Moonshade member yet, managed to snag a seat thanks to his talent and prospects.
Even though Harvey wasn’t part of Moonshade, everyone knew he might get in soon, so Douglas Jiang didn’t object.
In the Qin clan’s section, the patriarch sat flanked by a man and a woman. The man’s hair was half black, half white, his features sharp and stern. The woman was stunning, her gaze icy and proud—like she saw everyone else as beneath her.
Over in the Liu clan area, Xavier Liu sat with his eyes closed, faint qi swirling around him—a seasoned Heavenly Phenomenon expert, no doubt.
The seat next to him was empty. It used to belong to Colin Liu, but since his foundation got wrecked, he lost his qualification. The clan hadn’t picked a replacement yet.
The empty chair was a statement—better nobody than someone unworthy.
Even so, the Liu clan radiated power. With a Heavenly Phenomenon guardian sitting there, nobody dared look down on them.
The Rowe clan, by contrast, looked totally cowed. Their seats were shoved off to the weakest flank, and their juniors kept their heads down, avoiding eye contact with anyone from the other clans.
Everyone here knew the Rowes used to be a benchmark Ancient Martial Clan, but after getting wrecked by a single youth, they’d become the softest persimmon in the room.
No Heavenly Phenomenon backing, surrounded by wolves—their lack of momentum meant no face at all.
"The Ma patriarch is already on his way. He should be here soon."
The Qin patriarch nodded slowly, then spoke up.
His words carried a subtle hint.
The Rowe patriarch stayed silent.
"This heavy treasure was won with the lives of several old patriarchs. Back then, it was entrusted to our Qin Martial Clan for safekeeping."
All these years, the Qin Martial Clan has lived up to that trust—we’ve never lost it.
As he spoke, the Qin patriarch clapped his hands.
Right then, the center of the arena shifted.
A platform slowly rose from the ground, revealing a perfectly round object in the center.
The thing was pitch black all over, covered in carved patterns.
From a distance, it looked just like a giant walnut.