Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1411 - 453: Three Town Youths, Who Is the Genius? Young Alliance Leader, Two Rivals Competing for a Breakthrough 3

Jiang Yiye's revelation of everyone's ages made it clear: they were all participants in the Junior Martial Arts Competition. This thought caused a ripple of disbelief. 'How is this possible? How could it be...' Mu Yunhua found himself exclaiming, 'No way!' He scanned the cultivation field, finding no one of his age. Cupping his hands, he inquired of Jiang Yiye, "Brother Jiang, are these all contestants from the Muyin and Jiangxia towns? Where are the Great Xia scions?"

A cold laugh preceded Jiang Yiye's reply. Murong Jiao, seeing Mu Yunhua's gaze, shook her head. "Great Xia has an internal rule," she explained, "those competing in the Martial Arts Competition are not allocated spots in the Martial Arts Pavilion during the matches." Mu Yunhua understood the limited nature of these slots. His own five-day cultivation period had been secured by his great-grandfather, Mu Longhe, who had briefed him before his arrival in Great Xia. The question lingered, however: why such a rule in Great Xia?

"Brother Mu truly knows nothing of this!" Jiang Yiye observed Mu Yunhua's puzzled expression with a sigh. Adopting a tone of feigned helplessness, he continued, "Simply put, it's to give us a chance! The Great Xia scions are far too powerful. If the Martial Arts Pavilion's resources aren't tilted towards us from the outer towns, the top hundred spots in the Martial Arts Competition might be entirely filled by Great Xia insiders."

"This... How is that possible?" Before Mu Yunhua could respond, Mu Yunshu blurted out, unable to contain his skepticism.

Noticing the disbelief on the brothers' faces, Jiang Yiye shook his head. "Why is it impossible? Last year, out of the top ten in both groups combined, only four were from the outer towns, and they were all at the bottom. The outer towns occupied less than two-tenths of the top hundred list. Last year's Martial Arts Competition had quite a few restrictions imposed by Great Xia. For instance, the renowned Holy Pattern Bloodline from Southern Slope was prohibited. Regarding weapons, Great Xia decreed a maximum of Thousand Forged; anything higher was forbidden. This year, Great Xia intended to continue with restrictions, but during June's Chui Mountain Alliance, the Nine Towns formally reached an agreement with you in Chui Mountain, elevating the parameters of this Martial Arts Competition. In July, Lord Lin Kai announced at Hongmen that this year's competition would impose no restrictions on Great Xia scions and treat all from the Eight Towns equally, depending entirely on skill!"

After Jiang Yiye's explanation, while the Mu Yunhua brothers remained largely unaffected, Murong Jiao and over a dozen other youths from the two towns displayed looks of dejection. Murong Jiao sighed, "Had we followed last year's rules, reaching the top fifty would have been possible for us; now, I'm afraid..."

"We inquired; last year's champion, Lu Dong, possessed at most the strength of 8 Manes. So what if there were restrictions? Brother Xiahou's 15 Manes of strength exceed Lu Dong's by 7 Manes. Doesn't he stand a chance at winning the championship?" Mu Yunhua, unable to hold back, directed his question to Xiahou Ning, the strongest among them.

Xiahou Zhang, with his 15 Manes of strength, was indeed the most formidable among the young individuals present. However, his strength did not translate to arrogance. Hearing Mu Yunhua's question, he offered a wry smile and cupped his hands. "If it were last year, I might still have some hope; but this year..." He paused, a sense of resignation washing over him. "Last year's champion, Lu Dong, indeed had less than 8 Manes of strength. But Brother Mu, do you know Lu Dong's age when he won the championship last year?"

Mu Yunhua appeared startled but quickly grasped the implication. "Eighteen!" Xiahou Ning provided the answer directly. He couldn't help but shake his head. "Meaning Lu Dong can compete in the junior group again this year. Brother Mu, you just arrived in Xia City; I'm afraid you haven't inquired about Lu Dong's current strength?"

Mu Yunhua directly shook his head. He noticed the somber expressions of everyone around him upon hearing Lu Dong's name, and his eyes filled with curiosity. "23 Manes!" The pronouncement hit like thunder, exploding in their minds. Mu Yunhua and his brother stood frozen, their expressions blank. Yet, Xiahou Ning seemed unsatisfied with their reaction and continued, "The Great Xia Sacred Pattern is no secret; it increases strength by at least three-tenths. Without even considering his martial arts or combat talent, Lu Dong's true strength is now at least above 30 Manes!"

Mu Yunhua and his brother were utterly dumbfounded. Nineteen years old, with strength exceeding 30 Manes – it was entirely beyond their comprehension. The thought echoed relentlessly in their minds: 'How could it be... how could it be...'

Nevertheless, while Xiahou Ning fell silent, the chatter from others persisted.

"It's not only Lu Dong! Even Luo Yuan, the Director of the Great Xia Hunting Department and last year's runner-up, has a son named Luo An. At just eighteen years old, he reportedly possesses 23 Manes of strength and has openly declared his ambition to seize the championship this year."

"Among the top ten of last year's junior group, only Chen Ping and Jiang Yichen have reached the age of twenty. Of the remaining eight, Mu Rong Yan from Muyin Town appears to be the weakest, with 19 Manes."

"The other five are Liu Peng with 23 Manes, Zou Ping with 22 Manes, Zhao Yuanwu with 24 Manes, Luo Cheng with 21 Manes, and Xiao Yan with 23 Manes. It seems the top eight positions are practically decided, wouldn't you agree?"

"That's not a certainty; I've heard whispers that several new prodigies have emerged in Great Xia this year. Youths aged sixteen or seventeen, boasting 20 Manes of strength, are all eager to vie for a spot in the top ten."

"Don't limit your focus to the junior group; consider the youth group as well! Zhao Yuandao, the runner-up in last year's youth group, is only 23 this year and is rumored to possess 32 Manes of strength. Last year's champion, Tie Xinchuan, who has now turned 25, has enlisted in the Black Arrow Army Reconnaissance Camp and will not be participating in this Martial Arts Competition. It's widely believed that the youth group championship is already a foregone conclusion for Zhao Yuandao!"