Translated by Luxican

Edited by Leighann

Yun Sheng meditated for a while.

Phoenix would now head to the Mercenary Union for their first round of the rank-up assessment.

There were five rounds, where at least three had to be won. After this, one B-rank Mercenary Squad had to be challenged in order to pass the assessment.

The Mercenary Union would select the appropriate opponents according to the number of members of the Mercenary Squad who had signed up for the assessment.

The few members from Phoenix were completely unconcerned about fighting C-rank mercenary squads. After all, they were already considered among the top ten of Great Zhou Empire's C-rank mercenary squads.

It was just that the situation in the arena had become uncertain due to the addition of foreign mercenary squads this time around.

There were several other Great Zhou Empire's mercenary squads that wanted to participate in the assessment. There were also old acquaintances among them. Once they entered the Mercenary Union, they all greeted each other and waited for their respective first round's opponent.

Shortly after Yun Sheng and the others entered the Mercenary Union, a rumbling sound could be heard.

It sounded as if the ground would break open.

Several foreign mercenary squads walked in. They had just stepped in, and the Mercenary Union immediately seemed small and crowded.

While Yun Sheng was in Great Zhou Empire, she thought that Feng Kuo was already very tall, but after seeing these few Hou Blessing Empire mercenaries, Feng Kuo's height suddenly became average.

A total of three mercenary squads, one squad of five, and two squads of four, appeared. The squad with five people was the most eye-catching because they all had jade-like white skin, blond hair, and surprisingly delicate faces, as if carved from snow and ice.

The remaining two squads from Hou Blessing Empire, stood at an average height of two meters, like mobile towers.

They wore battle armor made from black iron. Each piece of the armor had to weigh at least twenty kilograms. Which meant at least hundred kilograms in total, with a hideous beast head carved on the chest plate of the armor.

This weight would have crushed a magician into a pulp within seconds, but this group walked in with a steady pace and a calm demeanor. They were clearly well-trained warriors.

Melee combat would undoubtedly lead to death, when fighting against such a mercenary squad.

In the Mercenary Union branch, apart from Phoenix who looked indifferent, the remaining mercenaries' expression changed slightly.

The mercenary squads standing here today, would probably have to meet in the arena later on.

Hou Blessing Empire's Black Guardian Mercenary Squad was a new mercenary squad composed of four brothers of the surname Hei: Hei Da, Hei Er, Hei San and Hei Si. There were three warriors and one summoner; the warriors were around Great Martial Artist stage.

Their melee strength was especially outstanding.

Wen Renhuo quietly told the three people of his squad about this mercenary squad's history.

Wen Renhuo was in charge of gathering information for Phoenix. Before returning to the inn yesterday, he loitered around the places were many mercenaries gather to inquire about the situation of the foreign mercenary squads, and the Black Guardian could be considered the most popular one.

"These are Great Zhou Empire's mercenary squads? Since when did the quality sink so low, if you weren't wearing the mercenary badges on your bodies, I would have thought you were just some weak ants," the group of black-armored mercenaries let out a loud cackling laugh.

The implication was that the mercenaries of Inaba Mountain's Mercenary Union branch were inferior.

But no one dared to fight back at this moment. These Black Guardians, who had a fierce reputation in the city, had stayed in Inaba Mountain for a month, and only half a month ago they became a C-rank mercenary squad, but now came back for the B-rank assessment.

In their C-rank assessment, the members of the five D-rank mercenary squads plus the C-rank mercenary squad that had fought against them were either badly injured or dead. The Black Guardian's fierce reputation had spread in Inaba Mountain.

But since the mercenary squads signed a special contract when they wanted to conduct the rank-up assessment, the Mercenary Union, could not help them in anyway.

Mu Nan Yan's temper was the fieriest, when she heard this, she was about to attack!

"Boss Feng, so these are Hou Blessing Empire's mercenaries, ah. If it wasn't for the mercenary badges on their chests, I would have thought that some wild boar had run out from the forest. They look exactly the same as Golden Rhino Pigs. They even walk the same, stomping on the ground and yelling at every occasion," a naïve and tender voice sounded out unexpectedly.

The faces of Black Guardian's members who had spoken earlier, became as black as the bottom of a pot.

Only after being reminded by Yun Sheng did everyone realize that the four members of Black Guardian didn't look like the average Hou Blessing Empire people. They had narrow foreheads and flat noses, large and uneven teeth, and overdeveloped limbs. They were really no different to Golden Rhino Pigs.

The person who had spoken was but a little girl, that looked like a pink jade carving.

Among the five blonde mercenaries standing on the side, a charming female mercenary giggled out loud.

"You're looking for death, where's the little baby that dared to provoke us!" Hei San leapt out, iron claws sweeping towards Yun Sheng.

Feng Kuo, however, reacted faster than Hei San. As soon as he had heard Yun Sheng speak, he had expected Black Guardian to attack, and he had lifted Yun Sheng up, placing her securely on his shoulder.

With a wave of the magic scepter in his hand, a wall of earth rose, blocking Hei San's attack.

At the same time, Wen Renhuo and Mu Nan Yan also made their move. Mu Nan Yan pulled out her magic scepter and chanted. Suddenly, in the Mercenary Union, magic elements of different attributes gathered and clashed, the following quiet was full of tension.

"Hei San, others might be afraid of you, but Phoenix is not! You are a Great Martial Artist, but you bully a young summoner. If this matter was spread, I am afraid the Black Guardian will never gain a foothold in the industry again," Feng Kuo's gaze turned stern.

"Phoenix? You are the 'Madman'? He's the Ice Prince, Wen Renhuo, and she is the Fiery Lady, Mu Na Yan?" Black Guardian's members seemed to have been prepared. They had also heard of the strongest C-rank mercenary squad, Phoenix.

But their information said that Phoenix didn't have a summoner, so they were unable to rank-up. But now they found one.

This little 'reckless' loli in front of them was their summoner?

T/N: I'm very sorry for the unexpected break and cliffhanger I left you on, I had to settle some things first in school (corona makes school life really hard...) because I was sick for so long.

And I have one more,probably not so great, announcement for you all:

The Update Schedule will be changed to three chapters on Saturday.

This change allows me to actually maintain the stock I currently have, and still have time for school.

Thank you for reading!!