Adding the Huaxia factions of the Azure Gang, Hongmen, and Black Tiger Gang, there were twelve teams participating in the competition, each a colossal power that struck fear in their respective countries.
Now, their elites gathered together, numbering close to thirty individuals, each at least at the late Transcendent stage, exuding an immense aura.
As they convened, a palpable fighting spirit erupted from each of them, their eyes alight with excitement.
They were all innate grandmasters and transcendents under the age of thirty, having been enveloped by the halo of genius since childhood, each possessing their own pride and convictions. Now, gathered here, they naturally anticipated the upcoming battles with great eagerness.
Si Youyou, along with the brothers Ge Qing and Ge Xia, and Lin Haotian, Hong Binglan, and Yi Feicheng, formed a united front. They all belonged to the Huaxia side and were naturally inclined to advance together.
Moreover, Si Youyou was well aware that while the lineup their Azure Gang had sent was incredibly luxurious, featuring one Saint Domain expert and two peak innate grandmasters.
Such a lineup would typically be considered a formidable force in past gang competitions, capable of facing combined attacks from several gangs without fear.
However, this time, with Lin Haotian, that colossal figure, participating, the outcome of this free-for-all had become a foregone conclusion.
Under the direction of the white-robed middle-aged Saint, the nearly thirty contestants leaped off the cape, landing steadily on the sea's surface.
"Wow!"
Li Qin and her two junior fellows looked on in astonishment as this group walked on water as if it were solid ground, a spectacle they had never witnessed before.
Saints from other gangs brought younger prodigies to the cape's edge, preparing to watch the ensuing grand melee.
"Let's go watch. Although the outcome is already decided, such a spectacle is rare. Don't miss it," Zhang Fan, accompanied by Yan Qianghu, Zhao Qingqing, and others, also arrived at the cape's edge.
"The rules of the competition are simple: if any one gang's participants all concede or are eliminated from the battlefield, they are out of the running."
"Rankings will be determined by the duration each gang's participants manage to endure," the white-robed middle-aged man stated, hovering in mid-air and looking down at the group of young men and women.
...
"Little brother, that move you used earlier was amazing! Can you teach it to me?" The little girl who had been pestering Eleonora now set her sights on Zhang Fan.
"No, you wouldn't be able to learn it," Zhang Fan replied after a glance at the girl.
"You haven't even taught me yet, how can you be so sure I won't learn?" Isabella retorted, her starry eyes fixed on him, a pout on her face.
"Because I have no intention of teaching you," Zhang Fan added.
Eleonora and the others chuckled at this, finding Zhang Fan's playful teasing amusing.
Isabella persisted, but Zhang Fan remained unyielding, leaving her quite vexed.
"Little brother, do you have a girlfriend? How about I be your girlfriend?"
Due to her mother, Isabella was born with strength comparable to a Saint. Although she couldn't fully control it yet, it granted her perceptiveness far beyond ordinary individuals.
She sensed that despite Zhang Fan's seemingly ordinary appearance, his power far surpassed anyone she had ever met.
Even her father, the leader of the Transcendent Alliance, a supreme Divine Realm expert, was nowhere near Zhang Fan's level.
"Little brother is so amazing. If I could become his girlfriend, it would be fantastic! Then Father couldn't scold me anymore," Isabella mused, her resolve to become Zhang Fan's girlfriend strengthening.
Zhang Fan, unaware of Isabella's thoughts, simply considered her too young and playful.
"I don't have a girlfriend..."
"But I have a fiancée."
Zhang Fan smiled, his mind drifting involuntarily to Qin Luoshui...
He wondered how her closed-door cultivation was progressing.
Had she broken through to the Saint Domain realm?
Isabella, hearing the first part of Zhang Fan's statement, had been overjoyed.
"That's great..."
She stopped before finishing the sentence.
...
While Zhang Fan and Isabella were making idle chatter, the battle on the sea below had already commenced.
Despite being called a free-for-all, over the years, the gangs had developed unwritten understandings, and it wasn't a free-for-all in the truest sense.
They had their allies and arch-rivals, maintaining a relative balance.
However, this time, with the Black Tiger Gang's inclusion, the long-standing balance began to shift. Although the Black Tiger Gang only had Yi Feicheng participating, his strength was now taken seriously by everyone.
After all, he could unleash the power of an ordinary Saint, and likely only a true Saint would have absolute confidence in defeating him.
In the past, the Great Circle Gang alone could contend with Hongmen and the Azure Gang, frequently gaining the upper hand and even inflicting heavy losses on both Hongmen and the Azure Gang on several occasions.
But this time, with Yi Feicheng's participation, the Great Circle Gang also felt pressure and began to forge an alliance with the Yamaguchi-gumi, jointly confronting the three major Huaxia gangs.
"Baka! That Huaxia fellow dared to show disrespect to our Yamaguchi-gumi. We'll make them regret ever making a move against us later!" The young man from the Yamaguchi-gumi who had spoken out earlier was displeased with the Black Tiger Gang and wouldn't pass up this opportunity.
Thus, the Great Circle Gang and the Yamaguchi-gumi naturally formed an alliance to deal with the Huaxia side.
Furthermore, due to numerous profit disputes between the Southeast Asian Black Witch Hall and the Azure Gang, they were eager to suppress the Azure Gang through gang alliances and thus joined the Great Circle Gang's coalition.
Beyond these six parties, the other major gangs also found their opponents.
The European Transcendent Alliance would face the American Brotherhood.
The Russian Hatchet would face the Canadian Hells Angels.
The Italian Mafia would face the Mexican cartel, Tijuana.
...
They acted with tacit understanding, selecting their opponents and refraining from interfering in other battles. Perhaps they all knew that attempting to fish in troubled waters might invite combined attacks from both sides.
The Great Circle Gang, Yamaguchi-gumi, and Black Witch Hall, together facing the Huaxia forces of Hongmen, the Azure Gang, and the Black Tiger Gang, this confrontation, involving a total of six factions, encompassing half of the participating gangs, naturally drew the most attention.
"You two, hold back for now. Let me test just how strong their strength is," Yi Feicheng said to Lin Haotian and Si Youyou beside him.
Both of them were Saint Domain experts, and Lin Haotian's strength was comparable to that of a late-stage Saint Domain cultivator. If he were to intervene, this competition would lose its meaning.
"If there's an opportunity, just take down all those guys from the Great Circle Gang!" Si Youyou said. Hong Binglan nodded in agreement. They had considerable grievances with the Great Circle Gang, and this was a rare chance to crush them, so they naturally wanted to teach the Great Circle Gang a profound lesson.
"Alright." Yi Feicheng readily agreed, as he had long found those fellows from the Great Circle Gang an eyesore anyway.
...