“They’re heading toward us. You can’t have provoked them, can you?” Wu Ming suddenly asked in alarm.
“Er…”
They looked at one another.
In the end, Yan Chen broke the silence in a resigned tone.
“We merely had a small argument with the trading officers in a small village governed by the Tiger Talisman Royal Family. They shouldn’t be coming for us.”
Shi Fenghou was silent for two seconds. Then, he said, “I had used violence in a trading market run by the Cloud Shadow Sky. They must be coming to get me. I’ll leave in a moment.”
“Hey, let’s run together.” Wu Ming put away the wine pot and confessed, “I stole the Cloud Shadow Sky’s wine yesterday. I may get caught in a minute.”
“Me too,” Su Beimu said with an embarrassed look on his face. “I also used violence in the Tiger Talisman Royal Family’s territory. I was chased by a red mecha for quite a while.”
Yan Chen’s eyes clouded with consternation when he heard their words.
“Whack!”
Ye Longyuan slapped his thigh and looked at Yan Chen grumpily.
“Older Martial Brother Yan, what can I say now? You told me not to do many things. But look at them! What have we been so cautious for?”
“Stop talking. They’re almost here. Brace yourself.”
Yan Chen’s eyes narrowed.
He was not afraid of fighting at all.
However, if the other party way outnumbered his side, he and the others would still have to escape.
They were not recklessly doughty. Before entering the small city, they already checked the inside and the outside of the city several times. It was not until they were sure that no one could stop them if they wanted to escape that they stepped into the city. After all, no one would joke with their lives.
“My guests, this way please.”
Before they got close to the table, Lin Hai looked at Shi Fenghou with an intense gaze and motioned for them to move to the square.
However, some of those people appeared to be more unfriendly. They were staring straight at Wu Ming without blinking.
“You’re the wine thief!”
At this moment, the nearly a thousand people at the feast all looked over in unison.
“Why should I go there just because you told me to do so? Who do you think you are?” Ye Longyuan said scornfully.
“I heard that you people are blessed with courage and insight.”
Lin Hai’s gaze swept over the others with more fierceness. “In our stronghold, anyone who knows that it’s our territory obediently abides by our rules. But lately, I often heard that some people chose to ignore the rules. I didn’t expect that you lawbreakers actually knew one another. Now that you’ve gathered together, I can deal with all of you in one breath. This is great.”
“Do you think you can keep us here?” Shi Fenghou couldn’t help but scoff at him.
“That depends on whether we want to keep you here or not.”
Lin Hai chuckled. He stopped in his track when he was 30 meters away from them. A hint of playfulness fleeted across his eyes.
“But I don’t think you need to run away. If you want to go to the secret realm, you will have to stay and follow Young Master Li Mu’s leadership, so… Anyway, the masters inside already learned about what you’ve done, and they decide to give you a second chance. You’ll need to fight for this second chance by yourselves. I heard that you are all quite confident. Well, you can prove it by battling. We will send people at the same level as you are as your opponents. As long as you win the battle, not only can you solve the crisis, but you can also go to the secret realm aboveboard. Are you any bit interested?”
“At the same level as we are?” Ye Longyuan raised his eyebrows and abruptly stood up. “Are you sure?”
“Haha.” This time, Yan Chen did not stop Ye Longyuan. He just sat there, calmly gazing at Lin Hai.
He had never feared anyone at the same level as he was, except for Zhang Hanyang.
Yan Chen recalled that back in the secular world, heroes were springing up in the martial arts world, yet they were overpowered by Zhang Hanyang alone. It was really agonizing to be dominated. He thought, “Well, if you want to fight, I will let you taste the feeling of being dominated as well.”
“Yes, you have my word. Great. You are indeed brave and smart. I hold you in high regard for that.” Lin Hai smiled and added, “Please go to the center of the square.”
“Then let’s go and play with them. Anyway, we have nothing better to do.”
Wu Ming took the lead and walked to the square with ease.
Everyone on the scene instantly fixed their eyes on this group of people.
Many sarcastic voices were heard.
“How dare they compete with the Tiger Talisman Royal Family, the Cloud Shadow Sky, and the Silver-winged Hall? Hahaha, they’ve probably gotten sick of living.”
“I never thought that someone would be so ignorant as to mess with those powerful forces. As the saying goes, the sorrowful ones tend to be sorrowful for a reason. If they die in the battles, it’ll be because of their ignorance. They can’t blame others.”
“Now there are battles to watch, I didn’t make the trip here for nothing. I hope those people can be quite strong. Otherwise, they would lose too soon, and the battles wouldn’t be fun to watch.”
“…”
The group of people walked to the center of the square.
By this time, Zhang Han and other people from Earth also noticed them.
“Wu Ming?”
“Ye Longyuan!”
“Shi Fenghou, Su Beimu, and Yan Chen!”
“Did they stir up trouble?”
At the table where Zhang Han and the others were sitting, Mu Xue said in bafflement, “Those people are always so restless.”
“Uncle Zhang, are they from the same place as you are?” Nina looked at Zhang Han and asked.
“Yes.”
Zhang Han nodded and said casually, “They are some interesting kiddos.”
“Kiddos…”
Nina shrewdly noticed Zhang Han’s choice of words. She was a little dismayed inwardly.
“It sounded like he were a senior talking about the younger generation.
“Is Uncle Zhang also a very powerful one among those people?
“Yeah, I guess so. With the strength of the Yuan Ying Realm, he is powerful wherever he goes.”
“They are only at the Elixir Realm Last-Stage. But the forces they’ve provoked all have cultivators in the Yuan Ying Realm. Are they gonna hit a snag this time?” Instructor Liu said with concerns.
“I don’t think so. They all have their own trump cards. Besides, that man has said that they would only send those at the same level as they were to fight against them. In that case, I don’t think they are at a disadvantage. Because it seems that no one at the same level has ever defeated them, except for Master,” Jiang Yanlan remarked.
“Alas, I feel like going up there and having a fight, too.” Chen Changqing sighed. “Since I joined Brother Han’s league, the entire martial arts world no longer seems that dangerous. If they can’t win the battles, how about I go up there and have a try?”
While speaking, Chen Changqing turned to Zhang Han with an eager look.
It had been years since he had a proper fight last time. Thus, for the trial, he had summoned all his strength, ready to put his powers into practice.
“Yeah, as long as you’re in the mood,” Zhang Han said with amusement. “The rest of you can also go and battle if you want to. After you visit the secret realm they told us about, you can also go explore the east side of the river.”
“Deal.” Chen Changqing laughed heartily.
Nina, however, stared at Zhang Han in amazement.
“How could they be unworried at all?”
“But… those people are all from very powerful forces. Plus, there are also elders on the east side of the river.” Nina couldn’t help but remind him in a low voice.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Mengmeng put on a detached look and waved her right hand as Zhang Han often did. Imitating his tone, the little girl said lightly, “With my parents here, there is nothing to worry about. They are both invincible.”
Nina didn’t know how to respond.
“Are you serious?”
“Let’s wait and see.”
Zi Yan smiled and gave a gentle pinch on Mengmeng’s pink cheek. Then, everyone turned and looked at the front.
“Where are our opponents? Quickly bring them here,” Ye Longyuan looked straight at Lin Hai and remarked.
“Be patient. They’ll be here in a minute.”
Lin Hai nodded, raised his right hand, and whispered a few words to the communication device on his wrist.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz…”
All of a sudden, some energy fluctuations emerged from the main residence.
One by one, chairs flew out of the roof with a hole in it, which appeared to be a kind of technological product. There were people sitting on each chair. A small table was tied to its left side, on which there were some wine and food.
With the appearance of these people, the crowds on both sides of the square were a little shocked.
“Young Master Li Mu!”
“Prince Hu!”
“Hall Master Zhong!”
“Deacon Liu.”
“Greetings, Lord Wei Fan.”
“I pay my respect to Lord Wei Fan!”
“…”
Many greetings were heard.
Of the voices, the greetings made to Wei Fan and the representatives of the three forces were the loudest.
These people were floating in the air, about 30 meters above the main residence. There were roughly 80 people on their side.
Except for a dozen people in the first row, the others were all sitting more compactly at the back.
Hu Bin, a hefty man with a thick beard, suddenly looked in Nina’s way and asked, “Princess Nina, why didn’t you enter the main residence?”
“Prince Hu, thank you for your kind offer. But I’m quite comfortable sitting here,” Nina replied coolly.
“Hu Bin, now is not the time to pick up a girl,” Li Mu said with a laugh. “Let’s get the duel started first. As we’ve agreed, each side will take turns to send one of their people to the stage.”
“Okay.”
But who were they going to send first?
In the face of this improvised duel, these people had to take a moment to work on the strategy.
While they were contemplating, Nina began to introduce those people to Zhang Han.
“The one who talked to me just now is Hu Bin. He is quite arrogant. The one in the middle is Wei Fan. The man in white next to him is Li Mu. He is very good-looking. Many female cultivators fancy him. On his right side sits Zhong An from the Silver-winged Hall. He is usually aloof and taciturn.”
“I don’t think he is handsome,” Mengmeng eyed Li Mu a few times and muttered.
“I said he was good-looking, not handsome.” Nina simmered with laughter.
“Well, he is kind of good-looking.” Mengmeng suddenly understood something.
“It’s just because he looks delicate and has a feminine temperament, isn’t it?”
As they spoke, the people in the air made up their minds.
“You’re all at the Elixir Realm Last-Stage, aren’t you?” said Li M, who had a pair of charming, amorous eyes.
“Yes, we’re. Just send your guys here,” Ye Longyuan said bluntly.
He found it annoying that those people were floating high in the air and looking down at them, so he did not take a polite tone when he spoke.
Li Mu glanced at him and waved at someone behind him.
“Bei Dian, you go.”
Behind him, a man who was floating in the air with his arms folded before his chest and his eyes closed, suddenly snapped his eyes open. A murderous look flashed across his face.
“Are you sure you will send your ace fighter out for the first round? Aren’t you being too big of a bully?” Hu Bin laughed.
“No, this is not bullying.”
Li Mu shook his head, and his eyes suddenly became a little fierce.
“When I went back to my stronghold yesterday, I was shocked to find that all the wine had been stolen. Of course, in the first battle, I will teach this wine thief a good lesson. Don’t you agree, Zhang Hanyang?” he stared straight at Wu Ming and said in a cold tone.
But Wu Ming gradually showed an awkward look on his face.
Ye Longyuan yelled, “Holy cow!”
Shi Fenghou cried out, “You do know how to have fun!”
Yan Chen commented, “Bro, you’re totally kick-ass.”
Su Beimu exclaimed, “Okay, I lost. You’re really more daring than me!”
Zhang Han was at a loss for words.
He looked at Wu Ming rather speechlessly and thought in disbelief, “He went to steal wine and told others he was me?”
“Pfft… Hahaha…”
Zi Yan was stunned at first. But then, she laughed so hard that she almost split her sides.
Hearing her laughter, Mengmeng started to laugh as well.
“Boy, I really don’t know what to say now.” Zhang Guangyou shook his head.
“Humph, only someone as shameless as him would go steal wine in my master’s name,” Mu Xue snorted and said in a displeased tone.
“Han,” Dong Chen said with a smile, “Wu Ming has really crossed the line. You gotta make him take responsibility. Don’t forget to ask him how much wine he has stolen.”
“Ahem, that’s a good point.” Zhang Guangyou secretly swallowed. “Since he did that in the name of my son, at least he should share some of his loot with us.”
“You’re already thinking about getting some wine for yourself?” Zhang Mu scowled at Zhang Guangyou.
“My son seems to like alcohol a lot these days. Why didn’t I notice it before?”
It could be said that the atmosphere at their table was quite cheerful.
But the rest of the guests were not like that.
There were nearly 1,000 people on both sides of the square. The moment they heard that it was Bei Dian who would participate in the first round, they engaged in a hot discussion.
“Looks like Young Master Li Mu is determined to win the first round. He’s decided to put Bei Dian on the battlefield. That man is his strongest fighter. He is at the Elixir Realm Last-Stage, who is very close to the Peak-Stage. In the Cloud Star Area, he has fulfilled countless tasks for Young Master Li Mu.”
“Bei Dian’s strength is extremely strong. His methods are exceptional. And he fights ruthlessly. In the Cloud Star Area, many who once upset Young Master Li Mu were crippled by Bei Dian. There were even quite a few people who got killed by him. Once he strikes, his target will have absolutely no chance to fend off him.”
“Unless that brat is at the peak of the Elixir Realm. If he lied about his cultivation, he could instantly kill Bei Dian and then flee. Then things would become really interesting.”
“No way. Didn’t you see Lord Wei Fan sitting next to Young Master Li Mu? Lord Wei Fan is a master in the Yuan Ying Realm. With him here, how could these people play tricks? They already have no chance to escape.”
“…”
With the murmurs of discussion, Bei Dian slowly landed on the square and gazed at Wu Ming without emotion.
“Well, give way to me.”
Wu Ming casually waved to the people around him.
Yan Chen and the others retreated dozens of meters.
“Zhang Hanyang, if you win this duel, I’ll let bygones be bygones and never bring up the matter of you stealing my wine. But if you lose, I may spare your life as long as you cut off your arms of your own accord.”
Although Li Mu looked a little feminine, his voice was still manly and vigorous. After he made that remark, his eyes became very aloof.
In his eyes, Wu Ming was just a contemptible wretch. He had dealt with countless people like him in the Cloud Star Area. Although Li Mu was one of the Eight Great Young Masters and was quite famous, there were always some ignorant people who failed to recognize him and upset him. When handling this kind of person, Li Mu had never shown any mercy.
“Zhong An, since it’s Li Mu’s man taking the first round, why don’t we add spice to it with a gamble? Let’s bet on how many moves his man will use to win.” Hu Bin suddenly turned to Zhong An and suggested.
“What’s the stake?” Zhong An asked.
“I have a fourth-tier gem at hand.”
“Okay.” Zhong An nodded. “Three moves.”
Zhong An liked to keep his remarks brief and to the point. Thus, without hesitation, he agreed on the bet.
Knowing Zhong An, Hu Bin understood that he would also bet a fourth-tier gem on Bei Dian winning the fight within three moves.
“I say, two moves,” Hu Bin said briskly.
Then he swiveled his eyes to the square where the duel was about to take place.
Hearing this, Wu Ming looked stunned for a moment. But then, he smiled.
“Well, I wanted to take time and play with him at first. Yet, as you people think so little of me, I can’t let you win no matter what.”
“Hehe.”
Hu Bin laughed disparagingly. “Do you plan to admit defeat now or lose within one move?”
“Swoosh!”
As he spoke, Bei Dian moved. He swiftly rushed toward Wu Ming. While running, his right hand reached for the back of his waist. Next, a one-foot-long dagger appeared in his hand. The dagger glistened with a sharp aura.
Gradually, as he charged forward, a tiger-shaped shadow materialized above him and continued to rise higher.
When this move was displayed, a few people present exclaimed in amazement.
“He performed the Saber & Tiger Combination as soon as the duel began? It is the one skill that made Bei Dian famous. There are at least 800 people who were killed by this move.”
“It seems that Bei Dian wants to take his opponent down with one move.”
“Yeah. Who below the peak of the Elixir Realm can withstand this move?”
“Hahaha, did you see that? That guy is scared out of his wits. He still hasn’t taken any action. Has he already given up on resisting?”
“In this case, it seems that he does have some self-knowledge.”
“…”
Under everyone’s gaze, in the face of Bei Dian’s attack, Wu Ming did not employ any means to defend himself.
Ten meters!
When Bei Dian was only 10 meters away from him—
The tiger-shaped shadow became more and more distinct. The aura coming out of it was also incredibly alarming.
When Bei Dian was just five meters away—
The power of this strike was fully displayed. The tiger’s head became ferocious. And its fangs were gleaming with the aura of death.
That gleam came from Bei Dian’s blade brilliance.
At this moment, even Yan Chen frowned slightly.
“He does have some skills.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not enough.” Shi Fenghou closed his eyes, as though he already knew what was going to happen next.
“Kaboom!”
The instant Bei Dian and Wu Ming collided, mist suddenly appeared around Wu Ming. The cluster of whiteness enveloped the two, so no one outside could see what was going on.
A moment later, an earth-shattering energy fluctuation spread out.
The mist dissipated.
“Whiz!”
A figure flew backward.
Upon a closer look, they found that it was Bei Dian who just rushed over aggressively, wasn’t it?
At this moment, his eyes were closed, and his aura was chaotic. Clearly, he had been knocked out.
“Buzz!”
Many people heard a buzzing sound in their heads.
“That’s impossible!”
“Bei Dian has been defeated with just one move? Who is that man?”
“Good heavens!”
The nearly a thousand people on the spot fell into silence.
Even Li Mu’s pupils contracted.
He never thought it would come out like this, not even when taking his wildest guess. For a moment, his face became rather somber.
“Are you sure you’re at the Elixir Realm Last-Stage?”
Li Mu looked steadily at Wu Ming, his eyes incomparably cold.
“Do you wanna come down here and have a try?”
Wrapped in a refined and otherworldly aura, Wu Ming said coolly, “I, Zhang Hanyang, have never bowed my head to anyone in my life. I am at the Elixir Realm Last-Stage, but I can fight you, Li Mu!”
Zhang Han was lost for words.
He touched his forehead and felt deeply resigned.
“This guy is also a darn drama king. Is he hooked on acting? Besides, if I remember correctly, Wu Ming’s strength should have already reached the peak of the Elixir Realm, hasn’t it? Isn’t he worried that somebody can see through his real strength?”
“Zhang Hanyang, I’m impressed.”
Hu Bin’s eyes became fiercer. A gun suddenly appeared in his right hand. He pointed it at Wu Ming and said coldly, “Have you never heard of me? Huh? You know I bet he would win within two moves. Then, how dare you make him lose?”
“Buzz, buzz, buzz!”
All of a sudden, the various mechas nearby all showed their weapons and pointed them at Wu Ming in unison.
“Are you saying that my only option is to lose the fight?” Wu Ming looked at him and asked with a frosty look.
“What do you think?” Hu Bin said sternly.
This scene made many people present gasp.
Even the volume of the murmurs of discussion became much lower.
“Oh no, Hu Bin is mad. This never bodes well.”
“Prince Hu is quite temperamental. If he’s upset, he can totally tear down this place to vent his anger.”
“Oh my, if that guy makes Hu Bin angry, he will die.”
“Hu Bin is a well-known mechanic martial artist. All the machines he carries are the best of the high-tech ones.”
At the murmurs of discussion, Wu Ming remained unperturbed.
“Dare to come down and fight me?”
“Hahahaha.” Hu Bin suddenly burst out laughing, and his eyes became even colder.
But before he could say anything, Wei Fan, who was sitting next to him, suddenly said, “Proceed to the next round. It’s not the time for you to fight.”
This made Hu Bin shut up. He just shot a look at Wei Fan with dissatisfaction and said nothing after a second of hesitation.
Wei Fan was the only cultivator in the Yuan Ying Realm here, so Hu Bin had to show him some respect. If Hu Zhiqiang was here, Hu Bin would certainly not let him have his way.
