Duel and Wager!

After several rounds of matches, the remaining two spots in the final four were quickly decided: Wu Yun of Mad Saber Martial Hall, and Lin Chen of the Lin Family.

This result was not particularly unexpected.

Back at the Trading Fair, Lin Chen's strength had already been beyond doubt.

As for Wu Yun, his cultivation was also at the Ninth Level of Body Tempering. Among this batch of competitors, aside from being unable to beat someone at the Earthly Yuan Stage, he could handle the rest well enough.

"Next, Lin Chen will face Lin Dong!"

When Lei Bao announced the first match of the Final Four Tournament, the crowd let out a startled murmur, and one after another, they perked up.

Clearly, someone had deliberately stirred things up.

Lei Li and Lin Dong's cultivation had already very obviously reached the Earthly Yuan Stage, while Wu Yun's strength was only at the Ninth Level of Body Tempering. Only Lin Chen's strength was still temporarily unknown, though he was suspected to be at the initial Earthly Yuan Stage.

In that case, Lei Bao, the Lei Family patriarch presiding over the matches, naturally would not want his own Lei Li to run into Lin Dong first.

Judging from the current situation, the Lei Family only had one person left, while the Lin Family and Mad Saber Martial Hall had three combined. This was extremely unfavorable for the former.

As the host, Lei Bao was responsible for drawing lots.

If anyone said there had been no deliberate tampering here, no one present would believe it.

This famous Smiling Tiger of Qingyang Town had not done shady dealings behind closed doors for the first time.

Being able to make the Lin Family members fight among themselves was certainly more suitable than having Lei Li face Lin Family members for two consecutive matches.

"Shameless!"

Lin Xia, who was staying beside Lin Xiao, heard the match arrangement and could not help cursing under her breath.

How could they not see it? This was because the pressure brought by the Lin Family was greater, so he was first using the competition rules to reduce that pressure.

That way, no matter which one Lei Li, at the Earthly Yuan Stage, faced, he would be able to handle it with ease.

"It's fine."

Lin Chen shook his head. With this kind of arrangement, one person would have to suffer a little grievance.

However, wanting them to compromise so easily was obviously impossible.

He leaned close to Lin Zhentian and said quietly, "Grandfather, why not use this opportunity to make an issue of it? I heard that Ironwood Manor is quite nice."

Lin Zhentian already had such an idea to begin with. At this moment, when he heard Lin Chen's words, his eyes lit up as well.

Ironwood Manor held a pivotal position among the Lei Family's various industries, producing a special kind of ironwood.

If it could be turned into a Lin Family property, then the profits it brought every year would allow the Lin Family to develop even better.

Lin Zhentian pondered it for a moment, then made a prompt decision and immediately said, "Good!"

However, pressure from his side alone definitely would not be enough.

Then, he still needed to rope in another faction.

Lin Zhentian looked toward Luo Cheng, the hall master of Mad Saber Martial Hall. The other man happened to be looking over as well, his eyes filled with a cold gleam.

Clearly, what displeased him even more than the Lin Family's internal fight was that Wu Yun of Mad Saber Martial Hall would be the first to face Lei Li of the Lei Family.

If Lei Li were still like before, only at the Ninth Level of Body Tempering, then Luo Cheng would not have cared at all. With Wu Yun's strength, he would have been more than enough to make Lei Li suffer.

But now, Lei Li was already at the initial Earthly Yuan Stage. Against an opponent at the Ninth Level of Body Tempering, no matter what, it would be a crushing defeat.

For Mad Saber Martial Hall, this was undoubtedly extremely disadvantageous.

Even if Lin Zhentian did not intend to demand justice, Luo Cheng would still target Lei Bao for the interests of Mad Saber Martial Hall.

After Lin Zhentian and Lei Bao reached a tacit understanding through eye contact, he immediately turned on Lei Bao and said, "My Lin Family believes that the drawing of lots for this match was unfair!"

Luo Cheng also chimed in at just the right time, "My Mad Saber Martial Hall believes that the drawing of lots for this match was unfair!"

If only the Lin Family opposed this match arrangement, perhaps they would not be taken very seriously.

But with Mad Saber Martial Hall added in as well, it had to be treated seriously.

"What do you mean by this!?"

Lei Bao's expression instantly darkened.

The best method he could think of was to make the Lin Family fight among themselves, then have Lei Li take care of Wu Yun.

Now, the Lin Family and Mad Saber Martial Hall actually dared to question him in front of so many people, accusing him of presiding over the competition unfairly. This made him extremely furious.

Lei Bao sneered again and again, then said sternly, "Don't tell me you think I could have tampered with the matches between just these four people?"

Hearing this, Luo Cheng, the fierce and imposing hall master of Mad Saber Martial Hall, said disdainfully, "Isn't that obvious nonsense? I don't believe you could have drawn lots like this. Right now, you only have one chance to start over. Otherwise, this Hunting Activity can be called off!"

He took down the long saber at his waist and gripped it in his left hand, while his right hand moved to remove the black cloth wrapped around it.

At this sight, Lei Bao's expression changed drastically. Memories that had passed away began surfacing in his mind again, stabbing fiercely at his chest.

Back when Luo Cheng had first arrived and planned to establish the Mad Saber Martial Hall in Qingyang Town, the Lei Family that Lei Bao belonged to and the Xie Family that Xie Qian belonged to naturally had no intention of letting him have his way.

Then Luo Cheng had charged over alone and directly challenged Lei Bao to a duel.

His fighting style had been extremely ferocious. Lei Bao had slammed three heavy punches into Luo Cheng, while the man had taken all three head-on just to slash him across the chest.

That slash still left a scar on Lei Bao's chest to this day, one he remembered vividly.

There was no helping it. Luo Cheng's fighting style was simply too fierce, and he was that ruthless to himself.

Against such a ruthless man, even though Lei Bao had made certain arrangements against him in time, he still did not dare push him too far outright.

"Hall Master Luo, what do you intend to do?"

While Lei Bao was pondering how to answer, Xie Qian, the Xie Family patriarch seated beside him, asked calmly.

Why were there objections?

It was nothing more than the Lin Family and the Mad Saber Martial Hall feeling that this was unfair and harmed their interests.

Then, if they wanted to resolve the situation while keeping their own interests from being damaged, they had to find a balance within it.

In short, they had to let the Lin Family and the Mad Saber Martial Hall taste a bit of sweetness.

Once they had that sweetness, there would naturally be no objections.

But that sweetness could not be handed directly to the other side.

So, there needed to be a process.

And that process could, in fact, be replaced by a contest.

Whoever won would be able to obtain that bit of sweetness.

"Either we draw lots again, with the four contestants completing it themselves under supervision, or you'll have to show some sincerity and compensate us!"

Luo Cheng had long since formed an idea, and he stated it coldly.

On the surface, as long as Lei Bao chose the former, he could ignore the objections of the Lin Family and the Mad Saber Martial Hall.

But with even a little thought, one would know that if Lei Bao really dared to do that, he would be slapping his own face.

For the sake of his dignity, Lei Bao had to consider the latter.

"Hall Master Luo, do you know what you just said?"

Lei Bao narrowed his eyes slightly and questioned him sternly.

He clenched his fists, very much wanting to punch Luo Cheng.

But the bigger picture mattered, forcing him to stay calm.

"Brother Luo's words are quite right. This old man also feels that Patriarch Lei Bao's arrangement just now was inappropriate."

At that moment, Lin Zhentian spoke faintly with a slight smile.

"Since the dispute between us lies in the contest, then let's be straightforward. Each side sends one person to duel. Whoever wins this duel will be considered the champion of this Hunting Activity. How about it?"

He directly changed the current rules of the Hunting Activity and sent out Lin Chen, the strongest among the Lin Family's younger generation. That way, he could avoid internal strife within the Lin Family, or a duel with the Mad Saber Martial Hall affecting their mutual feelings.

And the only outcome that would appear was the Lei Family getting hurt.

"Hmph!"

Lei Bao shouted sternly, "Lin Zhentian, just because you say a one-on-one duel, we have a one-on-one duel? Don't tell me you think your family's junior is already the hunting champion? Where does that leave the Mad Saber Martial Hall!?"

He wanted to use this chance to sow discord between the Lin Family and the Mad Saber Martial Hall.

After all, once their relationship fractured, the Lei Family and the Xie Family could join hands and crush them.

The threat would then be removed along with it.

The thought was beautiful, but reality was cruel.

The master of the Mad Saber Martial Hall, Luo Cheng, merely sneered again and again before replying:

"Heh, my apologies. My Mad Saber Martial Hall is willing to support Brother Zhentian, patriarch of the Lin Family!"