The Hunt Begins

"Those two are the most outstanding juniors of the Lin Family, Lin Dong and Lin Changqiang, right?" Luo Cheng, who had been conversing with Lin Zhentian, suddenly turned his head to look at Lin Changqiang and Lin Dong.

"Greetings, Hall Master Luo." Facing Luo Cheng, whose cultivation was a full realm higher than theirs, Lin Changqiang put on a proper demeanor and performed a fist-palm salute alongside Lin Dong.

Luo Cheng's gaze carried a hint of sharpness as it swept over the two, and he finally nodded. "Both are fine seedlings. The Lin Family is blessed."

Hearing this, Lin Zhentian stroked his beard with a beaming smile. Luo Cheng's eye was notoriously harsh and picky; earning such praise was no small feat.

Luo Cheng wasn't much of a talker, so after a brief exchange, he led the Mad Saber Martial Hall's people to another seat. From start to finish, he never spared a glance at the Lei or Xie families. Unlike Lin Zhentian, Luo Cheng couldn't even be bothered with pretense.

With the Mad Saber Martial Hall seated, the major powers of Qingyang Town had all arrived.

Not long after, Lei Bao suddenly released his Yuan Power fluctuation and rose to his feet, his sunken eyes sweeping across the entire Beast Horn Arena.

At this, the clamor in the arena died down considerably, as the Lei Family held no small prestige in Qingyang Town and the surrounding hundred miles.

"Everyone, the rules of the Hunting Competition are well understood, so I won't waste words. Whoever collects ten Identity Tokens can ascend that Giant Platform, where the true champion will be decided!"

Lei Bao's deep voice, amplified by his Yuan Power, echoed through the Beast Horn Arena, clear for every person to hear.

"Each family has already received their Identity Tokens. Now, hand them over to the juniors participating in the hunt, and let them enter the Beast Horn Arena to begin!"

"Dong'er, Changqiang, here." Lin Zhentian took out two Black-Gold Wooden Tokens from his bosom and handed them over with a cheerful smile.

Watching Lin Dong tuck the token into his chest, Lin Changqiang pretended to do the same, but actually stashed it into his System Backpack. Then, the two turned and leaped off the high platform, landing in the Beast Horn Arena.

Gazing at the jungle ahead, Lin Dong clenched his hand lightly. He looked up at the dark, sea of spectators surrounding the forest and felt a bit nervous. Lin Changqiang, however, blinked. "So, after we go into the jungle, what are these spectators going to watch? The scenery?"

"Uh..." At this, Lin Dong paused, then glanced at the dense forest before him and back at the audience seats, his expression turning odd. "Maybe they're just here for the final duel."

As they spoke, figures were already charging into the jungle in droves, everyone on high alert against each other.

The hunt had begun. The two stopped dwelling on it and strolled unhurriedly into the jungle, the surrounding noise fading considerably.

After getting their bearings, they briefly discussed and headed straight for the Giant Platform at the center. After all, all the contestants would end up there eventually, saving them the trouble of hunting each one down.

The once-quiet jungle erupted into chaos with the sudden influx of people, roars of beasts and startled cries rising one after another. Lin Changqiang and Lin Dong were "lucky" enough to avoid any beasts, humming a tune as they ambled along, until a few minutes later, someone finally appeared before them. They stopped, eyeing the three ahead with interest.

"Hand over your Identity Tokens." Among the three, a dark-skinned youth spoke in a gruff tone. As he did, his two companions subtly spread out, half-encircling the pair as if afraid they'd run.

"You or me?" Lin Dong looked at Lin Changqiang, blinking.

"You go." Lin Changqiang stretched lazily, even letting out a yawn. "Last time, you handled Lei Li. This time, it's my turn. So, leave the rest to you."

Lin Dong couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, knowing Lin Changqiang was just too lazy to fight. He then stepped forward slowly, his Yuan Power beginning to surge.

"Attack!" Seeing this, the three's faces darkened, and they lunged fiercely at Lin Dong. A faint sheen appeared on their bodies; from the look of it, all three were only at Body Tempering Stage Six.

"No network, and information really spreads slowly. Three Body Tempering Stage Six guys daring to challenge Lin Dong—they probably didn't even recognize him." Lin Changqiang shook his head.

"Thump, thwack, slap."

Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, the three who had been so ferocious were now wailing on the ground.

Lin Dong grinned as he snatched the Identity Tokens from them, then waved his hand. "Thanks."

With that, he sauntered past the three and rejoined Lin Changqiang. They continued deeper into the jungle, leaving the three lying on the ground with bitter expressions.

Over the next while, they ran into a few more unlucky souls trying to ambush them. For two who had already broken into the Earthly Yuan Stage, this was like lambs walking into the wolf's den.

As time passed, they ventured deeper into the jungle. The people they encountered now were mostly capable, since making it this far through all the interceptors took some skill. Unfortunately for them, they'd run into Lin Dong and Lin Changqiang. Soon, their Identity Token count reached sixteen, just four short of twenty.

In the jungle, Lin Dong sat cross-legged, pulling out a piece of dried food from his chest and gnawing on it. Lin Changqiang leaned against a tree, tilting his head up at a perfect forty-five-degree angle, though his peripheral vision kept scanning the surroundings.

He recalled that someone would soon shoot an arrow at Lin Dong under the guise of a test. Lin Dong only avoided it because he stayed alert and reacted fast.

Even if he'd been hit, it wouldn't have mattered much. The other party would explain, and Lin Dong wouldn't get angry. Still, Lin Changqiang found the behavior distasteful, so he planned to give them a taste of their own medicine.

Not long after, just as Lin Dong finished his food and closed his eyes to rest, a cluster of bushes trembled slightly. An arrow suddenly shot toward Lin Dong. To Lin Changqiang's surprise, a second arrow followed from the same spot, aimed straight at him!

"Tch." Lin Changqiang raised an eyebrow and instantly spread his fingers, firing a minimal-power Five Fireball Technique at the arrow's source.

"Whoosh—" The five fireballs knocked the speeding arrows out of the air and continued unabated into the bushes.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!"

Five consecutive explosions rang out, and a figure stumbled out, crashing to the ground. The two looked closely and saw the person struggle to their feet, staring at them warily.

The attacker turned out to be a girl in a tight-fitting leather skirt. Her figure was well-defined in the outfit, and her skin wasn't the usual pale of most women but a healthy bronze, giving off a wild vibe. She was like a Little Leopardess, brimming with explosive power.

Too bad, despite her best efforts to dodge, she'd been caught in the blast. Now, she was covered in injuries—burns from the explosion and scrapes from the fall. None were serious, but she clearly couldn't fight back against Lin Dong and Lin Changqiang anymore.