Hunting Begins

"Those two must be the Lin Family's most outstanding juniors, Lin Dong and Lin Changqiang, right?" Luo Cheng, who had been speaking with Lin Zhentian nearby, suddenly turned to look at Lin Changqiang and Lin Dong.

"Greetings, Hall Master Luo." Facing Luo Cheng, whose cultivation was far above his own, Lin Changqiang solemnly performed a clasped-fist salute alongside Lin Dong.

Luo Cheng's gaze carried a hint of sharpness as it swept over the two of them. At last, he nodded. "Both are fine talents. The Lin Family is fortunate."

Lin Zhentian stroked his beard with a broad smile. Luo Cheng had always possessed a keen and demanding eye, so receiving such praise was no easy matter.

Luo Cheng was not much of a conversationalist. After exchanging a few words, he led the people from Mad Saber Martial Hall to sit elsewhere. From beginning to end, he did not spare the Lei and Xie Families a single glance. Unlike Lin Zhentian, Luo Cheng could not even be bothered to keep up appearances.

With Mad Saber Martial Hall taking their seats, Qingyang Town's largest forces had all arrived.

Not long after, Lei Bao suddenly released a wave of Yuan Power and rose to his feet. His deeply sunken eyes swept across the entire Beast Horn Arena.

At the sight, the clamor in the arena quieted considerably. After all, the Lei Family held considerable prestige in Qingyang Town and throughout the surrounding hundred miles.

"Everyone, I'm sure you all understand the rules of the Hunting Competition, so I won't repeat them. So long as you obtain ten Identity Tokens, you may ascend that Giant Platform, where the true champion will be decided!"

Lei Bao's deep voice, strengthened by his Yuan Power, echoed throughout the Beast Horn Arena, allowing everyone to hear him clearly.

"Each family has already collected its Identity Tokens. Next, distribute them to the juniors participating in the hunt and have them enter the Beast Horn Arena to begin!"

"Dong'er, Changqiang, here." Lin Zhentian took two Black-Gold Wooden Tokens from his robe and cheerfully handed them to the pair.

Watching Lin Dong tuck his wooden token into his clothes, Lin Changqiang also pretended to stuff his into his robe. In truth, he secretly stored it in the System Backpack. Then the two of them turned and leaped down from the platform, landing in the Beast Horn Arena.

Looking at the forest ahead, Lin Dong lightly clenched his hand. He raised his head to glance at the vast crowd surrounding the forest and grew somewhat nervous. Lin Changqiang, however, paused in confusion. "So once we enter the forest, what are these spectators supposed to watch? The scenery?"

"Uh..." Lin Dong froze slightly at those words. He looked at the dense forest before him, then turned back toward the spectators, his expression becoming strange. "Maybe they're only here to watch the final duel."

As they spoke, quite a few figures around them were already rushing into the forest one after another, everyone wary of one another.

The hunt had begun. The two no longer dwelled on it and calmly walked into the forest, the noise ringing in their ears gradually fading.

After getting their bearings, the two discussed it briefly before heading straight for the Giant Platform at the center. In any case, all the participants would eventually have to go there, so this saved them the trouble of searching for them one by one.

The previously tranquil forest instantly became restless due to the sudden influx of people. Beastly roars and cries of alarm rose one after another. Lin Changqiang and Lin Dong were "lucky" enough not to encounter any beasts. They continued humming little tunes as they traveled leisurely, until several minutes later, when people finally appeared in front of them. Only then did they stop and look at the three people ahead with interest.

"Hand over your Identity Tokens." Among the three, a dark-skinned youth spoke in a muffled voice. As he spoke, his two companions spread out in tacit coordination, half-surrounding the pair, clearly afraid they might flee.

"You want to do it, or should I?" Lin Dong looked at Lin Changqiang and blinked.

"You do it." Lin Changqiang stretched lazily and even yawned. "You dealt with Lei Li last time. This time, it should be my turn. So leave the others to you."

Lin Dong could not help shaking his head with a smile. He knew Lin Changqiang simply could not be bothered to fight. Then he slowly stepped forward as Yuan Power surged within him.

"Attack!" Seeing this, the three men's expressions darkened. They immediately pounced fiercely at Lin Dong. A faint glow appeared over their bodies. From the looks of it, all three were merely at Body Tempering Stage Six.

"Without the internet, passing information around really is a hassle. Three Body Tempering Stage Six cultivators dared challenge Lin Dong. They probably didn't recognize him at all." Lin Changqiang shook his head.

"Bang, bang, crack, smack."

Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, the three who had just looked so menacing were sprawled on the ground, wailing in pain.

With a broad smile, Lin Dong snatched the Identity Tokens from the three of them, then waved them around. "Thanks."

With that, he leisurely stepped around the three and returned to Lin Changqiang's side. The two continued deeper into the forest, leaving behind only the three men lying on the ground with bitter expressions.

After that, the two encountered several more groups of unlucky fellows who tried to rob them along the way. Against the two, who had now entered the Earthly Yuan Stage, they were naturally like sheep walking into a tiger's jaws.

As time passed, the two gradually ventured deeper into the forest. The people they encountered now were mostly quite capable. After all, anyone who had made it this far through so many interceptors could not possibly lack ability. Unfortunately for them, they had run into these two. Before long, the number of Identity Tokens they possessed had reached sixteen. They needed only four more to make twenty.

In the forest, Lin Dong sat cross-legged and took out a piece of dry rations from his robe, chewing on it. Lin Changqiang leaned against a tree, adopting a standard forty-five-degree angle as he gazed up at the sky. In reality, he was keeping watch on their surroundings from the corner of his eye.

He remembered that someone would soon shoot an arrow at Lin Dong in a sneak attack under the pretext of testing him. Lin Dong had avoided being hit only because he remained vigilant and reacted quickly.

Even if he had been struck, it would not have been a serious matter. After the other party explained herself, Lin Dong had not gotten angry. Still, Lin Changqiang disliked such behavior, so he intended to return the favor in kind.

Not long after, just as Lin Dong finished his rations, closed his eyes, and prepared to rest, a clump of brush suddenly trembled faintly. An arrow then shot violently toward Lin Dong. To Lin Changqiang's surprise, another arrow flew from the same spot the very next instant, and its target was him!

"Tch." Lin Changqiang raised an eyebrow and instantly spread his fingers, launching the weakest version of the Five Fireball Technique toward the direction the arrows had come from.

"Whoosh—" The sound of rushing wind rang out as the five fireballs directly knocked down the incoming arrow. Without slowing, they flew into the forest.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Five successive explosions rang out. A figure tumbled out in a miserable state and crashed onto the ground. The two focused their eyes, only to see the figure struggle back to her feet and watch them warily.

The attacker was a young girl dressed in fitted leather clothing and a leather skirt. Wrapped in that outfit, her graceful body appeared exquisitely curved. Her skin was not fair like that of ordinary girls, but rather a healthy bronze hue, giving her a wild air. She was like a little leopardess, brimming with explosive power.

Unfortunately, although she had done her best to evade them, she had still been caught by some of the explosions. Her body was now covered in injuries—burns from the blasts and scrapes from hitting the ground. Though none were severe, she clearly could no longer resist Lin Dong and Lin Changqiang.