Martial Arts Combatant Selection

A cup of tea later.

Dozens of burly men from the Thunderbolt Martial Hall, led by the seventh-grade skin-tempering martial artist Lin Xiong, blocked the main entrance of the Like-Elephant Martial Hall.

The onlookers.

They were packed three layers deep, surrounding the area until not even a drop of water could pass through.

Even the Elephant Washing Pool was crowded with people.

Zhang Meng led the disciples of the Like-Elephant Martial Hall and walked out.

They stood in a standoff against Lin Xiong.

Li Beichen's eyes locked onto Mo Changkun, who was standing behind Lin Xiong, the moment he stepped out.

And Mo Changkun clearly recognized Li Beichen at a glance as well.

Just as he was about to spit out a harsh threat, he didn't expect Li Beichen to beat him to it by flipping him off.

Instantly, Mo Changkun's expression turned ugly.

He jumped out first.

"Zhang Meng, hand over Yuan Dazong! Otherwise, our Thunderbolt Martial Hall will make you pay today!"

Zhang Meng merely glanced at him, then shifted his gaze to Lin Xiong, ignoring Mo Changkun entirely.

"Oh, Lin Xiong, are you the boss or is Mo Changkun? Who should I be talking to?"

Hearing this, Mo Changkun's face stiffened, and he hurriedly explained to Lin Xiong.

"Senior Brother, I was just angry for a moment, I couldn't help it..."

Lin Xiong simply raised his palm to stop Mo Changkun from speaking, but he didn't turn his head back, not even sparing him a glance.

He addressed Zhang Meng.

"Zhang Meng, there is no need for you to sow discord between us and the Thunderbolt Martial Hall. Today, your Like-Elephant Martial Hall must give us an explanation."

"If you cannot make the decision, then have Meng Juxiang come out!"

"How can a mere seventh-grade like you address the Hall Master by name?"

Zhang Meng drew the line directly.

"Lin Xiong, let me tell you."

"Yuan Dazong is not at the Like-Elephant Martial Hall. I have no idea where he is; if you want to find him, go look for him yourselves."

"If you want to cause trouble for the Like-Elephant Martial Hall, then let's start a martial duel!"

Lin Xiong had not expected Zhang Meng to be so tough, and he thought of the private instructions Huang Baitao had given him.

He gave a cold laugh.

"Very well, then let's start a martial duel!"

"The loser pays one hundred thousand taels. Do you dare to accept!"

One hundred thousand taels!

Li Beichen did not expect the Thunderbolt Martial Hall to place such a massive bet.

One must know that for a top-tier power in Ram City like the Like-Elephant Martial Hall, their annual income was only a few tens of thousands of taels.

One hundred thousand taels was several years of the martial hall's income.

If they truly lost, the Like-Elephant Martial Hall would have to pay out this one hundred thousand taels in cash, and many of their assets would have to be mortgaged.

It would absolutely be a devastating blow to their vitality.

Unless Meng Juxiang entered the Lingnan Mountains and risked his life to hunt exotic beasts.

He would have to rely on his personal strength to make up for these one hundred thousand taels.

Thinking of this, Li Beichen suddenly realized.

The goal of the Thunderbolt Martial Hall is not Yuan Dazong, but the Like-Elephant Martial Hall, or even Meng Juxiang himself!

If the martial hall sold off its assets on a large scale, the influence of the Like-Elephant Martial Hall would inevitably plummet.

If Meng Juxiang really went to the Lingnan Mountains to hunt exotic beasts above the seventh grade, he would face great risks, and if he were ambushed in the process.

If he were to fall in the Lingnan Mountains.

Then the Like-Elephant Martial Hall would certainly be unable to recover.

But Meng Juxiang is backed by the Giant Elephant Sect of the Jiangnan Circuit. Huang Baitao knows this clearly. The culprit is Yuan Dazong; there is no need to strike at Meng Juxiang over this.

Could it be just to suppress the Like-Elephant Martial Hall?

For a moment, Li Beichen's brows furrowed.

He felt that he was missing an important piece of the puzzle.

Meanwhile, Zhang Meng was caught in a dilemma; he could not make the decision regarding a sum of one hundred thousand taels.

Lin Xiong saw that Zhang Meng did not reply and wore a mocking expression.

"What is it, Zhang Meng? Can't you make the call? You had better go and invite your master over quickly."

At this moment, Xiao Wu from the martial hall hurried out from the inner courtyard and whispered a few words into Zhang Meng's ear.

After hearing this, Zhang Meng's aura surged once again.

"One hundred thousand taels it is."

"Best of three rounds. One person each from the Ninth, Eighth, and Seventh Ranks. Does your Thunderbolt Martial Hall dare to accept!"

Lin Xiong of the Thunderbolt Martial Hall did not back down in the slightest.

"Fine! As you wish. Tomorrow, at the largest fighting arena in Jinglong District."

"Come and fight!"

The group from the Thunderbolt Martial Hall arrived in a grand, imposing manner and left in the same fashion.

The surrounding spectators dispersed, still feeling unfulfilled.

One day later, the four great martial halls.

Thunderbolt versus Like-Elephant, a martial duel!

A wager of one hundred thousand taels!

Within a few hours, this news had spread not only throughout Jinglong District but even across the entirety of Ram City, reaching the Thirty-Six Guilds and all walks of life.

Even Yuan Dazong, who was hiding in a residential house next to the Thunderbolt Martial Hall, heard the news.

His eyes flickered for a moment before turning cold once again.

"Master, it is not that this disciple refuses to return, but that you are fated to suffer this tribulation."

"When the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat suffer."

"If this disciple achieves success in his studies, he will surely kill Huang Baitao in the future to avenge you!"

Yuan Dazong picked up the yellowed book in his hands once more...

Meanwhile, inside the Like-Elephant Martial Hall, the atmosphere was somewhat somber.

After all, they were going to engage in a martial duel with the Thunderbolt Martial Hall for the sake of someone who wouldn't even show his face.

No one was truly doing it for Yuan Dazong; they were only doing it for the sake of the martial hall and Meng Juxiang.

Li Beichen was still contemplating the purpose behind the Thunderbolt Martial Hall's actions.

"Senior Martial Brother, I fear the Thunderbolt Martial Hall is deliberately looking for trouble. It likely isn't for Yuan Dazong; their target might be our martial hall and Master."

"There is no use saying these things now. The wood is already carved into a boat; everything is set in stone."

"Besides, Huang Baitao simply cannot find Yuan Dazong, which is why he is targeting our martial hall."

What Zhang Meng said made some sense, so Li Beichen did not say anything more.

These were all his speculations without concrete evidence, and bringing them up was enough.

"Fellow junior brothers and sisters, for the three rounds of the duel, I shall naturally take the Seventh Rank fight without hesitation."

"As for the other two rounds..."

Zhang Meng looked at the crowd.

Li Beichen and Fang Meiqin stepped forward immediately.

However, Wang Dao, Yang Ling, and Han Fengqi were still hesitating about whether to participate.

Seeing this, Zhang Meng did not force them.

"Since we have enough people for the three rounds, everyone should prepare. Two days from now, we will surely defeat the Thunderbolt Martial Hall!"

"Wait! Senior Martial Brother!"

Fang Meiqin's voice rang out.

She stared at the third senior brother, Wang Dao, until she saw him turn his head away.

Only then did Fang Meiqin look at Li Beichen with appreciation.

"Little Junior Brother, I will take the Eighth Rank duel, and you will be responsible for the Ninth Rank duel."

"You are a good lad. Although you are the youngest and your muscles don't look very big, you have enough guts!"

These words left the faces of Wang Dao and the others looking rather awkward; they wanted to retort, but could not find the words.

Aside from Zhang Meng, the other inner courtyard disciples did not yet know that Li Beichen had broken through to the Eighth Rank.

At this moment, they still assumed that Wang Dao was the only Eighth Rank fighter.

But regarding the duel, having Fang Meiqin, who was still at the Ninth Rank, go and fight across a realm was a matter that left no room for refutation.

Li Beichen actually understood the choices made by Wang Dao and the others.

If it weren't for the fact that Meng Juxiang had shown him kindness, no one would be willing to risk life and limb for a Yuan Dazong who didn't even dare to show his face.

Anyone in their position would feel the same.

They had paid tuition to learn martial arts at the school; they weren't learning for free.

It wasn't the kind of lifelong master-disciple bond passed down through generations.

They addressed Meng Juxiang as "Master" in the professional sense rather than the familial one.

However, Fang Meiqin did indeed surprise Li Beichen.

Her muscles were no less developed than those of Yang Ling and the others.

Her spirit, moreover, was a case of a woman not yielding to men.

Her heroic demeanor was enough to make one look at her with newfound respect.