Victory and Defeat, Life and Death

The arrivals were none other than Zhang Tao and his entourage!

The moment Tieniu saw them, he realized something.

They haven't come with good intentions!

Without waiting for Lin Bei to speak, he ran off to notify Zhang Teng.

"Who are you? How dare you barge into the Martial Arts Grounds? You..."

Seeing the arrivals' menacing demeanor, an apprentice of the Martial Arts Grounds immediately stepped forward to rebuke them.

But before he could finish, an attendant beside Zhang Tao kicked him aside!

"Get lost!"

The instant this happened,

Lin Bei's expression remained calm.

But cracks appeared in the teacup he held as his fingers tightened around it!

Before Lin Bei could unleash his anger,

an angry shout rang out from the corridor of the Martial Arts Grounds.

"How dare you!"

Along with that furious rebuke, Zhang Teng appeared in the Martial Arts Grounds.

"Zhang Teng!"

The instant Zhang Tao saw Zhang Teng, a flicker of delight flashed through his eyes.

"Zhang Xiaoxiao was right after all. You didn't run!"

At these words, Zhang Xiaoxiao immediately shook her head fiercely. "I never said that! I never betrayed my brother!"

Zhang Teng glanced at Zhang Xiaoxiao, then at Zhang Tao.

He snorted coldly.

"Zhang Tao, you're as despicable as ever!"

Then he glanced at the apprentice who had been kicked away and knocked unconscious, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.

He walked over to Lin Bei.

"Master... I'm sorry for bringing you trouble."

Before Lin Bei could respond, mockery spread across Zhang Tao's face.

"Master? Is this the so-called Immortal Cultivator?"

Zhang Tao looked utterly disdainful, his gaze toward Lin Bei brimming with provocation.

"Oh, Zhang Teng, are you trying to make me laugh myself to death? You actually took a fraud like this as your master? Have you never seen an unconventional school of martial arts before?"

Zhang Teng's face turned dark red with rage!

He didn't care if Zhang Tao insulted him, but he couldn't tolerate him speaking of his master that way!

"Master, your disciple requests permission to fight!"

Lin Bei couldn't be bothered to waste words either. He immediately said,

"Settle your grudges. Repay your grievances!"

Though his words were calm, Zhang Teng understood his meaning at once!

What did it mean to settle his grudges? To repay his grievances?

When Lin Bei had dealt with the Six Harmonies Martial Hall earlier, he had still been fairly mild.

He had merely told Zhang Teng to strike hard and show no mercy.

But now!

Lin Bei's words clearly carried murderous intent!

"Your disciple obeys!"

As his words fell, Zhang Teng stepped forward, walking straight up to face Zhang Tao.

"Zhang Tao, if you think you can threaten me with Zhang Xiaoxiao, you've miscalculated! Since you've come here today, don't even think of leaving!"

Zhang Tao watched it all coldly and couldn't resist sneering.

"Zhang Teng, I've seen that look before. It's the same look you had when I crippled you. You want to kill me? Do you think you're capable?"

Then Zhang Tao set Zhang Xiaoxiao aside and deliberately spoke loudly.

"Xiaoxiao, you did very well! Not only did you come to find out where Zhang Teng was, you also revealed that he wouldn't leave... Well done!"

Hearing this, an apprentice of the Martial Arts Grounds immediately began cursing.

"I knew that woman was no good!"

Tieniu immediately stopped him.

"Enough! You're getting worked up over such a simple trick to sow discord?"

The man froze...

"A trick to sow discord?"

Tieniu nodded.

"Zhang Tao knows Zhang Teng and Zhang Xiaoxiao are siblings. He's deliberately trying to drive a wedge between them."

At these words, the apprentices of the Martial Arts Grounds all began cursing angrily.

Zhang Tao's treachery was on full display.

Zhang Teng remained unmoved by his words.

"Zhang Tao, you're practically the definition of despicable. But... you think you can unsettle me with a trick like this? You're dreaming."

At this point, Zhang Teng seethed with murderous intent. "Your death is upon you today, yet you don't even know it. Still putting on these pointless little performances?"

Hearing this, Zhang Tao gave Zhang Teng an interested look.

"A piece of trash with a destroyed Dantian, spouting such nonsense? I really don't know what gives you that confidence! This pathetic new martial hall?"

Then Zhang Tao rose to his feet and looked at Zhang Teng.

"So you're not planning to surrender quietly?"

With that, he raised a hand.

The thirteen attendants behind him immediately surrounded Lin Bei and the apprentices of the Martial Arts Grounds.

"A pathetic new school like this probably doesn't even have anyone in the Dantian Sea Realm, does it?"

Zhang Tao suddenly laughed.

"I'm a kindhearted man. I don't want to hurt you, so I'd still prefer that you surrender quietly. I can tell you're very attached to these Martial Arts Grounds, aren't you? You wouldn't want them to get hurt, would you?"

"Despicable!"

"Shameless!"

The apprentices of the Martial Arts Grounds cursed angrily.

At this sight, Zhang Teng suddenly laughed, the corners of his mouth lifting in unmistakable mockery.

"Zhang Tao... you'll pay for what you've done!"

The moment his words fell!

Zhang Teng struck first.

With a lunging stride, he charged straight at Zhang Tao.

"You overestimate yourself!"

Zhang Tao's gaze was contemptuous. What did he have to fear from a piece of trash whose elixir sea had been destroyed?

Seeing Zhang Teng's fist hurtling toward him, he reached out with one hand, intending to meet the attack head-on!

Yet just as Zhang Tao was about to seize Zhang Teng's fist,

his expression changed drastically!

In that instant, Zhang Teng changed his move, using Tai Chi Steps to feint before driving a palm straight at Zhang Tao.

He spotted my weakness instantly! That change was too sudden. There's no time to dodge!

Zhang Tao thought this to himself, then a cold glint flashed through his eyes.

So what if his techniques are exquisite?

He was a Martial Artist at great perfection in the late Dantian Sea Realm!

In the early Dantian Sea Realm, qi gathering drew qi into the Dantian!

In the middle Dantian Sea Realm, the gathered qi formed threads.

In the late Dantian Sea Realm, the true qi in the elixir sea could leave the body!

Although Zhang Teng's strike was aimed straight at his Dantian, he didn't panic in the slightest!

He instantly gathered true qi over his body's surface to withstand the blow head-on!

Bang!

The punch landed.

The next second,

Zhang Tao flew like an arrow loosed from its bow, slamming into a wall outside the Martial Arts Grounds.

When he hit the ground, he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood!

"Pfft!"

After coughing up blood, Zhang Tao's face was filled with shock and disbelief!

One careless moment, and Zhang Teng had actually sent him flying and injured him?

How was that possible?

He was an expert in the late Dantian Sea Realm!

And Zhang Teng?

He was merely a Martial Artist whose elixir sea had been destroyed.

Why was his attack so powerful?

And what was even more absurd?

The instant the attack struck, he had felt it... Zhang Teng's attack actually contained hidden force, piercing straight through his protective true qi!

That was precisely why he had been struck hard enough to cough up blood!

"Zhang Teng!!"

Zhang Tao roared in uncontrollable fury!

"Are you courting death?!"

He was enraged, all his former composure and breezy indifference gone.

Because at that moment, he finally realized...

Even with his Dantian destroyed, Zhang Teng was no soft persimmon to be squeezed at will!

"Enough talk!"

Zhang Teng's voice was icy.

"Today, we settle not only victory and defeat, but life and death!"