"Of course something's wrong."
"In the past, whenever our Thunderfire Hall fought with Red Sand Hall, Golden Gang Sword Hall always sat on the mountain and watched the tigers fight, never intervening. But this time, Lin Changkong entered the fray himself."
Listening to Lu Qingyan, Lu Jin nodded faintly, a trace of coldness crossing his weathered, aged face.
"What's that fellow trying to do? Our Thunderfire Hall has treated them courteously enough. Wherever Golden Gang Sword Hall has a foothold, we've never tried to get a share, and we've yielded whenever we could," Lu Jinglei asked angrily.
Lu Jin lit his pipe and blew out a cloud of smoke. He looked at Lu Ming and smiled gently. "What do you think, A-Ming?"
Lu Ming thought for a moment, then answered seriously, "Golden Gang Sword Hall's change in attitude has become rather obvious. That suggests something unusual must have happened recently, causing them to change their attitude toward our Thunderfire Hall. As for what happened... I think it might have something to do with Great Golden Crow Hall."
Lu Jinglei's face darkened at once. "You mean that woman from Great Golden Crow Hall is behind this? She's the one driving Lin Changkong to target our Thunderfire Hall?"
Lu Qingyan fell silent for several breaths before saying, "There's a strong possibility. Although we don't know what connection Lin Changkong has to Great Golden Crow Hall, the power of a fifth-level divine ability hall is far beyond anything we can imagine. Perhaps all it took was a word from that woman for Lin Changkong to know which choice to make."
Lu Jinglei gritted his teeth, his gaze dark with anger. That damned woman had already taken Zhang Yue away and splashed their Thunderfire Hall with filthy accusations they couldn't refute, yet now she was even instigating Golden Gang Sword Hall to hunt them down.
Golden Gang Sword Hall was no Red Sand Hall. Ever since its founding, it had always been the strongest Third-Tier Divine Ability Hall in Qingyuan Market. In overall strength and foundation, it stood a full head above Thunderfire Hall.
If Golden Gang Sword Hall really joined forces with Red Sand Hall to suppress Thunderfire Hall in the future, it would indeed put tremendous pressure on them to survive.
That bastard Zhang Yue really was rotten meat that could only attract loathsome vultures.
Lu Jin's aged face remained calm, however. Clearly, he had long since guessed the reason. "Whether or not that woman from Great Golden Crow Hall put them up to it, crushing my Thunderfire Hall won't be so easy."
"If Lin Changkong really means to be a blade in someone else's hand, then I can only see whether his Golden Gang Sword is sharper or my Thunderfire Whip is fiercer."
His aged voice was somewhat hoarse, but a killing presence like raging thunder and fire surged within it.
Lin Changkong was in his prime, but he shouldn't underestimate an old man's determination to protect his family.
Sensing the old man's chilling, murderous resolve, Lu Ming silently clenched his fists. He wanted badly to shoulder some of his family's burden, but he was still too weak. He had to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
"Father, that new market master is quite bold. It seems he has an impressive background," Lu Qingyan said, changing the subject.
Lu Jin nodded. "I've heard that the Yan Clan of Qingyuan Market wanted to secure the position of new market master. They spent a great deal on it, only to have it suddenly taken away from them at the last moment. I imagine the Yan Clan must be furious right now... So this new market master must have a rather formidable background. He's a powerful dragon crossing the river."
"As for this hall gathering, the rewards for first hall are extremely generous. Even I am tempted, but unfortunately, snatching first hall from Golden Gang Sword Hall will be far too difficult." At that, he couldn't help feeling somewhat regretful.
If the concentration of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi in their Thunderfire Hall could be raised to "high grade," it would be a resounding, living advertisement, drawing many newcomers to join the hall and cultivate divine abilities. After all, cultivating in such a place would produce somewhat better results than elsewhere. Though the effect wouldn't be as obvious as taking pills, the benefits would accumulate day by day and could not be overlooked.
An eager look also appeared in Lu Ming's eyes. Leaving aside the allure of raising the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi at the divine ability hall to "high grade," the barrier-breaking pill called the Pattern-Transforming Lesser Yuan Pill alone held a deadly attraction for divine ability practitioners like them.
It could save them a great deal of precious time otherwise lost to the Divine Ability Barrier, sparing them from being trapped and frustrated, their time wasted in vain.
Unfortunately, only the divine ability hall that claimed "first hall" could receive that reward.
"First hall will be difficult. We most likely can't beat Golden Gang Sword Hall, so our goal at this gathering is still to hold on to our rank as 'second hall.' Thunderfire Hall has just suffered a major upheaval, and without Zhang Yue to guard a flag, I'm afraid Red Sand Hall won't pass up the chance to snatch our second-hall rank."
"We must do our best to keep second hall. If we lose it, Thunderfire Hall's reputation will suffer badly, and the number of disciples joining the hall will drop sharply. Without that major source of income, it will be difficult to maintain A-Ming's cultivation resources in the future." At this point, Lu Jin's expression grew much sharper.
Beside him, Lu Ming pursed his lips. He had grown up in Thunderfire Hall and naturally knew the rules of the hall gathering. At each gathering, the rankings of Qingyuan Market's divine ability halls would be decided.
The strongest divine ability hall would be crowned with the honor of "first hall." It would become the most sought-after divine ability hall, able to attract many new disciples and strengthen its ranks.
When the hall gathering began, every divine ability hall in Qingyuan Market would set up a platform, known as a spell-dueling platform.
Three Divine Ability Flags stood on each platform.
The three flags were guarded separately by the hall master, the hall's great divine ability practitioners, and its divine ability practitioners. These divisions could not be crossed.
Under the gathering's rules, when a divine ability hall faced a challenge from another hall, the moment it lost two of its three flags, the challenger would directly take its rank.
Before, when Zhang Yue was still there, he, Lu Qingyan, and Lu Jinglei had guarded one flag together. Never mind Red Sand Hall-even Golden Gang Sword Hall's great divine ability practitioners would have had to weigh whether an attempt to seize it might cost them their own flag.
But now... Zhang Yue was gone.
That left only Lu Qingyan and Lu Jinglei to step up as Thunderfire Hall's great divine ability practitioners.
As for the third flag, that would depend on Thunderfire Hall's divine ability practitioners, such as Gao Yu, Yuan Da, and the other disciples who had completed their third bone refinement... Could they hold the Divine Ability Flag?
Lu Qingyan and Lu Jinglei also grew solemn. They exchanged a glance and said through gritted teeth, "Don't worry, Father. Even if it costs us our lives, we won't let anyone take the flag!"
Lu Jin fell silent for a moment, then said calmly, "If someone really presses us too far when the time comes, perhaps these old bones of mine can get some exercise too."
Lu Qingyan and Lu Jinglei were both startled. Generally speaking, the challenges and battles at the hall gathering were fought by those below the rank of hall master. Hall masters were figures who kept order, and unless circumstances were exceptional, they would not make a move lightly.
After all, divine ability masters counted among the top figures in Qingyuan Market. Why would they readily show themselves to fight? That would only cost them face.
But Lu Jin could no longer concern himself with such things. Thunderfire Hall was the Lu Clan's source of income and the foundation of its standing. If Thunderfire Hall suffered, Lu Ming's cultivation resources would be directly affected. Although Lu Ming could continue to advance through the talent of his Sub-Heaven-Grade Divine Ability Bone even with scarce resources, that would be drawing on his potential in advance, and he would have to repay it at a greater cost in the future.
Lu Jin regarded Lu Ming as the "Divine Ability Child" who could lead the Lu Clan bloodline out of that cursed abyss!
He also bore the foundation the Lu Clan's ancestors had built with blood and bone, so no matter what, Lu Jin had to secure Lu Ming's cultivation resources.
Lu Ming could naturally feel the care behind Lu Jin's painstaking efforts. Moved, he volunteered, "Grandfather, when the time comes, let me do my part at the third Divine Ability Flag too."
Lu Qingyan and Lu Jinglei guarding a flag together was not entirely secure, so if Thunderfire Hall wanted to avoid losing two flags, it had to make sure nothing went wrong with the flag guarded by its divine ability practitioners.
Hearing this, Lu Jin hesitated slightly. Only about a month remained until the hall gathering, and Lu Ming had yet to complete even his second bone refinement. There was no telling how far he could get by the time the gathering began.
Although Lu Ming possessed a Sub-Heaven-Grade Divine Ability Bone, he had only just begun cultivating divine abilities. Gao Yu, Yuan Da, and the others, on the other hand, had not only completed their third bone refinement long ago, but had also cultivated more than one Lower Divine Ability to the greater mastery realm. They had even begun exploring the cultivation of Middle Divine Abilities.
Lu Ming might have surpassed everyone in the Primordial Qi Pavilion today and even lasted until the end alongside Wang Chen of Golden Gang Sword Hall, but that had ultimately been a matter of taking advantage of a trick. At the hall gathering, however, divine abilities would truly clash in a contest of pure combat strength.
Still, Lu Jin didn't want to dampen Lu Ming's enthusiasm. He smiled and nodded at once, encouraging him jokingly, "Very well. Perhaps when the time comes, our Thunderfire Hall will have to rely on you, A-Ming, to turn the raging tide."
Lu Qingyan and Lu Jinglei laughed as well, each reaching out to ruffle Lu Ming's hair in encouragement.
At being treated the way they treated Lu Mengmeng, Lu Ming curled his lip helplessly.
It seemed he would have to redouble his cultivation efforts in the coming days. When the hall gathering arrived, he would give them a great big surprise.