Amidst the boiling, roaring crowd, Lin Huang tightly clenched his fists. Feeling the strange gazes of the people around him, a cryptic smile played at the corners of his lips.
He could imagine that once he stepped onto the arena, he would face attacks from everyone.
In the Great Xia Dynasty, the public branded him a jinx who had sparked a war between two dynasties. Among them, countless people wanted to tear Lin Huang limb from limb. Under normal circumstances, no one would dare to be the first to attack Lin Huang. After all, the Divine General’s Mansion stood behind him.
But now that it was a chaotic free-for-all, things were different. Even if Lin Huang died, no matter how powerful the Divine General’s Mansion was, they couldn’t possibly exact revenge on the family behind every single Martial Artist.
In the square, quite a few people were already secretly smiling.
"Even if Lin Huang hides under the wings of the Divine General’s Mansion, he won’t escape death!"
"It seems Crown Prince Lingyun won’t have to wait for the life-and-death battle!"
"The rules for this third round of selection are simply brilliant."
Up on the high arena, Shen Diexin wore a similarly icy expression. Although she had long known that Qii Lie and Hann Shan harbored ill intentions, she thought they would, at most, secretly manipulate the lots during the Martial Artists’ duels. She never expected these two to choose such a cruel method of elimination. After this battle, she feared that most of the eliminated Martial Artists would end up dead or crippled.
And such a chaotic brawl was exceptionally disadvantageous for Lin Huang!
Even a pig could understand that once the battle started, everyone would undoubtedly target Lin Huang first. If he retreated from the arena early on, things might still be manageable. But if Lin Huang didn’t retreat, the consequences would be unimaginable.
However, no matter how furious Shen Diexin was, she could not change anything. The selection rules for the Four Sects’ Grand Election were decided by two Sects each time, alternating in turns. The rules for the previous Four Sects’ Grand Election had been set by Piaoxue Palace and Qianying Valley, which meant it was now Fengyu Tower and Celestial Thunder Sect’s turn.
Standing in front of Shen Diexin, Hann Shan sensed her frosty aura. He turned back and offered a dark smile, his pale face appearing somewhat twisted.
They already knew that Xiao Yishan had left the Great Xia Dynasty. Were it not for the fact that the two of them were heavily injured and wary of Shen Diexin’s strength—as well as the perpetually ambiguous stance of Qianying Valley—they would have attacked Lin Huang long ago.
Letting Lin Huang live to participate in the third round of selection was already a tremendous mercy. But this would be where it ended! Regardless of whether Lin Huang possessed talent, they could absolutely not allow him to enter a Sect. This concerned the prestige of his Celestial Thunder Sect and Fengyu Tower.
Looking at Hann Shan’s smug face, Shen Diexin snorted coldly. She then raised her head, gazing from afar at Lin Huang in the crowd. The meaning in her eyes was exceptionally clear. She wanted Lin Huang to forfeit directly!
Lin Huang raised an eyebrow, meeting Shen Diexin’s gaze on the arena, and firmly shook his head. He naturally understood that backing down now was the best choice. But he couldn’t retreat! One slow step led to a lifetime of falling behind; he had to step into a vaster world. Furthermore, for the sake of Lin Cangxue, Jun Qingcheng, and his own desire to grow stronger, he had to enter a Sect.
Besides, would these one hundred people really be so dead set on besieging him? Since ancient times, the human heart has always been the hardest to predict!
Seeing Lin Huang stubbornly shake his head, Shen Diexin frowned deeply, lightly biting her crystalline lips in slight anger. Before she could make a move, the sound of bells and drums rang out from the arena.
RUMBLE! The sound echoed in all directions!
Accompanied by the resonant toll of the bells and drums, the one hundred young Martial Artists in the crowd stepped forward. They pushed through the dense throng and followed the corridor up onto the arena. The hundred youths stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the platform; a single swing of a blade could easily chop off the head of the person next to them.
Looking at the people standing around him, Lin Huang’s expression gradually grew calm. The hand concealed within his sleeve had already quietly gripped his long blade.
To his left was Ming Ao. To his right was Lu Wuji. And to his front and rear were two young Martial Artists at the Human Element Eighth Heaven.
At the back of the arena, looking at the hundred Martial Artists before him, a satisfied smile emerged on Hann Shan’s pale face. His gaze deliberately lingered on Lin Huang for a moment as he coldly thought, "Even if that Xiao Rentu comes back, I can still offer a perfectly justifiable explanation. If his own disciple is too useless and dies on the arena, he won’t be able to do anything to the Celestial Thunder Sect if he cares at all about his face."
Feeling Hann Shan’s silent mockery, Lin Huang paid it no mind. The moment he stepped onto the arena, he felt the malice radiating from his surroundings, coalescing into an extremely dangerous aura. This aura was far more dangerous than what he had felt when encountering Hann Ming seven days ago.
Sweeping his gaze over all the Martial Artists on the arena, Lin Huang took a deep breath. He secretly clenched his fists, rapidly gathering his momentum...
Hann Shan looked at the turbulent, fierce auras surging on the arena. His withered hand slowly reached out into the air before suddenly slashing down. His hoarse voice simultaneously echoed throughout the entire square.
"The third round of selection begins!"
The moment Hann Shan’s voice faded, the ten Tokens originally suspended in mid-air transformed into streaks of flowing light and simultaneously shot straight toward Lin Huang...
Everyone’s expression shifted as they tracked the trajectory of the falling Tokens. In the next instant, they charged at Lin Huang with murderous intent.
In an instant, the surging auras on the arena erupted fiercely. Like a calm sea suddenly churning with massive waves, the sheer pressure swept across the entire arena.
Ming Ao raised an eyebrow. With a faint smile still lingering on his face, he viciously thrust his azure Longsword at Lin Huang.
At the same time, Lu Wuji attacked! The two people to Lin Huang’s front and rear also made their moves. All of them slashed toward Lin Huang, aiming to strike him down on the arena with the utmost speed and thoroughly end his life. Moreover, the ten great Tokens were also close at hand!
The flashes of blades and swords unfurled in that moment. The simultaneous attacks arriving from four directions acted like a tightening cage, seeking to trap and kill Lin Huang within.
However, the very second the crowd launched their attacks, Lin Huang burst into motion. His speed outstripped everyone else’s. The momentum he had been accumulating erupted, making him resemble a fierce tiger descending the mountain...
Facing the ten flying Tokens, Lin Huang let out an imposing laugh. He didn’t dodge this deadly burden in the slightest; instead, with a grand wave of his hand, he swept all the Tokens into his pocket. At the same time, Lin Huang brandished his long blade horizontally, aiming directly for the head of the Martial Artist in front of him.
"Kill!" the Martial Artist roared frantically, his pupils shrinking. He swung his iron spear like a heavy hammer, smashing it toward Lin Huang’s head.
Feeling the power crashing down on him from above, Lin Huang did not retreat a single step. On the contrary, a chilling, savage grin crept onto his face. Completely ignoring the attacks coming from all sides, he thrust his blade straight at the Martial Artist in front of him.
The Martial Artist’s expression drastically changed. He hadn’t expected Lin Huang to be so resolute, willing to endure injuries just to drag him down to the grave together. He immediately shouted in anger, pulling back his attack and evading Lin Huang.
Lin Huang dared to gamble his life, but he couldn’t. His ultimate goal was still to enter the Four Great Sects. Killing Lin Huang was merely icing on the cake.
With one person withdrawing their move, a gap instantly appeared in the murderous encirclement around Lin Huang. Lin Huang’s figure suddenly turned sharper, his speed accelerating once again...
On the arena, a flash of blade light gleamed. Blood spurted out in its wake.
The Martial Artist who had pulled back his attack clutched his neck with his hands, staring at Lin Huang with a face full of terror. Regret flooded his heart to the absolute limit; he had never imagined in a million years that this would be his end.
In the center of the fray, Lin Huang didn’t pause for even a fraction of a second. He grabbed the man to serve as his meat shield and retreated to the corner of the arena...
Following that, the mass of Martial Artists on the arena suddenly converged, glaring at Lin Huang like tigers eyeing their prey. Not only was Lin Huang universally despised, but more importantly, he held all ten Tokens in his hands. In order to enter a Sect, Lin Huang had to die!
"Lin Huang, since you’ve stepped onto this arena, you should understand your fate. Why put up a futile struggle?" Standing at the very front, Ming Ao stared fixedly at Lin Huang, a powerful aura exuding from his entire body.
"It’s easy to kill me, but you had better think it through carefully. Who here is going to the grave with me? Not only will you fail to enter the Four Great Sects, but you’ll also throw your lives away for nothing!" Lin Huang wore a ruthless expression. At this moment, he was like a low-growling, vicious wolf, ready to lunge and strike at any second.
The crowd’s expressions shifted slightly. Looking at the Martial Artist being used as a meat shield in front of Lin Huang, a trace of hesitation unavoidably surfaced in their hearts. Killing Lin Huang was important. Entering the Four Great Sects was even more important. But staying alive... was the most important of all!
Ming Ao laughed coldly, seeing through Lin Huang’s intentions. He smiled with sheer arrogance and said, "Then I will be the one to attack! The rest of you just need to hold the line from the flanks!
"If we don’t kill Lin Huang today, what face do we Martial Artists have to meet the commoners who have suffered from the ravages of war because of him?
"He hoarded all ten Tokens for himself in a vain attempt to cut off our path to soaring success. He truly deserves death!"
Ming Ao’s words rang with resounding conviction. Dozens of Crescent Blades materialized around him, pointing straight at Lin Huang from a distance. Dark red Blade Qi flowed around them, emitting a piercing, oppressive chill.
Human Element Ninth Heaven, Martial Soul Full Moon Celestial Blade!
"Lin Huang, if you have the guts, step out and fight me in a fair, head-on duel. That way, I might actually think a little higher of you," Ming Ao declared, brandishing his Crescent Celestial Blade. The aura surrounding him unfurled in tandem, icy and domineering.
Ming Ao’s long robes fluttered in the wind, but Lin Huang remained completely still. His voice was calm and deep as he replied, "Since you want to think higher of me so badly, I can only grant your wish!"
Then, a mocking smirk tugged at the corners of Lin Huang’s lips. With a flip of his hand, the ten Tokens of the Four Great Sects appeared in his grasp, radiating streams of flowing light.
"If I just loosen my grip, these ten Tokens will fall off the arena. And you... who harbor delusions of entering the Four Great Sects, wouldn’t that mean we all perish together? I dare you to take a single step forward!"
Seeing the absolute resolve on Lin Huang’s face, the crowd’s expressions shifted. Lin Huang didn’t look like he was joking. Perishing together. Lin Huang dared to take that gamble, but they didn’t have the guts. After all, this was their opportunity to enter the Four Great Sects; they might only get one such chance in their entire lives.
"Why did we force him into a corner just now?"
"Surrounding him in the center would’ve been so much better! Even if Lin Huang wanted to throw the Tokens off the arena, we could have stopped him!"
"Lin Huang, what exactly do you want?!" someone in the crowd shouted angrily. Waiting around like this was not a solution. The third round only lasted for the time it took an incense stick to burn. Lin Huang naturally had nothing to fear with the four Sects’ Tokens firmly in his grasp, but their hearts were burning with anxiety, as if being scratched by a cat’s claws.
"No rush..." Lin Huang grinned. He then retrieved a set of armor from his spatial ring and leisurely put it on. The shiny, silver armor appeared incredibly heavy, encasing his entire body within it. There was even a mask covering his face.
"Is that... the Iron Silver Armor?"