Chapter 167: Best of Three

Sure enough, after some discussion, both sides finally set down the rules.

The sudden appearance of the deep pit and the stone gate clearly represented a massive opportunity. Whoever entered first would likely seize that opportunity ahead of others, though the inherent dangers would always be waiting.

They would fight three matches, and the side that won two matches first would earn the right for their people to enter the stone gate.

"I'll take the first match!" Shui Xinxin cracked her knuckles and volunteered, but Lin Zhan grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her behind him. Unable to shake him off, she could only protest in a low whisper, "You're taking advantage of me again!"

Lin Zhan paid no attention to the accusations coming from such a flat-chested figure, instead turning his gaze toward Qin Qingxuan's group. They were currently resting and recovering. Meeting his gaze, she gave a slight nod, her expression tense and solemn, yet carrying a hint of genuine concern, radiating the aura of a mature and composed senior sister.

Turning back, Lin Zhan spoke casually and indifferently to Wuming's faction, "I'll handle all three matches by myself!"

The opponents exchanged glances, looking rather surprised.

Cheng Chong from the Tiangang Peak stepped forward and shouted, "Lin Zhan, I respect your rapid rise in strength, and you used to take good care of my junior brother Ye Xiaoyao. But such a duel is no child's play—shouldn't you consult with the senior sisters of Piaoying Peak first?"

Lin Zhan cupped his fists and replied, "Many thanks, Brother Cheng, but let's leave it at that. If I lose the very first match, you can enter the stone gate first... Please!"

Lin Zhan assumed a posture of taking on all three duels alone, which instantly elicited mocking chuckles from Wuming's group.

Wuming and his companions possessed formidable strength, slightly superior even to Wu Shan and his crew. They could clearly sense that Lin Zhan's cultivation realm was merely at the third grade of the Yellow Realm, reaching at most the middle stage of the third tier. What on earth gave him the confidence to shoulder all three matches by himself?

If he lost even a single match, he lost everything. To win, he had to secure two consecutive victories—could his stamina possibly hold out?

Instead of retreating, Cheng Chong seized the moment and said in a ringing voice, "In that case, I shall be the one to fight you in this first match. Lin Zhan, watch yourself..."

Both of them nimbly leaped onto separate small mountain peaks, facing each other from afar, and quickly initiated their offensive maneuvers.

A duel at the mid-Yellow Realm produced shockwaves capable of affecting a vast area. Since this was such a solemn and formal bout, both parties consciously moved far away from the deep pit to avoid damaging the stone gate located there.

With Lin Zhan off fighting the duel, Shui Xinxin very consciously stationed herself between Qin Qingxuan and Wuming's group, acting as a guardian. She kept a close eye on the battle while remaining vigilant against anyone attempting to take advantage of the situation.

Disregarding those who had already perished, the survivors from both Qin Qingxuan's and Wu Shan's factions had all sustained injuries. Aside from the two individuals currently engaged in combat, the rest seized the time to sit cross-legged, collect their minds, and regulate their breath to heal their respective wounds. Naturally, a portion of their attention remained fixed on the two peak tops where the duel was taking place.

A white bone pagoda hovered above Lin Zhan's head, serving as his crucial defensive barrier, while the ink sword in his hand radiated a dazzling sword light. True to form, his sword Qi was arrogant and fierce.

Cheng Chong was a middle-aged man in his early forties, with a rugged and unrestrained appearance, wearing loose robes. A gray overturning seal hovered before him, churning with turbulent waves of energy that undoubtedly marked it as an extraordinary treasure.

Wuming's faction, along with Qin Qingxuan's senior sister and Liu Lang and Fang Tao from Wangxi Peak, were all well over forty years old.

In the realm of cultivation, being in one's forties or fifties was still considered part of the younger generation, because spiritual practice could preserve a youthful state and extend one's lifespan. Given their realms and ages, this was the normal state of affairs. People like Lin Zhan, Qin Qingxuan, and Shui Xinxin, who managed to ascend to the Yellow Realm at such a tender age, were considered truly defying the heavens, with astonishing progression speeds.

Lin Zhan's sword Qi erupted in cascading layers, one wave following closely after the other, instantly reaching Cheng Chong.

In a duel like this, he would not show courtesy, hold back, or allow himself to fall into a prolonged stalemate that wasted time for no reason.

Cheng Chong, however, did not think the same way. Being a thoughtful person, and mindful of how Lin Zhan had previously looked after Ye Xiaoyao, he had no intention of dealing a fatal blow to Lin Zhan. Instead, he simply hoped to drain more of Lin Zhan's stamina; even if he lost his own first match, it would buy some winning odds for the second fighter.

He believed Lin Zhan must possess some special trump card, or he would never have dared to act so brazenly.

Therefore, from the very beginning, he adopted a primarily defensive stance, using his magical artifact, the overturning seal, to parry the spiritual sword waves of Lin Zhan's ink sword.

While Lin Zhan fought with all his might in a life-and-death struggle, Cheng Chong held back his strength, defending without attacking—how could he possibly win?

So what if Cheng Chong's cultivation realm was a grade higher than Lin Zhan's? So what if Cheng Chong's combat experience was far richer than Lin Zhan's?

Seizing this very opportunity, Lin Zhan wielded his ink sword with sweeping, powerful motions. From the very first strike, he gave his opponent little room to evade, nor did he leave any path of retreat for himself, knowing that a single defeat meant total failure.

Clang!

The gray overturning seal sparked countless dazzling fireworks that burst in all directions. For that instant, the deep trench spanning hundreds of zhang was illuminated as bright as day. A short distance away, shadowy black figures scurried into even deeper gloom. They were covered in long black hair and possessed human-like forms, though they were bulkier and taller than normal humans, moving with the agility of nimble apes.

Lin Zhan's spiritual sense also registered these creatures. They were likely the same kind he had seen near the rock crevices when the black wind was raging—probably a straggler that had failed to take cover in time and was blown about by the fierce gales.

At that moment, the overturning seal took the full force of the most devastating blow, spinning as it was sent flying backward. Cheng Chong clutched his chest, spat out a mouthful of blood, and his back hunched over.

Lin Zhan withdrew his sword, leaned on the ink sword, and stood proudly.

In this first match, it went without saying: Lin Zhan won!

"Hah, so strong!" Wuming's eyes flashed with a sharp fighting spirit as he let out an exclamation.

Tuoba Hong of the Burial Sword Peak wore a darkened expression, spat onto the ground, and cursed, "I say Cheng Chong deliberately held back!"

Wuming glanced at him and said indifferently, "Then why doesn't Brother Tuoba take the second match? Just make sure not to hold back this time..."

"You!" Tuoba Hong's expression darkened further, putting him in a difficult predicament.

Nearby, his fellow peak-brother Xu Mao raised a sharp, sword-like eyebrow: "Senior Brother Tuoba, let me go. Relations between us and the Blaming Flame Peak are bound to become as incompatible as fire and water anyway. If we don't teach him a lesson now, they'll just think the Burial Sword Peak is made of soft persimmons."

After all, these individuals were merely in a cooperative alliance, having formed no strict hierarchy of leader and subordinates. Thus, seeing Xu Mao eagerly request to fight, they were more than happy to oblige.

Xu Mao was also a middle-aged cultivator, appearing much more refined than Cheng Chong with his fair and delicate complexion. Placed side-by-side with Lin Zhan's darkened face, the contrast would have been striking.

With a light tap of his toes against a protruding rock on the cliff, he easily scaled the peak.

This match would effectively be the decisive battle among the three. Regardless of which side won, according to their agreement, that victor would be the first to enter the mysterious stone gate. (To be continued.)