Holding Li Jiaying in his arms, Li Tan slowly raised his head, his gaze naturally shifting to the arena.
Li Xiu and Liu Zhengyi were already up there. It was clear that this time Li Xiu wasn’t as nervous as last time, while Liu Zhengyi, seemingly having obtained some hidden advantage, wore a sinister grin across his face.
Liu Zhengyi said, “Li Xiu, today I will avenge my previous defeat.”
“Sorry, I won’t give you that chance.”
Li Xiu replied firmly, his eyes shining with determination.
Although his opponent was yesterday’s defeated foe, Li Xiu showed no signs of complacency at all.
Actually, this had something to do with his naturally insecure personality. Even Li Tan, under such circumstances, would have felt some contempt.
But now, the arrogant and overconfident one wasn’t Li Xiu, but Liu Zhengyi who was shouting loudly.
“Hahaha! Opportunity doesn’t come from your generosity, but from one’s own efforts! I am no longer the same person as yesterday! Enough talk, let’s settle this with real skills!”
Under the arena, people from various families had already begun whispering and discussing excitedly.
Naturally, most believed Li Xiu would win again, considering Liu Zhengyi merely a desperate last attempt. Only a few thought Liu Zhengyi had come prepared and might turn the tide.
The outcome of this challenge was as most had expected, but it exploded like a bomb, sending the entire venue into an uproar.
Gasps, shouts, and panic filled the air.
The entire martial arts ground instantly lost order.
Because Liu Zhengyi not only lost, but was also killed.
As Li Xiu gained the upper hand and Liu Zhengyi retreated step by step, he unexpectedly revealed a sinister grin, then suddenly his expression stiffened, as if something terrifying had happened, his face turning fearful.
Then, he was pierced through by Li Xiu’s sword.
More accurately, he tried to dodge but failed.
Because the strike was such a simple thrust, Li Xiu hadn’t even considered the possibility of his opponent failing to evade. Unable to withdraw the sword in time, it pierced straight through Liu Zhengyi’s heart.
“What’s going on!”
Li Yang, who had been a bit drowsy, opened his eyes in confusion at the surrounding commotion. Seeing the arena, he froze completely.
Li Tan showed a surprised expression, but soon it turned into a sneering smile.
“So that’s the case, planning something like this?”
He had been wondering what the black-robed figures would do during this duel. Previously, he hadn’t quite understood, but now he completely grasped their intentions, having basically deciphered their plan.
The black-robed figures had already become desperate, intending to take advantage of this duel to directly use Liu family’s power and eliminate the leaders and key members of the other two major families all at once! Liu Zhengyi, a minor branch member of the Liu family, probably only got the qualification to participate in the duel because he was used as a sacrificial pawn.
“Brother Li Tan?”
Li Jiaying, hugging Xiaobai, looked around at the panicked crowd with a frightened expression.
Having someone killed during the Frost Festival martial contest was probably the first occurrence in hundreds of years. Previously, contests had always ended with symbolic strikes, so this death immediately caused chaos.
However, Liu family’s guards reacted very quickly, rapidly dispersing the onlookers.
Soon, only members of the three major families remained within the martial arts ground.
“Hmph!”
A voice filled with anger was amplified several times, instantly spreading throughout the entire arena. Immediately after, a figure leapt into the air, descending toward Li Xiu on the arena who hadn’t yet recovered from the shock.
“Stop!”
Li Zhen swiftly jumped forward, leaping toward the arena.
Bang! The two figures landed one after another onto the arena.
Li Zhen just managed to protectively stand in front of Li Xiu, his back facing him as he ordered, “You go down first.”
“Yes.” Li Xiu shakily withdrew his sword from Liu Zhengyi’s body, then walked off the arena.
“Head Li, what exactly do you mean by this?”
The head of the Liu family coldly asked, his voice echoing across the arena.
Sweat beaded on Li Zhen’s forehead as he calmly replied, “That question should be mine to ask. Head Liu, exactly what are you trying to do?”
“My Liu family’s Liu Zhengyi was murdered by your Li Xiu, naturally the punishment should be death for death!”
As the words were spoken, the sword on the Liu family head’s back emitted a crisp metallic sound as it sprang out, embedding itself into the ground.
Li Zhen drew his sword in response, “We all know the truth of the matter, and I don’t want to say much more. Let’s just be straightforward.
What exactly are you trying to do?”
He also clearly understood that Liu Zhengyi’s death was merely an excuse for the Liu family to achieve their goals. Any argument would be meaningless.
“Death for death is only fair and just. Hand over Li Xiu and transfer the spirit stone mine to us, and this matter can be settled. Otherwise—” “Spirit stone mine?
Hmph, Head Liu, you sure know how to ask for the moon. Do you really think it’s possible?”
“Hmph, hmpth.” Impossible.
Even if they agreed to hand it over, other harsh conditions would surely follow.
Although Li Zhen didn’t know the details about the black-robed figures, he had already guessed what the Liu family was planning.
To kill all of them.
This was the Liu family’s stronghold, where all their experts were gathered, while most of their family’s experts were unaware of what was happening here. By the time the news reached them and they arrived, it would take at least half an hour.
And within that time, the Liu family would have enough time to accomplish what they wanted.
Li Zhen’s gaze shifted left and right. Outside the martial arts ground, over a hundred guards with late-stage martial cultivation had already sealed off all exits, and five or six terrifying presences were rapidly approaching.
“It seems I can’t just stand aside either.”
Lin Long leapt up and landed on the arena as well, saying, “Brother Li, can we talk about Cui’er’s matter later?”
Without blinking, Li Zhen nodded without hesitation.
Right now, every muscle in his body was tightly tensed, staring intently at the head of the Liu family.
Lin Long was the same.
The three stood in confrontation for several seconds before Li Zhen took a deep breath and roared, “Brother! Quickly take Tan’er and the others to leave the Liu family’s territory. I’ll hold them off here!”
As the words left his lips, a faint yellow aura enveloped his fist. With a single punch, the entire arena was instantly reduced to rubble.
Before the people from the smaller families below could even react, the Liu family’s guards began a massacre.
“Hahaha!”
“Li Zhen, Lin Long! Let this old man test you both!”
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Several sharp whistles cut through the air as six Xiantian-level experts arrived in an instant.
“Six?
Why are there so many!”
Li Zhen backflipped to dodge the consecutive aura attacks, his face turning deathly pale.
He recalled that aside from the family head, the Liu family only had four Xiantian-level experts, yet now six had suddenly appeared. The two additional figures were unfamiliar, and their faces remained completely expressionless.
He couldn’t figure out what was going on, but Li Tan understood immediately.
The two extra individuals were the two late-stage black-robed men he had defeated in their previous encounter.
“Tan’er, the situation has changed. Quickly take Ying’er and the others to leave! Han Tian, protect everyone well!”
Li Yang’s eyes turned icy cold, a hint of killing intent radiating outward.
Although he was disabled, his martial cultivation hadn’t been completely destroyed. At the very least, he still had the strength to deal with the Liu family’s late-stage guards.
As soon as he finished speaking, the chair beneath him was forcefully thrown forward, smashing a Liu family guard and causing blood to gush from his head.
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