NOVPUBHuang Batian, the evildoer, was quick to claim victimhood, directly saying, "Your subordinate struck my man, and you didn't give me any face. I disciplined her a bit, I did nothing wrong, right?"
"Hmph."
Li Linglong sneered, "Discipline? Is this how you usually teach your subordinates, Lord Huang? Killing at the slightest provocation, isn't that a bit too heavy-handed? It seems you do not take my reputation as the Northern Gate Linglong seriously."
No sooner had she finished speaking than over a hundred brawny men, seething with rage, burst out from behind her. This group was mighty strong, with over thirty leading experts possessing profound abilities in the Condensation Mirror realm.
Li Linglong had over one hundred and fifty subordinates, and Huang Batian had around a hundred. In an instant, Li Linglong's side was emboldened, filled with a murderous aura, gripping their war sabers tightly, as if they were just waiting for Li Linglong's command to fight to the death without a second thought.
However, Huang Batian was not the least bit afraid, and he said, "What do you mean by this? Do you intend to kill me right here?"
Li Linglong, with a forced smile that did not reach her eyes, replied, "Lord Huang, it is tough for me to swallow this insult, but if you intend to push my limits, I don't mind perishing alongside you."
Huang Batian said, "You want to avenge your subordinate, and I want to avenge mine. Why don't we do this? Let's make a bet. If I win, Feiyan will be at my disposal, and if I lose, Dog Three will be at yours."
"How shall we bet?" asked Li Linglong.
"We each send out our most outstanding subordinate to have a match. The side whose representative wins is the victor."
After Huang Batian said this, he let out a smug laugh, clearly prepared for this encounter!
Li Linglong, guessing that Huang Batian had come prepared, did not rush to agree. She seemed to be pondering something, considering how to refuse.
Seizing the moment, Dog Three stepped forward and loudly shouted to the people behind him, "Are you saying Sister Ling is afraid of our Lord Huang? What's so difficult about a fair competition? Sister Ling's subordinates are numerous and talented—is she afraid of losing?"
As soon as Dog Three finished talking, the rest began whispering to each other, causing a stir of discussions.
"Despicable," Lin Tian inwardly sighed. Li Linglong and Huang Batian were contending for face today, and what Dog Three was doing was forcing Li Linglong's hand!
Li Linglong did not let Dog Three's provocation anger her; she was still considering because she did not want to gamble Feiyan's life carelessly.
Dog Three did not succeed in his attempt, and then a black-clothed expert stepped forward.
He drew his Treasured Sword, aiming it at the experts behind Li Linglong.
"Lads, who dares to fight me? If you're a real man, stop hiding like a turtle. Aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?"
His sword tip swept across each person, enraging every one of them. His actions were like scorn upon everyone, as disrespectful as defecating on their necks.
"Sister Ling, let me do it."
"I'll go."
"Sister Ling, leave it to me. I'll risk my life, but I will defeat him."
..., ...
A group of them stood up together, each pleading to take on the challenge.
Li Linglong still did not agree, but her face flushed red, clearly furious.
As the onlookers watched on, if she did not accept the challenge, word would spread, and she, the revered Northern Gate Linglong, would lose face.
But it was obvious that Huang Batian had come prepared. She feared taking up the fight because should she lose, Feiyan would undoubtedly face death.
She was hesitant and undecided.
Feiyan took the initiative to stand up, approaching Li Linglong's side and whispered, "Sister Ling, agree to it. We will surely win. But if... if we lose, I will take my own life right there. I am not afraid."
After saying that, she shook the small knife in her hand with an air of indifference to life and death, ready to meet her end with equanimity.
His voice was very soft, inaudible to ordinary people, but there were hardly any commoners among those present, apart from Wang Yuan, so everyone heard what Feiyan said.
Everyone present was shocked, and they looked at the frail young girl with newfound respect.
Lin Tian also nodded silently, feeling a surge of admiration in his heart.
At this moment, Gou San stepped forward again, shouting loudly, "Boss Huang, I'm not afraid either. At worst, we die, but I believe that we won't be defeated."
Huang Batian nodded with satisfaction, his eyes continuing to fix on Li Linglong.
Having no other choice, Li Linglong nodded and then turned to pick out a man in his thirties.
This man was also an expert at the Mirror Condensation stage, very strong, and a match for Lin Tian.
However, after observing the man's aura with the "Subdue the Heavens" technique, Lin Tian found that the young man's aura was slightly weaker than that of Huang Batian's black-clothed assassin. Without a heaven-defying cultivation technique or a domineering superpower, it would be hard to defeat the black-clothed assassin.
The young man nodded gravely to Li Linglong and said, "Sister Ling, I will definitely defeat him."
Li Linglong nodded, but she was filled with anxiety.
The young man and the black-clothed assassin went outside, followed by everyone else, eager to see the outcome of the match.
The two of them stood in the open field, face to face, ten meters apart, both emanating a fierce desire for battle, glaring at each other intently.
The black-clothed assassin was quite disdainful, holding a sword without drawing it from its sheath.
"Kid, I'll let you strike first."
This was a naked insult.
The young man clenched his teeth in rage and said, "Seeking death."
His weapon was a treasured saber with a golden scabbard. He drew his saber in anger, and with a flash of blade light, a surge of Blade Qi shot up into the sky, daring to outshine the sun and moon.
He stomped on the ground with force, propelling himself into the air. The treasured saber slashed mercilessly towards the forehead of the black-clothed assassin.
With the ferocity of a Fierce Tiger descending a mountain and the intensity of a dragon emerging from the sea, this strike carried all his strength and was not to be underestimated.
The black-clothed assassin's lips briefly revealed a sly smile; he had no intention of taking the blow head-on. He didn't even draw his treasured sword.
His whole body surged with True Yuan, and a gust of wind arose around him.
In a flash, his steps were like those of a ghostly apparition, retreating rapidly, easily dodging the young man's saber.
The young man's treasured saber struck the air, and he looked at the black-clothed assassin in shock. It was his first time seeing such speed.
The black-clothed assassin had mastered a Step Technique, as insubstantial as an assassin's, which gave him a movement technique difficult for ordinary people to track.
Moreover, his Step Technique was far more formidable compared to the intangible steps of an assassin.
Originally, the young man's strength was already slightly weaker than that of the black-clothed assassin, and his chances of winning were slim. Now, with the black-clothed assassin mastering a mysterious Step Technique, and it seemed his strength was far from being fully revealed.
Unless something unexpected happened, the young man was bound to lose.
Clearly, Li Linglong realized this as well. She clenched her fists, her breathing erratic, her eyes betraying a hint of self-blame and regret.
If they were to lose, Feiyan's life would be no more.
