NOVPUB"If it were a bye, going directly into the top three, that would be rather unfair," he said.
However, on second thought, what about it was truly unfair?
In life, if one wanted to achieve greatness, effort and hardship were one aspect; luck was an indispensable factor as well.
In the ancient history of Huaxia, how many battles that decided the fate of the land were influenced by luck.
Centuries ago, at the end of the Yuan and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, if it hadn't been for that great wind over Poyang Lake, how could Zhu Yuanzhang have defeated Chen Youliang and established the Ming Dynasty?
Luck, elusive yet truly existent, was absolutely crucial in a person's life.
Afterward, Wang Yuan foolishly smiled, revealing a hint of cunning.
"Big brother, the difference between each rank in the top fighting beasts is huge. The appearance fee for third and fifth place is definitely not the same. Why don't you help me out by letting my Tiger Mastiff Beast get a bye, skipping directly to the top three?"
"Help you? How can I help you?" Lin Tian asked.
Wang Yuan squirmed as he replied, "Big brother, when we draw lots later, there will be five slips; one of them blank. Your eyesight is so good, you'll definitely see which one is blank. If I draw the blank slip, third place is mine."
"Oh, that's what it's about!"
Lin Tian laughed, a sly laugh.
He possessed Subdue the Heavens and clairvoyance, finding the blank slip would be a piece of cake for him.
Witnessing Lin Tian's laugh, Wang Yuan suddenly felt a chilling sensation because he knew, whenever Lin Tian smirked like that, someone would suffer, and he vaguely sensed something bad.
"Um... Wang Yuan!"
Lin Tian scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. "Actually, I could help you find the blank slip."
"Really, big brother? You're the best," Wang Yuan shouted excitedly.
"But..." Lin Tian began, then hesitated.
Wang Yuan's face darkened, his eyes warily fixed on Lin Tian. So many good things had been ruined by the word "but."
"But I need to exert my powers to see the blank slip, which is very draining and takes a lot of effort, so, regarding our final profit, I would take seventy percent. The extra twenty percent will cover my supplements and nutrients."
"What, seventy percent?"
Wang Yuan exclaimed, step rapidly retreating as he stared at Lin Tian, the way a small rabbit would stare at a big wolf.
"Seventy percent, big brother, why don't you just rob someone? We agreed on fifty-fifty split initially, and now you're forcing me to give you an extra twenty percent? That's not what a gentleman does."
Lin Tian shrugged indifferently. "We did agree earlier, but you didn't mention needing my help to draw the blank slip. That takes a lot of energy. To help you get it, I'll need to recuperate for ten years. Buying me some nutrition doesn't put you at a loss at all."
Seeing Lin Tian's indifferent expression, Wang Yuan was so frustrated that he wanted to grind his teeth. Recuperating for ten years? He didn't believe it for a second.
Nevertheless, Lin Tian was clearly blackmailing him. Only Lin Tian could manage to draw the blank slip, and Wang Yuan had no choice but to rely on him.
Wang Yuan's face turned green as he reluctantly nodded. Seventy percent was a killer!
…, ….
After dinner, everyone headed to the Beast Fighting Arena. Five fighting beasts were placed around the cages, roaring continuously, their sounds reverberating powerfully.
The competition was about to start with the drawing of lots.
Lin Tian followed Wang Yuan down where there were five wooden boxes with a slot on top for the slips.
Lin Tian stood by, even spotting Huang Batian, who was nonchalantly prideful.
He activated Subdue the Heavens to observe the slips inside the boxes and noticed the third one was the blank slip.
He gestured three fingers to Wang Yuan, who immediately rushed to grab the third slip and held it in the palm of his hand.
Wang Yuan's Tiger Mastiff Beast got a bye!
The crocodile and the cheetah were matched against each other.
The King Kong Bear drew the tiger fighting beast.
The tiger fighting beast, being the second among the five, unfortunately drew the King Kong Bear. Lin Tian truly felt sorry for it, doomed to miss the top three.
Luck mattered incredibly.
The competition began with the first match between the King Kong Bear and the tiger.
The owner of the tiger went pale, almost wishing he could chop off his own hand.
He vividly remembered how the King Kong Bear had killed a fighting beast with a single swipe the day before, and had been counting on his tiger to make money. Wisely, he conceded the match immediately.
Next, the crocodile and the cheetah fought, and ultimately, the cheetah won.
The last three beasts standing were the King Kong Bear, the cheetah, and the Tiger Mastiff Beast.
Wang Yuan was very satisfied, conceded immediately, as did the owner of the cheetah, thus the top three rankings were finally set.
King Kong Bear, first; cheetah, second; Tiger Mastiff Beast, third.
The morning competition ended. In the afternoon, the final showdown would take place, Fire Dragon versus King Kong Bear.
The winner would be crowned King of Fighting Beasts for the year, and the loser would reluctantly settle for second.
After a few hours' rest at noon, they returned to the Beast Fighting Arena at three in the afternoon.
Today was a decisive battle, and people had arrived early, huddled in groups, buzzing with discussion.
They were eagerly anticipating which contender would be crowned the defending champion of the beast fight this year, their excitement palpable as they pulled out hefty sums of money, ready to place their bets.
At three o'clock sharp, the ultimate showdown officially began.
Li Linglong and Huang Batian stood on opposite sides, glaring at each other, exuding killing intent.
Huang Batian's Diamond Bear had been waiting in its cage, seemingly aware that this was the final battle, its roars louder than ever, its combat power at its peak.
With a wave of her hand, Li Linglong had a huge cage lifted over by a crane.
Lin Tian was also very excited to see what the Fire Dragon Elephant looked like.
"Wow...!"
As soon as the Fire Dragon Elephant appeared, a wave of astonishment swept through the crowd.
It was an imposing sight, striking terror into the onlookers.
Lin Tian also saw the Fire Dragon Elephant and felt quite shocked himself.
The Fire Dragon Elephant, standing three meters tall and five meters long, looked like a small mountain wherever it fought.
Its massive trunk, over two meters long and as thick as a chimney, was unlike any normal elephant, which could never grow to such proportions. This Fire Dragon Elephant must be a mutant or as if it had been injected with some sort of hormone.
Especially its red-hued body, which dazzled onlookers, making them drop their jaws as if it were a real Fire Dragon, as majestic as could be.
"Roar...!"
"Aooo...!"
The moment the Diamond Bear and Fire Dragon Elephant confronted each other, they burst into continuous roars, poised in a do-or-die stance.
Wang Yuan approached Lin Tian with several bank cards in hand, clearly intrigued, he asked, "Tian, which one are you betting on?"
"The Diamond Bear," Lin Tian replied nonchalantly, feeling that it was slightly stronger.
Wang Yuan nodded, left five billion as his principal, and placed all of the twenty billion on the line.
Everyone placed their bets, with the strengths of the Diamond Bear and the Fire Dragon Elephant seeming evenly matched, leading to an equal split among the backers.
Once all bets were made, the two beasts roared out, and the match began.
The two beasts clashed fiercely as if fire against water, throwing their all into the fray the moment their respective cages were opened.
Comparatively, the Fire Dragon Elephant was slightly stronger, but the Diamond Bear was more agile, and in terms of attack power, it was higher as well.
The Fire Dragon Elephant swung its trunk while the Diamond Bear struck with its paws, fiercely colliding into one another.
Boom, boom!
Two muffled sounds echoed as the massive trunk swept across the bear's paws, both parties retreating in tandem; this move had them evenly matched.
The Diamond Bear attacked again, this time using its agile body to jump to the side of the Fire Dragon Elephant, its claws raking fiercely across its waist.
The claws, sharp as daggers, tore through the elephant's skin, gruesomely ripping off a kilo of flesh.
The Fire Dragon Elephant bellowed in pain, quickly turning its head to whip its trunk, striking fiercely at the Diamond Bear's back, sending it flying over three meters away.
Both creatures, injured, were furiously enraged, lunging into the fray once more.
"It's over, the Fire Dragon Elephant has lost," Lin Tian said softly, watching the situation unfold, with Sweetie also perched on his shoulder, keenly observing.
Feiyan on the side was also deeply anxious, unwilling to see the Fire Dragon Elephant defeated, yet her keen eyes could see that it was increasingly at a disadvantage.
The Fire Dragon Elephant's strength was considerable, but so too was the Diamond Bear's. Now that the two beasts fought together, the bear's mouth and paws became lethal weapons. Its teeth and claws, sharper than knives, could easily rip the flesh from the Fire Dragon Elephant.
However, unable to overpower the Diamond Bear with strength alone and relying solely on its trunk in battle, the Fire Dragon Elephant failed to inflict fatal injuries on the bear.
Depending on its robust physique, the Fire Dragon Elephant could endure for a while, but it would ultimately be defeated.
The fierce battle continued, with both creatures desperately fighting. The body of the Fire Dragon Elephant was covered in wounds, while the Diamond Bear's mouth and paws were drenched in blood, the scattered flesh on the ground all belonging to the Fire Dragon Elephant.
Many in the audience could tell, the Fire Dragon Elephant was finished. The title of King of Fighting Beasts would belong to the Diamond Bear, to Huang Batian.
Li Linglong watched from the sidelines, her expression stoic, but her heart was tumultuous.
She knew the Fire Dragon Elephant couldn't hold on much longer, and this time, Huang Batian had come prepared; his goal was to seize the title of King of Fighting Beasts, and then gradually usurp her Beast Fighting Arena.
Whoever claimed the title of King of Fighting Beasts would become the master of the Beast Fighting Arena.
Although it was cruel, reality was such. Position and power were always coveted, and to maintain one's own status and power, one had to become stronger and suppress anyone who posed a threat.
A few more minutes passed, and the Fire Dragon Elephant sustained several heavy blows, visibly about to fall.
Li Linglong could do nothing but surreptitously glance towards Lin Tian.
Hopefully, he could help her turn the situation around!
She sighed deeply and then struck the gong beside her that signified defeat.
The Fire Dragon Elephant had lost!
