Chapter 103: Luring the Dragon Out

Right now, relative to Lin Zhan's position, there were three white dots in the nearest proximity. These three white dots represented three disciples of unknown strength and unknown identity from various peaks.

Back when they were still at the gathering point, everyone had worn veils over their faces, and none of them knew one another's true appearances.

Only among the close disciples of the same peak might there exist a separate secret method for identifying each other.

A lone wolf like Lin Zhan could only rely on himself, plain and simple.

Zone Two was the outer ring of the North Border Forest, but it extended somewhat deeper into the center than the area where Lin Zhan and Yun Yin had entered previously.

This was a vast expanse of dense primeval forest, immeasurably wide and boundless.

Naturally, the first round of screening also had a time limit. The top ten had to accumulate their point values to the required standard within three days to successfully advance to the next stage. Otherwise, they would be considered eliminated.

And this so-called "required standard" meant that out of the total one hundred points shared by everyone, one had to possess at least ten points to have a chance at advancing.

Of course, there was also a special scenario: if one or several disciples were overwhelmingly dominant, absorbing most of their opponents' points, and one person held several dozen points, then the remaining top ten candidates might not need as many points to advance.

Lin Zhan found a relatively sparse area where white dots were few, slipped into a rock cave, and began consolidating his newly broken-through Yellow rank, second grade realm.

For Lin Zhan, the Yellow rank, second grade was nourished by the essence blood of the Purple-Gold Luan, reshaping him from the inside out.

This time, Lin Zhan let his spiritual power circulate through his body dozens, even hundreds of times. Combined with the incantation for Creation Awakening—the first stage of the Creation True Scripture—it seemed that the Creation force that had been completely exhausted earlier now showed signs of gathering once more.

The sources of Creation force generally numbered three: the fruits of one's own cultivation, the collection of Creation force from the external environment, and the karmic connections arising from matters related to oneself.

The last source was comparatively elusive and insubstantial, yet it genuinely existed. What is called doing good and accumulating virtue, the cycle of cause and effect, and the certainty of retribution—the impact of a person doing something, and the influence it has on themselves and others—this is karmic creation. For Lin Zhan, this too was a form of Creation force.

Saving the Golden Lion and Lian Fengying, the subsequent upheaval involving Nightingale, and the transfer of the Purple-Gold Luan's essence blood—these were newly generated Creation forces that began to take the lead among the Creation spiritual power within Lin Zhan's body.

The three white dots were drawing closer, flickering now bright, now dim, indicating that a battle was taking place among them.

Suddenly, one of the white dots rapidly broke away and headed in the direction of Lin Zhan's red dot.

Immediately afterward, the two white dots behind it followed in pursuit.

"Damn, damn, damn! What the hell is this? The moment I get here, I run into two disciples from Blazing Sword Peak. Heaven is trying to kill me!" Mang Tian, a disciple of Heaven's Apex Peak, was currently fleeing for his life at great speed. Behind him, two other figures were in hot pursuit—Gao Yi and Gao Xun, two disciples of Blazing Sword Peak.

These three were precisely the three nearest white dots that Lin Zhan had seen on his number plate, one hundred sixty.

"Mang Tian, you goddamn chicken thief! What did the chickens raised by my Blazing Sword Peak ever do to you? Several hundred of them! In half a month, you stole every last one!" Gao Yi let out a hoarse, tearful accusation.

Because the chicken farm at Blazing Sword Peak was under the patrol and supervision of him and Gao Xun, and the chickens had all been stolen by Mang Tian.

Those were no ordinary chickens—they were Celestial Heaven Chickens, greatly nourishing to one's cultivation, and ingredients that only appeared on the high-class banquet tables of Blazing Sword Peak.

Gao Xun also roared angrily, "Heaven has eyes! It let me run into Senior Brother Gao Yi, and the moment we came in, we found you. Today, we'll beat you until your chickens fly and your dogs jump!"

Two sharp arrows of Blazing Sword Peak were aimed from afar at Mang Tian's backside.

None of the three were slow. Mang Tian, in the lead, quickly reached the vicinity of the rock cave where Lin Zhan was hiding.

Seeing that fleeing like this was no solution, and having discovered an extra white dot on his number plate at this location, Mang Tian stopped on the spot.

"Two big brothers, I admit stealing the chickens was wrong, but you two haven't actually suffered any losses. And right now, we're in the elimination round of the grand competition. How about we form an alliance? If we keep fighting like this, we'll probably just be handing the advantage to someone else." Mang Tian transmitted his voice, even winking and grimacing.

Gao Yi and Gao Xun were not an inseparable iron bucket either. Within the elimination grounds, points were the most important thing. If they could form an alliance, their odds of making it into the top ranks would undoubtedly be far greater.

"An alliance isn't impossible, but we need to set some rules." Gao Xun also transmitted his voice. He and his senior brother Gao Yi had naturally also noticed that there was someone else here.

The three seemed to share a tacit understanding as they took up three positions around the mouth of the cave, forming a pincer stance.

"Rules are certainly necessary. Two big brothers, when we earn points, you get to distribute them first. Whatever's left over, you can leave for me, your little brother." Mang Tian replied, but in his heart he was sneering, "Heh heh, when the time comes and your points have fattened up, in the end, they'll all be handed over to me."

After several exchanges, the temporary alliance among the three was established.

"He's inside. Mang Tian, you go in!" Gao Yi transmitted.

"Damn it! Is this what an alliance looks like? I rush in and die first, then you two brothers pick up the spoils?" Mang Tian grumbled inwardly. Only an idiot would barge in like that. He replied, "We'd better lure him out."

"Lure the snake out of its hole?" Gao Xun was displeased. "Stop jabbering! If we don't move fast, others will be coming!"

That was indeed true. In elimination zone two, the area was not small, but for a hundred cultivators, no matter the distance, most could arrive within a few breaths.

Standing at the mouth of the cave, Mang Tian shouted inside, "Which peak's senior or junior brother is in there? You're already trapped! Come out obediently and admit defeat, hand over the points in your possession, and we brothers—a few dozen of us—won't torment you!"

Mang Tian deliberately claimed there were a few dozen, thinking to intimidate the other party with sheer numbers.

At this, Gao Yi and Gao Xun sneered with contempt. "Pig-brained fool. Don't you think he can check his number plate? He should know exactly how many people there are."

Several breaths passed, yet the cave remained perfectly silent.

The three tensed their expressions, fury rising within them.

Mang Tian held a large fire talisman in hand, nodded to Gao Yi and Gao Xun, and flung the talisman into the cave.

The word "Arrive" had barely left his lips when the great fire talisman transformed into a violently burning mass of flames, roaring into blaze.

However, just as the great fireball was about to charge inside, a cracking detonation sounded from within the cave, and a tongue of flame carrying even more scorching heat shot out first!

In an instant, the fireball produced by the talisman was overwhelmed on the spot, while a dragon-like surge of silver light and golden flame swept outward, landing square and true upon the front of Mang Tian's body.

With crackling explosions, it shattered the spiritual power protecting his body in the blink of an eye. His robes were completely destroyed, his face scorched pitch black, and his eyebrows and hair instantly burned into vapor—not a single strand remained.

Gao Yi and Gao Xun saw that things were going badly, and hastily raised their long swords to set up a defensive formation.

Both were shaken to the core. They had tried to lure the snake out of its hole, only to find they had lured out a fire dragon instead!