Chapter 316: The Martial Meet Begins, Lin Fan's Opponent!
Lin Fan followed Gu Yuntian's gaze and saw a large group entering the arena from not far away.
"Who are they?" Lin Fan raised an eyebrow and asked Gu Mengqi beside him.
Her voice dropped slightly. "That's the Wei Clan."
"The Wei Clan, huh…" Lin Fan's eyes narrowed slightly, recalling the events on Xuanling Island, where he had annihilated Wei Song and a group of Wei Clan members.
Upon closer inspection, he could indeed sense a familiar aura from these people.
Leading the Wei Clan was a man in grey robes. Strapped to his back was an enormous, exaggerated broadsword that radiated an intense and domineering blade aura even when sheathed.
Beside the sword-wielding man stood a lean, smiling figure. Though his expression was calm, a chilling, venomous aura clung to him—like a viper hidden in the grass.
"The one with the sword is Wei Zhen, the strongest among the younger generation of the Wei Clan. He's mastered the Wei Clan's Mountain-Crushing Blade Technique to an exceptional degree," Gu Mengqi explained in a soft voice.
"As for the other, he's Chen Luo, the first disciple of Elder Xiegu from the Evil Wind Cave."
"Elder Xiegu's disciple…" Lin Fan's brows lifted. He recalled the black-robed Symbol Master at the Minor Mastery level whom he'd killed on Xuanling Island. That one had also been a disciple of Xiegu.
It seemed the Wei Clan had close ties with Evil Wind Cave.
Gu Mengqi then went on to introduce the strongest youths from the Song and Su Clans.
The most powerful among them were Song Chen of the Song Clan and Su Yan of the Su Clan, both of whom were at the peak of the Minor Mastery Life Xuan Stage.
Lin Fan casually swept his gaze across them and nodded slightly, but didn't pay much attention.
None of these so-called "elites" from the Five Great Clans had even reached the Great Mastery level. To him, they were meaningless.
…
Time slowly passed amidst the rising tension, but the Martial Meet did not start right away.
Under the arrangements of the Five Clans, several arenas had been set up for friendly matches. Many independent cultivators were already exchanging blows, hoping to show off and be recruited by the clans.
Though doing so meant sacrificing some freedom, it also meant gaining resources and protection—different paths for different people.
Lin Fan sat in the Gu Clan's viewing area, casually watching the duels. To him, it was no different from watching a street performance. Mildly amusing, at least.
Only when the sun rose high did the noise begin to quiet.
It was time for the Martial Meet to officially begin.
At the summit, there was a large open square.
Floating above the plaza, a venerable elder from the Shentu Clan hovered in the air.
"The Martial Meet is held once a year. I need not repeat the rules: matches are determined by lottery. Each clan sends three participants."
His deep voice rumbled through the crowd like thunder.
As his words fell, a glowing ring rose from his palm. Inside the ring, four radiant lots spun slowly.
Shiiing!
The moment the ring appeared, Gu Mengqi rose, as did the representatives of the other clans. They extended their hands, and waves of suction power pulled one glowing lot each into their hands.
Whoosh!
As Gu Mengqi pulled her lot from the ring, a light beam extended from its tip—stretching across the sky and connecting to another lot.
That lot fell into the hands of none other than the Su Clan.
Lin Fan's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced across the square and met the gaze of Su Yan, who was holding the connected lot.
Su Yan smiled faintly as he looked back, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.
"Our first-round opponents are the Su Clan…" Gu Mengqi said softly, her eyes flickering as she looked in their direction.
Then, she held out the lot in her hand, which split into three beams. She passed one to Lin Fan and one to Lin Dong.
"Time to draw lots. These will randomly determine which opponent you'll face."
Gu Yan reached out first and took a lot. As soon as she grasped it, a beam of light shot out from its tip and connected with a tall man from the Su Clan.
"That's Su Qin," Gu Yan muttered, frowning slightly.
Then Lin Fan casually reached for his own lot, and under countless watchful gazes, the beam it emitted connected with the one held by—Su Yan.
Uproar!
The moment the connection was made, a wave of surprised murmurs broke out among the crowd. Countless eyes turned to Lin Fan, while hushed voices quickly spread.
"Wait… that guy's not from the Gu Clan, right? He must be their external aid. Anyone know who he is?"
"I've never seen him before. Doesn't seem to be from the Tianfeng Sea Region. A no-name?"
"Tsk, tsk. The Gu Clan got unlucky. That Su Qin is second only to Su Yan in the Su Clan. Gu Yan's in trouble."
"And now with Su Yan up against that unknown external ally, the Gu Clan might lose both matches in round one…"
Amid the whispers, the Gu Clan remained calm—completely unbothered.
Are you kidding? Even Elder Gu Shuo wasn't a match for Lin Fan. Su Yan beating him? That would be a joke.
"Little Yan's matchup is tricky. Su Qin's already entered the Life Xuan Stage. She'll probably lose that fight. Looks like we'll be counting on Brother Lin Fan in round one," Gu Mengqi said quietly.
Lin Fan smiled. "Don't worry. Leave it to me."
"Let's go," Gu Mengqi said with a warm smile. With a wave of her hand, she took the lead and descended to the arena below.
"Lin Fan, we're counting on you." Gu Yan gave a wry smile and followed suit, clearly aware that her own chances of victory were slim.
Lin Fan remained composed. With a flicker of movement, he too landed on one of the arena platforms. His gaze locked on Su Yan.
Su Yan looked back, a slight smile on his thin face. He tapped the ground lightly and appeared across from Lin Fan in the arena.
"Since all have entered the field, the duels may begin. Also, during the matches—there are no restrictions. Injuries must be borne by the combatants themselves."
The Shentu Clan elder's voice echoed across the sky, calm and authoritative.
BOOM!
As he finished speaking, three waves of powerful Yuan Power exploded across the platforms. Two of them erupted instantly into battle, shadows weaving and striking in fierce exchanges.
But on the third platform—all eyes focused there—neither of the two combatants had moved.
"Su Yan of the Su Clan."
Su Yan looked briefly at the other arenas, then turned to Lin Fan and smiled, cupping his fists politely.
"Lin Fan," Lin Fan replied calmly, then added, "Go ahead. If you don't make the first move… you might not get a chance."
Uproar!
The crowd erupted in astonishment at his words.
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