Translator: CinderTL
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Hua Xiong drove with Li Chunjun towards the location of the Battle of the Hunters.
As they departed, dozens, even hundreds, of drones took off, closely following the convoy of the twenty-six participants.
Meanwhile, inside the Summit Tower.
All the VIP guests were able to watch firsthand information relayed by the drones in various ways.
In a four-story indoor hall, the large screen behind was divided into twenty-six squares, each corresponding to one of the participants.
There were also scattered smaller screens, each tracking an individual participant.
On the platform beneath the big screen, several experts in martial arts kept explaining the profiles of the twenty-six contestants.
Staff members came and went, marking each participant's odds of winning, betting odds, and more.
Despite the hall only having around a hundred or so guests, it was bustling with activity.
...
On the fourth floor, in a VIP room of over 300 square meters, all nine directors had arrived.
The room was filled with large screens almost covering the entire walls.
At this moment, the nine directors and about ten influential figures from Xuanzhou sat on sofas, forming small circles and chatting, exchanging ideas.
Some trusted staff members served tea and ran errands.
Soon, the door to the VIP room opened.
Master Qing, accompanied by Shi Jiang Long, entered.
Seeing him, all twenty-two people in the room, whether relatives of cultivators or cultivators themselves, stood up in unison and greeted him warmly: "Master Qing."
"Master Qing is here."
"Master Qing looks even more energetic today."
Everyone spoke with smiles.
It was as if standing before them was not just the head of Summit Tower, who was backed by high-level Qi Refining cultivators, but also a respected practitioner who had reached the level of magical power and even Dao foundation.
"Please, take a seat, everyone."
Master Qing responded with a smile.
His demeanor was calm and composed.
This reassured many of the people in the room.
However, some of them were still secretly sizing him up, seemingly trying to figure out what his current situation was.
But when they saw Shi Jiang Long next to him, even those who were curious didn't dare show their thoughts.
Over the years, Master Qing's authority in controlling Summit Tower had been deeply ingrained. It wouldn't be easily shaken by a few months' worth of rumors.
"This is quite the spectacle. Four innate martial artists, how long has it been since we've seen something like this? I don't even know how to place my bets now."
"Who's the hunter, and who's the prey? Can't quite tell."
"Speaking of innate martial artists, there's actually an eighteen-year-old among them!? Eighteen, an innate martial artist—could it be true?"
"I'm curious too, is it real?"
As many people asked, they glanced at Zhou Yi and Master Qing.
"This information was personally reported by Master Ye, and there are no less than five martial artists who confirmed it with their own lives in combat, so it's probably not fake."
Zhou Yi smiled and said, "So, if anyone has any thoughts, feel free to place your bets. Perhaps the issue you're facing will be resolved through this battle."
"Ye Sheng? I trust his judgment," said a man of notable status.
"Then I'll trust you this time, Zhou Yi. I'll bet on him. If something goes wrong, you'll have to take responsibility for me."
"Mr. Zhang, don't say that. I can't afford to compensate. The most I can do is send this little brother over to accompany you."
Zhou Yi quickly responded.
"If we lose, we might not even have half a life left. What would I want him for? Make minced meat out of him to feed the dogs? That's meaningless."
"At least he's an eighteen-year-old innate martial artist. If he grows into a cultivator, wouldn't that be worth the investment?"
"Heh, is it really that easy to achieve Qi Refining and physical cultivation? Besides, even if he survives the Qi cultivation, how do we know if he's just a treacherous wolf in disguise? A true confidant needs to be nurtured from a young age to shape their values."
Mr. Zhang said.
His words gained approval from several others.
Some of them cast a subtle glance at Master Qing.
Master Qing, however, maintained his usual calm expression.
He only said lightly, "Let's see."
...
The vehicles continued on and soon arrived at the mountain area where the assessment had previously taken place.
"Once we enter the grounds, the Battle of the Hunters will officially begin. Don't even think about leaving or running away. Apart from the drones in the sky, the electric fences will also be fully charged, so escaping won't be easy," Hua Xiong warned.
"Moreover, Master Qing's trusted assistant Shi Fu Hu, along with the four innate martial artists such as Ye Sheng, are watching from the outside. Anyone who breaks the rules will face the harshest punishment!"
Li Chunjun's expression remained calm.
He simply glanced at the drones flying above...
A slight frown formed.
But after considering that, apart from Summit Tower, there would be no other place in Xuanzhou to provide him with so many martial artists and innate martial artists, he suppressed his unease about being "watched."
"Go ahead. I hope you'll be the only one to return alive from this Summit battle," Hua Xiong said, opening the car door.
"I'll survive," Li Chunjun replied calmly, sword in hand, and walked toward the entrance.
However, as he stepped in, he keenly felt a gaze lingering on him.
He glanced sideways...
Shi Fu Hu? Master Qing's trusted assistant?
But he didn't think too much about it. Soon, he followed the crowd and entered the arena, called Snow Forest.
Almost as soon as he stepped into the mountain forest, someone immediately followed him.
The four innate martial artists, who were seen as seed candidates for reaching the peak, were stationed at four corners of the forest. Li Chunjun couldn't immediately lock eyes with Zhang San, Blood Fang, or Lei Long.
Similarly, the three martial artists couldn't immediately target him either.
But that didn't stop them from sending people to keep an eye on Li Chunjun, in case he hid somewhere, only to reappear with near-full strength as the competition neared its end.
It was easy to hide someone in a forest spanning over tens of kilometers, and if it was just for a day or two, it would be very simple.
Li Chunjun said nothing and kept a steady pace as he headed deeper into the forest.
However, to ensure a good viewing experience and facilitate smooth drone filming, the forest areas here weren't overly dense. Even trees growing together were cut down in advance to prevent obstruction of the view.
Li Chunjun walked for a while but couldn't find an environment that could fully block the drones, so he stopped.
At this point, five people had already followed him.
Two from one side and three from the other.
And...
When they realized Li Chunjun was ignoring them, the two factions of five people clearly became bolder.
Especially the group of three, who boldly followed Li Chunjun.
Seeing this, Li Chunjun didn't waste time.
He turned, crouched slightly.
The next moment...
His body suddenly accelerated, arms swinging as he charged directly at the three people who were following him.
This scene caused the three to change their expressions.
"What are you doing!? This isn't your private road, are you saying we can't walk here!?"
One of them instinctively shouted the excuse they'd already prepared.
And quickly formed a battle stance.
Looking at the trio, they clearly weren't random martial artists like Du Kang, Tan Li, or Wen Sen.
They were seasoned teammates skilled in cooperative attacks.
(End of the Chapter)
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