C37 Killed Three People

In the Hunting Grounds, Wei Lulin ventured deeper, guided by the map Wei Ying had provided. The Magical Beasts he encountered grew increasingly formidable, and more contestants began to emerge.

At this early stage of the competition, contestants carried few Jade Plates, if any. Without deep-seated grudges, they generally refrained from engaging in lethal combat.

However, should old enmities exist, they would find themselves locked in a fierce battle to the death.

Having expended nearly half of his Spiritual Force, Wei Lulin had just vanquished a Grade Ten Flower Tail Fox at the pinnacle of its middle rank. As he was about to claim the beast's inner core, three figures slowly came into view.

Caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the contestants, Wei Lulin braced for battle. Upon realizing their unremarkable strength, his tension swiftly dissipated.

Yet, he did not stoop to retrieve the inner core from the Flower Tail Fox. Remaining vigilant, he focused on replenishing his depleted Spiritual Force.

Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit, and all the more so when facing three Qi Refining Stage warriors. Confident but not reckless, Wei Lulin maintained his guard.

A chill flickered in his eyes as he recognized the newcomers: they were from the Tian family, a mid-sized power that had risen in Yao Country over the past few decades.

For an emerging family in Yao Country to thrive, it required not only formidable martial prowess and ample wealth but also a solid patron. Only four forces could offer such patronage: the royal family and the three great families. The Tian family was backed by the Jiaang family.

While the four great families harbored animosity towards each other, the intensity of their hatred varied. For instance, the Xie family's hatred for the royal family far exceeded their animosity towards the Wei and Jiaang families.

Conversely, the Wei family's enmity for the Jiaang family surpassed any ill will they held towards the royal family and the Xie family. This was a legacy of hatred, built up over more than ten generations, not easily dissolved by mere words.

As a vassal of the Jiaang family, the Ding family was unfailingly loyal to them and harbored deep-seated animosity towards the Wei family.

The three competitors from the Ding family had been fervently searching for the Jade Plates. However, upon encountering Wei Lulin, their instinct was to flee, seeing as he stood over the carcass of a Middle Rank Grade Nine Magical Beast, the Flower Tail Fox.

The Flower Tail Fox ranked among the most formidable of the Middle Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts, surpassing even the might of an average Qi Refining Stage Level Six warrior. If Lulin had single-handedly slain the Flower Tail Fox, then the trio would stand no chance against him.

The most powerful among them had only just reached the Qi Refining Stage Level Five and was yet to fully consolidate his power.

"Hold on, our adversary seems quite feeble." They had been ready to make a run for it, but the strongest among them, a Ding family Expert, noticed that Lulin's aura indicated he was merely at the Qi Refining Stage Level Three, which raised doubts in his mind.

Lulin's defensive stance only deepened the Expert's suspicions. He began to question whether Lulin had actually killed the Flower Tail Fox or had simply stumbled upon its body.

With this mindset, he not only ceased his escape but also signaled his companions to do the same.

"Young man, are you with the Wei family? How come I've never seen you before?" asked the Ding family Expert, his voice dripping with condescension.

Prior to the Hunting Competition, families would go to great lengths to gather intelligence on the participants. While it was impossible to have complete information, there was typically detailed documentation on those who had attained the Qi Refining Stage Level Four or higher.

Lulin had such a dossier, which Wei Ying had made sure to send him before the competition.

This was precisely how he could identify the trio as Ding family contestants at a glance.

Nonetheless, the data collected on the Wei, Xie, and Jiaang families, as well as the royal lineage, was particularly unique due to their ancient heritages and clandestine techniques unknown to outsiders. As a result, comprehensive profiles were compiled on every contestant from these venerable families, even those only at the Qi Refining Stage Level Three.

Wei Lulin, dressed in the Wei family's attire, was only at the Qi Refining Stage Level Three in his cultivation. To the three Ding family experts, he appeared to be a complete stranger.

This was largely due to Wei Lulin's unique circumstances. His return to the Wei family had been marked by an extreme discretion. Previously, his damaged meridians had halted his ability to cultivate, leading him to vanish from public view. Until now, aside from a few senior members of the Wei family and the experts who had welcomed him home, virtually no one recognized him as the so-called 'trash' from a year prior.

With a dismissive "Humph!" Wei Lulin brushed off the disdain from these three, paying no heed to their accusations. His vigilance was entirely on the Tian family contestants, as he exerted every effort to replenish his Spiritual Force.

Indeed, with the Spiritual Force still within Wei Lulin's dantian and his ever-improving Basic Blade Technique, he could have effortlessly dispatched these three adversaries. Yet, he couldn't shake the sensation of an encroaching danger lurking around him, compelling him to keep in peak condition to confront any imminent threats.

"Brat, you dare to ignore us? You're asking for death," bellowed a Tian family cultivator at the pinnacle of the Qi Refining Stage Level Four, charging at Wei Lulin with his sword drawn.

His two associates watched with malicious grins, anticipating Wei Lulin's downfall at the hands of their comrade.

Meanwhile, the most formidable Ding family Expert greedily eyed the Flower Tail Fox carcass at Wei Lulin's feet.

Initially, the fox's remains had led them to overestimate Wei Lulin's prowess. But after careful observation, they were convinced of his mere Qi Refining Stage Level Three strength.

His unfamiliar face had led them to assume he was a Wei's disciple of little consequence, perhaps a last-minute addition to the Hunting Competition. Otherwise, the Tian family's intelligence would surely have included details about him.

Underestimating him, the Tian family disciple launched an attack on Wei Lulin without employing martial skills or even utilizing more than a third of his Spiritual Force.

In Wei Lulin's view, if he hadn't been wearing the Wei family's attire, which gave him an innate sense of caution, he wouldn't have bothered to exert even a third of his Spiritual Force.

When the Ding family Expert thrust his long sword toward Wei Lulin's forehead, Lulin remained unfazed. He channeled a tenth of his remaining Spiritual Force into his steel blade, lunged forward, and swiftly dodged by tilting his head to the left. He held the blade with the hilt up and the tip pointed upward. With a swift motion, Lulin used the blade to slice upwards through the Ding family Expert's crotch.