221: Chapter 221 The performance should end.

"Then what if True Monarch Fang Xuan is cooperating with the Demonic Path?"

Lin Ming suddenly spoke up.

"Junior Brother, you mean True Monarch Fang Xuan is cooperating with the Demonic Path to frame the Ma Family, hoping to use Yuanxu Mountain's hand to wipe them out?"

Xu Chuan looked at Lin Ming, a hint of approval appearing in his eyes.

"Didn't Senior Brother think of that?"

Lin Ming looked at Xu Chuan and asked in return.

"Indeed, I did have such a thought,"

Xu Chuan nodded.

Such things were not unprecedented. Especially during the power struggle between the two sides five hundred years ago, many forces had framed one another to eliminate their enemies.

It had caused considerable trouble for the situation back then. It was only after several major Sects joined forces and wiped out a few of those framing parties that the matter was suppressed.

"That possibility exists as well,"

Xu Chuan said.

He had thought of this possibility, but in the end, it was just a possibility; he couldn't be entirely certain.

It was also possible that the Ma Family really was cooperating with the Demonic Path.

Both were possibilities.

And since this matter involved the Demonic Sect, they had to handle it with caution.

After all, these Demonic Path forces were showing signs of a comeback, and they had to crush every spark before it could spread.

"I will report this matter to the Sect,"

Xu Chuan said.

Regardless of whether it was true or false, he would report it to the Sect.

"Everything will be according to Senior Brother's decision,"

Lin Ming and the others nodded.

Currently, Xu Chuan was the strongest among them, so they naturally followed his lead.

"In the coming days, you must act with caution,"

Xu Chuan told the three of them.

If a Demonic Path force really had designs on Yanyun Mountain, they were very likely being watched, which was extremely dangerous for them.

He even considered taking Lin Ming and the others away from Yanyun Mountain immediately, but he held back.

To be safe, he decided to stay at Yanyun Mountain for now, contact the Sect, and wait for reinforcements.

Master Yun Hua's Disciple,

And the daughter of the Peak Master of Hidden Sword Peak—

With these two here, the Sect would certainly not sit idly by.

"Understood."

...

A full moon hung in the night sky.

Moonlight cascaded down, scattering across the land.

On a certain mountain's cliffside, Su Lianxue's figure appeared.

She stood at the edge, her gaze falling toward the cliff face.

She was looking at a stalk of grass that was surrounded by a faint moonlight, merging the lunar glow into itself.

Su Lianxue leaped down the cliff. Simultaneously, a short sword appeared in her hand, and as she neared the grass, she plunged the blade directly into the rock face to stabilize herself.

Once steady, she reached out and plucked the grass.

Her Cultivation Technique immediately began to circulate.

The moonlight surrounding the grass and the moonlight fused within it were absorbed into Su Lianxue's body.

A few seconds later, the stalk of grass turned to powder and dissipated into the air.

Next, Su Lianxue fixed her gaze on another stalk of grass and continued her descent.

...

"In the fourth round, Lin Ming receives a bye,"

Sun Yiwen announced.

"It seems my luck is good, getting a bye,"

Lin Ming said with a smile.

Perhaps it was his own luck, or perhaps someone had pulled some strings.

But since he had a bye, it wasn't a bad thing for him.

Though Lin Ming still wanted to keep performing and showing off his acting skills,

An occasional rest wasn't a bad thing either.

"He certainly is lucky."

"Yeah, it's lucky for Lin Ming that he didn't run into the other three."

"It's useless. Once this round is over, the chance of meeting them in the next round is even higher."

For some reason, the number of people hoping for Lin Ming to lose had increased.

Perhaps they had all bet on Lin Ming being eliminated.

Of course, this was exactly what Lin Ming wanted to see.

It looked like he could place another round of bets in a moment.

As usual, Nie Wen took the stage and his opponent surrendered.

As for the favorites to win, Fu Xici and Song Shu, although their opponents didn't surrender, they were easily defeated. They couldn't pose any threat to the two, let alone force them to show their true strength.

In the fifth round, twenty-two people remained. After a fierce battle with a Loose Cultivator at the Spirit Platform Ninth Heaven, Lin Ming managed to win by a single move, securing a difficult victory.

The eleven who were defeated were not entirely out. These eleven would fight each other in turns; each win earned one point, and a loss earned none.

Based on the final scores, the two with the lowest scores would be eliminated, while the remaining nine would be ranked from twelfth to twentieth based on their points.

"These four families really know how to play,"

Lin Ming chuckled.

To arrange more matches, these four families had really put in a lot of effort.

The more matches there were, the longer the competition would last, and the more profit they could gain.

For Lin Ming, his acting performance of winning with difficulty was about to come to an end.

The betting pools were closing.

Now only eleven people remained to chase the final rankings.

The four families closed the betting pools at this time.

Since the pools were closed, there was no need for Lin Ming to keep hiding. He could appropriately reveal a bit of his strength.

With eleven people, one would still receive a bye through drawing lots. The remaining ten would draw lots to fight. The winners would advance, while the five losers would fight each other in turns like the previous group, ranking from seventh to eleventh based on their scores.

"In the sixth round, Li Yunfan receives a bye."

"This Li Yunfan's strength is extraordinary,"

Xu Chuan's gaze fell on Li Yunfan as he spoke.

This person was one of the few cultivators who had left an impression on him.

"Which family's Disciple is he?"

Lin Ming looked at Li Yunfan and asked.

To receive his Senior Brother's recognition meant this person's strength was quite good.

"Li Yunfan is a Loose Cultivator,"

Gong Hui said at this time.

Without needing to check, the people around had already dug up his identity.

He was the only Loose Cultivator left among the eleven; the other ten were all Disciples of Sects or great families.

The fact that Li Yunfan could make it this far as a Loose Cultivator was enough to prove his strength was unusual.

It was just that Lin Ming hadn't seen him fight yet and didn't know much about him.

"Senior Brother, has there been a reply from the Sect?"

Lin Ming asked.

Compared to this Li Yunfan, he was more interested in the Sect's response.

"No reply yet,"

Xu Chuan shook his head.

He had used a special secret method to send a message to the Sect, but he still hadn't received a reply.

Perhaps the Sect's reinforcements were already on their way.

"Let's wait a bit longer,"

Xu Chuan continued.

If the Sect didn't reply to them, they would likely have to take other measures.

They wouldn't just keep waiting like this.

"Lin Ming versus Shi Lei."

This round of confrontation soon reached Lin Ming's turn.

The first match was still opened by Nie Wen, whose opponent was a Disciple of the Shangji Sect.

Seeing that he was up against Nie Wen, that person simply surrendered.

Despite being fellow Disciples, Nie Wen was just as ruthless toward his own Sect members.