After the spoils were divided, satisfied smiles appeared on the faces of the three, including Lin Dong. Even Mu Lingsha's face suddenly showed an incomparable joy. She had only participated in this hunt to achieve a relatively decent ranking, to slightly boost the reputation of their Mu Family Manor, but she never expected to gain such a huge harvest today.
Compared to this Fire Python Tiger cub, the hunt itself seemed insignificant, not worth mentioning.
"We should continue on our way, shouldn't we?" Wu Yun said with a smile, carefully placing the cub into his embrace.
Lin Dong nodded. He only needed two more identity tokens to meet the requirements, but for him, this would obviously not be a problem.
"I won't be going," Mu Lingsha said, shaking her head after a moment of thought.
Hearing this, Lin Dong and Wu Yun were both stunned. They then glanced at the small beast in Mu Lingsha's arms, and immediately seemed to understand, nodding their heads. A Fire Python Tiger cub, once it matures, can reach the Heavenly Yuan Stage, making it extremely valuable. If she could bring it back and successfully tame it, then their Mu Family Manor would have a Heavenly Yuan Stage Fire Python Tiger as a guardian. That would be an incredibly good thing for the entire manor.
After all, currently, there was only one person in the Mu Family Manor who had reached the early Heavenly Yuan Stage.
A Fire Python Tiger cub could easily attract covetous eyes. Moreover, once word of this got out, the Lei-Xie families would certainly not stand idly by. While the Lin Family and Mad Blade Martial Hall had some concerns, they weren't overly afraid of the Lei-Xie families. But Mu Lingsha's Mu Family Manor was different; they would have no way to resist the Lei-Xie families. Therefore, the fact that she possessed the cub could not be exposed, or it would bring disaster upon the Mu Family Manor.
"We'll help you keep it a secret," Lin Dong said softly.
"Thank you," Mu Lingsha said, her eyes showing gratitude as she looked at Lin Dong. Then she cheerfully smiled and added, "If you two ever have time in the future, you're welcome to visit my Mu Family Manor. I'll be sure to treat you well!"
"Haha, alright," Wu Yun also nodded with a smile.
Seeing that the two had no objections, Mu Lingsha didn't linger. After bidding them farewell, she carefully hid the cub. Her lithe body leaped onto a tree branch, and like an agile leopard, she swiftly fled towards the edge of the forest.
"Let's go."
Watching Mu Lingsha leave, Lin Dong also waved his hand, then turned and quickly walked deeper into the forest. Wu Yun hurriedly followed.
Deeper into the forest, the number of people had thinned out considerably. Moreover, the abilities of those remaining were not bad. However, these abilities posed no significant obstacle compared to Lin Dong's Earthly Yuan Stage strength. He successfully acquired the last two identity tokens.
***
The winter sun wasn't too scorching; instead, it made people feel incredibly comfortable. Around the Beast Horn Arena, a sea of people stretched as far as the eye could see. Countless gazes were fixed on the center of the Beast Horn Arena, where a vast plaza lay.
“Based on the time, it seems the contestants should be about to step onto the stage…” From the Lin family’s spot, Lin Zhengtian squinted, glanced at the enormous platform, and muttered.
“Hehe, Father, don’t worry. With Lin Dong’s current strength, as long as he doesn’t encounter Lei Li of the Lei family, obtaining ten identity tokens shouldn’t be difficult at all.”
Lin Keng said with a smile from the side.
Hearing this, Lin Zhengtian also nodded with a smile. Just as he collected himself, sudden bursts of cheers erupted from within the Beast Horn Arena. He looked over and saw several figures suddenly appear on the enormous platform. Among them was a familiar figure, which made him quietly let out a sigh of relief.
On the giant platform, as soon as Lin Dong and Wu Yun appeared, their gazes swept over the dense sea of people surrounding the platform. They couldn’t help but click their tongues in admiration; such a massive crowd was truly impossible to see on a normal day.
As Lin Dong and his companions stepped onto the platform, several officiating referees quickly approached. After checking the number of identity tokens in their hands, they nodded in satisfaction and retreated.
Not long after Lin Dong and Wu Yun stepped onto the stage, two more figures ascended the stone platform not far away. As soon as these two appeared, their faces were ashen and their angry gazes fixed directly on Lin Dong and Wu Yun.
In response to the angry gazes of Lei Li and Xie Yingying, Lin Dong and Wu Yun exchanged a glance, both chuckling.
“I won’t let you just take the young beasts away so easily!”
Seeing their smiles, Lei Li grew even angrier. He suddenly turned around, facing the viewing stands of the Lei and Xie families, and shouted loudly: “Grandfather, Uncle Xie, Yingying and I accidentally encountered a severely injured Fire Python Tiger and its three newborn cubs in the forest. The two of us fought fiercely for a long time before finally killing it, but unexpectedly, at the most crucial moment, Lin Dong and Wu Yun suddenly ambushed us and stole the three cubs! Please uphold justice for us!”
Lei Li’s sudden loud shout stunned everyone. Then, when they heard about the three Fire Python Tiger cubs, the entire arena suddenly erupted in an uproar.
“What?!”
In the viewing stands, whether it was the Lei family or the Xie family, even Lin Zhengtian and Luo Cheng’s group abruptly stood up, their expressions changing drastically. They knew very well the formidable nature of the Fire Python Tiger; three cubs, in the future, would be three Heavenly Yuan Stage masters. This was a power no family could afford to underestimate!
“Three Fire Python Tiger cubs?!”
Lei Bao’s face also flushed crimson at this moment. He exchanged a glance with Xie Qian, a sharp glint flashing in their eyes. Then, with a show of righteous indignation, he said coldly:
“Is that really what happened?”
On the giant platform, Lin Dong and Wu Yun’s expressions also subtly changed. They hadn’t expected Lei Li to be so shameless.
“The Fire Python Tiger was already severely injured. Does that mean whoever sees it first gets to claim it? If that’s truly the case, then tomorrow I’ll go for a stroll in the deep mountains, and any demonic beast I see will be mine! If anyone catches them later, they’ll have to compensate me!” A hint of grimness flashed in Wu Yun’s eyes, then he also loudly sneered.
Wu Yun’s brazen words made everyone around the arena burst into laughter, and some even nodded, saying there was some truth to it. The Fire Python Tiger was originally an ownerless creature; theoretically, whoever had the ability to obtain the cub, it belonged to them...
"Don't try to twist words!" Lei Bao's face sank as he roared.
"Bang!"
Just as Lei Bao's roar ended, Luo Cheng, not far away, slammed his hand forcefully onto a stone chair. The immense force directly shattered the stone chair. He gripped the Long Saber at his waist, his voice as cold as ice, he said: "Clan Head Lei Bao, the words of your people are the truth, but the words of my people you deem sophistry? Do you perhaps think that our Mad Saber Martial Hall is easy to bully?"
"Heaven and Earth spiritual objects are for those fated to have them; this cannot be considered an act of snatching or robbery! Old man Lei, you shouldn't go too far in your actions," Lin Zhen Tian said indifferently. As he spoke, Lin Xiao could see the old man's hand trembling slightly, a sign of his agitation. The matter of the Fire Python Tiger cub had made Lin Zhen Tian unable to remain calm anymore.
Seeing the Lin family and the Mad Saber Martial Hall directly align themselves, Lei Bao's gaze also sank slightly, then he said in a cold voice:
"The Fire Python Tiger is indeed an ownerless creature, but regardless, Lei Li and his group also expended effort. Yet in the end, the spoils were taken by your people. For this, even if your two families unite today, you must still give us justice!"
Hearing Lei Bao's tone, it was clear he intended to be stubborn today, perhaps because he was absolutely unwilling to hand over the cub to the Lin family and the Mad Saber Martial Hall so peacefully.
"Justice? Do you mean you want to snatch the cub back?" The scar on Luo Cheng's face wriggled like a centipede as he spoke, a hint of ferocity in his voice.
"Hall Master Luo, if this matter truly escalates, it won't be good for anyone. How about this then? It just so happens there's a martial arts competition; we can use the results of the competition to settle this. Whoever wins gets to take the cub, how about it?" Seeing the tense atmosphere, Xie Qian suddenly spoke up.
"You just spoke up and already want to contend for the cub? What kind of good deal is that?" Lin Zhen Tian frowned, saying with a cold laugh. Lei Li and Xie Yingying were both the most outstanding individuals of those two families. Lei Li might have already stepped into the Earth Yuan Stage. Wu Yun on that side might be easier to deal with, but Lin Dong was more than likely not Lei Li's opponent.
"I'll use Ironwood Village as collateral. If, in the competition, Lei Li is defeated by Lin Dong, then this Ironwood Village will belong to your Lin family. But if your family loses, you only need to hand over that cub to my Lei family. Lin Zhen Tian, do you dare to accept?" Lei Bao's eyes flashed as he spoke.
"Ironwood Village?"
Hearing this, not only Lin Zhen Tian and Luo Cheng were stunned, but even Xie Qian was astonished. The special asset of Ironwood Village was its ironwood, making it a considerably large asset within the Lei family. This Lei Bao actually dared to use this village as a wager. Of course, this astonishment only lasted for a moment before dissipating, as the Lei family's chances of winning this wager were truly very high.
Lin Zhentian's expression flickered at this moment, clearly taken aback by the wager. But immediately after, he gently shook his head. The wager was certainly incredibly generous, but their odds of winning were too low. Although Lin Dong's talent was strong, his cultivation time was not as long as Lei Li's after all. If they were to fight, their chances of victory wouldn't be high.
“Father, let's just drop it...”
Behind Lin Zhentian, Lin Keng, Lin Xiao, and Lin Mang also showed signs of hesitation. Finally, they gritted their teeth and spoke in a low voice, saying that abandoning the young Fire Python Tiger for that wager seemed like the potential gains weren't worth the loss.
Hearing the words of the three, Lin Zhentian let out an inward sigh. However, just as he was about to open his mouth to decline, a loud voice suddenly boomed out from the stone platform, causing everyone around the arena to be shaken.
“Very well, my Lin Clan accepts!”