The air buzzed.
Li Xuan's vision suddenly brightened, a slightly dazzling light immediately shining on Li Xuan and the others.
"Yo, it's Young Master Luo from the Second Elder's family. I heard that some time ago, Young Master Luo led our Nine Nether Tribe's team into the Northern Territory, but they were all wiped out, and only Young Master Luo returned alone. Tsk tsk, Young Master Luo is indeed lucky to have not perished in that Northern Territory."
Just as Li Xuan was adjusting, a mocking voice suddenly rang out. Li Xuan heard this and immediately looked in the direction of the voice.
He saw a man in a large yellow and purple robe, currently looking at Ming Luo, who was in front of Li Xuan, with a mocking expression.
"Ming Hetao, if you have the guts, why didn't the Tribe Leader arrange for me to go? I was able to return alive, naturally, because I was blessed with great fortune. Unlike some people who only rely on their status and bully others all day long."
"In the past year, you must have harmed quite a few household servants. I vaguely remember that someone was personally reprimanded by the Tribe Leader and even punished to reflect in the Nether Prison for three months. What, have you forgotten the pain after the wound has healed?"
Ming Luo sneered upon hearing this.
After listening to Ming Luo's words, Li Xuan's heart stirred slightly. This Ming Hetao was the legitimate son of the First Elder's family, and he did not expect him to be such a person. Moreover, the relationship between the First Elder's family and Ming Luo's Second Elder's family was extremely strained. It was not difficult to see this from Ming Hetao's attitude towards Ming Luo.
"You! Hehe, Ming Luo, over the years, our family has had thirty-five disciples in the top one hundred. Your family's top one hundred disciples seem to be less than twenty, right? As the heir of the family, your rank is lower than that of your clansmen."
"I am very curious where you got the courage to lead your clansmen to participate. If it were me, I would have hidden at home and not come out." Ming Hetao's face changed upon hearing this, but he quickly restrained himself and continued with a mocking expression.
Ming Luo's face also turned ugly upon hearing this. In recent years, Ming Luo's strength had indeed been inferior to many collateral descendants of the family. This was not because Ming Luo was not diligent, but rather due to the difference in cultivation talent.
Although Ming Luo rarely mentioned it, he felt a sense of inferiority in his heart. Now, being brought up by Ming Hetao in front of everyone was a direct slap in the face.
"Ming Hetao, although my rank is only nine hundred and fifty-seventh, you are also just at the bottom of the top hundred. Furthermore, if your father, the First Elder, had not given you a spiritual root bestowed by the Tribe Leader, with your strength, you would probably be inferior to me. You actually feel proud after taking a spiritual root and ranking one hundredth among the top hundred?"
Ming Luo's face turned red, and he lost his usual composure.
"Even if I am at the bottom of the hundred, I am still among the top hundred. If you have the ability, try to enter the top hundred yourself!" Ming Hetao said with a laugh.
"You..." Ming Luo was so angry that he couldn't speak. Ming Hetao had the strength of the early stage of the Realm Harmonization realm, so it was relatively easy to enter the top hundred of the Nether Ranking. Coupled with the identity of the First Elder, the competitors he faced dared not go all out.
However, with Ming Luo's own strength, it was not so easy to break into the top hundred.
"Young Master Luo, you don't need to care. With your potential, it won't be difficult to enter the top hundred once you reach the Dao Harmonization realm. The opening ceremony is about to begin, let's head over first." Seeing Ming Luo at a disadvantage, Li Xuan patted Ming Luo's shoulder.
At this moment, Ming Luo nodded after Li Xuan patted his shoulder.
Li Xuan moved his lips again. Everyone present saw that Li Xuan and Ming Luo were communicating telepathically.
"Good! Brother Li, let's go." Ming Luo's face showed excitement, and he didn't even look at Ming Hetao as he led his clansmen towards the square.
Ming Hetao's eyes flashed with surprise. He then turned his gaze to Li Xuan.
"Ming Luo, who is this person? Judging by his appearance, he's not from your family, is he? Why, does your Second Elder's family need to hire external help now?" Ming Hetao shouted when Ming Luo had already walked more than ten meters away.
Ming Luo stopped when he heard this and was about to speak when Li Xuan placed a hand on Ming Luo's shoulder.
Then Li Xuan turned around and looked at Ming Hetao with a slight smile: "Our Li family is a subordinate family of the Second Elder's family. It seems there is no overstepping for us to participate in the Nether Ranking competition. Moreover, since you are among the top hundred, you should be able to accept challenges. I wonder if you dare to accept my challenge after the competition begins?"
Ming Hetao burst into laughter: "Where did this bumpkin come from? He actually wants to challenge me! Didn't he tell you that only participants ranked within the top two hundred are qualified to challenge the top hundred?"
Li Xuan's gaze immediately turned to Ming Luo. Just as Ming Hetao said, Ming Luo had indeed not told Li Xuan this rule. Seeing this, Ming Luo nodded helplessly.
Li Xuan smiled again and said casually: "In that case, I will aim for the top two hundred. At that time, you must accept my challenge."
Ming Hetao sneered: "Be careful not to overreach yourself. Wait until you have the strength to break into the top two hundred. If you die on the way, don't blame me for not reminding you."
Li Xuan's expression also turned cold upon hearing this. He then looked at Ming Hetao and nodded seriously: "Don't worry, I will be very careful for the sake of challenging you. Because I really want to kill you."
"You! Kid, if you have the guts..."
Ming Hetao's face changed upon hearing Li Xuan's words.
As soon as he started to speak, Li Xuan turned around and walked towards the square with Ming Luo, showing no intention of paying attention to Ming Hetao. Ming Luo's laughter, like a curse, echoed around them, making Ming Hetao's face grow even more somber.
"Damn it! That damned fellow, daring to challenge me! After the competition begins, I will make sure this person doesn't make it out alive. Do you know what to do?"
After Li Xuan and Ming Luo entered the square, Ming Hetao said to two clansmen beside him.
"Young Master, rest assured, we will handle this person! No one who offends the Young Master has ever lived." The two clansmen nodded in response.
There was a hint of casualness in their expressions, as if dealing with someone like Li Xuan was as easy as lifting a finger. However, from the faint aura emanating from them, it was not difficult to see that their strength had also reached the peak of the Realm Creation realm.
Ming Hetao nodded with satisfaction, a sinister smile playing on his lips. He then waved his hand and led his clansmen towards the square.
"Brother Li, that Ming Hetao is a direct descendant of the First Elder's family, but in the Nether Ranking competition, life and death are not regulated. Even our five families cannot intervene, so you can act as you wish at that time. Even if you kill that guy, the First Elder's family cannot do anything to you."
After arriving at the designated area for the Second Elder's family, Ming Luo said in a low voice to Li Xuan.
Li Xuan smiled and said, "It seems your enmity with that Ming Hetao is not small."
Ming Luo chuckled sheepishly: "There has always been conflict and disputes between our Second Elder's family and the First Elder's family. When the Ancestor was still alive, the First Elder's family was relatively well-behaved. But after the Ancestor passed away, the First Elder's family began to engage in various covert struggles against our family."
"To this day, it is difficult to resolve. Among our generation, only he and I have such deep animosity. If I couldn't defeat him, I wouldn't have tolerated it until today."
Li Xuan nodded in agreement. If it were him, he probably wouldn't be able to tolerate someone provoking him like this. But in this world where strength is paramount, might makes right.
Ming Luo's ability to survive until now showed that he was quite adept at dealing with people. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spared Ming Luo's life when he was in the Northern Territory.
"Don't worry. I will help you deal with him, and consider it a return for your help." Li Xuan glanced again in Ming Hetao's direction and nodded seriously.
Based on Li Xuan's experiences, Ming Hetao would undoubtedly create obstacles for Li Xuan during the upcoming competition. The most direct way would be to have his clansmen make a move.
As for this, as long as it was not a cultivator above the early stage of the Realm Harmonization realm, Li Xuan was confident enough. Moreover, even a cultivator in the middle stage of the Realm Harmonization realm would likely be ranked in the top several dozen. By status, they would not be able to attack him.
Furthermore, since Li Xuan had decided to help Ming Luo get rid of this troublesome Ming Hetao, he was not worried about provoking the First Elder's family. Helping Ming Luo's family eliminate some of the outstanding disciples of the First Elder's family would likely be welcomed by Ming Hongyang and others.
"This person is Ming Hongfeng from the Tribe Leader's family, serving as an official. Judging by this, the ceremony is about to begin." As soon as Li Xuan finished speaking, Ming Luo saw a figure appear on the high platform in the square. Behind him were six figures dressed in black robes, he said.
Li Xuan nodded. He was somewhat curious about this opening ceremony.
"The Nether Ranking competition is about to begin. I hope all of you will remember the ancestral teachings of our Nine Nether Tribe." Ming Hongfeng stood on the high platform and waved his hand towards the crowd in the square, his voice like thunder.
"We remember!"
As soon as Ming Hongfeng's voice fell, everyone in the square shouted in unison. Li Xuan was stunned, clearly not expecting the Nine Nether Tribe to have such a ritual. It looked more like an oath.
At this moment, the six figures in black robes behind Ming Hongfeng on the high platform twisted their bodies like a ritual after the crowd in the square finished speaking.
Li Xuan became curious again. These six people seemed to be twisting without any pattern, yet there was an unspeakable fluctuation. Li Xuan had some understanding of this ritual of the Nine Nether Tribe, and it was more like a spiritual pillar.
As the six black-robed figures suddenly stopped in unison, Ming Hongfeng, as if he had already known, waved his hand, and a deep, dark path appeared on the square.
"The ritual is over, the competition begins! All contestants, enter the Nether Path!"
As soon as Ming Hongfeng's voice fell, the crowd in the square moved, either individually or in groups of three to five, quickly stepping onto the path. With a movement of their bodies, they disappeared onto this path.
"Brother Li, entering the Nether Path means the real competition begins. Please be careful, that Ming Hetao will not let you break into the top two hundred smoothly." As everyone moved, Ming Luo looked at Li Xuan and said.
Li Xuan nodded, then clasped his hands in a salute to Ming Luo, nodded slightly, and then walked towards the Nether Path.
Watching Li Xuan disappear into the Nether Path, Ming Luo sighed with a complex expression, then muttered to himself, "Although I don't want to admit it, you are indeed a friend worth befriending. However, I still hope that we never see each other again after this."