Feeling the power of the profound technique, Fang Ming frowned slightly. He instinctively wanted to resist with his "Yi Qi Gong" cultivation, which would have been enough to withstand the Fifth Elder's profound technique power.
However, revealing his Dao Foundation realm strength here would be a shocking feat and might attract unnecessary trouble. Therefore, after reacting, Fang Ming did not resist and was naturally separated by the Fifth Elder.
On the other side, seeing the two separated again, the Fifth Elder secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "You two are the prodigies of our clan, and you are not allowed to engage in a fight to the death. Doing so would make other families mock us."
As soon as these words were spoken, Lin Xuan and Lin Yao showed no sign of accepting the Fifth Elder's words.
Clearly, it was impossible to persuade them with such a reason.
Hatred could indeed be resolved, but to resolve it with just a few words was obviously impossible.
Seeing this, the Fifth Elder also sighed and said, "Lin Xuan, Lin Yao, a fight to the death is absolutely not allowed..."
Suddenly, a treasure artifact on his person chimed. As if receiving some instruction, the Fifth Elder no longer hesitated and said, "A fight to the death is not allowed."
"Since you have grievances, why don't you two use half of your assets as the stakes for the duel? This is the highest form of duel, second only to a fight to the death. After the duel, regardless of who wins or loses, neither of you is allowed to seek revenge. Can you two accept this?" the Fifth Elder said.
Previously, he had already informed the clan leader via a sound transmission artifact, and the clan leader had also, through the artifact, told him the solution: let these two fight and resolve their grievances. If anyone sought revenge afterward, even the Second Elder would not be able to bear the clan leader's wrath.
Although the Fifth Elder didn't know how the clan leader, the patriarch of the Lin family, would make the Second Elder unable to bear the wrath, it wasn't important.
What was important was that the patriarch of the Lin family had instructed him to handle it this way.
Therefore, the Fifth Elder naturally had to act according to the Lin family patriarch's instructions.
After all, if he didn't listen to the patriarch, who else would he listen to?
The Fifth Elder had no intention of pondering who was right or wrong; he simply relayed the words that the Lin family patriarch had transmitted through the sound transmission artifact.
As soon as these words were spoken, Lin Yao immediately jumped out.
"Elder, this is unfair," Lin Yao said. "Lin Xuan was just a good-for-nothing before. His assets are a drop in the bucket compared to mine. What does he have to compete with me?"
Lin Yao's face was filled with mockery, as if he were mocking a country bumpkin.
He believed that as the son of the Second Elder, he had the right to do so.
Fang Ming, seeing his performance, let out a cold laugh.
Then he said, "Oh, what do I have to compete with you?"
"You're afraid you've forgotten how I rose to prominence?"
"As for the stakes... if I lose, I'll give you the fortuitous encounter I obtained. Is that enough for the stakes?"
"The fortuitous encounter from that ancient inheritance cave!" Fang Ming said with a cold laugh, making the promise.
Naturally, the so-called fortuitous encounter from the ancient inheritance cave was a fabricated story. In essence, it was the strength he had accumulated from various worlds through his transmigration talent.
But Fang Ming believed he would never lose.
If he, with his Dao Foundation realm strength, could not defeat Lin Yao, who was at the seventh level of the Meridian Condensation realm, then what was the point of his cultivation? He might as well commit suicide.
It was precisely because he was certain he would not lose that Fang Ming dared to make such a promise.
Upon hearing this, the Fifth Elder pondered for a moment and said, "Hmm... let me think... the value of these two stakes is already equivalent."
Indeed, the fortuitous encounter that allowed Lin Xuan to rise so quickly in such a short time was enough to be compared to half of Lin Yao's assets accumulated over more than a decade.
However, to be on the safe side, the Fifth Elder decided to confirm it before making a decision.
"This... Lin Xuan, do you have any proof?" the Fifth Elder asked, referring to the assets from the inheritance.
Fang Ming directly handed the Fifth Elder a bottle of gene serum.
"Elder, please take a look."
After receiving the gene serum and analyzing its composition, the Fifth Elder was greatly amazed.
This gene serum could, in a short period, enhance one's physical body to a level comparable to the fifth level of Meridian Condensation.
It was important to note that the cultivation of body refiners was even more difficult than that of ordinary cultivators, requiring a significant amount of time.
Even Qi and Blood Pills could only speed up the process slightly, but they were nowhere near as fast as this bottle of serum.
With this bottle of serum, it was no wonder that Lin Xuan could advance his body refinement progress so much in such a short time – the strength gained from this bottle of serum likely played a huge role.
After confirming the value of the gene serum, the Fifth Elder nodded, indicating that the stakes for both parties were equal, and Fang Ming's stakes were not inferior to Lin Yao's.
After arranging everything, the Fifth Elder sternly said to Lin Yao, "Lin Yao, remember one more thing. The purpose of this duel is to resolve grievances, not to deepen them... Therefore, after this matter is over, whether you win or Lin Xuan wins, both outcomes are acceptable. If you dare to seek revenge on Lin Xuan again, the clan leader himself will personally kill you!"
At this moment, the Fifth Elder's attitude was very firm.
Lin Yao's lips curled into a dismissive smile. In his heart, he scoffed at these words, but outwardly, he said, "Fifth Elder, I naturally wouldn't dare. After this competition, I swear I will no longer bother with Lin Xuan."
Perhaps the Fifth Elder had noticed Lin Yao's dismissiveness and chose to ignore it.
Or perhaps he hadn't noticed it at all.
In any case, the Fifth Elder only mentioned it once and then stopped talking about Lin Yao, instead saying, "Mm, very good, very good. If you violate this, you know the consequences, so I don't need to say more."
"Since the stakes, rules, and consequences have all been clarified, I, this elder, now announce that the competition officially begins."
"Remember, you can only determine superiority, not life and death. Do not regard this elder on the stage as a mere decoration."
"If there are any fatal actions, I will be watching you. Do not do anything that I deem excessive..."
The Fifth Elder retreated back to the stage and announced the start of the duel.
Thus, the two who had been separated earlier stood on the same stage again.
"Lin Xuan, you crippled my subordinate. You were destined to die. Although the Fifth Elder forbids me from killing you, I can make your life worse than death. I will make you taste my Bone-Splitting and Tendon-Dislocating Hand," Lin Yao said with a venomous expression.
He was bound by the rules and could not kill Lin Xuan, but when he was young, he had learned a type of sinister palm technique from a master. This technique, the Bone-Splitting and Tendon-Dislocating Hand, could sever a person's meridians and dislocate their bones, causing unbearable pain.