Ling Tian then said to King Hajif:
"Your Majesty, I now have reason to believe that Master Duran framed me in this matter. He wanted to avenge his disciple, so he did not tell the truth.
Of course, this might be my speculation. There is also a possibility that this National Master's skill is inferior to mine, and he cannot understand the changes that have occurred to the Queen!"
"Absurd, absurd!
Chinese, you are too arrogant. Do you know who Master Duran is! Do you know how powerful Master Duran is!
You know nothing of the National Master's might!" Old Carpensa roared from the side.
Ling Tian shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands:
"Heh, as long as you are happy."
Just then, the National Master Duran suddenly stepped forward and bowed to King Hajif.
This action surprised King Hajif, as Master Duran was usually very arrogant and only greeted the King in a casual manner.
Even the King had never seen Master Duran be so polite to him.
"Your Majesty, I have something to say. This Chinese man named Ling Tian is openly slandering me.
My disciple did not abet evil; he was merely invited to dinner by a friend. That Japanese woman summoned an evil spirit, and my disciple acted instinctively in self-defense!
This scoundrel dares to slander me like this, and I will not let this matter rest.
Since Mr. Ling Tian believes my magic is inferior to his, it is easy to resolve. I request Your Majesty's permission to duel with Mr. Ling Tian. If he wins, I will relinquish my position as National Master, and all the wealth of this temple, including the temple itself, will be his!
However, if I win, he must surrender without resistance and accept punishment, including confessing his guilt and admitting to cursing the Queen!
Of course, since it is a duel, it must be taken seriously, and a life-and-death waiver must be signed!"
This monk had calculated his odds perfectly. In his view, no matter how powerful Ling Tian was, he was still young, not even thirty years old. In a real duel, Ling Tian would find it difficult to gain an advantage.
Furthermore, once the fight began, he could look for an opportunity to kill Ling Tian directly.
After all, it was a duel, and a life-and-death waiver would be signed, so there was no need to worry about triggering international disputes.
The King hesitated and said, "A duel is indeed a good idea, but this matter concerns life and death and cannot be taken lightly. The other party must agree.
Dr. Ling Tian, would you be willing to demonstrate your magical abilities to us?"
"Your Majesty, excellent, this method is very fair, and I agree!
However, one-on-one is too boring. How about this: both sides can each send out three people to fight one-on-one. Whichever team has all three members defeated will be considered the loser!
Does the National Master agree to this proposal?"
"Heh, good, since you've set the terms, I naturally agree. Let's sign the life-and-death waiver!"
Soon, under the witness of the royal family, both sides signed the life-and-death waiver. It clearly stated that each side would send out three people for one-on-one combat, using martial arts or magic.
Of course, firearms and other weapons were not allowed, and summoned creatures summoned by magic would not count towards the quota.
Ling Tian's side naturally consisted of Ling Tian, Ali, and Yu Gong Jieyi. Ling Tian told Yu Gong Jieyi that she did not need to participate and only needed to be present to fill a spot. Yu Gong Jieyi agreed without hesitation.
This woman knew very well that Ling Tian had offended the National Master and the Carpensa family because of her.
Regardless of the reason, Jieyi had decided to stand firmly behind Ling Tian.
The duel venue had already been arranged in the temple's backyard, where there was a vast open space. Master Duran and his disciples practiced here daily, meaning this was their home ground.
The King, along with several of his important ministers, sat in the arranged seats by the field. In front of them was a row of guards holding transparent shields to protect the King, lest he be accidentally injured during the duel, even though the King was sitting more than fifty meters away from the center of the field.
His few trusted subordinates exchanged glances, each with their own hidden agenda.
Looking further away, National Master Duran was surrounded by a group of people, who appeared to be his disciples. Ling Tian's side only had the three of them, but they were treated well, as the King had ordered chairs to be brought for them.
"You two just watch. I'll take care of everything up there," Ling Tian instructed the two women.
"No, I want to go up and play!"
Ali tugged at Ling Tian's arm, acting coy. The little girl's spoiled behavior was irresistible, like a child who wouldn't behave without candy.
Ling Tian couldn't resist Ali's persistent coaxing and quickly nodded.
"Alright, alright, you go first!
But take it easy and conserve your strength..."
"So verbose, so verbose!" Ali, having gotten her wish, rolled her eyes at Ling Tian.
"Ling Tian, is it still safe? Perhaps I should go instead..." Yu Gong Jieyi said with some reluctance, looking at the adorable Ali.
"Jieyi, if others can't see Ali's strength, I wouldn't be surprised, but can't you see Ali's strength?"
"This... I can only sense that Ali is a very powerful monster!"
"Exactly. In short, Ali's power exceeds your imagination, exceeds all the spirits and monsters you have ever encountered. You can rest assured."
At this moment, Little Aluo walked up to the King.
"Your Majesty, everything is ready!"
"Then let us begin!"
And so, from National Master Duran's side, a tall figure stood up and walked towards the center of the field.
This was a tall monk, nearly two meters tall, with his upper body bare. Ling Tian noticed that, except for his face, almost all the exposed skin on the monk's body was covered in tattoos.
Ling Tian looked at these tattoos and a smile flickered across his lips.
"War tattoos, interesting..."
Looking at the monk's hands, Ling Tian saw that both of his hands were covered with iron gauntlets, with steel spikes embedded in the joints.
The monk's body was covered in solid muscle, which contained immense strength and astonishing explosive power.
If such a monk were to land a punch with these iron gauntlets, it would undoubtedly be a death blow!
This monk was named Dachi. He was also a disciple of National Master Duran, but unlike his other disciples, he was a martial monk. Before he joined National Master Duran, he was a martial monk.
And the magic this fellow learned was also unusual. All the magic he learned was how to use magic to strengthen his body, thereby increasing the lethality of his martial arts.