Published: August 16, 2025
Chapter 176: The Bet
“No bet! Absolutely no bet! Do you think I’d fall for the same trick twice in a row?” Grandmaster Li shook his head stubbornly, flatly refusing.
“No bet? Disciple Li’s standards are surprisingly high. You don’t even consider the Core Soul of the demonic beast Bloodline Flood Dragon worth your attention?” The Taoist put on a shocked, incredulous expression.
But no matter how Han Li looked at it, the entire scene felt very fake.
“Bloodline Flood Dragon Core Soul!” Grandmaster Li, who had originally decided never to get involved with the Taoist again, suddenly changed his expression sharply when he heard the name, and his voice trembled slightly.
“Isn’t it? I heard that Disciple Li once lived for more than thirty years at the Panlong River Rapids in Yuanwu Country for the sake of this item, but still left empty-handed. That’s why this time, I, the poor Taoist, spent a great sum to specially obtain it for you!” The Taoist said calmly, now relaxed and confident, as if he had the upper hand.
“Impossible! The Bloodline Flood Dragon isn’t that easy to catch, let alone preserve its Core Soul. You’re not just making things up to tease me, are you?” Grandmaster Li, having recovered from his excitement, now looked skeptical.
“I’m a monk, I don’t tell lies. You can take a look yourself, Disciple.” The Taoist didn’t want to waste words explaining and flicked his hand. A white orb, filled with blood vessels, appeared before Grandmaster Li, making his eyes sparkle with greed, as if he wanted to snatch it immediately.
“If your Silver Armored Horned Python swallows this pill and trains quietly for twenty years or so, it might leap from mid foundation establishment to late foundation establishment. After another hundred years of hard training, entering the core formation stage would not be impossible.” The Taoist’s words were full of temptation.
Grandmaster Li snorted coldly, wearing a stern face as if unmoved, but the flickering in his eyes betrayed the turmoil inside.
“Such a rare bet, and you hesitate for so long. Do you really have such a low opinion of the disciples of your Yellow Maple Valley?” The Taoist curled his lips and used a goading tactic.
“Our Yellow Maple Valley disciples are not something the Qingxu Sect can casually criticize,” said Grandmaster Li with displeasure.
He then glanced at the group behind the Taoist and immediately had a rough understanding of the Qingxu Sect disciples’ strength. They should be about equal to the Yellow Maple Valley disciples.
“Fine, I’ll bet! But what treasure of mine do you want?” After some thought, Grandmaster Li felt the odds were about fifty-fifty, and combined with his intense desire for the Core Soul, he finally nodded in agreement. Yet, out of caution, he casually asked.
“Heh heh, I’m not interested in your other treasures, Disciple. I only wish, if I win, that you refine two more pieces of Iron Essence of the same size for me within the next twenty years. Disciple Li’s refining skills are famous among the seven great sects, so this should be a simple matter!” The Taoist squinted and smiled, but there was a hint of cunning hidden in his words.
“Two more pieces of the same Iron Essence?” Grandmaster Li’s face darkened and he almost jumped up immediately.
“You arrogant fool, you want me to be your laborer?”
“Not at all! If you win, you won’t need to do that. That’s the Core Soul of a fifth-grade demonic beast! Equivalent to the early core formation stage for us cultivators. It’s definitely worth that price!” The Taoist shook his head and wagged it.
Grandmaster Li’s expression fluctuated for a long time before he slowly extended a hand and coldly asked, “Same rules as last time? First, who collects the most spirit medicine, second, the quality, and lastly, the number of people who return alive from the Forbidden Zone?”
“Of course, everything remains the same!” The Taoist was overjoyed and quickly extended a hand to strike the other’s, sealing the bet.