Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan’s demand was, to put it mildly, wishful thinking. While it might sound reasonable on any other day, the crucial point was that he had stolen someone’s Primordial Stones, used them to buy items, and was now wagering those same two items. No matter if he won or lost, it was a raw deal.

Of course, Lin Xuan was also at a disadvantage whether he won or lost. If he really lost, would Lan Sheng truly let him go? That was impossible. Even if Lan Sheng didn’t pursue him, that didn’t mean others wouldn’t try to capture him. There were far too many loopholes.

"You want to challenge me?" Lan Sheng paused, stunned, before breaking into a cold sneer. His disdainful gaze swept over Lin Xuan. "Just you?"

Lan Sheng had every right to be so contemptuous. His cultivation was far from low; he was at the Third Layer of the Essence Pill Stage, vastly superior to Lin Xuan’s Peak of the Spirit Refining Stage.

This challenge to fight across such a gap in cultivation made the surrounding crowd wonder if Lin Xuan had been kicked in the head to say something so foolish. Perhaps it was just a last-ditch struggle, but the final outcome was certain: defeat!

"That’s right. What do you think of my terms?" Lin Xuan said calmly.

"Fine!" Lan Sheng agreed without hesitation. He held up a finger. "I’ll add one condition. If you lose, you’ll come back with me to the Lan Family, obediently!"

According to his intelligence, Lin Xuan’s cultivation wasn’t bad, he knew the Puppetry Technique, and he had a Phoenix. None of this was a problem for Lan Sheng. It was impossible to escape from here, even on the Phoenix. The area was surrounded; there was no getting away, Phoenix or not.

With Spirit Pill Stage experts present, forget a Phoenix—even a dragon would be useless. Unless the Phoenix was at the Spirit Pill Stage Level, or even the Core Formation Stage Level, there was no way Lin Xuan could escape.

"No problem," Lin Xuan replied simply.

"Then let’s head to the Martial Arts Arena now!" Lan Sheng was inwardly delighted. He’d been wondering when Lin Xuan would finally leave his sanctuary. As for waiting for the Island Master, who knew when he would return. Lin Xuan proposing a duel was like a gift-wrapped delivery right to his door.

"Is he an idiot? Challenging Young Master Lan, who’s at the Third Layer of the Essence Pill Stage, when he’s only at the Peak of the Spirit Refining Stage? Even if you’re suicidal, you don’t have to just hand yourself over like this."

"Who knows, maybe he can win. To be able to cause all that trouble at the mines, he can’t be just anyone."

"Those few guards at the mines? Even I could take care of them easily. Besides, so what if he wins the duel? You think he’ll be able to escape?"

...

Lin Xuan’s actions stirred up a flurry of discussion among the crowd. Public opinion was almost unanimous: in their eyes, his capture was a foregone conclusion.

"Let’s go. I’m sorry I dragged you into this," Lin Xuan said to Tuo Yunhai.

But Tuo Yunhai shook his head. "No, I’m the one who got you into trouble, Brother Lin... Brother Lin, if you get a chance to escape, just go. Don’t worry about me."

"Silly kid, how could I not look out for you? I promised I’d take you home." Lin Xuan reached out and patted his head. He looked up at Lan Sheng’s retreating back and said in a low voice, "This might be our last chance..."

Tuo Yunhai’s eyes reddened, and he fell silent. He knew Lin Xuan was highly skilled. ’If he escapes on his own, he might still have a fighting chance!’

’I’ll choose to believe that mysterious seller. I’ll really use the Lin Clan’s Staff Technique to kill Lan Sheng. At first, I suspected the mysterious seller was an enemy, but after getting a sense of his cultivation, I knew that was unlikely. Would a Core Formation Stage expert really waste their breath on me? Who cares if I’m a real member of the Lin Family? They could just kill me and be done with it. Why go through all this trouble? Do I really have to use the Lin Clan’s Staff Technique to prove I’m from the Lin Family before they’ll kill me? If Core Formation Stage experts are that bored, then nothing makes sense.’

’Therefore, this mysterious seller must be connected to the Lin Family, and on relatively good terms. As for why he sold the technique, that part I don’t understand.’

They followed Lan Sheng to the Martial Arts Arena. This time, even Sister Ya came along to watch, curious to see what Lin Xuan was capable of.

Causing trouble was forbidden on Gathering Spirit Island, but that didn’t prohibit duels. As long as both parties consented, they could settle their disputes here. The Martial Arts Arena also served as a gambling den; people could bet Primordial Stones on the winner and loser, making it a fairly lively spot for entertainment.

Of course, fights on this arena were to the death. Unless a combatant surrendered, it wouldn’t matter if they were killed.

As the two of them stepped onto the Martial Arts Arena, a clamor erupted from the crowd below. A bookie immediately set up shop and announced the odds: three to one!

Lin Xuan was the three, Lan Sheng the one!

"I’ll bet on Young Master Lan to win! Five hundred thousand Primordial Stones!"

"I’m betting on Young Master Lan to win, too! Eight hundred thousand!"

"This is practically free money! I’ll bet a million!"

...

Almost everyone was betting on Lan Sheng to win. The bookie’s face soured at the sight. If Lan Sheng won, he would suffer a massive loss. The others were all placing huge bets, some wagering nearly their entire fortunes.

"I’ll bet on the mysterious youth to win. Ten million," a raspy voice called out. It was the mysterious seller from before.

A Storage Ring slapped onto the table, making the bookie jump. He quickly took it and, after a quick inspection, confirmed that it did indeed contain ten million Primordial Stones!

"Ten million Primordial Stones it is! No problem!" The bookie didn’t hesitate, immediately handing a Token to the mysterious seller, afraid the better might back out.

"Sir, are you sure about wagering ten million Primordial Stones?" Sister Ya asked, confused when she saw the mysterious seller betting on Lin Xuan. "If he loses, all that money you just earned will be for nothing."

"It’s fine. If he loses, I’ll just take my things back..." the mysterious seller chuckled deeply. His laughter was unsettling, enough to make one’s skin crawl.

Sister Ya said nothing. She understood the implication. ’If Lin Xuan loses, the moment he’s out, this man will rob him of his items! But with the Lan Family protecting him... could he really pull it off?’

’She wasn’t sure about that. At the very least, she wouldn’t bet so many Primordial Stones herself. She had that kind of money, but she wouldn’t place such a reckless bet.’

Everyone thought the person who bet ten million Primordial Stones was an idiot. It was clearly a losing bet, just throwing away Primordial Stones, yet he chose Lin Xuan. The man had to be crazy.

"I’ll bet five million Primordial Stones on myself!" Lin Xuan tossed out a ring, betting his entire fortune. He had spent a good deal of Primordial Stones on Recovery Elixirs earlier, and five million was all he had left.

"No problem!" The bookie accepted without a word.

After that, a few scattered bets were placed on Lin Xuan, but they were in the minority and never for much—just a few hundred Primordial Stones at a time.

"Betting on yourself to win? Is that supposed to be some kind of self-reassurance?" Lan Sheng sneered from his position on the Martial Arts Arena. "Why waste the Primordial Stones? You should just keep them."

"If there’s profit to be made, why not make it?" Lin Xuan said with a faint smile. The Chi Dragon Heavens Rod had already appeared in his hand. In the sunless dark of the night, its body’s crimson luster was incredibly striking.