Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Gambling with Life
In mid-air, a massive, flaming Sword Shadow ferociously slashed down onto the thunderbolt sphere.
BOOM!
With a tremendous roar, the thunderbolt sphere exploded violently. The fiery Sword Shadow rapidly shrank, diminishing to less than a third of its original size by the time it reached Xin Wuyue.
CLANG!
Drawing his own sword to block the incoming light, Xin Wuyue was jolted back more than ten steps. An unnatural crimson flush spread across his face, but he remained standing ramrod straight. His gaze pierced through the raging torrent of energy, fixing on Qin Honglie. "That’s ten moves!"
Hearing this, Qin Honglie flew into a rage. He unleashed several slashes in mid-air, the crimson Sword Qi crisscrossing to form a deadly net that completely enveloped Xin Wuyue.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Xin Wuyue desperately used his treasured sword to protect himself. Despite his efforts, the impacts left his entire body numb, his blood boiling.
PFFT!
After another twenty or thirty sword strikes, Xin Wuyue finally reached his limit. A sword light caught him off guard, slamming into his body. He spat out a mouthful of blood, managing to stay upright only by using his sword as a support.
"Take another of my sword strikes!"
Qin Honglie was incandescent with fury, and another brilliant beam of sword light shot towards Xin Wuyue.
Xin Wuyue had no strength left to retaliate; he could only watch helplessly as the sword light bore down on him.
BANG!
At the critical moment, a wall of Gang Qi materialized, blocking the sword light.
"Xin Wuyue can no longer fight back, Qin Honglie. The spar is over!" Elder Chen stepped forward, frowning at Qin Honglie.
Qin Honglie’s face was etched with unwillingness, but he knew he couldn’t kill anyone here. Suppressing his anger, he said, "Elder Chen is right. I was too reckless just now."
Xin Wuyue appeared to be seriously injured, wobbling slightly as he walked. However, there was no trace of dejection from defeat on his face; a faint smile still graced his lips.
He had long known he was no match for Qin Honglie; enduring thirty-four moves before his defeat was already quite an achievement.
"Xin Wuyue, the next time we cross swords, it won’t be so easy for you!" Qin Honglie suddenly said in a deep voice as Xin Wuyue passed by.
Failure to defeat Xin Wuyue within ten moves was a significant blow to his pride!
Xin Wuyue paused and chuckled lightly. "Qin Honglie, instead of worrying about me, you should worry about yourself."
"What do you mean?" Qin Honglie frowned.
Xin Wuyue glanced subtly in Luo Feng’s direction and said, "If I’m not mistaken, you’ll challenge Luo Feng next. I’d advise you to be cautious. I have a feeling... this person isn’t easy to deal with."
Qin Honglie snorted deeply and said disdainfully, "Even ten of him would be no match for me."
Xin Wuyue had only offered the advice casually, considering they were both among the Four Young Masters. Since Qin Honglie didn’t appreciate it, he wasn’t inclined to press the matter when his goodwill was met with a rebuff.
"Well, suit yourself then."
Shaking his head, Xin Wuyue turned and walked back to the first pavilion.
Elder Chen, noticing Qin Honglie hadn’t left the plaza, frowned and asked, "Qin Honglie, who else do you intend to challenge?"
As soon as these words were spoken, all eyes immediately turned to Young Master Hanshan, Li Hanshan.
With Xin Wuyue defeated by Qin Honglie, the only person in the two territories who could currently match Qin Honglie’s strength was Li Hanshan, ranked second among the Four Young Masters.
Under everyone’s intense gaze, Li Hanshan remained seated quietly, still cradling his long spear, his eyelids not even twitching. It was as if everything happening around him was of no concern.
Noticing this, Qin Honglie’s heart clenched painfully, a trace of coldness flickering deep within his eyes.
Although he and Li Hanshan were both students of the Ivy School, Li Hanshan had a solitary and aloof personality, while Qin Honglie was hot-tempered and arrogant. Neither held the other in high regard, and their relationship was extremely strained.
In this summit’s sparring sessions, Qin Honglie had only two targets: one was Luo Feng, and the other was Li Hanshan!
Li Hanshan was the Second Young Master, ranked above Qin Honglie—a position Qin Honglie deeply coveted.
However, before that, he first had to deal with Luo Feng and avenge Qin Huan!
Li Hanshan, just you wait! I’ll soon show you who the true Second Young Master is!
Qin Honglie struggled to suppress the fury boiling within him. He shifted his gaze from Li Hanshan to Luo Feng. "Luo Feng, do you dare come out and fight!"
The crowd gasped, their expressions shifting.
Even Zi Hongyuan and the others were taken aback.
Most people hadn’t expected Qin Honglie to challenge Luo Feng.
Hearing his name called, Luo Feng opened his eyes. A subtle glint of lightning flashed deep within his pupils.
"YAH!" Zi Yuan, sitting beside Luo Feng, suddenly jumped up as if pricked by a needle.
"Zi Yuan, what’s wrong?" Zi Hongyuan asked.
Zi Yuan pouted her red lips and said uncertainly, "Just now, I suddenly felt something very strange, as if a wave of thunderous intent swept past."
As she spoke, Zi Yuan gently rubbed her arm; her fair skin was covered in fine goosebumps.
Seated a little further away, He Qin and Bing Ruolan exchanged puzzled glances and shook their heads; they hadn’t felt anything.
"Must have been my imagination." Zi Yuan felt she was making a fuss over nothing, pulled a face, and sat back down.
"Thunderous intent... Could he have touched upon the third level of the Condensation Yuan Technique?" Zhou Zhiyun’s shapely eyebrows twitched slightly as her beautiful eyes suddenly focused on Luo Feng.
"Impossible. The third level of the Condensation Yuan Technique, ’Eye Contains Wind and Thunder,’ can only be comprehended through one’s own insight. Those with insufficient comprehension might spend three to five years without grasping even a hint of it. It seems the recent string of surprising events has even thrown me off balance." Zhou Zhiyun shook her head slightly, a wry smile on her lips at her own absurd thought.
At this moment, Qin Honglie’s voice rang out again.
"Luo Feng, you Four New Elites came to Red Maple Lead for sparring and exchange. As the foremost New Elite of Flowing Cloud Region, will you accept my challenge? Of course, you can refuse. There’s always been a gap between the Four New Elites and our Four Young Masters. I believe everyone can understand that."
Worried Luo Feng might refuse, Qin Honglie immediately invoked the status of the Four New Elites.
This way, if Luo Feng declined, it would confirm the notion that the Four New Elites were inferior to the Four Young Masters, and Luo Feng would be ridiculed for daring not to fight.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, many people nodded silently, finding his reasoning sound.
The summit was intended for experts from the two territories to spar and exchange pointers. So far, none of the Four New Elites had clashed with any of the Four Young Masters.
Even if Luo Feng’s chances against Qin Honglie were slim, it was just a spar, not a life-or-death battle.
"Luo Feng, don’t let him provoke you. We, the Four New Elites of Flowing Cloud Region, don’t need to prove ourselves here," Zi Yuan said, her expression uncharacteristically solemn as she frowned.
He Qin also looked towards Luo Feng. She understood the full context of the situation, which made her even more worried. Qin Honglie was known for his perverse and violent temperament. If Luo Feng agreed, there was no telling what might happen. Xin Wuyue was a prime example.
"Luo Feng, reject Qin Honglie’s challenge," Zi Hongyuan said slowly after a moment of contemplation.
Looking at the pairs of eyes fixed on him, Luo Feng smiled. "Do you all have so little faith in me?"
Zi Hongyuan and the others remained silent. This matter concerned the honor of the Four Academies of Flowing Cloud Region and was even linked to a precious Secret Realm. Who wouldn’t hope for Luo Feng to win? However, having witnessed Qin Honglie’s strength firsthand, they all knew the chances were virtually nil.
"Dean, Zi Yuan, thank you for your concern," Luo Feng said, standing up.
"You’re the gem of our Four Academies now; how could we not be concerned about you?" Zi Yuan pursed her red lips, then her eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Luo Feng. "Don’t tell me you’re going to accept Qin Honglie’s challenge? Didn’t you see how incredible his swordsmanship is? You..."
Luo Feng raised a hand, interrupting Zi Yuan. "I know what I’m doing."
Seeing Luo Feng had made up his mind, Zi Hongyuan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Pressure can also be a driving force for cultivation. If it seems you can’t win, just concede. Don’t try to be a hero."
Luo Feng nodded, though inwardly he disagreed.
With his current cultivation, if he went all out, ten Qin Honglies wouldn’t be his match.
Turning, Luo Feng walked out of the pavilion and announced clearly, "Qin Honglie, I accept your challenge!"
A wave of excitement swept through the plaza upon hearing Luo Feng accept the challenge.
Qin Honglie’s strength was evident to all; many had assumed Luo Feng would refuse. The outcome was unexpected.
However, this was precisely what the crowd had hoped to see.
Luo Feng was the top New Elite of Flowing Cloud Region, while Qin Honglie was one of the Four Young Masters. Their clash would represent a battle between the most outstanding young experts of the two territories!
"This Luo Feng certainly has some nerve, actually accepting Qin Honglie’s challenge."
"What use is mere courage to a martial artist? Strength is what truly matters. How many moves do you think Luo Feng can last against Qin Honglie?"
"Xin Wuyue only lasted just over thirty moves earlier. Luo Feng’s strength is, at best, at the quasi-Young Master level. I reckon he’ll be defeated within twenty moves!"
"Twenty moves? You’re overestimating him. From the fight between Xin Wuyue and Qin Honglie, it’s clear that the gap between the quasi-Young Master level and the Young Master level is enormous! I say Luo Feng will undoubtedly lose within five moves!"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, none of them optimistic about Luo Feng’s chances.
"You all think Luo Feng will lose, but I beg to differ!" a lazy voice suddenly interjected from the crowd.
The voice was so abrupt that everyone involuntarily turned to look.
Seated in the crowd was a young man in brocade robes, a precious sword at his side. He had a handsome face and eyes like stars, exuding an extraordinary air.
"It’s Wu Xiaoye! You’re here too!" someone exclaimed, recognizing the speaker.
The young man was Wu Xiaoye, young master of the prominent Wu family in Red Maple Lead. He was known in the martial arts world for his passion for gambling and his generous stakes; moreover, he had never lost, earning him some renown.
The young man known as Wu Xiaoye nodded and smiled. "Such a grand event as this summit between the two territories? How could I miss it?"
"Hmph! It’s obvious at a glance who is stronger between Luo Feng and Qin Honglie. You claim Luo Feng will win? What proof do you have!" an Unibrow Swordsman stepped forward, arguing coldly. It was he who had just asserted that Luo Feng would lose to Qin Honglie within five moves.
Wu Xiaoye glanced at him and chuckled. "Ah, so it’s ’Cold Sword’ Xu Han. I have no proof, just my intuition."
"Intuition? Then your intuition is gravely mistaken," the Unibrow Swordsman scoffed, shaking his head.
Wu Xiaoye flicked his fingers and smiled faintly. "Since that’s the case, how about we make a wager? I’ll bet on Luo Feng to win."
Upon hearing this, the attention of the surrounding crowd was immediately captured. Wu Xiaoye had gained his reputation in the martial arts world not only because he was the young master of the Wu family, but mainly because of his passion for gambling—and he had never once lost!
The Unibrow Swordsman had evidently heard of Wu Xiaoye’s reputation. He frowned and asked, "What are we betting?"
"Playing for small stakes is no fun," Wu Xiaoye said, his words astonishing. "I’ll wager the entire Wu family fortune against your life. How about it?"
Hearing the stakes, an uproar went through the crowd. No one had expected the wager to be so immense; Wu Xiaoye was actually daring to stake his entire family fortune on the other party’s life!
Those who knew Wu Xiaoye weren’t surprised; this was his typical style.
His life on the line, the Unibrow Swordsman hesitated. He glanced towards the center of the plaza, then steeled his resolve and sneered, "A bet it is! Did you think I’d be afraid? After today, the Wu family fortune will be mine!"
"You might be speaking too soon," Wu Xiaoye chuckled, his gaze calm.