Desperate?

With a long laugh, Ye Zhen suddenly pointed at Jin Yuanbao. "I'm betting my entire fortune on myself to win. Do you dare?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Hong Bao was briefly stunned, then strode toward Jin Yuanbao. "Thanks for reminding me. This is a chance to pick up silver for free—anyone who doesn't bet is an idiot!"

Jin Yuanbao glared at Ye Zhen through gritted teeth, wishing he could tear apart that mouth of his. If not for Ye Zhen, he would not have had to suffer this additional loss.

"Two thousand taels of silver, five hundred Sect Contribution Points, one bottle of Condensing True Pills, five Marrow Cleansing Pills, and six bottles of Blood Origin Pills. Jin Yuanbao, this is my entire fortune. Take the bet already."

Each item Hong Bao wagered felt like another cut into Jin Yuanbao's flesh. This was not betting—it was plainly slicing meat from his body.

Ye Zhen was slightly surprised as well. Hong Bao's fortune was far more substantial than he had imagined. Those pills alone were worth over twenty thousand taels of silver.

"Senior Brother Jin, how much did I win in the last round?" After Hong Bao returned, Ye Zhen strolled leisurely to Jin Yuanbao's betting table.

"The odds were one-to-two. Aside from returning your two Marrow Cleansing Pills and fifty Sect Contribution Points, I owe you two thousand five hundred taels of silver. Is that right, Junior Brother Ye?"

At the sight of Ye Zhen approaching, the veins on Jin Yuanbao's forehead throbbed wildly. That single reminder Ye Zhen had given Hong Bao had cost him several more pounds of blood. Hong Bao's wager alone was worth as much as the bets of dozens of ordinary Outer Disciples.

"Oh, bet it all. On myself to win!"

"Fine!" Though Ye Zhen betting everything on himself gave Jin Yuanbao a small bit of income, compared to his losses, it was but one hair from nine oxen.

Just as Jin Yuanbao was grinding his teeth in hatred, Ye Zhen lowered his voice slightly. "Senior Brother Jin, do you want me to win?"

"Yes! I want it so badly I'm going mad!"

Jin Yuanbao froze. Looking at Ye Zhen's earnest expression, a tiny spark of hope suddenly rose in his nearly despairing heart, like a drowning man clutching at a life-saving straw. He hurriedly pressed for more.

"If you give me half of this round's net earnings, I might be able to win," Ye Zhen said.

"How would you win?" Jin Yuanbao urgently asked.

"Men die for wealth. Such enormous gains are worth risking my life for. Just risking my life, that's all," Ye Zhen said.

"Risking your life?" Jin Yuanbao was startled and pressed again, "How confident are you?"

"I don't know. The ruthless fear the reckless, and the reckless fear those who do not fear death. If I stake my life on it, there is always some chance of winning." Ye Zhen spoke these words lightly, but for some reason, Jin Yuanbao heard a thick stench of blood in them.

"Fine, half it is, as long as you can win!" Jin Yuanbao instantly made the choice most favorable to himself. If Ye Zhen did not risk his life, not only would he lose everything, he would also be buried under a mountain of debt. But if Ye Zhen could fight out even the slightest chance, then even after giving Ye Zhen half, he would still become rich overnight!

"Fine!" With a long laugh, Ye Zhen leaped onto the Martial Arena once more.

"Risking your life? Surnamed Ye, no matter how desperately an ant struggles, it cannot outfight an elephant." Even though Ye Zhen and Jin Yuanbao had lowered their voices, nothing they said was a secret to the keen ears of those present.

"Enough nonsense. Take this!"

Ye Zhen's body suddenly crouched and sprang forward. His speed soared from stillness to its peak in an instant. Nearly pure azure True Essence covered his raised fist as he crossed more than twenty meters in a flash, blasting toward Hong Bao like an azure meteor.

Gu Duozhi and Li Yuncong's pupils abruptly contracted, and Gu Duozhi even rose to his feet.

"Nearly pure azure True Essence... Blood Refining Fifth Level Peak, only one step from entering the True Essence Realm? Junior Brother Li, when did East Arrival Peak gain such a formidable figure? How did I not know?"

"Senior Disciple Brother, I don't know either. I only know that three months ago, his cultivation had barely broken through to the Blood Refining Fourth Level." Li Yuncong was equally shocked.

"In three months, he advanced from the Blood Refining Fourth Level to the Blood Refining Fifth Level Peak? So quickly? Do you know what grade his bloodline talent is?" Gu Duozhi pressed.

"I'm not sure." Li Yuncong shook his head. "But his talent cannot be that high. Four months ago, he was still a Menial Disciple. His bloodline talent must be below fourth grade."

"What? Four months ago, he was still a Menial Disciple!"

This time, Gu Duozhi was thoroughly shocked. Four months ago, Ye Zhen had still been a Menial Disciple, yet four months later, his cultivation had already reached the Blood Refining Fifth Level Peak, nearly enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

"Could it be that an elder in the sect has taken a liking to him?" Gu Duozhi asked.

"No! If that were the case, he would not still be muddling about among the Outer Disciples," Li Yuncong replied.

"Interesting, interesting. This Ye Zhen is truly quite interesting." Gu Duozhi stared at Ye Zhen as he attacked Hong Bao like lightning, his gaze flickering constantly as if calculating something.

"Senior Disciple Brother, does that mean Ye Zhen has a chance of winning?" Li Yuncong asked.

"A chance to win? Impossible." Gu Duozhi shook his head firmly. "Have you forgotten the foundations of the top three on the sect's Earth Ranking? How could ordinary Outer Disciples like them compare?

"Besides, Junior Brother Li, you, me, and Hong Bao have long since reached the threshold for becoming Inner Disciples. After this year's Sect Grand Competition at the end of the year, we will directly advance into the ranks of Inner Disciples. Even if Ye Zhen's cultivation has reached the Blood Refining Fifth Level Peak, Hong Bao is not someone he can defeat!

Seeing Ye Zhen coming at him with extreme speed, Hong Bao threw a punch to meet him almost without thought. Pure azure True Essence blanketed his fist.

"True Essence Realm—Hong Bao has already entered the True Essence Realm!" Ye Zhen was shocked as well.

When the color of one's True Essence changed from pale azure to pure azure, it meant that a martial artist's cultivation had officially stepped into the True Essence Realm—the true beginning of the martial path.

Bang!

The two iron fists smashed viciously together. The True Essence around them exploded into a mass, yet neither man retreated even half a step.

Hong Bao and Ye Zhen's pupils contracted at the same time, both astonished by the other's strength.

Hong Bao had entered the True Essence Realm not long ago. Against Ye Zhen, who was at the Blood Refining Fifth Level Peak, the suppression from their cultivation gap should have been enough to knock Ye Zhen back with one punch. Yet Ye Zhen did not budge in the slightest.

As for Ye Zhen, he understood the power of his own punch best.

His True Essence had been tempered by the Mirage Dragon, and its purity was nearly on par with that of a True Essence Realm expert. Though he had not used his full strength, he had only managed to split the honors evenly with Hong Bao by borrowing the speed advantage of Snake Springing Grass.

Hong Bao was even stronger than he had imagined.

"Hmph, then take one of my punches!"

As he spoke, a violent aura suddenly rose around Hong Bao. His fist technique shifted, forming the illusion of four arms and four legs smashing toward Ye Zhen. Even the True Essence floating over his body suddenly turned pale gold.

Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist!

The Human-tier Low Grade martial technique Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist was famed for its incomparable ferocity. At minor mastery, it could manifest four arms and four legs. At major mastery, when the punches reached extreme speed, it could manifest eight arms and eight legs, with boundless power.

Facing the fist shadows filling the sky, Ye Zhen's Snake-Wandering Steps spun in a blur, carrying him out of the attack range of Hong Bao's four arms and four legs.

At that moment, Hong Bao resembled an adamantine guardian with glaring eyes. His manifested four arms and four legs shifted unpredictably as he continued attacking Ye Zhen like a spinning top.

The power of a Human-tier Low Grade martial technique truly was no empty boast. The moment Hong Bao unleashed his Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist, Ye Zhen was forced to avoid meeting it head-on. However, Ye Zhen was not without means of retaliation.

As he used Snake-Wandering Steps to circle Hong Bao in a blur, he occasionally supplemented it with a Five Peaks Divine Fist. In particular, the detached Fist Qi of the Five Peaks Divine Fist threw Hong Bao into a fluster.

"Adamantine Glaring Eyes! Adamantine Tiger-Stomping!"

Hong Bao roared and suddenly leaped high into the air. His four fists and four legs manifested countless streaks of golden light as they attacked Ye Zhen. These two moves were killing techniques within the Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist, feints mixed with substance, capable of combining into several deadly attacks.

At this moment, Ye Zhen felt somewhat frustrated. He finally understood that his foundation was still too shallow. He knew too few martial techniques. Counting everything he had, he did not even possess a single Human-tier Low Grade martial technique capable of contending with the Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

Ye Zhen, standing on the ground, unleashed more than a dozen Five Peaks Divine Fists in succession. The Fist Qi from each Five Peaks Divine Fist shot three feet away from his body toward Hong Bao.

Yet Hong Bao remained utterly fearless. His feet kicked repeatedly, directly shattering Ye Zhen's Five Peaks Divine Fist Qi. Then his body flipped, and with an Adamantine Tiger-Capturing move, he descended headfirst and feet-up upon Ye Zhen.

This time, he was right at hand. Ye Zhen had nowhere to evade!

Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand!

At the instant he threw a punch to meet it, Ye Zhen suddenly changed his fist into a palm. He caught Hong Bao's fist, slapped and twisted it away, and with a crack, Hong Bao's right fist drooped limply.

With a cry of pain, Hong Bao ignored his dislocated right hand. His left fist circled around, golden fist light blazing as it smashed down at Ye Zhen's head without obstruction.

If that punch landed solidly, Ye Zhen would be severely injured even if he did not die.

"Bastard, die!"

In an instant, everyone watching below the stage stretched out their necks. Jin Yuanbao held his breath as he stared fixedly at the Martial Arena, not even daring to blink, afraid that one blink would see Ye Zhen finished.

If Ye Zhen was finished, then he was finished too.

In the arena, Ye Zhen suddenly stood upright, then sharply tilted his body to the left. He avoided the vital point of his head and directly offered his shoulder to Hong Bao.

This was...

Everyone beneath the Martial Arena was instantly shocked. With the strength of the True Essence Realm, the Human-tier Low Grade Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist, and Hong Bao striking with full force, if this hit, Ye Zhen's shoulder would likely shatter at once.

Did Ye Zhen not want to live anymore?

Amid everyone's wide-eyed disbelief, Ye Zhen suddenly thrust his shoulder forward. At the instant it actively collided with Hong Bao's fist, both his hands shot like spirit snakes toward Hong Bao's ribs.

A sudden understanding dawned upon Jin Yuanbao below the stage. Ye Zhen was truly going to risk his life!

*************

P.S. Girls, Ye Zhen had begun risking his life—where were your screams? No, wait, where were your recommendation votes!