Fighting to the death?

With a loud laugh, Ye Zhen suddenly pointed at Jin Yuanbao and said, "I intend to bet my entire net worth on myself to win. Do you have the guts to take it?"

"Why wouldn't I!" Hong Bao's expression froze for a moment before he strode toward Jin Yuanbao. "I should thank you for the reminder. A chance to pick up free silver—only an idiot wouldn't bet!"

Jin Yuanbao stared at Ye Zhen, gritting his teeth, wishing he could tear Ye Zhen's mouth apart. If not for Ye Zhen, he wouldn't have had to suffer this additional loss.

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

Every time Hong Bao placed an item down, Jin Yuanbao felt as if he were being sliced by a blade. This wasn't just betting; it was literally carving meat off his own body.

Ye Zhen was also slightly startled. Hong Bao's net worth was far more substantial than he had imagined; the 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 over 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. That's correct, isn't it, Junior Brother Ye?"

Seeing Ye Zhen approach, the veins on Jin Yuanbao's forehead throbbed. The single sentence Ye Zhen had just said to remind Hong Bao had caused him to bleed out several more pounds of flesh; Hong Bao's individual bet was worth more than the bets of dozens of ordinary Outer Disciples combined.

"Oh, bet it all. Bet on me to win!"

"Fine!" Although Ye Zhen betting everything on himself gave Jin Yuanbao a slight bit of income, compared to his losses, it was truly just a drop in the bucket.

Suddenly, just as Jin Yuanbao was seething with frustration, Ye Zhen lowered his voice and said, "Senior Brother Jin, do you want me to win?"

"I do! I want it more than anything!"

Jin Yuanbao was stunned. Looking at the earnest expression on Ye Zhen's face, a tiny glimmer of hope suddenly rose in his nearly desperate heart, much like a drowning man clutching at a straw, and he anxiously pressed for more.

"If you split half of the net profit from this round with me, I might just win!" Ye Zhen said.

"How do you plan to win?" Jin Yuanbao asked urgently.

"People die for wealth. Such a massive profit is enough to make me risk my life. That's all it is—risking my life." Ye Zhen said.

"Risking your life?" Jin Yuanbao was taken aback and asked again, "How much certainty do you have?"

"I don't know. The fierce fear the stubborn, and the stubborn fear those who don't value their lives. If I fight with my life on the line, there's always a chance of winning." Ye Zhen said these words nonchalantly, but for some reason, Jin Yuanbao detected a thick scent of blood in them.

"Fine, half is half. As long as you can win!" Jin Yuanbao made the choice most beneficial to him in an instant. If Ye Zhen didn't risk his life, he wouldn't just lose his capital; he would be buried in debt. But if Ye Zhen could fight for even a sliver of a chance, even after splitting half with him, he would be rich overnight!

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

"Risking your life? You surnamed Ye, no matter how hard an ant struggles, it can never defeat an elephant." Even though Ye Zhen and Jin Yuanbao had lowered their voices, with the hearing of those present, their conversation was no secret.

"Too much nonsense. Take this!"

Ye Zhen's body suddenly crouched and sprang, his speed surging from a standstill to its absolute limit in an instant. His clenched fist was covered in nearly pure cyan True Essence, crossing the twenty-meter distance in a heartbeat like a cyan meteor, slamming toward Hong Bao.

The pupils of Gu Duozhi and Li Yuncong beneath the stage shrank violently, and Gu Duozhi even stood up.

"Nearly pure cyan True Essence? Blood Refining Fifth Level peak, one step away from entering the True Essence Realm? Junior Brother Li, when did our East Arrival Peak get such a formidable existence? Why didn't I know?"

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

"Three months to go from the Blood Refining Fourth Level to the Blood Refining Fifth Level peak? So fast? Do you know what grade his bloodline talent is?" Gu Duozhi pressed.

"I'm not sure." Li Yuncong shook his head. "However, his talent can't be that high. Four months ago, he was still a Menial Disciple; his bloodline talent must be below the fourth grade."

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

At this, Gu Duozhi was completely and utterly shocked. A Menial Disciple four months ago, and now his cultivation had reached the Blood Refining Fifth Level peak, ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them.

"Could it be that an elder in the sect favors him?" Gu Duozhi asked.

"No! If there were, he wouldn't be mingling among the Outer Disciples." Li Yuncong replied.

"Interesting, very interesting. This Ye Zhen is truly quite interesting." Gu Duozhi stared at Ye Zhen, who was attacking Hong Bao like lightning, his eyes flickering as if he were calculating something.

"Senior Disciple Brother, does this mean Ye Zhen has a chance to win?" Li Yuncong asked.

"A chance to win? Impossible." Gu Duozhi shook his head firmly. "You forget the foundation of the top three on the Earth Ranking; how could these ordinary Outer Disciples compare to them?"

"Besides, Junior Brother Li, you, I, and Hong Bao have long since reached the threshold of the Inner Disciples. We are just waiting for the sect competition at the end of this year to be promoted directly. Even if Ye Zhen's cultivation has reached the Blood Refining Fifth Level peak, he still cannot defeat Hong Bao!"

Seeing Ye Zhen's rapid approach, Hong Bao met the attack with a punch without a moment's hesitation, his fist covered in pure cyan True Essence.

"True Essence Realm! Hong Bao has already stepped into the True Essence Realm!" Ye Zhen was also incredibly shocked.

When the color of True Essence changes from light cyan to pure cyan, it signifies that a martial artist has officially stepped into the True Essence Realm, which is the true beginning of the martial path.

Bang!

Two iron fists collided fiercely, and the True Essence on their fists exploded into a ball. Neither retreated even half a step.

The pupils of both Hong Bao and Ye Zhen shrank simultaneously, both surprised by the other's strength.

Hong Bao's cultivation had entered the True Essence Realm not long ago. Against Ye Zhen, who was at the Blood Refining Fifth Level peak, the suppression of cultivation tiers should have been enough to send Ye Zhen flying with a single punch, yet Ye Zhen's figure remained unmoved.

As for Ye Zhen, he knew the power of his own punch better than anyone.

His True Essence had been tempered by the Mirage Dragon, and its purity was comparable to that of someone in the True Essence Realm. Although he hadn't used his full strength, he had only managed to fight Hong Bao to a draw by utilizing the speed advantage from the Snake Springing Grass.

This Hong Bao's strength was even more formidable than he had imagined.

"Hmph, try taking a punch from me too!"

As he spoke, a violent aura suddenly rose around Hong Bao. His fist technique shifted, manifesting four arms and four legs as he smashed toward Ye Zhen, and even the True Essence surfacing on his skin turned a pale gold.

Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist!

The Human-tier Low Grade martial art, Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist, is renowned for its peerless ferocity. If practiced to minor completion, it can manifest four arms and four legs; if brought to grand completion, the fist speed becomes so rapid that it can manifest eight arms and eight legs, possessing infinite power.

Watching the sky full of fist shadows crashing down, Ye Zhen spun his Snake-Wandering Steps and slipped out of the attack range of Hong Bao's four arms and four legs.

Hong Bao looked like an angry Vajra at this moment, his manifested four arms and four legs shifting unpredictably, spinning like a top as he continued his assault on Ye Zhen.

The power of a Human-tier Low Grade martial art was truly no joke. Once Hong Bao unleashed his Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist, he forced Ye Zhen into a position where he dared not take the blows head-on. However, Ye Zhen was not without the power to fight back.

As he deployed his Snake-Wandering Steps, spinning nimbly around Hong Bao, he supplemented his movement with the occasional Five Peaks Divine Fist. In particular, the Fist Qi of the Five Peaks Divine Fist that projected from his body kept Hong Bao in a state of frantic disarray.

"Adamantine Glaring Eyes! Adamantine Tiger-Stomping!"

Hong Bao roared, his figure suddenly leaping high into the air as his four fists and four legs manifested countless golden lights, attacking Ye Zhen. These two moves were the finishing strikes of the Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist, blending reality and illusion to form several lethal combinations.

At this moment, Ye Zhen felt a bit frustrated. He finally understood that his foundation was still too shallow and he knew too few martial arts. All told, Ye Zhen did not even possess a single Human-tier Low Grade martial art capable of contending with the Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

Ye Zhen, standing on the ground, unleashed over a dozen Five Peaks Divine Fists in succession, each burst of Fist Qi projecting three feet from his body to blast toward Hong Bao.

Hong Bao, however, was completely unfazed. His feet kicked out in rapid succession, directly shattering Ye Zhen's Fist Qi. With a flip of his body, he executed an Adamantine Tiger-Capturing, diving head-first toward Ye Zhen.

This time, the distance was so close that Ye Zhen had nowhere to hide!

Spirit Snake Vein-Cutting Hand!

The instant he met the punch, Ye Zhen abruptly changed his fist into a palm, grabbing Hong Bao's fist to parry and deflect it. With a crack, Hong Bao's right fist hung limply at his side.

With a cry of pain, Hong Bao ignored his dislocated right hand. His left fist circled around, the golden fist radiance flaring brilliantly as it smashed down toward Ye Zhen's head without any obstruction.

If this punch landed solidly, Ye Zhen would be severely injured, if not killed outright.

"Bastard, go to hell!"

Instantly, the crowd watching from below stretched their necks. Jin Yuanbao held his breath, staring at the Martial Arena without even daring to blink, terrified that if he did, Ye Zhen would be finished.

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

In the center of the arena, Ye Zhen suddenly stood tall, his body leaning sharply to the left to avoid his vital head area, directly offering his shoulder to Hong Bao.

This is...

The crowd beneath the Martial Arena was instantly shocked. With the strength of the True Essence Realm and the Human-tier Low Grade Adamantine Tiger-Subduing Fist, Hong Bao was striking with his full power. If this connected, Ye Zhen's shoulder would surely be shattered to pieces.

Does Ye Zhen not want to live?

Amidst the stunned gazes of everyone, Ye Zhen's shoulder thrust forward. The moment it actively collided with Hong Bao's fist, his hands moved like spirit snakes, striking rapidly toward Hong Bao's ribs.

Jin Yuanbao, watching from below, suddenly had a flash of realization: Ye Zhen was going all out!

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

ps: Girls, Ye Zhen has started to risk it all, where are your screams! No, wait, where are your recommendation votes!