Wager Battle

The battle between Lin Yuan and the chubby Cohen had reached a stalemate.

After Lin Yuan activated the secret technique Earth Tremor, his defense became too formidable for Cohen's blood-colored war blades to penetrate. Meanwhile, even with his speed boosted by Single Shadow Step, Lin Yuan still couldn't threaten Cohen, who was protected by his agile blood blades.

Lin Yuan had no intention of bringing out the Burning Universe Flame Wild Axe; his comprehension of the Law of Fire Origin was far deeper than that of the Law of Earth Origin, and he figured he should spare the chubby guy some face.

"Cohen."

Lin Yuan spoke while swinging his axe to parry the blood-colored blades controlled by Cohen.

"Let's end this sparring session here. If we keep going, we won't be able to determine a winner anytime soon."

"End it here? Didn't you comprehend other laws of origin? Why not use those techniques?"

The chubby guy asked, looking puzzled.

"My primary focus is the Law of Earth Origin. I've only just begun to grasp the other lower-tier laws, so even if I used those techniques, it wouldn't change the situation. It's better not to use them at all."

Lin Yuan replied to the chubby guy.

The two of them immediately pulled back and stopped their sparring.

"Brother, with your current strength, I don't think there's any problem with you breaking into the top ten."

The chubby guy smiled at Lin Yuan and was just about to start chatting when he suddenly heard applause coming from below the Arena.

Lin Yuan looked toward the source of the sound and discovered that two people had been standing under the Arena watching them for some time.

"Yo, isn't this Cohen? Coming to the Arena to spar with someone? Your strength has grown quite a bit over these past few decades." A bald man below the Arena said to Cohen on the stage while clapping.

The bald man was two meters tall, wore a purple battle robe, and had several scales on his face.

Standing next to the bald man was a five-meter-tall, black-haired giant. This man was massive, standing under the Arena like a small wall.

At this moment, the giant also spoke, his words coming out one by one:

"Hmph! Cohen, too weak. A hundred years ago, I could have crushed you!"

The bald man shifted his gaze to Lin Yuan, who was standing next to Cohen, looked him over, and said:

"Oh? Could this be the newcomer who just joined the Holy Land a few years ago? This is my first time seeing him."

"I heard this newcomer entered the core layer as soon as he joined the Holy Land and was granted the treatment of a top-ten member right away. That background is truly extraordinary. With such a strong background, as for his strength..."

The bald man said in a sarcastic tone.

"Resk, this newcomer uses a giant axe just like you. How is his strength?"

The bald man asked the giant.

"Weak! Too weak!"

The giant's voice boomed.

Lin Yuan frowned, his impression of these two being extremely poor.

"Don't mind them, Lin Yuan. That bald guy is ranked second among the Universe Level members, and the big oaf is named Resk, ranked third. These two have always been like this, looking down on everyone weaker than them."

Cohen explained to Lin Yuan.

"Newcomer, what's your name? Since you're already here, why not have a spar with us?"

Barry lifted his chin, his tone completely devoid of courtesy.

"Sorry, I'm not interested."

After saying this, Lin Yuan signaled to the chubby Cohen, intending to leave the place together.

Barry gave a look, and Resk's wall-like body blocked the path in front of Lin Yuan and Cohen.

"Coward, fight me!"

After saying that, a giant axe appeared in Resk's hand, which he held upright in front of him.

Lin Yuan looked at the giant axe and recognized it as the Space-Shattering Gold-Splitting Axe, a god-tier weapon that combined the laws of "Gold" and "Space."

"Boring. What do I gain from fighting you?"

Lin Yuan said impatiently.

"Gain? We, the second and third-ranked experts, are willing to fight you—that's already doing you a favor. You still want something in return?"

"Since you want a reward so badly, why don't we have a wagered battle? How about we bet 1 Hunyuan unit?"

"1 Hunyuan unit?"

Lin Yuan was speechless; that amount of money was truly too little for him.

Normally, an average Universe Level cultivator could never possess that much wealth, as 1 Hunyuan unit was equivalent to ten percent of a World Lord's total net worth.

However, the Holy Land rewarded elite students who ranked highly. The first time one broke into the top ten, they would receive a reward of 10 Hunyuan units from the Holy Land, and for every subsequent ranking battle where they remained in the top ten, they would be rewarded with another 1 Hunyuan unit. Therefore, the top ten Universe Level students in the Holy Land were generally wealthier than ordinary World Lords.

Lin Yuan thought for a moment and replied:

"A wagered battle is fine."

Hearing Lin Yuan's words, the corners of Barry's mouth curled up, as if the 1 Hunyuan unit were already in his pocket.

"But—"

Lin Yuan continued:

"This wager won't be settled now, but at the Ranking Tournament ten years from now. How about it? Ten years is nothing, not that long, right?"

"Besides, betting 1 Hunyuan unit is too little; it's a bit boring. If we're going to bet, let's make it 10 Hunyuan units. Furthermore, I'll take on both of you at once. If I lose to both, I'll give each of you 10 Hunyuan units."

Upon hearing Lin Yuan's words, the little fatty Cohen beside him couldn't stay calm and immediately spoke up to persuade him:

"Brother, I know you definitely aren't short on money, but there's no need to bet against them. Among the Universe Level members in the Holy Land, these two are second only to that freak Brian. You really need to think this through."

Lin Yuan only smiled faintly at the little fatty's words, signaling that there was no need to worry.

In truth, Lin Yuan didn't feel he lacked the strength to fight these two, and even if he did lose, he didn't care about that amount of money.

However, given his current rate of growth, fighting ten years from now would certainly be safer than doing so today. Since a battle was inevitable during the Ranking Tournament anyway, he might as well set the wager for that event.

"A bet at the Ranking Tournament? 10 Hunyuan?"

Barry crossed his arms and began to weigh the options in his mind; it seemed 10 Hunyuan was not a small sum for them either.

However, having just watched the sparring match between Lin Yuan and Cohen, Barry felt that this newcomer, who had only joined the Holy Land a few years ago, was far inferior to himself and Resk. Even if he had some hidden cards, he had nothing to fear.

"Fine, 10 Hunyuan it is. Hahaha. Ten years is nothing; I can wait. Resk, what do you think?"

After a brief moment of thought, Barry agreed and turned to ask Resk beside him.

"Bet! Ten years from now, we fight!"

Resk's voice was high-pitched and boomed like thunder.

"Alright, both of us have agreed. Newcomer, you seem to have forgotten to tell us your name."

"Lin Yuan."

Lin Yuan replied indifferently.

"Lin Yuan, very well, I'll remember that. I hope you don't go back on your word. We'll see you at the Ranking Tournament in ten years, hahaha."

After saying this, Barry took Resk and left the Holy Land Arena directly.

The little fatty Cohen was extremely worried. Although he felt that Lin Yuan had held back during that previous fight, those two were far too strong compared to him, and he had no confidence at all for his "good brother."

Lin Yuan patted the little fatty on the back.

"Let's go, I'll go grab a drink with you this time."

Lin Yuan led the little fatty toward the tavern, in a very good mood. Lin Yuan felt that this wager had added a touch of fun to his daily, repetitive life of cultivation.