A Wager with Xiao Wu

"Bang." Qian Yu fired a shot with leisurely ease, causing Tang San and Xiao Wu to jump in fright.

"Little brother, I advise you to stay calm. Everything I have done is for your own good. You must realize that the spirit beast just now had a cultivation of 1,200 years. Just imagine, what would happen if you were the one to absorb it?" Seeing the murderous expressions on the faces of Tang San, Yu Xiaogang, and the others, Qian Yu spoke unhurriedly.

Qian Yu had restored his original strength to level 30, so he had absolutely no fear of these few small fries before him. Furthermore, with his spirit detection, every move Tang San and the others made was clear to him.

"You're spouting nonsense! I, Yu Xiaogang, have traversed the continent for decades, studied countless beasts, and possess invincible theories. How could I possibly fail to judge the age of a Ghost Vine?" Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth as he retorted to Qian Yu.

"No wonder it smells so foul here. Are you that 'Number One Trash' of the continent, the stinky-fart spirit master who is over 50 years old and still a level 29 Soul Grand Master?" Qian Yu feigned ignorance, waving his hand to clear the thick smoke as he spoke.

Yu Xiaogang was so enraged he wanted to strike, but he remembered that despite his level 29 spirit power, he possessed no real offensive capabilities.

He could only cast his gaze toward Tang San and Xiao Wu.

"I will not allow you to insult my teacher!" Tang San, ever the filial disciple, immediately jumped out to attack Qian Yu upon hearing his teacher being insulted.

"I demand you apologize to my teacher, otherwise, you have already chosen the path of death." As he spoke, Tang San reached into his Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges to retrieve his hidden weapons.

"What, am I wrong?"

"Open your dog eyes and take a good look at the age of my second spirit ring."

"Hum." A yellow and a purple spirit ring rose from around Qian Yu's body.

"Purple... it's actually purple." Tang San couldn't help but feel a lingering fear, quickly looking toward Yu Xiaogang for an answer.

Yu Xiaogang's face turned leaden, but he stubbornly insisted, "How would I know if that spirit ring wasn't just produced by the Ghost Vine you killed?"

"Besides, how could a normal person absorb a spirit ring so quickly?"

The more Yu Xiaogang spoke, the more he convinced himself. "Yes, exactly."

"No matter what, I cannot admit I was wrong today."

This kid is so strange. How could a normal person absorb a spirit ring so fast? Unless... Yu Xiaogang's imagination began to run wild.

"My teacher is right. Unless... you aren't human?" Tang San felt Yu Xiaogang's reasoning made sense.

Xiao Wu stood to the side, her face pale.

Qian Yu found it laughable. With a cold sneer, he pulled the pitch-black torso bone from his robes. "Hmph, a bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well. Take a look at this."

"A spirit bone."

"And it's a torso bone?" Yu Xiaogang trembled uncontrollably.

What is the most valuable thing on the Douluo Continent? Spirit bones. They are priceless and rare, let alone a top-tier torso bone.

"A spirit bone? A Ghost Vine torso bone. It has the aura of the Ghost Vine on it. This cannot be fake." Tang San was confused, looking back and forth between Yu Xiaogang and Qian Yu.

"Kid, I don't know what method you used to make a 600-year-old Ghost Vine produce a purple spirit ring, but I want to say this: you stole our spirit ring and spirit bone, and you have already chosen the path of death." Yu Xiaogang still stubbornly argued, his face stiff.

However, his greedy gaze never once left the spirit bone in Qian Yu's hand.

"That's right! You must have used some evil magic. Not only did you steal the spirit ring that belonged to me, but now you want to steal my spirit bone as well!" Tang San's resolve hardened, his eyes fixed on the bone in Qian Yu's hand.

Qian Yu laughed.

He was amused by this pair of shameless master and disciple.

"Divine Eye, how is the absorption going?" Qian Yu contacted the Divine Eye; he really didn't want to waste any more breath on this shameless duo.

"You brat, what's the rush? Do you think a 100,000-year source is that easy to devour? Don't you know that long-distance devouring is slower? Unless you can make physical contact with them." The Divine Eye teased him leisurely.

"Shut up, you glutton." Qian Yu retorted irritably.

"La la la, so good, so good! This is the best meal I've had in years. A 100,000-year source... you think that's easy to absorb? If only I could keep eating like this. Kid, you should think of a way; if my realm recovers, won't you get more returns?" The Divine Eye wandered happily within the mental sea of the Devouring Eye.

Qian Yu felt that continuing to bicker with this shameless pair for the sake of this bit of essence would only shorten his life.

Just then, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang exchanged a glance.

Tang San whispered to Yu Xiaogang, "Teacher, I can challenge him to a duel. If I win, I'll kill him and take the spirit bone. If I lose, you can pretend to take him as a disciple, and then..."

Yu Xiaogang nodded repeatedly upon hearing his disciple's plan. Thinking of his disciple's miraculous hidden weapons, he immediately felt the plan was feasible.

"Kid, we can let the spirit ring slide for now. I see you are a spirit master, so why don't we have a duel according to the rules of the spirit masters? If you lose, leave the spirit bone behind. If you win, I can reluctantly take you as my disciple."

Yu Xiaogang was truly the most shameless person on the Douluo Continent; they stood to profit regardless of the outcome.

"Hmph, you think very highly of yourselves. You win either way—I lose the spirit bone for nothing, and I have to become your disciple?"

Qian Yu let out a cold snort to show his dissatisfaction.

"Then what do you want?" Tang San interjected.

"How about this? I won't make it difficult for you. If I lose, I'll give you the spirit bone."

"But if I win, I want her to serve me for six years." As he spoke, Qian Yu pointed at Xiao Wu.

"Me!" Xiao Wu felt her body go light. Upon hearing that Qian Yu wanted to use her as a wager, her rabbit temper flared, and she prepared to bite someone.

Hearing that Qian Yu wanted his personal prize, Tang San immediately jumped out: "Absolutely not."

Hearing Tang San's firm tone, Xiao Wu immediately calmed down and called out to him tenderly, "San-ge."

"If not, then forget it."

Qian Yu made a show of turning around to leave.

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

"Wait. We can agree to your terms, but Xiao Wu is still in her learning phase. Even if you win, she must continue her studies with me. As for you, you can stay by Xiao Wu's side." Yu Xiaogang's expression shifted repeatedly, his heart a tangle of greed and desire. Finally, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he proposed a solution he believed to be quite insightful.

This way, he could ensure Xiao Wu and Tang San remained by his side, and Qian Yu would also be kept close, following Xiao Wu.

"Hmph, brat, as long as you listen to my lectures a few more times, I don't believe you won't want to take me as your master. By then, your spirit bones will be mine for the taking," Yu Xiaogang thought with considerable self-satisfaction.

"Master," Xiao Wu said anxiously.

At this moment, Yu Xiaogang gestured to Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu, don't you trust your third brother?" Yu Xiaogang's voice boomed, causing Xiao Wu to retreat repeatedly.

"But..." Xiao Wu looked at Tang San, then at Qian Yu opposite him. Finally, gritting her teeth and with tears in her eyes, she nodded in agreement.

Yu Xiaogang then turned and patted Tang San's shoulder.

"San, it's up to you."

Tang San was greatly encouraged. He immediately unleashed his Mysterious Jade Hand, activated his Purple Demon Eye, and his hidden weapons were already prepared. His expression was one of absolute determination.

The battle was about to erupt.