A Bit Short on Origin Stones! (Seeking Collections!)

"Old Niu, go for it! Don't embarrass our First Squad!"

"Gu Ran, our Third Squad is counting on you."

"Miao Ying, bring back a first-place finish!"

As people stepped onto all five arenas, the five hundred veterans of the Xiantian Battalion immediately dispersed, surrounding the arenas of their respective squads.

At the arena for the newcomers, Zhou Hao and the others stood below, watching Shangguan Yun, who was the first to take the stage.

"Brother, be careful not to get tangled by the Vine Wood Puppet," Shangguan Yu shouted, reminding her brother on the stage.

"Don't worry, watch me smash this big piece of wood to pieces!" Shangguan Yun laughed heartily, gripping his Giant Axe.

Once on the arena, Shangguan Yun's expression shifted abruptly. The axe head alone was nearly five feet wide, and with a four-foot handle, the weapon stood almost as tall as the three-meter-high Vine Wood Puppet.

Shangguan Yun was a late-stage Xiantian body-refining expert. His weapon was the "Giant Axe," his signature move was the "Tyrant Slash," and he was known for his innate divine strength and extraordinary bravery.

Information on Shangguan Yun flashed through Zhou Hao's mind as he watched the arena intently.

Originally, Shangguan Yu had proposed that the seven late-stage Xiantian newcomers should take the stage in order of when they joined the Xiantian Battalion, with the earliest joining first.

But Shangguan Yun couldn't wait; before Shangguan Yu could even finish speaking, he had already leaped onto the arena.

Seeing someone take the lead, the others were naturally in no rush. After all, everyone had to face the Vine Wood Puppet, and watching others fight first to understand the puppet's methods would be beneficial.

"Brother Zhou Hao, you didn't go up first?" Zhao Hu appeared beside Zhou Hao at some point. "I thought you'd want to be the first to make a mark."

"It's the same whether I go early or late," Zhou Hao laughed. "Why aren't you watching Miao Ying's duel?"

"I've been bored of Old Miao's moves for years," Zhao Hu curled his lip. "Not just him, everyone else's are about the same. Everyone prefers to watch you newcomers; at least there's a sense of novelty."

Indeed, as Zhou Hao looked around, the newcomers' arena was the liveliest of the five on the drill ground, drawing the largest crowd of Xiantian lifeforms.

Aside from their arena, the First Squad's arena had the next largest crowd.

Suddenly—

"Die!"

On the arena, Shangguan Yun let out a roar. Yellow light surged over his body as he charged toward the Vine Wood Puppet with his Giant Axe.

"It's started." Zhao Hu's eyes lit up, muttering, "You'd better hold out for a while; I bet ten jin of Thunder Gold that you could last twenty breaths."

"You can bet on this?" Zhou Hao was taken aback.

It had only just begun, and the gambling was already set up?

You guys are truly talented!

"As soon as the General announced the rules, Lieutenant Ren Baili set up the betting pool.

"Lasting over ten breaths is one to one point five, over twenty breaths is one to two, over thirty breaths is one to two point five, and defeating the Vine Wood Puppet is one to five."

Zhao Hu replied casually.

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, it was clear this wasn't the first time such a thing had happened.

"What if they don't last ten breaths?" Zhou Hao asked curiously.

"If they can't even last ten breaths, the house takes everything," Zhao Hu said.

"It seems Lieutenant Ren Baili is very confident in the strength of the Vine Wood Puppet," Zhou Hao shook his head and laughed. "If everyone fails to last ten breaths, wouldn't the house win everything?"

"It's just for fun," Zhao Hu grinned. "Who actually expects to get rich off this?"

"Get rich..." Zhou Hao's heart stirred. "Can I bet on myself?"

"Bet on yourself?" Zhao Hu turned to look at Zhou Hao. "What are you planning?"

"I'm a bit short on High-Grade Origin Stones," Zhou Hao laughed.

Damn!

Who isn't short on High-Grade Origin Stones?

I'm short on them too!

Zhao Hu ignored Shangguan Yun's fight and pressed, "How do you want to bet?"

"Help me process these first and see how many High-Grade Origin Stones I can get for them." With that, Zhou Hao handed a Storage Bracelet to Zhao Hu.

It was the one he had obtained after killing Ye Feng, the eldest disciple of Motai Xiao.

Because he hadn't been practicing Qi, he had been unable to refine it. It wasn't until last night, after his Qi cultivation broke through to the Xiantian realm and he possessed Xiantian True Origin, that he was able to refine it and access the contents.

The bracelet now contained various odds and ends from the storage spaces of Motai Jie, Ye Feng, and Yuan Lie, including Ye Feng's unranked Dharma Treasure, the Red Spider Sword.

"So much?" Zhao Hu was surprised after taking the bracelet, refining it, and probing it with his consciousness.

"Collected from killing two Xiantian experts and a tribe young master," Zhou Hao grinned. "Help me see what these are worth, then exchange them all for High-Grade Origin Stones."

There was no help for it; he had spent almost all the Blue Flower Water Vapor he had condensed yesterday during his night of cultivation.

Having experienced the auxiliary effect of the Blue Flower Water Vapor on his enlightenment, Zhou Hao naturally wanted to acquire more High-Grade Origin Stones so that the Blue Flower Boss could produce more vapor.

"Fine, I'll go find Shen Nan," Zhao Hu nodded. "That guy has a business in East City, and we usually go to him to process our spoils."

"Although there are many of these items, few are worth much, and selling them in such a rush will likely lead to that kid lowballing us."

"It's fine. Just sell them all." Zhou Hao laughed.

Once Zhao Hu hurried off and disappeared into the crowd in front of the First Team Arena, Zhou Hao turned his attention to the arena before him.

When experts clash, victory or defeat is often decided in an instant.

Even according to the rules, this first round was a test of how long one could hold out against the Vine Wood Puppet. Since Ren Baili dared to offer such a wager, it meant that in his eyes, the vast majority of the twenty-seven Xiantian late-stage soldiers could not last ten breaths.

Since Zhou Hao wanted to earn a sum of High-Grade Origin Stones from the wager to pay tribute to the Blue Flower Boss, he had to ensure he would only win his own match.

"Let me first see just how strong this Vine Wood Puppet is, to make a Purple Mansion Cultivator so confident."

... On the arena.

At this moment, Shangguan Yun had already been fighting the Vine Wood Puppet for nearly eight breaths.

Among the five arenas, only he and Miao Ying had yet to be blasted off the stage by the Vine Wood Puppet.

Six long vines, each as thick as a child's thigh, extended from the back of the Vine Wood Puppet, whipping and lashing across the arena.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The six long vines lashed out rapidly, as if six Xiantian peak-stage Qi Refiners were simultaneously unleashing Dharma Treasures in their attacks.

The arena, only twenty zhang in length and width, was entirely within the reach of the vines.

Shangguan Yun held his Giant Axe with both hands, spinning like a whirlwind to shroud himself in a continuous blur of axe shadows.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Enduring the successive strikes of the six vines, the immense force contained within them was comparable to a Xiantian peak-stage body refiner. Even Shangguan Yun, who was born with divine strength, could not help but retreat several steps, his hands going numb.

"What kind of monster is this? So troublesome!" Shangguan Yun stared fixedly at the Vine Wood Puppet not far away. His pupils constricted when he saw that his axe blade had only left a few shallow nicks on the six vines.

"Time to go all out!"

Boom! The rock beneath Shangguan Yun's feet shattered violently, and in a flash, he leaped high into the air.

In mid-air, Shangguan Yun's entire body seemed to swell, and the Giant Axe held in his hands erupted with a rich, earthy-yellow glow.

Tyrant Slash!

Ssssss~~~~

A streak of yellow light tore through the sky, cleaving down from above toward the Vine Wood Puppet.

The six long vines coiled inward, but before they could even touch Shangguan Yun's Giant Axe, they were repelled by the thick True Origin contained within it.

"Can he do it?"

At this moment, countless people held their breath, watching as Shangguan Yun's fierce and peerless axe strike was about to land on the head of the Vine Wood Puppet.

Zhou Hao watched carefully as well.

Although he wanted that honest and forthright man to win, a puppet released by a Myriad Phenomena True Person, which could make a Purple Mansion Cultivator like Ren Baili so confident, shouldn't be that simple.

Sure enough, when the six long vines failed to block Shangguan Yun's resolute strike, the Vine Wood Puppet—which had stood still from start to finish and used only its vines to attack—suddenly underwent a change.

Whoosh~~~

The six long vines gathered in mid-air, merging into a single thick vine—or rather, a vine pillar—about the thickness of an adult's waist.

The vine pillar then swept across the sky as if ignoring the distance, slamming like a massive club directly into Shangguan Yun's Giant Axe.

Bang! Shangguan Yun flew backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood while still in the air.

As for the price paid by the Vine Wood Puppet, it was merely a small crack appearing on the vine pillar formed by the six vines, which then vanished in a flash of green light as it recovered.

Boom!

Shangguan Yun crashed heavily onto the Drill Ground floor beneath the arena.

"Brother!" Shangguan Yu hurriedly ran over to help Shangguan Yun up.

Fifth Arena, Shangguan Yun, lasted ten breaths. Failure.

"Sigh, if Shangguan Yun had held on just a bit longer, he could have dragged it past ten breaths."

"It's useless. Just a moment ago, Miao Ying relied on footwork to dodge and only lasted nine breaths before being swept off the stage by the vine pillar at the tenth breath."

"How is this even fair? The first five who went up didn't last past ten breaths. Lord Baili must have calculated this long ago."

Zhou Hao listened to the surrounding discussions and nodded slightly.

He also believed this had been calculated long ago.

Moreover, looking at the battle between the first five and the Vine Wood Puppet, the puppet would reveal stronger methods as time passed.

It started with six long vines, then a vine pillar after ten breaths. What about twenty breaths? Thirty breaths?

Boom! Boom! Boom!~~~

The battles on the arenas continued.

Five more Xiantian lifeforms went up, lasting either eight breaths or six. The best among them, like Miao Ying and Shangguan Yu, only managed to reach the tenth breath.

With two consecutive rounds failing to produce anyone who could exceed ten breaths, some of the soldiers who had placed bets began to grumble under their breath.

Could it be that Lord Baili is going to sweep the board in today's gambling?

...On the viewing platform.

"Sweeping the board is great!" Ren Baili laughed heartily. "A bunch of idiots; they can't even last ten breaths, yet they still want to compete for the position of commander."

"Baili, it seems you're going to earn quite a lot today." The silver-haired elder smiled at the sight.

After laughing, he pondered for a moment before speaking to True Person Muxuan, who had been watching the stage with indifference: "General, isn't the strength of the Vine Wood Puppet set too high? The situation ahead will not be stable; if this lowers the soldiers' morale, it might not be a good thing."

Although True Person Muxuan had suppressed the Vine Wood Puppet's maximum strength to the Xiantian peak, the puppet itself was at the Purple Mansion realm. Its vine body was incredibly tough, and ordinary attacks from late-stage Xiantian experts couldn't even inflict significant damage.

Furthermore, as time passed, if the Vine Wood Puppet only possessed the combat power of an ordinary Xiantian peak at the start, then after ten breaths, it would approach the strength of the other four commanders.

After twenty breaths, it would be equivalent to the combat power displayed by commanders like Cao Rong when they unleashed their ultimate techniques.

By thirty breaths, the Vine Wood Puppet would be comparable to those monstrous Xiantian Lifeforms, no longer inferior to an ordinary Purple Mansion realm expert.

With a Vine Wood Puppet of this caliber, even among the four great commanders, only the strongest one, the cold youth Li Zhan, had the confidence to win; the others were still lacking.

"It is of no consequence," True Person Muxuan said indifferently. "If they cannot even withstand this bit of a blow, how can we expect them to fight in battle?

Our future enemies will be far stronger than a clumsy Vine Wood Puppet."

"Elder Ji, you just think too much," Ren Baili said dismissively. "Lowering morale? If it really drops, just drag them out for a brutal fight. Once they see a bit more blood, their morale will return.

Besides, it's good to let those brats lose a bit more. It would be best if they lost everything; that way, they'll be more proactive in taking on missions to earn military merits later."

The silver-haired elder was stunned, then nodded.

That was true.

Men die for wealth, just as birds die for food.

Letting the soldiers under their command have empty pockets might not be a bad thing after all.

"Look, it's that brat Hu Yong's turn." Ren Baili suddenly pointed to the first arena.

A lean, short-haired man leaped onto the stage in one step.

"This kid is quite arrogant, betting ten High-Grade Origin Stones that he can last thirty breaths." Ren Baili watched with great interest as Hu Yong held his single blade, dodging the long vines whipping through the air.

"Among the twenty-seven challengers this time, Hu Yong should be the strongest." The silver-haired elder also focused on the first arena.

"If he wins, those ten Origin Stones will become twenty-five High-Grade Origin Stones. Even if he becomes a commander, it would take him two years to earn that much in military pay."

Ren Baili chuckled, "Let's see if this kid has the ability to win them from me."

Ten breaths passed quickly. Hu Yong's ghostly, flickering movement technique and his storm-like blade skills suppressed the Vine Wood Puppet for a time.

However, the Vine Wood Puppet's Purple Mansion realm body possessed powerful defenses, and wood-type puppets were known for their immense vitality and rapid recovery.

After trying several times to unleash his ultimate techniques without being able to destroy the puppet, and nearly being injured by the puppet's elusive long vines, Hu Yong changed his tactics, relying on his movement and blade skills to circle the Vine Wood Puppet.

As time ticked away and they approached twenty breaths, the people on the viewing platform grew solemn.

Among the twenty-seven late-stage Xiantian experts competing for the commander position, he was the first to last this long.

Boom!

The moment twenty breaths arrived, the Vine Wood Puppet on the stage suddenly erupted with a dazzling green light, followed by five more vine pillars surging out from within.

A total of six vine pillars, like six giant staves, transformed into boundless staff shadows on the stage, enveloping Hu Yong almost instantly.

"It's over."

Almost everyone watching the first arena had this thought cross their minds at the same time.

But in the very next moment, Hu Yong also erupted.

"That is..." Zhou Hao's eyes lit up. "The True Meaning of Wind? Hu Yong has also grasped a trace of the True Meaning of Wind?"

After a night of cultivation and comprehending two ultimate moves from the Chaotic Cloak Staff Technique, Zhou Hao had already grasped a trace of the True Meaning of Gale.

Watching Hu Yong, whose figure was like a willow catkin drifting with the wind, the profound charm contained within his movement technique clearly indicated he had reached the same realm of grasping the True Meaning of the Dao.

"What a pity. His movement technique is strong, but his blade techniques have yet to perfectly integrate this trace of True Meaning. Let's see how long he can hold out against the Vine Wood Puppet."

Zhou Hao was certain that Hu Yong had grasped the True Meaning of Wind through his movement technique; otherwise, the power of his blade skills would have ascended to another level, and he wouldn't be unable to leave even a decent wound on the Vine Wood Puppet.

"Brother Zhou Hao."

Zhao Hu, who had been gone for quite a while, finally returned.