A Wager on Comprehension

Pei Yangrong snapped out of his daze. As though he had heard the greatest joke in the world, he laughed wildly. "Qin Hao, it seems you're not just trash—your brain's gone haywire too! You actually want to wager a lifetime ban from the Martial Arts Hall against me!"

"Exactly! You piece of trash, you're digging your own grave!"

"Young Master Pei has a fourth-grade wood-attribute martial soul! This trash should piss on the ground and take a good look at his own reflection before proposing a wager like that!"

The newly admitted disciples beside Pei Yangrong also roared with laughter.

Inside the Martial Arts Hall, the many newly admitted disciples watched Qin Hao with mocking eyes.

Liu Ruoxue scoffed. "Qin Hao, I know you spent years practicing swordsmanship in Tianshui City, which is why you've achieved something with it. But this high-grade Yellow Tier movement technique isn't swordsmanship. A piece of trash with a first-grade martial soul like you couldn't master Wandering Dragon Steps even if you had three years, let alone comprehend it quickly."

"Whether I can master it is none of your concern. Liu Ruoxue, you should mind your own business." Qin Hao's expression remained utterly indifferent as he said flatly, "Pei Yangrong, do you dare take the wager?"

"Foolish." Liu Ruoxue shook her head, not bothering to say more.

"Fine, I accept your wager! Brat, you'd better not regret it!" Afraid Qin Hao might change his mind, Pei Yangrong hurriedly gave orders, his face brimming with excitement. "Go get a deacon to register it. Today, I'll show this trash what a true genius looks like!"

"Yes, Senior Brother Pei!"

One of the newly admitted disciples responded with a grin and hurried toward the Registration Office.

"Interesting. Very interesting!"

"I never imagined I'd stumble upon something so entertaining while taking a stroll through the Martial Arts Hall."

Just then, a voice tinged with amusement came from upstairs. "A lifetime ban from the Martial Arts Hall? Since I happen to be here, I can serve as your witness."

On the second floor of the Martial Arts Hall, an elegant young man in white holding a folding fan slowly appeared at the stairs.

The moment he appeared, he drew everyone's gaze, like the moon surrounded by a host of stars.

"Senior Brother Bu!"

"Senior Brother Bu!"

Several veteran outer hall disciples on the second floor greeted him respectfully, their eyes filled with reverence.

"Senior Brother Bu!" Liu Ruoxue's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly called out as well.

"Junior Sister Liu, you're here too. Lei Zhen has gone into seclusion, hasn't he?" The young man in white chuckled, greeting Liu Ruoxue with an air of effortless composure.

Qin Hao also looked up, his heart suddenly tightening. What a powerful presence. And... he's much stronger than Father. Is he an inner hall disciple?

Not only was the young man's aura unfathomable, but the faint pressure emanating from him also gave everyone an intense sense of oppression.

Without a doubt, the young man in white was a Meridian Opening Realm expert—and far from an ordinary one!

There were very few Meridian Opening Realm disciples in the outer hall. Disciples who reached that realm either chose to become deacons, were stationed in a region, or... advanced to the inner hall!

Yet exceedingly few met the requirements to advance to become inner hall disciples.

Liu Ruoxue smiled bashfully. "Yes, Senior Brother Bu. Senior Brother Lei is in seclusion in Myriad Forms City. When he comes out, he should be at the seventh level of the Meridian Opening Realm!"

As she spoke, Liu Ruoxue turned toward Pei Yangrong with a smile. "Junior Brother Pei, Senior Brother Bu Yunfeng is one of the inner hall's foremost geniuses and a close friend of Senior Brother Lei. He reached the seventh level of the Meridian Opening Realm long ago. It's your honor to have him oversee your wager. Hurry and thank him!"

Bu Yunfeng, one of the inner hall's foremost geniuses!

He was none other than the inner hall genius who had spoken with Mu Ziqing earlier!

Pei Yangrong spoke respectfully, overflowing with excitement. "Greetings, Senior Brother Bu! To have you oversee this is a blessing earned over three lifetimes! Hehe, with you here, we won't have to worry about certain people going back on their word!"

Bu Yunfeng smiled faintly and waved a hand. "It's nothing! I'll only serve as a witness. Someone from the Martial Arts Hall must oversee it. But you can rest assured: once you sign the wagering agreement, the Cultivation Manual Elder will be informed. At that point, no one can violate it!"

The Myriad Phenomena Hall had thousands upon thousands of disciples. Wagers between disciples like Pei Yangrong and Qin Hao had occurred in the Martial Arts Hall before, and the hall already had a means of handling them: signing a contract. Once the contract took effect, no one could violate it!

The Myriad Phenomena Hall had even established a Life-and-Death Arena for disciples with grudges against one another!

In the Life-and-Death Arena, one either died or was crippled!

"Yes, Senior Brother Bu!"

Pei Yangrong's face was alight with excitement. After speaking, he turned to Qin Hao with a cold sneer. "Brat, you're finished. Too bad you don't even have a chance to back out now."

"Is that so?" Qin Hao's expression remained unchanged. "I hope you'll still be able to say that later."

"You don't know whether you're living or dying!" Pei Yangrong snorted heavily.

Just then, a young man in blue robes strode in from outside. He was a deacon of the Martial Arts Pavilion.

"I've been informed of the wager. Do you understand what being barred from the Martial Arts Pavilion means? It will have a major impact on your future cultivation."

"I'm certain!" Before Qin Hao could speak, Pei Yangrong answered eagerly.

"Hehe, Qin Hao proposed this wager, so there's no need to worry about either party's agreement." Bu Yunfeng waved his folding fan, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"Senior Brother Bu!" The blue-robed deacon paused briefly upon seeing Bu Yunfeng, then his expression softened. "Very well! Since you're here, Senior Brother Bu, and neither party objects, let's sign the contract!"

"Qin Hao and Pei Yangrong, correct? Each of you, sign here."

With a wave of his hand, the blue-robed deacon produced an ancient-looking sheet of parchment. Dao Runes were inscribed across it, emanating a faint yet terrifying pressure.

"Thank you, Deacon!" Pei Yangrong hurriedly signed his name.

"Sorry for the trouble!"

Qin Hao briefly scanned the parchment's contents, then signed his name as well.

"Good!"

The blue-robed deacon waved his hand again, putting away the parchment, and declared solemnly, "This wager has officially taken effect!"

"Here are two copies of the Wandering Dragon Steps manual. The wager officially begins now!"

The two Wandering Dragon Steps manuals immediately landed before Qin Hao and Pei Yangrong.

"Qin Hao, just wait for your death!" Pei Yangrong sneered, snatched up the Wandering Dragon Steps manual, and began studying it.

Qin Hao said nothing. He picked up the Wandering Dragon Steps manual and began reading.

Qin Hao had already leafed through Wandering Dragon Steps earlier, but he had not studied it closely.

As he continued studying the Wandering Dragon Steps manual, Qin Hao gradually became immersed in it.

It felt as though he had entered a state of self-forgetfulness. At that moment, rather than standing in the Martial Arts Hall, Qin Hao seemed to be within a special martial dao space.

Within that space, a figure was performing Wandering Dragon Steps over and over!

Each performance showed some improvement, and Qin Hao reflected on it as well.

From the outside, Qin Hao stood motionless, his eyes gently closed and his brows occasionally furrowing.

Meanwhile.

"Hahaha! It really is a wood-attribute, high-grade Yellow Tier movement technique. It's an excellent match for me!"

Pei Yangrong burst into delighted laughter.

"This movement technique truly was tailor-made for me!"

Pei Yangrong's face brimmed with joy.