"Are you Chun Xiaobai?" A dark-faced disciple who looked like a lackey pointed at him from behind the disciple leading the group.
Chun Xiaobai hurriedly hid his hands behind his back, secretly circulating his power, ready to flip the table and break out at any moment. His expression, however, remained unchanged.
"Yes, this great... I am. And you are?"
"Good, then we've found the right person!" The dark-faced disciple looked him up and down, then spoke with his nose in the air.
"Our Senior Brother Cheng has taken a fancy to your cave abode. He's come to challenge you!"
Chun Xiaobai let out a sudden sigh of relief. Damn it, if you're here to challenge me, just challenge me! Why make such a grand production of it?
You nearly scared this great king to death!
He pointed at the two purple-robed disciples and asked, "Who are these two?"
"They're senior brothers from the Disciplinary Hall, here to maintain order," the dark-faced disciple answered.
He glanced around and discovered that quite a few disciples had indeed come in groups along the streets on either side to watch the show. Fang Yuan was among them, looking at him nervously.
Chun Xiaobai immediately understood, and his gaze settled on the male disciple at the front, who was waving a folding fan.
This fellow was probably quite strong and popular within the sect. That was why his challenge had drawn so many spectators, and why the sect's higher-ups had specially dispatched disciplinary disciples to maintain order.
Then he glanced at Zhao Wuyuan, who was hiding behind the crowd and staring at him expressionlessly.
Yesterday, he had already seen that this brat's wicked ambitions would not die.
Sure enough, this arrogant fellow's challenge definitely had something to do with him.
If I run into someone like this outside in the future, I have to crush him dead at once. I absolutely cannot give him a chance to call for backup.
Chun Xiaobai silently made up his mind.
This was a legitimate challenge, fully within the sect's rules.
No matter how he looked at it, he felt he was getting the short end of the stick.
If he lost, his cave abode would be gone.
If he won, he would simply have wasted his strength without gaining a thing.
Chun Xiaobai scratched his head, then asked outright, "Can I refuse?"
"Uh-!"
Everyone watching froze at those words.
Word of how this fellow had defeated Zhao Wuyuan with a single sword strike yesterday had spread throughout the Outer Sect. They had thought they would get to witness his swordsmanship, but who would have expected him to back down the moment a challenger arrived?
Was this still the sword cultivator whose keen edge shone openly, inspiring awe in everyone?
Cheng Haoxuan, the male disciple leading the group with his folding fan, was also taken aback.
The way of a sword cultivator was to forge ahead without retreat.
Better to die standing than live on one's knees!
Once the sword softened, the heart grew timid, and the Dao Path reached its end.
This fellow whom Zhao Wuyuan had praised to the heavens could actually utter the words "Can I refuse?"
Zhao Wuyuan frowned as well. Yesterday, this fellow had disdained even using Spiritual Power while sparring with him. Today, when his good brother came to challenge him, he actually conceded straight away?
Where did that leave his dignity?
But then!
Chun Xiaobai suddenly spoke again. "It's not that this great king doesn't want to fight. I just feel that a mere cave abode isn't enough to make you take this seriously."
"If you realize you can't beat me and simply give up, where's the fun in that?"
"How about we add a little wager? That way, everyone will take the fight seriously, right?"
Cheng Haoxuan snapped his folding fan shut with a swish, his expression darkening.
Wasn't this blatant contempt for him?
If he refused the wager, wouldn't that mean he was afraid of him?
He immediately said in a deep voice, "Since Junior Brother Chun wants to add a wager, then let's add one!"
Chun Xiaobai rejoiced inwardly. These arrogant fools who fancied themselves geniuses really could not withstand a little provocation.
He untied a Storage Bag from his waist and tossed it in his hand. "This is this great king's entire fortune! If I lose, you get the cave abode and this Storage Bag!"
"His entire fortune?!"
Everyone around them sucked in a breath of cold air.
A disciple who could move into a superior cave abode was certainly no pauper. This was a huge wager!
Cheng Haoxuan suddenly found himself with no graceful way to back down.
If he lost, not only would his reputation as one of the Outer Sect's top hundred geniuses become a complete laughingstock, but he would also lose everything he had accumulated over ten years.
However, he was ranked ninety-fifth on the Outer Sect Genius Ranking, and he was a true sword cultivator who had comprehended sword intent!
He studied Chun Xiaobai but could not sense the slightest trace of a sword cultivator's sharpness from him. Even if he had comprehended sword intent, he was probably only just getting started.
Otherwise, why had he never heard of this sword cultivator?
He glanced at Zhao Wuyuan beside him, whose face was full of anticipation, then nodded and declared proudly.
"Fine!"
He removed the Storage Bag from his waist.
Golden light instantly blazed in Chun Xiaobai's eyes!
That Storage Bag actually radiated a rich green glow!
Damn it, I'm about to make a fortune!
He could tell that Cheng Haoxuan's aura was much like Zhao Wuyuan's. His cultivation was probably at the eighth level of Qi Refining as well.
With his own second-level Blood Refining strength added in, he should have little trouble activating Rampage, finding the right opening, and knocking him down with a single punch!
If he took the sneak-attack route, he should be able to do it without the effort of blowing away a speck of dust.
But making money was all about keeping a thin stream flowing for a long time. His eyes darted, and a plan immediately came to him. He slapped his thigh.
"Good!"
Then he swept his gaze through the crowd and found Fang Yuan.
"Come on, Fatty Fang, come over here!"
Fang Yuan squeezed out of the crowd, first respectfully cupping his fists toward Cheng Haoxuan before addressing Chun Xiaobai.
"Senior Brother Chun, what are your instructions?"
Chun Xiaobai slapped his Storage Bag into Fang Yuan's hands, then turned to Cheng Haoxuan.
"Where's yours?"
Cheng Haoxuan did not waste time either. He took out a longsword shimmering with spiritual light, then placed his Storage Bag in Fang Yuan's hands as well.
The crowd obligingly backed away, clearing a large space before the cave abode for the two to fight freely. Anticipation filled their eyes.
A duel between two great sword cultivators was not something often seen outside.
Missing even a single detail would be an enormous loss.
Chun Xiaobai also waved a hand and took an utterly ordinary longsword from a Storage Bag.
Everyone froze at the sight of the longsword in his hand. Hadn't this fellow already handed over his Storage Bag?
Where had he gotten that sword?
Did he have three burrows like a crafty rabbit, with another storage space tucked away?
The corner of Cheng Haoxuan's mouth twitched as well.
But he had ample confidence in his swordsmanship.
He believed that, throughout the entire Outer Sect, no one could rival his swordsmanship except those monstrous sword geniuses ranked in the top five.
The two stood in the center of the cleared space.
Chun Xiaobai sized the fellow up and could sense a very real danger emanating from him.
If he relied on his actual strength, he might truly be no match for this man.
But, well.
My advantage is my seasoned combat experience!
Chun Xiaobai turned his head to look and found the two disciplinary disciples standing off to one side with their arms folded, looking strictly businesslike.
Cheng Haoxuan pointed his longsword and was just about to speak. "Junior Brother Chun, please..."
"Wait!"
Chun Xiaobai suddenly interrupted him and asked with a serious expression, "Um... if this great king accidentally injures you, I won't have to pay compensation, will I?"
One of the disciplinary disciples said, "Junior Brother Cheng Haoxuan has registered this challenge with our Manager Hall. As long as no one dies, the sect will not hold anyone responsible."
Chun Xiaobai continued, "Then are there any rules for the challenge?"
"Rules?"
The young disciplinary disciple thought for a moment. Challenges between Outer Sect disciples happened every day, but he had genuinely never heard of any rules. He answered directly.
"There are no rules. As long as no one dies, it's fine."
"Then I can rest easy!"
Chun Xiaobai nodded emphatically.
Before you continue