Who Said I Didn't Dare!

"Who said I was a coward!"

Chun Xiaobai shot up from the bench in fury, craning his neck as he roared back, "I was asking whether you brought everything you own!"

On his way over, Wang Shan had already learned the gist of what had happened from the others. He also knew that this fellow named Chun Xiaobai had lucked into a huge windfall.

Now someone was practically falling over himself to hand Wang Shan two fortunes. Wouldn't he be a fool not to come?

He patted the bulging Storage Bag at his waist and declared arrogantly.

"I always carry everything I own. The only question is whether you dare come challenge me."

"What wouldn't I dare!"

Chun Xiaobai lifted his chin, pulled out the four Storage Bags that still carried his body heat, and slapped them down hard on the table in front of Elder Fu.

Delighted by the sight, Wang Shan unfastened the Storage Bag at his waist without hesitation and set it on the table as well.

Only when the surrounding disciples saw the stakes laid down did they finally let out long sighs of relief.

At last, they could avenge their humiliation!

They rubbed their fists and flexed their hands, beaming with satisfaction as though they were the ones about to beat Chun Xiaobai senseless.

Meanwhile, Chun Xiaobai secretly activated his [Treasure-Seeing Divine Eye] and glanced at Wang Shan's Storage Bag. A dense green glow more than two feet long rose from it, filling him with delight.

Damn, these big shots on the rankings really are fat sheep, every last one of them!

Yet he kept a look of bitter regret on his face, as though he had climbed onto a tiger's back and couldn't get off.

Before he could even get the words "I've changed my mind" out, the junior brothers and sisters around him swarmed forward, pushing him toward the Challenge Platform with a jumble of hands, afraid he might grease his soles and slip away at any moment.

Wang Shan immediately took out his Identity Token and handed it to Elder Fu.

After completing the registration, Elder Fu looked up at Chun Xiaobai, who had already been pushed onto the Challenge Platform. After a moment's thought, he couldn't help offering a warning.

"Stop short of hurting him."

"Yes!" Wang Shan replied respectfully.

After all, in Elder Fu's eyes, aside from his rather poor disposition, Chun Xiaobai's talent was beyond reproach.

For a newly admitted disciple, leaving aside his fighting ability, his uncanny, ghost-and-god-defying knack for escaping was already something no ordinary person could develop.

When the disciples saw Wang Shan step onto the Challenge Platform, they poured all their pent-up anger into their voices, cheering him on wildly.

Meanwhile, Fang Yuan and Bai Jin'er were surrounded by a crowd of furious disciples.

Those two had cheered the loudest earlier. Had it not been for the Martial Arts Arena's rules, the others would have pinned them to the ground and given them a beating to vent their anger first.

Now the two of them cowered in the crowd, no longer daring to cheer aloud. They could only pray silently for their king.

Chun Xiaobai planted himself boldly in the middle of the Challenge Platform and immediately cupped his hands toward Wang Shan. "Junior Brother Wang, please show me your skills!"

Wang Shan smiled, not bothering to take offense at the slight disrespect in his words.

The fellow was eagerly delivering a lavish gift to him. Wang Shan could hardly thank him enough, so why would he care about such trifles?

"Mm."

He nodded calmly, then slowly raised the Long Sword in his hand, pointing its tip straight at his opponent.

Chun Xiaobai turned his wrist and pulled a stack of bright yellow talismans straight out of his Storage Bag.

At a glance, there were at least fifty or sixty.

Wang Shan's expression instantly darkened.

He realized he had overlooked something. This fellow had won everything Lu Mang owned. Why wouldn't he put it straight to use?

When the disciples below saw the brat actually pull out a whole stack of talismans, their smiles froze, and they immediately began cursing.

"This guy has no martial honor!"

"Shameless! Absolutely shameless! He's actually trying to win with talismans!"

However, the sect's rules only prohibited the use of second-tier talismans, which exceeded their own cultivation by an entire major realm.

First-tier talismans of the same realm could be used freely.

After all, these things weren't cheap. Even the worst cost twenty spirit stones apiece, while high-quality talismans capable of threatening talented disciples like them easily cost two or three hundred spirit stones each.

These were treasures that early Qi Refining disciples could only afford to equip themselves with when undertaking missions with nine chances of death and one of survival.

Thus, in challenges on the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking, very few people would bombard their opponents with talismans. Even winning that way brought no glory.

But today's fellow was different. Everyone had forced him into a corner, so whatever means he used seemed entirely reasonable.

"Senior Brother Wang, take this!"

Chun Xiaobai let out a strange cry, drew two Fireball Talismans, and instantly activated them with a flick of his divine sense.

The talismans turned into two streaks of spiritual light.

Whoosh!

Spiritual qi rippled, and two fireballs the size of washbasins formed out of thin air, hurtling toward Wang Shan with a roar.

Wang Shan shifted lightly to the side and effortlessly dodged both fireballs, only for two vicious Wind Blades to come slicing through the air right after them.

He turned sideways and dodged again.

Unexpectedly, Chun Xiaobai flung out four more Vine-Winding Talismans. Four thick vines formed from spiritual power burst out of the ground, writhing toward his feet like spirit snakes.

Before he could break free, the two Wind Blades changed direction and came whistling back at him.

Of course, his forty-ninth place on the Genius Ranking wasn't an empty boast.

His hands swiftly formed a spell seal, and he barked, "Rise!"

As his voice fell, a surge of mighty spiritual power erupted from his body, instantly forming a Gang Qi Shield around him.

The two Wind Blades struck the shield with two muffled thuds and immediately dispersed.

Seizing the opening, Wang Shan stamped his foot. Spiritual power surged, shattering the vines of condensed spiritual power around his feet.

But before he could attack, another ten washbasin-sized fireballs hurtled toward him from every tricky angle!

And so, Chun Xiaobai's seemingly endless talismans drove Wang Shan into a frantic scramble, leaving him no chance to catch his breath.

In truth, Chun Xiaobai's heart ached terribly over the expense too.

But he had no choice. To cast a long line and catch a big fish, he couldn't reveal his true strength yet. He could only use this "small change" to lull his opponents into complacency first.

The disciples below watched through gritted teeth. "Despicable! Shameless! Absolutely shameless!"

Meanwhile, Lu Mang stood in the crowd with a face as black as the bottom of a pot. Those were all his talismans!

He had painstakingly saved for three or four years to accumulate those few dozen treasures, only for this wastrel to squander them like candy.

He had originally planned to find the fellow after the match, beat him thoroughly, and personally make him obediently hand back his Storage Bag.

But now, it looked as though he'd be lucky if even half remained by then!

Elder Fu also watched the scene on the Challenge Platform, his aged face dark.

This fellow had no martial honor whatsoever!

He was already beginning to regret telling Wang Shan to "stop short of hurting him."

If he had another chance, he would definitely tell him: Hit harder. Beat him to death!