Someone's Taking Bets? Crushing Jiang Yong!

"You bought me a present..."

Luo Yaoxi's gaze lingered on the unopened phone for two seconds. Then she tilted her little face up and stared fixedly at Xu Yuan.

Her shimmering eyes were so soft and moist they seemed about to drip with water.

Xu Yuan was a little bewildered. It's just a phone. Is this really necessary?

Why did she make it seem as if he had given her a huge villa in a tier-five city rather than a phone?

It is a phone, right?

Xu Yuan looked down. Yes, it was definitely a phone.

He nodded. "Yeah, I bought it for you."

"Thank you!"

Without a word of refusal, the girl accepted the phone with immense delight and hugged it tightly to her chest as though she had received some peerless treasure.

Xu Yuan couldn't understand it. This really was just a phone.

Sure enough, girls' thoughts were hard to fathom...

"Brother Yuan, are you sure you don't need me to challenge Jiang Yong first?"

Just then, Fatty sidled over from somewhere and spoke to Xu Yuan while staring in a certain direction.

Xu Yuan followed Fatty's gaze and saw Jiang Yong staring coldly at him.

"No need. Find someone at the fifth stage and have your fun," Xu Yuan said.

He felt that, with Fatty's current strength, he might actually be able to fight above his stage and take down a student at the skin-polishing fifth stage.

"All right, then."

Fatty nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something and pointed in a direction. "Oh, right. Someone over there's taking bets on you and Jiang Yong, Brother Yuan."

Hmm?

A kindred spirit?

No.

This was a fucking boy bearing riches!

Although he could now drain Weird Beasts, he still didn't have any Weird Beasts to drain, did he? He was still desperately short of money.

"Come on, let's take a look."

At the other end of the hall, they saw a crowd gathered around a fellow with a cigarette between his lips, saying things like, "I'll bet three hundred," and, "I'll bet five hundred."

Plenty of martial arts students smoked, so Xu Yuan didn't find that strange. He was only a little surprised that the person taking bets was actually Wang Fengtang from No. 1 Middle School.

From what Xu Yuan had learned lately, this fellow was also a rich second-generation heir, yet he was actually making money off his classmates' hard-earned cash. Xu Yuan simply couldn't stand it!

Rather than squeeze into the crowd, he took out his phone and sent Wang Fengtang a message:

[Xu Yuan: I'll bet a hundred thousand on myself winning!]

Wang Fengtang was happily collecting money when the message made him shudder. The cigarette nearly fell from his mouth.

He looked around, spotted Xu Yuan watching him with a broad smile, and immediately felt a toothache coming on.

[Wang Fengtang: Heh, I know you can win. I'm not fucking taking that bet!]

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

[Xu Yuan: How do you know I can win?]

[Wang Fengtang: Instinct. My instincts have always been accurate!]

[Xu Yuan: So everyone's betting on Jiang Yong winning?]

[Wang Fengtang: Of course. Otherwise, would I dare take these bets?]

Xu Yuan smiled.

[Xu Yuan: Two choices. One, let me place my bet. Two, give me half the profits. Otherwise, I'll concede!]

Although he was definitely going to give Jiang Yong a savage beating today for the Sin Points, Wang Fengtang didn't know that.

This threat was bound to work!

Sure enough, Wang Fengtang's face instantly darkened.

[Wang Fengtang: That's match-fixing! I'll fucking report you!]

[Xu Yuan: Isn't it perfectly normal for someone at the skin grinding third stage to lose to someone at the skin tempering sixth stage? Do you think reporting me will do anything?]

[Wang Fengtang: Are you a fucking dog???]

Three minutes later, Wang Fengtang gave in and agreed to give Xu Yuan forty percent of the profits.

Forty percent for doing nothing was enough to satisfy Xu Yuan. He happily returned to the other side of the hall.

Still, just in case, he sent Wang Fengtang two more messages:

[Xu Yuan: Don't deliberately get someone to bet on me winning, pay out all the profits, and then tell me you didn't make anything, brother.]

[Xu Yuan: Close the betting before the fight starts. Once it's closed, I want to see the books. That's a reasonable request, right?]

Although Wang Fengtang might not think that far ahead, what if he did? Xu Yuan had to guard against it.

When Wang Fengtang saw those two messages, he was completely dumbfounded.

He genuinely hadn't imagined such a sneaky maneuver was even possible!

[Wang Fengtang: Fuck, that brain of yours. I admit defeat.]

[Wang Fengtang: Don't worry. Since we've agreed, I won't pull anything underhanded like that.]

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. Who are you calling underhanded?

Just like last week, the students in the E-grade cultivation rooms didn't finish their challenges until noon.

Fatty had won his challenge last week and secured a D-grade cultivation room, so he was challenged this time too.

But Fatty performed steadily, taking his opponent down without even using the Savage Bull Mountain-Treading Strike.

After they went out for lunch and returned, the challenges continued.

When it was the D-grade cultivation room students' turn to challenge, Fatty, who had won easily that morning and was still in perfect condition, followed Xu Yuan's advice and picked a student at the skin-polishing fifth stage to fight on the platform.

By then, Wang Fengtang had closed the betting and brought the accounts over for Xu Yuan to inspect without being asked.

Xu Yuan had assumed this wouldn't be much of a business, since the students placing bets when he approached Wang Fengtang had only been betting three or five hundred each. Now, however, he saw that the total wagers actually exceeded two hundred and forty thousand. Lin Xiao alone had bet a hundred thousand, displaying his big spender's bearing for all to see.

Of that two hundred and forty thousand, almost all of it was on Jiang Yong winning. Only a scattered few had bet on Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan looked through it and discovered that Luo Yaoxi had actually bet twenty on him at some point.

"Do you remember the person who bet twenty on me?" Xu Yuan asked Wang Fengtang.

"Yeah, a ridiculously pretty girl... Huh? Why does it feel like I can't quite remember what she looked like?" Wang Fengtang frowned.

Xu Yuan's thoughts stirred. Sure enough, that girl's divine ability didn't just make people overlook her; it could also make people forget her.

But had she activated it herself, or was it a passive effect?

It should be deliberate, right? Otherwise, why wasn't I affected?

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Xu Yuan raised a hand and patted Wang Fengtang's shoulder. "Memory problems at such a young age? You need to practice moderation."

Wang Fengtang said, "...Get lost!"

By the time Xu Yuan finished checking the accounts, Fatty's fight had also ended.

He hadn't won this time.

He had used the Savage Bull Mountain-Treading Strike, but missed his opponent, who seized the opening to blast him off the platform.

His opponent had received quite a fright too, though, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

After Fatty, several more D-grade cultivation room students chose to issue challenges that day.

Then, at last, it was the C-grade's turn again.

This time, Jiang Yong lacked his previous swagger.

Carrying his long saber, he silently walked onto the platform. He said nothing and simply stared at Xu Yuan.

Under the heavy atmosphere, the other students stopped their heckling and turned to look at Xu Yuan.

"Good luck!" Luo Yaoxi said softly.

She now understood that the person challenging Xu Yuan this time was still this Jiang Yong.

Xu Yuan smiled and stepped onto the platform.

Teacher Kong looked at the two of them helplessly. "You two are really trying to make my job harder."

With his experience and strength, how could he fail to sense Jiang Yong's murderous hostility toward Xu Yuan?

"Go on, fight. I guarantee neither of you will die, but I can't guarantee anything else."

With that, Teacher Kong retreated to the edge of the platform. He appeared calm, but was already on full alert.

Clang-

The sound of metal scraping against the ground suddenly rang out. Jiang Yong leaned forward and charged madly at Xu Yuan, dragging his long saber behind him, its tip throwing brilliant sparks as it scraped the platform!

"Cloud-Shattering Slash!"

Holding nothing back, Jiang Yong opened with a martial skill!

As his explosive shout burst through the air, he suddenly raised his long saber overhead and brought it cleaving straight down at Xu Yuan!

It bore down like Mount Tai crushing from above, aimed straight at Xu Yuan's head!

At the same time, undisguised malice swept outward!

He would wash away his past humiliation and make Xu Yuan pay!

Hum!

The Martial God's Brain reacted instantly. That overwhelmingly fierce saber strike, its momentum soaring like a rainbow, instantly became riddled with openings in Xu Yuan's eyes!

And Xu Yuan's gaze suddenly turned razor-sharp!

"If you want to cripple me, you must be prepared to get crippled yourself, right?"

Whoosh!

Displaying only the speed of the skin grinding third stage, Xu Yuan dodged the strike riddled with openings.

Clang!!!

The long saber struck the ground, but Jiang Yong didn't hesitate in the slightest. Twisting the blade, he slashed diagonally upward at Xu Yuan like a streak of silver silk!

Clearly, these past few days of combat training had indeed helped Jiang Yong improve.

It just didn't do a damn bit of good!

Almost the instant the blade turned, Xu Yuan had already leaped into the air!

The long saber cut through empty air. Jiang Yong's old force was spent and his new force had yet to arise, while Xu Yuan, as though he had calculated everything, suddenly stomped down from above at that very moment!

Major attainment · Savage Bull Mountain-Treading Strike!

The stomp descended like thunder. Even though Xu Yuan only unleashed the strength of the skin grinding third stage, he still fell like a meteor from the heavens, so fast Jiang Yong couldn't even bring his saber across to block.

Crack!

Xu Yuan's foot landed on Jiang Yong's left shoulder, and the crisp snap of bone instantly rang through the silent hall!

The strength of the skin grinding third stage alone wasn't enough to break the bones and tear the tendons of a martial artist at the skin tempering sixth stage. But with the explosive power of a martial skill behind it, that was another matter entirely.

Boom!

Jiang Yong's entire body was hurled to the left, and his voice rang out, filled with shock, fury, and disbelief:

"How is this possible?!!"

He had clearly improved so much, so why-why was he doing even worse than last week?

The enormity of the blow even made him temporarily forget the excruciating pain in his shoulder!

Xu Yuan, however, had no interest whatsoever in talking. Upon landing, he bent his legs, then violently launched himself forward!

A bull's bellow rang out!

The savage bull's phantom appeared again!

"I won't accept this!!!"

Jiang Yong roared. Before his body could crash to the ground, he actually forced himself to twist, dissipating the force and regaining his balance!

"Blood Mantis Sky-Rending Blade!!!"

"Xu Yuan, clash with me head-on if you've got the guts!"

"You're not worthy!"

As his cold voice rang out, Xu Yuan was already in front of Jiang Yong, viciously driving his right elbow toward Jiang Yong's chest!

Teacher Kong's pupils contracted, and he was about to intervene, but Xu Yuan spoke first:

"No need to interfere. I know my limits!"

Bam!

His elbow slammed into Jiang Yong's chest. Several bones cracked simultaneously, like the wails of his ribs!

Jiang Yong instantly spat blood and flew backward, his long saber clattering to the ground!

At the same time, the Beast Ranking's evil, eerie voice suddenly rang out in Xu Yuan's mind:

"Xu Yuan, intentional assault, extortion, blackmail, theft, robbery, attempted rape... accumulated Sin Points: 2,335. Ranked seventh on the Evil Demon Ranking. Awarded one face of the Thousand-Faced Divine Monkey..."

PS: I wanted to finish writing this fight in one go, so this came late.