How About Adding Some Stakes?

The moment Huang Tianrong spoke, everyone present clamored their agreement.

After all, this Qin Yi was far too arrogant. None of them could stand him.

"A spar? It's my very first day here, and you already want to spar with me. Isn't that a bit of bullying?" Qin Yi asked.

A new disciple on his first day hadn't learned anything yet, and he was supposed to spar with these old hands?

Wasn't that like an employee just joining a company, only for the veterans to drag him into a contest of professional skills?

It's my first fucking day at the company. I haven't even figured out the job, and you want to compete with me at doing it?

"Heh." Huang Tianrong had known he would refuse, because any normal person would. But he intended to block off Qin Yi's way out. "Weren't you born with cultivation at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining? That's the standard for a genius. As a genius, you don't even dare to spar? Can you still call yourself a genius?"

Huang Tianrong looked around and said with a scornful smile, "What do you all think?"

Someone like Qin Yi, who reached the Fifth Level of Qi Refining upon first joining, was considered an innate talent.

In fact, anyone who stepped straight into the First Level of Qi Refinement upon joining counted as an innate talent.

Ordinary people could only cultivate their way up one step at a time. They were acquired talents.

Innate talents were all geniuses. That was universally acknowledged.

"If a genius doesn't even dare to spar, he might as well call himself trash."

"A piece of trash dares to be so arrogant and conceited? I suggest he go back and leaf through some books to learn what 'the tiny kingdom of Yelang thinking itself great' means!"

Huang Tianrong sneered. Whether Qin Yi accepted or not, his goal had been achieved.

Every disciple on Emerald Bamboo Peak now had a poor impression of Qin Yi.

If Qin Yi didn't dare accept, all the disciples would have something to mock him about from then on-a genius as cowardly as trash!

If Qin Yi dared accept, then, as a newly admitted disciple who had learned nothing, he was certain to lose no matter who sparred with him.

Once he stepped onto the martial training grounds, they would beat him into a sorry state and disgrace him even further.

In other words, whether Qin Yi accepted or refused, he would fall into Huang Tianrong's trap.

You arrogant thing. You don't know the first thing about how to conduct yourself. Let's see how you get by on Emerald Bamboo Peak from now on.

Huang Tianrong folded his arms and watched coldly, waiting for Qin Yi's response.

Qin Yi's indifferent gaze swept over everyone present. In truth, he didn't want to bother with these people.

In his eyes, the only person currently worthy of being his opponent was the Son of Fortune, Hua Yunfeng.

As for the others,

people like Huang Tianrong simply didn't qualify.

So he didn't even want to waste more than a few words on them.

Yet Huang Tianrong and the others took his indifference for cowardice.

Don't dare?

Why wouldn't I dare spar with trash like you?

"Since you're all so eager to spar, let's do it." Qin Yi nodded, finally choosing to accept. He flexed his fingers, making each joint crack.

At his answer, a smile immediately spread over Huang Tianrong's face, while the delight in his heart grew even stronger.

He flicked a glance toward the martial training grounds, and the fellow disciples meditating there immediately moved aside, clearing a large open space.

"It seems our genius junior brother does have some courage after all."

Huang Tianrong praised him aloud while sneering inwardly.

You stupid thing. If you refused, people would only mock you a little. But now that you've accepted, get ready to suffer!

"You may choose any one of these senior brothers standing before you."

Huang Tianrong picked ten people from the crowd and had them stand in front of Qin Yi.

Their cultivation was all at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining or above.

The same Fifth Level of Qi Refining. Very "fair."

Qin Yi glanced at the ten of them, then suddenly said, "No need to choose. Let's just make it you."

He thought nothing of any of these people.

So either he wouldn't fight, or he would fight the strongest among them and establish his authority outright.

As long as he established his authority this time, no one on Emerald Bamboo Peak would dare run their mouth in front of him again.

"What? Me?"

When Huang Tianrong first heard this, he thought he had misheard and asked again, "You're choosing me?"

By then, Qin Yi had already taken an iron sword from the weapons rack and leaped onto the martial platform. "Yes, you. But just sparring is boring. How about we add some stakes?"

Huang Tianrong laughed, looking merrily around at his buddies. They all looked at Qin Yi as though he were an idiot. "What stakes do you want?"

The ten choices Huang Tianrong had arranged for Qin Yi were already unfair to begin with.

Even the one with the lowest cultivation among those ten had been at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining for at least several months. He had spent months consolidating it, and had been cultivating on Emerald Bamboo Peak all along, building a deep foundation.

As a newly admitted disciple, what did Qin Yi have to compete with them?

He couldn't beat a single one of those ten, yet he was indulging in wild fantasies and challenging the strongest of them, the eldest senior brother, directly?

"How about this? If you lose our spar, I'll be the eldest senior brother of Emerald Bamboo Peak from now on. Whenever you see me, you'll all have to bow with clasped hands. Will that do?" Qin Yi said.

If he was going to live on Emerald Bamboo Peak, being the "eldest senior brother" ought to be standard as well.

At this, Huang Tianrong and the other disciples could barely contain their laughter.

Although they badly wanted to laugh, they still did their best to hold it in. What a naive fool!

"And what if you lose?"

"If I lose, I'll obediently be your junior. From then on, I can bow every single time I see you."

"Good. Then it's settled."

Huang Tianrong's expression suddenly turned serious. Those were precisely the words he wanted from Qin Yi.

Now that the terms had been laid out, this couldn't remain all talk and no action.

"It's settled."

Huang Tianrong said, "All the junior brothers here will bear witness. We can't have certain people going back on their word and denying it after they lose. He asked for this himself. I, Huang Tianrong, never forced him. Even if Master asks about it, you can all serve as my witnesses."

Qin Yi said, "You'd better remember too. If I win, I'm the eldest senior brother from now on."

Just as the two finished speaking, a graceful figure suddenly emerged from the rear courtyard.

It was Gu Yiyi, who had finished changing her dress!

She now wore an aqua-blue long dress, her slender figure gentle and youthful.

She came out blushing, intending to find Qin Yi and remind him of a few more things. But the moment she emerged, she saw Qin Yi and Huang Tianrong on the martial training grounds, saying something about it being settled.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Gu Yiyi immediately ran over to join the commotion.

A disciple eager to curry favor with her immediately told her that Qin Yi was going to challenge Huang Tianrong.

After hearing this, Gu Yiyi immediately began scolding him, pointing at Qin Yi. "Are you stupid? You only joined today. How could you possibly beat Eldest Senior Brother? Get down here right now. Don't stand up there like an idiot and get beaten up."