At the Baihua Banquet.
Yao Qi stood there, his face ashen, seemingly surrounded by a flurry of snowflakes.
Seventy-six thousand Cosmic Sand.
That was all his cash.
The deeds to the houses and the weapon-refining workshop that the Yao Family gave him were all his assets. Some of them were only owned by him, but not entirely his own.
But now, he has lost.
They lost everything.
Before the bet, Yao Qi hadn't considered what it would be like to lose. Now that he had actually lost, he realized that it was a price he simply couldn't bear.
He didn't know how to face his father, or the Yao Family family who had placed high hopes on him.
The clear, melodious voice of the Wondrous Sound Pavilion rang out.
"In this battle, Divine Lord Fang Yuan's servant Xing Tian emerged victorious. According to the rules, Yao Qi Divine Lord's assets belong to Divine Lord Fang Yuan."
"Thank you, Lord Yao Qi."
Lu Qingshan put away the Cosmic Sand and various contracts sent by the Wondrous Sound Pavilion.
The value of these items exceeds 200,000 Cosmic Sand. However, some of them are difficult to dispose of, so Lu Qingshan naturally won't handle them personally. If it's necessary to dispose of these assets, he can leave it to the Xia Family.
Yao Qi's expression was grim. He didn't reply, but simply turned and walked downstairs.
The guests at the Baihua Banquet all turned to look at him.
Some whispered amongst themselves, some shook their heads in dismay, but no one stepped forward to comfort him, and no one showed him any sympathy.
Gamblers never have a good end; everyone knows that Yao Qi started this bet himself, and now that he's lost everything, it's just his deserved retribution.
After Yao Qi left.
The crowd cheered.
"Congratulations, Divine Lord Fang Yuan! This battle will likely spread far and wide soon."
"Master Fang Yuan is indeed extraordinary. Not only is he himself remarkable, earning a top-tier rating, but even his servants are so capable."
"The servant of the God is truly mighty; I toast the God with a cup."
Lu Qingshan stood up and picked up his wine glass.
He smiled and welcomed everyone who came.
After accepting their congratulations, he smiled and said, "Good luck, I made a small profit. All the expenses at the Wondrous Sound Pavilion today are on me."
Such generosity naturally drew another round of praise.
Although he knew it was all flattery, Lu Qingshan was still enjoying it.
Compared to Lu Qingshan, Yao Qi was feeling rather uncomfortable. After leaving Wondrous Sound Pavilion, he immediately returned to the Yao Family's manor in the Nanyun City.
He knew he couldn't hide it any longer, so he took the initiative to confess to his father and discuss countermeasures.
"Foolish!!"
After hearing that his son had squandered all his assets, even mortgaging his shops and weapon-refining workshop, Yao Bing remained silent for a long time.
"Father, I—"
Yao Qi opened his mouth.
I didn't expect it to turn out this way.
"Shut up." Yao Bing's voice wasn't loud, but it sent a shiver down Yao Qi's spine.
Looking at his son, who had only recently broken through to the Eternal True God, his eyes held a mixture of anger and disappointment. "You think you're so clever? You think that having a more powerful servant will allow you to get revenge on Divine Lord Fang Yuan, or even make a fortune?"
"I----"
"Do you think Divine Lord Fang Yuan, is like you, a newly awakened Eternal True God? A master who can forge a five-and-a-half-star Eternal Divine Weapon wouldn't even know the strength of his own servant? He fell for your ridiculous provocation. The fact that he dared to accept the bet means he was certain of winning. The accumulation of experience this old guy has is simply beyond your imagination."
"Father, it was my fault, I will remember it. But what I lost were the shops and the workshops. We can withdraw the goods from the shops, the materials from the workshops, and the labor. This will reduce some of the losses."
Yao Qi opened his mouth and said.
"Never mind!"
Yao Bing sighed.
"Our Yao Family doesn't lack these things. We accept defeat. Although there's no agreement on ownership of those items, there's no need to take them. It also demonstrates the generosity of our Yao Family."
" Yao Qi ----"
"Father."
Yao Qi looked up at his father.
"Remember this: no matter how fiercely the Yao Family and the Xia Family fight, it's an internal matter of our Divine Weapon Pavilion, not a matter of life and death between enemies. Don't let others laugh at us. Also, Divine Lord Fang Yuan, his background is unfathomable. Even the Yanfeng Guild Hall doesn't know much about him. The more unfathomable it is, the less we can afford to make enemies. If you really kill his servant today and make an enemy of him, that would be truly foolish!"
Yao Qi lowered his head and remained silent.
"Besides!"
Yao Bing continued, "Don't go to Sin City again. That place is a mixed bag, and with your personality, you'd be easily deceived there. If someone with ulterior motives targets you, you might not even know how you died. Consider these 200,000 Cosmic Sand as a lesson learned. If you encounter Divine Lord Fang Yuan again, don't be hostile; maintain respect. Remember my words?"
"Father, I understand."
Yao Qi's voice was very low.
His father's reaction today was different from what he had imagined. He had thought his father would be furious, but to his surprise, although his father's tone was a bit harsh, it was more of a teaching. He did not blame him for losing the shop and the weapon-refining workshop.
While passing the test so easily relieved Yao Qi, he also felt even more pressure.
"Father, my weapon-refining workshop is gone. From now on, I will work in the family workshop, focusing on fulfilling the family's orders and making up for the losses caused by this bet."
"Okay, go ahead and do your job well."
Yao Bing waved his hand, his tone tinged with satisfaction.
His son is quite talented, becoming Eternal True God in a short time, which has made him a bit arrogant. If the two hundred thousand Cosmic Sand can wear down his arrogance, make him work diligently, and help him grow mentally, it might be a good thing for his son.
Hopefully, he can hold on longer this time.
Yao Bing watched his son leave, and only after he had completely exited the cave did he call the steward and say, "Prepare a generous gift and a visiting card for me. I wish to pay my respects to Divine Lord Fang Yuan— "
Scarlet Fire Chaos Prefecture, Lihuo City, City Lord's Mansion.
Two eras are but a fleeting moment on the Origin Continent. During these two eras, the situation in the Scarlet Fire Chaos Prefecture gradually stabilized.
With the help of the Eternal True God's subordinates, Lord Qin Chuan reclaimed lost territory city by city. The Netherworld Sect seemed to have disappeared by half, and its resistance was extremely weak. Red Stone City, Blackwater City, Azure Rock City, White Stone City —one city after another was taken back and returned to the control of Scarlet Fire Chaos Prefecture, which is also the Flame Ruins Sect.
However, the resistance from the Netherworld Sect did not disappear.
They simply moved underground instead of openly, and the Eternal True God of the Flame Ruins Sect are still occasionally attacked.
This also resulted in Lu Qingshan and Fire Saint not completing their mission.
"Lord Qin Chuan, has anything unusual happened lately?"
Lu Qingshan sat on the main seat in the city lord's mansion, holding a wine cup in his hand, his gaze fixed on City Lord Qin Chuan.
In these two decades, with the support of the Great Sage Scarlet Fire, the City Lord of Qin Chuan has almost fully recovered from his injuries. His strength is now comparable to that of Zhou Heng back then, and he can be considered one of the best among the Flame Ruins Sect.
"Nothing unusual has been found yet." City Lord Qin Chuan shook his head, then continued, "It seems half of the Netherworld Sect's people have vanished into thin air. I've dispatched almost all of my intelligence personnel, covering the entire Scarlet Fire Chaos Prefecture, even venturing deep into the wilderness, but we still haven't found anything. However—"
"But what?"
Lu Qingshan asked.
"However, lately I've been feeling uneasy, as if I have a bad feeling."
The city lord of Qin Chuan frowned and said.
Lu Qingshan put down his wine glass. He didn't think it was an illusion. At the level of Eternal True God, there would obviously be no illusions. At such a level, even without contact with the Karma Origin, the Great Dao of Karma and Effect itself carries a trace of its own characteristics.
Feeling uneasy, sensing something is wrong—these are all warning signs.
"It seems the Netherworld Sect will be making a move soon!"
Lu Qingshan said calmly.
The City Lord of Qin Chuan was the nominal commander of the Scarlet Fire Chaos Prefecture. He sensed something was wrong; it was clear that something was about to happen on the Netherworld Sect's side.
As for why he and Fire Saint didn't have that feeling, it was undoubtedly because they didn't have any warning signs of danger.
"Hopefully, this time, the Netherworld Sect won't hide anymore. We can deal with them sooner, complete the mission, and go back sooner."
In less than three centuries, the Fire Saint was already getting impatient.
Lu Qingshan nodded slightly and looked at Qin Chuan, saying, "City Lord Qin Chuan, please do not leave Lihuo City recently. If any problems arise, please contact me and Fire Saint immediately."
"Your subordinate understands."
The city lord of Qin Chuan nodded.
Deep underground in the Netherworld Sect's headquarters, in a dark, secret chamber.
A tall, thin figure with a somewhat sinister face appeared out of thin air. He took a step and went straight to the secluded cultivation spot at the core of the palace.
The Divine Lord Heart Demon, shrouded in a cloak, was cultivating when he saw the newcomer and slightly opened his eyes.
" Demon Hand, you're back. Looks like there's good news."
He said with a smile.
" Heart Demon —while I was away, we almost lost all the cities in the Scarlet Fire Chaos Prefecture, and the sect is very dissatisfied with this."
The Demonic Hand Divine Lord questioned.
"Those cities, once lost, are lost. Even if we forcibly defend them, it's meaningless. What's truly important are the disciples of the Flame Ruins Sect. As long as we deal with those two disciples, the Scarlet Fire Chaos Prefecture will be ours for the taking. We can take it whenever we want."
The Divine Lord Heart Demon didn't care. He continued, "Did you get your hands on that thing?"
"I begged my teacher for a long time before he finally gave me this treasure. Heart Demon, you said that as long as I gave you this Ghostly Ghost Seal, you would help me get back the gloves and kill the two disciples of the Flame Ruins Sect."
"The Demonic Hand Divine Lord confirmed again."
"Of course, I swore an oath, how could it be false! I am a direct disciple of the Netherworld Sect, and we've known each other for so long, don't you believe me?"
"Hmph, I hope you keep your word!"
With a wave of his hand, the Demonic Hand Divine Lord revealed a jet-black jade seal in his palm. The seal was about the size of a fist, its surface covered with densely packed primordial runes, emanating a chilling aura. It seemed as if countless souls were swirling within it, and just one glance was enough to send shivers down one's spine.
"That's right, that's it!"
The Divine Lord Heart Demon revealed a slight smile and raised his hand to grasp the Ghostly Ghost Seal.
He looked at the Demonic Hand Divine Lord and said, "I need to go into seclusion for a few days. Once I emerge, I will immediately take action to fulfill my promise."
"Alright."
The Demonic Hand Divine Lord nodded and turned to leave.
The Divine Lord Heart Demon turned and entered the deepest secret chamber, where he activated all the defensive formations.
After confirming that no one was watching, he took out a black stone slab, about the size of an ordinary inscription. Looking at the slab, his heart...
A hint of anticipation appeared in the Demon Lord's eyes.
He then took out the Ghostly Ghost Seal and gently imprinted it on the stone slab.
The stone slab suddenly glowed with a faint green light, and after a moment, some characters resembling tadpoles appeared on the stone slab.
Looking at these words.
A glint of wild joy flashed in the eyes of the Divine Lord Heart Demon.
"It was here after all!"
He said in a low voice, "It's also thanks to the inheritance I received that I was able to discover the secret of this stone slab—"
He obtained this stone slab from the sect's treasury. Originally, it was just a treasure to ward off curses, but he discovered some secrets within it.
Unfortunately, without a medium to activate it, he had no way of finding out what was inside.
Having studied countless eras, he guessed that the Ghostly Ghost Seal in the Great Sage Ghost's hand was the key to unlocking the stone slab, and at the same time, he was certain that the Great Sage Ghost was unaware of this.
After all, these two treasures existed independently, and there was nothing wrong with them. It was only after he cultivated that special secret technique that he made some discoveries.
Otherwise, the stone tablet would have already fallen into the hands of the Great Sage Ghost, and he wouldn't have had the chance to exchange it.
Although this was somewhat risky, he wasn't worried. He was certain the Great Sage Ghost didn't know about this, and he wasn't entirely without connections either.
Jing is a direct disciple of the Netherworld Sect, and even the God King knows his name. Moreover, his teacher is a veteran Chaos Great Sage, who is even more powerful than the Great Sage Ghost.
Once this treasure is in his hands, even if the Great Sage Ghost knew about it, he wouldn't be able to forcibly take it away.
"I've made a fortune!"
The Divine Lord Heart Demon looked at the combined treasure and the words that appeared on the stone slab, and the more he looked, the happier he became.
The two treasures combined are at least at the Supreme Treasure of Chaos Great Sage, a supreme treasure of cause and effect. The text that appeared on the stone slab is a cultivation secret method of the Great Dao of Karma, a sequel to his secret method. Its content is exquisite and far surpasses the similar secret methods of his Netherworld Sect.
"With this secret technique and this treasure, my chances of breaking through to the Chaos Great Sage level have increased significantly. Now that my goal has been achieved, I should first resolve the matter in Lihuo City. Once that's settled, I can return to my sect and focus on my breakthrough."
It's not just a matter of vows; to break through to the Chaos Great Sage level, he needs a stable environment and a lot of resources. Only by returning to his sect can he possibly succeed.
The Divine Lord Heart Demon was not worried about whether he could solve the problem.
With the two treasures combined, his strength far surpassed what it once was. He could easily defeat the top Netherworld Sect, and naturally, he no longer cared about the other Eternal True God.
Of course, his goal wasn't to become the number one disciple, but to Chaos Great Sage! To become the Chaos Great Sage, to become a true high-ranking member of the Netherworld Sect, that was what he pursued.
The Divine Lord Heart Demon slowly rose to his feet, then traced something on the stone slab with his finger.
After finishing the drawing.
The Divine Lord Heart Demon. Then, he took out the Ghostly Ghost Seal and imprinted it on the spot he had carved. An invisible wave of cause and effect quietly spread out and disappeared in an instant.