Almighty Genius

Chapter 2411 - 1905: Provocation!

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However, this single Spirit Crystal bet truly put Shaolin in a difficult position…

The odds of Qin Fang winning the championship, although not as high as Jiali Cuo's one in a thousand, were still exceptionally startling at one in twenty. If Qin Fang unexpectedly defeated Li Wuhua to win first place, Shaolin would lose twenty Spirit Crystals.

A Spirit Crystal is not the same as a Spirit Stone, and definitely not as common as cabbages...

Even with Shaolin's millennium of heritage, the number of Spirit Crystals they possess is not vast, with only around ten being produced annually... In certain lean years, it might be just seven or eight.

With so few Spirit Crystals, and needing to distribute some to several Paramount Experts, only about four or five are left each year.

Therefore, losing twenty Spirit Crystals would equate to about five or six years of Shaolin's harvest... If this amount had to be paid out, Shaolin would truly be reduced to tears!

"Damn Kunlun Sect, damn Qing Xu Old Nasal... that bastard must have come deliberately for revenge!"

Shao Lin's Fangzhang, Master Kongwen, practically gnashed his teeth and cursed.

Qin Fang hadn't asked, but in actuality, last time the bank was held by the Kunlun Sect, and they nearly went bankrupt... Shaolin and Tianwai Tower benefited the most from it.

Now that Shaolin was the house, and Qin Fang threw out a Spirit Crystal for a bet, anyone would think it was an act of revenge!

"What do you all think the chances are of Qin Fang winning the championship?"

But scolding turned to questioning when the need arose, as it involved the massive wager of twenty Spirit Crystals, something no one dared to underestimate.

"I got someone to investigate, and this Qin Fang seems to have suddenly risen to prominence. He's not even twenty years old, yet his cultivation is quite impressive, even crippling Jiali Cuo, the third-ranked in the Esoteric Sect. His real combat power is equivalent to Great Grandmaster Level!"

One of the Elders of Shaolin briefly explained, "However, the intelligence we have is scarce... It's just vaguely known that the Kunlun Sect seems to hold Qin Fang in high esteem, even treating him as a seed contender! It might be comparable to Wu Fa, Wu Tian, and others..."

Of course, at this point, the Elder did not continue.

Anything further would be his own judgment... Even though he felt the possibility of Qin Fang defeating Li Wuhua was minimal, he dared not say so.

If nothing unexpected happens, he could become a hero, earning a Spirit Crystal for Shaolin.

But if the unexpected occurs, and Qin Fang defeats Li Wuhua to win the championship, Shaolin might have to pay out twenty Spirit Crystals, and his prior assessment would render him Shaolin's traitor…

Clearly, he couldn't bear such a responsibility, so he decided not to say more, leaving the decision to the Fangzhang!

"Accept!"

Shaolin's Fangzhang Master Kongwen also fell silent for a long time, seemingly considering the odds of such an unexpected event… Ultimately, after much contemplation, he still grit his teeth and agreed.

Though reason told him that Qin Fang dared to wager a Spirit Crystal for good reason and it would be wise not to accept...

However, for the dignity of Shaolin, he absolutely couldn't refuse, lest unsavory rumors spread!

"Fangzhang, Fangzhang, Li Wuhua of Tianwai Tower bet two Spirit Crystals on himself to win the championship..."

Just after making the decision, another disciple hurriedly reported this situation.

"Accept!"

Master Kongwen's face turned quite unpleasant, yet he still grit his teeth and agreed.

The reason for Li Wuhua's wager was essentially targeting Qin Fang; the support from Tianwai Tower was evident…

Nevertheless, for Shaolin, this was somewhat favorable.

If Qin Fang won the championship, Li Wuhua would naturally lose… Shaolin would indeed have to pay twenty Spirit Crystals, which would be a heavy loss, but they could win Li Wuhua's two Spirit Crystals, reducing some of the loss.

As for Li Wuhua winning the championship, it was what they anticipated, with odds of 0.5 for 1. The two Spirit Crystals would only mean a payout of one, perfectly compensating for Qin Fang's wager… Thus, Shaolin wouldn't suffer much loss.

At least Master Kongwen's grim expression was mostly due to the perceived irregularity of Kunlun and Tianwai Tower's actions…

Spirit Crystals are high-end "strategic resources," rarely taken out by the Great Sects, but now they were forced into being used for wagers, putting Shaolin in a tough spot…

Unfortunately, Qin Fang, involved directly, had no concern for these monks' troubles; he only aimed to earn a "small fortune" for himself.

Of course, for others, the "small fortune" Qin Fang mentioned might be unattainable throughout their lives!

"Junior Martial Brother Qin, truly a hero in one's youth; with such a move, you've overshadowed all of us old fellows..."

At this moment, Qin Fang was certainly not idle, as his strongest competitor, Li Wuhua, stood before him, smiling and sizing him up.

"Senior Brother Li, you are too modest with your words... Your craftsmanship is far superior to mine!"

Qin Fang shrugged with a light chuckle.

Regarding the provocation within Li Wuhua's words and the palpable battle intent emanating from him, Qin Fang certainly wouldn't ignore it... Yet it wasn't the right time for an actual duel; at most, it was just a war of words, and it didn't really matter what was said.

Li Wuhua wasn't very old, yet he gave the impression of an old man full of worldly experience... His aura was quite formidable, one could vaguely sense the presence of elemental energy.

"Indeed a terrifying opponent!"

During this time, Qin Fang also believed Jian Qingfeng's words that Li Wuhua was indeed more formidable and challenging than he imagined, even if his cultivation was not superior to that of the previous mercenary leader, it likely wasn't much inferior.

"Junior Martial Brother Qin, I'm waiting for you..."

Li Wuhua was naturally also sizing up Qin Fang, although Qin Fang was concealing his aura, Li Wuhua, evidently extraordinary, seemed to sense something, yet he did not voice it, merely spoke calmly.

He perceived the threat posed by Qin Fang, yet he held immense confidence in his own cultivation... Just these words already placed Qin Fang among the ranks of "Lawless and Unruly" brothers, Leng Bingbing, and Dragon Elephant Dharma King.

Should Li Wuhua's championship be undisputable, then the subsequent places second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth should belong to Qin Fang and others...

"I'm waiting for you too..."

Li Wuhua's confidence was reciprocated by Qin Fang's equally assured response.

Though the words seemed simple, their underlying significance rendered many upon hearing them visibly distraught, even Li Wuhua's brows couldn't help but furrow!

Nevertheless, Li Wuhua's character was quite impressive, even in such circumstances, he merely smiled without saying much more.

"Hmph, overestimating oneself..."

Of course, some certainly found Qin Fang exceedingly displeasing, such as a rather robust, burly lama who squeezed through the crowd, sizing up Qin Fang while brazenly uttering disrespectful words...

Qin Fang naturally shifted his gaze from Li Wuhua to this lama... Without employing Reconnaissance Skill, Qin Fang already knew who this lama was, unquestionably the Dragon Elephant Dharma King of the Esoteric Sect.

"An existence who has refined strength to its absolute limit..."

Simply witnessing the Dragon Elephant Dharma King's stance beside Qin Fang, the aura emanating from his flesh was already quite intimidating... This was not the momentum of his True Qi, it was purely the power of the flesh, extraordinarily fearsome!

Qin Fang estimated that this person's frightening strength might be capable of shattering the Protective Gang Qi of a Grandmaster-level Expert with a single punch!

"With his strength, even should I employ the Blood Martial Secret Tome to fortify my flesh, I might not withstand his full-force strike..."

Qin Fang silently muttered inwardly, enhancing his apprehension of this Dragon Elephant Dharma King, "Indeed, these individuals capable of becoming the top tier experts are not simple figures..."

"Does this Senior Brother have any opinion?"

However, apprehension didn't imply that Qin Fang feared the Dragon Elephant Dharma King, Qin Fang naturally retaliated without reservation.

"Quit seeking advantage with words... On the arena, this seat will certainly make you look bad!"

Dragon Elephant Dharma King, being from the Western Regions, was slightly lacking in linguistic fluency and naturally unwilling to haggle with Qin Fang... Yet Qin Fang's injury to Jiali Cuo had caused considerable loss of face to the Esoteric Sect, prompting considerable anger.

"Oh, really?"

Qin Fang simply smirked, "I wonder how this Senior Brother intends to make me look bad?"

"You..."

Faced with Qin Fang's rebuttal, Dragon Elephant Dharma King's expression instantly turned uglier, his aura becoming extremely dangerous, causing the surrounding spectators to swiftly retreat, fearing collateral damage.

Only a very few were unafraid, apart from the "Lawless and Unruly" brothers, there were Li Wuhua and a strikingly beautiful young woman... As for Jian Qingfeng and other senior experts, they naturally withdrew from this confrontation.

To put it bluntly, this essentially served as the initial meeting of several leading figures of this generation...

Among these individuals, Wutian Monk and Li Wuhua Qin Fang had previously encountered, Dragon Elephant Dharma King stood present, naturally seen, while the other young monk and stunning woman were newly met.

The monk bore almost identical features to Wutian Monk, differing only in robe color, presumably the Monk Wu Fa...

And the beautiful woman, clad in a white palace gown, appeared as a divine fairy descended to the mortal realm, her smile exuding a captivating charm, yet Qin Fang discerned... This woman was no simple character!

As Qin Fang assessed these two, he simultaneously spoke with a smile to Dragon Elephant Dharma King, "These words are too vague, why don't we engage in something more tangible..." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)