Chapter 9: Ji Ning Shows His Edge

Having vented their anger in the treasure dispute, Bei Shan Baiwei, Hun Wuqi, and Ji Ning chatted cheerfully, in high spirits.

Time gradually drew near midnight.

"At the hour of zi, the betting battles begin." From outside the window in the hall came the voice of Lady Ziyi. Ji Ning looked out through the window and saw that the hall had become empty, with only two crystal stones in the corner. Lady Ziyi stood in the corner speaking.

"Betting battles are the craziest," said Bei Shan Baiwei, looking outside. "Most here are Wanxiang Adepts, all brilliant and outstanding. They also have some Zifu Disciples as followers or retainers. During betting battles, Zifu Disciples and Zifu great demons are sent to fight. The masters then bet on the outcome."

Ji Ning sighed inwardly.

How pitiful.

"The cultivators and demons who fight in betting battles do so either to survive or for treasures," said Bei Shan Baiwei. "But betting battles must be between opponents of the same level; there is never a case of a Wanxiang level fighting a Zifu Disciple."

...

Ji Ning looked down at the hall below.

A cultivator carrying a sword on his back stepped into the hall, and a man in a red robe with red hair also entered. They faced each other from a distance, their eyes full of killing intent.

They walked one after another to the two crystal stones in the corner and transmitted their elemental energy into them. The crystals burst into light.

"Cultivator under Master Qu, Zifu Perfection."

"Great demon under Lady Leshan, also Zifu Perfection."

Lady Ziyi announced loudly, "Activate the sealing formation."

Whoosh!

A light shield formation like rippling water, nearly a li in radius, appeared in the hall, enclosing the cultivator and the red-robed, red-haired man.

"Qu Yixing, you'd better admit defeat, or you'll lose not only money but also your man!"

"Hmph, we'll see about that."

Voices came from two separate elegant rooms.

The battle below began instantly. The red-robed, red-haired great demon transformed into a four-hooved flame beast, covered in armor, and charged straight at the cultivator, spitting a streak of flame.

"Die, beast."

The sword-carrying cultivator sneered.

Whoosh!

The flying sword on his back shot out, leaving a trail of colorful poisonous miasma in the air...

...

Ji Ning watched the fight below and nodded to himself: "The cultivator should win." After a brief struggle, the great demon fell with a mournful cry. The cultivator was pale, having won only by using a forbidden technique. But at least he had won; his uncle, Qu Yixing, had promised that if he won, he would help him become an inner disciple.

"Done it." The cultivator's eyes shone with excitement.

Although he had used a forbidden technique, it had been brief, and he would recover in a year or so.

"Hahaha..." Master Qu burst into laughter.

On the other side, Meng Leshan's face darkened.

...

In the elegant room, Bei Shan Baiwei smiled. "Meng Leshan and Qu Yixing are both brilliant and outstanding, both admitted to the Yinglong Guard. Rumor has it that they became bitter enemies while carrying out Yinglong Guard missions. Outside Anchan City, they would scheme to kill each other; inside the city, they try their best to humiliate each other."

"Just like you and Bei Shan Hu," laughed Hun Wuqi.

"Haha, just like me and Bei Shan Hu," Bei Shan Baiwei laughed heartily.

Hun Wuqi looked at Ji Ning. "Brother Ji Ning, these betting battles may seem casual, but they are actually quite subtle. One must choose Zifu-level fighters with extraordinary combat power... but the more talented ones rarely risk their lives. So betting battles are not easy; both sides try to find suitable people. If you lose, you lose your man, your money, and your face. Sometimes, when pushed to the limit, people even fight in person."

"Fight in person?" Ji Ning was surprised.

These people of high status, fighting themselves?

"What's so strange about that? These geniuses rose through combat. When enraged, they fight themselves. Every year or two, some Wanxiang-level genius dies fighting in the Carefree Cave. If they die, they have no one to blame!" said Bei Shan Baiwei. "Besides those with grudges, some make money through their retainers and servants."

"Like me," Hun Wuqi smiled. "I have many retainers and servants. I send them to fight in betting battles, each at least a hundred taels of liquid elemental essence. I've made quite a bit from it."

Ji Ning nodded.

He understood that although Hun Wuqi and Bei Shan Baiwei were easygoing noble scions, they belonged to a higher class. They had high standards, and it was only because they valued Ji Ning that they treated him as an equal. Ordinary Zifu Disciples were merely retainers or servants to them, whose lives mattered little.

After a moment.

More than ten betting battles had taken place below, and the atmosphere in the hall had become fervent and wild. Now, a tall, sturdy divine-body cultivator stood in the hall. As a Zifu divine-body cultivator with divine abilities, his combat power was naturally extraordinary.

"Haha, everyone, I've won six in a row. It seems the 'spirit fruit wine' for tonight's betting battle is mine to drink," laughed a chubby young man from one of the high elegant rooms. "Who else? Beat my man, and three hundred taels of liquid elemental essence are yours."

"Su Su! You've won enough. Your man should step down," a deep voice rang out.

Ji Ning immediately turned to look; it was Bei Shan Hu speaking.

Bei Shan Hu's eyes flashed with sharpness as he swept his gaze toward Ji Ning's side, lingering on Ji Ning for a long time before grinning unpleasantly.

Ji Ning smiled back.

Having heard enough, he knew these young masters were not the true powers. The real powers in Anchan City were people like Bei Shan Heihu. Bei Shan Hu? Ji Ning was not afraid.

"Boom!"

The hall shook.

A tall, burly green-skinned, one-horned man strode into the hall, his steps making the floor tremble. His eyes glowed green. Seeing him, everyone knew—this was a great demon! Normal humans were rarely two zhang tall, let alone with a horn.

The burly horned great demon walked straight to the two crystal stones in the corner and transmitted elemental energy and divine power into them.

"Divine body and qi cultivation, both," Lady Ziyi announced immediately. "Both at Zifu Perfection. A great demon under Master Hu."

Whoosh.

The sealing formation lit up again.

The great demon and the divine-body cultivator faced each other from a distance.

"Die!" The green-skinned, horned great demon roared and transformed into a ten-zhang-tall horned rhinoceros. Then, his body blazed with light, swelling further to twenty zhang. Such a massive rhinoceros looked down at its opponent as if at an ant.

Boom!

The rhinoceros, fast as lightning, stomped toward its opponent.

Smack! Smack! Smack!...

After just three exchanges, the divine-body cultivator was left with only half his body. He immediately shouted, "I surrender!"

The green-skinned, horned great demon stopped.

Death or voluntary surrender ends the betting battle. Forcibly killing the opponent incurs a tenfold penalty.

"Roar~~" The rhinoceros great demon raised its head and roared, then turned into mist that coalesced into the two-zhang-tall green-skinned, horned man.

"Bei Shan Baiwei, three hundred taels of liquid elemental essence. Do you dare to bet?" Bei Shan Hu pointed from his window directly at them. "I know you're as timid as a mouse and don't dare to bet. Hahaha, a mouse!"

The laughter was disgusting.

Ji Ning finally understood why some people got so angry they fought personally.

"I didn't expect Bei Shan Hu to be here today. If I had known, I wouldn't have let him be so arrogant," Bei Shan Baiwei said through gritted teeth. He was a proud man; how could he not be angered by such taunts?

"Brother Wuqi, do you have any formidable retainers?" Bei Shan Baiwei looked at Hun Wuqi.

Hun Wuqi, the Little God of Wealth, often made money through betting battles and naturally had powerful retainers. He nodded. "I have a strong one among my retainers today, but I'm not confident. Bei Shan Hu's great demon retainer, with divine body and divine abilities, is extraordinary."

Ji Ning nodded.

Demons were already physically strong; once they practiced divine-body cultivation, they became even more troublesome. Adding divine abilities, this one's combat power surpassed even Tong Yu's. Normally, someone of this level would disdain being a servant in betting battles, but since it was a great demon, it must have been captured and forced to participate.

"Regardless, let's try," said Bei Shan Baiwei.

"Alright," Hun Wuqi agreed.

"Someone!" Bei Shan Baiwei called to the attendant outside, then flipped his hand and produced a token for three hundred taels of liquid elemental essence, tossing it over. "Bet."

The attendant nodded.

...

Soon, a black-robed cultivator entered the hall. He stared gloomily at his opponent. After inspection, his strength was confirmed as Zifu Perfection.

"Kill him!" Bei Shan Hu shouted from his distant elegant room.

The two-zhang-tall green-skinned, horned man stared at the black-robed cultivator and roared, "You're dead!" Then he transformed again into a massive horned rhinoceros, activated the divine ability of Heaven-Earth Transformation, and grew to twenty zhang, exuding overwhelming ferocity that made the black-robed cultivator's eye twitch.

"A stupid ox," the black-robed cultivator sneered.

Whoosh!

Black mist appeared around him, enveloping the area and the horned rhinoceros. Within the mist, a huge colorful snake shadow could be seen.

"Die, die, die!" The massive rhinoceros charged and stomped wildly.

The black mist coiled around it, and the colorful snake shadow wrapped around the rhinoceros, causing its skin to sizzle and rot, soon revealing bone.

"Boom, boom, boom~~" The rhinoceros's charges were like heaven and earth shattering, shaking the ground.

"No, I—"

Suddenly, a scream rang out.

Boom!

An explosion. The black mist dissipated, the snake shadow vanished, and the massive rhinoceros stood in the hall. Under its hooves were faint traces of bloody flesh. Its body was rotted, revealing the thick white bones of its back. But within a few breaths, it healed completely.

"Bei Shan Baiwei, is that all you've got?" Bei Shan Hu openly taunted. "Sorry, your three hundred taels are mine. Now I'll bet six hundred taels. Do you dare?"

Silence. Complete silence.

The hall fell quiet. No one stepped forward. Though they were not afraid of Bei Shan Hu, finding a Zifu-level fighter who could match that rhinoceros demon was difficult. Everyone waited for Bei Shan Baiwei's response.

...

In the elegant room, Bei Shan Baiwei stared outside, his pupils contracted.

"Nine hundred taels. I'll bet nine hundred. Do you dare?" Bei Shan Hu continued to provoke, seizing the chance to trample his rival. His father, Bei Shan Yin, encouraged him to suppress Bei Shan Baiwei.

Silence.

Hun Wuqi said nothing; he had no stronger retainers. Bei Shan Baiwei's veins bulged on his face as he muttered to himself, "Endure, endure, endure."

"I'll go," Ji Ning suddenly stood up. "I'll kill that rhinoceros demon."

"You?" Hun Wuqi and Bei Shan Baiwei stared at him in shock.

"No, Ji Ning, in a few years you could kill him easily, but you've only trained for a decade or so," Bei Shan Baiwei shook his head repeatedly. "Don't take the risk." A rare flicker of gratitude rose in his heart; he understood Ji Ning was stepping up for him.

Ji Ning glanced outside.

Nine hundred taels of liquid elemental essence?

He was most in need of liquid elemental essence now. Killing that rhinoceros demon would net him a good amount.

"Don't worry. Killing him," Ji Ning smiled, "is like killing a chicken."

Hun Wuqi and Bei Shan Baiwei were stunned.

Such bold words.

"Alright, let's bet. The winnings go to Brother Ji Ning," Bei Shan Baiwei said excitedly.