Chapter 194: Martial Exchange And Friendship, Generous With Wealth And Righteousness
The Immortal Forest’s formation floating island, suspended in the Magic Energy Cloud mist, had relay stations and restaurants densely packed below, already gathering a large number of martial cultivators from all over the world.
With the two cloth banners rising at the crossroads, fluttering in the wind, it naturally caused a sensation.
The two lines of text written on the cloth banners each contained powerful battle intent, extremely imposing.
Below the left “Number One Person Invincible in Same Realm” cloth banner, there was also a line of small text:
Fourth Stage of Five Seas Realm, Southern Territory Li Zhou Li Weiyi.
……
“Number One Person Invincible in Same Realm, defeats all enemies under heaven in ten moves. Raising such a banner will surely provoke public anger, doesn’t he fear the banner falling and the person dying?”
“So arrogant! In all the time he’s been in Qiu Zhou Prefecture City, he’s the first madman after Luan Sheng Lin You!”
“Who is Li Weiyi? I’m also a Li Zhou martial cultivator, how have I never heard of this person?”
In less than a quarter of an hour, the martial cultivators gathered under the arena were already a dense black mass, heads jostling.
Although Li Weiyi and Shi Shishi had gained some fame in Qiu Zhou Prefecture City due to their arrogant words about grappling Yang Qingxi, no one had yet connected these two names.
“Best if he has real ability; if he’s just grandstanding, he will surely pay the price with his life.”
Among those present, there were no shortage of the proud and arrogant; some were already cracking their knuckles, eager to personally chop down the two banners.
More martial cultivators, however, saw the clues and felt this matter was not simple.
Because the opponent could invite a Spirit Mind Master from Zuo Qiu Gatehouse to set up the formation, it couldn’t be just for fun.
“These two pieces of writing… such strong battle intent fluctuations, they shouldn’t be from a Fourth Stage of Five Seas Realm martial cultivator!”
Qin Changfeng walked down the carriage with two friends.
All three had Pure Immortal Body, with magic energy flowing on their bodies; they were originally heading to Immortal Forest and happened to pass by.
Qin Changfeng didn’t take the arrogant words on the cloth banners to heart at all, only thinking someone was desperate for fame! But the profundity of the text above attracted him, so he released his battle intent to clash with it.
He came from Fu Zhou, one of the core eight prefectures of the Imperial Court, with cultivation at the Fourth Stage of Five Seas Realm.
To reach this level before the age of thirty, none were mediocre. Though unable to compare with top heavenly prodigies, he was still among the top dozens in a prefecture.
“So strong, this is Zuo Qiu Ting’s Peaches and Plums Fill the World battle intent!”
Qin Changfeng was forced back three steps by the battle intent on the two lines of text, his eyes full of disbelief.
In the just-concluded intent battle, endless peach and plum flying flowers rushed out from the two cloth banners, each petal carrying text, with incomparably powerful momentum.
His two friends were also young generation masters from Fu Zhou, all shocked: “Peaches and Plums Fill the World!”
“Is this writing by Zuo Qiu Ting for him?”
Under the arena.
The crowd of martial cultivators heard their conversation and instantly exploded: “This is Zuo Qiu Ting’s evaluation of him? Who exactly is Li Weiyi?”
“This must be boastful words; how could anyone be invincible in ten moves in the same realm? Does Zuo Qiu Ting admit he couldn’t withstand ten moves from him in the same realm?”
“It only means invincible in Fourth Stage of Five Seas Realm! But how could such a heaven’s chosen be completely unknown?”
……
At the lower left of the arena, Li Weiyi completely ignored the increasingly boiling young martial cultivators. These people had cultivation realms at most First Realm of Five Seas Realm, Second Realm, or even half were Spring Gushing Realm—not his target group.
At most, they could only be considered spreaders of news.
Qi Wangshu introduced his brother to Li Weiyi: “Weiyi brother, this is my brother, a top three strong practitioner among Zhizhou’s young generation, named Qi Xiao, one of the few outstanding persons in the entire Southern Territory.”
Li Weiyi quickly cupped his fists to express thanks.
Qi Xiao was invited to be the referee.
Qi Xiao looked very much like Qi Wangshu, but one was Pure Immortal Body, the other a mortal.
His face was slightly chubby, his stature a bit short, but without any hint of flabbiness. Looking at the two cloth banners on the flagpoles, his brows unconsciously furrowed, and he said flatly: “Not even entering Second Rank, and calling him one of the few strong practitioners—it’s simply embarrassing!”
He really couldn’t understand why the First Successor, such a shrewd and wise person, would have such deep friendship with a Fourth Stage of Five Seas Realm martial cultivator, even writing such an arrogant and undeserved evaluation for him.
Invincible in same realm was already an extreme compliment, enough to provoke resentment from many.
And defeating all same-realm opponents within ten moves—probably only someone like Ge Xian Tong or Luan Sheng Lin You would dare say such words.
This wasn’t a matter of arrogance or not, but extremely lacking in reason.
Fine, just give face to the First Successor.
“Brother, you will definitely enter Third Class.” Qi Wangshu said.
Qi Xiao had never considered himself Third Class; those in Second Rank and Third Class would eventually be challenged by him. With real battle records, he would tell Du’e Temple that they too could misjudge.
Li Weiyi smiled: “Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival is imminent; a big shot like Qi Xiao brother should be actively preparing for battle. I’ve wasted your time! How about this: all income today, I give you ten percent.”
“No need! You’re a friend of the First Successor, so naturally you’re also my friend Qi Xiao. For this small favor, why talk money.”
Qi Xiao knew better than anyone that some things couldn’t be bought with money. Suddenly realizing something, he said: “Isn’t it an arena fight? What do you mean by income?”
“Brother, it’s like this.”
Qi Wangshu whispered to him, then grinned, waved his hand, and ordered the three large black iron boxes placed under the arena and one foot-long wooden box to all be opened.
In an instant, three boxes full of jade-white Spring Coins appeared before everyone’s eyes, emanating a glistening jade light.
The wooden box burst with brilliant blood light—it was actually filled with Blood Crystals.
Qi Xiao, who had just sat down, shot to his feet like electrocuted, stunned.
With his status and cultivation, he had naturally seen vast fortunes, but in the Qi Family treasury. Who would haul so many Spring Coins and Blood Crystals onto the street?
Qi Wangshu said: “Each large box here is fifty thousand Spring Coins, that’s five million silver coins. Three boxes make one hundred fifty thousand Spring Coins.”
“That box of Blood Crystals is roughly worth one hundred thousand Spring Coins.”
Qi Xiao digested the shock in his heart and transmitted to the two: “What exactly are you doing? Is the First Successor plotting something?”
“Qi Xiao brother, don’t overthink it. Sit down and have tea first; we’re simply setting up an arena for a Martial Arts Gathering, nothing more.”
Li Weiyi looked at Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan and asked: “Is the arena comparison rule written?”
“Done!”
After Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan finished writing, he carefully checked and asked: “Can it be posted now?”
“Post it, and read it aloud to everyone again.”
Li Weiyi wore a cyan martial robe, with extraordinary demeanor, tall and straight, lean and capable, walking toward the seven-zhang square arena.
The arena wasn’t set on the main street but on an empty plot beside the crossroads, occupying almost the entire flat area.
After the three large boxes and one small box were opened, the sensation and clamor had already escalated.
Ordinary martial cultivators, who had ever seen such a massive fortune?
Once the arena comparison rules were posted, the emotions of the martial cultivators present were all ignited.
Qi Wangshu stood directly below the arena, using magic energy to amplify his voice: “Today, Li Zhou hero Li Weiyi, with mortal aptitude yet martial ambition, newly arrived in Qiu Zhou Prefecture City, generous and bold in character, righteous and free with wealth, specially sets up this arena for a Martial Arts Gathering.”
“One hundred fifty thousand Spring Coins, one box of Blood Crystals. Given away until depleted, first come first served.”
“Rules as follows: as long as you are a Fourth Stage of Five Seas Realm martial cultivator, Pure Immortal Body or Deformed Humanoid Race, all may come on stage to challenge. If you can withstand his ten moves, remain standing, and stay on the arena, you immediately receive ten thousand Spring Coins.”
“Boom!”
All martial cultivators’ eyes lit up, discussion voices boiling like an oil pan.
Ten thousand Spring Coins was a million silver coins.
Lingxiao Life Realm had continuous warfare, major powers all short on money and provisions, naturally affecting these young martial cultivators too. Who didn’t want to purchase Qi Accumulating Pills to boost cultivation speed? Purchase Blood Crystals for body refining? Purchase high-grade Magic Tool battle robes to enhance combat power?
For any Five Seas Realm martial cultivator, this was a massive fortune.
The wind changed direction.
“So it’s a Martial Arts Gathering, specifically giving away Spring Coins to gain the reputation of a wealthy youth.”
“Not that simple; this person must have considerable strength. To claim those ten thousand Spring Coins, probably need to be Pure Immortal Body or Nine Springs Supreme Person. The ones he wants to give money to befriend are top geniuses of Fourth Stage of Five Seas Realm. And these geniuses mostly come from sects and gatehouses at the million or ten-million level. The friends he wants are upper-level figures.” Some martial cultivator who thought he saw through it analyzed thus.
Qin Changfeng lost interest in going to Immortal Forest, his heart excited; he hadn’t expected such luck, encountering a pie falling from the sky.
“If I get ten thousand Spring Coins, I can immediately buy that high-grade Magic Tool battle robe I had my eye on before.” Lin Yi, one of Qin Changfeng’s companions, was overjoyed.
The other companion, Jiang Qing, was Fifth Realm of Five Seas Realm cultivation, ineligible to challenge, and laughed: “Look at your petty ambitions, satisfied with ten thousand Spring Coins?”
Qin Changfeng’s heart stirred; standing at the crowd’s periphery, he used magic energy to project his voice, tone drawn out: “In the same realm, withstanding ten moves from a mortal martial cultivator, how hard could it be? If I can defeat this Li Weiyi, even within ten moves, what then?”
Li Weiyi sat cross-legged at the arena center, knowing business had come, and personally replied: “If you can defeat me, reward multiplied tenfold. If you defeat me within ten moves, all the Spring Coins and Blood Crystals here are yours. It’s all clearly written in the challenge rules.”
“I’ll challenge!”
“I’ll go first…”
“Weiyi brother, this friend I’m making for sure!”
……
Words just fallen, six figures had already leaped onto the arena one after another, each full of vigor, spirit, and essence, with powerful mind and momentum.
To vie for who challenged first, the six nearly fought among themselves.
Qin Changfeng and Lin Yi saw this and grew anxious inwardly, worried the three boxes of Spring Coins would be won first.
Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan walked onto the arena and announced the final rule: “Young Master Li had long guessed it would be like this, so there’s one more rule. Before challenging, you must first pay a challenge fee of five hundred Spring Coins.”
“Challenge fee?”
The six martial cultivators on the arena instantly calmed, adjusting their bearing.
A relatively rational martial cultivator saw through the essence: “So this isn’t any Martial Arts Gathering at all, but a gambling game.”
Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan had no good expression: “Pay five hundred Spring Coins challenge fee; withstand ten moves to win ten thousand Spring Coins. Even if it’s a gambling game, countless would be willing. Those who can pay the challenge fee, stay; those who can’t… please leave the arena.”
Li Weiyi’s trick of setting up an arena to make money was learned from the Dao Fire Ape back then.
As long as you bait the nest well, you’re not afraid of no bites.
“If you can’t even take out five hundred Spring Coins, you have no qualification to challenge to begin with. Where in the world is there free money?”
Qin Changfeng and Lin Yi both had imposing demeanor, pushing through the crowd, walking in unhurriedly from the periphery.
