Chapter 401: The Bet
The man in red parted the crowd and walked over, his steps unhurried, his demeanor arrogant, with a faint smile of disdain and mockery hanging at the corner of his mouth, like an emperor looking down on all living beings. His chest was slightly puffed out, and the phoenix emblem on it shone brilliantly, proclaiming his identity to everyone.
Every profound practitioner who had come from the six kingdoms to watch the battle was a proud and high-ranking figure, but in front of this disciple of the Fenghuang God Sect, they felt an immense sense of oppression... Although the six kingdoms and the Shenhuang Empire were collectively called the Seven Kingdoms, even if the six kingdoms united, they could not shake the Shenhuang Empire in the slightest. Every year, they had to offer a great deal of tribute to the Shenhuang Empire, never daring to stop. To put it bluntly, in front of the Shenhuang Empire, the six kingdoms were like vassal states. In the face of the Shenhuang Empire’s might, no matter how powerful a figure from the six kingdoms might be in politics or the profound world, they had to keep their tail between their legs when they came to the Shenhuang Empire.
And the Fenghuang God Sect was the absolute hegemon of the Shenhuang Empire! In the eyes of the continent’s profound practitioners, the Fenghuang God Sect seemed to belong to another level and world.
Moreover, this was the territory of the Fenghuang God Sect!
Thus, faced with the extremely reckless and piercing taunts of this Fenghuang God Sect disciple, these young profound practitioners, who were proud in their own countries, dared to be angry but not speak out. Their gazes at this Fenghuang disciple were three parts anger and seven parts fear.
This kind of gaze, like a tiger among sheep, made the Fenghuang disciple even more arrogant and smug, and his voice became even more piercing: "You brats from the six kingdoms, you’d better scram from here as soon as possible. The Black Moon Main Guild is not a place for lowlifes like you to enter. Crowding here only dirties the ground and pollutes the air."
Yun Che’s brow furrowed sharply... He had seen many arrogant people, but this was the first time he had seen someone so arrogant, even unhesitatingly insulting everyone present, as well as all profound practitioners from the six kingdoms. He wondered if this Fenghuang disciple was inherently insolent, or if all Fenghuang disciples were like this in front of foreign profound practitioners.
As soon as he said this, the six kingdoms’ profound practitioners present became even more angry. Finally, a young profound practitioner who looked under twenty couldn’t control himself and said indignantly: "You... who do you think you are! Every sect has disciples of varying strength, even the Fenghuang God Sect is no exception... Who knows what kind of person you really are! Anyone can brag. If you’re so capable... go ahead and open the profound formation for us to see!"
The moment he said that, a shocked voice suddenly came from behind the crowd: "I remember now! He is Feng Zhaonan, the chief disciple under the thirty-ninth elder of the Fenghuang God Sect! I saw his name on the top hundred list of the Shenhuang Ranking Battle two years ago!"
As soon as this voice rang out, the crowd burst into an uproar. The looks people gave this Fenghuang disciple instantly changed, becoming even more fearful... And the young profound practitioner who had spoken earlier turned pale.
Not only was he a disciple of the Fenghuang God Sect... but he was also the chief disciple of an elder-level figure! And he ranked within the top hundred in the Shenhuang Kingdom’s ranking battle!!
Feng Zhaonan burst into wild laughter: "Hahaha! I didn’t expect that some of you small-country profound practitioners would actually know my name... Heh, you want to see if I can open the profound formation of the Black Moon Main Guild? Then I’ll show you and let you witness the gap between a disciple of my Fenghuang God Sect and you small-country trash!"
"Get out of the way!"
Feng Zhaonan stepped forward three paces, stood before a profound formation, casually struck a pose, and said lazily: "You better open your eyes wide and watch carefully."
As his voice fell, Phoenix Flame rapidly ignited on his palm, and he fiercely blasted it toward the profound formation ahead.
In an instant, all the Phoenix profound force was completely absorbed by the formation. In almost no time, the red, orange, and yellow on the crystal pillar all lit up. The dazzling light continued to rise, quickly lighting up green... but it still didn’t stop. It slowed down but continued upward. Finally, the cyan light was barely lit, and after about three breaths, all the light gradually faded.
The profound formation spun rapidly, then slowly condensed into the shape of a teleportation portal. The portal’s color was cyan, and Feng Zhaonan’s body was also covered with a layer of cyan light, meaning that this cyan portal could only be entered by Feng Zhaonan.
Green meant having the qualification to enter the Black Moon Main Guild, and this color also meant that in the eyes of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, this person was an undeniable genius! And Feng Zhaonan not only had the qualification to enter the Black Moon Main Guild, but it was cyan, above green. This judgment meant that by the Black Moon Merchant Guild’s standards, he was a genius among geniuses! The surrounding six kingdoms’ profound practitioners were all stunned, their faces turning red.
Feng Zhaonan withdrew his hand, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes, but his expression was nonchalant as he casually said: "Hmm, a casual strike, and it’s barely passable. You small-country trash, do you know what cyan means? Tsk, forget it. Because forget about the third or fourth floor of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, even wanting to enter the most basic first and second floor in your lifetimes is just wishful thinking. You’d better scram quickly, stop blocking the way here with your shameful presence."
After saying this, he swept a supremely contemptuous glance at the red-faced profound practitioners of the six kingdoms, let out a wild laugh, and walked toward the portal ahead. Just as his front foot was about to step in, a voice of utmost disdain suddenly came from the crowd behind him: "I thought that a chief disciple of an elder of the Fenghuang God Sect would have some real skill, but it turns out you’re nothing special. On the other hand, your arrogance surpasses your strength by ten million times."
As soon as this voice appeared, the crowd burst into an uproar, all looking toward the speaker. Feng Zhaonan stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around, his gaze landing on Yun Che. After casually probing his profound strength, his face showed an expression of utmost disdain: "Was that you who just spoke?"
Indeed, it was Yun Che who had just spoken. Yun Che was not someone who liked to stir up trouble, but he was even less someone who would silently endure insults. Feng Zhaonan’s words had mocked all profound practitioners of the six kingdoms, including him... But that was secondary. What Yun Che absolutely could not tolerate was someone even more arrogant than him in front of him!
Like Feng Xichen.
Feng Zhaonan’s aura was naturally imposing, but how could Yun Che be affected by it? He let out a cold laugh and said: "That’s right, it was me."
"Hahahahaha!" Feng Zhaonan laughed loudly, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world: "I thought I was dealing with some big shot, but it’s just a piece of trash from a small country... oh no, not even trash, a piece of goods not even worth being called trash. Your profound strength is a mere Earth Profound Realm, a complete waste in my eyes, and you dare to spout nonsense at me? You’ve got quite the nerve."
He squinted his eyes, smiling as he extended one finger: "Do you believe that killing you would only take me a single finger? Unfortunately, this is the territory of the Black Moon Main Guild, and private fights are not allowed. I always have to show some respect to the Black Moon Main Guild. Otherwise, based on those ridiculous words you said to me, you’d already be a corpse! After dying by my hand, even if you were a prince of some kingdom, or even a crown prince, I guarantee your emperor will obediently send someone to collect your corpse. Aside from that, they won’t dare to let out a single fart."
Among the young profound practitioners present, many had higher profound strength than Yun Che. When Yun Che suddenly spoke up, they were initially delighted, thinking someone had appeared who could put this Fenghuang disciple in his place. But after learning that Yun Che’s profound strength was only at the Earth Profound Realm, they were all extremely disappointed, and even thought this person must be crazy... Only at the Earth Profound Realm, yet he dared to challenge a top disciple of the Fenghuang God Sect.
"However, if you kneel down right now, kowtow three times, and call me grandpa three times, I might consider sparing your life and letting you leave Shenhuang City safely. After all, a grandpa can’t bear to harm his own grandson, hahahaha." Feng Zhaonan said contemptuously and arrogantly.
The surrounding profound practitioners looked at Yun Che with pity... No strength yet still trying to play the big shot. Did he think the Fenghuang God Sect’s iron wall was so easy to kick? They could already foresee this person’s miserable fate.
"Kowtow?" Yun Che’s lips curled, his face showing no fear but instead a faint smile: "That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Feng Zhaonan, how about we make a bet? I’m quite interested in this Black Moon Main Guild, and today I came to see if I could enter. If I don’t have the ability to reach even the third or fourth floor like you, then forget kowtowing, my life is yours to do with as you please. But if I can make the light on this crystal pillar reach above cyan... heh, then you obediently kneel before me, kowtow three times, and call me grandpa three times. Do you dare to take this bet?"
As soon as Yun Che said this, everyone was stunned. The profound practitioner from the Black Fiend Kingdom who had been bounced back by the formation earlier shouted in warning: "Are you crazy! Take back what you just said immediately! Forget cyan, even reaching green is harder than ascending to heaven! I’m at the early stage of the Heavenly Profound Realm, and I only managed yellow. You at the Earth Profound Realm, you’re... you’re just humiliating yourself!"
"Forget it, Senior Brother Yin, don’t bother with him. He must be crazy." his fellow disciple quickly said, afraid that they would incur Feng Zhaonan’s wrath and bring trouble upon themselves.
"You? Bet with me? Above cyan?" Feng Zhaonan’s eye twitched, his face contorted, and then he burst into mad laughter, laughing so hard he doubled over and could barely breathe: "Haha... haha... hahahaha... This is the biggest joke I’ve ever heard in my life... An Earth Profound Realm waste... actually fantasizing about reaching above cyan... and betting with me... hahaha... hahahaha..."
The surrounding profound practitioners now looked at Yun Che as if they were looking at a complete idiot. Yun Che watched coldly as Feng Zhaonan laughed wildly, and after he finally managed to stop laughing, he said calmly: "Do you dare or not? If you don’t dare, that’s fine too. I’ll let you off. My time is precious, and I don’t want to waste it on an arrogant piece of trash."
Feng Zhaonan stopped laughing abruptly, his face darkening: "You say I don’t dare? Heh... a stupid waste who doesn’t know his place even at death’s door. You’re not even qualified to play a bet with me. But since I’m in a particularly good mood today, I’ll humor you. If you can hit above cyan, then forget three kowtows and three calls of grandpa, I’ll kowtow ten thousand times and call you grandpa ten thousand times! Come on, hurry up and show me, let me see how you manage to get above cyan... hahahaha..."
"Very well." Yun Che nodded. He suddenly looked up toward the far front and above: "Since this bet has been made, and it’s been made on the grounds of the Black Moon Main Guild, then why not let that senior who has been watching us from the seventh floor be the witness?"
On the seventh floor of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, an old man in full purple robes stood by the window, motionless as a statue, silently watching the square below for a long time. When Yun Che’s voice came from afar, the old man’s entire body trembled slightly, and his face showed a shocked expression... He carefully examined Yun Che’s gaze and found that the other party was staring directly at his location, with not a single degree of deviation!
"He can actually detect me?" The old man in purple was shocked and incredulous...
The seventh floor of the Black Moon Merchant Guild was a full five hundred zhang above the ground, and the horizontal distance from the crystal platform on the square to the main hall was also several hundred zhang. Moreover, the floor-to-ceiling windows of the guild were sealed with extremely expensive special materials that allowed clear view from inside but not even a glimpse from outside. Coupled with the old man in purple’s immensely powerful profound strength, even a Throne within a hundred zhang would find it difficult to detect his presence.
...But this Yun Che, whose profound force clearly was only at the Earth Profound Realm, could actually detect my presence?! And he even knew that I had been watching them!
In truth, the one who detected that the old man in purple had been watching from the seventh floor was not Yun Che, but Mo Li.