Treasure Gambling

"That's right, Junior Brother Ning. Congratulations, from this moment on, you have finally grasped the underlying logic of how our Yin Yang Divine Sect operates in the world."

Li Yunqi spoke with an approving nod.

"It's basically selling oneself."

Ning Fan succinctly pointed to the core of the matter.

"Hey, hey!"

Li Yunqi looked entirely disapproving.

"What do you mean by selling oneself? That sounds so crude. This is called an exchange-an exchange, do you understand?"

Ning Fan: "..."

Using dual cultivation to exchange for cultivation resources, right?

How was that any different from selling oneself?!

"However, our sect does have one exception, and that is our Changming Peak. The disciples of our Changming Peak nominally boycott this kind of exchange,"

Li Yunqi explained.

"So it makes perfect sense that our Changming Peak ranks so low. Our contribution to the sect's value is relatively limited. After all, painstakingly fighting and seizing treasures..."

"Just can't compare to spreading one's legs."

Ning Fan: "..."

Hearing this, Ning Fan's mouth twitched slightly. This Li Yunqi was incredibly blunt, but his words held a certain undeniable truth.

"Junior Brother Ning, that's exactly why I told you earlier there was no need to rush to the third floor. The entire third floor of the Yin Yang Tower has already been sold off by the sect."

"The Yin Yang Qi on this level has already been allocated to its respective owners. We disciples of the Yin Yang Divine Sect are forbidden from fighting for it."

Li Yunqi said.

No wonder.

With this, many perplexing questions were instantly solved-why Lei Miao had refused to settle their duel on the third floor, and why Zhao Tanye hadn't brought his Dao Companion along.

It was because the third floor belonged entirely to the cultivators of external sects.

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

Ning Fan spread his hands.

Since the sect rules were set in stone, Ning Fan couldn't openly defy them. Was he truly supposed to just stand here and wait idly?

"Well, you could always go sell yourself,"

Li Yunqi shrugged.

Ning Fan: "..."

Selling himself was out of the question. Neither he nor Yun Qingyao would ever compromise their bodies for the sake of profit.

Furthermore, they couldn't return to the second floor.

Their only option was to wander around the third floor, waiting until the Yin Yang Qi here was mostly depleted before they could ascend to the fourth floor of the Yin Yang Tower.

There was no telling how long that would take.

"Junior Brother Ning, the third floor of the Yin Yang Tower isn't entirely a waste; it's an excellent opportunity to trade what we have for what we need. Because our sect disciples are barred from seizing the Yin Yang Qi, conflicts rarely break out here. If you seize this chance, you might find some unexpected harvests separate from the Yin Yang Qi itself."

Li Yunqi reminded him.

"..."

Ning Fan's perspective instantly broadened.

Come to think of it, it truly was as he said. This peaceful third floor of the Yin Yang Tower served as a perfect marketplace. Ning Fan still had more than twenty-five thousand Spirit Stones on him, which was a considerable sum. He could easily look around and see if he could acquire anything of value.

After all, almost every disciple of the Yin Yang Divine Sect had brought their entire net worth into the Yin Yang Tower, and there were also numerous external sect cultivators present.

Thus, Ning Fan took Yun Qingyao by the hand and began strolling through the third floor of the Yin Yang Tower. Along the way, quite a few people called out to them, trying to catch their attention.

However, the pair ignored them all.

Seeing that Ning Fan and Yun Qingyao were walking hand in hand as companions, the ignored external sect cultivators refrained from any aggressive behavior.

"Oh?"

After walking a short distance, Ning Fan suddenly noticed someone operating a street stall. As expected, there were quite a few people who shared the same transactional mindset.

"..."

Ning Fan approached the stall. It wasn't very large, displaying only about a dozen items, none of which had an obvious purpose.

They looked like damaged remnants excavated from ancient ruins or ancient battlefields.

There were faint fluctuations of spiritual power emanating from them, though barely perceptible. Instead, they carried a heavy sense of antiquity and weathered historical charm.

"Young man, interested?"

"Treasure gambling."

The person sitting behind the stall looked up at Ning Fan and spoke at a measured pace.

"Treasure gambling?"

Ning Fan voiced his slight hesitation.

"Correct."

The cultivator behind the stall gestured toward the items before him and slowly explained.

"These treasures were all recovered from extremely rare and hazardous locations. No one can tell whether they are worthless junk or priceless treasures."

"Three thousand Spirit Stones apiece. Once bought, the deal is final."

"If it turns out to be a genuine treasure-even if it is a Heaven-grade treasure artifact-I will accept my loss and honor the gamble. But if it turns out to be a piece of junk, young man, you can't come looking to cause trouble for me either."

"So that's how it works."

Ning Fan understood the rules.

Paying three thousand Spirit Stones to gamble on a single chance; one might obtain a rare treasure, or one might buy absolute garbage. It was a pure gamble.

Having grasped the rules of the game, Ning Fan pulled a highly amused Yun Qingyao along, turned around, and immediately prepared to walk away.

"Hey!"

"Wait, young man! We were having a perfectly good conversation. Why are you suddenly leaving?"

The stall owner called out anxiously to stop him.

"Heh."

Ning Fan paused his steps and turned halfway back, looking at the man with a playful smile.

"You call it a gamble."

"But the buyer is never as shrewd as the seller. Since these items came from your hands, you must have examined them thoroughly. To gamble under such circumstances would only ensure a loss."

"..."

Once Ning Fan finished speaking, the stall owner fell silent.

Indeed, that was the exact logic.

"Hehe."

After a moment of silence, a grin surfaced on the man's face, and he chuckled lightly.

"Little brother, everyone misjudges things from time to time. How can you be so sure that I didn't make a mistake?"

"Am I right?"

"Tell you what, three thousand Spirit Stones is indeed a bit steep. I'll give you a discount. Name a price, and if it's reasonable, you can take it."

"Five hundred Spirit Stones."

Ning Fan spoke, simultaneously raising his hand to show five fingers.

"This... Little brother, isn't your price cut a bit too ruthless?"

"Slashing it from three thousand straight down to five hundred?"

"..."

Ning Fan showed absolutely no inclination to haggle and immediately turned to leave again.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Wait! Is one thousand Spirit Stones acceptable? Don't leave just yet!"

"Eight hundred!"

"Fine, fine! I haven't made a single sale today anyway, and since you're my first customer, I'll take it as an auspicious start to the day. Five hundred Spirit Stones it is!"

Having achieved his desired outcome, Ning Fan finally stopped walking, a subtle smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He returned to the stall, his gaze casually sweeping across the various treasures arrayed before him.

No one noticed the sudden flash of hidden fervor deep within Ning Fan's eyes. The reason was simple-he had just detected a thoroughly familiar aura from the stall.

It was the exact same aura as the Wushi Seal.

Ning Fan had no idea why an item on this street stall would possess the aura of the Wushi Seal, but without a single doubt, securing that item would be a guaranteed, massive win!

"..."

Ning Fan's gaze ultimately settled on a broken sword. He raised his hand, pointed at it, and inquired.

"This broken sword."

"Five hundred Spirit Stones, deal?"

"Deal-"

The stall owner was just about to agree.

In the very next instant, a voice abruptly cut in from the side.

"Hold on."

"I happen to have some interest in this item as well."

"..."

Ning Fan's brow furrowed instantly as he directed his sharp gaze toward the speaker. When he clearly discerned the person's face, his frown deepened even further.

It was an acquaintance-

Yet it was someone Ning Fan had completely unexpected to encounter here.

It was Qian Qi of the Yin Yang Peak.

Had they not crossed paths again today, Ning Fan would have likely forgotten this character entirely. Whether in terms of natural talent or combat strength, he simply wasn't someone worth remembering.

Yet, unexpectedly, Qian Qi chose this exact moment to appear.

"I certainly didn't expect that we would meet again so soon."

Qian Qi stared at Ning Fan, his face wearing a bright, mocking smile.

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