Chapter 114: Letting Him Win, Claiming First Place

Gong Yuankui’s breakthrough left everyone who had bet on the Tianyuan Sect in despair.

Even after he had given up such an advantage, the Tianyuan Sect still could not beat him. And now he had broken through. What the hell was the point of fighting anymore? They were ruined. Completely ruined.

Qin Xiao knew he was facing a huge loss. A hundred million Spirit Stones from his own bet, and another hundred million to repay Ling Ruoxue—two hundred million gone. He had even helped his opponent break through. What a disaster.

“Brother Qin, thank you.”

After settling his cultivation, Gong Yuankui spoke to Qin Xiao.

“Brother Kui is too polite. I never imagined you would actually break through. Truly a joyous occasion.”

Though Qin Xiao congratulated him with his lips, his face was utterly devoid of joy.

“Haha, this is all thanks to Brother Qin. I had lingered at the late Nascent Soul stage for quite some time and spent ages in Secluded Cultivation, yet I was always missing that one final spark of enlightenment. Who would have thought a single battle with Brother Qin would provide it?”

Qin Xiao was miserable, but Gong Yuankui was in high spirits.

“I wonder if Brother Qin still wishes to continue?”

Gong Yuankui then asked Qin Xiao.

“Fight? Of course we fight. Come on.”

Qin Xiao actually wanted to concede. But when he thought of the people who had bet on him, he knew they would tear into him if he gave up now.

So he decided to keep fighting. Once he had taken a beating, surely even the most heartless of them would recognize that he had tried his best. They would not curse him then, would they?

“Qin Xiao, go for it! I put my entire net worth on your Tianyuan Sect!”

“That’s right, you have to win! If you lose, we’re finished!”

“As long as you win, I’ll be your beast of burden for the rest of my life!”

Hearing that Qin Xiao intended to keep fighting, the frantic crowd of red-eyed gamblers screamed at the top of their lungs.

Qin Xiao had no words for these gamblers. Their own greed had put all the pressure on him. Other people gambled a little for fun; these damned fools were gambling with their lives. If they lost, they deserved it.

Yet, upon second thought, he realized he wasn’t much better off, having wagered heavily himself. What he thought was a guaranteed win had turned into a total disaster. Arrogance truly was a flaw-there was always someone stronger.

“Since Brother Qin still wants to fight, I’ll take off my armor and crown. We can have a proper contest. Consider it repayment for helping me break through.”

Gong Yuankui could see that Qin Xiao seemed to need a win. He wanted to give him that chance and repay the favor at the same time.

Besides, defeat was not the end of the world. Even if he lost, the sect would still secure its spots; it was merely the difference between first and second place, and the allotment of entry slots only varied by five.

“Kui’er, do not be rash.”

Hearing that Gong Yuankui intended to discard his protective gear, Han Mingyuan hastily called out to stop him. This story is hosted at novelping dot com.

“Second Elder, this disciple will bear the consequences alone.”

Gong Yuankui was firm. He was coming to respect Qin Xiao more and more.

“In that case, I thank Brother Kui for his generosity.”

Qin Xiao certainly didn’t stand on ceremony. If victory was within reach, who would willingly surrender it?

After Gong Yuankui removed his armor and crown, the two resumed their fight.

Even without his equipment, Gong Yuankui’s newly elevated realm granted him a slight upper hand.

Qin Xiao naturally gave it everything he had, frantically sifting through his memories for any martial techniques that might give him an edge.

As they fought, their techniques grew more practiced, until they resembled two martial arts masters. It lacked the spectacle of a magical duel, but their attacks and defenses had a charm of their own.

Fortunately, Qin Xiao’s physical defense was terrifyingly resilient. Though he took the brunt of the punishment, he absorbed every blow. Gong Yuankui, on the other hand, suffered a heavy injury every single time Qin Xiao’s fists connected.

As the fight wore on, Qin Xiao began to gain the upper hand after being at a disadvantage throughout. His body could withstand the punishment, while Gong Yuankui could not.

After another hundred moves, Gong Yuankui stopped.

“Brother Qin is extraordinary indeed. I concede.”

It wasn’t that Gong Yuankui was truly incapable of continuing; rather, he sensed that his initial advantage had evaporated while Qin Xiao remained as solid as ever. Pushing the matter further served no purpose, so he chose to yield gracefully.

“My thanks to Brother Kui for conceding the match.”

Qin Xiao knew full well he hadn’t won through sheer dominance; his opponent had simply discarded too many advantages to let him take the victory.

Gong Yuankui was equally straightforward, leaping down from the competition platform the moment he conceded.

The outcome shocked the majority of the spectators. After all, the desperate gamblers were a mere handful; most had placed their hopes on the Pure Yang Sect.

None found the result harder to swallow than City Lord Yu Chengfeng. As the operator of the betting pool, he had initially celebrated when someone wagered two hundred million on the Tianyuan Sect, assuming free wealth had dropped into his lap. Now, cold sweat soaked his back as he faced payouts exceeding one billion Spirit Stones.

Where some wept, others rejoiced. The fortunate gamblers screamed Qin Xiao’s name with fanatical devotion.

“Qin Xiao!”

“Qin Xiao!”

“Qin Xiao!”

The roar of the minority drowned out even the accusations of a fixed match.

Ignoring the commotion, Qin Xiao quietly stepped down from the arena.

He had previously believed that reaching the Fourth Layer of Body Refinement would render him virtually untouchable against any Nascent Soul practitioner. It was only after clashing with Gong Yuankui that he truly understood what defined a supreme prodigy and the profound heritage of a major sect.

Back at the preparation area, Gong Yuankui apologized to Han Mingyuan and said he would bear the sect’s punishment alone. This chapter was taken from novelping . com without permission.

In the subsequent Challenge Round, Tianyi City defeated the Mysterious Yin Sect to secure fourth place. The Mysterious Yin Sect declined further challenges, and the Immortal Dao Merchant Association followed suit. Because of Gong Yuankui’s earlier forfeiture, the Pure Yang Sect made no further moves either.

The final standings placed the Tianyuan Sect first, the Pure Yang Sect second, the Immortal Dao Merchant Association third, Tianyi City fourth, and the Mysterious Yin Sect fifth, while Pure Yang City lost its standing entirely, ending up at the bottom.

The one hundred entry spots were duly distributed: thirty for the Tianyuan Sect, twenty-five for the Pure Yang Sect, twenty for the Immortal Dao Merchant Association, fifteen for Tianyi City, and ten for the Mysterious Yin Sect.

The spot competition had finally drawn to a close.

Factions that failed to secure quotas departed in succession, while the victors remained behind to discuss the upcoming expedition to the Spirit Medicine Valley secret realm twenty days hence.

Qin Xiao skipped the evening banquet again and returned to his room to reflect on the day’s fighting. Perhaps the martial arts moves from his previous life, combined with his speed, could be quite powerful.

Yun Man also skipped the festivities, choosing instead to hone the second move of her sword manual-Earth Rending. Though she could execute it, her mastery was not yet proficient.

Once the banquet concluded, Ling Ruoxue sought out Qin Xiao, carrying the spoils of their wager.

“You nearly screwed me over completely. It’s a miracle he let you win in the end. And here you claimed you had it in the bag-a guaranteed win, no less.”

Ling Ruoxue tossed the Storage Bag to Qin Xiao and spoke in exasperation.

“Miss Ling, there were too many surprises. How was I supposed to know he had treasures like those? A mistake. Just a little mistake.”

Qin Xiao put the Storage Bag into his System Space and opened it.

True to form, the number of Spirit Stones had increased by six hundred and fifty-five million, with Ling Ruoxue having already deducted the two hundred million she advanced.

“Since you made a profit too, why not forget that wager? The Mysterious Yin Sect only came fifth this time, so they must be unhappy. If you insist on enforcing the wager, aren’t you afraid their Great Elder will make trouble for you?”

Ling Ruoxue had essentially come as a mediator, having been approached by Su Lin and Cang Xing in hopes of persuading Qin Xiao to drop the wager.

“No. Those are two separate matters. Besides, why are you getting involved? I’m not asking you to become my disciple. If you had a Heavenly Spirit Root, I might consider taking you too, but you don’t.”

Upon hearing her words, Qin Xiao immediately realized she was acting on behalf of the others. He flatly refused. A Heavenly Spirit Root was an opportunity of a lifetime; why would he let anyone derail his plans to secure new supplies?

“Not a shred of room for negotiation?”

Ling Ruoxue was taken aback by his stubbornness.

“None at all. Go back and tell those three that, however unwilling they are, they must come tomorrow and properly become my disciples.”

Qin Xiao cared little for offending people. Heavenly Spirit Roots were too rare to pass up; letting them slip through his fingers would be unforgivable.

“Fine, have it your way. Get some rest.”

Ling Ruoxue could do nothing about it. Qin Xiao simply would not relent, even for her sake.

After leaving the residence, Ling Ruoxue shook her head at the five people waiting outside. Gong Yuankui had not come, so only the other five were there.