Chapter 208 - 205: Yellow Spirit Crystal

"Yellow Spirit Crystal? What’s that?" Hearing the crowd’s discussions, Mo Qianqian was a bit confused. They had just arrived, and it was obvious the other side had already arranged a gambling duel. It must be because the Great Shang Dynasty had brought out this Yellow Spirit Crystal that Master Lu Zhi agreed to it.

That Yellow Spirit Crystal must be something exceptionally rare. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have offered Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures meant for breaking through to the Third-Grade Spirit Master Realm. Even the entire Great Xia Dynasty hadn’t produced a single pill or Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure meant for breaking through to the Third-Grade Spirit Master Realm in many years. This item had a significant chance of nurturing a Third-Grade Spirit Master. Its preciousness was immeasurable.

"That thing is a specialty of the Holy State. It’s similar to the Liquid of Chaos from the Realm of Chaos, just slightly more precious," Xia Liu, who was standing beside him, explained. "A single grain, only the size of a grain of rice, is enough to allow someone at the Ninth Level of Tongyou Realm to break through to the Void Spirit Realm First Layer."

"Allow someone at the Ninth Level of Tongyou Realm to break through to the Void Spirit Realm?" Mo Qianqian was astonished.

Although a Third-Grade Spirit Master was incredibly useful, something that could allow a cultivator at the Ninth Level of Tongyou Realm to break through to the Void Spirit Realm First Layer was no less valuable than Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures meant for breaking through to a Third-Grade Spirit Master. A Third-Grade Spirit Master was equivalent to the Ninth Level of Tongyou Realm; in terms of cultivation base, it fell slightly short of the effects of that single Yellow Spirit Crystal.

Of course, a Spirit Master’s combat prowess was another matter entirely. Their utility was massive. Overall, for a dynasty, nurturing an expert at the Void Spirit Realm First Layer might not necessarily be more beneficial than nurturing a Third-Grade Spirit Master. However, it also depended on the intention. For a faction, producing a Void Spirit Realm First Layer expert was equivalent to gaining a top-tier guardian figure.

Regardless, the Jade Spirit Pearl—used for breaking into the Third-Grade Spirit Master realm—and a single grain of Yellow Spirit Crystal were of equal value. Furthermore, this was a gambling duel, not a trade. If they won, they would get it for free without having to pay anything. Both sides were undoubtedly determined to win before agreeing to the wager.

"Didn’t you say you didn’t know about the Holy State? How do you know it’s a specialty of the Holy State?" Suddenly remembering something, Mo Qianqian looked at Xia Liu and asked.

"My mother told me. How else would I know?" Xia Liu curled his lips and retorted. Mo Qianqian was speechless and asked no further.

At this time, amidst the crowd’s discussions, a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wearing a long trench coat and with a somewhat broad face, strode out from the entrance of the courtyard. The broad-faced young man looked confidently at the four people from the Great Shang Dynasty and challenged, "Who from your Great Shang Dynasty will be the first to step forward and fight?"

"Huo Wenfeng is stepping up."

"The Great Shang Dynasty will undoubtedly lose!"

"I bet the person from the Great Shang Dynasty will lose within three breaths."

"I bet Huo Wenfeng will sweep all three of them single-handedly."

Discussions rippled through the crowd. They were brimming with confidence in their own dynasty’s Huo Wenfeng. Of course, this also stemmed from Huo Wenfeng’s illustrious reputation; anyone who knew him did not believe he could lose.

"I’ll do it." Xie Shiming stepped forward. Dressed in white, he looked handsome and elegant. He fanned himself with a folding fan, adopting a remarkably dashing and graceful demeanor. Mo Qianqian could see that Xie Shiming appeared supremely confident. He no longer had that arrogant, nose-in-the-air attitude from when he first arrived at the Great Xia Dynasty.

"Great Shang Dynasty, Xie Shiming, Second-Grade Spirit Master. After you!" Xie Shiming announced.

SWISH!

As soon as Xie Shiming finished speaking, Mo Qianqian saw a Spirit Body identical in appearance to Huo Wenfeng manifest. Without any flashy tricks or sneak attacks, that Spirit Body charged straight at Xie Shiming.

Xie Shiming snapped his folding fan shut, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. His own Spirit Body similarly appeared in front of him and charged toward Huo Wenfeng’s. Both of them were highly confident in their own strength, opting for a direct, head-on clash.

BANG!

The two Spirit Bodies collided, trading blows fist for fist. Instantly, Huo Wenfeng’s Spirit Body was smashed apart, collapsing into Spirit fluctuations that blasted out in all directions. Even the surrounding crowd standing a bit further away—though they couldn’t see it—immediately felt what seemed like a fierce gale slamming against their bodies.

SPURT!

Standing in front of the courtyard gates, Huo Wenfeng violently coughed up a large mouthful of blood, his aura instantly withering.

"What? Huo Wenfeng lost?"

In that instant, the onlookers were left dumbfounded, their faces filled with sheer disbelief. They couldn’t see the Spirit Bodies, but they could guess what happened. It had only been the span of a single strike. Huo Wenfeng lost after just one strike?

"How is this possible? That Xie Shiming is only in his early twenties. How could he defeat Huo Wenfeng so quickly?"

"Huo Wenfeng is a figure ranked in the top ten of the Great Zhou Dynasty’s genius rankings! How could he be defeated?"

The crowd from the Great Zhou Dynasty still found it hard to accept the reality before their eyes. Even the several elders standing in front of the courtyard gates couldn’t help but furrow their brows.

"My apologies, but my goal is to sweep all three. Next!" Xie Shiming laughed with a nonchalant expression.

Huo Wenfeng spat out another mouthful of blood. When had he ever suffered such humiliation? However, a loss was a loss, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"What arrogant words!" At this moment, a young woman wearing a white dress stepped forward. She appeared to be around twenty-four or twenty-five, with a face as flawless as jade, crescent-shaped eyebrows, and agile, expressive eyes. Her temperament was extraordinary.

"Yan Lingshan is stepping up!"

"Yan Lingshan is ranked sixth on the genius rankings. Her combat power is even stronger than Huo Wenfeng’s, and she isn’t far from becoming a Third-Grade Spirit Master. She only needs the final bit of preparation before she can refine the Jade Spirit Pearl and advance to the Third-Grade Spirit Master Realm. This time, she will definitely crush that Xie Shiming!"

"Yan Lingshan is bound to win!"

"That guy even bragged about sweeping all three of them. I suppose he must be the strongest Spirit Master genius of the Great Shang Dynasty, right? Let’s wait and see how Yan Lingshan teaches him a lesson!"

The crowd began to buzz with discussion once again, filled with expectations for Yan Lingshan.

SWISH!

This time, Yan Lingshan didn’t beat around the bush. She immediately manifested her Spirit Body, which appeared in front of her and charged toward Xie Shiming. Xie Shiming also mobilized his Spirit Body to intercept, once again opting for a head-on clash.

BANG!

As the two Spirit Bodies clashed with fists and palms, both were jolted backward by the impact. This strike was an even match.

"That Yan Lingshan isn’t weak either," Mo Qianqian, who was observing the battle, murmured softly.

Xie Shiming’s strength was at a level where almost no one could withstand it, even in the Great Xia Dynasty. The fact that Yan Lingshan could match him was enough to prove her extraordinary strength. However, the people present couldn’t see the situation at all, nor did they know who had the upper hand.

"It seems your strength isn’t weak, either." Yan Lingshan furrowed her brows as a powerful aura emanated from her body. The combat power of her Spirit Body seemed to grow a bit stronger as it charged at Xie Shiming once again.

Xie Shiming’s Spirit Body rushed out to meet it. However, on the palm of Xie Shiming’s Spirit Body, a cluster of something resembling flames manifested. That flame-like cluster was also transparent, rendering it completely invisible to non-Spirit Masters. Yet, in an instant, a scorching aura spread in all directions, agitating the Spirits of everyone present.