Furthermore, he still needed to learn the last pill recipe, the Level Four Divine Pill—the Mysterious Azure Pill. This would require a huge amount of wealth, and if he didn’t have a significant income each day, this would merely be an intangible dream.
From this, one could imagine how very expensive it was to raise an alchemist.
However, he was unfamiliar with Wu Ziren, and didn’t know how strong Wu Ziren was, either. As such, he didn’t know how many exchanges it would take for him to defeat Wu Ziren. With this in mind, he didn’t place any bets.
He was confident that he would win, yet he was unsure how many strikes he would need to defeat his opponent.
Anyhow, he certainly didn’t want to reveal the secret that was Fast Technique.
He accepted the challenge. The Imperial Capital brimmed with fervent excitement when news of this spread. Everyone fought to buy tickets, and in the end, it became extremely difficult to obtain even one ticket. According to rumors, the Iron Blood Stadium was purposefully withholding tickets so that their price would gradually rise to an insane level. This would allow them to rake in a huge amount of wealth.
To put it simply, the battle between Ling Han and Wu Ziren had already transcended the state of just being a battle. Instead, it had become a grand cultivation event in the Imperial Capital, one that could bring great benefits to all parties involved.
Li Weiwei immediately ran to Ling Han’s courtyard, and asked. “Stupid blockhead, how should I bet this time?”
Ling Han chuckled, and said, “You’ve really become addicted to making huge winnings, haven’t you? You already won so much last time… Haven’t they blacklisted you yet?”
“Pfft! Do they dare reject my bet?” Li Weiwei said proudly. Then, she suddenly became serious again, and asked, “So, how should I bet??”
“No idea!” Ling Han shook his head, and continued, “I know nothing about my opponent, so how should I know?”
Li Weiwei persisted, and said, “Weren’t you overflowing with confidence when you claimed that you were invincible against those at the same cultivation level before?”
Ling Han nodded, and said, “I’m indeed confident that I’ll win this battle. However, I genuinely don’t know how many exchanges my victory will take.” Of course, this was under the condition that he didn’t unleash the Fast Technique or Ultimate Arrow. Otherwise, he was 90% confident that he would be able to achieve victory in a single exchange.
Li Weiwei shook her head, and grumbled, “Humph! How boring!” There was no option of just picking a vitor this time.
A thought occurred to Ling Han, and he asked, “Have you ever investigated this Wu Ziren before? Heh, Wu Ziren… There isn’t such a person 1 ?”
Li Weiwei clapped her hands together, and said, “Wait for me! I’ll go investigate for you right away! Heh, are you extremely touched by my offer? The daughter of the Left Minister is running around and completing errands for you.”
Ling Han chuckled, and said, “Of course I’m touched! I must be touched!”
Li Weiwei nodded in satisfaction and left. She was extremely efficient—hmm, it was probably better to say that the office of the Left Minister was extremely efficient—and Ling Han received the information that he wanted in three days. Meanwhile, there was still one day left until his much anticipated battle with Wu Ziren.
“Blockhead, all of the traces point to the Dark Night Hall!” Li Weiwei became serious, and continued, “There’s a 70-80% likelihood that Wu Ziren is an assassin from the Dark Night Hall!”
“Heh, they’re finally making a move again!” Ling Han had found it strange that there had been no movement from the Dark Night Hall even though Zhou Gaoyang and Yin Yuanxiang had already been dead for the best part of half a year. So it turned out that they had come up with a completely new plan this time!
They were coming for him openly!
“Blockhead, how about you pull out of this battle? I’ll immediately send the necessary information to the Ministry of Justice and have them investigate this Wu Ziren!” There was a hint of killing intent in Li Weiwei’s eyes. Someone actually dared to scheme to kill her underling?!
Ling Han was slightly astonished. At this moment, Li Weiwei finally radiated with a domineering aura that members of super-elite families should all possess. He had always thought that this princess-like woman could only muck around.
“No!” Ling Han shook his head, and said, “Firstly, I’ve already accepted the challenge, so there’s no excuse for me to pull out of it. Secondly, I can earn 20,000 True Origin Stones, so why not pocket this money? Thirdly and lastly, the Dark Night Hall is coming at me openly, so I have to accept their challenge no matter what.”
“Stupid blockhead! You dimwit! You old miser!” Li Weiwei was extremely ticked off. In her eyes, this was a tremendously dangerous situation as their opponents had come fully prepared.
‘Why is he taking this risk? To prove that he’s a man?’
Li Weiwei felt a surprising lack of confidence as she stole a glance at Ling Han’s profile. She was a little afraid that Ling Han would catch her sight.
Ling Han smiled, and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t die! Since the Dark Night Hall wants to kill me, I’ll have them pay a price!” It was no easy task to raise a cultivator to the Mountain River Tier. The Dark Night Hall had already lost three, and if they lost one more, they would definitely feel extremely angry and distressed.
‘Who told them to target me?’
Chapter 1049 - A Tongue like an Arrow
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
One day passed, and the day of Ling Han and Wu Ziren’s battle finally arrived.
This battle was to be held in the Iron Blood Stadium, and battling in this stadium meant that one would be fully responsible for their own life and death. The competitors didn’t need to have mercy in battle, for they wouldn’t be liable to any consequences even if they killed their opponent.
The Iron Blood Stadium was filled to the brim for this battle, with many people standing tiptoe so they could catch a glimpse of the battle.
The Iron Blood Stadium didn’t normally have standing tickets. However, this battle had attracted far too many people, with entrance tickets having already reached a resale value of 50 True Origin Stones each. Even so, countless people still fought over the tickets.
Shui Yanyu accompanied Ling Han to the stadium, and she couldn’t help but feel shocked when she entered the Iron Blood Stadium. Why were there so many people?
She had come to the Iron Blood Stadium before, but she had never seen it packed so full that not even a single needle could be fitted in. The stadium was truly packed to the brim with people.
Fortunately, the Iron Blood Stadium had sent people to wait for Ling Han as he was one of the competitors today. They immediately took him to a special passageway, allowing him and Shui Yanyu to enter stadium smoothly.
There was still some time until the battle, meaning that Ling Han could still rest for a short while.
“Is that Wu Ziren really an assassin from the Dark Night Hall?” Shui Yanyu had only just learned of this from Ling Han.
Ling Han nodded, and replied, “Almost certainly.”
Shui Yanyu frowned slightly, and said, “The Dark Night Hall has already sent two groups of assassins before this, with even Zhou Gaoyang and Yin Yuanxiang failing to kill you. Mind you, they were both at the consummate level of the Mountain River Tier.
“Although it wasn’t you who killed them, the Dark Night Hall knows nothing of this. Thus, they’ve definitely overestimated your battle prowess. Now that they’re sending Wu Ziren to battle you, I can say with certainty that his battle prowess is definitely above that of Zhou Gaoyang and Yin Yuanxiang!”
Shui Yanyu’s analysis made a lot of sense. Those at the Dark Night Hall were assassins, not retards. Why would they send someone weaker than Ling Han when they knew of his battle prowess already?
Ling Han nodded, and said, “That’s w
hy I’m curious. He’s at the same cultivation level as me, so what tier battle prowess can he reach when he unleashes his full strength?”
“You’re ignoring the dangers just to satisfy your own curiosity?” Shui Yanyu was about to explode in anger. Had this man ever considered her feelings when making this decision? Did he know how worried she was?
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely be fine.” Ling Han gave Shui Yanyu a light hug. In a rare turn of events, he only hugged her, and didn’t perform any other indecent acts.
Shui Yanyu could only sigh softly. She fixed Ling Han’s collar, and said, “Be careful!”
“I will!” Ling Han’s expression became serious, though what he said next was nowhere near serious. “Go home and prepare yourself. Wait for your husband to come back home and love you!”
Shui Yanyu didn’t scold him this time, and she simply rested in his embrace, and said, “Damn pervert, I know that you’re very powerful and far stronger than those at the same age as you. However, the world is a big place, and anything can happen. You definitely can’t become too arrogant.”
“Mm-hm.” Ling Han patted her slender shoulders lightly.
“Blockhead, it’s time for you to enter the— huh?” Li Weiwei ran over hurriedly, yet she immediately covered her eyes with her hands upon seeing the sight before her. “Aiyah! My eyes!”
“What about your eyes?” Ling Han said with a chuckle. He then turned to Shui Yanyu, and softly said, “I’m going now.”
“I’ll wait for you,” Shui Yanyu replied.
Ling Han nodded, and then strode toward the arena.
Li Weiwei ran over to Shui Yanyu, and whispered, “Sister Shui, did you really fall for that blockhead?”
Although she was embarrassed, Shui Yanyu still nodded in confirmation.
Li Weiwei grimaced in surprise. She had only been mucking around, yet she had somehow managed to bring Ling Han and Shui Yanyu together. She was feeling a little anxious, and asked, “But he’s only an emperor from a small world. Although this sounds impressive, he has no genuine background. Will your family agree to this?”
Shui Yanyu was also troubled by this. Ling Han was supremely talented, and was definitely going to become a supreme elite in the future. However, could the Shui Clan wait that long? After all, Zhao Lun wasn’t going to give up on her easily. How would the Shui Clan react once he lost his patience and became hostile?
“We’ll see how it goes,” Shui Yanyu replied reluctantly.
Li Weiwei pulled her up, and said, “Let’s go. It’s time to witness how that blockhead beats Wu Ziren up.”
The two women naturally didn’t take the same path as Ling Han. Instead, they used their relationship with the Left Minister to enter the VIP stands of the Iron Blood Stadium. The view from this stand was extremely good, and it was one of the best locations in the entire Iron Blood Stadium.
Coincidentally, there were a few other familiar faces seated in this VIP stand.
Zhao Lun and Sha Yuan!
“Yanyu, long time no see,” Zhao Lun said. His features were still jade-like, and he still wore that charming smile on his handsome face. As he had advanced to the Sun Moon Tier, his aura had become even mightier than before, making him appear like a true god whom people could only admire and revere.
Reaching the Sun Moon Tier before becoming 1000 years old was incredibly impressive, even in the Chaotic Stars Majestic Empire. Based on currently available information, only Xu Ran from 30,000 years ago was more impressive than him.
Zhao Lun had the right to be prideful and arrogant.
There was a hint of disgust on Shui Yanyu’s face, but she still curtseyed and said, “My respects to Heir Zhao!”
Zhao Lun was the only child of Great General Zhao, and he had also reached the Sun Moon Tier and been bestowed a title by the empress, with his name appearing on the empire’s totem. Thus, ordinary people all had to pay their respects when they saw him—this was a custom.
However, Zhao Lun was extremely annoyed by this. The more respectful Shui Yanyu was toward him, the more she was distancing herself from him. He forcefully suppressed the emotions in his mind, and said, “Yanyu, who do you think will win today?”
Before Shui Yanyu could even answer, he said, “I think Wu Ziren will win. In fact, I’ve even placed 100,000 True Origin Stones on his victory. I wagered that he can defeat Ling Han in 10 exchanges!”
“Oh, you’re that confident, Zhao Lun?” Sha Yuan said with a chuckle.
Zhao Lun smiled proudly. He had initially wanted to bet more money, yet he was still a little tight at the hip pocket after having paid a huge sum to the Dark Night Hall. In fact, he had actually borrowed these 100,000 True Origin Stones from his followers and underlings.
Although he was borrowing money, it was actually closer to extortion. This made him feel slightly angry. He, the single child of Great General Zhao, actually had to stoop to the level of extorting money from his underlings? How humiliating was this?
Fortunately, he had full confidence that he was going to win. As such, he would be able to repay his underlings in no time at all.
“Naturally,” Zhao Lun replied. “Ling Han is merely an ant from a small world. What kind of powerful trump cards can he possess? He’s naturally no match for Wu Ziren.”
The people nearby all wore strange smiles when they heard this.
Li Weiwei didn’t hold back, and said, “Zhao Lun, have you forgotten how you were pummeled by Ling Han half a year ago? The wounds on your face have recovered, so you’ve forgotten how you were beaten?” Only a few of the people present dared to ridicule Zhao Lun to his face, and Li Weiwei was one of them.
Zhao Lun involuntarily clenched his fists. The veins on his forehead popped, and the aura that radiated from his body suddenly became especially turbulent, transforming into silhouettes of sabers and spears that were capable of insta-killing any being at the Mountain River Tier.
Yang Luodan interrupted, “Heh, that was because Brother Zhao’s cultivation level was suppressed. It wasn’t a fair battle to begin with! We’re all of the same generation, and the cultivation level of that ant is clearly insufficient. However, he insisted on suppressing Brother Zhao’s cultivation level to the same lowly level as himself. How could Brother Zhao have unleashed his full battle prowess?
“If that ant reaches the same cultivation level as Brother Zhao, he’ll definitely be no match for him!
“Anyhow, Brother Zhao has already reached the Sun Moon Tier, and achieving this feat before 1000 years old is a rare feat even when looking back at the history of our Majestic Empire. It can be said that he’s the number one prodigy of these past 100,000 years!”
Chapter 1050 - Sudden Elevation
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Although Yang Luodan was simply flattering Zhao Lun, most of what she said was still very true. Reaching the Sun Moon Tier at an age as young as Zhao Lun’s was tremendously rare!
Of course, this was in part due to Great General Zhao’s sacrifices—he had even suffered severe wounds to help his son. At his cultivation level, severe wounds weren’t something that could be healed after eating a few pills and resting for a few days. Rather, he needed centuries or even millennia of rest to allow his wounds to slowly recover.
However, the most important factor was still Zhao Lun’s prodigious talent. After all, there was still the other six Great Generals and the Left and Right Minister, but who could raise a child as impressive as Zhao Lun?
Zhao Lun instantly calmed down. ‘That’s right! My strength has always been far above Ling Han’s, so why do I need to keep that ant in mind?’
There had never been any notion of fairness in the cultivation world—strength was all that mattered.
“Yanyu, I’ll propose our marriage to the Shui Clan once this battle is over!” Zhao Lun said calmly. He had already given Shui Yanyu enough freedom. Since he had already reached the Sun Moon Tier, it was high time that he took this seductive beauty
as wife.
“Heir Zhao, don’t forget that I’m already part of the Ling Family! I’ll never fathom marrying a second husband, so please don’t bother me anymore!”
Zhao Lun chuckled coldly, and said, “What’s the point of staying with a dead person?”
“Ignore him! Let’s go!” Li Weiwei dragged Shui Yanyu to a relatively distant place to sit down.
“Brother Zhao, let’s sit down as well.” Yang Luodan also went to tug at Zhao Lun.
Zhao Lun humphed and snatched his arm away, completely ignoring Yang Luodan as he sat down by himself.
Jealousy creeped into Yang Luodan’s heart.
She knew that Zhao Lun would definitely do everything within his abilities to please her if she were Shui Yanyu. If it were her, how could he wear such a frosty expression? Yang Luodan was angry, yet she didn’t let her emotions show.
‘Once Ling Han dies, all of the clues will point toward Shui Yanyu. How is she going to escape this perilous situation?’
One had to remember that the Ninth King had quite a close relationship with Ling Han. Thus, even the Shui Clan wouldn’t be able to protect Shui Yanyu.
***
Meanwhile, Ling Han and Wu Ziren were both standing in the arena, ready to do battle.
Wu Ziren looked extremely ordinary. He was around 30 years old, and was neither tall nor sturdy. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes also appeared to be a little lifeless. If the audience hadn’t witnessed his might with their own eyes, who would have believed that he was a supreme prodigy who could crush those of the same generation as him?
His cultivation level was only at the late stage of the medium extreme, yet he had defeated elites who were already at the peak stage of the high extreme. His battle prowess could surpass five stars!
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 538