Luo Yang froze in place, while Yun Ze actually smiled.
He seemed to understand what was happening.
If he guessed correctly, this Senior Brother Xiao must have started the bet ten days ago. Back then, he should have been waiting for him at the dining hall.
However, since he didn't need to prepare food and came directly to the seclusion room, he hadn't met him then.
So, this was what Chen Xiao had called a steep path!
"Wait, wasn't it Qi Refining sixth level?"
Luo Yang frowned, "Senior Brother Chen, you should be at Qi Refining ninth level by now, right?"
"Yes, peak Qi Refining ninth level."
Chen Xiao didn't deny it. Instead, he looked at Yun Ze, "Little Yun, let's make a bet. The three of you come at me together. If you win, I'll give you two thousand spirit stones. If you lose..."
"Three thousand spirit stones."
Yun Ze didn't refuse, instead raising the stakes by a thousand.
He had a general idea of the other party's intentions.
Winning or losing wasn't important, as long as the three of them accepted the challenge.
Once the challenge began, he would inevitably face this guy's frenzied attacks. As long as it reached a limit that satisfied him, or he sensed the threat from Wei Lanshu, he would most likely choose to concede!
Chen Xiao wouldn't gamble with his own life!
As for what constituted a satisfactory limit, Yun Ze had no idea.
Perhaps it would be a severe injury, or perhaps he would be completely crippled, or even... killed!
The first two were quite possible, but he probably wouldn't dare to do the latter.
This was also an opportunity for Yun Ze.
It was a chance to see how much of a gap still existed between him and Chen Xiao!
"Alright."
Chen Xiao didn't refuse either. He smiled and agreed, casually reaching into his embrace, pulling out two thousand spirit stones and tossing them into Senior Brother Xiao's arms. "Three thousand spirit stones. If you lose..."
"Then we'll eat 'silence pills'!" Luo Yang quickly added.
"Junior Brother Luo, that comes at the cost of one thousand spirit stones."
Chen Xiao corrected him with a smile, "Three thousand spirit stones. If you lose, each of you will have to complete a Grade B mission, and its results will belong to me."
"I have no problem with that."
Yun Ze didn't know what a Grade B mission was, but he knew that with Wei Lanshu present, they likely wouldn't lose, so he nodded in agreement.
"Then I can too!" Luo Yang also chimed in.
Wei Lanshu nodded calmly, sword energy already rippling around him.
"Then I'll trouble Old Xiao to bear witness."
Chen Xiao replied calmly, drawing the sword at his waist, standing with his sword lowered, and asking the three, "Can we begin?"
Yun Ze glanced at Luo Yang. Before he could speak, Luo Yang had already obediently retreated behind the other two, clearly having no intention of fighting.
That was Qi Refining ninth level!
A being just one step away from Foundation Establishment. He, a mere second-level Qi Refiner, even with the innate sword body, couldn't withstand it!
At most, he could only play some dirty tricks from behind.
"Not yet!"
Yun Ze looked at Luo Yang, "Junior Brother Luo, what are you doing?"
"I... I'm preparing for battle!"
Luo Yang said with a straight face, "My cultivation is the lowest, so naturally, I should hide in the back and wait for an opportunity to strike."
"Waiting for an opportunity is fine, but if we win, you'll only get half a share of the spirit stones."
"How can that be!"
Luo Yang's face immediately turned red. "I'm contributing too! How can I only get half a share? At least two tenths!"
"One tenth. If you bargain any further, it will be just Wei Lanshu and I challenging."
"...Fine."
Luo Yang frowned and agreed, "One tenth it is!"
"Deal!"
After settling the terms, Yun Ze looked at Wei Lanshu, "The rest, fifty-fifty?"
Wei Lanshu nodded, indicating no objection.
Yun Ze stepped past Wei Lanshu and said quickly in a very low voice, "You don't need to make a move yet. Wait until I can't hold on before you speak, understand?"
Wei Lanshu frowned slightly, clearly not understanding why, but he slowly nodded.
Yun Ze stood at the forefront of the three, less than three Zhang away from Chen Xiao. He drew the Mountain Ghoul from his waist, tilted his sword, and adopted the starting stance of the basic sword technique.
"Senior Brother, please guide me."
"Junior Brother, be careful!"
As soon as the words fell, Chen Xiao attacked Yun Ze!
Such speed!
Yun Ze only felt a flash of light in his eyes. He instinctively raised his sword to block, but felt a cool sensation on his arm!
He hadn't even seen Chen Xiao's figure clearly before he saw a crimson bloom on his arm.
Blood had already stained his entire arm.
If these few strikes had landed on his neck, he would have been dead already!
But Yun Ze hadn't even seen the opponent's shadow!
This... was the gap in cultivation levels?
However, since these few strikes hadn't injured his vital points, it proved that he didn't dare to kill him, and only intended to teach him a lesson.
He would endure the injury!
Another gust of wind swept past, and Yun Ze felt a cool sensation on his left arm as well!
He instinctively swung his sword to the left!
But then another gust of wind blew, and a lock of hair on his temple was shaved off.
A gust of wind!
That's right. No matter how fast Chen Xiao's figure was, he would still stir up wind. As long as he could sense this wind, he could strike with the wind!
Yun Ze closed his eyes and stood still. He didn't sense the wind, but instead perceived a sword intent stabbing from the front left!
It was him!
Yun Ze swung the Mountain Ghoul, channeling the sword energy within his Qi Sea, and struck down!
Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal exploded.
It was blocked.
Yun Ze didn't open his eyes, but raised his sword to strike again!
But this strike missed.
He felt a cold sensation on his neck, gently brushing across it...
Chen Xiao's voice sounded right next to his ear, "Junior Brother, I'm increasingly tempted to kill you. Please don't push me any further."
Yun Ze felt a drop of cold sweat slide down his forehead, personally experiencing the gap between himself and Chen Xiao.
No matter how vast the Qi Sea was, it could only compensate for a portion of the cultivation gap. For Chen Xiao, who was on the verge of Foundation Establishment, he was still an ant.
An ant that could be crushed at any moment!
"Retreat!"
A buzzing sound was heard, and Yun Ze's vision exploded with a crimson hue.
The buzzing was Wei Lanshu's voice, and the crimson was the blood spat out by Chen Xiao.
Yun Ze turned to look behind him and saw that Chen Xiao's face was pale, and he had collapsed to the ground, his sword almost slipping from his grasp.
"Senior Brother Chen!"
Senior Brother Xiao rushed forward and helped the fallen Chen Xiao up. "Are you alright?"
"I lost."
Chen Xiao calmly uttered three words, a smile on his lips.
He was still looking at Yun Ze, his lips moving as if he was saying something. Seeing this, Yun Ze couldn't help but frown, his expression extremely grim!
"Old Xiao, give them the spirit stones, and then take me to the alchemy room."
"Alright!"
Senior Brother Xiao casually tossed the spirit stones into Luo Yang's hands, who hadn't even participated, and carried Chen Xiao on his back as he walked down the mountain.
Luo Yang took the spirit stones, completely stunned.
The first thing he did when he came to his senses wasn't to count the spirit stones, but to look at Wei Lanshu, "Fellow Daoist Wei... you're not mute, are you?"
Wei Lanshu didn't answer, merely rolled her eyes, and slowly walked to Yun Ze's side, her eyes showing concern for him.
Yun Ze knew what she wanted to ask, but at this moment, he had no energy to answer. He just stared at his blood-stained arm, recalling the last sentence Chen Xiao had moutted to him.
'If you want to live, come find me at the third watch, quarter past the hour.'