186: Competition

“A wager?”

Qu Hongxi’s eyes narrowed. “Good boy, you have good taste. You really know how to pick things. If you want this as a wager, what can you offer if you lose?”

Lu Ze’s expression was natural. “If I lose, the title of new talent king is yours!”

Qu Hongxi’s eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed!

He even seemed afraid Lu Ze would go back on his word, saying eagerly, “You said it! A gentleman’s word, a swift horse’s whip!”

Lu Ze nodded. “Heaven as my witness!”

Qu Hongxi was overjoyed, as if he had gotten a huge bargain. He even started rubbing his fists, preparing for a big fight with Lu Ze.

Cheng Ran, standing nearby, was stunned. Was this Qu Family member from Zhuolu mentally challenged?

He so readily agreed to Lu Ze. The wager his side offered was a pearl, and while Lu Ze said he would give up the title of new talent king…

That pearl, Qu Hongxi genuinely possessed. But the title of new talent king wasn’t Lu Ze’s at all; it was completely fictitious!

In other words, if Lu Ze won this match, he would be getting something for nothing!

Could Qu Hongxi not even see this trick?

Cheng Ran silently began to ponder: did their strange Cultivation Technique increase cultivation but damage the brain?

“When do we fight? Where do we fight?”

Qu Hongxi was already impatient.

Lu Ze gestured for him to calm down, saying, “Let’s first agree on what counts as a loss. This is Shennong City, and the Rookie Competition is imminent. If we fight to the death, wouldn’t that make things difficult for Shennong City?”

Qu Hongxi deeply felt this was reasonable, but with his brain, he couldn’t think of how to determine victory or defeat for a while, so he just said, “You decide!”

Lu Ze pondered for a moment and said, “How about this: you and I stand ten meters apart and start attacking each other. Whoever can first touch the other’s body wins. This way, we won’t actually come to blows.”

Qu Hongxi naturally had no reason to refuse.

Lu Ze and Qu Hongxi walked to the plaza outside the hotel.

The plaza was centered around a fountain, spanning a hundred meters, and was very spacious.

The attendants in the lobby, hearing that the two were going to fight, had already cleared the outdoor space.

As soon as the two had each pulled back ten meters, many passersby were attracted by their stance.

Although they didn't recognize Lu Ze, many of them were very familiar with Qu Hongxi of the Zhu Lu Qu Family, after all, he was the top Gengsi Class cultivator in the entire Huaxia Demon Subduing Division!

A twenty-two-year-old Major Achievement Fifth Rank was an existence that countless city Prodigies dreamed of surpassing!

Now, with the Rookie Competition approaching, people from various cities were recuperating, but this Qu Hongxi actually initiated a challenge with someone?

This made everyone speculate about the identity of the person challenging him.

“This is Lu Ze, that incredibly arrogant Lu Ze from Xuanyuan City who crowned himself new talent king!”

Someone in the crowd had already recognized Lu Ze’s identity.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Lu Ze with some displeasure.

“Heh, this Lu Ze is truly confident, isn’t he? The Rookie Competition hasn’t even started, and he’s already crowned himself new talent king?”

“What confidence? He’s just been in the small Xuanyuan City for too long, thinking that being number one in Xuanyuan City means he can disregard all other cities in Huaxia. He’s nothing but short-sighted, a frog at the bottom of a well!”

“This kid is so arrogant, it’s only normal for Qu Hongxi to accept his challenge. But it really benefits him; being defeated by Qu Hongxi right away will sound good when spoken of, after all, losing to the top Gengsi Class cultivator in Huaxia isn’t shameful at all.”

“That’s right, if you ask me, Qu Hongxi was too hasty. He should have let people from other cities challenge him first. If Xuan Yuan Daoxuan and Xuan Yuan Dao Yi from Fuxi made a move, they would surely defeat this person!”

“Qu Hongxi making a move is also good; it serves as an opening for the Rookie Competition, warning some of the useless people from small cities that even with Venerable Cheng as their mentor, they shouldn’t think too highly of themselves. There’s always someone better!”

More and more onlookers gathered, and the discussions about the two grew louder.

Some even spontaneously cheered for Qu Hongxi, urging him to defeat Lu Ze in one move and make Lu Ze realize his place.

Cheng Ran stood on the steps at the hotel entrance, her clear eyes blinking slightly, first on Qu Hongxi, then on Lu Ze.

Based on her understanding of Lu Ze, this kid would never fight a battle he wasn’t confident in.

Since Lu Ze actively accepted the challenge and even personally chose the wager, he must be confident.

However, his opponent was a Major Achievement Fifth Rank cultivator, even subtly showing signs of reaching the Peak!

The two minor Realm differences in Fifth Rank cultivation, though not as vast as heaven and earth, were like a gully and a mountain, difficult to cross.

Cheng Ran considered herself exceptionally talented; since birth, she had rarely met her match among her peers, but fighting a Major Achievement Fifth Rank with Early Stage Fifth Rank cultivation was still something she couldn’t be confident in!

“Lu Ze!”

Qu Hongxi shouted, and the Spiritual Qi around him surged with the sound. “If you lose, remember! Only I can have the title of new talent king!”

With that, Qu Hongxi suddenly erupted!

In just an instant, he was already directly in front of Lu Ze!

He shifted his body, and a whip kick arrived in a breath, forcefully kicking towards Lu Ze’s head!

“Boom! Puff! Puff!—”

The air around Lu Ze couldn’t withstand such speed, letting out a significant burst of Qi!

Qu Hongxi’s killing move had arrived, but Lu Ze showed no intention of moving, seemingly stunned with fear.

Seeing this, the others sneered inwardly.

All talk of Xuanyuan City’s number one, a Disciple of Revered Cheng Ran, or defeating Shennong City’s Gengsi Class with a single person’s strength, was all false.

This Lu Ze had no power to resist in front of Qu Hongxi; with one sweep of his leg, he just stood there blankly, showing no intention of moving, which was truly laughable!

Qu Hongxi was also greatly disappointed. He had thought this Lu Ze had some real skill, but now it seemed he was just an arrogant fool. In that case, he would end this duel in one move!

Qu Hongxi’s leg speed increased, sweeping towards Lu Ze’s head.

But the instant before he made contact with Lu Ze’s head, Qu Hongxi’s originally disdainful eyes suddenly changed!

The Lu Ze in front of him had instantly vanished!

“Whoosh!”

A long leg swept through the air, and the air in front of him let out a long howl.

Qu Hongxi’s heart tightened, and the Spiritual Qi within him rapidly spread out, trying to locate Lu Ze’s trace!

In just a breath, Qu Hongxi locked onto Lu Ze not far behind him, a smile forming in his heart. Now this was getting interesting!

He spun his body, appearing suddenly beside Lu Ze’s fluctuating aura, his right fist, enveloped in Spiritual Qi strong enough to make the surroundings tremble, slammed out!

But when he looked up with a smile, he met Lu Ze’s gaze, and a strange power appeared in his mind!