382: Chapter 382 The Bet

Li Xuantong observed this scene, and his conviction grew stronger. It seemed the Dao Seeking Sect truly was the type to curry favor everywhere.

Not only was the Yuling Valley Master unable to fathom the reason behind this,

Even Chen Xuan himself felt surprised. This woman's overtures of goodwill... were a bit too excessive, weren't they?

As everyone knows, all gifts in this world have long had their price subtly marked upon them.

The most expensive things are the ones that are free.

Moreover, even if one truly won this wager, so what?

Not only would you owe the Medicine Hut an enormous favor, but you'd also have to leave your insights into the God-Tier Divine Ability for the Wansheng Dao Court. In the end, you'd only get four heaven-rank magic treasures in exchange. Only a fool would agree to such a loss-making deal.

Even if our own Sect's heritage in Divine Abilities is profound, the accounts can't be calculated that way.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Fang."

Chen Xuan raised his hand in a cupped fist salute, his tone calm yet firm, "To be honest, I have no interest in this wager. I have always been a solitary and eccentric person by nature. I have never been one to do work that only benefits others."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yusheng and the others instantly understood. They all realized Peak Master Chen's words were actually an indirect reference to the Wansheng Dao Court's rule of demanding cultivation insights.

Upon hearing this, the Yuling Valley Master let out a derisive laugh, "Fellow Daoist, your excuse is truly fresh and original. Whether others believe it or not, I don't know, but my Yuling Valley believes it—after all, a mere scroll of a God-Tier Divine Ability probably doesn't even count as an Opportunity in your eyes, right?"

As his words fell, the surrounding onlookers from various Sects immediately began whispering and discussing, their gazes frequently shifting towards Chen Xuan with varied expressions.

Chen Xuan paid no mind to this. He simply turned and spoke calmly to the few people beside him:

"Let's go."

Seeing him still trying to extricate himself, Li Xuantong hesitated for a moment, then immediately declared in a clear voice, "If Peak Master Chen is concerned about the previous rule, afraid of having to leave behind cultivation insights, that's no problem—I can make the decision on this matter!"

"As long as Peak Master Chen can successfully comprehend the God-Tier Divine Ability within the glazed lamp, you may take both the glazed lamp and the Incomplete Manual with you, with no other requirements!"

Blocking all your escape routes, let's see what other excuses you can come up with.

The bigger the scene made today, the louder the joke about the Dao Seeking Sect will be in the future. As for whether this would offend the Dao Seeking Sect and the Medicine Hut?

A joke. Behind me stands the Great Love Immortal Venerable, renowned throughout the Nine Provinces.

Seeing this, Han Chen quickly moved closer to Chen Xuan and reminded him in a low voice, "Peak Master Chen, there's no need to pay this person any mind. Elder Li has always been vengeful over the slightest grievance. He must still resent you for blocking him with a single move during the Ancient Platform discussions, causing him to lose face. Now he's deliberately picking a fight and stirring up trouble."

Fang Yusheng also added softly, "That Divine Ability scroll is missing key runes. Even if you can fully comprehend the existing parts, you would still need to fill in the remaining thirty percent yourself to truly master it. The difficulty is immense."

Qi Yue, however, remained expressionless as she stood to the side. Only her cold eyes swept over Li Xuantong and the Yuling Valley Master, a trace of pity faintly flashing deep within them.

Hearing this, Chen Xuan smiled slightly and said indifferently, "Thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoists. It's just that I truly have no interest in this Divine Ability. When I was touring your esteemed Sect earlier, if it had been something like the Dream-Gathering Butterfly or the wine bamboo, I might have gone on stage to make a fool of myself."

As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of uproarious laughter erupted all around.

"It's the first time I've seen someone with no interest in a God-Tier Divine Ability, but instead covets some Essence Spirits and plants. This Dao Seeking Sect is indeed unique!"

"The Dream-Gathering Butterfly and wine bamboo are indeed rare, but their value is at most equivalent to a single heaven-rank magic treasure. This excuse is even flimsier than the previous one!"

"Hard to say. Many Cultivators in the world are addicted to wine. Perhaps this Peak Master Chen is one of them?"

Today's material for gossip about acting and drinking has already been secured.

Li Xuantong and the Yuling Valley Master exchanged a glance. Hearing the surrounding discussions, smug smiles instantly appeared on their faces, and they felt immensely pleased.

"No matter,"

Li Xuantong laughed heartily, pretending to be magnanimous, "If Fellow Daoist can truly comprehend the Divine Ability within the glazed lamp, forget just the Dream-Gathering Butterfly and wine bamboo—for such items, I, Li, will take it upon myself to gift you ten of each!"

Chen Xuan was now absolutely certain this guy was already getting carried away.

He deliberately showed a troubled expression and hesitated, "Actually... I'm also quite fond of your Sect's spirit rune stone tablets..."

"Then we'll add ten more spirit rune stone tablets!" Li Xuantong cut him off decisively before he could finish, afraid he might change his mind.

A glint flashed in Chen Xuan's eyes, and he immediately declared loudly, "Fellow Daoist, do you truly stand by your words?"

"Naturally, I stand by them!"

Seeing this, the Yuling Valley Master beside him quickly interjected, "However, since this is a wager, and Peak Master Chen doesn't covet Fairy Fang's saint-grade pill, I wonder what you intend to put up as your stake?"

Today's affair wasn't just about making the Dao Seeking Sect lose face; they also wanted to strip a thick layer of skin from them!

Chen Xuan pretended to hesitate, pondered for a moment, and finally sighed:

"Very well!"

As the words fell, he raised his hand and waved it. A trace of spiritual power stirred at his fingertips, and a long, narrow crack suddenly tore open in the Void Realm above. A snow-white figure shot out from within, its form agile yet incredibly docile, circling around Chen Xuan's side.

"This is my Sect Master's mount, the ancient Divine Beast, Bai Ze. If I lose, this Divine Beast will serve as the wager and be handed over to the two of you for disposal."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire place erupted in an uproar!

Even the Cultivators who had been focused on comprehending the Divine Ability beneath the glazed lamp now turned their heads, their gazes firmly locked on the Bai Ze beside Chen Xuan, their eyes filled with shock.

"Using the Sect Master's mount as a wager? Has Peak Master Chen gone mad? Even to save face, there's no need to go all-in like this!"

"There's a good show to watch. This young man is still too hot-headed after all."

"I recall the Dao Seeking Sect's actions in the Rain God Continent originally thwarted the Yuling Valley's plans. It seems today's affair must be a setup by the Yuling Valley and this fellow surnamed Li."

Fang Yusheng's expression changed slightly. Her previous gentle composure vanished instantly as she hurriedly stepped forward:

"Peak Master Chen, please don't act on impulse."

Han Chen also patted Chen Xuan's shoulder: "Fellow Daoist, these two are clearly trying to provoke you into their trap. There's no need to do this out of momentary anger."

"Moreover, failing to comprehend the Divine Ability within that glazed lamp is no disgrace. Even the Great Love Immortal Venerable couldn't manage it, which is why it's being displayed."

Ruan Chuan crossed his arms and chuckled softly.

Li Xuantong was first stunned, the smug smile on his face freezing for an instant. He clearly hadn't expected this person to be so foolish as to actually dare to wager his own Sect Master's mount.

He looked the exceptionally divine Bai Ze up and down, sensing the faint, ancient pressure emanating from its body, and recalled the celestial phenomena that had appeared over the Ancient Platform.

If he could win this Bai Ze and present it to the Great Love Immortal Venerable, the Immortal Venerable would surely be greatly pleased.

Wouldn't his own status within the Wansheng Dao Court then rise to an even higher level?

Just thinking about the possible rewards and authority he might gain after presenting the Bai Ze made Li Xuantong's heart surge with excitement. His gaze towards the Bai Ze grew so fervent it almost seemed to burn.

The Yuling Valley Master was also dumbfounded on the spot, clearly shocked by this move. His look towards Chen Xuan also turned into one reserved for a fool.

He suddenly felt that the matter of the Rain God Continent wasn't so infuriating anymore.

Suppressing the wild joy in his heart, Li Xuantong took a deep breath, straightened his chest, and made his voice clear enough to reach the ears of everyone present:

"Since that's the case, then let all Fellow Daoists bear witness to this small, entertaining wager today!"