Chapter 174: Betting Agreement

"No bet! Absolutely not. Do you think I'd fall for the same trick twice?" Patriarch Li shook his head vehemently, refusing outright.

"No bet? Patriarch Li, your standards are so high that even the inner core of the Bloodline Flood Dragon demon beast isn't enough?" The Taoist looked astonished and disbelieving.

However, no matter how Han Li looked at it, it seemed incredibly fake.

"The Bloodline Flood Dragon's inner core!" Patriarch Li, who had originally intended to have no further dealings with the Taoist, suddenly changed his expression upon hearing the name of the item, his voice trembling slightly.

"Exactly! I heard that Patriarch Li once lived for over thirty years in the treacherous rapids of the Panlong River in Yuanwu Kingdom, all for this item, but left in regret. That's why this humble Taoist spent a fortune to acquire it specifically for you!"

The Taoist said unhurriedly, becoming leisurely, with an expression that showed he had the other party completely cornered.

"Impossible! The Bloodline Flood Dragon is not that easy to catch, let alone preserving its inner core. Aren't you just talking nonsense, trying to trick me?" Patriarch Li snapped out of his excitement, a look of suspicion appearing on his face.

"This humble Taoist is a monastic; I don't tell lies. You can take a look yourself."

Unwilling to waste more words explaining, the Taoist flipped his hand, and a white, blood-veined spherical object appeared before Patriarch Li, making his eyes gleam with desire, as if he wanted to snatch it immediately.

"If your Silver-Armored Horned Python consumes this core and cultivates diligently for ten to twenty years, it will undoubtedly leap from the mid-Foundation Establishment stage to the late stage. With another century of arduous cultivation, it might even enter the Core Formation stage." The Taoist's words were full of temptation.

Patriarch Li snorted coldly upon hearing this, maintaining a straight face, seemingly unmoved. However, his flickering gaze betrayed his inner turmoil.

"Such a rare stake, and you're still hesitating for so long. Do you truly have so little confidence in the strength of your sect's disciples?" The Taoist pursed his lips, using reverse psychology.

"Our Huangfeng Valley disciples are not for your Qingxu Sect to judge," Patriarch Li said, his expression displeased.

He then glanced at the group behind the Taoist and immediately gained a rough understanding of the Qingxu Sect disciples' strength. They seemed to be on par with Huangfeng Valley disciples.

"Alright, I'll take the bet! But, which of my treasures have you set your sights on?"

After some consideration, Patriarch Li decided that the chances of winning or losing this bet were fifty-fifty. Coupled with his intense desire for the inner core, he finally nodded in agreement, though he cautiously asked a casual question.

"Heh heh, this humble Taoist is not interested in your other treasures. I only hope that if I happen to win the bet, you will refine two more pieces of iron essence of the same size for me within the next twenty years. Patriarch Li, your True Fire's purity is renowned among the Seven Great Sects, so this should be a small matter!" The Taoist squinted his eyes, smiling, but his words subtly hinted at cunning.

"Two more pieces of iron essence?" Patriarch Li's face darkened, and he almost immediately jumped up.

"Old Taoist, you're planning to make me your laborer!"

"How could that be? If you win, you won't have to do anything! That's the inner core of a Level Five demon beast! It's equivalent to the early Core Formation stage for us cultivators—it's absolutely worth the price!" The Taoist said, swaying his head.

Patriarch Li's expression was volatile, changing from dark to bright. After a long while, he finally slowly extended a palm and asked coldly,

"Still according to the rules from last time? First, we see which sect collects the most spiritual herbs; second, we judge the quality; and finally, we count the number of people who walk out of the forbidden area alive!"

"Of course, everything will be as usual!"

The Taoist was overjoyed and quickly extended a palm to clap hands with the other party, solidifying the wager.

A crisp "smack!" sound echoed.

The Taoist did indeed clap hands with a palm, but there was no joy in his expression; instead, it turned grim.

The hand he clapped was not Patriarch Li's extended palm, but another dirty, grimy hand that had appeared abruptly in mid-air between them. It was covered in grease and dirt, as if it hadn't been washed in a very long time!

The disciples from both sects, who had been following their patriarchs' conversation, watched this eerie scene, dumbfounded.

"Senior Qiong!"

Both the Taoist and Patriarch Li cried out simultaneously, their faces turning pale.

"Senior? I wouldn't dare claim that title. I'm also at the Core Formation stage, just like you, simply having entered it a few years earlier!" A lazy voice echoed between the two, and then an oddly dressed figure gradually materialized there.

The person wore a blue gown with several patches and had short hair a few inches long. A faded blue cloth bag was tucked into their waist, making them seem like someone who cherished cleanliness. However, their face was covered in a thick layer of grease, so dark that their true features were indistinguishable.

"A few years? Try several centuries!"

After getting a clear look at the newcomer's appearance, Patriarch Li and the Taoist exchanged wry smiles. Though they inwardly exclaimed, "It's really him!" they dared not show the slightest disrespect.

This eccentric individual was not only terrifyingly old but also had one foot already in the Nascent Soul stage. Moreover, their unique, self-created Invisible Evasion Technique was renowned throughout the cultivation world, and even sects from neighboring countries had long heard of their name.

Perhaps because their great lifespan limit was approaching, and they had yet to fully enter the Nascent Soul stage, their temperament had grown increasingly eccentric over the past century. They particularly enjoyed playing tricks on Core Formation cultivators, making nearly all of the few dozen high-level cultivators from the Seven Great Sects appear utterly miserable.

However, these cultivators, who were usually revered as patriarchs within their respective sects, were utterly helpless against him.

In terms of profound magical power, this person was unparalleled among Core Formation cultivators. In terms of backing, they belonged to the strongest of the Seven Great Sects, the Hidden Moon Sect. As for seeking out their own sect's Nascent Soul "masters" to teach him a lesson, most of these "masters" already knew him, and even those who didn't were unwilling to invite trouble over such minor matters!

As a result, this individual had completely become the image of a "tyrant" and "rogue" among the cultivation world's higher echelons. Essentially, whoever encountered him could only pray for good fortune! They could only hope he was in a good mood that day, otherwise, a bit of teasing and hardship was inevitable!

The sudden arrival of such a "senior" naturally shocked Patriarch Li and the Taoist, filling them with apprehension! Both of them had personally experienced his torment!

"Since you're betting, wouldn't it be too lonely with just the two of you? Count this old man in too!" Senior Qiong seemed to be in a good mood, yet his words made the two groan inwardly.

"Senior, you jest," the Taoist said, forcing a smile and chuckling ingratiatingly. "How could the disciples of our two sects compare to the esteemed disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect? We're sure to lose; there's no need to even bet. We'll simply concede defeat!"

Patriarch Li kept his lips sealed, but the expression on his face showed that he wholeheartedly agreed with this sentiment.

Upon hearing this, the old man Qiong snickered coldly a few times, rolled his eyes, and said strangely:

"Would I do such a deceitful and despicable thing? Don't worry, as long as the combined results of your two sects surpass mine, then I'll count it as a loss for myself. Then, you two can simply settle your own wager."

"Really?"

Upon hearing this, the Taoist couldn't help but sigh in relief. Although this senior was temperamental and prone to laughter and scolding, his words were always decisive, and he had never gone back on his promises. In this way, the bet seemed quite fair; in fact, the two of them even had a slight advantage.

"These three Talisman Treasures of the Invisible Needle were just refined for fun when I had nothing better to do. I don't have any descendants anyway, so let's make them the stake for this bet!" The old man raised a hand, revealing three talismans depicting seven-colored needles, then flicked them away again.

Seeing this, Patriarch Li and the Taoist could not hide the shock on their faces. They couldn't help but exchange glances, each seeing a hint of greed in the other's eyes.