Chapter 404: Auspicious Beginning

In the noisy environment, Su Duan smiled as he looked at Zhou Yuan. His hands were clasped, and the black string of beads on his wrist, mottled and ancient, appeared dark and profound under the light.

Zhou Yuan's gaze briefly paused on the string of beads before subtly retracting.

Su Duan's arrival was clearly for the sake of rivalry, wanting to show off in front of the girl he liked, and then subtly intimidate Zhou Yuan, his potential rival.

As for Zuoqiu Qingyu, that little enchantress, Zhou Yuan merely held an appreciative view, so Su Duan's competitive posturing held little interest for him.

Therefore, at first, Zhou Yuan felt bored and wanted to shake his head in refusal.

That was, until he saw the string of beads on Su Duan's wrist...

"From the moment I first saw this string of beads, I knew I had to make 'friends' with you..." Zhou Yuan mused to himself.

His progress in cultivating the "Taiyi Mark" was currently very slow, fundamentally due to the scarcity of Yi Wood Qi. Ancient and rare woods, aged over many years, were difficult to find.

The ancient wood beads in Su Duan's hand, however, were clearly of considerable age. The rich Yi Wood Qi emanating from them was far stronger than all the ancient woods Zhou Yuan had absorbed previously combined.

If he could acquire them, it would significantly advance his Taiyi Mark.

Zhou Yuan's eyes flickered slightly as he fell into thought. How could he subtly convey his interest in the beads without arousing Su Duan's suspicion?

After all, if he showed too much eagerness, the other party certainly wouldn't let him have his way easily.

While Zhou Yuan was silent, Su Duan assumed he was showing timidity. A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. He already knew Zhou Yuan, including the fact that he was from a remote continent. Frankly, if it weren't for Zhou Yuan's status as a Cangxuan Sect disciple, Su Duan would likely consider such a bumpkin unworthy of even speaking to him.

People from Shengzhou Continent always held a sense of superiority when dealing with those from other continents.

Su Duan's face broke into a smile. "Brother Zhou, rest assured, it's just for fun. Don't worry, I'll cover all the expenses for stone gambling here. And even if you unearth high-grade Yan Marrow, it will all be yours."

He laughed nonchalantly. "After all, everyone's in high spirits; we're just having some fun. Winning or losing isn't important. Brother Zhou, you are, after all, a disciple of the Cangxuan Sect, a renowned major sect. Surely you aren't lacking even this much courage, are you?"

He stared at Zhou Yuan, his eyes full of playful mockery.

The standoff between the two, coupled with the incomparably alluring Zuoqiu Qingyu by their side, immediately drew all attention to them. Countless gazes were cast their way.

At the same time, a group of imposing figures surged forward, eventually arriving behind Su Duan, smiling as they watched the scene unfold.

"Are Brother Zhou and Brother Su going to have a couple of rounds? Haha, that's great! It'll be a real eye-opener for us too."

"It looks like Brother Zhou might be a bit hesitant."

"What are you talking about? Brother Zhou is a disciple of the Cangxuan Sect, how could he lack courage?"

These people were not strangers; Zhou Yuan had seen them gathered around Zuoqiu Qingyu when he first arrived.

They were all proud scions from the top local powers in Black Flame Province, now banded together, their focus clearly directed at Zhou Yuan.

After all, the nature of Zhou Yuan's relationship with Zuoqiu Qingyu made them feel threatened. Furthermore, in their eyes, Zhou Yuan was clearly just a bumpkin from an outer continent, yet he was somehow able to enter the Cangxuan Sect. This filled them with both disdain and a touch of jealousy.

So, upon seeing Su Duan step forward to humble Zhou Yuan, they naturally gave their full support.

The thought of being able to put down a disciple from a giant sect like the Cangxuan Sect brought a certain thrill to their hearts. After all, they lacked the courage to provoke a Saint Son of the Cangxuan Sect, but Zhou Yuan, with only a fourth-layer cultivation and from an outer continent, was undoubtedly the easiest target.

Zuoqiu Qingyu watched these people constantly egging him on, her charming face subtly darkening. Just as she was about to reprimand them, her gaze met Zhou Yuan's as he raised his head.

Their eyes met for only an instant, yet the quick-witted and incredibly clever Zuoqiu Qingyu immediately understood some of Zhou Yuan's intentions.

The next moment, a sweet and enchanting smile appeared on her beautiful face, and she said with apparent interest, "Opening Yan Stones? That sounds quite fun."

Seeing Zuoqiu Qingyu genuinely interested, Su Duan was immediately delighted. The other young elites, upon witnessing this, cast jealous glances at Su Duan. This fellow had, by sheer accident, actually piqued Zuoqiu Qingyu's interest.

Zuoqiu Qingyu said with a smile, "But a gamble like this isn't very interesting without a stake."

Su Duan was momentarily stunned. "Miss Qingyu is right," he said. "There should indeed be a stake. What do you think would be suitable?"

Zuoqiu Qingyu smiled faintly. "Anything you have on you should be fine..."

Her gaze swept over Su Duan. Under her watchful eye, Su Duan subtly straightened up, a smile on his face.

Zuoqiu Qingyu's eyes finally settled on Su Duan's wrist, a hint of curiosity in their depths.

Noticing her gaze, Su Duan raised his hand, revealing the string of dark, mottled beads on his wrist. He hesitated for a moment, then chuckled, "This is a Genesis Treasure given to me by my father, crafted from a thousand-year-old 'Jade Pine.' Wearing it allows one's physical body to gradually recover, even after severe injury. Since Miss Qingyu suggested a stake, I'll use this item," he said grandly, waving his hand. He smiled at Zhou Yuan and continued, "If Brother Zhou can win against me, this item will be yours."

He paused, then secretly thought to himself, "Of course, that'll depend on whether you actually have the ability, bumpkin."

Zhou Yuan gazed at the string of beads Su Duan had presented, then glanced at Zuoqiu Qingyu, inwardly expressing his admiration. His previous reaction—a momentary shift in his gaze when he saw the beads on Su Duan's wrist—had still been noticed by Zuoqiu Qingyu.

This woman's mind truly was incredibly sharp.

Moreover, her acting was flawless. With a seemingly casual remark, she had made Su Duan take out the beads without a shred of suspicion.

"I've put my stake forward. I wonder what Brother Zhou intends to put up?" Su Duan asked suddenly, holding the beads.

He posed the question, but without waiting for Zhou Yuan's reply, he turned his slightly heated gaze to Zuoqiu Qingyu, saying playfully, "If I'm fortunate enough to win, how about Miss Qingyu gives me a chance to host a banquet tomorrow as the stake?"

The other scions immediately let out a collective "Oh," realizing Su Duan had finally revealed his true intentions.

Zuoqiu Qingyu smiled charmingly, her narrow eyes seeming to shimmer with a watery allure, subtly seductive and captivating. She glanced at Zhou Yuan, then nodded demurely.

The smile on Su Duan's face immediately brightened.

Unbeknownst to him, Zuoqiu Qingyu turned her gaze to Zhou Yuan, her eyes sharp. Her red lips parted slightly, and a silent message was conveyed to him.

"If you lose, just wait and see how I deal with you!"

To help this guy, she had truly sacrificed her charm!