Chapter 286 – Trying to be Sly? No Problem
No right to bet with you?
Ten times the stake?
Qin Nan almost turned furious. He had no idea where this Maple Prince got his courage from to disrespect him.
“Not that I’m not willing to accept the bet.” Qin Nan said in a calm yet shocking tone, “I think we should increase the stake. If I win, you’ll pay me ten thousand Arcane Realm Stones! If I lose, I’ll pay you a hundred thousand Arcane Realm Stones. Are you brave enough to accept this?”
Qin Nan gradually raised his tone in the end, which resulted in a thunderous roar.
The Maple Prince, Peng Yu, and Master Mu were utterly dumbfounded.
That’s a total of one hundred thousand Arcane Realm Stones!
Was Qin Nan that confident in securing the win?
Previously, the reason the Maple Prince had dared to challenge Qin Nan with a scornful attitude was mainly because of the provocation from Peng Yu.
Qin Nan’s eye technique was indeed powerful, but Master Mu already knew the specific fragments with the greatest value among the pile. Therefore, he could easily let the Maple Prince know in secret, allowing him to win without any doubt!
“Qin Nan…”
Sima Kong’s expression was filled with a hint of panic. Although he did not understand the details of the conspiracy, he could kind of guess the main idea.
Despite Qin Nan’s terrifying eye technique, it was most likely that he would lose due to their enemies’ conspiracy!
“Why are you scared? Don’t worry, let’s rob them big time!”
Qin Nan transmitted his voice into Sima Kong’s mind.
“This…”
Sima Kong was slightly startled, before he clenched his teeth. Qin Nan is right, let’s rob them a big one!
“Such confidence! I would like to see what capabilities you have to dare and bet with me!” The Maple Prince collected his thoughts, and wore an utterly unpleasant expression.
The eyes of Peng Yu and Master Mu were filled with a mocking look.
This Qin Nan is definitely out of his mind. Did he really think he was undefeatable with his eye technique?
It seems like he would be paying them one hundred thousand Arcane Realm Stones today!
A smile appeared on Peng Yu’s face as he said, “Since you two have decided on the bet, let’s begin with selecting the fragments. The Maple Prince will be picking the fragments first, since he arrived at the Ancient Gambling Store earlier than you!”
Sima Kong’s face turned dull after hearing the words. Wasn’t it obvious that they were letting the Maple Prince pick the highest-valued fragments first?
“Oh Qin Nan, if you were to lose the bet, then I guess I’ll be exposing the true strength of my pair of peerless legs, to run away as fast as possible…” Sima Kong mumbled in his heart, without showing any hint of shame.
“Thanks, manager!”
The Maple Prince said in a dull tone, as he took a step forward. A maple leaf appeared in his eyes, which emitted a mystical glow encapsulating the hundred fragments before him.
Master Mu’s eyes glistened slightly, as he immediately transmitted his voice.
In just less than five breaths’ time, the Maple Prince wore a joyful expression as he instantly uttered, “I’ll pick number eight, thirty-two and ninety-nine. Uncle Peng, here are three thousand Arcane Realm Stones!”
Peng Yu and Master Mu both wore mocking expressions as they glanced at Qin Nan.
Qin Nan’s expression remained unchanged. At the very beginning, he had already scanned the fragments with his eyes. The three fragments which the Maple Prince had picked were all fragments of Highness Weapons, which surpassed the rank of Dominator Weapons!
In terms of the ranks of equipment, they were classified into Houtian Weapons, Xiantian Weapons, Emperor Weapons, Dominator Weapons, Highness Weapons, Sacred Weapons, and Monarch Weapons.
A fragment of a Dominator Weapon was already priceless, not to mention a fragment of a Highness Weapon, which was ten times more costly!
“Let’s take a look at the fragments selected by the Maple Prince!”
Peng Yu spoke while flicking his finger, firing three beams of light into the fragments. Following it, three purple glows could be seen emitting from the fragments, which transformed into the strong auras of Highness Weapons that encapsulated the surroundings!
“Fragments of Highness Weapons!”
Sima Kong’s expression utterly changed. This is bad. Just as he had expected, the Maple Prince, Peng Yu, and Master Mu had planned for this all along!
The Maple Prince’s expression turned joyful upon seeing this, causing his confidence to grow rapidly as glanced at Qin Nan with a smile, “What a surprise, all my fragments are that of Highness Weapons! Qin Nan, go ahead and pick your fragments, although it seems like the bet is my complete victory!”
Peng Yu and Master Mu were both feeling pleasant, especially Master Mu who wore a thick smile on his face.
The truth was, the Trading Alliance had already inspected these hundred fragments. Apart from the three fragments of Highness Weapons, the rest were all fragments of Emperor Weapons, or useless junk!
In other words, no matter what Qin Nan ended up picking, he would surely lose!
Qin Nan glanced at him without saying anything, as his left eye emitted a golden glow.
“What kind of eye technique was that?”
Master Mu’s expression stiffened. At that particular instant, he could feel his soul being suppressed by a sudden pressure.
Was that real or just an illusion?
As Master Mu was feeling confused, Qin Nan suddenly reached out his finger and said, “Number ten!”
“Number ten?”
Master Mu was startled, before he burst out laughing, “HAHAHA, Qin Nan, I’m not trying to trick you, but the fragment with the number ten is a completely useless piece of junk, if you were to pick it…”
A junk?
Did Qin Nan just pick a piece of junk?
The eyes of Peng Yu and Maple Prince were filled with disdain. They initially thought Qin Nan’s eye technique would be quite powerful, but it seemed like it was nothing worth mentioning.
On the other hand, Sima Kong’s eyes flickered with excitement as he remained silent. He was eager to know what kind of fragment would Qin Nan pick with his pair of terrifying eyes!
Qin Nan ignored Master Mu’s ridicule as he calmly said, “Apart from number ten, I’ll take number twenty-one and thirty-nine too! These three fragments will be my choices!”
Master Mu was slightly stunned.
Number ten, twenty-one, and thirty-nine?
After a slight hesitation, Master Mu could not help but burst out laughing, “Qin Nan, you would surely lose if you picked these fragments! That’s because these fragments are all junk, completely worthless!”
The fragments are all pieces of junks?
Peng Yu wore a smug expression. He could now see the scene where Qin Nan suffered a great loss. The Young Mistress would surely be pleased once she knew what he had managed to achieve.
The Maple Prince laughed as his eyes emitted a cold glow, “HAHAHA, Qin Nan, you’ve picked three fragments of junk! You’ve lost the bet. Hand over one hundred thousand Arcane Realm Stones at once!”
“Why are you in a rush?” Qin Nan said calmly, “Let’s get rid of the forbidding auras on these fragments first. You’ll never know if they are fragments of junk until then!”
“You!’
The Maple Prince’s eyes were engulfed in flames of anger. This Qin Nan is still unwilling to give up under such circumstances?
Master Mu’s expression turned cold too as he said, “Manager, can you erase the forbidding auras on the fragments, so he can see that these fragments are pieces of junk!”
“Sure!”
Peng Yu wore a smug expression as he flicked his finger and fired three beams of light to erase the forbidding auras on the fragments.
As expected, after the forbidding auras dissipated, the three fragments showed no sign of any aura, which indicated them to be pieces of worthless junk.
Sima Kong was stunned.
“Humph, I’ve already told you that these three fragments are worthless, but you chose not to believe my words!” Master Mu harrumphed with an icy expression.
“HAHAHA, we’ve won!” Peng Yu could not help but burst out laughing.
“Qin Nan, see that? Those fragments are nothing but junk!” Maple Prince emitted a forceful aura as he uttered a thunderous roar, “Hand over one hundred thousand Arcane Realm Stones at once! Otherwise, I’ll show you no merc…”
At that instant, the Maple Prince halted his speech.
That was because Qin Nan’s figure had walked up slowly and picked up a rusty iron box that belonged to one of the three fragments. He curled his finger and touched the surface of the box. Following this, a terrifying beam of light was fired upward from the iron box!
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Chapter 287 – Challenging a Martial Highness
When he had first arrived, with the help of the left eye of the Divine God of Battle, his attention was attracted by these three fragments. These fragments contained an extraordinary yet ancient force, which appeared to be hibernating. Even he could only faintly sense the force.
Hence, despite knowing that the Maple Prince, Peng Yu, and Master Mu had a plan to deal with him, he was not intimidated.
At that instant, a terrifying beam of light was fired from the iron box. The light was mystical and pure, without any trace of impurity. When being shone on by the light, one would feel incredibly soothed.
The Maple Prince, Peng Yu, and Master Mu were lost for words.
What just happened?
Wasn’t that a mere piece of junk?
Why is it emitting such a blinding beam of light?
In the midst of the astonishment, a sudden thought came up to Master Mu’s mind as he blurted out, “Impossible! Impossible! This is a fragment of a Sacred Weapon! Why is there fragments of Sacred Weapons here…”
After hearing the words, the faces of the Maple Prince and Peng Yu were filled with utter shock.
Sacred Weapons?
This fragment is a fragment of a Sacred Weapon?
Within the lower district, fragments of Dominator Weapons were already rare enough, not to mention a fragment of a Sacred Weapon.
Even in Jianghuang City, the last time a fragment of a Sacred Weapon appeared was two years ago!
Sima Kong’s tiny eyes instantly glistened, as he turned incredibly excited. As expected of Qin Nan, to be able to discover a fragment of a Sacred Weapon that even the Trading Alliance failed to discover. We’re going to be rich!
In contrast, Qin Nan’s eyes were calm as he spoke, “Only half of the formation is left inside this Sacred Weapon fragment, causing it to fall into a state of hibernation. I awakened it when I inserted my Qi into it!”
The faces of Master Mu, the Maple Prince, and Peng Yu shuddered violently after hearing the words.
He was able to see the formation inside the Sacred Weapon fragment!
He was able to precisely insert his Qi into the fragment to activate the formation!
What kind of eye technique did he have to be able to discover all this?
Master Mu and Peng Yu knew that only a few appraisers at the headquarters of the Trading Alliance could do what Qin Nan just did!
“By the way, how much would this Sacred Weapon fragment cost?” Qin Nan’s tone changed slightly.
“Err…”
Peng Yu, the Maple Prince, and Master Mu were startled, as their faces turned slightly pale.
A fragment of a Highness Weapon would cost around eight thousand Arcane Realm Stones, thus the price of this fragment of a Sacred Weapon would be ten times more costly. Besides, the fragments of Sacred Weapons were incredibly rare, so even a price ten times the cost of a fragment of a Highness Weapon would not be enough!
In other words, this Sacred Weapon fragment was already more valuable than the total value of the Maple Prince’s three fragments of Dominator Weapons!
Regarding the bet, the Maple Prince was utterly defeated!
Peng Yu’s expression turned pale as he clenched his teeth and said, “Qin Nan, since only half of the formation remains in this Sacred Weapon fragment, its value is tremendously decreased. The Trading Alliance would at most pay a price of ten thousand Arcane Realm Stones! Therefore, you have still lost the bet!”
Ten thousand Arcane Realm Stones?
The expression of the excited Sima Kong instantly turned icy.
A Sacred Weapon fragment, despite only half of its formation remaining, would easily be sold at a price of forty thousand Arcane Realm Stones. However, Peng Yu had lowered it by four times in order for them to win the bet!
Son of a bitch; does this bunch of assholes think they can bully us however they want?
The pale face of the Maple Prince was restored after hearing the words.
So what if you are outstanding?
We’ll still abuse our powers; in the end, you will still lose!
“Defeated? I was just getting started!”
Outside of everyone’s expectations, Qin Nan suddenly spoke as he picked up the second fragment.
The fragment turned out to be the fragmented hide of a beast, with blurry fonts written on it. It seemed to be nothing extraordinary.
Despite that, including Sima Kong, everyone’s heart violently shuddered.
What did Qin Nan mean by saying that he was just getting started?
Don’t tell me that this insignificant fragmented beast hide is also a Sacred Weapon fragment?
Qin Nan ignored their astonishment and with a thought, his body swiftly executed the Blazing Sun Golden Armor Body Technique, causing his palm to be engulfed in flames, which were spread to the fragmented hide.
Through the observation of the left eye of the Divine God of Battle, Qin Nan had realized that only by setting the hide on fire, would its true appearance be revealed!
Buzz!
Following a series of vibrations, the fragmented hide suddenly emitted a blinding glow, as a stream of terrifying Sword Intent was fired into the air!
BANG!
The stream of Sword Intent shattered the roof of the second-floor of the Ancient Gambling Store into pieces, whilst the terrifying aura from the Sword Intent encapsulated the entire Jianghuang City!
At that instant, countless experts in Jianghuang City were startled, and their faces turned pale. Who the f**k was so ballsy as to unleash their aura in Jianghuang City!
However, when they inspected the aura, they were utterly astonished and lost for words!
“Who could that be?”
At that instant, a deep voice could be heard, as a figure sprang into the air from the City Lord’s Mansion in Jianghuang City.
The City Lord of Jianghuang City, Jianghuang, was startled by the Sword Intent too!
“Hmm? It’s coming from the direction of our Ancient Gambling Store?”
At the same time, a terrifying aura was awakened in the center of Jianghuang City. An old man with six strange-looking ears rose into the sky and exchanged glances with Jianghuang.
Shoosh! Shoosh!
Following two gusts of wind, the figures of Jianghuang and the old man arrived at the Ancient Gambling Store, and immediately observed the scene there. After their minds were filled with countless possibilities, their eyes locked onto the fragmented hide in Qin Nan’s hand!
It appears that the shocking Sword Intent burst out from this particular fragmented hide!
“This is…”
When the two experts glanced at the fragmented hide, their expressions utterly changed. The old man exclaimed, “Who would have thought that the Record of the Divine Swordmaster’s Sword Technique really exists. Even though it’s only a fragment, the power it possesses is truly intimidating.”
The Divine Swordmaster!
Within the lower district, he too was considered a terrifying presence, one with a ferocious reputation!
According to the rumors, before the Divine Swordmaster headed to the upper district, he left the record of his sword technique behind, which included the Sword Arthe had practiced his entire life. Whoever was fortunate enough to discover the record would have the chance of comprehending the Sword Art through the Divine Swordmaster’s experiences!
Many people from the lower district thought it was only a legend, but the truth had been unveiled as a fragment of the record had been located!
As for the Maple Prince, Peng Yu, and Master Mu, when they had witnessed the terrifying Sword Intent, the pressure from it thoroughly suppressed their souls, leaving them in bewilderment, which they had yet to recover from it.
“I see, but Six-Eared Divine Being, what’s happening here?” Jianghuang glanced below him.
“Wake up!” The Six-Eared Divine Being frowned slightly before uttering a roar.
The roar was nothing ordinary; it contained a mystical effect, which felt like a hundred drums being beaten at the same time, instantly awakening Peng Yu and his crew.
As soon as Peng Yu and Master Mu recovered, they instinctively glanced at the sky, and their expressions utterly changed.
“Six-Eared Divine Being!”
“City Lord Jianghuang!”
The Maple Prince could feel his brain rolling with thunder when he heard the names.
The Six-Eared Divine Being was the expert that the Trading Alliance had assigned here to ensure the execution of the Ancient Dragon Auction.
As for Jianghuang, he was none other than the City Lord of Jianghuang City. It was said that his cultivation had reached the half-Martial Highness Realm—only a step away from becoming a Martial Highness!
However, a mere bet had now attracted the attention of them two!
“What’s going on here?” The Six-Eared Divine Being calmly asked.
“Six, Six-Eared Divine Being, this…” Peng Yu and Master Mu were utterly terrified, as they immediately told the Six-Eared Divine Being everything.
That being said, Peng Yu had no intention of hiding the truth. He even told him about the order to target Qin Nan from their Young Mistress.
“Oh?”
The Six-Eared Divine Being and Jianghuang were startled after hearing the words. They both focused their attention on Qin Nan’s figure, while ignoring the presence of the Maple Prince.
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Chapter 288 – Not So Friendly
Qin Nan’s expression remained calm despite facing the two great authorities.
His courage alone was impressive enough in the eyes of Jianghuang and the Six-Eared Divine Being.
“Impressive, able to find a Sacred Weapon fragment and the Divine Swordmaster’s record of his Sword Art among the pile. I’m afraid your eye technique has even outmatched the appraisers of our Trading Alliance.” The Six-Eared Divine Being said.
“Hmm, young lad Qin Nan, possessing such an incredible eye technique at such a young age. Impressive.”
Jianghuang wore a smile on his face, as his gaze toward Qin Nan was filled with a hint of admiration.
An ordinary person would not have the guts to challenge an overwhelming presence like the Trading Alliance. This alone was worthy of his admiration.
The Maple Prince’s face turned exceedingly pale.
Now that the two great authorities were here, and not only had Qin Nan managed to pick a fragment of a Sacred Weapon, he had also discovered a fragment of the Divine Swordmaster’s record of his Sword Art. He had no doubt lost the bet, and even if he planned to cheat, Peng Yu and Master Mu no longer could manipulate the outcome.
If he were to lose the bet, he would need to pay ten thousand Arcane Realm Stones!
Ten thousand Arcane Realm Stones was a huge fortune. Even with his identity as the Prince of the Maple Kingdom, he could not afford it.
The Six-Eared Divine Being’s tone changed as he said, “Qin Nan, since you possess three black lines and have some conflict with the Saintess, if you were to call off the bet and hand over this Sacred Weapon fragment and Divine Swordmaster’s record of his Sword Art, I’ll erase the three black lines on you—sound good?”
Although it sounded like a suggestion, the tone of the Six-Eared Divine Being made it feel like Qin Nan had no choice but to obey it.
The eyes of Peng Yu, Master Mu, and the Maple Prince glistened after hearing the words, as they wore a slight hint of joy on their faces.
It appears that the Six-Eared Divine Being is on our side, thus we won’t have to worry about being punished.
Both Sima Kong and Qin Nan were utterly furious.
As expected of the Trading Alliance, nobody could ever match their shamelessness.
Both the fragment of the Sacred Weapon and the Divine Swordmaster’s record could be sold at a shocking price.
And now this Six-Eared Divine Being plans to claim their possessions by offering to erase Qin Nan’s three black lines?
Before Qin Nan and Sima Kong could go enraged, Jianghuang who was floating in mid-air slightly frowned and said, “Six-Eared Divine Being, isn’t that unacceptable? These two items here are extremely valuable. Erasing the three black lines alone could not match their value. Besides, they are still so young.”
The eyes of the Six-Eared Divine Being flickered.
When he heard the spoken words by Peng Yu regarding the incident, he had no doubt chosen to side with his Saintess.
Therefore, according to his original plan, he would blackmail Qin Nan using the erasure of the three black lines as his offer to gain possession of the Sacred Weapon fragment and the Divine Swordmaster’s record, which would then be presented as the finale items in the upcoming Ancient Dragon Auction. After the Ancient Dragon Auction took place, he would then mark Qin Nan with three black lines once again.
However, with Jianghuang interfering, the situation was trickier than he had thought.
After all, Jianghuang was the City Lord of Jianghuang City. Apart from his half-Martial Highness cultivation, the rank of his Martial Spirit was also stronger than his own too. Not to mention that Jianghuang had people from the two Sacred Areas supporting him. Therefore, even the Trading Alliance could not easily offend him.
“Jianghuang, you are right. If that’s the case, I’ll help Qin Nan erase the three black lines and I’ll be the middle-person in charge of resolving the conflict between Qin Nan and the Saintess, how does that sound? I’m sure you are aware of the consequences for offending our Saintess and the Trading Alliance at the same time!” The Six-Eared Divine Being spoke slowly after a brief hesitation.
No matter what happened today, I must claim possessions of these two pieces of treasures.
As for resolving his conflict with the Saintess?
Erasing the three black lines?
After getting his hands on the treasures, he would immediately disregard his promise!
Jianghuang frowned his eyebrows. He was aware of the conspiracy the Six-Eared Divine Being was planning, but he had not expected him to be this shameless; his act was no different than a robbery.
Before Jianghuang could speak, Qin Nan suddenly burst out laughing, “HAHAHA, How nice of the Trading Alliance, the Saintess, and the Six-Eared Divine Being!”
His words caused the crowd to focus their attention onto his figure.
They could only see Qin Nan’s face turning cold as he spoke, “In order to acquire my belongings, your Saintess has marked me with three black lines, and even abuses her power to bring me trouble! And now you of the Trading Alliance plan to rob my treasures too. Do you guys really think I’m one to be bullied easily?
“Six-Eared Divine Being, cut the nonsense. Show me what you’ve got. I’m interested to see what other tricks you have up your sleeves!”
At that instant, Qin Nan turned utterly mad.
Do you really think I’m weak?
Do you really think I don’t have a formidable background?
If he were to make me mad again, I will not hesitate to use the badge to invite the Imperial Exterminator here for visit!
Even if it would end up causing the entire Heavens and Earth to rumble!
“How bold!”
The Six-Eared Divine Being frowned his eyebrows as a terrifying aura was emitted from his body.
This mere half-Martial Emperor Realm presence dares to challenge me after offending our Saintess?
I’m fairly sure he is trying to kill himself!
“Hmm?”
At that instant, Jianghuang spoke without showing any expression on his face, “Six-Eared Divine Being, I would calm down if I were you. My Jianghuang City has its own set of rules. Even if the Peak Leaders of the two Sacred Areas were here, they would still have to respect my rules; no one is allowed to use any violence within Jianghuang City. If I’m not mistaken, you only became a Martial Highness a short while ago, right?”
“Jianghuang, you!”
The Six-Eared Divine Being was startled. He did not expect Jianghuang to personally interfere with his plan in order to protect Qin Nan.
At that instant, the face-off between Jianghuang and the Six-Eared Divine Being resulted in a terrifying aura that felt like a whirlpool, causing countless cultivators of Jianghuang City to be shocked.
Peng Yu and the others could feel their hearts racing, as they had not expected a mere bet to turn into a face-off between two great authorities.
“Fine, fine, Jianghuang, I’ll respect you this time.” The Six-Eared Divine Being withheld the anger in his heart as he glanced toward Qin Nan with an icy look, “Qin Nan, from today onward, the Trading Alliance will completely blacklist your name! No one will sell you stuff in the entire Jianghuang City, and no one will buy from you either! Be sure to take good care of yourself once you leave Jianghuang City!”
After saying this, the Six-Eared Divine Being’s figure disappeared from the scene with a kick.
Jianghuang wore an unpleasant expression. He had not been fond of the Trading Alliance from the very beginning, and this Six-Eared Divine Being dared to disrespect him. On the other hand, he was quite impressed by Qin Nan’s behavior, hence he did not feel pleasant after hearing the words.
However, it was difficult enough to prevent the Six-Eared Divine Being from harming Qin Nan. As for Qin Nan being blacklisted by the Trading Alliance, there was nothing he could do about it.
“Qin Nan.”
Jianghuang’s expression turned calm as he wore a gentle smile and said, “Why are you here in Jianghuang City?”
“City Lord, I’m here to take part in the selection of the two Sacred Areas!”
Qin Nan brought his fists together and said in a respectful tone.
Although it was their first time meeting each other, Jianghuang was willing to keep the rules and go against the will of the Six-Eared Divine Being. His kindness alone had earned Qin Nan’s respect.
“Then you should keep this badge with you. When the selection takes place in two months, you can use it to gain access to the City Lord’s Mansion.” Jianghuang flicked a badge into Qin Nan’s hand and said after a slight hesitation, “Don’t worry about your three black lines. I’ll notify the two Sacred Areas beforehand. If you are able to perform well in the trial, you won’t have any problem joining the two Sacred Areas.”
“Thank you, Jianghuang. I’ll be sure to remember your words!”
Qin Nan said in a serious tone.
“Alright, I’ll be excusing myself. I have high hopes for your performance during the selection.”
Jianghuang let out a smile, before his figure vanished with a flicker.
As the two great authorities left the scene, the atmosphere of the place was relieved and their breathings smoothened, as if they had just been given a second chance at life.
Before Peng Yu and the rest could recover from the shock, a cold voice was heard, “Now, it’s time to settle the bet!”