Free Web NovelChapter 1170: The Wager Match
"So what the two of you mean is that you want me to compensate you for your losses?" Qin Sang was not surprised by this at all.
At this level of cultivation, they already stood at the very peak of the immortal cultivation world. Normally, no one would risk their lives lightly, because very few people had the confidence that they could truly kill an opponent for certain.
When a Spiritual Infant cultivator set aside all restraint and sought revenge, it gave everyone a headache.
"Since the two of you came prepared, you must have already thought of your conditions. You may as well state them plainly. Spirit stones, something else, or perhaps I can do one thing for you as compensation." Qin Sang was also willing to pay some price to resolve this grudge.
However, although he possessed treasures not inferior to the Azure Luan stone slab, every one of them was of great use to him, which made things rather difficult.
It would be best if he could compensate them with spiritual stones, but there was no need to think about it. That was clearly impossible.
"If you can produce an ancient demon race treasure of equal value, then I will swallow this anger and let the matter end there!" Demon King Qianji said coldly.
"And how do you intend to calculate the value of the Azure Luan stone slab?" Qin Sang asked in return. "That stone slab was of tremendous significance to descendants of the Azure Luan, but in your hands, it would only have been a tasteless object locked away in a treasure vault. Not many ancient treasures are the same."
Demon King Qianji glared and was about to speak, but the Snake King stopped him. "Since you also wish to discuss this, there is no need to keep beating around the bush. I heard from Qianji that you subdued a fourth-metamorphosis spiritual insect right in front of him. To be frank, Qianji and I have lived for so many years and only ever seen such a thing in ancient records. This is the first time we have actually seen a spiritual insect that cultivated to the point of crossing tribulation..."
The moment he heard this, Qin Sang’s expression changed drastically, and he let out a series of cold laughs. "So that is it. This is the plot the two of you were making! A stone slab in exchange for a fourth-metamorphosis spiritual insect that is rarely seen in this world. Truly a fine bargain!"
The Snake King’s expression remained unchanged.
Demon King Qianji shouted angrily, "Do you really think you are the only one in this world who could use that treasure? Although the Feathered King possesses Cloud Eagle bloodline, the Feathered King Palace has been passed down for generations and holds countless secret techniques. It may not be impossible for them to unravel the secret of the stone slab. If I had handed the Azure Luan stone slab over to the Feathered King, the return I got would never have been inferior to any treasure! That spiritual insect lived beside my cave dwelling. It should have belonged to me in the first place!" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Qin Sang burst out laughing. "By your logic, if I opened a cave dwelling inside Ziwei Palace, then all the treasures inside should belong to me? That day, I used an illusion technique to block your sight, so you did not see clearly. That spiritual insect was mine to begin with. I raised it myself, painstakingly nurturing it for hundreds of years and pouring countless efforts into it. It was only by chance that day that it suddenly emerged from its cocoon, triggered a lightning tribulation, and happened to cross tribulation beside your cave dwelling."
The two demon kings exchanged glances, half believing and half doubting him.
The Snake King said, "That explains it. I was just saying that for a wild spiritual insect, unless it lived in some barren land where no one ever went, the odds of safely cultivating to the fourth metamorphosis were extremely small. So it turned out it already had an owner. Daoist, you truly have remarkable methods to have raised a spiritual insect to such a level. Daoist Bamboo did not choose the wrong successor! It is only natural that you are unwilling to hand over the spiritual insect. But if the situation were reversed, would Qianji have been willing to hand over a supreme treasure connected to an ancient great demon to someone else?"
After a pause, the Snake King said in a deep voice, "In the immortal cultivation world, strength is what commands respect. Since that is the case, in my view, the two of you should settle this by relying on your own abilities! Hold a wager match, and the loser accepts the outcome.
"If you win, then the matter of stealing the treasure will be wiped clean. If Qianji wins, then you will hand over the spiritual insect. Stop at the proper point and do not damage harmony. I will not interfere. I will merely act as a witness. If you do not trust me, Wanyao City is only a short distance away. We can go invite the Feathered King instead..."
"A wager?" Qin Sang glanced at Demon King Qianji and pondered inwardly. So this is their real objective.
Resolving conflicts by deciding the matter through a contest of strength was not uncommon in the immortal cultivation world.
The Snake King had already made it clear that he would not interfere. If he only had to face Demon King Qianji alone, Qin Sang still had considerable confidence in his treasures and supernatural abilities.
Since reaching the Spiritual Infant Realm, he had long wanted to find someone to spar with and see what level his true strength had reached, and how much it differed from his previous estimates. He simply had not encountered a suitable opponent.
Although he had personally seen several Spiritual Infant cultivators and an ancient devil fighting inside Seven-Kill Hall, watching was one thing. It only revealed appearances. Unless one experienced it personally, one could not understand the danger involved.
Still, Qin Sang knew very well that since the Snake King and Demon King Qianji dared to propose a wager match themselves, they must have prepared thoroughly. He could not afford to be careless.
After considering it, Qin Sang refused once more. "A wager match is possible, but the condition must be changed. That spiritual insect holds extraordinary meaning to me and is closely tied to my own cultivation. I absolutely cannot hand it over."
The Sky-Eyed Butterfly was his bound spiritual insect, with astonishing potential. There could be no room for error.
Demon King Qianji flew into a rage. "This is not acceptable, that is not acceptable. I think you never intended to resolve anything at all!"
Even the Snake King’s expression darkened. "That attitude indeed does not make it seem as if you wish to resolve this grudge. A spiritual insect being tied to one’s cultivation is something I have never heard of! Let us assume your excuse is true and step back once more. If Qianji wins, then you will only lend the spiritual insect to us temporarily. After we return from Ziwei Palace, it will be returned to its rightful owner."
The Snake King and Demon King Qianji were stubbornly fixated on the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, which left Qin Sang feeling rather troubled.
For them to persist so relentlessly, are they planning to make use of a fourth-metamorphosis spiritual insect for something inside Ziwei Palace? Qin Sang’s heart stirred. If that's the case, then even if something went wrong, there would still be room for further negotiation.
In the end, Qin Sang agreed. "If I lend the spiritual insect to the two of you, then I must bear the risk of it being injured or even dying. Do not speak to me of compensation. In my eyes, no treasure compares to it..."
The Snake King saw through Qin Sang’s intention at a glance. "Daoist, you wish to add another condition, I presume?"
"I wonder how close the Snake King’s relationship is with Yuling Sect. I wish to view the treasured records preserved by Yuling Sect. I ask that you help introduce me," Qin Sang said.
For now, he could not tell how Yuling Sect and the demon race were connected, but the Snake King definitely knew.
"Although the first sect leader of Yuling Sect did receive support from the demon race, they are still an outside race. Over time, their attitude has gradually become somewhat ambiguous. It may require a handwritten order from the Feathered King. However, if you only wish to view the portion concerning spiritual insects, that should not be difficult." The Snake King agreed readily.
Qin Sang inwardly felt ashamed and reflected that perhaps he had only recently entered the Spiritual Infant Realm and had not yet fully adjusted his mindset. Now that he stood at the highest level of the immortal cultivation world, opportunities would come in the future. Some things were not worth obsessing over for the sake of temporary gains and losses. freёwebnovel.com
"Very well. Then I will exchange a few moves with Daoist Qianji. I will request the Snake King to set the rules." Qin Sang waved for the fat chicken and the white crane to retreat.
The Snake King also signaled for the demon soldiers to withdraw.
"You cannot use Lightning Evasion!" Demon King Qianji immediately raised a demand.
He remembered Qin Sang’s evasion technique all too clearly and had no good way to restrict him.
Qin Sang sneered. "Why not have me bind my own hands and feet as well?"
The Snake King stepped in to smooth things over. "Qianji has repeatedly mentioned how extraordinary your evasion technique is, and in private he has held great admiration for you as well. If you were to keep circling with evasion techniques, then you would remain undefeated from start to finish, and there would be no point in fighting at all. However, evasion technique is one of your own abilities, so forbidding it entirely would indeed be unreasonable. Rather than that, it would be better to limit the range of the battlefield..."
