For many people, the battle between the two great masters Lin Feng and Cao Wei was more exciting than the sparring match during the spiritual conference.
Earlier, in the battle between Dao Yuting and Wang Lin, the two of them had made bets. At this moment, it was double or nothing.
Everyone fixed their gaze on Cao Wei unblinkingly. They wanted to see if he would respond to the challenge. Regardless, they were in the Hidden Dragon Gorge and Song Qingyuan was at a disadvantage.
"If Master Lin is interested, then I don't mind," Cao Wei's expression didn't change as he said it. He had an air of a tiger who refused to accept death. He wanted a death match with Lin Feng.
Looking at Lin Feng, he said candidly, "If your disciple loses, other than the Fire and Ice Fruit and a rock from Mount Yujing, you must give me a tree branch from your treasure tree, do you agree?"
Lin Feng smiled and responded, "So you have been after these items all this while?"
After pausing for a while, Lin Feng said, "No problem. However, if my disciple wins, then not only must you let me keep my original winnings, but you must give me a speciality from the Heaven Lake: the Dual Polarity Divine Flower. Will you accept this offer, Master Cao?"
Cao Wei's eyebrows arched for a while and he did not respond immediately.
Shi Zongyue and the other Immortal Soul stage cultivators looked at this scene with interest. By demanding such a valuable item as collateral, Lin Feng appeared hell-bent on bleeding the Heaven Lake Sect dry.
The Dual Polarity Divine Flower was a spiritual flower that grew only around the Heaven Lake Sect. As it was birthed from the two extremes of fire and ice, it produced both elemental aspects. It was able to harmonize with the heavens and earth and was mythical beyond belief.
What was particularly unique about the flower was that it only bloomed once every 3600 years. Its value exceeded that of a Nascent Soul stage magic item.
In this sense, it was akin to a magic treasure embryo.
Previously, the Zhuyan Ice Flower that Xiao Budian and Mu Jihai betted on was a mutation of the Dual Polarity Divine Flower.
That was because the Dual Polarity Divine Flower was way too previous and extremely rare. Hence, the Heaven Lake Sect tried to improve upon it and produced the Zhuyan Ice Flower in the end. While it was few in number, it was way more than Dual Polarity Divine Flower.
However, in terms of uses and quality, the disparity was still far too wide. It was not even fit to help the Dual Polarity Divine Flower carry its shoes.
Wu Qingrou did promise that in the bets between Lin Feng and Cao Wei, he would supplement all collaterals. Even if he could not produce the original, he would find one of equal value.
However, the Dual Polarity Divine Flower that Lin Feng demanded still made Cao Wei frown in deliberation.
However, he quickly nodded his head and said, "Alright, let's do it."
Seeing that Cao Wei had agreed, the crowd's sentiments flared. The battle within the Hidden Dragon Gorge had been given much more meaning and significance, and everyone was way more interested.
At this moment, Prince Xian of the Left of the Northern Tribes suddenly opened his mouth and said, "For such an exciting battle, I want in on it too."
Saying that the entire conference fell silent. However, the crowd was becoming increasingly agitated. Everyone knew that the Royal House of the Northern Tribes had quarrels with the Heaven Lake Sect. By interfering now, the Royal House of the Northern Tribes surely meant do ills to the Heaven Lake Sect.
Indeed, Prince Xian smiled, "Between the two juniors in the Hidden Dragon Gorge, I preferred Shi Tianhao who trained under Master Lin. I am willing to bet a Bear King Golden Gallbladder on him. In return, I want the Ice Mirror from the Heaven Lake Sect. Are you willing to take up the bet, Cao Wei?"
The entire crowd began to murmur. The Bear King Golden Gallbladder was one of the most precious items of the Royal House of the Northern Tribes. It was obtained only through killing a Demonic Lord stage Polar Bear Demon and then harvesting its gallbladder. After consumption by human cultivators, it would greatly increase the prowess of one's physical body without any side-effect.
In the history of the Royal House of the Northern Tribes, every single pro who left his name in the annals of history had used the gallbladder before.
A Demonic Lord stage Polar Bear Demon would take more than a thousand years to appear. To kill and extract its gallbladder was a herculean task similar to procuring a Dual Polarity Divine Flower.
Cao Wei's face betrayed no expression as he said, "Taking advantage of the situation, eh? Are you still after my Ice Mirror? I thought that you would want the Snow Tassel that you had previously lost to me back."
Evidently stung by Cao Wei's words, Prince Xian did not become angry. Instead, he laughed, "Are you saying that you don't dare to take up the bet?"
"Why not? However, I don't fancy your Bear King Golden Gallbladder," said Cao Wei calmly. "If you want to bet, bet on your Northern Tribe's Murderous Soul Jade instead."
Prince Xian stopped laughing. His gaze was fixed unmovingly on Cao Wei.
Upon hearing the name of the Murderous Soul Jade, many faces in the audience looked confused. They did not know what it was and they did not know why did Prince Xian become so guarded all of a sudden.
However, for the Immortal Soul stage cultivators and the Nascent Soul stage cultivators, their eyes betrayed a sudden realization.
After checking the system, Lin Feng realized that the Murderous Soul Jade was a rarely-found jade present in the territories controlled by the Northern Tribes. It had the ability to connect one's soul directly with the heavens and earth and was a great helper to the cultivators of the Northern Tribes who specialized in spells of the soul.
Conversely, those who wore the Murderous Soul Jade as an accessory were protected from others who tried to attack them with spells of the soul. It could help in reducing the damage inflicted.
Cao Wei did not want the Bear King Golden Gallbladder but the Murderous Soul Jade instead, demonstrating that he had sharp eyes for these sort of things. For cultivators of Prince Xian's and Cao Wei's levels, other than magic treasures or magic treasure embryos, as well as a few rare items, the items were not really attractive for him.
However, as magic treasures and magic treasure embryos were too expensive, they would not easily use them as collateral. Hence, the items that they were betting on were for the future of their respective sects and disciples with potential. Hence, they were suited for use by Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
The Heaven Lake Sect did not specialize in physical martial arts. Even if they were to use the Bear King Golden Gallbladder, they would still be unable to defeat the Northern Tribe cultivators.
Furthermore, the Heaven Lake Sect cultivators possessed the Burning Ice Spell. In higher-tiers battles, they were not afraid of Northern Tribes cultivators at all.
However, the spells of the soul of the Northern Tribes were a major cause of headache for Heaven Lake Sect cultivators for thousands of years. They never really had a good counter for that.
During the preliminary rounds when Sang Luohe lost to Shi Xingyun, many Heaven Lake Sect cultivators were elated. Even if Song Qingyuan were to battle against Sang Luohe, it would be an extremely difficult battle, let alone Mu Jihai.
The Murderous Soul Jade that the Northern Tribes produced was a decisive tool in defeating them.
Prince Xian of the Left of the Northern Tribes looked at Cao Wei for a good while before grunting, "Fine, I will use my Murderous Soul Jade as collateral against your Ice Mirror."
Cao Wei nodded his head, "I shall accept your gift humbly then."
With that, the Supreme Radiance Swordmaster took out a stone that was akin to a stele.
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed as he noticed that there was sword slash on the stone. It was clear and straight. Initially, it appeared to be nothing extraordinary. However, upon closer inspection, one would realize that it brimmed with powerful, concentrated sword aura.
The sword slash had evidently been there for a long while, but it refused to disappear. What was more shocking was that the sword aura from whence was extremely strong. Under normal circumstances, such a powerful sword aura could carve a massive abyss in the ground.
However, while the sword aura was extremely powerful, it remained concentrated and did not activate.
"Mount Shu Sword Sect, the Shaoshang Sword Artifact?" Lin Feng recognized the history of the sword slash. The Supreme Radiance Swordmaster nodded his head and said, "This was something that the Shaoshang Swordmaster, who visited Xingyun Peak years ago, left behind. I shall use this as collateral against your Matte Glowless Metal, how about it?"
The Sun Radiance Swordmaster looked at the Supreme Radiance Swordmaster with a highly inquisitive look.
If one should obtain the Shaoshang Sword Artifact, one would be able to understand the moves and techniques of Mount Shu's Shaoshang Sword Technique. While it was impossible to cultivate the skills of the Shaoshang Sword Technique through this alone, one would be able to effectively counter many of its moves in the future.
The worth of the stele needed no further elaboration. However, by offering this item up as collateral, it would be interesting if the Supreme Radiance Swordmaster actually lost it to Lin Feng.
For someone like the Supreme Radiance Swordmaster, he would definitely have thought of this point. A single mistake would be catastrophic. Hence, the only possible explanation was that he decided to do so deliberately.
Lin Feng was silent for a while before he nodded his head and said, "If the Supreme Radiance Swordmaster possesses such taste, then I shall reciprocate."
The Gambling Holy Man looked at the Hidden Dragon Gorge for a good while before smiling and saying, "In this conference, looking at how everyone is betting here and there, it kind of makes me want to bet too."
"For such an interesting bet, how could I not join in?" Zhuge Guang smiled as he flipped over his hand to take out an item.
The item floated halfway in the sky and everyone could see it. In that instant, excitement coursed through the crowd.
Other than the few Immortal Soul stage cultivators, everyone else's gaze blazed when they saw it.
The item was a root that looked like a ginseng. Its hair brimmed with spiritual energy and its color was glossy like white jade.
Under its jade-white skin, there appeared to be eight rays of light which rose and sunk together, as if they were dancing. They were blood-red, akin to the blood vessels in the human body.
This spiritual ginseng was like an animal that was alive. Its red light flashed as its body heaved, like a breathing person.
With every flash of red, the spiritual ginseng regained its jade-white appearance. It was extremely glossy like a transparent crystal.
Everyone exclaimed, "Could this be the Eight-Veined Ginseng?"
Everyone on-site understood that for every cultivator, the Eight-Veined Ginseng was one of the most valuable items ever. It could extend one's natural lifespan!
The most potent aspect of it was that the higher the user's cultivation was, the longer his lifespan would be extended upon consuming the Eight-Veined Ginseng. If a Nascent Soul stage cultivator used it, his lifespan could be extended by almost a thousand years.
For every cultivator who was before the Nascent Soul stage, the Eight-Veined Ginseng was an item that was worth cities. This was because a Nascent Soul stage cultivator could only live 3600 years naturally. As one neared the end of one's lifespan, one would die unless one reached the Immortal Soul stage. Countless of Nascent Soul stage grandmasters had fallen like this.
Fortunately, this item was in the hands of the Gambling Holy Man Zhuge Guang. If it was held by any one below his cultivation level, a group would surely descend upon him to snatch it away.
Zhuge Guang smiled slightly and was just about to say something when the Asura Holy Man, who had been silent all this while, opened his mouth.
"I'll join this bet too."
The boisterous crowd suddenly quietened down. Everyone stared at Huo Xiu, Zhuge Guang and the rest of the Immortal Soul stage cultivators. Only one thought was in their minds.
"Crazy!"