Volume 3 Chapter 69: The Wager

The old man who suddenly appeared behind Zhang Xusheng looked even more aged and frail than Li Xuhan. Time had etched deep lines upon his face; his small and thin frame was covered with crevasse-like wrinkles. His entire being seemed devoid of life, akin to someone deceased for days. His eyes were nearly closed, and his mouth was tightly shut.

"Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, you have finally arrived."

Upon seeing the suddenly appearing elder, Li Xuhan’s face lit up with joy. He slightly bowed to the elder and respectfully spoke.

Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, upon hearing Li Xuhan’s words, also slightly bowed in return, showing no joy or worry on his face, accepting Li Xuhan’s respect calmly.

"I am late, please forgive me, Taoist friend."

Then, an aged voice sounded, and from the meaning of the words, it was judged to be from Venerable Deaf Mute Blind. But looking at him, the elder’s mouth never moved. It seemed as if the voice came from the heavens and earth. However, Zhang Xusheng and Li Xuhan knew that the aged voice was indeed from Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, but not through his mouth. It was produced by using his Spirit Qi to resonate with the world’s Spirit Qi, creating the sound through their vibration.

Knowing Li Xuhan’s identity and seeing that the elder accepted Li Xuhan’s bow so calmly was indeed shocking.

Although in the cultivation world of the Shenzhou Continent, under the principle of the Heavenly Way, there is no distinction between high and low. Unless it’s a meeting between a master and a disciple, when two cultivators meet, regardless of status or strength, they must bow to show respect for each other’s efforts in seeking immortality against the Heavenly Way.

Despite the need to bow mutually, there’s much to consider. Typically, a cultivator of lower status and strength bows first to those of higher status and strength, who then return the gesture.

Although Li Xuhan’s power has greatly diminished, he remains at the Mahayana Stage and as a former Sect Master of Jiuhua Gate, one of the six Holy Lands, his status and seniority in the cultivation world are highly esteemed. The number of cultivators whom Li Xuhan should bow to first would not exceed five across the entire cultivation world. These five are not only prominent figures but also reached the Mahayana Stage over a thousand years ago.

If one of these five appeared here, alongside Li Xuhan, there would indeed be the strength to rival Zhang Xusheng.

As expected, upon hearing how Li Xuhan addressed the elderly man, Zhang Xusheng’s expression changed slightly. He then began to carefully examine the Venerable Deaf Mute Blind before him, with an expression even more cautious and serious than when he had examined Li Xuhan.

At the same time, the Venerable Deaf Mute Blind was also carefully examining Zhang Xusheng. Although his face showed no emotion, the hidden wariness was so apparent that even Zhang Hualing and the others beside them could clearly sense it.

Between the two, there was a feeling of finding an equal after having been alone at the top for so long.

After seeing the change in Zhang Xusheng’s expression, Li Xuhan asked calmly, "Brother Zhang, you have been in Penance Valley for so many years, how can it be that you don’t recognize the other master there apart from yourself?"

Penance Valley has two master-level cultivators. One is the Venerable Xuanmoda that Zhang Xusheng previously impersonated, while the other rarely makes appearances in the cultivation world, so isn’t widely known. However, the few who know about this master hold great respect for him, even the other master-level cultivators in the cultivation world.

It turns out that this master-level cultivator might well be the oldest in the cultivation world now, having reached the Mahayana Stage over 2,300 years ago. No one can truly tell how old he really is or his exact standing.

Later, to advance further, he secluded himself in a hidden cave in Penance Valley in hopes of attaining immortality. Before his seclusion, to avoid external temptations, he demonstrated great resolve by discarding his six senses. Hence came the title of Venerable Deaf Mute Blind.

His seclusion lasted over two thousand years. The world had changed greatly, and the cultivation world experienced immense transformation. By now, because the cultivators of his time have all passed away during his isolation, even those in Penance Valley have never seen the master’s true appearance. Many even speculated that the master might have died in the deep cave during his retreat.

However, unexpectedly, the Venerable Deaf Mute Blind is not only alive but appeared here in Jiuhua Mountain. His appearance is that of an extraordinarily old and ordinary man, without any imposing aura or discernible presence.

Yet Zhang Xusheng knew that to hide one’s aura so completely that even he could not detect it, spoke of an unimaginably terrifying level of mastery.

Considering the power and status of Venerable Deaf Mute Blind in the cultivation world, it made sense for Li Xuhan to pay him respect.

"You are the Venerable Deaf Mute Blind?" After a long gaze, Zhang Xusheng did not respond to Li Xuhan but smiled and asked the Venerable Mute himself. His face held a warm smile, as if greeting an old friend, though his eyes flickered with a hidden intent.

"Indeed, for over two thousand years, I have been in seclusion. Even the current cultivators of Penance Valley have never seen my face. It’s understandable that a latecomer like you wouldn’t recognize me," boomed the ancient voice across heaven and earth.

After his brief surprise at the appearance of Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, Zhang Xusheng seemed to regain his usual composure. He smiled slightly at Li Xuhan and Zhang Hualing, who watched quietly from the side, and said, "I thought you two weren’t ones for small talk, yet you chatted with me for so long. Turns out, you were buying time for this backup."

Although both Li Xuhan’s and Venerable Deaf Mute Blind’s appearances were unexpected to him, his expression suggested that the situation had just become fascinating.

Zhang Xusheng smiled slightly and said to Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, "Indeed, ever since I infiltrated Penance Valley under the guise of Xuanmoda, I never saw you because I thought you had already passed away. I never imagined you’d show up now to meddle. Had I known, I would have taken the chance to eliminate you on my first day in Penance Valley."

Despite his words about killing, Zhang Xusheng’s expression remained gentle, as if his statement was merely a friendly jest.

Turning to Li Xuhan, Zhang Xusheng continued, "And I never expected, dear brother, that your influence was so great that you could draw out Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, who secluded himself over two thousand years ago. It truly makes me, as your junior, feel quite honored."

Li Xuhan gave Zhang Xusheng a deep look but did not answer. He quietly sighed in his heart, realizing that whether it was him or the Venerable Deaf Mute Blind appearing, Zhang Xusheng had always guided the entire conversation, just like eight hundred years ago. No matter who he was with, he remained the center of attention.

Just as Li Xuhan was reflecting, the aged voice of Venerable Deaf Mute Blind echoed again.

"Friend Li came to my retreat cave ten days ago and explained the matter of a friend impersonating a Penance Valley cultivator. This concerns the survival of Penance Valley and Jiuhua Gate, so I had no heart for retreat. However, I was in a critical stage of retreat and couldn’t come out in time. It wasn’t until now that I could arrive, and I deeply apologize for the damage Jiuhua Mountain has suffered."

As he spoke, Venerable Deaf Mute Blind slightly bowed to Li Xuhan in apology, while Li Xuhan returned the gesture to show understanding.

Zhang Xusheng, however, discerned another layer of meaning in Venerable Deaf Mute Blind’s words and asked Li Xuhan in surprise, "Ten days ago? The fact that I was impersonating Penance Valley’s Xuanmoda was only recently guessed by that boy Xu Qingfan, and then you all knew. How did you find Venerable Deaf Mute Blind ten days ago? Did you know my identity long before?"

Li Xuhan replied calmly, "I knew two years ago that Xuanmoda was your disguise."

"Oh? How did you find that out?" said Zhang Xusheng, nodding as if realizing something, and then asked, "Hmm, two years ago I met that boy Xu Qingfan, does it have something to do with this?"

Li Xuhan nodded and replied, "I first heard the name Xuanmoda eight hundred years ago. It was then that he discovered your dark arts and exposed them to the entire cultivation world. I think you killed him for this, didn’t you? And perhaps after killing him, you thought his identity could be useful, so you disguised as him?"

Zhang Xusheng chuckled and said, "I didn’t expect you to remember that guy’s matters so clearly. Indeed, back then, because of his meddling, my plans were completely ruined by him, and I couldn’t let him go easily. So shortly after I escaped your chase, I killed him. But does that have anything to do with you discovering I was impersonating him?"

Li Xuhan sighed once again and said, "I’m afraid you don’t know. Eight hundred years ago, after discovering your study of dark arts, he barely escaped your pursuit but was severely injured. One of his wounds severely damaged the Spiritual Sea Acupuncture Point, preventing him from advancing his skills any further in this life. But I’m the only one in the entire cultivation world who knows this secret."

As he spoke, a hint of apology appeared in Li Xuhan’s eyes, and then he continued, "Later, there was news in the cultivation world that Xuanmoda had entered the Mahayana Stage and become a master. At the time, I thought it was just a rumor and didn’t pay attention. But I was surprised to learn that Xu Qingfan encountered you two years ago, and based on his description, Xuanmoda indeed reached the Mahayana Stage. I found it unbelievable. Later, I asked the child to describe to me in detail what Xuanmoda had said to him, and discovered that his tone and sentence structure were very different from the Xuanmoda of eight hundred years ago but was remarkably similar to you, my junior. Over the past two years, I’ve secretly investigated and found that whenever Xuanmoda secluded himself for cultivation, some sect would mysteriously vanish in the cultivation world. And those sects were precisely the ones I had suspected you destroyed for experimentation. Thus, the truth became evident."

After hearing Li Xuhan’s account, Zhang Xusheng nodded and sighed regretfully, "It seems I was careless. When I killed Xuanmoda, I didn’t thoroughly examine his body. This Xuanmoda is truly my nemesis, causing me trouble even after his death for so long."

After complaining, Zhang Xusheng slightly raised his head, his tone turning aloof as he calmly said, "Now all my doubts are cleared up. It seems we must settle this between us. But Senior Brother Li, Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, do you really think you can stop me even if you join forces, given my current power and cultivation?"

As he spoke, an unmistakable aura of supremacy emanated from him, clearly showing his confidence in his current strength.

Li Xuhan smiled faintly and said, "Junior Brother Zhang, over the years, although your skills have significantly improved, and you’ve cultivated the Immortal Body, I haven’t just been waiting to die."

As he spoke, the aura around Li Xuhan suddenly surged dramatically, becoming even stronger than it was eight hundred years ago.

However, this powerful aura, although astonishing, was paradoxically extremely subtle, and only Zhang Xusheng and Venerable Deaf Mute Blind on the scene could sense it. This demonstrated that Li Xuhan had achieved perfect mastery over his Spirit Qi and aura.

As the aura grew stronger, Li Xuhan’s once withered figure gradually became tall and robust, the wrinkles on his face disappearing, his gaze turning sharp and full of vitality, white hair falling away, replaced by rapidly growing black hair. Before long, the dying old man had transformed into a tall and dignified middle-aged man. With a simple gesture, the "Fire Bird Ring" in Zhang Hualing’s arms turned into a stream of red light and flew into his hand.

Seeing the change in Li Xuhan, Zhang Xusheng let out a soft "hmm" and started to realize he had underestimated this senior brother. Meanwhile, Venerable Deaf Mute Blind looked at Li Xuhan with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

However, Li Xuhan’s astonishing transformation was far from over. After obtaining the "Fire Bird Ring," its glow intensified, and the Fire Spirit’s energy surged wildly into Li Xuhan’s body, yet he emitted a powerful five-colored radiance, radiating an even more overwhelming aura.

Then, Zhang Xusheng bit his right hand until it bled, waving it to release eight drops of blood. These drops of blood glimmered and transformed into eight figures resembling Li Xuhan, carrying an aura equal to the real Li Xuhan.

Once these eight blood-formed Li Xuhans appeared, they didn’t pause for a moment, immediately gathering with Li Xuhan’s true form to create the "Nine Palaces Formation" and subtly encircle Zhang Xusheng.

On the other side, unlike Li Xuhan, Venerable Deaf Mute Blind showed no abnormal transformation, nor did he emit any aura. Instead, a purple surging longsword suddenly appeared in his hand, exuding an extraordinarily mysterious energy, obviously a treasure no less precious than the "Fire Bird Ring."

Witnessing Li Xuhan and Venerable Deaf Mute Blind’s actions, a flash of brilliance appeared in Zhang Xusheng’s eyes, but his brow furrowed slightly because he realized he was no longer certain of victory.

What’s more, his primary purpose in coming to Jiuhua was to reclaim his heart, originally thinking Li Xuhan’s strength had greatly diminished, making it easy to capture him. Yet, to his surprise, Li Xuhan’s power had become so formidable. Winning was possible, but with his heart residing in Li Xuhan’s body, defeating both Li Xuhan and Venerable Deaf Mute Blind without harming it was particularly challenging, leaving him with an unspoken concern.

Despite the turmoil in his heart, Zhang Xusheng remained composed, first addressing Li Xuhan, "The ‘Revival Technique’ and ‘Blood Coagulation Method’—training in these is just as difficult as the ‘Substitute for Heaven,’ yet you’ve mastered them both. You truly surprise me a lot. It seems that in these past eight centuries, you’ve done more than wait for death."

Having said this, Zhang Xusheng shifted his gaze to the longsword in Venerable Deaf Mute Blind’s hand, saying, "’Skyscanner Sword’—I believed this legendary treasure that could harness the power of heavenly thunder was destroyed in the last catastrophe, yet it turns out to be in your possession."

"Now, do you still think we can’t kill you?" After his body transformed, Li Xuhan’s tone turned icy, with a hint of menace in his eyes.

As he spoke, his aura grew even stronger, and Venerable Deaf Mute Blind slowly raised the "Skyscanner Sword" in his hand. Just as the two prepared to strike, Zhang Xusheng remained calm, as if completely unfazed by their threats.

But just before they made their move, Zhang Xusheng suddenly called out, "Wait a moment. Brother Li, don’t you want the antidote for the ‘Sky Spiritual Pill’ that the elders and disciples of Jiuhua took? Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, don’t you want the list of Penance Valley cultivators who have sided with me?"

Zhang Xusheng’s words seemed to have a magical effect, as soon as they were spoken, it forced Li Xuhan and Venerable Deaf Mute Blind to halt halfway through their spells.

Li Xuhan snorted coldly, "Will you tell us honestly?"

To him, even if it meant sacrificing half of Jiuhua Mountain’s strength, it would be worth it to eliminate Zhang Xusheng. But he knew that Venerable Deaf Mute Blind would not think the same. Venerable Deaf Mute Blind needed to know which Penance Valley cultivators had sided with Zhang Xusheng to reorganize Penance Valley. Reluctantly, he had to stop, feeling a sense of helplessness.

He suddenly realized that even though he had planned this trap for a long time, the situation was always under Zhang Xusheng’s control, which left Li Xuhan feeling somewhat powerless.

Zhang Xusheng smiled faintly, showing no signs of fear despite the threat he faced, and calmly said, "Of course I will. But I won’t make it easy for you. Let’s see, did you witness the fight in front of Linghua Hall below?"

"Yes, we did," Li Xuhan replied.

"Let’s make a bet. If those three disciples of Jiuhua can defeat my three subordinates, I will give you the antidote for the Sky Spiritual Pill and the list of Penance Valley cultivators who have been causing trouble with me. If my three subordinates win against the three Jiuhua disciples, then before you two attack me, you must first withstand three of my moves. How about it?"

After Zhang Xusheng finished speaking, Xiao watched with interest at the reactions of Li Xuhan and Venerable Deaf Mute Blind.

After considering for a long time, Li Xuhan and Venerable Deaf Mute Blind exchanged a glance and slowly nodded.

Meanwhile, under the orders of Zhang Hualing and Zhang Xusheng, the elders and higher-level demons in the sky stopped their chaotic battle. Understanding the current situation, and beyond surprise, everyone’s gaze focused on the duel at Linghua Hall.

In the sky, only Zhang Hualing furrowed his brow deeply. Did Zhang Xusheng really set up this bet just to gain an initial advantage by attacking with three moves?

For some reason, a shadow began to cast over Zhang Hualing’s heart.

…

On the waist of Jiuhua Mountain, in front of Linghua Hall.

In contrast to the noisy and chaotic battle in the sky, the battleground here entered a state of relative calm.

The disciples of Jiuhua and Zhang Xusheng’s lower-level demons stood on either side, no longer fighting each other, but instead, they stared intently at the battle between Number 4 and Xu Qingfan, Jin Qinghan, and Lv Qingshang, seemingly stunned by the intense combat.

The Jiuhua disciples watching the battle, despite usually being proud, couldn’t help but ask themselves how many rounds they could withstand if they were the ones facing Number 4’s attacks. Even the elders in the sky were full of surprise, unable to imagine that this was just a competition below the Condensed Core Stage.

As for the lower-level demons, they seemed intimidated by the dangerous aura of the three Sethraks, standing silently, not daring to make any rash moves.

The other two Sethraks, who resembled Number 4, simply watched the progress of the competition with indifference, unclear of their intentions.

On the field, Number 4’s speed seemed to reach the utmost limit of this world, with attacks coming from all directions, covering distances in an instant. His body turned into a blur, encircling Xu Qingfan and the others tightly, leaving no gaps. It seemed as if Number 4’s figure was everywhere in the battle space, like he was performing a duplication spell. Although Xu Qingfan and the others felt Number 4 continuously attacking them, they noticed that the other two were also under attack simultaneously, with no gaps in between, the speed was astonishing.

Xu Qingfan and the other two faced Number 4’s ghostly speed and relentless attacks by using their own skills to firmly resist. Xu Qingfan had a high-level defensive artifact, needless to say, while Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang continuously employed basic defensive spells like "Spirit Barrier" and "Golden Shield." Though these were often broken by Number 4’s attacks, they swiftly re-casted them the moment after they were shattered. Their proficiency and smooth use of Spirit Qi were admirable.

The continuous "boom boom" sound, though not deafening, formed an unbroken chain of echoes, was the noise from Number 4’s attacks clashing with Xu Qingfan and his companions’ defenses. The flashing lights came from Jin Qinghan’s "Golden Shield" and Lv Qingshang’s "Spirit Barrier" being shattered and instantly restored by Number 4.

This battle, though not as grand and mighty as those with spells clashing, had its own unique thrill in the life-and-death moments of close combat.

While observers found this competition extremely exciting, only the combatants knew the hidden dangers within…

Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang seemed able to block Number 4’s attacks just in time every time, but their defense often teetered on the edge of failure. In so many encounters, if either of them made just one mistake or was slightly slow, they would be severely injured, if not dead.

Although Number 4 appeared to have the upper hand in the fight, he was secretly feeling the strain. His usual tactic was to use speed to instantly kill his enemies, catching them by surprise. However, this only worked against weaker opponents. His real strength lay in controlling the wind and poisonous sands. But he underestimated Xu Qingfan and lost the advantage early on. As a result, he had to keep attacking without pause for fear of a powerful counterattack from Xu Qingfan and his companions. They were like springs coiled tight; the more pressure applied, the stronger the rebound.

His weakness was his poor defense. With the attack strength of Xu Qingfan and the others, relying solely on his body to withstand them would leave him either dead or severely injured.

Watching the situation, Xu Qingfan grew anxious. If the other two Sethrak hadn’t taken action yet, dragging out the battle would not only lead to defeat but would also deplete their Spirit Qi and energy, putting them at a severe disadvantage for future fights.

A change in this stalemate situation was urgently needed.

Xu Qingfan secretly resolved to act.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but none promised absolute success. Yet seeing the deadlock, Xu Qingfan gritted his teeth and thought, "If we keep draining ourselves like this, even if we defeat Number 4, we’ll still face death against the next Sethrak. It’s better to take a gamble, maybe it will bring an unexpected result."

With that in mind, a flash of determination crossed Xu Qingfan’s eyes. He began to pretend to grow weaker, making his defense appear increasingly feeble every time Number 4 attacked. Even the killing intent directed at Number 4 seemed to flicker, suggesting his Divine Sense was severely drained, but still causing Number 4 to hesitate from going all-out.

Although the battle’s momentum constantly shifted among the four, Number 4 quickly noticed Xu Qingfan’s change. He was initially surprised, as he had not expected Xu Qingfan, who faced the least pressure, to falter first.

But in the blink of an eye, seeing Xu Qingfan’s right leg still unable to move freely, and thinking of the fierce battle between Xu Qingfan and Nangong Qingshan not long ago, it suddenly became clear in my heart.

"Although Number 41 is just trash, it’s trash created by the master himself. Facing someone like Xu Qingfan, even if defeated, should have used up most of his Spirit Qi. So it makes sense that Xu Qingfan is struggling to hold on."

Although thinking this way, Number 4, being naturally suspicious, did not act rashly. Instead, he slowly shifted his attack focus to Xu Qingfan. Previously, Number 4 would attack Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang three times each per breath, but only attacked Xu Qingfan twice. After shifting the attack focus, it became two times each for Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang, but four to five times for Xu Qingfan.

Sure enough, after Number 4 shifted his attack focus, he found Xu Qingfan’s defense becoming increasingly weak and hurried. Several times, Number 4 almost broke through his defense, and even Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang noticed something was wrong with Xu Qingfan, their anxious expressions further confirmed Number 4’s thoughts.

Suddenly, it was as if the Spirit Qi in his body couldn’t keep up for a moment; the blue dragon surrounding Xu Qingfan paused briefly. With this pause, a flaw appeared in the previously tight defense, and it was right at Xu Qingfan’s chest.

Seeing this fleeting flaw, Number 4 had no time to think. In an instant, he increased his speed to the extreme, turning into a blur, and lunged fiercely at Xu Qingfan. At the same time, the five nails on his right hand quickly extended, like five sharp swords stabbing towards Xu Qingfan.

"Senior Brother Xu!"

"Junior Brother Xu!"

Seeing this situation, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang exclaimed in shock. They wanted to rush to the rescue, but realized they wouldn’t make it in time.