Chapter 140: The Life-and-Death Wager

Chapter 140: The Life-and-Death Wager

Zhang Linshan was utterly enraged. Profound Qi surged from within him, condensing into a layer of Profound Qi Armor on his body's surface. This was no ordinary Profound Qi Armor—it was a Martial Arts Divine Ability known as the Eagle Scale Armor. The armor was covered in scales, with an eagle's head forming on the chest, while a five-foot-long Profound Qi Sword materialized in his hand.

Knowing that Ning Xiaochuan had cultivated the Blood Devouring Demon Art, Zhang Linshan conjured this armor to protect himself.

"Whoosh!"

A thick mist of Profound Qi exhaled from Zhang Linshan's mouth, enveloping the ancient structures within a radius of several dozen meters and spreading across the city district.

Ning Xiaochuan had been vigilant against Zhang Linshan, but in that very instant, Zhang Linshan's body turned illusory and vanished into the mist.

"Ning Xiaochuan, I must admit, your talent is indeed unparalleled. But you are still too young. Perhaps if you trained in the Emperor's Ruins for five years, you could sweep through it unchallenged. But right now, you are far from that level."

Zhang Linshan's voice flickered from the east one moment, then from another direction the next, his position shifting rapidly.

The sound of swift, slicing wind echoed through the air.

Ning Xiaochuan remained motionless, unshaken, not even shifting his stance. "Are you trying to tell me that you are certain you can kill me today?"

Emperor's City was an ancient metropolis, steeped in millennia of history. Under the curtain of rain, it appeared both majestic and weathered.

On the streets, murky red rainwater flowed, carrying a faint scent of blood.

Zhang Linshan reappeared in the mist, ten meters away from Ning Xiaochuan, his form half-real, half-illusory. "Three years ago, my cultivation was also at the Sixth Level of the Divine Body Realm. Back then, I killed a master at the Peak of the Seventh Level of the Divine Body Realm. At that time, I thought I was invincible, brimming with arrogance. But when I encountered a warrior at the Eighth Level of the Divine Body Realm, I was defeated—utterly crushed."

Ning Xiaochuan said, "So you're telling me that no matter how high one's talent is, if the gap in cultivation is too vast, they will only end up a loser?"

"Exactly! Even if you are a prodigy among prodigies, my talent is no slouch either. And with three whole realms above you, what right do you have to challenge me?" Zhang Linshan retorted.

Zhang Linshan was a powerhouse at the Ninth Level of the Divine Body Realm, one of the Imperial City's Ten Outstanding Youths, ranking among the strongest of the younger generation in the Imperial City.

No matter how high Ning Xiaochuan's talent was, he had only been cultivating for half a year. How could he possibly contend with them?

Yet, Ning Xiaochuan had no choice but to face this battle. "Since you're so confident, do you dare to make a wager with me?"

"Why should I gamble with you?" Zhang Linshan sneered.

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "Because if you kill me, the experts of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House will ensure you die without a grave to bury you in."

Zhang Linshan's expression darkened slightly. He knew Ning Xiaochuan spoke the truth. If the Jian Pavilion Marquis House truly decided to hunt him down at all costs, even the Cloud Marquis might not be able to protect him.

It was precisely for this reason that they had been trying to force Ning Xiaochuan to take his own life, avoiding direct action unless absolutely necessary.

Zhang Linshan asked, "What are the terms of this wager?"

Ning Xiaochuan answered, "If you fail to kill me today, your Cloud Alliance must never target my sister or my friends again."

Zhang Linshan said, "The person our Cloud Alliance wants to kill is you. As for your friends and your sister, they pose no threat in our eyes. I agree to your condition. But what if I kill you?"

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "I’ll sign the 'Duel Life and Death Contract' with you. The victor becomes king, the loser a bandit—life and death are fated. If I die by your hand, it’s only because my skills are inferior. No one will seek revenge for me, because this is my own choice."

"Bold enough to stake your life just to ensure the safety of your loved ones and friends. You’re a man of honor. On behalf of the alliance leader, I accept your wager. If you truly manage to escape from me today, the Cloud Alliance will never trouble your friends or your sister again."

Though Zhang Linshan appeared to be praising Ning Xiaochuan, inwardly he mocked him for being foolish.

However, this was advantageous for him. If Ning Xiaochuan truly signed the "Duel Life and Death Contract," then even if he killed Ning Xiaochuan, he wouldn’t have to fear retaliation from the Jian Pavilion Marquis House or punishment from the instructors of the Emperor's Martial Palace.

Ning Xiaochuan could have simply fled, but he absolutely couldn’t do so. If he escaped, what would happen to Ning Xin'er? What about Murong Wushuang?

He had killed so many members of the Cloud Alliance—they would never let it go and would surely take their anger out on Ning Xin'er and Murong Wushuang.

Even if the Tianli Society promised to protect them, they had only just met Ning Xiaochuan. How much effort would they really put into shielding them?

For the experts of the Cloud Alliance, secretly eliminating Ning Xin'er and Murong Wushuang wouldn’t be too difficult.

So, Ning Xiaochuan knew his enemy was overwhelmingly powerful, yet he had no choice but to fight—not for himself, but for his loved ones and friends.

He would gamble with his life to secure a path of survival for them.

All of this was because he wasn’t strong enough yet, unable to protect those around him. If his cultivation were powerful enough, he could kill Zhang Linshan with a single palm strike—why waste words?

Cultivation, strength, and realm.

Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t afraid that Zhang Linshan would go back on his word. After all, Zhang Linshan was one of the "Imperial City's Ten Outstanding Youths," holding high status and honor among the younger generation, with a bright future ahead. He wouldn’t easily risk his reputation.

For a martial artist, killing wasn’t shameful—breaking one’s word was the most disgraceful act.

Both men signed the "Duel Life and Death Contract."

The moment the contract was sealed, Zhang Linshan cast aside all restraint and immediately launched a lethal strike at Ning Xiaochuan. His palm was like a blade, unleashing seventeen waves of sword energy.

Ning Xiaochuan had been prepared. His body transformed into a rainbow streak as he shifted onto a low wall, intending to spread his Wings of Rage and escape.

But a dense white mist descended from above.

This was no ordinary mist—it was heavier than steel. Forget flying; even taking a single step was nearly impossible.

"You think this is just mist? This is the Ghost Mist expelled by a seventh-grade mystic beast, the Ghost Mist Spider. I once ventured into the Ghost Mist Swamp, absorbed the mist into my body, and refined it into a divine ability—'Ghost Mist Miasma.'"

Clad in his Eagle Scale Armor, Zhang Linshan turned into a streak of white light, thrusting his sword straight at Ning Xiaochuan’s heart.

"Break!" Ning Xiaochuan tore a gap through the thick mist and barely escaped.

"Pfft!"

Zhang Linshan's sword still struck Ning Xiaochuan's shoulder, leaving a bloody wound.

Ning Xiaochuan activated "Rainbow Teleportation," his body shifting sideways to create a considerable distance from Zhang Linshan, blood continuously pouring from his shoulder.

Zhang Linshan's cultivation was far stronger than Ning Xiaochuan had imagined—not merely at the Ninth Level of the Divine Body Realm, but almost comparable to a Transcendent Realm warrior.

The Imperial City's Ten Outstanding Youths truly lived up to their reputation.

"Merge!"

The small red dragon transformed into a crimson mist, enveloping Ning Xiaochuan's body and forming the Dragon Scale Divine Armor.

Spiked ridges grew on Ning Xiaochuan's head, a dragon claw battle sword materialized in his grip, and a pair of massive blood-red dragon wings sprouted from his back.

The small red dragon's body had swelled at least tenfold, coiling around the armor, its fierce dragon head and razor-sharp crimson claws now fully visible.

Ning Xiaochuan's cultivation had reached the Sixth Level of the Divine Body Realm, and after merging, his power had grown even stronger.

"Whoosh!"

Zhang Linshan thrust his sword again, the blade slicing through the air with a sharp hiss, sparks flickering along its edge.

Ning Xiaochuan widened his stance slightly, lowering his center of gravity as he gripped his sword with both hands and slashed out a blood-red wave of sword energy. Within the arc of the blade, the faint silhouette of a dragon's head flickered, accompanied by a draconic roar.

The clash of swords sent both fighters reeling backward.

Seizing the moment, Ning Xiaochuan immediately spread his dragon wings and soared into the sky.

Escaping tonight would already count as a victory.

As for killing Zhang Linshan—that could wait. Ning Xiaochuan believed that once he completed his training in the Heavenly Palace, his combat prowess would surely rival Zhang Linshan's. For now, his priority was surviving the night.

"Not bad," Zhang Linshan remarked with a faint smile, driving his Profound Qi Sword into the ground before slowly raising both arms.

"Boom!"

Under the impact of the overwhelming surge of Profound Qi radiating from Zhang Linshan, buildings and halls on both sides of the ancient street collapsed, reduced to rubble.

The debris rose into the air—broken walls, shattered tiles, and fractured pillars—thousands of wreckage fragments soaring skyward before hurtling toward Ning Xiaochuan.

It was a breathtaking sight, leaving many warriors utterly stunned.

"Is this the kind of power a human can possess? He practically lifted an entire street's worth of structures, leveling this entire district!"

"Zhang Linshan's strength should absolutely be able to instantly annihilate a Ninth Level Divine Body Realm warrior. This is power only a Transcendent Realm cultivator could wield!"

"No wonder he's so confident in killing Ning Xiaochuan. Forget Ning Xiaochuan—even a Ninth Level Divine Body Realm warrior would undoubtedly perish!"

Zhang Linshan stomped the ground violently, propelling himself dozens of meters into the air. He landed atop the floating debris, chasing after Ning Xiaochuan with relentless pursuit.

Ning Xiaochuan sensed the increasingly fierce wind behind him. He retracted his dragon wings and abruptly descended, landing on the ground before plunging into the mist-shrouded Heavenly Bridge.

Zhang Linshan descended from midair, attempting to follow, but the moment his body touched the white mist, an invisible force repelled him.

Steadying himself, Zhang Linshan looked up to see a plaque suspended above the mist, inscribed with three bold, imposing characters: "Heavenly Bridge."

The Heavenly Bridge permitted only one person to enter.

A second person cannot enter it, as the power of the Heavenly Bridge will block them outside.

Zhang Linshan hadn’t expected Ning Xiaochuan to hide inside the Heavenly Bridge. "Let’s see how long you can last on the Heavenly Bridge. If you fail to break through to a new level within an hour, you’ll still be forcibly expelled by the bridge."

Ning Xiaochuan had only just challenged the Heavenly Bridge today, reaching the third level—a feat already considered the limit among newcomers.

Zhang Linshan didn’t believe he could advance any further, so he simply waited outside the Heavenly Bridge. All he had to do was wait for the hour to pass, and Ning Xiaochuan would naturally be expelled.