61: Chapter 61 The Fifth Life, The Blazing Sun Illuminates the Martial Path (Part 9)

"Did I find the wrong person?" Zhao Xuan laughed heartily, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

"Chu Shi, stop pretending! If you have the guts, let's have a gambling duel!"

He took a step forward, patted his chest, his eyes filled with frantic confidence.

"If you win, I will never trouble Yun Mengyao again, and I will give you five bottles of low-grade Body Tempering Paste.

If you lose, you give me five bottles, and you must call me Daddy in front of all the disciples on the ship!

How about it? Do you dare to accept?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding clamor reached its peak instantly.

"My god! Has Zhao Xuan gone mad? To play for such high stakes!

And he actually dared to take the initiative to propose a gambling duel with Senior Brother Chu?

That's a Top-grade Root Bone combined with an Innate Flaming Sun Body!"

"What do you know? Zhao Xuan has also awakened the Mad Lion Battle Body.

This is a battle-specialized Battle Body; it increases combat power by thirty percent in the same realm. He has the confidence now!"

"Besides, both of their overall aptitudes are top-grade, and they have both been practicing the 'Great Sun Body Tempering Technique' issued just seven days ago.

Even if Senior Brother Chu has better aptitude, how much faster can he be?

Being in the same Tree Bark Realm, of course Zhao Xuan isn't afraid."

In the crowd, two people wearing Inner Sect Disciple attire exchanged glances and quietly squeezed out.

They headed straight for the top floor of the flying boat.

Inside a luxurious cabin, Elder Zhang was sitting by the window, toying with a piece of warm jade in his hand while leisurely sipping tea.

Hearing the disciple's report, he was not angry; instead, a glimmer of interest flashed in his eyes.

"Oh? Chu Shi and Zhao Xuan want to have a gambling duel?"

"Yes, Elder." The disciple replied with a bow.

"Zhao Xuan is using Yun Mengyao to deliberately provoke Senior Brother Chu, insulting him with words, and has spread the news throughout the entire flying boat, forcing him to accept the gambling duel."

Another disciple accompanying him spoke up quickly.

"Elder, both of these two are rare, talented seedlings. If they get hurt or cause trouble on the flying boat, it won't be easy to explain to the sect.

Should I go and stop them?"

"No need." Elder Zhang waved his hand, his eyes somewhat amused.

"It's normal for young people to have a bit of temper.

Cultivation aptitude is one thing; actual combat ability, mindset, and determination are another.

I want to see whether Chu Shi, this talented seedling with the Innate Flaming Sun Body, is just a bookworm who only knows how to cultivate, or a true prodigy.

If he can't even handle this little provocation, he's not worth my effort to cultivate."

He paused and instructed the two disciples:

"You go back and keep watching. When they finalize the gambling duel and need to find a witness, come and report to me again.

I will go and see for myself."

"Yes." The two disciples bowed and withdrew.

In the corridor, Chu Shi looked at the provocative Zhao Xuan, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly smiled.

There was no warmth in that smile, only bone-chilling coldness.

"Fine, I'll bet with you."

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone around.

The surrounding clamor stopped instantly, and everyone was stunned.

Yun Mengyao, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly raised her head, her eyes bursting with ecstatic light.

"However, I have one thing to say first."

Chu Shi's gaze swept across Zhao Xuan and then landed on Yun Mengyao.

His tone was incomparably cold, instantly extinguishing the joy she had just felt.

"Me fighting you has absolutely nothing to do with Yun Mengyao.

I just can't stand you barking like a mad dog in my ear.

Regardless of winning or losing, whether she lives or dies in the future has nothing to do with me.

Of course, I certainly won't lose."

The ecstasy on Yun Mengyao's face froze instantly, and the light in her eyes dimmed bit by bit.

A strong sense of resentment rose in her heart, but she didn't dare to show it at all.

She could only lower her head and continue to wipe away tears, pretending to be pitiful, while her fingernails dug fiercely into her palms.

Zhao Xuan didn't expect Chu Shi to agree so readily; he was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily.

"Good! You've got guts!

Chu Shi, I thought you had really turned into a coward!

Since you've agreed, let's set it for tomorrow at the hour of the snake in the Martial Arts Arena of the flying boat, and find Elder Zhang to be our witness.

In front of all the disciples on the ship, we will decide the winner!"

"Fine." Chu Shi replied indifferently, turned around, and closed the door.

He shut out the clamor outside, the onlookers' gazes, and Yun Mengyao's pitiful appearance.

Inside the room, Chu Shi shook his head, his eyes filled with speechlessness.

He had intended to cultivate in seclusion peacefully until they reached the Holy Land, but in the end, he was still entangled in this mess.

He walked over to the prayer mat and sat down, his fingertips rubbing a bottle of Body Tempering Paste, and a cold arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

Want to use him to show off? Want to disgust him? Then be prepared to have your legs broken.

Outside the door, Zhao Xuan looked at the tightly closed door, sneered, and turned to instruct his lackey.

"Go! Spread the news of my gambling duel with Chu Shi at the Martial Arts Arena tomorrow at the hour of the snake throughout the entire flying boat!

I want everyone to come and see how I trample Chu Shi, this arrogant prodigy, under my feet!"

"Yes, Senior Brother Zhao!" The lackey immediately took the order and scattered away.

In less than an hour, the news of the gambling duel between Chu Shi and Zhao Xuan had spread throughout the entire Jinwu Flying Boat.

As for Yun Mengyao, she returned to the dormitory with a lost soul.

Just after she pushed open the door, Liu Mei's mockery came head-on.

"Not bad, Yun Mengyao, you're really something!

To actually be able to make Senior Brother Chu and Senior Brother Zhao have a gambling duel for you.

We can't learn this skill of yours!"

Another roommate sneered and rolled her eyes.

"What skill? It's just treating her as a toy, a wager for their gambling duel.

Does she really think she's some kind of treasure?

If he wins, she is still just an Outer Sect Disciple that no one cares about.

If he loses, she will become Zhao Xuan's toy.

From beginning to end, she is just an object."

"Exactly, and she thought Senior Brother Chu was standing up for her?

He already said it has absolutely nothing to do with her."

"It's hilarious, and she's still there pretending to be pitiful."

The roommates' mocking words, like poisoned needles, pierced deeply into Yun Mengyao's heart.

She suddenly raised her head, her eyes red, and roared like a madwoman.

"Shut up! All of you, shut up!"

She threw herself onto her bunk, covered her head with the quilt, and gnashed her teeth.

She hated Liu Mei and the others for kicking her while she was down, hated Zhao Xuan for using her as a tool to humiliate Chu Shi, and hated Chu Shi even more.

She hated that he clearly agreed to the gambling duel, yet still said it had nothing to do with her, ruthlessly trampling her face into the ground and letting her become the laughingstock of the entire ship.

All the faults are theirs!

When she finds a backer in the future, she will definitely make all these people pay the price!

The next day at the hour of the snake, the Martial Arts Arena of the Jinwu Flying Boat was already packed tightly.

Almost all the disciples on the flying boat had come.

On one side was Chu Shi, with a Top-grade Root Bone and an Innate Flaming Sun Body.

On the other side was Zhao Xuan, a top-grade prodigy who had awakened the Mad Lion Battle Body.

A gambling duel in the same realm, with such heavy stakes, no one wanted to miss this good show.

In a private room on the second floor of the Martial Arts Arena, Seventh Prince Xiao Yuan, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a tall and straight posture and a handsome face, was standing by the window, his gaze fixed on the center of the Martial Arts Arena.