Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 20 - Shocking Reversal

The crowd around them jeered. If Liu Wuxie refused the bet, he would be drowned in their ridicule.

“I don’t mind accepting the bet, but there’s an issue with the stakes.” Liu Wuxie wore a sly grin. Gold coins were useless to him, and he needed spirit stones instead. Using these spirit stones, he could speed up his cultivation and breakthrough to the Xiantian Realm after repairing his heart meridian.

“Oh? What do you suggest, then? I can alter the stakes.” Wan Zhuoran needed Liu Wuxie to bet with him, and he didn’t really care how high the stakes were. After all, his Wan Clan had nothing but gold coins, and their gold coins could pile into a mountain.

“Change gold coins to spirit stones. According to the market price, a spirit stone is 100,000 gold coins. So let’s go with 100 spirit stones instead.”

The moment Liu Wuxie spoke, everyone looked at him as though they were looking at an idiot.

“Big brother, why do you need spirit stones? You can’t cultivate anyway,” Song Ling blurted out. He immediately regretted his words and slapped himself, realizing he had just insulted Liu Wuxie. But Liu Wuxie didn’t take offense as he knew Song Ling didn’t mean it.

“You want spirit stones instead?” Wan Zhuoran frowned. The Imperial Academy only gave him five spirit stones monthly for his cultivation, and he had only accumulated slightly more than 30 spirit stones over the past year. So how could he possibly take out 100 spirit stones to bet?

“What’s the matter? You can’t afford this bet?” Liu Wuxie said in a mocking tone. Wan Zhuoran wouldn’t be qualified to bet with him if he couldn’t afford it. Since he agreed to Wan Zhuoran’s stakes, Wan Zhuoran naturally had to agree to his as well to make it fair. This was a brilliant tactic to put Wan Zhuoran in a difficult position. After all, Wan Zhuoran was the one who forced him to accept the bet, so Liu Wuxie tossed the ball back to Wan Zhuoran.

“You can admit it if you don’t dare to participate in the bet. There’s no need to come up with such an absurd reason,” Tian Yequan sneered, attracting many people to follow suit as mockeries overwhelmed Liu Wuxie.

“Brother Zhuo, I have some spirit stones with me. You can use them for now and return them to me after the bet,” Xue Yu offered, pulling out an interspatial pouch from his waist and tossing it onto the table. About 70 spirit stones spilled out. Combined with Wan Zhuoran’s spirit stones, there were more than enough for the bet.

A hundred spirit stones were placed on the table, emitting dense spiritual energy. This made everyone feel comfortable when they took a deep breath.

“Young Master Liu, can we begin now?” Wan Zhuoran didn’t want to wait for another moment. He wanted to chase Liu Wuxie out of Azure Billow City as soon as possible. At that time, there was a high chance he could pursue Xu Lingxue with his fame and prestige.

“Let’s begin!” Liu Wuxie waved his hand impatiently. He wanted to end this drama quickly to return and cultivate with the spirit stones.

The two demonic beasts went in place with a beast tamer on each side. This was a battle between an Iron Centipede and a Bloodstripe Lion. They were pinnacle first-grade demonic beasts, equivalent to the ninth-level Houtian Realm human cultivators. The battle between them would become an earth-shattering one.

“Brother Liu, you may choose first,” Wan Zhuoran offered graciously. The crowd applauded his gentlemanly behavior, which contrasted sharply with Liu Wuxie’s.

One was a great talent, like the moon in the sky, while the other was trash in Azure Billow City like an ant.

“I don’t have a habit of going first. So you can go ahead first.” Like the previous two rounds, Liu Wuxie let the other party have the first pick. This instantly won him the respect of many people, and it would be honorable even if Liu Wuxie lost.

“I won’t be polite with you then. I bet on the Bloodstripe Lion.” Wan Zhuoran didn’t refuse Liu Wuxie’s offer and picked the Bloodstripe Lion. This meant Liu Wuxie had no choice but to go with the Iron Centipede. The Iron Centipede was proficient in defense, while the Bloodstripe Lion was proficient in offense. This was a battle between the spear and the shield.

“Big brother, are you confident in this bet? I want to earn some pocket money.” Song Ling jabbed Liu Wuxie, wanting to follow him and make a bet.

But Liu Wuxie responded by rolling his eyes, and Song Ling got his answer. He immediately ran out to make a bet.

“Give me all the gold coins you guys have.” Song Ling searched the Song Clan’s party and gathered over 1,000,000 gold coins, a considerable amount. Song Ling didn’t hesitate to bet them all on the Iron Centipede; the odds were 1:3. This meant he would obtain 3,000,000 gold coins if he won.

The battle between the two demonic beasts began. Both were heavyweights, with the Bloodstripe Lion being slightly larger. The Iron Centipede, on the other hand, had dozens of legs and could spray a corrosive poison. Its armor was so tough that ordinary weapons couldn’t penetrate it.

The Bloodstripe Lion stood over five feet tall and exhaled white mist from its mouth. Its calves were as thick as an adult human’s thighs and packed with power. When it stepped on the blue slab ground, it made a thumping sound.

At the sound of the beast tamer’s whistle, the two demonic beasts roared and charged at each other, creating a powerful shockwave when they collided. The battle was brutal, and the ground was soon covered in blood. The Iron Centipede had sliced open the Bloodstripe Lion’s lower abdomen.

The spectators held their breaths as they watched the fight. They could feel the ground tremble with each clash of the beasts. Some of the more timid ones closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight.

On the other hand, Song Ling glared at the Iron Centipede and muttered, “Attack...attack...kill the Bloodstripe Lion!”

The Iron Centipede’s back was covered in blood from the Bloodstripe Lion’s claws, but its defenses remained unbroken. It only further angered the Iron Centipede as it opened its jaws and dashed forth. As the battle progressed, two people remained calm in the audience: Liu Wuxie and Wan Zhuoran.

The Bloodstripe Lion took this opportunity to slam its paw on the Iron Centipede’s back before baring its jaws and biting down, tearing apart a piece of its armor. When the armor was ripped off, blood began to spray out, and the Iron Centipede let out a mournful scream.

The Iron Centipede was frightened by the Bloodstripe Lion’s ferocity and began to back off. It was unfavorable for the Iron Centipede now that its armor was torn off. As the fight carried on, the Bloodstripe Lion would eventually win.

They were pinnacle first-grade demonic beasts, but the Bloodstripe Lion’s speed and strength were faster than the Iron Centipede. So there wasn’t much suspense in this match.

“Big brother, think of a way!” With a nervous expression, Song Ling took hold of Liu Wuxie’s arm, hoping for a solution from him.

“Just look at yourself.” Liu Wuxie responded with a disdainful gaze, and Song Ling could only sit down obediently and watch the battle.

The Bloodstripe Lion didn’t let the Iron Centipede go so easily. It leaped to the sky and released an ominous aura from its jaws. The Bloodstripe Lion was a demonic beast on the brink of reaching the second grade.

The Iron Centipede’s size was smaller in comparison, and they weren’t on the same level. The Iron Centipede had already retreated to the edge of the arena.

As the battle was nearing its end, Liu Wuxie’s lips moved. His words were incomprehensible to anyone listening, for he spoke not in human language but in strange symbols that formed a line and flew into the arena.

The Iron Centipede’s intelligence wasn’t high, and it had lost its fighting spirits. But when the strange symbols entered its body, its eyes became crimson.

Liu Wuxie had previously spoken in the language of the demonic beasts, a tongue understood by few in the True Martial Continent. He had learned it from the sect master of the Beast Master Gate and never thought he would have occasion to use it. Yet every demonic beast had its weaknesses and ways to unlock its potential.

The Bloodstripe Lion approached, and the Iron Centipede couldn’t retreat further. It was already certain that the Iron Centipede would lose. The Wan Clan’s disciples began to cheer because winning once was enough, even though they lost 1,500,000 gold coins. After this day, the son-in-law of the Xu Clan would be forced to leave Azure Billow City.

Many people began to look at Liu Wuxie with gloating expressions because they could already see his demise without Xu Clan’s protection.

The situation was crucial, and Song Ling widened his eyes, hoping for a miracle. Compared to him, Wan Zhuoran was chatting happily with Xue Yu. The battle in the arena could no longer catch their attention. They were in the late phase of the Xiantian Realm, and the battle between two first-grade demonic beasts was no different from two kids playing in their eyes.

“Is the battle finally going to end?” Many people followed Liu Wuxie and placed their bet on the Iron Centipede. After all, he had turned the tables around in the two previous rounds and won, earning many people’s trust.

The Bloodstripe Lion was about to strike the Iron Centipede when the latter suddenly curled into a ball and began rolling on the ground. The Lion’s pounce missed its mark and instead shattered the blue slabs at the edge of the arena.

“What’s going on?!” Wan Zhuoran narrowed his eyes. He was well aware of the Iron Centipede’s strength and knew it would lose in a fight against the Bloodstripe Lion. However, he had ways to ensure its victory even if Liu Wuxie chose the Bloodstripe Lion. Yet this turn of events left him puzzled, for the Iron Centipede seemed to have changed in some way he couldn’t discern.

The Iron Centipede’s evasion only served to further enrage the Bloodstripe Lion. It let out a piercing roar that hurt the ears of many spectators. The sound created a gust of wind that made the flags flutter wildly, and its demonic energy swept across the entire arena.

The Bloodstripe Lion quickened its pace and pounced, intent on crushing the Iron Centipede. In the blink of an eye, the Iron Centipede’s speed increased as it curled into a ball and shot away like a comet. When it reappeared, it collided with the Lion’s right front paw, fracturing it and causing the beast to lose its balance.

This scene made Wan Zhuoran take a cold breath, catching him off guard. He couldn’t understand how the Iron Centipede became so strong, and just what was this attacking style? The Iron Centipede was close to becoming invincible when it curled into a ball.

The Bloodstripe Lion cried out from the pain as it limped towards the Iron Centipede, leaving behind a long trail of blood.

This scene also made Xue Yu squint his eyes, and he turned to look at Liu Wuxie. But Liu Wuxie was calmly watching the battle, and Xue Yu failed to get his desired answer.

The Iron Centipede continued its assault, each attack leaving a wound on the Bloodstripe Lion and diminishing its fighting prowess.

“This is impossible! How can the Bloodstripe Lion lose?!” Wan Zhuoran widened his eyes in a fury. He couldn’t afford to lose 100 spirit stones. Even if he was a student at the Imperial Academy, the academy only provided him with five spirit stones monthly. If he lost 10,000,000 gold coins, the Wan Clan might be unable to catch their breath within ten years.

So as an eerie chill flashed across his eyes, Wan Zhuoran made a strange movement with his right hand. When the beast tamer in the arena received Wan Zhuoran’s command, the beast tamer took out a peculiar red pill and tossed it out.