Chapter 54 – Unfair Gambling Bets
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Although the words were pleasant, the provocative meaning behind them was too obvious. Lin Ming frowned. He turned his head to see that the man who spoke was the other youth who had stood beside Liu Mingxiang and Wang Yanfeng, the young man with immeasurably deep strength.
This youth wore an entirely blue outfit, and in his hand he carried a long and narrow saber as wide as three fingers. It had a very short handle and did not have a hand guard, the blade was directly attached to the hilt.
Among martial artists, the number that used sabers was very few compared to the number who used swords. Lin Ming paid attention to this; with such a short hilt it would not be easy to wield. The saber didn’t have a handle guard so their hand would be easily injured by the opponent. But, there was a benefit to this. The saber could display the fastest speed possible; it paid the price of sacrificing defense to pursue the limit of rapid attacks. To even dare to do such a rash thing, it proved that this youth’s saber was extremely strong.
Perhaps this youth might even be fiercer than Liu Mingxiang. Lin Ming stayed on alert, because even if someone was arrogant, he would never look down on them. He hesitated for a second and then asked, “What do you want?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to experience the majesty and grandeur of the first place candidate. Have I misread, is your cultivation only at the Second Stage of Body Transformation?”
“Gee, this year’s candidates are just so bad. A Second Stage Body Transformation boy could actually achieve first place. What rank of talent are you?” Liu Mingxiang echoed. The truth was that he had already inquired earlier and knew everything there was to know. Lin Ming was only a medium third-grade talent. This talent may have been decent outside of the Seven Profound Martial House, but in the Seven Profound Martial House, it was the lowest of the low. He had intentionally asked this to provoke Lin Ming.
“What does my rank of talent have to do with you?” Lin Ming coolly replied. He knew that these two boys were just coveting his true essence stones and wanted to provoke his anger into making a gambling match with him as they had with Wang Yanfeng.
In Sky Fortune Kingdom, the authorities would not involve themselves in the scuffles between martial artists, because even if they had the mind to, there was no way they were capable of doing so. Therefore, the solution was a gambling on the martial arts duels. As long as both parties mutually consented, and agreed upon the conditions and prizes of victory, then the loser could not pursue afterwards.
This sort of proposition was very popular; even the Seven Profound Martial House was no exception.
“Hehe, of course it has nothing to do with me, I had only heard some rumors that brother Lin is a medium third-grade. I just felt this to be a bit strange. Although all the candidates of the recent entrance examination are trash, how could a useless, good-for-nothing piece of sh*t like you achieve first place?”
It may have been some hypocritical double talk at first, but these words directly had no consideration for face. In the view of these two youths, Lin Ming was just a small boy, to step on him, they did not even need to bother faking anything.
Lin Ming gave a frosty look and quipped, “You do this sort of thing in the Seven Profound Martial House? You depend on conniving and stealing a new disciple’s true essence stones to barely maintain your own pathetic and feeble existence? To do such shameful things, it’s best that you leave this place early, you are only losing face for your family.”
“Little boy! You’re courting death!” The youth’s complexion sank, “You are just some third-grade talent trash! Dog sh*t like you only managed to luck your way into the Seven Profound Martial House by eating some rare material! In my eyes, you are even less than dog shit!”
Listening to such vicious words, Lin Ming knit his brows, and felt his heart move to anger, “I originally didn’t want to meddle too much, but this is fine. Yes, this is fine. Since you really want to stir things up and make a gambling match with me, then if that’s the case…”
“Lin Ming!” At that moment a voice sounded from behind Lin Ming’s back. “Don’t fall into their trap!”
Lin Ming turned his head around to look and saw Lin Wu and Lin Fengyuan jogging towards him. The man who had spoken up and interrupted him was Lin Wu; his complexion wasn’t too good. These two were tricky. Concerning their family, Liu Mingxiang’s Liu Family was not inferior to their Lin Family. But when discussing strength, he was simply not a match for these two.
“Lin Wu, if you’re smart then you’ll immediately get the hell out of the way.” The youth with a saber coldly snorted and his entire body exuded a faint murderous intent. The boy’s saber was affected by this murderous aura and began to faintly ring.
This young man had already become one with his saber!
Lin Ming remembered, if a martial artist was able to become one with their weapon and communicate with it, that weapon would be able to sense its master’s intentions and true essence, and thus have such a response. This kind of boundary needed an extremely high level of talent and perception, as well as carefully cultivating a treasure. This was not something Wang Yanfeng could compare with. Although Wang Yanfeng also had a rare treasure, but when had usually used it, Lin Ming was able to see that it was full of flaws, and thus had been able to break through his martial skill with only a first.
Moreover this person had such a thick murderous intent; he had probably killed many people before. Such a person would not be easy to handle.
Lin Ming frowned. Whether this guy or Lin Mingxiang, they both appeared to be arrogant idiots with no brains, but they were actually hidden masters. He was definitely not their match.
Lin Wu was forced back by this strong murdering intent, and his complexion became increasingly ugly. Although he was also in the Earth Hall, his ranking was far behind these two, and was simply not their opponent. To make conflict with these two youths was absolutely unwise. He pulled Lin Ming sleeve and whispered to him, “Lin Ming, let’s go.”
“You want to leave? Haha! Lin Wu, you truly are worthy of the title cowardly turtle! I thought it was strange, how could a weak little coward like you infiltrate the Seven Profound Martial Hall’s Earth Hall! Is Green Mulberry City’s Lin Family a family that specially cultivates turtles? Especially cowardly turtles?”
Lin Wu lost his temper facing this unscrupulous ridicule, especially since it involved his family. He just couldn’t bear this! He grasped his sword and stepped forward, but was stopped by Lin Ming. Lin Ming could see that Lin Wu was not this person’s match.
“Don’t be so impulsive. They came for me. A gambling fight isn’t too bad.”
“Haha! How straightforward and refreshing! This elder brother may as well be the little brother, heh heh. List the time and place you want.” The youth said as he laughed with an arrogant smile.
Lin Wu urgently said, “Lin Ming, don’t be tricked by him. The guy came for your true essence stones. His name Zhang Cang, he is at the peak of Viscera Training! And he is also half a step into the Altering Muscle stage. This person’s blade work is astonishing. His Ranking Stone place is 109, do you even know what sort of existence the 109th place is? A new disciple at Seven Profound Martial House who can enter above 180 is already rare. Even Ling Sen, Ta Ku, Zhang Guanyu and other characters like them that used to be first place candidates could not go above 130!”
Ling Sen? Ling Ming naturally knew this person. He was the elder senior apprentice of the Heavenly Abode. If he didn’t factor in the several core disciples, then Ling Sen would be first place among everyone in the Seven Profound Martial Hall! His battle prowess might even surpass Qin Xingxuan!
Although he hadn’t heard of Ta Ku and Zhang Guanyu, he guessed they were the same ruthlessly strong type like Ling Sen, and probably weren’t too far off from him.
Lin Wu continued, “This Zhang Cang is the top character among those in the Earth Hall. After some time he will probably enter the Heavenly Abode too, there is just no hope of winning for you.”
Lin Ming replied, “Elder brother, I know.”
Lin Wu anxiously said, “Why are you so obstinate! You don’t know where things stand! I know that you are strong and can fight someone at the peak of the Third Stage of Body Transformation, but which one of the disciples of the Seven Profound Martial House’s Earth Hall is not a genius? You can fight others above your rank, and others cannot? With Zhang Cang’s strength, outside of the Seven Profound Martial House not even martial artists at the peak of the Fourth Stage of Body Transformation are necessarily his match!”
What Lin Wu said was not wrong. The Seven Profound Martial House was where all the talented geniuses converged and gathered together. Daily battles among them were not uncommon. Although Lin Ming’s current physical strength was comparable to someone at the Fourth Stage of Body Transformation and the ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ was potent, it still was too difficult for Lin Ming to fight a fellow genius who was two stages above him.
As Lin Wu spoke, Zhang Cang crossed his arms over his chest as he watched with a grinning smile.
“Are you done discussing? Are you going to be a little turtle or are you going to bet with me?”
Lin Ming opened his mouth and said, “You don’t need provoke me, there is no significance in stirring things up. I only want to know, what sort of gambling stakes will be involved?”