Martial Conquest of the Nine Desolates-Chapter 46 - 044 Century-Old Jade Marrow
46: Chapter 044: Century-Old Jade Marrow
46 -044: Century-Old Jade Marrow
Anyone who stays at the Heroic Inn is the focus of martial artists within the County.
At this moment, as Zhao Zilong entered the Martial Arts Arena, someone immediately recognized him.
“It’s Zhao Zilong from Yan City, with a cultivation level at the early stage of the Postnatal Ninth Layer!”
“Does he also want to try his skills in the Martial Arts Arena?”
Zhao Zilong alone almost attracted the eyes of all the martial artists in the arena, and the atmosphere was incredibly fiery.
Naturally, they were looking forward to seeing such a genius in action.
Hearing Shao Yan’s words, Xiao Ye nodded his head.
He didn’t have a shred of fondness for the arrogant Zhao Zilong.
If he could really gain some benefits from the opponent, he wouldn’t mind.
Besides, although Zhao Zilong was arrogant, his strength was evident; he was a strong contender for the top ten in this assessment.
From Zhao Zilong, he could estimate the approximate strength of other geniuses.
This would be quite beneficial for the assessment half a month later.
“Zhao Zilong, we brothers want to bet fight with you, do you dare to accept?” Shao Yan said loudly.
Upon hearing this, the entire Martial Arts Arena fell silent.
Bet fight with Zhao Zilong?
The crowd’s gaze couldn’t help but shift towards Xiao Ye and Shao Yan.
When they noticed the cultivation levels of the two, they couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Haha, one at the mid-stage of the Seventh Layer of the Postnatal Realm, and the other at the early stage of the Eighth Layer.
With such cultivation levels, they dare to bet fight with Zhao Zilong?”
“It’s just ignorance.
Aren’t they just sending treasures to Zhao Zilong?”
Various mocking voices rose, submerging the whole Martial Arts Arena.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Zilong raised his eyebrows.
He indeed came to the Martial Arts Arena to find opponents to bet fight with, to temper his cultivation, but the two people in front of him were not qualified to bet fight with him at all.
“How ridiculous.
Just who does Zhao Zilong think he is?
If I had to accept every challenge, wouldn’t I be busy to death every day?”
“Remember, since ancient times, a dragon does not fight with snakes!” Zhao Zilong sneered, then walked past the two with his hands behind his back, heading toward the inside of the Martial Arts Arena.
A dragon does not fight with snakes?
Comparing himself to a dragon?
Xiao Ye’s eyes turned cold; this person was indeed very arrogant.
“Indeed a genius.” This scene, however, made the martial artists of the Martial Arts Arena secretly praise him.
In their view, a genius should have their pride.
Only a genius is entitled to cross hands with another genius.
Looking again at Xiao Ye and Shao Yan, although their cultivation levels were not bad, in the genius-filled County, they seemed very ordinary and were still a far cry from Zhao Zilong.
“Zhao Zilong, are you scared?” Shao Yan, however, was not annoyed at all, and said cheerfully.
His voice, amplified by True Qi, spread throughout the entire Martial Arts Arena.
Xiao Ye smiled slightly; Shao Yan really was nasty, ridiculing Zhao Zilong in front of so many people.
With the other’s arrogance, he couldn’t refuse even if he wanted to.
Sure enough, Zhao Zilong suddenly turned around, with two sharp lights shooting from his eyes.
“Scared?
Zhao Zilong being scared of two ants?
What a joke!” Zhao Zilong said coldly, “Since you want to give me treasures, then I’ll accept.”
Upon hearing these words, the martial artists of the Martial Arts Arena were invigorated.
“If you want to bet fight, then you have to follow the rules of the Martial Arts Arena.
Bring out your bets first.” At this time, a middle-aged referee came over.
Bets?
Xiao Ye frowned.
Besides the few thousand silver taels given to him by Xiao Tianxiong when he left Green Sun Town, he had nothing else.
Was he going to bet fight with Zhao Zilong using silver?
Shao Yan cheerfully pulled out a stack of silver notes from his chest and said loudly, “I have two hundred thousand taels in silver notes here, which can be exchanged for silver in any bank in Black Dragon Country.
Let’s take this as the bet from my brother and me.”
Two hundred thousand taels in silver notes!
The Martial Arts Arena erupted in commotion.
Two hundred thousand taels of silver was a huge amount of money in the County.
Xiao Ye smiled wryly; half of the silver notes in Shao Yan’s hands were obtained from plundering those mountain bandits.
Their loot along the way had made Shao Yan a little rich man.
After the middle-aged referee took the silver note and checked that there were no issues, he then turned his gaze toward Zhao Zilong, “Mr.
Zhao, what is your bet?”
Zhao Zilong’s face turned dark.
Although he had a fair amount of silver, it only added up to a few tens of thousands.
Under the watchful eyes of the public, he couldn’t reveal it.
“So our great genius Zhao can’t even afford the bet, huh?” Shao Yan pretended to shake his head regretfully, a sight that made Xiao Ye unable to suppress his laughter.
“Shut up!” Zhao Zilong yelled angrily, his face turning red with anger.
“Oh, I just remembered, I happen to have another hundred thousand taels in silver notes here.” Shao Yan suddenly called out loudly, conjuring a stack of silver notes as if by magic.
Everyone was a bit stunned at this; the guy was too eager to give away his money, never having seen someone so eager to give away silver.
“Great genius Zhao, my brother has now put down a bet of three hundred thousand taels in silver.
If you can’t afford the bet, you can just say so.” Shao Yan deliberately taunted.
Xiao Ye burst into laughter; this guy wanted to trap Zhao Zilong’s treasures slyly, and inwardly felt pleased knowing that if Zhao Zilong knew his true cultivation, he would never dare to bet fight with him.
Zhao Zilong’s breathing halted, his fists clenched and then relaxed, his face fluctuating between shades.
Normally, bets in the Martial Arts Arena would amount to around ten thousand silver taels.
He hadn’t prepared this much for his visit this time.
Moreover, he had already agreed to the bet fight and was now in a difficult position.
“Brother Xiao, it seems our genius Zhao is just a pauper.
It looks like this bet fight can’t go on, let’s just leave.” Shao Yan said loudly, then moved next to the referee, ready to take back the silver notes.
“Wait!” Zhao Zilong said coldly, “I have a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure here, worth at least five million silver taels.”
Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures!
Upon hearing these four words, everyone gasped in shock, their faces showing astonishment.
Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures are natural treasures with amazing effects and high value.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Zilong possessed such a treasure.
Xiao Ye was also taken aback, his eyes then lighting up with fervor.
In his experiences within the Black Dragon Country, he had read many descriptions of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, which he had long coveted.
“Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure?
Mr.
Zhao, are you sure you want to use this item as a bet?” the judge asked in astonishment.
Since the establishment of the Martial Arts Arena in Dahong County, he had never seen anyone wager a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure.
“It doesn’t matter.
I’ll put it up, but they don’t have the ability to win it away,” Zhao Zilong said, struggling briefly before carefully taking out an item from his bosom.
It was a fruit, seemingly as warm as jade, emitting flowing light.
It was only the size of half a fist, with divine light leaping within it, extremely startling.
“This item is called century-old jade marrow, which grows in bitter cold lands, and can help Martial Artists of the Postnatal Realm Ninth Layer break through the Boundary Barrier.
I originally planned to use it to vie for the top three positions in the Chongyang Sect’s assessment, but now I offer it as a bet,” Zhao Zilong said, then handed it to the judge.
“How can I know if it’s a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure just because you randomly claimed it to be one?
Moreover, if this item can really help a Martial Artist break through the Boundary Barrier, then why don’t you consume it yourself?” Shao Yan asked with a sneer.
“What do you know!” Zhao Zilong retorted coldly, “After consuming century-old jade marrow, one must undergo the refinement of Extreme Cold Power within a month; otherwise, only half of its efficacy can be exerted.”
“I’ve had this item for half a year and have not found a source of Extreme Cold Power for refinement, which is why I’ve held back from consuming it.”
Taking the century-old jade marrow, the judge nodded and said, “That’s right, century-old jade marrow indeed has this characteristic.
I can vouch for that.”
Hearing this explanation, Xiao Ye became excited.
He had seen the introduction of century-old jade marrow in the records of his experiences in the Black Dragon Country, so he was very clear that what Zhao Zilong had said was correct.
If he could consume the century-old jade marrow, even if only half of its power was exerted, it would be enough to elevate him to the late stage of the Postnatal Realm Ninth Layer.
“Now that the bets have been placed, let’s start the competition,” said the judge.
“Brother Xiao, I’ve been annoyed by this guy for a long time.
Win that century-old jade marrow, and it’s yours,” Shao Yan said with a sly grin.
Xiao Ye was slightly surprised; could it be that Shao Yan was not tempted by the treasure?
Sensing Xiao Ye’s doubt, Shao Yan said indifferently, “Anyway, I haven’t reached the Postnatal Realm Ninth Layer, so it’s of no use to me.
It’s better for you to consume it.”
Xiao Ye was somewhat touched.
Indeed, without reaching the Postnatal Realm Ninth Layer, consuming century-old jade marrow was futile.
The Boundary Barrier of the Postnatal Realm exists only at the Ninth Layer.
Next, the judge led Xiao Ye and Zhao Zilong to a platform, and both leapt onto it.
“The rules of the Martial Arts Arena are as follows: falling off the platform means defeat, and harming one’s life is forbidden,” the judge stated before declaring the competition to begin.
The crowd around the platform in the Martial Arts Arena were buzzing with discussion.
“Can this young kid hold up for a few moves against Zhao Zilong?”
“He will lose within three moves.”
“Three moves?
You’re underestimating Zhao Zilong.
I think one move is enough.”
The consensus was quickly reached among most people that Xiao Ye would lose in one move.
…
On the platform above, Zhao Zilong arrogantly looked at Xiao Ye and mocked, “I, Zhao Zilong, have never thanked anyone in my life, but today I must thank you for giving me three hundred thousand silver taels.”
“Thank me?” Xiao Ye replied with a slight smile, “I should be thanking you for handing over the century-old jade marrow to me.”
Upon hearing this, a glint of cold light flashed in Zhao Zilong’s eyes as he spat out two words: “Ignorant.”
With that, he erupted with a powerful aura, radiating outwards in a ring, forcing the people around the platform to step back.
“What a powerful aura, worthy of a genius who could stay in room eleven of the Hero Inn!” The crowd looked at Zhao Zilong, their faces filled with shock.
Only those who had faced Zhao Zilong personally knew his true strength.
“Get lost!” Zhao Zilong didn’t even bother to use combat techniques; he roused his True Qi and coldly chopped a palm towards Xiao Ye.
Boom!
With Zhao Zilong’s palm strike, a surging power caused the air to howl as if a wall of Qi pushed towards Xiao Ye.
“Just this level of strength and you think you can defeat me?” Xiao Ye’s eyes turned icy, and the aura he had been hiding through the Hidden Qi Technique burst out like an erupting volcano.
Boom, boom, boom!
Xiao Ye’s robe flapped, his black hair whipped about, and his aura soared at an astonishing rate, quickly surpassing Zhao Zilong and almost reaching the late stage of the Postnatal Realm Ninth Layer.
What!
This dramatic turn of events silenced the entire Martial Arts Arena; everyone’s jaws dropped, unable to close.
Zhao Zilong too was stunned, his face filled with disbelief.
The ant he had looked down upon had become more powerful than him in the blink of an eye!
