Chapter 324

Chapter 324: A Shocking Gamble

A Seventh-rank great demon has combat strength roughly equivalent to that of the Fire Tribulation Immortal, making it incredibly valuable.

However, a Seventh-rank great demon alone cannot compare with an Eighth-rank Treasure, because the Fire Tribulation Immortal is not worth as much as a Seventh-rank Treasure.

Normally, the value of a Thunder Tribulation Immortal can barely match that of an Eighth-rank Treasure.

But this great demon is a Dragon Turtle, and that changes everything.

Just as there are differences among humans, there are significant differences among demons as well.

Human cultivators focus on spiritual roots and talent; the higher the talent, the greater the potential, and thus the higher the value.

For demons, bloodline is what matters. The more noble the bloodline, the easier it is to advance, and the combat strength far surpasses that of their peers.

Therefore, a greater demon with a more noble bloodline will see its value soar.

This Dragon Turtle is one of the most noble types among demons. It is said to be a descendant of the Divine Beasts Azure Dragon and Black Tortoise, inheriting the advantages of both water element divine beasts, which makes its combat power extraordinarily terrifying.

Under normal circumstances, an ordinary Seventh-rank great demon cannot defeat an ordinary Fire Tribulation Immortal, but this Dragon Turtle could probably hold its own against a Thunder Tribulation Immortal.

To capture it alive and seal it in this water orb would likely require the efforts of at least seven or eight Thunder Tribulation Immortals, using several Eighth-rank Treasures.

Of course, if a Ninth-rank Treasure were used, then one Thunder Tribulation Immortal could achieve that.

In any case, the effort to capture this Dragon Turtle would not have been small for West Kunlun.

It is also worth mentioning that Dragon Turtles are extremely rare, often appearing only once every thousand years. Even when they do show up, they vanish without a trace, making them nearly impossible to catch.

The reasons for this situation include the Dragon Turtle’s rarity, which is truly uncommon.

Additionally, Dragon Turtles possess a special bloodline talent—an ability to avoid disaster and sense danger in advance.

It is said that this talent is inherited from the Black Tortoise, similar to the forecasting divine skill that human cultivators excel at, but even more precise and miraculous. And because they keep this ability to themselves, they never draw much Heavenly Dao backlash.

In such circumstances, trying to capture a living Dragon Turtle is incredibly difficult. It requires not only strength but also incredible methods to obscure Heavenly Dao’s secrets, preventing the Dragon Turtle from sensing danger ahead. Only then could one hope to capture it alive.

According to the history Fang Lie has learned, throughout the ages, the total number of Dragon Turtles captured alive may not exceed three.

And for a Seventh-rank Dragon Turtle, there might only be this one.

Thus, even though it has only advanced to a Seventh-rank great demon, its value rivals that of the White Dragon Divine Sword, perhaps even being slightly higher.

After all, while there are many Eighth-rank Divine Swords, there is only this single living Dragon Turtle!

Among the Four Great Outer Paths of cultivation—Insects, Beasts, Flags, and Weapons—this Dragon Turtle belongs to the Beasts.

Whoever can tame it and turn it into their protective demon beast will not only see their combat strength skyrocket but also gain its amazing ability to avoid disaster, as if they had an expert forecaster by their side!

Moreover, the Dragon Turtle’s itself has incredibly strong combat power, especially its defensive abilities, ranking among the top three in its category.

So, having it around would be like having an extra layer of powerful protection—truly a hard target to take down!

With the Dragon Turtle’s marvel, Fang Lie could not help but feel tempted. However, he regrettably felt uncertain about achieving victory.

Although Fang Lie appeared to be extremely arrogant, he was never reckless; on the contrary, he always planned before acting. Without absolute certainty, he wouldn’t take risks, especially not with a precious Eighth-rank Treasure at stake.

But the allure of the Dragon Turtle was simply too great, so he thought of his special cheat, the old bird!

"Bird Bro, the Dragon Turtle is a great treasure! Can you help me win it over?" Fang Lie eagerly asked in secret.

"Winning it over is definitely possible, but you must give it to Mo Lanyun!" the old bird stated solemnly.

"What?" Fang Lie exclaimed, "Why should that be?"

"Your spiritual root and your temperament are both of the fire element. Using a water-element Dragon Turtle as a mount would be a waste!" The old bird said with disappointment. "But if this Dragon Turtle is in Mo Lanyun’s hands, it would be completely different; her combat strength and survival ability would increase many times over. The Mo Sect would gain a powerful support! As the future Token Lord, you are meant to lead the Mo Sect, so as a leader, tell me, what should you do?"

With the old bird saying this, what could Fang Lie reply? Besides, the real focus of this gamble wasn’t even him, but the old bird. Without the old bird’s help, he had no chance of winning.

So Fang Lie finally smiled bitterly and said, "Alright, fine, give it to her. After all, we can’t let those bastards from Kunlun benefit!"

"Haha, that’s the spirit! I’ll help you get your revenge, and you will also aid the future of the Mo Sect. That is what a benevolent Token Lord should do!" The old bird laughed heartily.

With the old bird’s assurance, Fang Lie immediately felt energized, his nose pointed to the sky, filled with pride! He sneered and said, "Are you sure you want to bet with me?"

"Of course!" Ming Yue replied with a smile, "This is something I proposed."

"Good, since you want to give me treasures, I can’t disrespect you, can I?" Fang Lie sneered, "Let’s sign a contract and ask an Elder from the Penglai Sword Sect to serve as the referee!"

As he spoke, Fang Lie pulled out the White Dragon Divine Sword and casually tossed it to the ground, just like throwing away trash, making everyone from West Kunlun wince in surprise.

Although West Kunlun and East Kunlun were separated now, they had once belonged to the same sect under Kunlun Immortal Mountain. Their rift came from differences in Dao magic and sword techniques, but they still maintained a united front most of the time.

Thus, the humiliation of East Kunlun’s Divine Sword made them feel resentful towards Fang Lie even more.

Ming Yue snickered and immediately began contacting people from the Penglai Sword Sect. At that moment, however, Mo Lanyun grabbed Fang Lie’s hand, anxiously saying, "Senior brother, are you sure? I know that Ming Yue is skilled in refining techniques; he’s already a well-known master in West Kunlun at such a young age. Those who excel in refining usually also excel in treasure assessment. If you’re not confident, you shouldn’t bet against him!"

"Don’t worry, winning against him will be like a game. A mere clown dares to boast about assessing treasures before me? Hmph, that’s truly laughable!" Fang Lie replied boastfully.

Mo Lanyun was stunned and kept looking at Fang Lie as if she was meeting him for the first time.

Meanwhile, Ming Yue was furious, shaking as he said, "You, Fang Lie, dare to talk so arrogantly. Just wait until you lose; I’d like to see how you keep boasting!"

"If I lose to you, I’ll personally twist my head off and give it to you as a soccer ball!" Fang Lie coldly laughed, "Do you dare to say the same to me?"

"You—" Ming Yue’s face turned green with anger, but after trembling for a long time, he found himself unable to respond to Fang Lie!

Because if Fang Lie dies, it would be like a game to him. But if Ming Yue dies, he would lose a precious Golden Lotus Dao Seed, which is as valuable as a Seventh-rank Treasure, not something to be taken lightly. Even as a Core Inner Gate Disciple, he wouldn’t dare waste it.

Seeing Ming Yue retreating, Fang Lie smirked with disdain, infuriating Ming Yue to the brink of exploding.

Among the onlookers, a wave of mockery rose up.

"Ha! This so-called master of refining from West Kunlun is just a coward!"

"He’s too scared to accept the challenge from a mere Fang Lie, how pathetic!"

"With such a level, he wants to challenge Fang Lie? Is he sincerely offering treasures?"

Prideful Ming Yue could hardly contain his frustration, nearly on the verge of a breakdown!

Just then, a figure in red appeared before everyone. "Oh, are you going to gamble again?"

Fang Lie recognized him with delight; it was his old acquaintance, Immortal Fire Cloud, evidently here to serve as the referee once more.

Fang Lie immediately said with a smile, "This time it’s not a duel but a treasure bet. And just to clarify, I’m not the one who wanted to bet—someone blocked my path and forced me to bet; I had no choice but to agree!"

"Ah~" Immortal Fire Cloud looked at Ming Yue with a wry smile, "Ming Yue, what is going on this time?"

"The Divine Sword of Kunlun Mountain cannot fall into the hands of outsiders!" Ming Yue declared seriously. "We have already made all the arrangements; please witness this, senior, and don’t try to persuade us anymore!"

Saying this, he handed over the contract he had prepared.

"Alright, then I won’t meddle!" Immortal Fire Cloud said as he read through the contract before continuing, "Everything looks good; you two can sign the contract!"

Fang Lie and Ming Yue signed their names without exchanging a word, meaning the bet was officially established, and neither could take it back. If either of them reneged, the Penglai Sword Sect, as the referee, had the right to intervene.

Then Immortal Fire Cloud said, "You both stand in the center of the plaza. I will give you fifteen minutes to prepare, and then you can freely choose treasures. After that, I and the others will judge which of your treasures is more valuable!"

"Understood!" Fang Lie and Ming Yue replied and then moved to the center of the plaza. They began scanning around the small rooms with their divine sense, inspecting each treasure to find the most valuable one!

The surrounding audience was very cooperative; they also wanted to see the outcome of this huge gamble and cautiously stepped aside, quietly awaiting the final result.

After fifteen minutes, Immortal Fire Cloud called out, "Time’s up! Please select your treasures!"

With his command, Fang Lie and Ming Yue instantly transformed into beams of light, darting in opposite directions.

Before long, both returned to the plaza with their chosen treasures.