Chapter 161: Let’s Bet! You Can’t Say No!

Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Let’s Bet! You Can’t Say No!

"You’re an idiot. Who said we have to kill him to get our hands on his treasures?"

Connor gave him a disdainful look.

"Have you forgotten how the betting system in the combat area works?"

Mark’s expression changed instantly.

"That’s right! How could I have overlooked that?"

Neither man had been using the Destiny Space for very long. They had only entered three or five times, so it wasn’t surprising that Mark hadn’t immediately thought of the alternative.

The combat area wasn’t merely a place where martial artists could test their strength and gain experience.

Before a match began, both participants could agree to stake valuable items on the outcome. Whoever won would claim everything that had been wagered.

In other words, they could obtain another person’s treasures through a battle without violating the Destiny Space’s rules.

Connor smiled when he saw that his companion had finally caught on.

"As you know, I’m a formation master. I possess a secret manual left behind by my master, the Azure Lotus Daoist. It contains his personal annotations and insights into the Azure Lotus God-Slaying Formation."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"I don’t need to explain how formidable that formation is. Once Major sees the manual, I’m certain he’ll be interested. It’s an excellent bait."

The Azure Lotus God-Slaying Formation was the signature creation of the renowned Azure Lotus Daoist, the very formation that had established his reputation as a grandmaster.

Like pills and martial arts, formations were divided into nine grades.

The Azure Lotus God-Slaying Formation was a seventh-grade formation, making it an extremely valuable inheritance.

Connor was confident that a wealthy martial artist like Yanzu wouldn’t easily turn down an opportunity to obtain something like that.

Mark’s eyes brightened.

"That sounds promising. Why don’t you approach him yourself?"

Connor immediately shook his head.

"That’s your job. I’m not afraid of fighting, but my expertise lies in formations. Direct combat isn’t where my strength is best displayed."

He looked at Mark meaningfully.

"You’re different, brother. You’re already a one-star Divine Power Realm martial artist, and you’ve comprehended powerful fire-type laws. You’re the perfect person to handle this match."

Mark considered his words for a moment before nodding.

"Fine. That fellow is clearly a newcomer, and judging by what I’ve observed, his cultivation shouldn’t exceed the peak of the Star Sea Realm. I’ll take care of him."

He was quite pleased with his companion’s assessment of his abilities. Smiling confidently, he patted his chest as though the outcome had already been decided.

Connor then retrieved the secret manual of the Azure Lotus God-Slaying Formation from his spatial ring and handed it over with a solemn expression.

"Brother, I’m counting on you."

"Don’t worry. I won’t let you down."

Mark accepted the manual and strode directly toward Xavier.

When he reached him, he put on a friendly smile.

"Brother, I’ve got something quite valuable here. Would you like to have a look?"

Without waiting long, he produced the secret manual Connor had given him.

"You’ve surely heard of the Azure Lotus God-Slaying Formation, haven’t you? This is the very formation that helped the Azure Lotus Daoist earn his reputation as a grandmaster. The manual contains everything you need to understand and master it..."

"Sorry. I’m not interested."

Mark froze.

What?

That wasn’t how this was supposed to go!

Xavier was naturally familiar with the Azure Lotus God-Slaying Formation.

After all, he had encountered it firsthand when dealing with the Lindsay Family not long ago. He had even managed to break through the formation without much difficulty.

That experience had hardly left him impressed.

Besides, learning formations wasn’t something one could accomplish simply by studying a single manual. Much like alchemy, it required a solid foundation, extensive theoretical knowledge, and years of practice.

Possessing the Azure Lotus God-Slaying Formation manual alone was hardly enough. Even if someone managed to memorize its contents and reproduce the formation, they wouldn’t necessarily achieve the same results as an experienced formation master.

More importantly, Xavier had to consider who he could invest this inheritance in.

Neither Mira nor Maya had the time or inclination to devote themselves to studying formations. If he purchased the manual, who would he give it to?

He certainly wasn’t going to become a formation master himself. He already had more than enough things to occupy his time.

Besides, why go through all that trouble when the system could provide him with better rewards through investments?

"Do you have anything else worth showing me? If not, I’ll be on my way."

Xavier looked at Mark with a friendly expression.

He wasn’t particularly surprised by the man’s attempt to sell him something. Several other stall owners had approached him earlier, hoping to make a deal.

However, formation manuals simply weren’t among his priorities.

Perhaps he could consider cultivating a formation master if he encountered a suitable investment target in the future. Until then, there was no reason to spend resources on something he couldn’t use.

"Wait!"

Mark finally recovered from his shock.

Seeing that Xavier was about to leave, he hurriedly stopped him. After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and retrieved another treasure from his spatial ring.

"Take a look at this. It’s a space-type runestone!"

He held it up for Xavier to examine.

"Once you channel spiritual energy into it, you’ll gain access to several spatial abilities, including teleportation, spatial confinement, and spatial displacement. In other words, it temporarily grants you the powers of a spatial ability user!"

Mark watched Xavier’s reaction closely.

This time, he had brought out something genuinely valuable.

Space-type runestones were among the rarest and most sought-after varieties. He was confident that Xavier would find it difficult to resist such an item.

And he was right.

Xavier immediately became interested.

"What kind of pills are you looking to exchange it for?"

"Anything from the fifth to seventh grade. You can make an offer!"

Xavier didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

A space-type runestone was an excellent investment item. He could keep it for himself or give it to Mira or Maya. Either way, it would be useful.

"Two seventh-grade pills. I’ll accept a Great Enlightenment Pill, a Reversal Pill, or an Ascension Pill."

Mark stated his price.

Xavier’s expression remained unchanged, but he immediately began considering the offer.

He currently had a seventh-grade Ascension Pill in his spatial ring. It was one of the rewards he had obtained through the system’s investment returns.

Despite its impressive name, the pill was essentially an enhanced version of the Creation Pill. It could help martial artists overcome cultivation bottlenecks, but it certainly couldn’t turn someone into a Divine Power Realm expert overnight.

Xavier intended to keep it for future use.

Besides, he only had one, so there was no reason to exchange it away.

More importantly, he didn’t believe a single space-type runestone was worth two seventh-grade pills.

"That’s too expensive. I’ll offer you one seventh-grade pill, but the Ascension Pill isn’t available for trade."

He shook his head.

Mark frowned.

"Come on! This is a space-type runestone. How can you say it’s not worth two seventh-grade pills?"

Xavier considered the matter briefly before making another offer.

"At most, I’ll give you one seventh-grade Spirit Control Pill or Saint Purification Pill, together with four sixth-grade pills. That’s my final offer. Take it or leave it."

Among the seventh-grade pills in Xavier’s possession, the Spirit Control Pill was one he had the least use for. In fact, one of the pills he had previously exchanged with Golden Retriever had been a Spirit Control Pill.

Of course, what Xavier considered expendable was an extremely valuable treasure to most martial artists.

The Spirit Control Pill could accelerate cultivation, making it a highly sought-after resource. Many people would gladly pay a considerable price to obtain one.

Mark hesitated.

"Brother, can’t you increase the offer a little? Just a little more would do."

"If you accept, we have a deal. Otherwise, we’ll leave it here."

Xavier had no intention of allowing himself to be taken advantage of.

He had previously exchanged a Saint Purification Pill for a runestone with Victoria. This time, he was willing to include four sixth-grade pills because Mark was offering something considerably rarer—a space-type runestone.

That was already a generous offer.

He wasn’t going to add anything else.

If the man was willing to trade, they could complete the transaction. If not, Xavier had no reason to force him.

He had already made quite a name for himself in the trading area. There was no shortage of people who might approach him with valuable treasures in the future.

Mark put on a troubled expression.

"At this price, I’m practically making a loss. How about adding three more sixth-grade pills?"

Xavier didn’t even bother replying.

He simply turned around and started walking away.

He had no interest in wasting time haggling over a deal that was already fair.

"Wait! Alright, alright! I’ll accept your offer!"

Mark hurriedly called after him.

Xavier stopped and was about to retrieve the pills from his spatial ring when the other man suddenly spoke again.

"Hold on, brother. Before we complete the exchange, I have another suggestion."

Xavier looked at him curiously.

"What is it?"

"Since you think paying more would be a loss for you, and I feel I’m already selling this runestone too cheaply, why don’t we settle it another way?"

"What way?"

"Let’s fight!"

Mark finally revealed what he had been planning all along.

A smile appeared on his face as he explained, "You put up one seventh-grade pill and four sixth-grade pills as your stake. I’ll wager this space-type runestone. We’ll have a match in the combat area, and the winner takes everything. What do you say?"

Xavier raised an eyebrow.

"That’s allowed?"

"Of course!"

Mark chuckled.

"Is this your first time in the Destiny Space? Let me explain. This kind of wager is perfectly normal here. The Destiny Space itself oversees the agreement, so once both sides accept the terms, the loser can’t simply refuse to hand over the winnings."

His explanation was interrupted by a mocking voice from nearby.

Because of Xavier’s extravagant spending, quite a few people had gathered around to watch the exchange. Among them was Golden Retriever, who had recognized Mark immediately.

"MK, that’s quite a clever scheme you’ve come up with!"

He sneered.

"You’re trying to take advantage of Major because he’s new to the Destiny Space, aren’t you?"

Another person chimed in.

"You’re a one-star Divine Power Realm expert. Isn’t it a little shameless to challenge a newcomer like that?"

"There’s nothing wrong with betting on a fight, but you’re practically trying to take his pills for free. Anyone can see what you’re up to!"

"MJ, don’t fall for it!"

MK was Mark’s alias in the Destiny Space.

Golden Retriever knew exactly who he was. He was a genuine Divine Power Realm expert, and not someone an ordinary Star Sea Realm martial artist could easily defeat.

Golden Retriever had also witnessed Xavier’s extraordinary spending power firsthand. In his eyes, Xavier was an exceptionally valuable customer, especially since he appeared to be an alchemist with an enormous supply of pills.

If he could maintain a good relationship with someone like Xavier, his business would benefit tremendously.

Naturally, he wasn’t going to stand by and watch Mark trick him.

As soon as Golden Retriever spoke up, the surrounding martial artists began voicing their objections as well.

They weren’t fools. Xavier was clearly a wealthy alchemist with access to an impressive collection of resources. Anyone with a little business sense would want to establish a good relationship with him.

Mark’s expression darkened.

"Stop making things up! I simply feel like having a fight. What’s wrong with that?"

He turned back toward Xavier, ignoring the others.

"Well, brother? What do you think? You could walk away with this space-type runestone without having to pay a single pill if you win."

Although he spoke confidently, Mark was already preparing for Xavier to refuse.

He then shot a hostile glare at Golden Retriever.

That bastard had deliberately exposed his alias and cultivation level in front of everyone.

How many newcomers would willingly challenge a one-star Divine Power Realm martial artist after learning about the difference in their strength?

Golden Retriever wasn’t intimidated. He glared right back.

Although he was only at the peak of the Star Sea Realm, he had the backing of several powerful experts in his Prosperity Chamber of Commerce. He wasn’t about to let Mark bully him.

Amid the crowd’s discussion, Xavier finally opened his mouth.

"Your proposal isn’t bad."

Mark’s eyes lit up.

But Xavier wasn’t finished.

"However, if you want to fight me for those treasures, that little bit of stake isn’t nearly enough. You’ll have to put up something more valuable!"