Chapter 540: An Offer
"As strong as expected."
Yue Cangshan’s expression became somewhat ugly.
Both of them were at the Half-Step Heavenly Core Realm, yet he had been sent flying by a single strike from Saber Fiend. This was undoubtedly extremely embarrassing. At the same time, he also realized that Saber Fiend was definitely the most formidable opponent he had ever encountered.
He did not dare to hesitate. He immediately took out the Bright King Axe, then swung it down fiercely toward Saber Fiend.
"Seven Slaughter Fist, Axe Form!"
His arms trembled continuously, and a strange slaughter force traveled along his arms and palms into the Bright King Axe. The Bright King Axe also vibrated rapidly, suddenly erupting with peerless crimson power.
After striking with this axe, a satisfied smile appeared on Yue Cangshan’s face.
This strike could be considered his peak technique. He believed that even a 1st level Heavenly Core Realm expert would suffer light injuries if they faced this axe head-on. This was something he had comprehended from the Seven Slaughter Fist.
In essence, he was using his essence qi to imitate slaughter qi. It was not pure Slaughter Intent like Li Yun’s, but its power was still extraordinary.
However, facing this powerful axe strike, Saber Fiend only gave a cold smile.
Then, with speed like lightning, he slashed out in the blink of an eye.
Ssh!
A brilliant light erupted.
Saber Fiend’s strike was too fast, too sharp, and too stunning.
The saber light flashed, and in an instant, the Bright King Axe in Yue Cangshan’s hand was knocked flying. Not only that, but Yue Cangshan himself was also sent flying by the strike. A huge gash appeared across his chest, and he had almost been killed by Saber Fiend’s saber.
Hiss!
Immediately, all the cultivators in the Mistcloud Prefecture camp sucked in a cold breath.
Lord Yue Cangshan had actually lost.
Moreover, his defeat was clean and miserable. The battle between him and Saber Fiend made it seem as though they were not even on the same level.
"This Saber Fiend..."
Prefect Mu Yun’s face also became unsightly.
He had heard of Saber Fiend’s name before, but he had not expected his strength to be so formidable. Even Yue Cangshan, his trusted general, was unable to withstand Saber Fiend in a single exchange.
"Hahahaha!"
Compared to the plummeting morale on the Mistcloud Prefecture side, the Prefect of Cloudrift Prefecture, that slightly plump old man, became incredibly smug.
"Mu Yun, I bet you did not expect to suffer such a setback."
After pausing for a moment, he laughed arrogantly and continued, "How about it, Mu Yun? Do you dare to make a bigger bet with me? For the upcoming Mortal Core Realm battle, if you win, the spirit stone vein and the Star Jade Marrow will all belong to you. But if you lose, you must give me ten thousand top-grade spirit stones. Well, do you dare?"
Ten thousand top-grade spirit stones.
Upon hearing the slightly plump old man’s words, rage instantly surged in Prefect Mu Yun’s heart.
Ten thousand top-grade spirit stones was equivalent to one million high-grade spirit stones. In reality, because top-grade spirit stones were much rarer, ten thousand of them could be exchanged for far more than one million high-grade spirit stones. This Prefect Cloudrift’s appetite was truly enormous.
Did he really think he was guaranteed to win the upcoming battle?
"Lord, Prefect Cloudrift is acting with such confidence, so there must be a trap."
After losing to Saber Fiend, Yue Cangshan’s face was filled with shame. Even so, he still stepped forward and spoke urgently. "Since he dares to make such arrogant claims, he must have prepared a backup plan. Lord, you must not fall into his scheme."
"Of course I know he is up to something."
Prefect Mu Yun did not vent his anger on Yue Cangshan. His expression remained as calm as still water as he said solemnly, "But since he has already spoken to this extent, this battle now concerns our reputation. We have no choice but to fight."
After a brief pause, he looked at Li Yun and said gravely, "Li Yun, the upcoming battle is entrusted to you. If you can win, aside from the conditions I promised earlier, I will also owe you a favor."
Hearing this, Yue Cangshan’s heart skipped a beat in shock.
A favor from a Heavenly Core Realm expert was already extremely precious, let alone a favor from Prefect Mu Yun. As a Prefect Lord, his strength far surpassed that of ordinary 1st level Heavenly Core Realm cultivators, so the weight of his favor was naturally immense.
It seemed that Prefect Mu Yun was truly enraged. Otherwise, he would not have been willing to pay such a price.
"Prefect, rest assured. I will do my best."
Li Yun nodded. His expression remained calm, and there was not the slightest trace of worry on his face.
"Good."
Li Yun’s calm attitude finally gave Prefect Mu Yun some confidence. He looked at the slightly plump old man and sneered. "Zhang Wuxu, since you want to play, I will play with you properly. I accept your wager."
"Hahahaha!"
Hearing Prefect Mu Yun’s words, the slightly plump old man burst into wild laughter. "Good, very good. Mu Yun, this time, you are destined to lose face. Little Brother Hua, it is your turn to step forward."
As his words fell, a youth in luxurious robes stepped out and stood beside the slightly plump old man.
His features were ordinary, but his eyes were exceptionally sharp. A calm and profound aura emanated from him, unfathomable like the depths of the ocean. Although the cultivation he revealed was only at the Half-Step Earthly Core Realm, the feeling he gave off was even stronger than that of an 1st level Earthly Core Realm cultivator.
"Is this... Hua Qingfeng?"
"Hua Qingfeng, the first on the Spirit Ranking. Prefect Cloudrift actually invited him here."
"This is troublesome. Prefect Cloudrift not only came prepared, but he also carefully set a trap for our prefect. Hua Qingfeng is first on the Spirit Ranking. In the entire Mortal Core Realm, who could possibly be his match?"
"It is over. This battle is definitely lost."
When they saw the luxuriously robed youth, all the cultivators on the Mistcloud Prefecture side changed expressions. Their faces instantly became extremely grim.
Hua Qingfeng was publicly recognized throughout the Azure Void Region as the strongest cultivator in the Mortal Core Realm. He had once lasted half an hour against a 2nd level Earthly Core Realm expert before finally being defeated.
Even if the second and third ranked cultivators on the Spirit Ranking joined forces, they would still be far from his match. No matter who Prefect Mu Yun sent out, that person would almost certainly lose.