Chapter Thirty-Two: Raising the Stakes

Watching Autumn Wind’s departing figure, Boss Li decided to leave the group as well. While working together could minimize injuries, dividing the spoils of war was never straightforward. Rather than say Li Chengzhu feared trouble, it would be more accurate to say he had absolute confidence in his own abilities.

Guided by the little creature, Li Chengzhu pursued a flock of two-winged angels alongside many cultivators. Those angels had long lost their fighting spirit—unless cornered, they made only futile attempts to slow their pursuers, spending most of their time fleeing in panic. This only bolstered Boss Li’s confidence in the wager. The battle had become meaningless; the angels had arrived with high morale and left as abandoned corpses, thanks mainly to the cultivators’ underground strike force which effectively ambushed the angels’ ranged troops.

Boss Li rode atop a superior flying sword, Meteor, closely following the little creature’s lead. He waited for it to pierce the angels’ defenses with its glass needle, then remotely commanded Meteor to deliver the killing blow. The little creature would then dart into the wound and retrieve the divine crystal.

Their teamwork grew ever more seamless, reaching a level of near-perfect harmony, making the hunt suddenly entertaining for Boss Li. Even the sprays of blood began to seem charming and elegant.

Boss Li estimated the remaining duration of his strength-enhancing talisman, hoping to slay more angels before its power faded and put Autumn Wind’s arrogance to rest.

The cultivators chased the angels for eighty miles, halting only at the gates of the angels’ main base. Along the way, corpses littered the landscape, turning the Red Rock Plateau into a hellish scene. Even camps far from the main battlefield could faintly smell the overwhelming stench of blood.

Yet this did not dampen the spirits of those cultivators and immortals whose goal was the path of heaven.

The eight Great Golden Immortals who joined the battle each completed their own missions. Except for one who was ambushed and severely wounded, the angels’ eight-winged defenders suffered four deaths and three serious injuries.

Among those eight immortals were Ye Zhiqiu, commander of the cultivators, and Qiao Yanluo, commander of the immortals; as husband and wife, their profound cultivation allowed them to fulfill their tasks with ease.

The triumph made Ye Zhiqiu beam with joy. With a grand gesture, he rewarded the troops: each cultivator received an extra twenty superior stones, while those who participated in the underground strike received fifty each.

The cultivators cheered—slaying a two-winged angel earned only one superior stone, yet the commander’s generosity meant a reward equivalent to killing twenty. How could they not be thrilled? Victory, coupled with material rewards, intoxicated every cultivator.

After centuries or millennia of peace, the cultivators finally understood what passion and frenzy truly meant.

Inside the tent, Li Chengzhu and Autumn Wind stared each other down.

“Brother Autumn, please, you first!” Boss Li said with a smile. Though his strength-enhancing talisman failed halfway through the pursuit, forcing him to withdraw, he remained confident in the outcome of their wager.

“You go ahead,” Autumn Wind replied, pushing back.

“No, no, in my hometown there’s a virtue—respect the old and cherish the young. Brother Autumn, you first, by all means.” Boss Li squinted his eyes.

Autumn Wind gave a cold smile, “In that case, I won’t refuse.” With that, he flicked his hand, laying out a pile of divine crystals.

“Wow!” Xiaoying’s mouth dropped open. She had risked her life and, with her sister’s protection, managed to slay just over a dozen two-winged angels. She hadn’t expected Autumn Wind to have killed so many.

The battlefield was chaos—easy to kill, but just as easy to be killed. A single misstep could leave one without a grave. Xiaoying had been cautious, which was why she managed only a dozen kills. Without Gu Linglong’s protection, she might not have survived the war at all.

Li Chengzhu was also taken aback at the sight of the crystals, realizing he had underestimated Autumn Wind’s strength. To collect so many divine crystals, Autumn Wind must have been well prepared. How could a cultivator at the Great Perfection stage amass so much merit otherwise?

Still, it was to his own advantage. Li Chengzhu chuckled inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged. “Xiaoying, could you count Brother Autumn’s haul?”

“Oh, alright!” Xiaoying recovered from her shock and began counting the sparkling pile.

“Fifty-three!” she announced, causing several followers of Gu Linglong to blush, especially the three remaining Great Perfection stage experts.

How could their cultivation be so similar, yet their results differ so much? The three felt indignant.

“Your turn, Brother Li!” Autumn Wind said, brimming with confidence.

Last time, the slaying of the six-winged angel was said to be achieved through array formation. Though he couldn’t be sure whether it was true, Autumn Wind preferred to believe that this sly man had used an array. But this chaotic battlefield offered no chance for such tactics; thus, Autumn Wind believed Li Chengzhu was bound to lose this time.

“No rush.” Boss Li chuckled, his gaze sly as he asked, “Brother Autumn, shall we raise the stakes?”

“You’re bluffing?” Autumn Wind replied coldly. “Do you think you’ve won?”

Boss Li shrugged, unfazed. “Perhaps I did get fewer… but who’s to say?” He winked at Autumn Wind. “All’s fair in war.”

Autumn Wind snorted, “What do you have that’s worth my attention?”

Boss Li extended his left hand, waggling it and squeezing the ring on his middle finger. “This—are you satisfied, Brother Autumn?”

“The Jade Blood Ring of the Illusory Sword Sect?” Autumn Wind was shocked. He’d never gotten along with this fellow, and only now noticed the sect’s token. This storage ring ranked among the top five in the immortal realm.

The others were startled from their confusion. Some had seen the blood-red ring on Boss Li’s hand, thinking it was mere ostentation, never realizing it was the famous Jade Blood Ring. Only Autumn Wind, well-versed and sharp-eyed, recognized it instantly. The tent filled with the sound of collective swallowing.

“Brother Autumn, you have a keen eye. It is indeed the Jade Blood Ring of the Illusory Sword Sect,” Boss Li said, smiling smugly. “Would you care to raise the stakes?” He paused, casting a mischievous glance at Autumn Wind. “Or perhaps all you have is what’s on you? No hidden treasures?”

Autumn Wind ignored the provocation, silently calculating his chances.

The tent fell silent. Xiaoying’s chest heaved with nervousness, which made Boss Li swallow hard. Only Gu Linglong sat quietly to the side, replenishing her immortal energy.

PS: Sorry, I didn’t sleep well last night. Got up in the middle of the night to check the rankings, so only now managed to get up. My apologies.