Chapter 40

In Wufang City, the voices of people were boiling over.

On the Hunlan Continent, the five major sects stood in opposition, each with their own sphere of influence. Wufang City, located at the center of the Hunlan Continent, was coveted by all the major sects, each wanting to claim it as their own territory. However, due to this very reason, no single sect could dominate the others. After years of battles, with countless casualties, the five major sects, exhausted, privately agreed to make Wufang City a neutral zone, not belonging to any one sect, similar to a free port.

Because of this, trade in Wufang City was extremely prosperous, and underground forces also had a certain degree of influence. Chaos was mixed with order; as long as no one crossed any line, no one was willing to cause a major conflict in Wufang City. In Wufang City, as long as you had money, you could enjoy the most luxurious pleasures of the Hunlan Continent, whether it was fine food, beautiful women, rare treasures from the bitterly cold northern regions, or various cultivation secrets that occasionally appeared.

The "Heritage Grand Trial," with its bloody slaughter, stimulated the deep-seated bloodlust of the people in Wufang City. More than ten massive mirages stood in the center of the city's training ground. These mirages were far beyond what the Henshan Sect could imagine, enormous and consuming a staggering amount of soul stones with each breath. Even so, the fifteen mirages continued to shine day and night in the training ground, with countless frenzied people shouting and placing bets, unable to control themselves as they watched the bloody battles within the mirages.

The true big shots, of course, did not watch in the training ground. At the Tian Dao Sect's Wufang City base, the situation was no different. Fifteen mirages were shining, but all the people were gathered around one of them, some watching intently, others whispering to those beside them.

"That damn thing is just a rat, what's there to watch!" A large man with a full beard said, looking at Bu Li's figure hidden in the forest. Although he thought his voice was not loud, it still made the mirage vibrate.

"Li Dayan, be quiet," a middle-aged woman glared at the man, dissatisfied. Although she looked to be in her thirties, she still had a lingering charm and an endless allure, which made her more attractive to some people than a young girl.

"What? Is that boy your lover?" Li Dayan clearly did not care about the beautiful woman's warning, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.

The beautiful woman's almond eyes flashed with a fierce light, which quickly disappeared. She smiled sweetly and said, "Li Dayan, dare you bet with me?"

"Shen Jingyi, who's afraid of who?!" The rough man perked up at the mention of a bet. He was a gambling addict and would never back down from a bet, even if he was somewhat afraid of Shen Jingyi, which he quickly forgot.

"What do you want to bet on? How can we bet?" Li Dayan's face glowed with excitement as he asked.

"Didn't you say that boy is like a rat? Let's bet on whether he can win. I won't take advantage of you. If you win, I'll give you the bottle of Fire Demon's blood I have. If you lose, what will you give me?" Shen Jingyi was delighted that Li Dayan agreed to the bet without much persuasion. She knew some things about the "Heritage Grand Trial" through some covert channels, and even knew that the young master had personally gone to the Henshan Sect. With this, what couldn't she put on the line?

Li Dayan's eyes, already large, widened even more at Shen Jingyi's words. "I've asked you for that bottle of Fire Demon's blood so many times, even my master asked you, but you never gave it. Why are you being so generous this time? Is that boy really your lover?"

"What's wrong with that? I like young and tender ones. What's it to you?" Shen Jingyi spoke boldly, leaving Li Dayan speechless and hesitant.

Fire Demon's blood was the purest form of fire power. For a fifth-stage engraving, not only did it require various methods, but also rare materials, one of which was Fire Demon's blood. Li Dayan had long coveted it, but Shen Jingyi was unyielding, and the fifth-leaf peak master of the Tian Dao Sect was extremely arrogant. Without Shen Jingyi's consent, there was no way to forcibly take it. Why was Shen Jingyi being so generous this time? The more Li Dayan thought about it, the more he felt something was off. Could she know something?

Seeing Li Dayan's hesitation, Shen Jingyi sneered, "If you're afraid, get out. You have a loud voice, but if your courage was half as big, it would be better."

Li Dayan, spurred on by Shen Jingyi's taunt, steeled his resolve and said, "I'll bet! I'll put up my piece of five-colored dragon sinew. If I lose, I'll be a damn turtle's son and won't deny it!"

"Good!" Shen Jingyi was very happy, raising her hand to seal the bet with a handshake.

At the main peak of the Tian Dao Sect, with seventy-two defensive formations, the grand hall, which had a history of thousands of years, did not look old or decrepit. Instead, it appeared more stable and heavy after being weathered by time. Behind the grand hall were the living quarters, and at the deepest point, a cave led directly to the most secret inner chamber of the Tian Dao Sect. For many years, the most important decisions of the Tian Dao Sect were made here.

The "Heritage Grand Trial" was nothing more than a bloody form of entertainment for the people of the Hunlan Continent. The lives and deaths of those with impure bloodlines were not enough to stir even the slightest thought in the great cultivators of the Hunlan Continent.

However, as the "Heritage Grand Trial" was in full swing, a mirage in the most secret inner chamber of the Tian Dao Sect was shining, showing Bu Li's position.

The atmosphere in the inner chamber was somewhat strange, not oppressive but very quiet. Bu Li's figure was clearly visible in the mirage, indicating that a more powerful soul technique had been applied to break his invisibility. On the other side, a red dot was moving quickly, as if searching for something.

"Old man, Xitong has encountered a very interesting young man," a middle-aged scholar said.

In the center of the inner chamber, a white-haired old man with a ruddy complexion and sharp eyes sat in the main seat, exuding an aura of authority. Hearing the middle-aged scholar, he nodded slightly and said, "This boy's invisibility technique, besides his affinity with the thousand-year-old vine and the surrounding environment, seems to have a very weak, unawakened natural affinity. It doesn't seem to be his own, but rather something he has been exposed to. Indeed, it's quite interesting, even for Xitong to discover."

Mentioning Xitong, the old man's face showed a kind smile.

"Could it be that the old man's prediction was well-founded?" The middle-aged scholar was still hesitant, weighing his words.

"Let's see. There's no rush," the old man sat calmly, having seen countless storms in his life. Although the matter was significant, he remained composed. "Xitong has already discovered him. Let's see what Xitong does, and then we'll make a decision."

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