Mortal Alchemy

“Senior Brother Chen, long time no see!” Wang Funi, with elegant lotus steps, arrived before Chen Ping, offering a graceful bow, her beautiful face adorned with a radiant smile.

Chen Ping's eyes couldn't help but be somewhat恍惚 (huǎnghū - distracted/in a trance):

“It has indeed been many years since we last met.”

Almost twenty years since.

The last time he saw Wang Funi, she only had Qi Refinement cultivation, but now, not only had she successfully established her foundation, but her cultivation was also on par with Chen Ping, both at the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Moreover, judging from the respectful gazes of the crowd towards her, her combat strength seemed formidable, clearly having engaged in battles before.

Furthermore, this woman's appearance and figure had undergone earth-shattering, transformative changes.

Her figure was slender, and her body was exquisitely alluring.

Wang Funi said, “Senior Brother Chen, would you like to place a bet?”

Chen Ping thought about the mere twenty thousand spirit stones he had left, making him practically penniless.

A gleam flashed in his eyes: “Perhaps the resources for a third-level Body Refiner could be earned through this competition.”

He said, “Of course, I will place a bet.”

He went to the betting table: “I want to bet on myself, could you please explain the rules and regulations to me?”

The white-haired, wizened Foundation Establishment cultivator said with a smile, “Uncle Chen, there is only one type of betting here.”

“That is, betting on win or lose.”

“Uncle Chen is betting on himself, so you can only bet on yourself to win, not on yourself to lose, to prevent any suspicion of manipulation.”

Chen Ping nodded slowly, and said, “Of course, I am betting on myself to win.”

“Bet twenty thousand spirit stones.”

He took out twenty thousand spirit stones from his spatial ring.

The scene immediately erupted in exclamations, and the gazes of the crowd towards Chen Ping varied, as they whispered amongst themselves.

“This is Uncle’s betting ticket, please keep it safe.”

Chen Ping put it away and asked, “What are the odds?”

The white-haired Foundation Establishment cultivator said, “Currently, Uncle’s odds are one to ten.”

Chen Ping frowned slightly: “So little faith in me?”

The Foundation Establishment cultivator merely smiled and dared not say anything.

Yang Tianxi said, “Uncle Chen, now that the bet is placed, it’s time to go on the fighting stage.”

The crowd dispersed, allowing Chen Ping and Yang Tianxi to walk onto the fighting stage.

Here, a Golden Core True Person was stationed, judging by his attire, he was from the Punishment Peak.

He briefly explained the rules:

“This Changtian Secret Realm ranking battle is only for selecting the most elite disciples.”

“Once on the stage, any means are allowed, regardless of life or death, but those who actively admit defeat must not be chased to the bitter end.”

“Do you understand?”

Chen Ping nodded.

“Begin.”

As soon as the voice fell.

Two second-tier high-quality talismans in Yang Tianxi's hand were immediately torn apart.

“Rumble!!!”

A lightning-attribute spell and a sonic spell immediately attacked Chen Ping.

With extreme speed, Chen Ping subconsciously raised his left hand, his index and middle fingers joined, and pointed out a Green Lotus Leaf to block in front of him.

“Bang—”

An explosion sounded instantly, and Yang Tianxi, with lightning speed, cast a spell, blasting from Chen Ping's side.

It was a mixture of dozens of Gu insects and silver needles, emitting a silvery light.

This amount of time was enough for Chen Ping to take out the Aurora Sword from his spatial ring.

“Swoosh—”

A vast and terrifying sword qi was immediately unleashed, annihilating the many silver lights on his side.

“Third-tier Sword Treasure!”

“Hiss!!!”

“Is this the treatment of a Nascent Soul direct disciple! To actually possess a third-tier Sword Treasure!”

Someone exclaimed immediately.

“What if you have a third-tier Sword Treasure? I've long been prepared for this move!” Yang Tianxi sneered, placing a hand on his brow, his face twisted in a look of pain.

“Buzz—”

A golden light flew out from his brow.

“Divine Sense Secret Technique Attack!”

Yang Tianxi's methods were one after another, leaving people unable to cope.

Divine Sense attacks have always been a means of harming the enemy eight hundred while damaging oneself a thousand, and it is also the last resort of all Foundation Establishment cultivators, but this move requires some time to brew.

That's why Yang Tianxi used the two moves just now to buy himself time.

Upon seeing this, Chen Ping subconsciously activated the Divine Soul Secret Technique attack he obtained from Zhang Dingfeng:

“Nether King's Kowtow!”

A shadowy Nether King figure, indescribable and mysterious, appeared, blocking this Divine Sense attack for Chen Ping.

“Die, die, die, die, die!!!”

The Nether King phantom kowtowed, emitting a terrifying sound like the voice of death.

“Chī—”

“Pfft—”

Yang Tianxi immediately bled from all seven orifices, and his hair visibly turned from black to snow-white, his original middle-aged appearance instantly aging by dozens of years, like a seventy or eighty-year-old man.

“Divine Soul Secret Technique Attack!” This scene shocked many people: “Not only does he have a third-tier sword treasure, but he also has a Divine Soul Secret Technique attack!”

Many people looked bitter, their throats dry: “Is this the foundation of a Nascent Soul direct disciple?”

“I…I admit defeat…” Yang Tianxi bled from all seven orifices, his eyes were about to go blind, and he immediately uttered a few words with difficulty.

Many people were shocked: “Yang Tianxi was defeated after only three moves!”

“It seems he didn't pick up a bargain, but rather bit into a hard bone.”

“Idiot.”

“Couldn't you struggle a bit more, I bet eight thousand spirit stones!”

The Foundation Establishment cultivator at the betting table was overjoyed.

This money was so easy to earn.

Yang Tianxi admitted defeat, and Chen Ping, according to the rules, did not pursue or attack.

“With odds of one to ten, I bet twenty thousand spirit stones on myself, wouldn't that mean I earned two hundred thousand spirit stones in one go?” A gleam flashed in Chen Ping's eyes, and his mood immediately improved.

“Chen Ping wins.” The Golden Core True Person from Punishment Peak announced.

Many people in the audience also had gleams in their eyes, seemingly calculating and pondering something.

“He has a Divine Soul Secret Technique attack, we can't give Chen Ping the chance to brew a Divine Soul attack.”

“If we fight him again, it's best to engage in close combat and entangle him, exhausting him.”

Wang Funi looked delighted and cheered:

“Senior Brother Chen is indeed amazing!”

Chen Ping came to the betting table: “Where's the money?”

The white-haired Foundation Establishment cultivator immediately took out a storage bag:

“Uncle Chen, here are your two hundred and twenty thousand spirit stones, please check and verify.”

Chen Ping took the cheap storage bag and scanned it with his divine sense:

“Not bad, it's two hundred and twenty thousand.”

He had become rich in one fell swoop, this was even more profitable than his alchemy.

And his Body Refinement and Sword Dao combat strength had not yet been revealed.

A dark glint flashed in Chen Ping's eyes: “It seems that if someone challenges me again, I can use it to make a big profit in spirit stones.”

Most of those who had come for Chen Ping dispersed to report the news.

Wang Funi came to Chen Ping and said with a smile, “Senior Brother Chen is amazing, this battle was won cleanly and neatly.”

“It seems that in a few years, when we go to the Changtian Secret Realm, we will have to trouble Senior Brother Chen to take care of us.”

Chen Ping shook his head modestly:

“Junior Sister Wang is too kind, my combat strength is very average, how can I compare to the many elite geniuses in the sect?”

If some Spirit Bodies were to come on stage, Chen Ping might not be able to defeat them, let alone those geniuses with special spiritual roots.

On this Changtian Secret Realm list, there are Nascent Soul direct disciples, Nascent Soul direct descendants, Golden Core direct descendants, special spiritual roots, special spirit bodies, which one of them is easy to deal with?

Looking around…

Oh, some people were already looking at Chen Ping with awe.