Chapter 668: Common Tactics

After all, Ye Qin wants five hundred low-grade spirit stones, not ten.

"If Young Master Zhao is unwilling to produce five hundred low-grade spirit stones, we could instead make a bet—I just don't know if you dare."

Ye Qin's words were plain and unremarkable, as if this bet were not important to him.

But Zhao Mo's expression suddenly changed, and he said coldly: "How do you want to bet? Let's hear it."

He actually became interested all of a sudden; perhaps this could also become a source of fun.

Ye Qin nodded and said: "Let's compare whose talent is higher; if you lose, you give me five hundred low-grade spirit stones; if I lose, I'll serve you as an attendant for free."

That is the content of the bet.

He also isn't afraid that Zhao Mo will renege; when the time comes, he will have a way to deal with him.

"Okay!"

Zhao Mo thought for a moment, then said: "However, we both need to swear an oath to heaven—what do you think?"

In terms of talent, he considers himself not inferior to anyone: "At least much stronger than this brat; he couldn't be a genius, otherwise he would have been heavily nurtured by the sect elders."

He had looked into Ye Qin's situation, so he knew that this person who came with Zhao Ke was actually quite ordinary; otherwise, he would have already attracted the attention of the sect's elders.

And he is precisely such a person who is being heavily nurtured.

Ye Qin's eyes flashed, and he agreed: "Fine, I agree—let's properly make this bet from now on."

He coldly stared at Zhao Mo, feeling that this matter wasn't particularly frightening, and even didn't think it was a big deal.

A hint of coldness flickered in his calm gaze, as if betting with Zhao Mo were just ordinary; talent isn't something you can just talk about.

"Good!"

Zhao Mo nodded, then waited for the upcoming assessment test.

For those who have already achieved Foundation Establishment, this is merely a formality; but for those who haven't reached the Foundation Establishment realm, this will be a severe test.

Ye Qin and Zhao Mo are both waiting.

One side is free labor, the other side is five hundred low-grade spirit stones; this bet seems profitable—at least Ye Qin thinks that if he obtains those five hundred low-grade spirit stones, his strength could advance further.

A subtle smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"If he dares to renege, he will not only suffer the backlash of the oath, but also face my relentless pursuit." This is Ye Qin's confidence.

No one dares to do that, and Zhao Mo doesn't either.

At this point, someone has already begun testing; at the central high platform of the training field, there is something like a mirror—just place your palm on it, and a thread of mysterious power will enter the tester's body, circle around and return; if the mirror lights up, it indicates Foundation Establishment success; if it doesn't light up, it indicates not yet reaching the Foundation Establishment realm.

This method is currently the most direct way of testing used by the Haoran Immortal Sect!

Soon, an Inner Sect Elder said indifferently: "Next, Zhao Mo!"

Although hard to believe, what is before our eyes is an undeniable fact that cannot be changed. The light from Ye Qin's illuminated mirror far surpasses Zhao Mo's; they are completely different, and the outcome is clear at a glance.

What was originally thought impossible has now truly happened.

This wondrous feeling left everyone astonished, and they began to speculate and discuss.

"That light is too astonishing—I've never seen such a brilliant light before; how did he manage it?"

"Could he have already reached the mid‑Foundation Establishment realm? That's impossible..."

Everyone stared at each other, shocked by Ye Qin's strength. His unparalleled talent is absolutely not comparable to that so‑called genius Zhao Mo.

He truly is different from the rest.

Even Xu Wei, who had previously offended Ye Qin, is now trembling: "Turns out he's this strong; I thought he hadn't yet achieved Foundation Establishment."

Xu Wei felt ashamed and embarrassed at once, while his heart filled with fear and worry. If Ye Qin settles scores later, what should he do?

As soon as the assessment test ended, he slipped away quietly, afraid of drawing Ye Qin's attention.

Ye Qin—Xu Wei has already listed him as someone not to be provoked.

"Our sect actually hides such talent—how could we have not noticed before?"

"Has he achieved Foundation Establishment long ago, or only recently? If it's the latter, that's simply terrifying."

Everyone discussed animatedly; Ye Qin's performance left them stunned. Now they all want to know how the elders will evaluate him.

As for the bet, there is no doubt—Ye Qin won.

At that moment, the presiding elder on the high platform stroked his beard and said slowly: "Good, very good, excellent! Your talent is unprecedented. If you can maintain this momentum and break into the Golden Core realm, I fear the Inner Sect Elders will all vie to take you as a disciple."

You should know that inner disciples can choose to become an elder's disciple or not; but having a master to teach is always good—one can learn more systematic knowledge and also have a backing.

However, to avoid a fleeting bloom like the night‑blooming cereus, elders usually wait until a disciple's cultivation level reaches Golden Core before deciding whether to accept them as a disciple. Moreover, taking on disciples and becoming a disciple are mutual—elders can choose disciples, and inner disciples can also choose a master.

Regarding these situations, the elder on the high platform didn't elaborate further, merely stepped forward, patted Ye Qin's shoulder, and said: "Work hard, achieve Golden Core success early, and then you may take a master."

Someone like Ye Qin, with extraordinary talent, he also wishes to take him under his wing, but he knows this is merely a thought—some things he says don't count.

"Thank you, Elder!" Ye Qin expressed his thanks. He knew deep down that all this was due to the extraordinary true qi within his body.

Ordinary people think that good talent allows one to gather more spiritual energy, making cultivation easier and thus increasing true qi; but Ye Qin knows this is not an absolute truth.

After descending from the high platform, Ye Qin smiled and walked toward Zhao Mo, calmly saying: "Young Master Zhao, it seems I won this bet."

Zhao Mo's face was as ugly as pig's liver. He had originally been full of confidence, thinking he could at least draw, but he never expected Ye Qin to be a dark horse, far stronger than he imagined.

Too terrifying!

"How... how did you manage that?" Zhao Mo asked with an ugly expression. He didn't think Ye Qin won by strength; instead, he thought Ye Qin had taken a shortcut.

Ye Qin shook his head, didn't answer his question, but said: "These don't matter; what matters is that you lost—should those five hundred low-grade spirit stones be paid now?"

He was eagerly awaiting Zhao Mo's spirit stones.

"If there were five hundred spirit stones, closing off to cultivate for two or three months would basically allow a breakthrough to mid‑Foundation Establishment. That's the benefit of having resources." He silently calculated in his heart.

Of course, Zhao Mo might renege, but he isn't afraid.

Upon hearing Ye Qin's words, Zhao Mo's face grew even uglier. He had thought victory was certain, yet he didn't expect to lose in the end.

The surrounding fellow disciples also began to discuss animatedly.

"Wow, that guy named Ye Qin actually won—he's really awesome."

Looks like Zhao Mo doesn't want to admit defeat. After all, it's five hundred low-grade spirit stones; even if you sold him, it wouldn't be worth that much.

You're wrong; he's a Zhao family member. Five hundred spirit stones can be scraped together if you grit your teeth—it's just painful to part with.

I think he wants to renege on the debt.

……

Although these words weren't loud, they weren't deliberately concealed either; Zhao Mo heard them crystal clear. He was so angry his whole body trembled, and he longed to rush over and strangle the person.

He glared, speaking unhappily: 'A bet's a bet—I won't forget, nor will I renege. But five hundred low-grade spirit stones is no small sum; I need a day to prepare and will deliver them to your courtyard tomorrow morning.'

Hearing Zhao Mo's words, Ye Qin nodded and said casually, 'Not reneging is good. A bet's a bet shows sincerity, so we can keep gambling like this, right?'

Still gambling?

Only a madman would keep gambling with you!

Zhao Mo's mouth twitched as he thought, 'I don't want to keep gambling with you—killing you outright would be better.'

Of course, he didn't say that aggravating line; instead, he stared at Ye Qin intently for a while, as if trying to burn the person into his memory. Ye Qin merely shrugged, indicating he didn't care.

The assessment will take three days; only after all tests are completed will successful disciples be arranged, with their identities, attire, and monthly stipends adjusted, etc.

That's the benefit of being an inner sect disciple.

But that won't happen until three days later. For the next three days, Ye Qin still has to stay where he is.

'Tomorrow morning then, that works!'

Although Ye Qin didn't know why Zhao Mo insisted on delivery tomorrow morning, he sensed there must be a deeper meaning. The Zhao family's influence in the Haoran Immortal Sect isn't huge, but it's not negligible either.

'Looks like he plans to use some other means.'

Ye Qin thought darkly, but he wasn't afraid. He mused: 'He doesn't want to hand over those five hundred low-grade spirit stones, nor break his oath, but it's not that simple. No matter what trump cards or methods you have, Zhao Mo, I won't fear you. That was true before, and it's true now.'

If he were afraid, he wouldn't have gambled with Zhao Mo in the first place.

Then Zhao Mo walked over slowly, lowering his voice to threaten: 'This matter isn't over; we've settled our grudge. You'd better watch out.'

That's both a threat and a warning.

But Ye Qin responded confidently, as if nothing had happened: 'I'll be waiting. Only you will lose out, just like when you bet and gave me cultivation resources, right?'

Ye Qin's faint smile looked to Zhao Mo like mockery and ridicule.

Zhao Mo, furious, blurted: 'You——'

His pair of resentful eyes wished to devour Ye Qin alive, but Ye Qin remained calm and unresponsive.

Zhao Mo is a spoiled genius and also a Zhao family member. His usual tactics are likely those: 'No matter what methods he employs, they'll show up tonight. With my strength, as long as he isn't a Golden Core expert, I don't care.'

He isn't afraid of Zhao Mo's methods; otherwise he wouldn't be lingering in the cultivation world.

Watching Zhao Mo's retreating back, Ye Qin murmured: 'I hope you can see reality clearly; otherwise you're just delivering resources to me!'

Although Zhao Mo has left, the matter is far from over.

Ye Qin faintly guessed what tactics Zhao Mo might employ, but he wasn't overly worried, planning to meet force with force and water with earth.

At this moment, the crowd on the training field looked at him differently; a figure capable of drawing the elders' attention had appeared—who would dare act rashly from now on?

At dusk, the sunset fell as usual.

At a certain spot in the outer sect, Zhao Mo asked the shadow beside him expressionlessly: 'You understand what happened today, right?'

The shadow nodded, replying: 'Clear. What do you want me to do?'

Zhao Mo raised his eyebrows slightly and said: 'If I recall correctly, you broke through to mid-stage Foundation Establishment last year; dealing with him shouldn't be a problem.'

'If you succeed, I'll give you a hundred low-grade spirit stones; if you fail, you don't need to come back, and I won't acknowledge anything.'

The shadow paused a moment, then after a while murmured: 'Okay.'

Then the shadow, slightly hesitant, added: 'I specialize in fire escape technique; killing him isn't hard, but what about the aftermath after he's dead?'

After all, Ye Qin has passed the Foundation Establishment examination; strictly speaking, he is already an inner sect disciple, but because others still need to finish their assessments, he hasn't yet been formally assigned to inner sect duties.

But if something were to happen to Ye Qin, the inner sect would certainly investigate; the inner sect is not comparable to the outer sect.

Zhao Mo stared, then after a moment furrowed his brow and said: 'I'll handle it properly—rest assured, it won't implicate you.'

As for the credibility of that statement, opinions will differ.

Nevertheless, the shadow eventually nodded and said: 'Fine, I'll go prepare.'

Regardless of whether Zhao Mo will take care of the aftermath, he has no chance to refuse, nor can he refuse; he can only mutter: 'I am ultimately weak, existing by relying on the Zhao family.'

All he can hope for is that Ye Qin isn't taken seriously and attracts no attention.

Soon, darkness fell completely.

Ye Qin stood in the courtyard of the wooden hut, sitting on the stone bench nearby, waiting idly for something: 'He should be coming soon, right?'

According to his guess, Zhao Mo would certainly not let this perfect opportunity tonight slip by.

'If I were to die unexpectedly, he wouldn't have to pay those five hundred low-grade spirit stones—this is a prime chance to cut his losses, and he surely won't pass it up.'

After returning from the outer sect training field, Ye Qin had figured out Zhao Mo's scheme—nothing more than the old kill-to-cut-losses tactic, 'Perhaps in his view, that's just everyday fare.'

Such a person, Ye Qin could only say, is well suited to mingling in the Qingxuan Continent, after all this is a place where one can cultivate immortality, and it's harsher than Qinhu.

The Way of immortality is hard to come by, but human hearts are even harder to fathom.

'Maybe he's already here, lurking in the dark to watch my movements and look for my flaws.' Just thinking that made him break out in a cold sweat, a creepy feeling of being watched, and his whole body grew tense with anxiety.

If that's the case, then every move he makes now is surely under the other's surveillance.

But in the end he still shook his head, casting aside the fear, and muttered: 'No matter who he sends, I have some capacity to resist; even if I can't kill him, I'll make him regret it.'

His willingness to fight desperately like this is also one of his sources of confidence.

Otherwise, who would dare to wait so boldly in the courtyard, knowing an attack is coming, yet pretend nothing's wrong? That very attitude itself shows confidence.

Hmph! (End of chapter)